Scott Sutherland Content Marketing

03/14/2025

Decorating Tricks for Hiding Kids’ Messes While Selling Your Home

Keeping the house together during the selling process is a challenge. Making sure everything is just right for showings and open houses can be exhausting and overwhelming. Throw kids into the mix, and things can get downright chaotic. Fortunately, a few small decor choices can help conceal kid clutter—changing your “for sale” sign to “sold.”

Hide in Plain Sight
With overflowing toy boxes and tea-party set-ups overtaking the living room, it may be unrealistic to banish all kid stuff to other rooms. Instead, make use of your furniture’s built-in compartments and drawers. Have a storage ottoman next to the sofa? Fill it with everything from action figures and dolls to coloring books, art supplies, stuffed animals and more. Divide the credenza in the family room so that your little ones can store toys behind its closed doors. Accent the open shelves with ceramic vases, family photos, decorative carafes and other appealing decor items.

If your built-in storage is already in use, opt for two or three woven baskets with lids instead. Place them wherever you want, whether it’s next to the loveseat or on the bottom shelf of a console table. Buyers will be too busy appreciating your home’s cleanliness and open floor space to think about what’s inside.

Hide Within Reach
Families in smaller living spaces might consider another strategy—underbed and attic storage. While the underside of your child’s bed may already be home to all sorts of tchotchkes, encourage kids to neaten it up with rolling plastic or rattan storage bins. Discreetly stow away everything from dress-up clothes to seasonal clothing in multiple containers. Slide them out of sight, then help your little one make the bed with an oversized quilt that conceals what’s hidden below. The best part? These containers can still be used after moving into the new bedroom or playroom.

For toys that are too big to fit in this space, such as kids’ teepees and play tents, consider collapsing them and stowing behind a dresser. If the dresser has legs that makes it easy to spot what’s behind it, opt for a chest instead.

Rotate Toys in Longer-Term Storage
Consider storing bins of toys longer-term and swapping them out every few weeks. In addition to the attic and basement, the back corner of a deep closet is a great place to stack storage tubs filled with everything from building blocks and board games to miniature cars and pull toys. Strategically hide them behind long coats so a quick peek inside the closet doesn’t give anything away. Better yet, switch out the storage tubs for suitcases. Rotate the toys in storage every few weeks--kids will have renewed interest when they come out of hiding.

Minimize and Add Some Style
Rather than attempting to conceal every toy, consider downsizing. Prior to the first showing, help your little one sort through toys, determining what still gets played with and what doesn’t. Sort into “keep,” “donate,” and “throw away.” This streamlines the cleanup process and makes it easier to stow away what remains. Bonus? You’ll have less to move when the time comes. For every item your children give up, consider rewarding them with small change or a trip to a favorite restaurant or ice cream shop.

For kids’ areas like bedrooms and playrooms, embrace the playful nature and just add a little style. Choose bookcases and desks with useful cubbies and shelves, and dress up the space with vibrant and unique artwork. Inspire imagination in potential buyers (and keep the space useful while your home is on the market) by choosing a few colorful supplies and knick-knacks to display.

Strategically rearrange home decor to hide kids’ messes while your house is being shown, and potential buyers will see a clean space that they’ll want to make their own.

Contact Scott Sutherland Content Marketing To Get Your Personalized Content. [email protected]

02/27/2025

How Do Mortgage Points Work?

When you close on a loan, there’s a term you may hear—mortgage points.

Mortgage points are part of your closing costs. There are origination points, which are one type of mortgage point. There are also discount points. The two are different from one another despite being categorized together.

In instances of both origination and discount points, each point is usually equal to 1% of the total amount you’re mortgaging. So, if you get a home loan for $350,000, one mortgage point is equal to $3,000. Both points are listed in your official loan estimate and closing disclosure which you get from your lender.

Below, we talk more about the two specific types of mortgage points and how each works.

What Are Origination Points?
Origination points are paid by borrowers as a way to compensate a lender.

Not all lenders of mortgages require paying origination points. For those lenders who do require origination points to be paid on a loan, they are negotiable.

