Real Estate Information Archive

Just hearing or seeing the date, February 14^th, conjures images of hearts and flowers in our minds. Valentine’s Day.  A “holiday” named for St. Valentine.  A day set aside each year to celebrate love.  But how did Valentine’s Day begin?  And who is St. Valentine?

Have you ever wondered how Valentine’s Day got its name?  While it is believed that the name came from a saint, the origins of how it became attached to a day to celebrate love are a bit of a mystery. One legend claims that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome.  When the Emperor during that time decided that single men made superior soldiers than those with wives and children, he outlawed marriage for young men.  Valentine felt this was unjust, so he defied the Emperor and continued to secretly perform marriages for young lovers.  Another story contends that Valentine may have sent the first “valentine” letter while imprisoned in a Roman prison.  He allegedly fell in love with a young girl, possibly the jailer’s daughter, who visited him during his confinement.  It is said that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still used today.  While we may never know the true story about St. Valentine, the common theme throughout these stories is that he was sympathetic, heroic, and most significant…a romantic figure.

The origins of Valentine’s Day began with a pagan festival during the month of February. By the end of the 5^th century, February 14^th was declared Valentine’s Day by Pope Gelasius. It wasn’t until much later that the day became associated with love.  During the Middle Ages, it was commonly believed in England and France that February 14 was the beginning of birds’ mating season, which added to the idea that the date should be celebrated as a day of romance. While Valentine greetings were popular as far back as the Middle Ages, written Valentine’s didn’t begin to appear until after 1400.  The oldest known Valentine known of was a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.  It is also believed that King Henry V hired a writer to compose a Valentine note to a woman he admired.

It is believed that people began exchanging hand-made Valentine’s in America in the early 1700s.  By 1840, a woman named Esther Howland was selling the first mass- produced Valentines in America. Known as “the Mother of the Valentine”, she created elaborate cards using real lace, ribbons and colorful paper. Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, and estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making it the second largest card sending holiday behind Christmas.

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Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

De-cluttering any room in your house can sometimes feel like a huge job to take on but for some reason de-cluttering the bathroom can seem to take on a whole life of its own.    Truth is there are many items in our bathrooms that we no longer use.   Take an hour or so to go through your bathroom with this list of tips for de-cluttering.

1.  The first tip to de-cluttering your bathroom   is to do what was just mentioned, take the time to go through your entire bathroom looking for items you no longer use.  If you haven’t used an item in the past week you should consider either getting rid of the item or at least finding a spot for it that will help to cut down on clutter in the bathroom.
2. Another tip for de-cluttering your bathroom is to throw out old toothbrushes.  Some folks may not know this but you are supposed to change out your toothbrush once every three months to keep it from forming bacteria.   If you want to keep your old toothbrushes you could do so and perhaps use them as cleaning tools in other areas of the house.  You might find that they are good for such things as cleaning in between tiles and other small areas that you can’t otherwise reach.
3. Take a look in your bathroom medicine cabinet when de-cluttering your bathroom.  If you find medications that have expired, go ahead and toss them in the garbage right away. 
4. Another tip for de-cluttering your bathroom  is to toss out any old makeup or nail polish you may have stored away in a drawer.  Old makeup and nail polish will not work like it is suppose to so there is no use to keep it around. 
5. If you have a lot of half empty shampoo and/ or conditioner bottles laying around your bathroom you can use what is left in them to refill your soft soap container.  Throw out all the old bottles once you have used their contents to help de-clutter your bathroom in a great way. 
6. If you have a lot of hotel soaps, shampoos etc, why not toss them into your gym bag and use them there to help make your bathroom less cluttered. 

De-cluttering your bathroom is quite simple really; you just have to take the time to do it.  Once you do, I am sure you will like the clean fresh feeling you have as a result.  

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

When you have pets and you are trying to sell your home there are a few ways that you can avoid your pets ruining your home sale.   Many times folks love animals but that doesn’t mean they want to see evidence of your pets in your home when they are trying to envision themselves living there.  Below are a few ideas on how to not let your pets ruin your home sale.

