As the home buying market begins to cool off with the weather, some of you may have the “we should’ve been more prepared this year” feeling if you were thinking about finding a new home.

If you're hoping to sign on the dotted line for a new home
next spring or summer, your work starts now!

However, there is some good news Lincoln Savings Bank wants to share with you: there are steps you can take right now to make sure you’re ready for next spring and summer’s housing rush. While these things may take awhile to get in place, you’ll have all fall and winter to make sure you’re prepared to buy a home come next spring or summer.

Check your credit report- you want to get a great mortgage rate, and a solid credit score is the easiest way to do that. Check for errors or marks against your credit and get them taken care of.

Save in every way imaginable- drop the HBO, Netflix, eating out and other unnecessary costs. The higher down payment you can make on your home, the more financing options you’ll have.

Find out how much home you can afford- the worst thing you can do is overextend yourself financially. Look at your debt-to-income ratio; if it’s over 36, you need to start reducing your debt immediately.

Get pre-approved- it may sound like this step will cost you time, but it’s actually a time-saver.  By knowing ahead of time how much money you are approved to borrow, you will save you and your real estate agent a lot of time looking at properties that may not fit your budget.  Visit www.lsbmortgage.com to learn more about mortgages and even apply online in just a few minutes.

Find a real estate agent- not to sound biased, but the folks at Century 21 LSB Real Estate are amazing at their jobs. Your agent is your representative in helping you find a home, so having someone you trust is a huge bonus.

Keep assessing your financials and the housing market- there’s nothing wrong with staying current. You can order your FICO scores without hurting them, and keeping an eye on the national housing market is smart.

When it comes to buying a home, follow the adage of “failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” The process is complex enough, so adding more difficulty just isn’t necessary. Lincoln Savings Bank and Century 21 LSB RealEstate would be more than happy to help you on your journey to finding a new home, so get in touch with us to get started.  

Spring and summer are the most popular times of year for home buying and selling.  If you are considering selling your home, it’s a good idea to take a critical look at it before you list.  Many people think that boosting your home’s equity costs a lot of money.  Truth is there are many things you can do for very little money and get top dollar for your home.

Painting the interior walls of your home can add significant value

Lincoln Savings Bank and Century 21 LSB Real Estate have come up with some ways that you can increase the value of your home before putting it on the market. So take a look, then get to work!

(All figures taken from HomeGain’s 2009 survey of 1,000 realtors across the country. While this data is a few years old, it can still give you a good idea of which projects to go after)

Clean and De-clutter- buyers want to visualize themselves in your home, and that’s hard to do with a lot of your stuff in the way. Make sure carpets are cleaned, all cabinets, drawers and closets are cleaned and organized, and keep your bathrooms sparkling. Average cost: $100-200, home price increase: $1500-2000, realtors recommending this: 98 percent

Replace or shampoo carpets- your carpet should appear clean and not come with an odor. Those that are odorless can be cleaned, while smelly carpets should be replaced with an odorless and neutral color carpet. Average cost: $400-500, home price increase: $1000-1500, realtors recommending this: 97 percent

Brighten things up- the more light you can get into your home, the better. Clean all windows, shutters, blinds and drapes, install the brightest light bulbs possible at the right wattage and prune trees to make sure they aren’t blocking any light. Average cost: $200-300, home price increase: $1000-1500, realtors recommending this: 95 percent

Tame the yard- landscaping is a must since many buyers will judge a home based solely on “curb appeal.” Remove all clutter and dead/dying plants, trim/prune grass, bushes, hedges, trees, and edge and trim to give the yard a nice boundary. Average cost: $300-400, home price increase: $1500-2000, realtors recommending this: 94 percent

Give your home interior a fresh coat- whether it’s touching up or completely repainting a room, getting it right means prepping right. Repair nicks or cracks in the drywall, sand down patched areas prime, and be sure to use a quality paint. Average cost: $500-750, home price increase: $1500-2000, realtors recommending this: 94 percent

These are just a few ideas to add value to your home equity. Updating kitchens and bathrooms are also great ways to make sure your home sells at the price you want.

If you have any home improvement loan needs, or you just need help getting your home on the market, we would be glad to help! Just call any of our locations and allow our team to help you work through your problems. We hope to hear from you soon!

Spring has finally come here in Iowa and with it, the true beginning of home buying and selling season. However, the housing market can be an intimidating place. There are so many things to consider, remember and do that it can be overwhelming. At Lincoln Savings Bank, we want to help you de-stress a little bit when it comes to your home buying or selling. Here are a few tips for people on both sides of the housing conundrum.

You should see more of these signs as the home buying and
selling season continues.

