5 Tips for Spring Lawn Prep

The lush lawn of your spring-loving dreams is just a few steps away.

Even if your lawn is made up of weeds more than actual grass, you can turn it around with some basic spring maintenance. Try these five tips to get your lawn ready before the weather warms up and the grass (and weeds) leave you in the dust.

Prevent weeds

Proper mowing, irrigation and feeding practices are the best possible weed prevention, but established weed populations require drastic measures.

Use a preemergent herbicide to stop warm-season weeds before they sprout. And even a weed-free lawn can easily be undone by nearby weeds and their traveling seeds, so remove any weeds in the garden now so they don’t find their way into your lawn.

If your lawn has bare spots, fill them in now with sod or seed so weeds don’t sprout and get a foothold.

Start your engines

Much like cars, lawnmowers will stop working without routine maintenance. If you haven’t already done so in the fall, replace the mower’s oil and gas with the types recommended in your mower’s instruction manual.

This would also be a good time to replace that corroded spark plug and dirty air filter. Add a fuel stabilizer to keep the gas from going stale and harming the mower’s engine.

A dull mower blade makes your grass more susceptible to disease with each ragged cut it makes, so sharpen the blade with a metal file when it starts to get dull. Clean your mower often to improve performance and prevent corrosion. If you own a riding mower, air up the tires for an even cut and comfortable ride.

Clear out thatch

You know that spongy layer of dead grass that builds up in your lawn? That’s thatch. A thin layer of thatch is normal and even healthy, because it protects the soil, roots and beneficial organisms. But when that thatch gets about an inch tall, drought, weeds and other problems develop.

Thatch is most likely to build up in lawns that have acidic or compacted soil — or lawns that have been excessively treated with herbicides and pesticides. If thatch is common on your block, prevent it with core aeration. This allows air to reach the soil, promoting organisms that naturally break down thatch. Use a vertical mower or power rake if the thatch is an inch thick or more.

Reseed and resod

None of these tips will do much good without a proper lawn. If your lawn feels beyond hope, consider starting from scratch.

If your existing lawn is an annual one, remove it with a sod cutter. Perennial grasses, like Bermuda or St. Augustine grass, are much tougher to remove, so you’ll likely have to either solarize with clear plastic sheets for several weeks or resort to an herbicide.

Once you’ve dug up the grass or otherwise eradicated it, replace it with soil and a grass variety appropriate to your region. Plan on setting aside a day or two for installation.

Amend the bare soil with topsoil or composted manure, and lay down the sod or planting seeds by following the label instructions. After planting, water it often until the new grass becomes established.

Start good habits

If you’re not already following a fertilizing schedule, start one now by following the directions on your product of choice. You will likely forget this schedule after the first feeding, so pencil in the dates on your calendar so you don’t get off track.

Start the season off right by mowing more often, on a higher setting and in alternating directions. Inspect your sprinklers and pipes for possible breakage — a patch of damp soil or an excessive water bill would be your first clue. If your lawn seems to let into the surrounding landscaping, start edging now to define your boundaries.

A string trimmer is fine for maintenance, but cutting through the dirt with it could get messy. Either rent an edger or purchase a handheld half-moon tool to make deep, clean cuts that persist through the year for easier mowing and trimming.

Six Secrets For Buying An Occupied Property

Auction.com // January 17, 2019

We’ve all heard the horror stories. You tell people you plan to buy an occupied foreclosure or bank-owned home and the warnings start to drop faster than a downpour during a hurricane.

One friend might tell you about tenants that smashed every window in his house, while another might recount the time when she had tenants running a drug lab on her property.

While these stories may sound frightening, they shouldn’t scare you away. You can often buy foreclosure or bank-owned properties for much less than they are worth and with a little work, you can earn a nice return on your investment or build equity for the future.

Here are six tips for minimizing the risk involved with buying an occupied property.  

