Kathy Helbig, Author at Shakadoo

“Clark+Kensington Paint+Primer in One”

Ace Hardware recently contacted us at Shak asking us to give a review of their paint, Clark+Kensington™. It is a new premium line of paint+primer in one, available exclusively at Ace Hardware. As my 2 girls were clamoring for room makeovers for months I accepted the offer to try the paint and report the results.

This new line of paint eliminates the need to prime and paint surfaces separately for the vast majority of paint projects. Recently, this brand was rated #1 by Consumer Reports, It was cited as being, “impressive at hiding and leaving a smooth finish that resisted stains.” I liked how this paint has low VOC (volatile organic compounds) levels, which causes minimal odor and has environmentally safe ingredients.

[Read more…]

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Winning the Multiple Offer Game

by Kathy Helbig Leave a Comment

It amazes me that even experienced Realtors, that have been through the previous housing boom, still prove to be novices when it comes to the multiple offer game.

As our market is heating up, multiple offer situations are becoming more and more abundant. Are you (or your agent) really prepared to play the game to win? Don’t assume the seller will counter, if someone else came in higher than you, their offer may be accepted or worked first and your opportunity will be lost!

What to do…
1. Presenting your best offer.
First and foremost, come in with your best and highest price! Which should include an escalation clause as Kathy T. Mentioned in a previous post Automatic Increase in Offer. Also, be sure to present your loan preapproval letter with the offer. Make sure the letter matches or is better than the financing terms you’ve presented. Consider including a personal letter that may emotionally connect with your seller.

2. Minimize your contingencies.
*Do not include frivolous contingencies such as review of indentures when you already have inspection period built in to the contract, you can be doing your indenture research during this time and eliminate this contingency.
*Consider removing your financing contingency. This can be a risky move, but one that is sure to put you on top if the other terms are equal. Only when you are absolutely sure of your financial ability would you pull out this stop.

3. Ask questions.
Find out the sellers motivations, time frames and what’s important to them. For instance, giving the seller a closing date that’s important to him when you are flexible, might put you ahead.

4. Leave personal property off of the contract.
Check the sellers disclosure for any excluded items the seller may have identified, then write them in as exclusions! Don’t leave room for a seller to have to counter over a minimal item.

5. Be clear and concise
When constructing your offer, be sure your language leaves no room for interpretation. If a seller feels something is not clearly defined they will feel the need to counter to make the correction. When a seller has multiple offers in hand, he may not want to take the risk of losing the other interest while he’s clarifying contractually with you. And on the flip side, every time you engage a counter, the opportunity exists for another buyer to steal the deal in the ninth inning.

Good luck and happy home buying!

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Some Days We Just Need A Little Humor To Get Us Through

by Kathy Helbig Leave a Comment

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Some Days We Just Need A Little Humor To Get Us Through!

by Kathy Helbig Leave a Comment

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Playing Dress Up

by Kathy Helbig 6 Comments

Halloween is one of my all time favorite holidays of the year! But this year celebrating it comes sooooo easy for me. My friends and I usually sweep the costume contests every year. We spend a few weeks piecing together our group costumes from scratch…no mass produced, costumes in a box for us, no sir!

In years past we took first place as, The Munsters, The Scooby Doo Gang, Gilligan’s Island Castaways, Fat Albert Kids and Willy Wonka and the Oompa loompas.

But this year, I didn’t have it in me… it’s been a crazy, stressful year and the thought of going through all of the rigmarole just didn’t do it for me like it usually does.

But then it dawned on me; this would be my easiest year yet. When would I have an opportunity like this again?????

So here it is ladies and gentlemen…..without further adieu, here is my first place prize winning costume for Halloween 2008 as well as first place in group category. And all it took was a pair of glasses and a red suit!

Watch out Tina Fey! If Governor Palin is elected (no political opinions, please) I just may have a NEW career for 4 more years!

Happy Halloween!

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When Is It A Good Time To Buy In A Buyer’s Market?

by Kathy Helbig Leave a Comment

CNN reported recently that not only have home sales (without accounting for
seasonal adjustment) dropped to a low not seen since 1994, but also that the
number of existing (as opposed to new) homes for sale has risen to a record high.
Pundits and analysts have been speculating for a year about whether or not 2008
is the time to buy a home, and even with mortgage companies rolling back their
guidelines to textbook numbers not witnessed since the late 1980’s, the buzz is
that we’re in a buyer’s market.

