One of my favorite things is being able to see so many different types of homes and measure their ‘liveability’. Every home is lived in a different way. You’ve all wished a light switch was in a different spot, or your bedroom were a tad bigger. “That closet door should really be on the other side of the room,” I find myself thinking quite often.

Many times when I’m out looking at homes, my clients forget how these simple nuances can make you fall in love with a home or cause constant annoyance. So, the next time you’re out looking for a home to buy or rent-or if you’re at a friend’s house and want to play spy-check these things off your ‘liveability’ list.

1. Light Switches. Check to see if the light switches are in convenient locations. Do you have to walk halfway into a dark house to find the closest switch? Is the garbage disposal switch in the garage (ok, that’s extreme)?
2. Room Dimensions. One thing buyers always forget is that their bed is bigger than they think, and so is their new room. Measure your bed-post to post-before going out looking and bring a tape measure.
3. Doorways. Can you get that couch downstairs? If your answer is, “There’s only one way to find out,” you might want to reconsider first. Measure doorway widths and heights.
4. Appliances & Utility Devices. Is the fridge in a good spot? Can you open the door all the way? What about the heating & air, is the air intake in the living room or way down the hall, where it’s quiet?
5. Sunlight. How does the sun move through the house during the day? Does it glow enough in each room? Can you grow plants and elevate moods?
6. Non-Moveable Objects. Some people like having their living room arranged one way, for always. I am not one of those people. If you aren’t as well, check the room for possible combinations by noticing where doors and windows are located. These are notorious “perfect arrangement” killers.

Nice newsletter. Good article. Good information. Thank you. Carol

For conventional financing, borrowers with scores at 740 or anywhere above generally receive the same loan pricing (rate and cost). That being said, the better your credit the higher your chances of receiving loan approval with high debt to income (up to 50%) or high loan to value (up to 95%) which can be a major benefit when applying for a new loan. For Jumbo financing, borrowers with credit scores above 800 are generally rewarded with both better pricing and easier guidelines. There are no situations where better credit is a negative when obtaining new financing so we should all continue to strive to reach and then stay in the 800’s.

What are the advantages of a score over 800

Thank you Mike for this information. As a residential realtor the information that you provide is crucial to a successful transaction for my clients. You are indeed a pleasure to recommend to all of my clients. You are so professional, thorough, conscientious and pleasant to work with. !!

Hi Dane! Wanted to make sure I'm clear on this. Am I right in saying that on whichever remodel is done you still take a loss rather than an increase in value - the ROI will never exceed 100% of cost?