Origination points aren’t tax-deductible, and many lenders have moved away from them altogether in favor of no-fee or flat-rate home loans.

What Are Discount Points?
Discount points are considered interest that you’re pre-paying. When you buy a point, it lowers the interest rate on your mortgage by up to 0.25%. Many lenders offer the opportunity to buy a fraction of a point up to three discount points.

Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was passed in 2017, applying to tax years 2018 through 2025, origination points weren’t tax-deductible. Discounts points could be deducted on Schedule A previously.

Now, discount points can be deducted, but they’re limited to the first $750,000 of your loan. There is a higher standard deduction as well, so you should consult with an accountant to figure out the specifics of the tax benefits for purchasing points.

When you’re deciding if you want to pay for discount points, first think about how long you plan to live in the house. Then, you’ll have to think about if you have enough money to pay for the points out-of-pocket.

As far as the first factor of how long you’ll live in the house, the longer you plan to stay, the more savings you’re likely to get if you purchase discount points. If you’re only going to stay a few years, you might skip buying discount points altogether.

As far as the money to pay for the discount points, you may not have enough to use this option if you’re already feeling the pinch of your down payment. If you were buying a $500,000 home, for example, to buy three discount points would cost you $15,000.

You might simply be priced out of the option.

You could also invest your money in other ways and get a better return than you would for the amount you would save if you paid for the points.

If your priority is paying off your mortgage, you might not worry as much about alternative returns.

There’s no one right answer for everyone as far as buying discount points. You need to crunch the numbers in your situation, and you might find you’re better off making a large down payment or buying a less expensive home.

You also need to comparison shop when you get a mortgage. There are a lot of options to choose from, and you can usually negotiate or avoid origination points altogether if you comparison shop.

As far as discount points, yes, you can save over the life of your loan, but only if you’re able to maintain a 20% down payment. Otherwise, with less than a 20% down payment, you may have to pay private mortgage insurance (PMI).

Contact Scott Sutherland Content Marketing To Get Your Personalized Content. [email protected]

12/30/2024

Seven Steps to Take to Prepare Your House to Sell in the New Year

The holidays are a wrap, and with the coming of the new year, many people are starting to make their new year’s resolutions. If selling your home is one of those resolutions, it’s beneficial to take steps now to prepare your house to sell in the new year. Getting a jump start on this preparation can help your home be ready for the spring/summer homebuying season, an annual tradition that typically sees an increase in buyer demand.

Preparing a house for sale in the new year involves more than taking down the holiday decorations. Some of the key steps to take before putting your home on the market in the new year include:

1. Decide on a listing date
One of the first steps is to decide when you want to put your house on the market and create a timeline for all the tasks that need to be completed before this happens. Work backward from the listing date to establish deadlines for each task. Establishing these deadlines can be a great motivator for getting all of the to dos done in order to showcase your house to its best advantage.

2. Hire a Realtor
A REALTOR® will guide you through the selling process and provide a plan for attracting potential buyers to get your house sold for the best possible price. REALTORS® have reams of data and calculators at their fingertips to help you make the most strategic choices when selling your house.

3. Give the house a deep clean
Deep cleaning goes beyond vacuuming and dusting. Giving your home a deep clean means getting carpets steam cleaned, mopping floors, cleaning windows inside and out, washing walls to remove stains and scrubbing bathrooms. Consider using professional carpet cleaning and maid services to really make your house sparkle and shine.

4. Get rid of all the clutter
De-cluttering will make your house seem more spacious and make it easier for potential buyers to envision themselves in the house. Start the de-cluttering process by cleaning out closets, cabinets, and garages. Donate clothing and other items of use and throw out items that are broken or cannot be used.

5. Make needed repairs and updates
Leaky faucets, chipped paint, running toilets, and squeaky doors may seem minor but really signal to potential buyers that your home has not been well maintained. To help attract buyers and get top dollar for your home, take the time to make needed minor repairs and consider updates such as repainting rooms with neutral paint colors, replacing worn carpeting, and modernizing bathroom and lighting fixtures.

