Paint Colors That Sell

Did you know that paint color makes a difference in the way prospective buyers see a home and the price it brings when sold? While paint color doesn’t matter to every homebuyer, the right paint colors will get your home more attention and can help bring more value to the sale. If you are considering selling a St. Louis or St. Charles County area home, it will pay to learn which paint colors to choose.

While we occasionally question the results of Zillow’s “zestimates”, they’ve done some great research on over 32,000 photos of homes sold around the nation. They looked at how certain paint colors impacted price on average when compared with similar white-painted homes. The results were intriguing. So before you hit the local paint store, here are the paint colors that statistics show help sell homes and bring more value for the sale. 

Home Interior Paint Colors With High Value

Light and medium shades of muted blue have been found to be especially valuable throughout most of the home. In the kitchen soft gray-blue netted an additional $1,809. For bedrooms, homes with medium muted blues saw a premium of $1,856. Even in the dining room shades of slate blue and pale gray-blue netted on average more than $1,926 when compared to white-painted dining rooms. The biggest paint color value found was $5,440 more for the average sale price in homes that had light blue or soft periwinkle bathrooms.

In the living room the colors that brought the most value were shades of light brown. Homes with pale taupe, light beige or oatmeal-colored living rooms sold for $1,926 more than similar homes with white living rooms. 

-> See the full list of things to do to prepare your home to sell. <-

Exterior Home Paint Colors with High Value

You are probably wondering, what about gray? We are seeing gray everywhere these days as it is growing in popularity and value. So here it is: homes with an exterior painted in light gray and beige sold for about $3,496 more than other popular colors like medium brown and tan.  

Front door color affects curb appeal and has value too. Once again, blue and gray colors lead the way. Homes with navy or slate gray front doors netted on average $1,514 more for the home sale.

Paint Colors That May Deter Homebuyers

Now that you know what colors statistically brought more value from a home sale, let’s discuss colors to avoid when selling a home. More specifically, lack of color was detrimental. It was shown that homes with white bathrooms sold for an average of $4,035 less than other similar homes. So while white-washing an entire home to make it appear clean and bright may seem like the right thing to do, one is better off using light, muted colors as opposed to no color at all. But don’t go crazy, homes with dark colors sold for an average of $2,031 less than expected.

What To Do

If you are thinking of putting a home on the market, consult with experienced local real estate agents like those on The Boehmer Team. We work with home stagers and photographers to make homes look their best and can help you evaluate the current condition of your home through the eyes of the home buyers we work with every day. By consulting an agent you may find that you don’t have to do as much work as you thought to get your home ready for sale.  And if you do need work done, an experienced real estate team will have a list of reputable home repair and painting contractors to help get the work done right.

Is moving on your mind? Contact TheBoehmer Team.

Reference: http://zillow.mediaroom.com/2017-06-01-Homes-with-Blue-Bathrooms-Sell-for-5-400-More-than-Expected

Home Financing Tips

 

The Boehmer Team has helped many homebuyers find the most trustworthy and dependable sources for financing a St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri home purchase. We often get financing-related questions that our experience helps us answer. But we know to refer to mortgage industry experts to guarantee accuracy of information. Recently we interviewed one of our favorite mortgage experts, Jeff Griege of Paramount Mortgage, to get his expert tips for acquiring home financing at the best price. 

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What is the very first step that homebuyers should take for getting financing for a home purchase?

JEFF GRIEGE:

Get in touch with a reliable local lender.  Also, listen to your real estate agent if they recommend someone.  They typically have a good relationship with a lender and the agent typically prefers to work with a lender they are familiar with.  

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

Do you recommend that people speak with more than one mortgage loan officer before financing a home?

JEFF GRIEGE:

I think that it is always best to get a second opinion.  Most lenders will have similar rates and fees but the level of service is what separates good loan officers from great ones.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

Is there anything that homebuyers should NOT do while financing a home purchase?

JEFF GRIEGE:

Do not go out and obtain more debt while you are in the process of purchasing a new home.  This could jeopardize your approval!  DO communicate any material changes that could affect your approval (i.e. job changes) DO NOT hide things.  The more time a lender has to work on a problem the better chance the lender has to solve that problem.

