Category: Home Buying/Selling

Moving into a new home can be a very exciting time for you and your family. But the job’s not done until the old house is empty and clean, and the new house is set up and ready to go. Cleaning the old house doesn’t have to be a dreaded task, though.

This moving cleaning list will help you get your old house in tip-top shape—so you can look back, smile, and move on without regrets. For the most thorough clean, move down this list in order.

Bedrooms

• Remove any trash and cobwebs.
• Clean windows, blinds, and mirrors.
• Dust light fixtures, closets, baseboards, windowsills, and shelves.
• Spot clean walls, doors, trim, and shelves.
• Vacuum or steam clean floors. Dust ceiling fan and fixtures.
• Remove any nails, and repair holes with spackle.

Laundry Room

• Remove any trash and cobwebs.
• Clean sink, windows, and exterior of washer and dryer.
• Use vacuum or extendable duster to remove lint from vents.
• Dust baseboards, windowsills, and shelves.
• Spot clean walls, doors, trim, and shelves.
• Vacuum or steam clean floor.
• If dryer is removed, block off vent to keep bugs/animals out.

Living Room

• Remove any trash and cobwebs.
• Clean windows and blinds.
• Dust light fixtures, stair rails, baseboards, and windowsills.
• Vacuum or steam clean floor.
• Remove any nails, and repair holes with spackle.
• Dust ceiling fan and fixtures.
• Clean light switches and outlets.

Kitchen and Dining Room

• Dust baseboards, windowsills, shelves, and behind appliances.
• Deep clean the sink (including hardware) and appliances.
• Clean and disinfect countertops and floors.
• Quick clean cabinets and drawers.
• Wipe down pantry shelves and floor.
• Spot clean walls, doors, trim, and shelves.
• Clean light switches and outlets.

Anyone can be a victim of homeowner identity fraud, including wire, mortgage, and title insurance fraud. The financial implications can be damaging and long-lasting.

Use these tips to protect yourself from being scammed and defrauded.

Wire fraud

Wire fraud usually happens during the closing phase of a home purchase. Homebuyers are typically busy with their last-minute to-do lists and unwittingly become victims to wire fraud activity.

Phishing and spoofing
The scammers scour the internet for pending real estate listings and collect as much personal data as possible about the real estate agent and seller. They pose as someone involved in the transaction by setting up a valid email address that looks similar to the real one making it easy to miss—it may contain a dot or an extra letter that is not immediately noticed. Consequently, buyers may divulge their personal and financial information. You can take preventive measures at the onset by obtaining the contact information of all parties involved in the transaction. Reference this information later to sidestep this type of identity fraud.

Database hacking
Cybercriminals are adept at capturing and identifying current real estate transactions and information about buyers and sellers. They hack into online programs used by real estate agents, title companies, and mortgage lenders, opening the door for them to track closings. Once the hackers have all the information they need, it makes it easier for them to masquerade as the real estate agent, title company, or lender, swooping in on unsuspecting homebuyers.

Wiring instructions changes
Do not reply to emails trying to confirm your wiring instructions, even if they appear to be coming from the agent, lender, or title company. You may not realize that the email is fraudulent, so be sure to verbally confirm the wiring instructions with your title company and be suspicious of calls from an unknown person who claims to be part of the transaction.

Mortgage fraud

Mortgage fraud can come in many forms, but homebuyers must pay particular attention to predatory lending practices, hacking schemes, mortgage reduction scams, or promises of foreclosure rescue.

Home refinancing
Various database systems make it easy to see who is behind on mortgage payments or who is in pre-foreclosure—this can be a goldmine for hackers who prey on distressed homeowners. These scammers will send letters, emails, or even call or text to offer their services to provide relief by refinancing your loan with low-interest rates. Their intent is to obtain your personal information, including your name, address, date of birth, and social security number, which may be used for their own purposes or to sell to another entity for profit.