1. Know your budget

Start with a budget and divide it into these segments: cost of the property, cost of the repairs, buying and selling or holding costs and a cushion. The cushion is important because your rehab costs may be higher than you expected or you may have to sell the house quickly or rent it for less than you planned.¹

2. Determine the property’s value

Make sure you know how much the property is worth now and future price trends, especially if you plan to hold and rent the home. You can do this by researching comparable sales online in the same neighborhood, attending nearby open houses and by contacting Realtors and having them assist you.

3. Investigate the neighborhood

The neighborhood is just as important as the property itself, especially if you plan to buy and keep the home. Check to see if nearby homes are well maintained. Too many abandoned or neglected homes could negatively affect the value of your property. Also find out if the home is located in a good school district and whether it’s close to employment, shopping and entertainment. Typically, if a neighborhood is well kept, it will also have many of the other positive factors.

4. Estimate repairs

Once you are confident in the neighborhood, the next step would be to estimate the rehab costs. This can be tricky without access to the inside of the property, but it can be done. Unless you are a general contractor, you should hire one to help you estimate the costs of painting, replacing the flooring and any other plumbing, electrical or miscellaneous repairs.

This is where your financial cushion is so important, as there may be more repairs than you anticipate. But if the home is occupied and well-maintained on the outside, it’s probably safe to assume that the major systems – such as the plumbing and electrical – are working.

5. Purchase title report

Another very important precautionary step is the title report. You need to know about any liens on the property ahead of time.  For instance, did the previous owners pay their taxes? If the property is located in a homeowner’s association, are the dues current?

Knowing about liens is important because if you purchase the property, you will be responsible for paying for them. Many investors don’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on a full title report, but without it, you may end up spending a few thousand dollars to clear unpaid liens.

6. Develop a strategy for vacating the property

If the property is occupied by tenants and you want to be a landlord, then you’re in luck. You just have the tenants sign a new lease, although it may be wise to hire a real estate agent to help with the leasing materials.

If, however, you want to flip the home or it’s occupied by the former owners who refuse to sign a lease, then you may need to hire a real estate attorney. Sometimes, the strategy may be as simple as offering the occupants money to leave. Other times, though, you may need to evict them. If that’s the case, it would be smart to hire an experienced attorney to guide you through the eviction process.

With the right amount of preparation and knowledge, buying an occupied foreclosure or bank-owned property can be an effective way to invest in real estate and build wealth for the future.

Auction.com has over 30,000 listings of foreclosure and bank-owned properties. Many of these properties have title data, property reports, photos and bidding information, so much of the work is done for you. Why not take a look? Browse properties today. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is not meant to be interpreted as legal or investment advice. Please check with an attorney or and/or real estate professional to get advice pertaining to your individual situation.

Why Stage your Home

Benefits of Staging Your Home

Why Stage Your Home?

Don't be insulted if your real estate agent suggests you have your home staged.  They are not implying that your home isn't well kept or decorated distastefully.  Your home will attract more potential buyers if they can envision themselves living there.  Once you make the decision to sell your home, you need to prepare to emotionally detach.

Statistics show that staged homes:

​     -  Show better to prospective buyers

     -  Have less days on the market

     -  Have an increased number of offers

     -  Sell faster for a higher price.

Remberber - The cost of staging your home is always less then your first price reduction!

Steps To Proper Staging

1.  Complete any necessary repairs needed in your home prior to listing.  1% - 6% is what you should be investing in repairs.

2.  Complete extensive cleaning to rid the home of any smells; ie:  pet odours, food smells, or smoking.

3.  Declutter all personal items from the space.  Our homes represent who we are, we showcase all the things that we have accumulated over time, things that speak to us.  the goal of staging is to make the home speak to potential buyers in a captivating and positive way.  Excessive clutter in a home may send a message that you don't have enough space.

4.  Stagers will work with what you have in your home as well as bring in some new pieces.  They will rearrange and relocate your items to present your property at it's best.  In some cases this may mean relocating your favourite lazyboy the garage.  Don't take it personally, their objective is to present your home so that it appeals to the most buyers and get you the most money.