BEFORE YOU SETTLE INTO YOUR NEW HOME

Following is a great article with advice on taking care of business once you close on the purchase of your new home.

http://www.realtor.com/advice/buy/before-you-settle-into-your-new-home-make-these-changes-immediately/?cid=soc_20151126_55578976&adbid=10153823171562871&adbpl=fb&adbpr=35368227870

PREPARE FOR A SPRING SALE WITH THESE FALL PROJECTS

Spring is always a good time to be on the market as a home seller.  Buyers are plenty--fed up with the snows and cold of winter--and many other home sellers (your competition) wait too long to get their homes on the market.  They think their home looks better when the lawn is mowed, the trees have leaved out and the flowers are blooming (June).  While that is arguably true, remember that you don't have to compete with how your lawn looks at its best, you have to compete with how other lawns look when you are on the market!  So . . . don't wait till all the snow and mud are gone (they're not gone from your competition either), get on the market early!  By the first of March at the latest, earlier if February blesses us with a good thaw.

With that in mind, now is the time to prepare for a sale early next year.  The following article from Homes. com provides some good suggestions . . .

http://www.houselogic.com/home-advice/home-thoughts/selling-your-house-projects/?cid=eo_em_mkt_newsletter

BEST STATE IN THE UNITED STATES?

Any "Best" list should be taken with a grain of salt.  There's always a point of view behind the list and chances are . . . that point of view is different than yours.  Still, it can be interesting to peruse.  I ran across this one this morning and found it interesting and humorous.  Worth the time it took to read.  Click on the link below and scroll through the list from 50 to 1.  If you can help it, don't cheat by flipping to the end.

https://www.yahoo.com/travel/the-definitive-and-final-ranking-of-all-50-states-122796477147.html