 

Don’t make large purchases, like buying a new car, during the home financing process.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What impact do credit scores have on home mortgage financing? 

JEFF GRIEGE:

The higher the score the better your interest rate and cost of private mortgage insurance or PMI (if applicable) is going to be.  Both of these are credit score driven and you will get the best price on both of these if you have a FICO score above 760.  Please note that Credit Karma and other on line credit score companies do not give true FICO scores that mortgage lenders see on a credit report.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What is PMI and is PMI always required with less than 20% down?

JEFF GRIEGE:

PMI is an acronym for Private Mortgage Insurance.  It insures the lender in case of default by the buyer.  PMI is always required when a down payment of less than 20% is used but there are ways to work around paying it monthly, therefore possibly saving the buyer money on a monthly basis

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What is the most asked question you get from people trying to finance a home purchase?

JEFF GRIEGE:

How much can I afford and what are my monthly payments going to be?

Have you tried our mortgage payment calculator to estimate monthly payments on a new home? CLICK HERE to try it now.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

If two people are purchasing a home together and one has good credit and one has bad credit, what do you recommend they do?

JEFF GRIEGE:

Try and do the mortgage loan on the person who has good credit and put the title of the property in both of their names.  That way the person with suspect credit has ownership in the property but their credit score does not affect the rate since they are not on the mortgage part of the transaction.  Title and Mortgage are two different things

  

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

Can someone with good credit and strong income but not a lot of out-of-pocket money still buy a home?

JEFF GRIEGE:

Yes, you can buy a home with as little as a 3% down payment.

THE BOEHMER TEAM:

What piece of advice do you most often give to homebuyers looking to get a mortgage for a home purchase?

JEFF GRIEGE:

My advice is that everything happens for a reason and to try not to get too emotional through the process so that you are able to think clearly for your financial decisions. 

At The Boehmer Team, we understand that it can be difficult not to get emotions involved when making such a large purchase. We utilize years of experience facing all kinds of unique situations in real estate to coach our clients on anything that arises throughout the home buying process. With the help of great loan officers like Jeff Griege, we make sure our homebuyers have all the knowledge they need to make the best financial decisions for themselves and their families. Thinking of buying a home in St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri? Contact The Boehmer Team!

3 Things To Do Before Seeing Homes For Sale

If you are in the market to buy a St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri area home, chances are you have already looked online and are ready to start touring homes for sale in person.  But are you really ready? The following three things will prepare your for being the best home buyer and give you an edge while home shopping in a competitive sellers market.

1. Prioritize Your Must Haves

What price range, area and amenities must a home have for you to purchase? Be specific about your must haves and list the amenities that are deal breakers.

How many garage spaces do you require?

If you absolutely require a basement or a garage, don't waste time looking at listings that don't have these features. If proximity to work or schools is critical, don't wander outside the boundaries of the school.

If you are taking your current furniture with you to your new home, measure it and bring the measurements with you when you look at homes to be sure it will fit through the door and in the rooms.

2. Find a qualified REALTOR with experience in the area.

Find a reputable licensed agent to view homes for sale. A REALTOR will not only get you in to see homes, he or she will be able to answer your questions, or get answers from the listing agent and assist you with the home buying process at every step.

Why not just call the listing agent? A listing agent is contracted to represent the sellers’ interests and get the most money for the home. So it is important that you have a buyers’ agent who works for and represents your interests as a buyer.  An experienced agent or team will protect your interests and negotiate the best price for you.

REALTORS Linda and Kelly Boehmer

A REALTOR can also help buyers find homes they may have missed due to not being listed in the multiple listing service. Real estate agents have industry connections and may know of great homes that are coming soon that haven’t even been listed yet. Having your own buyers’ agent is also a great resource for all your needs throughout the real estate transaction, like recommending mortgage loan officers, title companies, and inspectors.

3. Get Pre-Approved For a Mortgage

If you are serious about buying the perfect home in the current sellers market, get pre-approved for a mortgage loan before touring homes for sale.

