Liz's Havasu Lifestyle Blog: April 2010

All around Lake Havasu City, Arizona, students rallied together to show support for Earth Day.  Many of the students who attend Lake Havasu City area schools are learning just how important the earth is and want to get their message across.

There were 13 Earth Explorers Club members at Havasupai Elementary who walked around with Earth Day signs that they created themselves on Wednesday just after school was let out.  It was a great reminder to parents, other students and community members. Earth Day is not just one day a year, but every day of the year.

The Earth Explorers Club plans to extend its hard efforts to the community of Lake Havasu City, which won't be very hard.  Lake Havasu City is already dedicated to becoming a green community in every way possible.

Some of the schools already have solar paneling to help reduce energy, schools recycle and much more.  But it doesn't stop there.

The entire city has a Go Green Lake Havasu City motto and now real estate is a big part of it.  Builders are now building homes with more focus on "green homes" than ever before.  It's just another way to help out and make every day Earth Day.

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There's a healthy outlook from pending homes sales as home sales have been on the rise, potentially signaling a second flow of home sales in response to the popular home buyers tax credit. 

A forward-looking indicator, the Pending Home Sales Index, showed that contracts signed in February rose to 97.7, which was up from that of January's 90.2.  That is also up 17.3% from February 2009 when it was 83.2.  And this data is reflecting contracts, not closings, which will occur one to two months after the sales contract has been signed.

From the numbers, it looks like this improvement is another hopeful sign for the real estate market.  The healthy gain is pointing to a healthy outlook that home prices will continue to flatten.  However, we need a second flow of home sales to meaningfully draw down inventory and definitively get home values stabilized.

All around the country, the Pending Home Sale Index fluctuated.  In the West, the index fell slightly by 4.8%, but it was still 14.6% above a year ago.  The Midwest's index jumped 21.8%, which is 18.7% above one year ago.  In the Northeast, the index rose slightly by 9.0% and is still 18.9% higher than one year ago.  The South's index increased to 9.2%, which is 17.5% higher than it was last year.  Get more information from www.Realtor.com.

In addition, there are reports about a rise in home sales activity with ongoing reports of multiple offers in other markets.  So, we're looking forward to new reports.

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For new and existing homeowners alike, the term "Green Up your Lake Havasu City home" can hold some real benefits.  Green upgrades on homes actually offer twice the benefits.  "Going green" contributes to a healthier environment, both now and in the future.  And, they can save you a lot of money when it comes to energy costs.

Lake Havasu City, Arizona officials have been encouraging every real estate owner to be more environmentally friendly by doing their part with "green" additions.

So, how much impact does one green home have on the environment?  Energy Star reports that qualified homes built in 2009 are equal to:

* Saving 312,399,672 lbs of coal

* Eliminating emissions of 51,645 vehicles

* Saving the environment 612,678,574 pounds of CO2

* Planting 85,372 acres of trees

Homebuilders in Lake Havasu City are already building "green homes" and schools and businesses are "greening up."

Here are some simple ways you can "go green":

Energy Star Appliances

Replacing any of your appliances with the Energy Star label is a great and easy way to make your home more environmentally friendly.  You can visit energystar.gov to see what your options are before you go out shopping.

Renewable Flooring

If you're considering upgrading your flooring to wood floors, you should consider bamboo flooring.  Bamboo flooring is a perfect "green" option, as it grows and renews itself quickly.

Toxin-free Paint

When it's time to paint, you want to use "zero-voc," "low-voc," and "natural" paints as a "green" option. 

Low Flow Toilets

A great way to keep your water costs down and help the environment is by using the low flow toilets.  They use 1.6 gallons per flush versus the traditional 3.5 gallons.  That's a lot of water saved per toilet flushing.

Passive Solar

When your home is designed just right, you can take advantage of the sun's position throughout the year through your home's windows, roof, flooring, etc.

We are all moving toward a more harmonious relationship with the planet.  I hope this helps you seek your own ways to "Go Green" with your Lake Havasu City real estate.  There are even tax benefits for "going green."

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When it comes to selling your home, you want to get all that your home is worth.  Therefore, I have some essential tips for selling your Lake Havasu City home, or any home for that matter, to help you get all that it's worth.

Essential Home Selling Tips:

Curb Appeal

Trim any overgrown bushes, rake the leaves and pull up those pesky weeds.  You want to give potential buyers a fresh, clean feel even on the outside of your home.

Paint

The important part about painting your home is making it as generic as possible.  Using neutral paint makes a home appear brighter, larger and more appealing to buyers.

Rearrange

Rearranging your furniture for easy traffic flow will help show the purpose of each room.  If you have too much furniture for a room, you may want to consider renting a storage unit to hold your things until you're ready to move.  If you don't have enough furniture, you can always rent or borrow some.  Staging a home goes a long way when selling for maximum price.

Organize

An organized home will help buyers envision themselves living happily there.  So, go through each room and closet and pack up all your nick-knacks and family photos.  The less you personalize your home, the better off you will be.

Make Repairs

Fix or replace anything that is broken, such as old screens, leaky faucets, door handles, etc.  Many repairs may seem insignificant, but they could end up taking away from your home's value in the end.

Cleanup

Give your home a good cleaning.  Clean every corner of your home from your windows to your ceilings to your floors.  If you have old stained carpet, you should consider replacing it.

Lighten it up

Wherever there is natural light, let it shine through.  Also, turn on the lights.  A well lit home is a bright home and one that buyers will like much better.

Keep it presentable

In many cases, it can be a little inconvenient to keep you home in tip-top-show condition, but this is the most important step.

Buyers should be able to picture themselves living in your home with their own things at any given time.  Therefore, taking this last step will help ensure that.

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