The Flood of 2010

My heart goes out to everyone who has experienced any kind of damaged received in last week's flood. Thank you to my past clients, friends, and family whom have come to me since last weeks flooding with questions regarding water in the basement, clean up, etc. For those who needed recommendations for contractors, carpet cleaning, etc. Now and in the future I will work hard to be your trusted real estate advisor.

According to Milwaukee city officials, this recent weather event -- approximately 8" of rain in a 3 hour period -- is the largest of its kind since we began keeping records. If your house has had no previous water problems, two local foundation experts agree that a wet basement as a result of record rainfall and flooding isn't considered a house problem, but a weather problem.




When it comes to keeping water out of a basement there are many things you can do that are not very expensive:
1. Test your sump pump regulary to ensure it's in good working order.
2. Double check the capacity of your sump pump. If you have a larger home, foundation base, then you many need a pump with a larger capacity.
3. Extend downspouts at least 8 ft (experts may suggest farther) away from the home.
4. Make sure the gutters are free and clear of debris.
5. Purchase and install a battery back up for your sump pump.
6. Ensure the grade pitches away from the house in all areas. If you have mulch or stones in your landscape you may want to pull back the mulch/stones to double check the soil's pitch. Just because the mulch/stones look to be graded away from the house that doesn't mean the soil underneath is doing the same.
7. Install plastic covers over basement window wells.
8. Make sure there are no gaps around the basement windows.
9. Spend a little more money and purchase a generator. I heard two ladies talking the other day that said they used their generator during the flood. They each had a smaller generator that supplied the refrigerator and sump pump. If you live in a more rural area you may wish to purchase a larger generator to also provide power to a well and/or septic system.

If your house has experienced water in the basement before, or never before but you have water during the next rain, then you may want to have your drain tile system checked. When flooding occurs, mud and silt may clog previously-functional drain tile.

And whenever water, especially sewage, invades finished living space, wet drywall and paneling should be removed.due to the risk of mold growth.

The city of Milwaukee has helpful tips on cleaning up after water and sewage intrustion: http://www.milwaukee.gov/FloodCleanup

Again, thank you for all of you whom have reached out this past week for real estate advice. Good luck to all in your clean up efforts and to those who did not experience any water, congratulations!

"New" Downtown Plan Unveiled To The Public

It's wonderful that the city of Milwaukee is trying to attract more people to the downtown area. Making it more friendly for walking, etc. However, city leaders also need to focus on attracting more businesses to fill in all of the vacant offices/buildings so there are things to continually attract folks downtown. The lakefront isn't as big as a draw during our many colder months. Let's bring in more businesses. That would mean more people traveling in and around the downtown area and thus more folks purchasing more of the beautiful condos that have been built and currently sit empty.

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Downtown plan unveiled to public
Jul 1, 2010 - The Business Journal

Tying together the neighborhoods in and around Milwaukee’s downtown is the theme for the downtown plan update presented to the public Wednesday at an open house at City Hall.

Projects such as creating more pedestrian space near the lakefront, extending Kilbourn Avenue to MacArthur Square, a downtown streetcar and sprucing up the area around the Intermodal Station should create a more pleasant and easily navigable downtown for walkers, drivers and users of public transit, city planners said at the event.

The plan is an update of the 1999 downtown plan, which included projects such as the Milwaukee Public Market, the river walk and the yet-to-be constructed streetcar system. The four themes for the new plan are creating a distinct downtown center, place-making in the downtown (making the downtown a destination), a connected downtown (improving transit options), and density and intensity (making the best use of all the space and buildings available), said Bob Harris with the Department of City Development.

To that end, the planners created eight catalytic projects. They are:


Broadway Connection: Connecting the Third Ward to downtown through Broadway Street, creating a smooth transition for pedestrians.
Wisconsin Avenue Strategy: Improving the retail mix and other uses on and around Wisconsin Avenue. This will be the subject of its own plan that city officials will start crafting later this year.
Station District: Improving the look of the neighborhood around the Intermodal Station, which planners Wednesday called drab.
Pere Marquette Square: Connecting Old World Third Street to Pere Marquette, in-filling the space around the park with attractive buildings and making the park a connector to the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts and Red Arrow Park.
Downtown Streetcar
Lakefront Gateway: Connecting the lakefront to downtown and making Michigan Avenue and Lincoln Memorial Drive more pedestrian-friendly.
Haymarket Square: Create more of a neighborhood feel in the neighborhood around Fourth and Vliet streets through a mixture of housing along with other uses.
MacArthur Square: Extending Kilbourn Avenue to the square and expanding Milwaukee Area Technical College into the square.

The plan will go through public hearings and be presented to the common council and the mayor later this summer.

Who owns the most American Flags?

As we spent the past weekend celebrating our Freedoms and our Country, I thought this was an intersting article. I'm VERY proud to be an American and from the Midwest!

By Doris Hajewski of the Journal Sentinel
June 29, 2010 |(7) Comments

People in the Northeast and Midwest are the most likely to own an American flag, according to a new Fourth of July consumer survey from the National Retail Federation.

