Real Estate at Lake of the Ozarks

Monday, February 23, 2015

Raising Your Credit Score - What NOT To Do

It's never too soon to start working on building a great credit score. Having a strong credit rating is essential in order to secure low-interest home loans for you and your spouse, which makes buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks MUCH more affordable. Raising your credit score takes time, so it's time to start preparing now if you're planning on buying a home in the next few years.

There is a right and a wrong way to go about raising your credit score. If you're trying to increase your credit rating, make sure you DO NOT do the following:

(Don't) Only Pay The Minimum Balance On Your Credit Cards
Your credit rating reflects how accountable you are at paying your bills on time. When you're applying for a home loan, mortgage lenders want to know they can count on you to pay them back for the money the initially spend on your home. Only paying the minimum balance on your credit cards makes it look like you cannot be trusted to make full payments, which will cause your credit score to drop. You should pay your credit card bills in full every month.

(Don't) Run Up High Balances On Your Credit Cards
This tip can seem confusing at first. It is a good idea to use credit cards and pay them off in full every month, because this shows creditors that you can handle debt responsibly. However, it is not a good idea to max out your credit limit every month. In fact, you should ideally only use 30% of your credit limit. For example, if your credit limit is $2,000, you should keep your outstanding balance at $600 or less.

(Don't) Run Up Small Balances On Multiple Cards
Your credit rating is supposed to tell lenders how responsible you are with your money. Having outstanding balances (even small ones) on multiple cards can make it look like you do not manage your money wisely. Pay off these extraneous balances and choose one or two cards to use exclusively in the future.

(Don't) Apply For New Credit Frequently
When you take out a loan for a car, open a new credit card, or take out a mortgage loan, it looks like you're doing so because you cannot afford to make these purchases without assistance. In some cases (such as car loans or home loans), this is probably true - and that's okay. Opening these new lines of credit causees initial hits to your credit rating, however, so do not apply for for new credit back to back. Space out your applications for new credit over time.

(Don't) Take Your Time
Rest and relaxation is wonderful, but it has its time and place. If you're applying for a new loan, it's important to act quickly. Every time a lender checks your credit score when qualifying you for a loan, your credit rating drops a little. Creditors understand the importance of shopping rates, however, so they have instituted a new policy to allow for this. Under the new agreement, multiple lenders can view your credit rating in a specific amount of time without hurting your score. Your credit rating won't be hurt by multiple lenders looking into your credit score, then, as long as they all do so within that window. When shopping for interest rates, act quickly.

I hope you find these tips helpful!
Working on your credit score now will better prepare you for purchasing a Lake of the Ozarks home in the future. When you're ready to start looking for homes in Lake Ozark, Osage Beach, Eldon, Linn Creek, or Sunrise Beach, give me a call! I look forward to helping you find the perfect home for you.

Susan Spica, Professional Realtor

BerkShire Hathaway HomeServices
101 Crossings West, Ste. 202
Lake Ozark, MO 65049

Office: (573) 365-6868
Susan's Cell: (573) 280-0484
Gina's Cell: (573) 889-9477

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

10 Clever Ways To Make Small Living Spaces Seem Larger

Size does NOT equal comfort! Just because your home or condo at the Lake of the Ozarks is small does not mean it has to feel cramped. Your local real estate agent at the Lake of the Ozarks is here to help you maximize your living space with these simple (but brilliant!) suggestions.

1. Don't Box Yourself In

Open up your space as much as you can. Consider knocking down a few walls to make rooms larger, or put panes of glass in between rooms instead of solid walls. Creating sight lines to different spaces will make your rooms feel bigger. Adding windows to let more light in will also add perceived space to your home.

2. Break It Up

Depending on the layout of your room and the purpose it serves, it could make more sense to buy multiple smaller pieces of furniture instead of one big one. This is especially true for high-traffic areas, such as living rooms and dining rooms. Rather than purchasing one huge coffee table, for example, consider purchasing two smaller, more portable tables.

3. Stick To The Bare Necessities

If your the room is not a high-traffic area, on the other hand, you might be better off investing in two or three large pieces of furniture and leaving it at that. This piece of advice mostly applies to bedrooms, where all you really need is a bed, dresser, and maybe a chair.

4. Keep It Neutral

Bright, bold colors can be fun - but they can make rooms appear smaller than they already are. Neutral and soothing hues, on the other hand, can calm the eye and make the room appear more spacious.

5. Maximize Vertical Space

When space is limited, don't waste it by leaving unused space above your furniture. Cabinets and bookshelves can be stretched all the way to your ceiling, which will give you more storage space and give your room a taller appearance. You can also use artwork or curtains to create vertical lines. The higher your ceiling is (or appears to be), the bigger your rooms will feel.