Get pre-approved for a mortgage before seeing homes for sale.

When the best homes sell in a few days or even a few hours, you won’t have time to research mortgages and get pre-approved before that perfect home is under contract. Those who are pre-approved are able to put a contract on “the one” the moment they find it.

While you can put an offer on a home without pre-approval, pre-approved home buyers’ offers compete better against offers without pre-approval.  They signal to the sellers that the buyer has the ability to purchase the home and is less likely to pull out of the deal due to financial reasons.

In addition, getting pre-approved will help clarify the price range of homes you can afford and the amount of monthly mortgage payments.

~ Try our helpful Mortgage Payment Calculator. ~

The Boehmer Team

The experienced REALTORS on The Boehmer Team work with buyers to ensure they have an edge over the competition. Having a team means having more connections and thus more opportunities to find the perfect home despite the current competitive market.  We strive to provide our clients with the best service in the business. Please contact us to be your partner in finding and buying your next home.

Advice From Award Winning Home Stagers – Part 2

With so much great advice to share from award winning home staging company INhance IT!, we had to create two articles. In the last article we discussed ways that homeowners can stage the inside and outside of a home to look great and to increase value when selling a St. Louis or St. Charles County, Missouri home. In this article we’ll reveal answers to the most asked questions on current home décor trends in color, fixtures, artwork and more.

The Boehmer Team: What are the best colors to use in the home and why?

INhance IT!: A couple of years ago we began reporting, “grey as the new beige”.  Homebuilders, flippers, and sellers are still embracing grey. Sherwin Williams 2017 color of the year is Poised Taupe. This is a warmer shade that blends well with a variety of wood tones and countertop surfaces. 

White is definitely the “in” color for kitchens and baths. Gone are the days of dark espresso cabinets and dark granite countertops. Kitchens and baths are light and bright with white quartz being the preferred countertop surface.

In the kitchen, we continue to see “tuxedo” cabinets and islands. This is the technique of painting the island a contrasting color from the cabinets and/or painting the upper and lower cabinets different tones. Most frequently seen are the combination of grey and white.

The Boehmer Team: What about ceilings? Is it always best to paint a ceiling white?

INhance IT!: When listing your home, don’t forget to look up.  Is your ceiling a fresh, bright white?  If not, a fresh coat of paint is imperative. Buyers sometimes avoid properties with popcorn ceilings…if you have them it’s a good idea to have the popcorn removed.

The Boehmer Team: What do you recommend for light fixtures?

INhance IT!: Lighting styles run the gamut from rustic/industrial to bling-bling glam.  Updated lighting, especially on the exterior front of the home, foyer and dining room bring value to the home. One of the best looking new trends in lighting includes pieces that feature matte black exterior with brushed gold accents.

The Boehmer Team: What about faucets and fixture colors that should be used or avoided?

INhance IT!: Believe it or not, now that we’ve all pretty much removed the 80’s brass from our homes, brass is back in vogue. Today’s brass is definitely not your grandma’s brass.  Silhouettes are very clean lined and today’s brass has a brushed, soft patina. We’re seeing a plethora of shiny stainless as opposed to the brushed nickel of a few years back. Oil rubbed bronze is still going strong, but only in the industrial-look. 

The Boehmer Team: Do you have any suggestions for wall decor?

INhance IT!: When it comes to real estate staging, the larger the artwork the better. We avoid using groupings of smaller art to keep nail holes to a minimum. Large abstract canvas pieces work well for staging purposes. Some of today’s most popular styles of art are abstract pieces utilizing actual geodes or geode patterns incorporating gold and silver metallic accents.

The Boehmer Team: What are some of the best trends in home decor that INhance IT utilizes?

INhance IT!: The INhance It! team travels to various furniture markets (Las Vegas, High Point, Atlanta) throughout the year to keep abreast of the latest home décor trends. The key to effective real estate staging is creating memory points without detracting from the architecture of the home. 