6. Spruce up curb appeal
Sprucing up the curb appeal of your home is an important step to take before putting it on the market. In fact, among REALTORS®, 92% have suggested sellers improve their curb appeal before listing a home for sale. This recommendation is so common simply because the outside of your home is the first thing buyers see when they pull up to the curb and as the saying goes - you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Painting or replacing the front door, keeping the lawn mowed and weeded, trimming overgrown shrubs and trees, and repairing cracked walkways are just a few things that can go a long way to sprucing up the curb appeal of your home.

7. Stage it to sell
Staging your home can show it in its best light. The National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Staging found that 58% of buyers’ agents cited that home staging had an effect on most buyers’ view of the home, and 81% of buyers’ agents said staging a home made it easier for a buyer to visualize the property as a future home. Staging a house can involve things like adjusting furniture layouts to make rooms appear larger, repainting rooms, opening curtains and blinds to let light in and adding extras like fresh flowers in vases, a bowl of fruit in the kitchen and folded towels in the bathrooms.

If selling your house is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, make sure to take the steps outlined above to get it ready to sell. This preparation can help your house stand out among the millions of homes nationwide projected to sell in the new year.

Contact Scott Sutherland Content Marketing To Get Your Personalized Content. [email protected]

10/31/2024

Designing a Kitchen That Will Sell Your House For You

The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in a house when it comes to home value and appealing to buyers while trying to sell. For this reason, it's important to pay special attention to your kitchen when preparing a house to sell or building a house for the first time. The following is a guide for how to build a modern, desirable kitchen that will work to sell your house for you.

Keep It Clean
Because the kitchen is a room that sees significant use, it can get grimy and worn down easily. Upkeep your kitchen in order to upkeep its value. When it does come time to sell, make it a point to deep clean it. Polish all surfaces and metal, including countertops and faucets. Go at tile to clean out grout. Keep a kitchen clean and well-maintained and it will be a major asset when you do go to sell the house.

Appliances
All appliances should be energy-efficient because energy efficiency is desired in modern homes. This is not only because it is good for the environment but also because it saves money over time. Look for appliances with Energy Star labels when shopping and consider estimated average yearly operating costs. Many modern kitchen designs also hide appliances, so a design incorporating that may be worth considering as well. Consider brand too, because at least in certain areas, brands that are considered too thrifty can bring down the perceived value of the property.

Cabinets
Cabinets are another major item in the kitchen that buyers pay attention to. Their color and how well they blend into the rest of the kitchen are important, as is their size. It is amazing what a difference painting your cabinets can make. You can undertake this project yourself or hire a professional to do it. Another thing you can do is replace cabinet handles, which is a smaller upgrade but will still make them look better.

Colors
There are a number of color schemes you can choose for your kitchen. You can also change those colors anytime you want with paint, for the most part. White and gray is in right now, as is wood and more natural-looking colors and surfaces. You can also get more creative and use brighter colors such as teal or yellow. Most colors can work in the right combination, but at the end of the day, more neutral colors are easier to sell down the road.

Lighting
Lighting is also important to consider. Get modern light fixtures that will look good with the rest of the kitchen and provide strong lighting throughout the room. Ensure fixtures use energy-efficient bulbs. Remove broken or dim bulbs and replace them with new ones. Under cabinet lighting can be a good investment as it is relatively inexpensive and provides more light to workspaces.

Consider Utility
The kitchen is going to be a major place to entertain and work in most homes. For this reason, it needs to be designed with utility in mind. Most people nowadays prefer kitchens with plenty of space, both in general and on the counters. Islands are usually a good idea to put in because they give great places for preparation or entertaining as well as provide additional countertop space. Whether you are preparing a large dinner for the holidays or even if you skip lunch, you want a kitchen that will work with you.