1.  Vacuuming your home is a great idea before you have someone tour your home for a showing but it is essential if you have pets.  Pet hair and tufts of fur can find their way into your guest’s noses and faces if you aren’t careful and that is not going to be good for your potential sale.  If you have someone who happens to sit on your furniture during their home tour you don’t want pet hair to get all over them.  A good way to insure that this doesn’t happen is to run a damp sponge over the furniture before they arrive. 
2. As you already know pets are bad about leaving little surprises for you on your floors especially if you are gone during the day.  Pet stains are not a welcomed sight to anyone that might be interested in buying your home.  Think about it, would you want to see someone else’s pet mess when touring a home?   I think not.  Do your best to remove any types of these stains before your potential buyers come to tour your home even if you have to spend some money to get things cleaned and stains removed by professionals. 
3. Pet odor is another thing that can ruin a potential home sale.    You are likely use to the way your pet smells and may not even be aware that they have an odor but they do.  Those folks who may come to tour your home will likely be able to smell it as soon as they enter the house.  Spraying odor neutralizing sprays can help with pet odor as well as perhaps having just baked some cookies for your guest to enjoy.  Whatever you have to do to get rid of the odor is what you need to do. 
4. If your pet has a bed in your home it is best to stick it in the closet or to remove it from the home before your home tour begins. 

These are just a few ideas on how to not let your pet or pets ruin your potential home sale.  Hopefully they will get you thinking in the right direction so that you may be more able to walk away with an offer.  

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

Yard sales can be a lot of fun and most folks love it when they get a good deal on something, however if you aren’t careful with your purchases at yard sales you may end up with a trunk full of stuff you don’t really want.  Below are a few ideas on what NOT to buy at the next yard sale you attend. 

1. Electronics may seem like a good thing to buy at a yard sale because you can typically get a super duper deal on them.  There typically is a reason why things are so cheap at yard sales and the reason might just be that the electronic in no longer in working condition.  It is a good idea if you do decide to purchase an electronic at a yard sale that you test it out before you leave the sale.  Many times the owners of the product will be happy to allow you to plug it in to see if it works.  If the owners of the electronic at the yard sale are not quite so accommodating, it’s best to just leave the electronic there and purchase it new at the store. 
2. Another thing you may not want to purchase at a yard sale  are things for your baby such as car seats and cribs.  Many times these types of items have been recalled and since there is no way of knowing which ones may or may not be on the recall list, purchasing new is always the best way to go. 
3. Yet another item you may not want to purchase at your local yard sale is make-up.  While we all love to get a good deal on some make up, think about where that makeup may or may not have been.  Most times you don’t personally know the folks having the yard sale where you are purchasing your items and therefore you don’t know how clean they are.  It is best if you want to buy used make-up that you purchase it from a close relative or friend. 

These are just a few ideas of some things that you may not want to purchase during your next yard sale adventure.  Some things are just better bought fresh from the store even if you have to pay three prices for them.  

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

If you have recently purchased a new house and you would like to fill it up with new furniture you have likely found that it can be quite the overwhelming task and an expensive one as well.  There are a few money saving ideas for furniture shopping that can help you out quite a bit in your search for new furniture and those have been listed below.

1.  One good thing you can do to help you save a bit of money when furniture shopping is to call a few of the stores you are going to be visiting ahead of time.  This way you can find out if they have prices you can afford and also if they have brand names that you are interested in.  This can save you a little bit of time and money so that you don’t waste it traveling long distances.
2.  Another money saving idea for furniture shopping  is to make sure to look at every piece of furniture that the store has by walking the entire shop.  Many times there are clearance items or items that perhaps are slightly damaged in the store but they are not out for all to see.  Do your due diligence and walk the entire space so you don’t lose out on any good deals. 
3. Yet another good way to save money when furniture shopping is to purchase consignment furniture.  You can find lots of really nice pieces by shopping consignment. 
4. If you find a piece of furniture that you have your heart set on do your best to bargain with the seller.  You never know unless you ask.
5. Shopping estate sales is another way to get good prices on furniture.  Many times you can get pieces at estate sales that are worth much more than you pay for them so you can make your home look very nice. 
6. Lastly if you want to save a good amount of money on furniture  why not refinish what you already have!  Old furniture can become new again if you are able to successfully refinish it.  

Hopefully this list of money saving ideas on furniture buying has gotten you thinking in the right direction before you begin making your purchases.   Now get out there and save some money and furnish your home with beautiful new furniture.  

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

There are many kinds of real estate listing photo mistakes that can be made when listing your home for sale.  Realtors know these mistakes and will do their part to make sure these types of photos do not end up in the advertisement of your house, however if you are going it alone doing a for sale by owner you will need to learn these and avoid them at all costs.  Below are some real estate listing photo mistakes that you need to be aware of so that you don’t make them.