6. Give Your Furniture A Dual Purpose

Why not get the same piece of furniture to serve multiple purposes? If you're working with small rooms, don't waste space by buying extra pieces of furniture. Your table may be able to double as a desk, and your couch may be able to double as a guest bed. You can also invest in hollow ottomans to turn seats into storage spaces.

7. Take Time To Reflect

When it comes to the art of maximizing space, mirrors are incredible tools. Strategically placed mirrors can add interest and practically double the perceived size of any room.

8. Clear Your Surfaces

When every inch of your shelves, desks, tables, and other surfaces is covered, rooms appear cramped. Choose a few key items to leave on the surfaces and stow the rest away out of sight. Your rooms will feel larger and relaxed almost instantly.

9. Take Advantage of Layers

No, the benefits of layering do not only apply to clothes. Use layering to maximize your living space by stacking features on top of one another. For instance, consider investing in a dresser/bed combo that has the bed on top of a set of shelves or drawers. This especially great for kids' rooms.

10. Put In An Outdoor Patio

Creating usable space outside will make the overall living space of your home feel larger, without requiring additional square footage. Putting in wooden decking or laying down paving stones and adding a table and chairs is all it takes.

Do you have more ideas? I'd love to hear them!

As one of the most experienced real estate agents at the Lake of the Ozarks, I am always looking for ways to help my clients achieve ultimate satisfaction with their homes and condos. If you have any other great ideas for maximizing living space, I'd love to know!

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

7 Interior Decorating Ideas That Won't Break Your Bank

Let's be honest. We all want our homes to beautifully decorated - but we don't all want to spend the money to get it there! Luckily, there are several ways you can spruce up your homes at the Lake of the Ozarks without breaking the bank.

Accent With Paint
Giving your walls a fresh coat of paint is one of the cheapest (and easiest) ways to give your home a facelift. If you're looking for a way to add a polished look to certain rooms, consider making one wall a darker or lighter shade of the main color - or choose a different hue entirely! The accent walls will add a fun, updated feel to your rooms.

Upcycle Old Bottles
"Upcycling" refers to the process of repurposing old materials to create something new. Upcycling is a cost-effective way to come up with unique home decor items. Turn empty glass bottles into fun vases or unique, eye-catching centerpieces all on their own by filling them with paint and then dumping the paint back out. After the paint dries, the bottle will appear to be an new color! Set your new vases on tables, bookshelves, or along the top of your kitchen cabinets.

Turn Plates Into Wall Decor
Bright dinner plates aren't only fun in the kitchen. Hanging bright plates in unique arrangements on the walls can be a unexpected way to add some life to your rooms. Feel free to use plates of different sizes, colors, and even textures. You can hang them by attaching wire plate hangars to the backs and hanging them on nails.

Make Your Walls Picture-Perfect
Photo collages add beautiful, personalized flair to any room. Put some of your favorite photos in picture frames of varying sizes and colors and hang them on the wall in any arrangement you choose. Both you and your guests will love looking at all your photos!

Step Back and Reflect
Looking for a way to decorate and make your rooms seem more spacious? Hanging mirrors is the way to go! Mirrors add light, interest, and (depending on their size) can practically double the apparent size of any room. Dress up old, hand-me-down mirrors by spray painting the frames in the colors of your choice.

Treat The Windows
Window treatments add an element of class to any room. You don't have to empty your wallet buying curtains, though - large swatches of semi-sheer fabric from any craft store draped around a curtain rod can be just as effective. Choose colors that blend with the overall decor theme of the room, or choose a different color to brighten things up!

Maximize What You Already Have
Some people don't even realize the decorative potential of objects that they have scattered around the house. Here are some quick-hitter ideas for decorating your home with things you already have:

Pile books horizontally with their spines facing towards center of the room. If they're books you rarely read, consider placing a small vase or some other centerpiece on top of them.
Cluster candles of varying shapes and sizes in small arrangements. These arrangements can be used as the main centerpiece(s) of your dining room table or as stand-alone features on end tables or shelves.
You've looked closely at everything you have inside, but have you looked outside? Cut sprigs of wild flowers or even small branches arranged in vases can be a fun, temporary way to add a little extra life to your home.
Dust off old maps and hang them on walls. With today's GPS technology, few people have any need for paper maps in the car - but they can be a great way to add interest to your rooms.

Friday, February 6, 2015

Take A Tour Of Our NEW Website!