Tips for Home Buyers

Know how much home you can afford- a common rule of thumb is that you can afford a house that is up to twice your gross annual income. It also depends on six factors: income, available cash for down payment, closing costs and reserves, any debts you have, your credit score the type of mortgage and current interest rates

Find out the details- it’s best to hire someone to inspect the home you’re considering. Make sure the inspector you hire belongs to the American Society of Home Inspectors

Make the right down payment- the size of your down payment will differ based on your situation and loan type. Making a 20 percent down payment not only reduces the amount of debt you will finance, but it also waives the additional costs from having mortgage insurance

You can find more tips for buying a new home here on the Century 21 LSB Real Estate website.

Tips for Home Sellers

Price, Condition and Exposure- these are the three most important factors when trying to sell a home. The right pricing strategy can attract the ideal buyers, so be sure to do your homework on that. Cosmetic details, no matter how small, can affect the price of your home and a buyer’s willingness to make an offer, so be sure any “rough edges” are taken care of. You also want to make sure your home gets the right exposure through multiple online listings, open houses, broker open houses, advertising and quality signage.

Get your home appraised- getting the price right is difficult on your own, so use a professional appraiser to make sure the job is done right. Make sure to get any analysis in writing, and use a recommended professional appraiser.

Get your home ready to sell- de-clutter rooms, closets, cupboard and anywhere else a potential buyer will see. Give your home a thorough cleaning, and leave it looking and smelling nice. Finally, give the grass and hedges a trim to make a good first impression to potential buyers.

You can see more tips for selling your home here.

Lincoln Savings Bank and Century 21 LSB Real Estate would love to help you and your family find the home of your dreams this year. Let us know if there’s any way we can help! Until then, happy home hunting! 

Our new site is easier to use and provides more benefits to users.

As we touched on in our last blog post, our real estate division shares a connection with worldwide real estate giant Century 21. As a franchisee, our real estate division operates as Century 21 LSB Real Estate with two offices serving the Cedar Valley in an effort to become the leading real estate provider in the area.

We wanted to take a few minutes to discuss the features of the new Century 21 LSB website that can help you to find available homes and other real estate smoothly and easily. To take a look at the features as we discuss them, go to http://www.century21lsb.com/.

• The “Advice” tab on the home page is full of helpful tips for those looking to buy or sell their home. When it comes to home buying or selling, you can never have too much free advice! You can also find help in determining the value of your home, a mortgage calculator and a way to receive a relocation packet.
• You can easily search available homes in our “Listings” section using various search criteria and locations. You can also learn more about the various communities we serve to see which area is right for you.
• You can also find out how to join the Century 21 LSB team by clicking on the “Join our Team” button. There you can learn about what it takes to be a Century 21 LSB agent and how we help you become a high quality real estate agent.
• The Home Hunter feature searches properties for you 24/7 and helps you keep track of any you like based on your search criteria. Be sure to create an account today!

There are many other great tools and resources available on the new Century 21 website as well for you to discover. If you’re going to be selling or buying a home any time soon, be sure to visit the website or contact either of our Century 21 LSB Real Estate offices for professional real estate services.

Century 21 LSB Real Estate agents provide superior service in finding you a home.

As a community bank serving Central and Northeast Iowa, we are proud to help our neighbors and others in our communities work toward purchasing a new home. Through a partnership between Lincoln Savings Bank and real estate company Century 21, we are also able to help people find the home that is perfect for them and their family.

Operating as a franchisee, Century 21 LSB Real Estate manages two different offices in the Cedar Valley in an effort to help people find the home of their dreams. We are continually growing our services to become the leader in the Cedar Valley real estate market.

As a Century 21 franchisee, we always enjoy taking some time to point out sponsorships and other public highlights of our real estate partner. The most noticeable and exciting development for Century 21 has been the sponsorship of the no. 21 Indy Racing League car that will be driven by Josef Newgarden in the 2013 Indianapolis 500 on May 26.

“Our sponsorship of the No. 21 car in the Indianapolis 500 provides another outstanding opportunity to highlight our Smarter. Bolder. Faster. campaign,” said Bev Thorne, chief marketing officer, Century 21 Real Estate LLC.  “Whether it’s the Super Bowl, the Olympics, U.S. Soccer or the Indy 500, we want to showcase the capabilities of our sales professionals in front of the largest audience possible.”

Not only are we excited about how this marketing showcases the abilities of the Century 21 LSB Real Estate agents, but it also goes to show the type of resources that are available to them through Century 21.

We can’t wait to see Newgarden and the no. 21 Century 21 Indy car flying around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26! We also look forward to helping you find a home that suits you and your family, so be sure to contact us today!