1.  One of the worst things you can do when listing your house is to show pictures of each room’s corners.  We all remember children having to be put in the corner in the olden days of school and therefore the corner is not a very friendly spot to show when listing your house pictures as it may have some negative connotations associated with it.   If you want to show how big a room is, be sure to include at least two corners of the room in the picture, not just one corner. 
2. It is best to not take pictures of the outside of your house at night if you want to use it as a listing photo. The best time of day to take a photo of your home for a listing photo is when the sun is shining brightly and the entire house looks nice and inviting. 
3. Taking a photo of your home with a distorted lens to try to make the room look bigger is an old trick that needs to stop. Everyone knows that the picture is distorted and that the room is not as big as you are trying to make it seem.  Do your best to make the photos give a clear representation of what the room actually looks like so that folks are not disappointed when they come for a tour. 
4. Make sure when taking a picture of a particular room in your house that you don’t show more of the ceiling fan than the room itself.  These types of pictures can look very dated and make your home look less than stellar. 

If you do your best to avoid these common listing photo mistakes you will be well on your way to making the best impression of your home with photos.  When you make a good impression with photos, you are more likely to get a bit of interest in your home that may even turn into an offer! 

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

These days’ houses are selling like hot cakes!  If you have ever thought about selling your house, now is the time to do so!  The only “issue” you are likely to run into is that you may end up with multiple offers.  While multiple offers may be a good thing, you still should know how to choose the best offer  in the event this happens to you. Below you will find a few ideas on how to best handle this particular situation. 

1.  Finding out which of the potential buyers have the best financing available to them is a great way to help you choose which offer you would be best to go with.  If you pick someone who hasn’t got the financial side of it all worked out for themselves you will likely end up spending more time than you would like getting all the kinks worked out.  Choosing someone who has a reputable lender on the other hand and has already been pre approved will make the transactions go nice and smoothly for all involved.   
2. Another way to choose the best offer  when you have multiple offers is if the closing date is good for you.  You may have one person that wants to buy your home that has to wait on their home to sell first while another person is ready to go right away.  If you want to and are ready to move out quickly you may want to go with the latter however if you are not quite ready to move that fast you may want to go with the folks that need to wait a while.  Choose the offer that best suits your own personal needs.
3. Yet another way to choose the best offer on your house when you have been given multiple offers is to make a checklist of the pros and cons of each offer.  This will make sorting out the details a bit easier for you. 
4. Be sure that you have peace about each offer and if you don’t feel a peace about a certain offer, take that one off the list of who to choose from. 

It is a good idea to go through all scenarios that may arise with each offer that is given before deciding which one to go with.  Once you choose the right offer, you can look forward to moving into a new chapter of your life! 

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

“But I am sure that I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come ‘round…as a good time, a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely.”

Charles Dickens

The True Meaning of Christmas

Per Wikipedia, the "true meaning of Christmas" is a phrase with a long history in American pop culture. It first appears in the mid-19th century, and is often given vaguely religious overtones, suggesting that the "true meaning of Christmas" is the celebration of the Nativity of Christ. But in pop culture usage, overt religious references are mostly avoided, and the "true meaning" is taken to be a sort of introspective and benevolent attitude as opposed to the commercialization of Christmas which has been lamented since at least the 1850s. The poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (1822) helped popularize the tradition of exchanging gifts, and seasonal Christmas shopping began to assume economic importance. An early expression of this sentiment using the phrase of "the true meaning" is found in The American magazine, vol. 28 (1889):

"to give up one's very self — to think only of others — how to bring the greatest happiness to others — that is the true meaning of Christmas"^.

The phrase is especially associated with Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol (1843), in which an old miser is taught the true meaning of Christmas by three ghostly visitors who review his past and foretell his future.

The topic was taken up by satirists such as Stan Freberg and Tom Leher during the 1950s and eventually by the influential TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas, first aired in 1965 and repeated every year since. The phrase and the associated moral became used as a theme in numerous Christmas films since the 1960s.

As you gather with family and friends to celebrate this year, take time to think about the origins of some of the traditions of Christmas.