Forced refinancing
This scam is an attempt to steal your personal information and pose as the lender by sending you a letter that appears to be legitimate since it includes your mortgage loan number and amount. It instructs you to call a certain number because your loan must be refinanced. They may even ask you to fill out a form or wire money to start the process.

Predatory Lending
Be wary of lenders who will not divulge their lending fees to you, try to sell you unnecessary products that are added to your mortgage payment (called loan packing), or who offers to set up an automatic payment plan for you which can result in them forcing payments from your account, leaving you with overdraft fees.

Home title fraud

Home title fraud occurs when the ownership of your home is fraudulently transferred out of your name and the scammer replaces their name on the deed. They use this updated deed to defraud lenders by using your home as collateral or selling your home without your knowledge. Although not overly common, occurrences have increased over the past five years as personal information continues to be more accessible online.

Primary targets for home title fraud include owners of vacation homes and investment properties that are not regularly monitored (have someone regularly check your unoccupied home), and the elderly. It should be noted that because these signatures are fraudulent, your property cannot legally be stolen.

Preventing homeowner identity fraud

Securing your identity is the first step to protecting yourself from wire, mortgage, and home title fraud. You should also secure your digital devices by installing firewalls and antivirus software.

Set up two-factor authentication (2FA) 
Setting up a 2FA verifies that you are the person accessing an account. Leaving this dual-factor authentication on adds a layer of security to prevent hackers from stealing your information.

Create strong passwords
Although 2FA will supersede any attempt for scammers to use your passwords, it’s still a good idea to create strong passwords for that extra tier of protection. Be sure your passwords are not tied to your personal information, that they’re longer in length, have a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, include numbers and symbols, and don’t use complete words.

Monitor your mortgage status
Do not ignore any communication that appears to be coming from your mortgage company. Sporadically check that your mortgage information has not changed, and if something doesn’t seem right, investigate it.

Subscribe to a monthly credit monitoring service
Credit bureaus including Experian, Transunion, and Equifax, will alert you of any new activity on your account. If something appears suspicious, you can contact them immediately.

Be wary of unknown email addresses
Phishing and spoofing scams obtain your personal information by luring you in with fraudulent tactics via texting, phone calls, emails, and harmful links. Scrutinize email addresses and do not download unknown links and attachments. Never give out your personal information when contacted by unfamiliar people or businesses.

Be mindful of your social media shares
You can unwittingly provide scammers with personal information on your social media pages, such as your birthdate, family member names, or even the schools you have attended. This leaves an open door for them to guess passwords and even usernames.

5 Takeaways for preventing home identity fraud:

1. If you discover you have been a victim of fraud, you must act quickly by immediately contacting your bank, lender, or title company to freeze the transaction.
2. Protect your personal information—install software to protect your digital devices and make sure you don’t tie your information to your passwords.
3. Never open links or attachments or provide personal information to unrecognizable or questionable
4. Before wiring money, call your bank or title company for verbal confirmation.
5. Be wary of refinancing scams—if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Before Covid-19, open houses seemed to be a Sunday staple activity for would-be homebuyers. However, as the pandemic put a halt to almost all in-person activities, the number of open houses dwindled—sellers didn’t want strangers in their homes and buyers didn’t want to be in the company of too many people.

Whether you’re preparing to sell your home or just looking to lower your carbon footprint, you may be surprised to know these green updates have a low up-front cost and can increase your return on investment.

Install low-emissivity storm windows. 

Low-emissivity storm windows reflect light into the home, helping you save on heating costs. Make sure to choose the right fit for your home, as the types vary greatly depending on the materials and coatings. The US Department of Energy reports that storm windows could be as effective at lowering energy costs as installing new ones.

Install a programmable thermostat. 

You could save as much as $180 a year by choosing a thermostat that can automatically adjust the temperature when you are not at home. Doing so could save about 15 percent on your heating bill annually. Some thermostats also have other energy-saving features, like filter-change reminders. Just make sure you choose a system that is easy to use.

Install ceiling fans. 

