MEMORIAL DAY IN LAS VEGAS CAN TRIGGER AN INKLINGOR A FLOOD
Monday’s Memorial Day in Las Vegas capped a weekend that definitely felt like summer was close at hand. Actual summer may not arrive in Las Vegas until the summer solstice on June 20, but especially in years like this one, when Monday’s holiday is also just two days removed from the start of hurricane season, it’s clearly time to check whether there are any charcoal briquettes left over from last year. The Atlantic hurricane season officially starts on June 1 because, logically, that’s about when the storms out there in the mid-Atlantic begin to get serious. Technically, between June 1 and November 30, 97% of Atlantic tropical cyclone activity occurs, so June 1 has every reason to lay claim to the honor of being the starting block. Besides, as one meteorologist admitted, June 1 is easy to remember. At any rate, this Wednesday is it. Of course, Memorial Day Weekend means a lot more than being the point on our calendar that marks the start of summertime activities. The meaning of the holiday is in its name, with its root “memory.” Las Vegas families with members currently serving in the armed forces don’t need to be reminded of the sacrifices that have kept Americans free since the founding of the Republic. That’s a part of everyday life for them. An often difficult (but always proud) part. For the rest of us, there is usually at least one moment sometime during the holiday when some incidental occurrence gives pause for the real meaning behind the day. It might be a fleeting glimpse on a TV of a reporter standing on a faraway battlefield, now covered in wildflowers; or it might be an encounter outside the grocery store with an old vet seated at a folding table, seeking contributions for a warrior’s fund. That’s when we experience something that’s not part of our everyday. It might feel like a somber moment that’s somehow strangely uplifting at the same time. It might be no more than an inkling, or it may be a flood of emotion—but that’s the moment when we realize once again how much each and every one of us truly owes to those who gave everything for our freedom. It’s a valuable thing, Memorial Day.
TOP 5 NONOS WHEN SELLING A HOUSE IN LAS VEGAS
When you set about selling your Las Vegas house, it’s good to adopt the kind of determined mindset that’s served you well in other pursuits. That’s all well and fine, so long as you keep in mind that when it comes to selling a house, in addition to being a serious business undertaking, it is one that also weighs in with a significant emotional component. Not just for the prospective buyers—but also for you, the seller. And that reality is on the basis of the first of these five major No-No’s that can foul up otherwise flawless efforts toward selling a house in Las Vegas: 1. Getting emotionally over-involved. Since almost everyone who is selling a house that they have lived in for years is somewhat tied to the place, you can’t expect to be robotically disconnected from its sale. But when a seller can’t distance him or herself sufficiently from what is, in fact, a financial transaction, it’s harder to make sound business decisions. Self-check hint: if you feel your blood pressure rising at any mention of a deficiency in your property, you may be falling prey to this one! 2. The odor thing. This No-No is frequently called an Uh-Oh: the odoriferous memories of cigarette smoke, pets, mildew, and the like are sometimes thought to be the most undeniable factor to slam the door on a sale before it even gets started. Extra hint: if the chef in the family is going to experiment with some exotic culinary experiment, best not to conduct it on the night before a showing or open house! 3. Bugs. Not too much explanation needed. Creepy crawlies need to find other accommodations…and, as summer approaches, keep the fly swatters handy. 4. Being there. The property is yours until the last ‘i’ is dotted and the last ‘t’ crossed, but if you are anywhere in sight during a showing, visitors can’t help but feel that they are just guests in someone else’s home. Since it’s important to help prospects envision themselves as happy owners of your Las Vegas house, the less in evidence the current owners are, the better. It’s why you remove family artifacts to prepare for showings. If the object is to allow the visitors to hang around as long as possible to really get a feel for the place, make sure you make plans to return after I’ve sent you the all-clear! 5. That wallpaper. This one is mentioned by many of real estate’s don’t go there pundits, although I find that it is growing rarer as time passes. But if you have secretly come to hate some overly busy wallpaper in a particular room, assume it could take your prospective buyers less time to arrive at the same opinion. It can have a peculiarly off-putting effect on some, giving the whole house a dated feeling. So when in doubt, lose the paper. These five no-no’s are easy to eliminate if you recognize them as integral parts of selling your Las Vegas house. Selling your house is a team effort all the way—and the first step is drawing up the game plan. In other words, giving me a call!
5 PREVENTABLE REASONS LAS VEGAS CLOSINGS MIGHT STALL
It’s a great feeling to assist clients on the great adventure of discovering and landing their new Las Vegas home. The final part of the real estate sale comes with the closing, where the papers are executed and house keys handed over. Virtually all of my Las Vegas real estate sales proceed to close without significant hitches. That’s not by accident: I’ve helped clear the path by methodically checking off every item on each sale’s unique ‘to do’ list. That checklist has evolved to include the various technical legal and financial items that need to be addressed before a change of ownership can happen. At closing, they’re all addressed. But—as everyone with many closings to their credit will tell you—even well-laid plans can begin to unravel when the unexpected pops up. Apparently “closing nightmare” stories make for great internet fodder because you can find scores of them online. Some are tall tales, but others are exactly what’s to be expected if care isn’t taken to head them off. Here is a list of five of those kinds of closing predicaments. They reflect common missteps that can derail things when everything else is in order. Since most are easily preventable, they’re unlikely to occur at the last minute if real estate professionals have been part of the picture from the start: 1. Agreed-upon repairs aren’t completed. This can happen for any number of reasons, but innocent or not, if the timetable for completion hasn’t been met, it can threaten to derail the real estate sale. This one doesn’t have to prevent closing. If everyone wants to proceed, the REALTORS® for the parties can work out an escrow arrangement with funds set aside to cover the shortfall. 2. The house can’t be sold. This rarer situation should have been identified before closing, but it’s possible that a mechanic’s or tax lien can show up late in the day. In cases where there has been a death in the family, it’s also possible that the heirs may mistakenly believe they will have legal title to the home in Las Vegas before the probate process can be completed. 3. The home loan appraisal comes up short. Both buyer and seller may be in perfect agreement about the value of the Las Vegas property— but if the chosen bank’s appraiser demurs, it may be back to Square One. 4. The buyer’s finances change. When a lender green-lights a loan based upon the buyer’s debt-to-income ratio, that’s considered a key qualifier. If the buyer changes that ratio by losing income or taking on new debt (or even paying off an existing debt!) it alters the ratio, which can trigger a new investigation, stall the loan—and waylay the closing. 5. Homeowner’s insurance falls through. It’s a bad idea to assume that every insurance company will grant required homeowner insurance. Since their binder or policy will be needed, better to take the extra moments to call to more than one agent. The best Las Vegas closings are no accident: they happen when all contingencies have been discussed and worked out well in advance. They start at the very beginning—hopefully, with a call to me!
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