• Santa Claus – his story begins in the 4^th century with St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra (an area in modern day Turkey). St. Nicholas was known to be a generous man especially devoted to children. Because he was so kind and benevolent, rumors began that he could perform miracles.  He became the patron saint of Russia and was known for his red cape and flowing, white beard. He has his own feast day that is celebrated on December 6…a day of gift giving and charity. The story of St. Nicholas was passed down through generations and his name transformed over time. The Dutch called him Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. This tradition traveled to America with Dutch colonists and here the Anglican name of Santa Claus emerged.
• Christmas Trees – the decorating of fir trees originated in 16^th century Germany where trees would be adorned with apples, roses, candies and colored paper.  The Christmas tree was brought to England by Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert, from his native Germany.  The first Christmas trees in America were introduced by Pennsylvania Germans and became popular by the middle of the 19^th century.
• Mistletoe – mistletoe was used by Druid priests 200 years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations. They held the plant in high esteem because it had no roots, yet remained green throughout the winter season.  The ancient Celts thought that the plant had magical healing powers. It was also seen as a symbol of peace and it was said that when enemies met under mistletoe, they would lay down their weapons and embrace. Scandinavians associated the plant with Frigga, the goddess of love. This is perhaps where the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began.  It is thought that those who kiss under the mistletoe have the promise of happiness and good luck in the year to come.
• The Christmas Wreath – The Christmas wreath is another tradition that has been around for a long time.  The first wreaths were created from fresh evergreens. Because they are green year round they were the obvious choice for winter months.  The word “wreath” is derived from an English word meaning “to twist”, such as in a circle.  Some believe that initially wreathes were hung on doors in Ancient Rome to represent victory.  The circle shape with no beginning or end represents eternity or life never ending.

While celebrating with these ancient traditions and with your own family traditions this year, may you be surrounded by peace and joy. 

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

If owning your own home isn’t on your agenda and you would rather purchase a condo or townhome to make things a bit easier on yourself, you are not alone.  There are several things however that you should consider and think about before purchasing a condo and a few of those things are listed below. 

1. One thing to consider when purchasing a condo   is who the manager is.  If you have a manager that is easy to deal with then you shouldn’t have any issues, but if you have a manager that doesn’t see eye to eye with you on things you may find yourself wishing you never would have purchased a condo. 
2. There are fees associated with owning a condo.  You should definitely check into the fees associated with your particular condo before purchasing it.  These fees can range anywhere from $200 to $400 per month or year depending on how upscale the condo is you want to purchase. 
3. Looking at the condo financial statements is a great way to see if you really want to purchase a condo or not.  For example if the condos financial statements do not include paying for repairs on a broken street light, you may end up seeing the repair costs tagged on to your bill.  Taking these types of things into consideration could sway your decision one way or the other regarding purchasing.  If you find that repairs on such things are not included in a particular condos financial statements you may want to search for a condo that does cover them. 
4. Knowing the rules of condo living can make or break your decision of purchasing as well.  Some condos don’t allow holiday decorations while others just tell you where to park.  It’s up to you to decide what is most important to you and what rules simply do not matter that much, however knowing the rules is imperative. 
5. Checking out the condos liability insurance to make sure there are no pending lawsuits against it is also a good idea. 

These things to consider before purchasing a condo are just the tip of the ice berg.  Do your due diligence, ask questions and find out all there is to know about condo living  before sinking your money into a one you are not happy with. If you do all of this and you are satisfied, you will likely enjoy condo living and all it has to offer.  

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.   

If you have let your house go and you find yourself in need of a professional organizer, there are a few things you need to do in order to get ready for one to come and help you get your life together.  Below is a list of things that you need to do BEFORE hiring a professional organizer so that you both end up with the results you were hoping for. 

1. One thing you need to do before the professional organizer arrives on the scene is to de-clutter your own home and have an end game in mind.  Make a mental note of how you want your family to benefit from the coming organization and plan your strategy around that.  If you have certain rooms that you use daily to make life work, start in those areas once your organizer arrives.  He or she will be glad that you have somewhat of a plan already in mind rather than having to start blindly with no goal to work towards. 
2. Another thing you need to do in order to get ready for a professional organizer to come into your home is to realize that even though you hire someone to help you get your life in order, your home will likely still not look like a picture out of magazine.  The truth of the matter is, folks live in their homes and where there is life there is mess.  If you go in with this mindset you will likely be pleasantly surprised of all that can be accomplished. 
3. Be ready to let things go when your organizer comes into your home.  You need to let your hording tendencies go and be willing to throw things out that you haven’t recently used.  
4. Another tip for getting ready to hire a professional organizer is to realize that they are not there to build shelves and the like.  If you have something that you want installed, get someone else to do it or do it yourself before your organizer arrives.  The professional organizer is there to help get things organized not to build shelving contrary to popular belief. 
5. Professional organizers are not there to clean your home either so be sure to go ahead and have the house clean before they arrive.  Clean isn’t the same thing as neat. 

Hopefully this list will get you started in the right direction for getting ready for your professional organizer to arrive.  If you follow these simple tips you will likely be excited and happy with the final results.  

Courtesy of Montgomery AL Real Estate Expert Sandra Nickel.