Worth It To Remodel?
If you are considering remodeling your house, whether to sell or just to update, remodeling your kitchen is always an option. As with any addition to a property, look at it from the perspective of a cost-benefit analysis. Don't pour more money into a remodel than you expect it will increase the value of the home by, typically around 6% of the home's value. When remodeling your kitchen, you always want to find the right people for the job. Get referrals and quotes before making a final decision.

You are presented with a lot of options when designing a kitchen. Break it down to each individual aspect so you don't get overwhelmed and go in with a grand plan. You will end up with a gorgeous kitchen that will be the envy of buyers.

Contact Scott Sutherland Content Marketing To Get Your Personalized Content. [email protected]

10/02/2024

09/20/2024

6 Ways You Can Protect Your New Home

When you purchase a new home, you want to take care of it as well as you can. There are a lot of different ways you can protect your home. They range from security to preparing for expected expenses. These six tips will help you ensure your home is always as protected as possible.

Insure It Fully
Your insurance is an important tool for ensuring that your home is protected against the unforeseen. It is a way to protect yourself against the costs of damages and personal liabilities. However, not all homeowner’s insurance is equal. Understanding home insurance will help you make better decisions for your home.

While not everyone needs every form of insurance, being prepared for the unforeseen is important. For example, if you live in Arizona, you likely don’t need flood insurance, but you probably do in Florida.

Get a Warranty
Homeowners insurance won’t cover all the possible expenses you experience. For example, it won’t cover damage to major appliances and systems due to wear and tear. A home warranty, on the other hand, will help with these costs.

It is a simple way to extend your protection, so you aren’t caught unprepared. Your home needs to be maintained and repaired from time to time. A warranty and insurance will help you do that.

Buy a Security System
Of course, damage and wear and tear aren’t the only issues you need to contend with. Finding the right home security system will help you protect against unwanted entrants. Even a basic system can make a huge difference in your security. Burglars and other unauthorized people generally target homes that are easy to access.

Many systems also monitor for smoke and other hazards. The right monitoring subscription can protect you against many threats.

Trim Back Vegetation
Vegetation growing up against your house can be a risk for two reasons. First, it is a way for burglars to get close to your home without being easily seen. Second, branches and debris can damage your home.

Keeping your vegetation well-trimmed and maintained can help keep your home safe. Better yet, it is easy to do and will make your home look a lot nicer. It is a smart practice and much easier if you keep up with regular groundskeeping.

Keep Up With Maintenance
Similarly, regular maintenance will help protect your home against minor issues causing bigger ones. A little cracking paint may not seem like a big issue. However, paint protects the structure underneath it. Fixing the issue early involves a little sanding and painting. Waiting may mean mold, rot or other issues.

Again, it is significantly cheaper and easier to address problems promptly. This is one area that the right warranty and insurance can come in handy. For example, if your air conditioning is making a strange sound, you can use your warranty to get it checked and fixed rather than just waiting. That could save you from having to replace the whole system in the near future.

Meet Your Neighbors
Your neighbors are one of your best protections against issues such as unwanted entrants, fire and other similar problems. The people who live around you can e your eyes and ears when you aren’t home. While not every neighbor is interested in looking out for you, getting to know the people around you can never hurt.

Plus, this has the added benefit of enjoying your local community. It is often nicer to live in a neighborhood when you are friends with those around you. So, get out there and get to know people, at least the ones on either side of your house.

These tips will help you protect your new home. They can give you peace of mind when you are out. Your home is a major investment and keeping it safe both physically and financially is worth the effort. Give these ideas a try in your new home.

Contact Scott Sutherland Content Marketing To Get Your Personalized Content. [email protected]

07/29/2024

Things To Consider When Choosing A New Neighborhood

Moving is a tough process because of the different elements you have to think about that affect how much you’ll enjoy your new home. One of these factors is the neighborhood that your prospective houses or apartments reside, as it can play a role in how much you are able to relax, advance in your career, and keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

That’s why you need to review certain necessities that your neighborhood must have to ensure a comfortable living experience. These factors will affect how much money you’ll have to spend, your ability to do your job, and how much fun you can have on the weekends. Here are some things to consider when choosing a new neighborhood.

