Ryan the Realtor is an Excitable Boy — Daniel Solin Book Calms Him Down

Late spring I read somewhere Dunkin’ Donuts may go public. My pulse sky-rocketed as I considered moving ALL of my mutual fund monies over to the little mustached-man who mutters “Time to make the donuts.”

Why not? In the microcosm of Mt. Washington Valley there are 5 Dunkin’ Donuts franchises each doing very well. Is there an airport in the U.S.A without a Dunkin’ Donuts? Why couldn’t my money grow on par with the manufactured, artificially flavored, ten-year-shelf-life-donuts that are trucked daily to empty calorie outposts we Americans keep funding? (I’ll avoid the social and U.S diet commentary at this time, this is about economics). This would have been a DUMB INVESTOR MOVE.

I read a book collecting dust on my bed stand that allowed me to decide against moving my mutual funds. In this book I learned that over the long haul, “hyperactive trading” will simply cost me more money in transaction fees, bad stock selection, and neither I nor anyone else will beat market returns of stock and bond investments centered around broad market index funds — sorry brokers, history is against you.

Daniel Solin provides compelling argument and data in his book The Smartest Investment Book You’ll Ever Read that just may allow you to extract yourself from your broker and invest your smart money intelligently and on your own. Solin encourages taking these simple steps below so when retirement approaches you’ll have security and the ability to purchase that retirement home you’ve dreamed of in Mt. Washington Valley:

Step 1: Determine Your Asset Allocation (Solin chapters 37, 38, 39)

Stocks historically yield the highest returns but the greatest risk

Bonds significantly lower returns but lower risk

Cash short term, highly liquid investments but essentially risk free

[Solin recommends a too simple but often useful formula is to subtract your age from 100. This       represents your allocation split for stocks and bonds, i.e my formula equals 100-35 years = 65% stocks / 35% bonds and cash for Ryan the Realtor]

Step 2: Open an Account with Fidelity or Vanguard Fund Families

Fidelity and Vanguard provide the lowest annual fees attached to index funds, i.e the
S&P 500. Each firm also has individual forms that allow you to roll over 401K, 403B, IRA’s, and Roth IRA’s.

Step 3: Select Your Investments

“All we know about the stock and bond markets is that over time both will go up in value…Therefore investors should own the entire market. By ‘the entire market,’ I mean a broadly diversified portfolio of investments in domestic and international markets” (Solin, 121 -122).

Example of Four Vanguard Model Portfolios below:

Step 4: Rebalance Your Portfolio

This should happen twice a year and take 45 minutes per session according to Solin. Reasons for rebalancing could be the result of life changing events, a need to become more conservative or aggressive, or a limit on monies contributed.

There are two ways to balance your portfolio: buy more of the assets needed to hit your percentage mark, or sell some of the assets that are over represented.

Wrapping Up: Ryan the Realtor is not an accountant or stock market adviser by any means, but rather an individual who works to become educated and self-reliant in financial matters, for his family and for his clients.

Ryan’s upcoming research — a comparison between stock market and real estate investment during one’s working life. Stay tuned and email Ryan@JtRealty.com if you would like to register for his bi-monthly newsletters.

This home in Fryeburg is picture-perfect

Sometimes all you have to do to make a ho-hum property really sparkle are a few little inexpensive tricks.

You know the saying, “you only have one chance to make a good first impression”. When a buyer walks up to your home, make sure it is inviting. If necessary, paint the front door.  If your doorknob is old, invest in a shiny new one. Make sure the front steps are swept clean of debris, and of course, shoveled off in winter.

In summer, a potted plant on the top step and window boxes full of flowers are very welcoming. In autumn, decorate the entrance with pumpkins or mums.

In winter, make sure the ski paraphernalia is put away and not lying around the mudroom. Buyers will want to make sure that there is enough storage for their winter gear.

When a showing is scheduled, turn on all lights and leave the house.

Inside, add touches of luxury. Place fresh flowers, beautiful linens and large, white fluffy towels throughout the home. Set the table with your good dishes, as if you’re expecting company.

Use slipcovers on mismatched furniture. If a piece of furniture is an essential part of the room but it doesn’t match well, or if the upholstery is worn, slipcover it.