The survey, from BIGresearch, shows little difference among regions of the country, with the residents of the Northeast, Midwest and South at 62.8%, 62.5% and 61% respectively owning flags. The West was lowest, with flag ownership at 57.2%.

People who live in the West also were the least likely to own patriotic T-shirts and hats, 36.8%, and decorations, 24.2%.

The survey showed little interest by consumers in shopping for patriotic items, with just 16.% planning a purchase, up slightly from last year's 14.1%.

But the weekend is shaping up to be a big one for sales of picnic food. About 62% of people who responded to the survey are planning to celebrate the holiday with a cookout on the weekend, and 43% expect to attend a community event.

10 Things People Buy They Should Get Free

10 Things People Buy They Should Get Free

Tax Extension Credit Approved by House and Senate - going for President's Signature

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- First-time homebuyers will have until Sept. 30 to close on their purchases and land an $8,000 tax credit under a bill passed by the Senate late Wednesday.

President Obama is expected to sign the bill, which was overwhelmingly approved by the House on Tuesday. The deadline had been June 30.

The bill doesn't help anyone currently shopping for a home. Buyers must have signed a contract by April 30 to qualify for the tax break. At issue is when the deal must be finalized.

Qualified existing homeowners also have until Sept. 30 to close on new homes and receive a tax credit of up to $6,500.

Congress has been trying to pass the extension for the last month, but it got caught up in Washington politics. Only when it was separated from a larger jobs bill did deficit-wary lawmakers sign off on it. The extension will lower the deficit by $9 million over a decade since it is offset by certain other provisions.

An estimated 200,000 people have missed out on the tax credit because they wouldn't have been able to close by the end of business Wednesday. Many are trying to take advantage of short sales, which are complicated deals to complete.

The Senate approved the stand-alone homebuyers tax credit shortly after a failed attempt to advance a bill that combined the credit with an unemployment benefits extension.

Staging is Critical

Selling a home in this market requires more than a "for sale" sign. Competition is fierce, and if you want to get the best offers and sell quickly, home staging is essential. Staging involves cleaning, decluttering and undecorating a home in ways that appeal to most buyers. It's crucial to "appeal to the masses."



A summary of the results of HomeGain's national survey, based on the ten areas of home improvement identified by real estate agents in HomeGain's survey. They are listed from the highest to lowest returns on investment. You will see that many of the items gaining the biggest return on investment deal with home staging and are quite economical.

The key to prepare a house for the market is to not confuse home staging with decorating. Decor is an expression of style. It's looking at the things that you like: momentos from trips, pictures, etc. Staging is setting up a house to look like a home, anyone's home, while giving a guest a welcoming and warm feeling. Staging is about selling your house.

There are many things an Accredited Staging Professional, such as myself, will assist with but before we enter a home, two of the biggest things that you can do are cleaning and de-cluttering.

Cleaning is not only picking things up off of the floor, the house should be 'Q-tip clean'. Over the years I have showed many wonderful properties that ended up sitting on the market far longer than they should have because they were not clean. It leaves a bad impression on a buyer. All the little nicks and dents, dust, stains, etc., add up in a buyers eye.

De-cluttering helps to show space. I constantly remind my sellers that we are selling floor space and wall space. That being said, all spaces count...that includes inside of closets, cabinets, the basement, garage, etc. Having all of your belongings in view creates a visual waste. Grab a bunch of boxes and pack away all of the items you will not immediately need. Look around where you are currently sitting, how many items do you see that you haven't touched in more than one week?! Those things can be packed away. I've found sellers are able to clear out at least 1/2 of their closets. One key to remember when decluttering every room is to keep all horizontal surfaces as clean and clear as possible...and keep the end goal in site, which is to move. By de-cluttering you are already preparing for moving day!

When it is time to stage, ASPs have a trained eye for how to prep each room in the house. ASPs know how to accent a room to show it off. Whether there is a budget or not, we can do a lot. I feel extremely fortunate to have gone through ASP training and have definitely seen the impact staging provides.

Is it really a good time to buy?!

I can only come up with one answer to this question: YES!

Interest rates are seeing record lows. This is true for not only a conventional 30 year mortgage, which is currently around 4.5%, but the rates for many other loans are at an all time low: 15 year conventional (4%), FHA 30 Year (4.5%), 5 year ARM (3.5%), 7 year ARM (3.75%).

Combine the low interest rates with the abundance of homes currently for sale and lower asking prices and you have a recipe for a fabulous time to buy!

First time home owners typically stay in their homes between 5 and 7 years. If that is your plan, then you may want to inquire about an ARM.

In speaking with many mortgage lenders recently, the FHA program is one of the best out there. FHA may take a lesser credit score than a conventional loan program.

If you are not a first time home buyer, it is still a great time to move up, invest, retire, gain your dream retirement home, etc.

Give me a call or email if you would like a lender referral for pre-approval or to refinance your existing mortgage!