Safety
It can be easy to get attracted to an apartment or house you found online just because it has a low selling price. However, low cost and high quality don’t always line up, and a cheap rental could actually mean you are getting a bad deal. The picture of the home on the website might look pleasant, but they may not be showing that it is located in an area with poorly constructed homes and high crime.

It helps to communicate with mortgage services and real estate agents in person and at the location so that you know what you’re getting yourself into. This is especially important for parents who want their kids to grow up in a safe environment without having to worry about possibilities of violence breaking out just down the street.

Housing Prices
The most important things in life cost money, and homes are certainly no exception. As much as the houses at the top of your list may have a high-quality design and reside in a safe and productive neighborhood, this is often associated with higher prices, whether it’s for the down payment, monthly bills, or both. This is why you need to form a budget before you start looking at neighborhoods so that you will be able to afford your new home.

Finding a neighborhood that has a balance between housing prices and the quality of living will help you find the best spot for you and your family. This should also come in handy if your friends or current neighbors are also looking to move and you want to show them a neighbor that will suit their financial needs.

Work
One of the main reasons for why people choose to live in certain neighborhoods is because of the opportunities that are available for careers. Whether you’re still in college or are looking to make a career change, it helps to live somewhere that provides an abundance of options so that you can fall back on another path in case your first choice doesn’t work out.

Commuting plays another role in where people choose to live, as the distance between your neighborhood and your job if it is out of town can affect how much money you have to spend on traveling. This also affects how much you have left over to take care of bills, tuition and other expenses, as well as how likely you are to stay at the job, or in that neighborhood.

Education
If you’re a parent, you’re thinking about more than what’s best for you when considering what neighborhood is best for your family. The next town that you call home needs to have the right sources of education for your children so that they can grow up prepared for the real world and able to fulfill their dreams. The more options your neighborhood provides for school, the better off your kids will be.

Education is also a significant element for picking neighborhoods for those who are still in college or going to grad school. People in these situations are also likely to be working part-time or full-time jobs while they continue their studies on the weekends. Being close to universities will make the living experience and career progress more enjoyable in this case. But, it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. There are a variety of accredited online and continuing education degree programs to choose from.

Attractions
No neighborhood is complete with sources of fun, as you’ll want there to be something fun to do close by so that you don’t have to spend time and money driving out of town to find entertainment. The neighborhood you decide to move to should have plenty of attractions activities available that provide something new to do every day so that you don’t get bored.

It helps to pick a neighborhood that has an equal distance between the more populated areas and spots that are closer to nature. This means that you can enjoy the night life and parties commonly associated with cities on Friday nights with your friends and then go hiking or fishing with your family Saturday afternoon. Restaurants should also come in varieties so that you have something new to try.

Remember these factors so that you find the neighborhood that is right for you.

Contact Scott Sutherland Content Marketing To Get Your Personalized Content. [email protected]

07/01/2024

Common Loan Conditions

Loan Conditions are items the lender wants clarification on before issuing a full approval. In all my years in mortgage lending, I don’t recall a single loan that didn’t have loan conditions. Some conditions are more serious than others, however. The more serious ones are deemed ‘prior to doc’ which means the lender won’t draw closing papers until these items are cleared. There might be some additional income showing up on some bank statements that don’t match up with regular paycheck stubs. The lender wants to know where this money came from and make sure it’s not a loan that has to be paid back at some point.

Yet there are some common loan conditions that appear regularly and borrowers shouldn’t be alarmed at them. One common condition is to provide another paycheck stub, even though you already submitted your pay stubs when you first applied. Why ask for more stubs? Loan files need to have all credit documents be less than 30 days old. If the file is going on 30 days, another stub will be needed to keep the loan in compliance.

Another might be to answer an ‘AKA’ query. This happens when someone applied for credit in the past under another name. This can happen to men or women but it’s more common for women who of course go by their maiden name, get married, and take the husband’s last name.