I have an exciting announcement! I've recently launched a brand new website featuring great information about my real estate services at the Lake of the Ozarks. The website is designed to be a resource of prospective home buyers and home sellers alike. Here's a quick overview of the different information our new site has to offer.

HOME PAGE

This page offers everything you need at one glance. Buyer resources, seller resources, real estate resources, and links to more information about the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks are all at your fingertips.

FEATURED REAL ESTATE

On this page, you can find photos and descriptions of the properties I'm currently selling. If you're in the market to buy a home, be sure to check back often to see if any new properties have been added!

SEARCH REAL ESTATE FOR SALE

If you're looking to buy a home at the Lake of the Ozarks, this page is a GREAT resource. From this page of our new website, you can search all homes for sale at the Lake of the Ozarks (no matter who the listing agent is). You can also narrow your search be certain criteria, such as location, price range, and even the years they were built.

SELLING YOUR HOME

This page offers helpful resources for people trying to sell their homes. It explains how my 25+ years of experience selling real estate at the Lake can help you sell your home quickly and easily. It doesn't matter whether you are selling a waterfront home or condo, a second-tier property, or a small farm - I can help you!

Check out great real estate listings (like this one!) on our website.

BUYING A HOME

This page has great information for anyone thinking about buying a home at the Lake. I've been around the real estate scene at the Lake for a long time, and I would love to help you find your dream home at the Lake of the Ozarks! I know the area and am well-equipped to assist you in your home search. Commission for real estate agents is typically paid by seller, so I will probably be able to work with you at no cost to you!

ABOUT SUSAN SPICA

In order to better help them sell and/or buy their homes, I believe in getting to know my clients as well as I can. That process begins by giving you all the opportunity to get to know a little bit about me, first! This page on my website tells you about my experience and how I can use it to help you.

CURRENT LAKE MARKET INFO

Before you can know how to price your home or what price to offer as a interested buyer, you have to know the local market. This page offers immediate access to current real estate data for the Lake of the Ozarks, as well as future updates.

Stop By and Check It Out!

I would love for you to check out the new website when you have time! Find it at www.realestatelakeozark.com.

If you're thinking about buying or selling your home at the Lake of the Ozarks, please give me a call! I would love to help you with your real estate endeavors.

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

How To Choose Your Real Estate Agent

If you’re planning on buying or selling your Lake of the Ozarks home in the near future, finding a good real estate agent to represent you is absolutely crucial. A dedicated, experienced real estate agent in the Lake area will be there to help you, guide you, and fight for you. With so many dollars at stake, having this constant ally by your side makes a huge difference—but how do you find the real estate agent that is right for you?

If you’re preparing to buy or sell your home, take the time to interview a few different real estate agents so you can find one whose experience and personality will be a good fit for you and your family. Here are a few good questions to help you get to know your potential real estate agent.

If You’re BUYING A Home, Ask Your Potential Agent…

1. What Type Of Buyers Do You Prefer Working With?
Some real estate agents gear their approach towards a certain type of buyer, such as couples preparing to buy their first home or families looking for a second home at the Lake of the Ozarks. Make sure the real estate agent you choose has experience representing buyers in your position.

2. How Do You Prefer To Communicate?
Some parts of real estate transactions are incredibly time-sensitive. You don't want to risk missing out on your dream waterfront home because of a communication failure. Make sure your potential real estate agent will be easily accessible and will communicate with you via the method that works best for you.

3. How Do Your Final Sales Prices Compare To The Asking Prices?
As the home buyer, you usually will not have to pay the full asking price for your new home at the Lake of the Ozarks. An experienced buyer's agent will be able to coach you on how to negotiate the price to reach a number you and the seller are both satisfied with.

If You're SELLING A Home, Ask Your Potential Agent...

1. What Is Your Marketing Strategy?
Successfully selling your home is all about visibility. How will your real estate agent market your home? Can he/she guarantee your home will have great visibility on the market? How will he/she reach out to prospective buyers to promote your home? Make sure your agent's strategy aligns with your vision.

2. What Is Your Going Rate?
As the seller, you will typically be responsible for paying both of the real estate agents involved in your transaction - your listing agent and the buyer's agent. Make sure you know in advance what percentage of the price of the home you will be expected to pay to the real estate agents.

3. Do You Offer Any Guarantees?
If your home does not sell in a timely manner (or if for some reason you decide not to move) will you be able to cancel your agreement with your listing agent? How can he/she guarantee that your home will be sold? These are tough questions to ask and to answer, but it's crucial that you are both on the same page before you sign any contracts.

Contact Susan Spica For Real Estate At The Lake of the Ozarks!