Most of the upholstered pieces we use are pale beige or grey tones and are accented with luxury throw pillows. Our current go-to color pallets are a combination of beige, grey and cream accented with silver and gold metallic. We are also utilizing some of the new industrial look in dining tables, sideboards, coffee and end tables. There is definitely an art to mixing and matching styles and textures. Our favorite “pop of color” is aqua in artwork, pillows and accessories.

The Boehmer Team: Any design trends that you think will be big?

INhance IT!: The industrial design trend is still going strong.  Also, reclaimed wood for furnishings, accent walls and ceilings makes a statement. The “Fixer Upper” farmhouse style remains popular. Mid century modern is also growing in popularity.

Linda and Kelly Boehmer are both big fans of vintage and retro decor. We were pleased to learn that incorporating our vintage finds into our home décor is on trend with farmhouse and mid century styles. In every home we see pieces that standout because they tell a story about the homeowner, of favorite memories or of what someone aspires to be. You don’t have to remove something special due to design trends, just find a new way to incorporate it in an updated way.

One of the great things about working with The Boehmer Team when selling St. Louis or St. Charles County area real estate is that we give staging advice to our home sellers. Our years of experience marketing homes and working with home stagers like INhance IT! lead to better sales results for our sellers. Thinking of making a move? Contact TheBoehmer Team.

Did you miss Advice From Award Winning Home Stagers - Part 1? CLICK HERE to read it.

How to Survive A Competitive Sellers Market

St. Louis and St. Charles County area homebuyers: we hear you. It can be a challenge right now if you are looking to purchase the perfect home. Chances are you’ve found it - a few times - only to find out there is already a contract and backup contract on the home. So here is some great advice to help you survive the current competitive sellers market.

Start Early

As soon as you decide you are going to purchase a home get started with the process. How do you start?  By interviewing or contacting a qualified, full service Real Estate Agent that knows your desired area.  Select a full time, professional Realtor that has the resources and expertise to find the right home for you in this competitive market.  Ask your Realtor this question, “What resources would you use to best find me a home, possibly before it hits the market, and what strategies would you use to help me secure that home?”  Don’t be afraid to ask for a testimonial from a recent buyer client.

Get Pre-Qualified for a Home Loan

Your Realtor will have excellent Lenders that will help evaluate your buying position. Without knowing how much you can afford, you can’t confidently jump on the perfect home as soon as you find it. If you aren’t paying cash contact a reputable loan officer to help you determine how much you can afford and get you pre-qualified.   
It is important that you get pre-qualified for a home loan, as it is expected to be submitted with your offer to purchase. This process will qualify you for a home loan and help you determine the amount you can spend on a home. It also shows home sellers that you are serious about purchasing their home, which is expected in all home-buying situations.

Need help finding an experienced mortgage loan officer?
Contact The Boehmer Team for a list of recommendations.

Determine Your Must-Haves

What are the items that you cannot live without? Make a list of the things you must have in your next home. Keep in mind that the longer the list, the longer your home search could be in this current competitive market. If you still can’t find the perfect home, consider an almost perfect home that is under budget. This way you can make it into the perfect home with the money that you didn’t spend.

Search For Your Perfect Home

Now that you’ve figured out your finances, determined your must-haves and connected with an experienced real estate agent, you’re ready to begin searching for homes. Your real estate agent will be assisting you with this process by searching through their various contacts and systems. One suggestion, consult a real estate professional regarding the most accurate and updated resources for your home search. Many national home search websites, such as Zillow,  only update their listing data every few days. In a competitive market many of the homes that appear on those search results will already have a contract on them by the time you find them. Instead, try www.TheBoehmerTeam.com. Our website gets multiple listing data updates hourly and has more accurate local information.

The Boehmer Team Can Help

Are you thinking of purchasing a home in the St. Louis or St. Charles County area of Missouri? The Boehmer Team can help. We have over 55+ years of combined experience in real estate. We’ve seen buyers markets and sellers markets and made the best of both. Contact us if you have any questions about real estate or help buying or selling a property.  In addition, we have extensive experience representing buyers purchasing new home construction and consider ourselves experts in the field of new home construction.