Let's Talk About Trees

Our team has been showing lots of homes lately to our buyers and we have noticed something that is just plain sad.  We have seen quite a number of homes between 10 to 20 years old that have no trees in the back yard.  None!  It would be understandable if the home was just a couple of years old since the costs involved in buying a home and furnishing it can be substantial.  But people have lived in these homes for a very long time.

So let’s talk about the value of trees.  Some aspects of trees are obvious.  They provide great shade in the hotter months when children want to play in the yard or you are having that ever popular backyard barbeque.  And they make a home feel much more relaxing because of their sheer beauty.  Flowering trees especially add color in the spring and summer and often emit a lovely fragrance.

But trees can also help cool the inside of the home.  If your home faces east/west, a tall tree in front of exterior windows can help to block some of the heat from the sun.  Coupled with a double pane window the rooms facing west can be more bearable in the afternoon or evening when the sun is beating down in the summer.

Trees can also act as a buffer to street noise if there is a busy street running behind your home.  In fact any tall shrubs will help to alleviate some of the noise from passing cars.  Add a water feature and you are even further ahead of the game.

So if you are living in a home that is lacking in trees, consider planting at least a couple in the proper season.  Check with your local home and garden store to find out the perfect time for planting and then go for it.  Your future buyer will thank you.

Own This House For Under $1,000 Per Month!

We have a client that just went under contract to purchase a home and we couldn't believe how low his payment is going to be.  But I'm looking at the estimated payment provided by the lender and it's true.  Now to protect our client's privacy, the picture in this blog post is a home that the May-Wall Team sold earlier this year in the same neighborhood as the home just purchased by our client.  Same builder, same neighborhood, very, very close in price and just down the street.

But here's the deal.  Our client has been preparing to purchase this home for about a year now.  He has saved up for his down payment and will be able to pay 20% down.  By paying down a substantial amount, he avoids having to escrow taxes and insurance.  Rather than give that money to his lender as part of his monthly payment, he can keep those funds until they are due to be paid.  Thus earning interest on those funds for the entire year.  Also, he doesn't have to pay a mortgage insurance premium (PMI) to the lender.  PMI is an added cost that you pay to your lender if you finance greater than 80% of the purchase price.  Lenders require this because the buyer is considered a higher lending risk.

The biggest impact on his low monthly payment though is that his interest rate is 3% over 30 years.  Can you believe that?  3%!!!  The annual interest alone is less than the cost of renting an apartment for the year.  Actually it's about 3 times less than what he would pay in rent.

Our client's new home is 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, with a study and formal dining room and is almost 3,000 square feet of beautiful.

So I know what you are thinking....I don't have 20% to pay down on a house.  Well, you might be surprised how fast you could come up with that down payment if you really put your mind to it.  How badly do you want it?  Maybe all you need is a plan.  Wanna talk about it?  Just give us a call.  We will be happy to discuss some steps you can take now to get into that home of your dreams when the time is right.