Once you purchase a new home, how will you decorate it? Free iPad App Can Help!

Once you purchase a new home, how will you decorate it? CNN says Houzz is the “wikipedia of interior and exterior design.” It contains the largest database of home design ideas with more than 150,000 high res photos. Browse photos by style, room and location and save them to your virtual idea book for easy searching, saving and sharing. You’ll also find everyone from local designers to architects and contractors who can help you realize your ideas.
Cost = Free
Ease of Use = Simple

The Clarke Team
sold@clarketeam.com
650-489-5399

How Does the San Carlos Community Measure Up?

Are you curious as to how San Carlos schools are doing? Click on the link below (or copy and paste in your browser) for access to the "Market Insider" which includes valuable insight into San Carlos by looking at household incomes, crime risk, education levels attained, and potential for extreme weather. Use the map to locate points of interest like shopping, restaurants, and healthcare services.

http://www.sancarloshomefinder.com/micommunity/zip/94070/

Call or email us anytime to discuss how this information can benefit you! As always, we are happy to help.

The Clarke Team
sold@clarketeam.com
650-489-5399

D_o_n_’t_ _L_o_s_e_ _S_l_e_e_p_ _WHEN DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME RETURNS ON MARCH 11!

Be sure to mark your calendar for Daylight Saving Time on March 11 and spring your clock forward one hour…but don’t lose sleep over it!
The annual “spring forward” event can cause sleep disruptions for both children and adults. By making a few lifestyle changes, most people can minimize sleep loss and achieve the sleep that is needed to feel alert, refreshed and ready to take on the day.
For children:
• Maintain your child’s regular sleep, wake and nap times. Try not to compensate for the lost hour by delaying bedtime or allowing your child to sleep in.
• Make gradual adjustments. Some parents find it is best to try to start making adjustments on Saturday night rather than wait until Sunday (a school night).
For adults:
• Try to sleep more than usual a few nights prior to and immediately following the time change.
• Take a nap in the afternoon on Sunday if you need it, but not within a few hours of your regular bedtime.

The Clarke Team
sold@clarketeam.com
650-489-5399

Use Internet Marketing To Expand Your Reach

It goes without saying that the Internet has radically affected how people find homes today. And savvy Realtors know how to use modern technology to combine the power of fabulous new tools with market trends and proven strategies.

Thanks to the Internet, you now have worldwide reach and incredible visual capabilities at your disposal, allowing you to intimately market your home to millions of potential buyers. Internet marketing is not only effective—it is an essential element of every successful marketing campaign.

We have the knowledge and expertise to bring these and many other tactics to work for you. If you would like to learn more, please give us a call or reply to our e-mail. You won’t be disappointed.

The Clarke Team
Realtors
www.clarketeam.com
sold@clarketeam.com
650-489-5399

Strategic Marketing

Selling your property successfully and for top dollar takes a strategic marketing plan. we have designed a comprehensive program that utilizes a variety of marketing vehicles to position your home to the right buyer.

From staging your home in preparation for sale to advertising the property through print and via the Internet, from virtual tours to broker open homes, we will utilize a powerful array of programs to successfully market your home and quickly get the results you want.

For more information about selling your home, please call us today.

Does Your Home Have Nose Appeal?

This is a truly sensitive subject, but because everybody’s nose is different, what smells good to one person can ward off a potential buyer who thinks otherwise!

The smallest amount of odor can be off-putting to a buyer who steps into your home for the first time. Sometimes the difference between a potential sale and just another visitor begins with vacuuming and mopping your floors. And because clean homes sell faster—usually for their asking price or higher—that means you are able to close and move on quickly.

While you’re at it, we recommend ridding your home of any clutter—put it in storage if necessary— and deep clean your home to eliminate any lingering odors, like those caused by pets and smoke. A professional carpet cleaning will also brighten up your place and help the nose appeal of your home immeasurably! (Let us know if you need a recommendation.)

We are available to help you with many more proven tactics like these, to ensure that your home presents itself in the best way possible. Please call or e-mail me at your earliest convenience, we look forward to hearing from you.

Rent vs. Own

There’s nothing quite like a home that you can truly call your own. A place where you can have the gleaming hardwood floors you’ve always dreamed of, a space to cultivate your own vine-lined patio, a way to provide a good neighborhood for your kids to grow up in, and a freedom from the whims of your landlord. These are the images that immediately come to mind, for many of us.
Yet some of the biggest advantages of owning a home are less romantic and more practical – in fact, there are financial advantages to owning a home:
• Tax Deductibility—You can deduct the cost of your mortgage loan interest from your state and federal income taxes. Since interest generally will account for most of your payment during the first half of your mortgage, the savings can be significant. Some of your costs at the time of closing (including prepaid mortgage interest) can be taken as deductions on that year’s income tax return, and points paid up front at the time of closing represent additional mortgage interest and may be taken as a deduction.
• Tax Deductibility of Property Taxes—You can deduct all of the property taxes you pay.
• Appreciation Potential—Real estate is considered a strong long-term investment because it usually appreciates in value. The effects of borrowing potential can increase as the value of the home appreciates.
• Capital Gains Exclusion—When it’s time to sell your home the amount of capital gains you have to pay is reduced. A homeowner can exclude up to $500,000 per couple if married and filing jointly, or $250,000 if single or filing separately for homes that have been the taxpayer’s principal residence for the previous two years.
• Capital Gain Treatment—Congress allows preferential tax treatment on gains from capital assets held for more than one year. This would be important for a homeowner who has gains in excess of the allowable exclusion.
• Principal Accumulation—Mortgages are designed to pay the interest for the time that the money has been used, as well as to retire the principal debt over a period of time. This payment plan means that part of the payment each month is for principal accumulation.
• Personal Enjoyment—Pride of ownership is a valid reason for wanting to own a home. You can personalize your home while enjoying the financial benefits.
For the best evaluation of your financial situation, consult your financial advisor. He/she will be the most qualified to discuss the financial consequences of a home purchase decision, as well as help you to establish a plan that will achieve your home ownership goals.