Another compliance issue relates to bank statements. And just like paycheck stubs, the statements need to be less than 30 days old. It’s good practice to have an additional stub or statement at the ready if the file is going to be more than 30 days old. This frequently occurs for those seeking an initial pre-approval who then go shopping for a home. At some point, the file will need to be updated once a property has been found and a sales contract signed.

One more final word of advice- don't freak out when the lender comes back and asks for more stuff. In most cases, it’s nothing more than some clarification or keeping the loan within the 30-day compliance period. Sometimes borrowers can get nervous when the lender has some questions, but in almost every case, it’s minor.

It’s your loan officer that will guide you with what needs to be provided at application time. Do nothing more than provide the lender with what is being asked for and move on. Don’t sweat it.

Contact Scott Sutherland Content Marketing To Get Your Personalized Content. [email protected]

06/05/2024

One Story or Two Story? The Advantages and Disadvantages of Each



Do you dream of a rambling ranch home? Perhaps the two-story place you grew up in is serving as inspiration for your home search. There are some homebuyers who insist they want a one-story home and those who wouldn’t dream of buying something without stairs.



Are you open to either? Do you feel like the right home will “speak” to you regardless of the number of floors? Let’s take a look at some of the realities of living of both, with a few things you may not have thought of.



Cost-per-square-foot

A one-story home may seem more expensive if it’s priced against a larger two-story home, but you have to take the price-per-square-footage into account to see the value. They typically “cost less per square foot to build,” said Bensonwood. “That’s because the most expensive elements of home-building—excavation/foundation and rafters/roof installation—are being built on a smaller footprint. Plus, you’ll have less roof area to maintain.”



Containing the mess

Kids may be more likely to keep their mess contained to the second level, where guests won’t see it. When their rooms are on the main level, their stuff has a way of migrating into main living areas.



Stairs are dangerous

Yes, people do fall down the stairs. In fact, the National Safety Council ranks stairway falls “second only to motor vehicle accidents as a leading cause of accidental injury,” according to USClaims. Injuries can include bruises, sprains, and bone breaks, as well as more serious traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis.



If the potential for injury is of concern, especially with young children, there are precautions you can take to make stairs safer, including carpeting the surface and making sure the area is well-lit.



The health benefits

Stairs give you a built-in butt workout, but they’re actually good for the whole body. “Climbing stairs is a great form of cardio exercise,” said Truweight. “While climbing stairs, you work against gravity lifting your entire body. This activity strengthens your leg muscles making it a rather strenuous exercise.” It can also “improve your heart rate and health” as well as strengthen joints and muscles.



Let the fresh air in

If you have a one-story home, you likely keep the windows locked up tight, especially at night. But there’s a sense of security that comes from being upstairs. And, as a sales associate in Boston said, “A thief is unlikely to shimmy up your drain pipe just to check out your goods, and far less likely to shimmy down it with your flat-screen TV.”



You may be safer in an emergency

You should have an evacuation plan for everyone in the household to follow regardless of what type of home you live in. But, some buyers prefer to have a single-story because it can be easier to evacuate in an emergency.



“Unfortunately, natural disasters—and some manmade disasters such as fires—do happen,” said The Balance. “This can be a primary consideration depending on your location. You might have to think about the possibility of tornadoes in the Midwest, tidal flooding on the Eastern seaboard, or earthquakes in California. In any case, you'll want to be able to evacuate your home quickly and efficiently under the worst circumstances, maybe even while you're still half asleep. This tends to be easier in a one-story dwelling.”



Defined spaces

Bedrooms upstairs, gathering spaces downstairs. That's the way it should be, right? That’s what many families lean toward—hence the enduring popularity of these plans.



Mobility issues

Young families aren’t the only ones who prefer single-story homes. If you’re approaching retirement age, you may be thinking about whether or not it’s smart to buy a home with stairs. The truth is mobility issues may be many years away or they may never affect you at all. There are also ways you can adapt a two-story home, like adding a chairlift or elevator. Or, you can choose a single story for your forever home and forgo the hassle or expensive renovations.

Contact Scott Sutherland Content Marketing To Get Your Personalized Content. [email protected]