Clean out the closets. Buyers will poke around the closets in the house to see if there is enough room for their clothing and personal items. Throw out or donate anything you haven’t worn in two years and put dryer sheets between clothing to maintain a fresh smell. (Conway Area Humane Society  accepts donations at their re-sale shop, ReTails in Norcross Circle).

Invest in new light switch covers. Most buyers will interact with several of the light switches throughout the house. Worn and dirty switch covers show inattention to detail.

Make traces of your pets disappear. Do not remind the buyer of the smells, hassle and daily toll a pet takes on a house.  Vacuum carpets with a pet freshener product.

Play soothing music during a showing. Instrumental or jazz music will provide harmony throughout the house which will help to muffle the sounds of traffic and life outside the walls of your home.

Clean anything a buyer will possibly touch. Buyers will touch different parts of the home to get a feel for what it would be like to actually live there. Thoroughly wash all doorknobs, cabinets, cupboards and hand rails.

Of course, it goes without saying, make sure that the entire home is spotlessly clean and uncluttered.  Now is a good time to start packing up anything that you do not use regularly. Pack away all the clutter and store it in cartons in the garage or basement. Let the buyers imagine their own belongings and furnishings in your home. Don’t distract them with your family photos and memorabilia.

It doesn’t have to cost you a bundle to make your home welcoming and buyer-friendly.

By Joy Tarbell

In this market, selling a house can be more challenging than ever. As a real estate professional, I have used many ideas to help clients make their property look its most attractive to potential buyers. As a REALTOR for three decades, I have suggestions and tips to maximize your potential in selling your home.

Every house and every property is different, and I recognize that a “walk through” can inspire specific ideas for each property. But here are some universal suggestions that will make any house look more appealing for sale.

1. Clean everything. Eliminate damaged and soiled items, get rid of half of the furniture and rearrange the other half, and remove any personal items. It is important to give the buyers the ability to see themselves in the property.
2. Accent lighting. This can help make the home more attractive and accentuate the positives by highlighting the homes attributes and diminish the negatives of any setting. The key is to realize that you are playing with contrasts.
   • A light along fabulous furnishings, an architectural element, or detail will show that element off.
     A light behind an object will frame the object in darkness and bathe what is behind it in a wash of light.
   • Use highlight and contrast to make a room feel longer, higher, or warmer.
   • Keep the elements that you do not want seen in darker settings, and the ones you want highlighted in light.
     Set the mood with accent lighting and candles to provide warmth and drama that will set your property apart from all others.
     Accent lighting is the easiest and most effective enhancement.

Some other home lighting tips:

3. Paint. This is perhaps the most common enhancement that is done to a property. Because a buyer might have their own ideas about colors, I usually do not recommend a full paint job unless the property needs it. Sometimes, a fresh coat of paint is only required in a few areas to refresh a house. I have found that the front door is a good place for new paint, as it is the first part of the house to be touched by a potential buyer.
4. Don’t go overboard with fancy flooring. There was a time that new berber carpeting and travertine meant that the FOR SALE sign would be installed the next week. None of the buyers that I shopped with planned to keep any of those inexpensive additions. People were buying houses, not because of the new carpet and new stone, but because the market was hot. Many of my clients would have preferred to restore older tile work, choose the color and quality of carpets, and completely renovate the kitchen. None of them liked having to pay for improvements that would be replaced. The floors and surfaces should be clean and attractive, but unless there is damage, I suggest lovely area rugs that your client can take with them.
5. Replace the hardware in the kitchen and baths. It’s a fairly inexpensive way to refresh your property. If the cabinets are in decent shape, new knobs can update a room easily. These are little details that can make a huge impact on a potential buyer. If the front door knob is in disrepair, it will be hard to get a buyer’s confidence back.
6. Spruce up the exterior. Follow the same advice as the interior and apply it to the exterior. Make sure that everything is clean and edit the furnishings. New cushions for the outdoor furniture can immediately make the yard look more comfortable. You might need to replace the light fixtures, since the elements are usually not very kind to exterior accessories. Consider a few nice plants in lovely pots and a brass wind chime to heighten the outside living experience.

I hope that these suggestions will help you provide inexpensive and effective ways to help you present your property in the best way.