Installation cost varies based on existing electrical work. A single fan on high speed generally uses about 50 to 100 watts of power, resulting in about 800 kilowatts per year for a home with four ceiling fans—far less than a central air conditioning system. While fans are not able to actually cool the air, they can relieve you of feeling hot, and using them instead of A/C will save you a large amount of energy. Just make sure to switch them off when you leave the room!

Seal any cracks around the door and window frames with caulk. 

This is a no-brainer. Eliminating cracks will take only a few hours and could pay you dividends. About 30 percent of a home’s energy loss happens at an entryway. If you’re looking to go green, this is an easy way to do so.

Plant trees. 

This tip is perfect for the environment. If you want to save on energy costs, particularly in the summer, plant trees on the east, west, and northwest sides of your home. This will prevent the sun from coming through your windows and make your A/C work harder. Plant a tree to shade your central air unit, and you may save up to 35 percent on your home’s cooling costs.

Lower the temperature of your water heater to 120°F. 

An average of 15 to 25 percent of a home’s annual heating costs are related to heating the home’s water. This adjustment will take little time, and you will hardly notice a difference—until you look at the heating bill! When implemented, you’ll save up to $400 a year.

Selling your home can stir up a range of emotions you may not have expected. While you may feel excited about the opportunity to move into a new house, you may also experience feelings of sadness or loss as you prepare to sell your home. Use these tips to help overcome the wide range of emotions you may experience.

Confirm you’re ready

Whether you’re downsizing your space after retiring or upsizing to accommodate a growing family, you need to make sure you’re ready for the home-selling process. Remind yourself why you’re selling your home—you can even create a list of reasons to serve as motivation and reassurance. If you’re having trouble preparing your home to sell, remember it is the people and not the place that makes the memories so special. It is crucial that you only begin the listing process once you’re ready. Otherwise, you may be looking for reasons not to accept potential offers.

Start staging early

You’ve created countless memories in your home, and these experiences can come rushing back as you begin to declutter and make changes to it. One of the first steps of the staging process is depersonalizing your homes, such as removing photographs or memorabilia, so buyers can imagine themselves living in the house. You may also need to change some of the personalized features you love, like painting the walls of a room a neutral color. Not seeing the smiling faces of loved ones throughout your home or the appearance of a room you’ve grown accustomed to may take some time to get used to. However, you may feel a bit of relief by detaching yourself from the house. By starting the staging process early, you give yourself time to work through any emotions you’ll experience.

Concentrate on the future

An excellent way to overcome any feelings you may experience when selling your home is to focus on the future instead of the past. If you’re going to be house hunting, get excited about the homes you get to consider. If you have already bought a new home, start planning projects you’d like to tackle or how you’d like to decorate your new space.

Set a realistic sale price

While the memories you have made in your home are priceless, homebuyers are looking to pay strictly for the property. There can be a significant difference between your sentimental value and the fair market value. Avoid insisting on a steep price for your home, and work with your agent to decide on a reasonable price based on the current market.

Leave for showings and open houses

You should plan to leave your home during showings to avoid making buyers feel uneasy or pressured. However, sticking around in an emotional state could be even worse. Potential homebuyers may have less than flattering comments about aspects of your home, and it can be hard to hear. While it isn’t a personal insult, it can feel that way. These comments can be helpful, as any feedback your agent receives can help you address areas of your home that may need to be updated. Plan to go for a drive, visit friends or family, or hold a family bonding activity while potential buyers are inside your home.

Don’t take negotiations personally

Once you find an interested buyer, they may come back with repairs or concerns they want to be addressed before closing. There’s no reason to take offense, as this is part of the negotiation process. Remain calm, and work with your agent to find a middle ground where you and the buyer are happy. Remember that your goal is to sell your home, and most home sales have negotiations.

Selling a home is an emotional experience. However, by remembering one chapter ending is another beginning, you can remain excited and hopeful about what lies ahead.

Contact Woodside-Aiken Realty today for help connecting with an Aiken, SC real estate agency. We are proud to assist current and future Aiken, South Carolina, and Woodside Plantation residents.