If you're looking for a dedicated real estate agent at the Lake, I would love to set up a time to talk to you. With twenty-five years of experience selling real estate at the Lake of the Ozarks, I am well-equipped to help you and your family with your real estate transaction. I look forward to working with you!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Tips for an Effective Final Walk-Through

Buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks is such an exciting process! Your dream home is finally becoming a reality, and you can't wait to close and begin moving in. Your excitement and impatience is certainly understandable (and completely warranted), but it's important to make sure you're giving appropriate time and attention to each step of the home buying process.

One of those crucial steps is the final walk-through. The final walk-through is an inspection performed by you, the home buyer, a few days (or a few hours) before closing to make sure everything in the home is in the condition you agreed upon with the seller - that agreed-upon repairs have been made and that no new damages have occurred. You don't want to be caught with any unpleasant surprises!

As with most steps in the process of purchasing a Lake of the Ozarks home, there are certain tips and tricks you can use to make your walk-through more thorough and more effective. Here are some of the tricks I've learned as an experienced Realtor at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Bring your paperwork. All of it. Bring your contract, the home inspection report, and the seller's property condition disclosure form. You won't be able to address issues that were already identified and agreed upon in the paperwork, so having these documents along to refer back to is a good idea.

Check the lights. Flip on all of the lights (and the ceiling fans) in the house to make sure they're all working properly. If you want to be extremely thorough, you can bring something to plug into all of the outlets to make sure they work as well.

Test the appliances. Double-check that the air conditioning, heater, oven, refrigerator, water softener, dishwasher, and any other appliances included in the contract are functioning.

Check the walls and floors for any new damage. If the previous owners had not yet moved out when you first toured the home, they could have left some scratches or scuffs on the walls or floors as they moved their belongings out of the house.

Test the water flow. Turn on all of the faucets, flush the toilets, and run the water in the showers and bathtubs. If the refrigerator has a water/ice dispenser, you can test that too.

Take stock of what's in the home. Did the previous owners leave things behind that were not specified in the contract? If the items were not included in the contract (and you don't want them), you can require that the sellers remove them before closing.

Perform an overall sanity-check. The final walk-through is your opportunity to make sure everything is as you expected it to be. Walk through the home (and around the yard) one last time before you close to make sure that everything is as it was when you last saw it or as you and the seller agreed that it would be.

If you do it right, the final walk-through will ensure that you aren't stuck with any unpleasant surprises after you close on the home. Your Lake of the Ozarks Realtor will most likely be present during the final walk-through, so feel free to ask him/her for suggestions during the walk-through.

Looking for a new home at the Lake of the Ozarks? I would love to help you find your dream home! Contact my office to get started today.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Lake of the Ozarks Drawdown Has Begun

Ameren Missouri officials use Bagnell Dam to control the water level at the Lake of the Ozarks. In January and February of every year, officials lower the Lake's water level by several feet in order to prevent flooding when the spring rains hit.

If you are the proud owner of a waterfront home at the Lake of the Ozarks, there are certain steps that must be taken in order to protect your dock from damage during this annual drawdown. Here's a little bit of background information on the drawdown, and some suggestions for protecting your docks.

Annual Lake Drawdown at the Lake of the Ozarks

The ideal water level for the Lake of the Ozarks is about 660 feet above sea level. March and April typically bring heavier rains, so throughout January and February of every year, plant officials at Bagnell Dam lower the water level at the Lake to about 654 feet above sea level.

These numbers serve as general guidelines. Officials at Bagnell Dam must consider a wide variety of factors when choosing the exact water level, such as the demand for power generation and weather predictions.

Dock Preparation Methods

6 feet may not sound like a lot, but docks can suffer serious damage when the water level drops that much if proper preventative measures have not been taken. Here are some suggestions for protecting your docks from damage during the drawdown:

Lengthen dock cables to allow room for the dock to lower as the water level does
Make sure the pins and hinges connecting your dock to your seawall have proper leeway for the dock to drop down
Install a deicer to keep ice blocks from forming around your dock

Osage River Residents Need To Take Action Also

The Lake drawdown does not only affect people with lakefront properties. People who have docks along the Osage River (beneath Bagnell Dam) need to take action also in order to prevent damage to their property. If at all possible, most people recommend that you take your dock out of the river. If this is not possible, however, then you should lengthen your dock cables to allow the dock to move with the current. Just like the lakefront residents, you should also install a reliable deicer to prevent ice buildup around your dock.

Homeownership certainly comes with its fair share of responsibilities. When you live at the Lake, though, the benefits far outweigh the costs. If you are considering buying a home at the Lake of the Ozarks, please don't hesitate to give me a call! I would love to help you find your new dream home at the Lake.