It’s true that rapidly rising home prices have been keeping first-time
buyers out of the housing market, and it’s also true that we’re at a point
in most areas where home values are sliding ever downward and interest rates are remaining
fairly low, but does that mean it’s time to buy?

In a word…YES.

But you may have to prepare to actually have a down payment these days to buy a home. Many of the conventional loans available are requiring at least 20% to put down, plus an additional two or
three percent to cover closing costs, have stable employment, and have the
documentable income to support guidelines that restrict the ratio of your house
payment to your total debt to 28%. There are FHA options available to first time home buyers, however the days of having the seller contribute to pay the buyer’s closing costs are recently gone.

If you are among the population who is financially able to buy at this time,
here are some tips to keep you
from getting in over your head:

Figure
out what you can afford: There are many online calculators that can
help you determine what payment you can afford, but your best bet is to meet
with a loan officer before you ever look at property. Even in a buyer’s market,
having a pre-approved loan makes you a better risk. In addition to being able
to afford the mortgage payment, remember to include taxes, insurance, your
regular recurring debt, and one-time expenses such as moving vans, when
determining what you can spend.

Do
your homework: Use the Internet to research house prices and
locations, but also to check out school districts, crime statistics, and any
public projects (upcoming or already in process) like new shopping centers or
freeways which might change the value of the house you want to buy. According
to an economist at Massachusetts-based Global Insight, up to 90% of housing
prices are explained by events in the local economy, including neighborhood
conditions and growth.

Shop smart: First, home sales are usually a matter
of public record, so you can find out what homes in your preferred neighborhood
were selling for about four years ago. Look
beyond mere comps, and research what it would cost to buy land and build a home
similar to the house you’re considering. Then compare the mortgage payment,
taxes, and homeowners insurance,
with the cost of renting a similar house in a similar neighborhood. If you can
rent a home for the same or less money, the seller may be asking too much.

Negotiate:
Or rather, have your Realtor negotiate on your behalf. Sellers of vacant
properties, especially, are usually eager to complete a transaction, which
gives you, as a buyer more leverage.

Buy for
the long term: In current market conditions, if you plan to stay in a home for five to seven years, you should feel confident in moving forward as a buyer. Remember that statistically, most
first-time buyers do not stay in their first homes, so think about re-sale when you buy, even if you think you will stay forever.

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Games, Prizes And David Beckham!

by Kathy Helbig Leave a Comment

What more could you ask for? Ok, let me explain…a
while back I was contacted by a representative of the David Beckham Academy to
do a review of a new hand held interactive game called MatchMaster, which is
associated with Beckham’s Academy. This hand held soccer game
tests player’s ability to develop their performance by managing a daily
schedule and teaching children how training, eating right and rest leads to
better health and athletic performance.

I agreed to have my 10 year old, soccer playing daughter
and her best friend check it out.

More about their review in a minute…

First, I want to point out that in conjunction to the
kick off of this product that was released on June 1st exclusively at Wal-Mart
nationwide, MatchMaster is holding a sweepstakes that ends on September 1,
2008. The sweepstakes has prizes totaling over $150,000! Two Grand Prizes are 1)the
London Experience where you and up to four friends could win a chance to attend
a David Beckham Academy soccer course in England, round-trip airfare and hotel
included! Or 2)the Los Angeles Experience where you and your team could win a
chance to attend a three day soccer course at David Beckham Academy in LA,
round-trip airfare and hotel included! So register to win and let us know here
at Shakadoo if you are one of the chosen!

Back to the review…While heading out for a road trip,
the girls chose to accept my mission and review the game. They were both handed
their own to get familiar with. Since it was much like a toy called the
Tamagotchi that they have had dozens of in the past, it wasn’t long before they had the
basics down and became hooked.

Players must select their “Daily Routine Planner” during
select time frames, which includes choosing meals, training and sleep to
cultivate a stronger virtual player. These key elements encourage children to
maintain a healthy “Lifeline”, which can be directly related to their daily
lives, but in a fun and interactive way. The better coached player will perform
at a higher level during the seven interactive training games allowing them to
accumulate more points. Once the player masters the training games they can
test their skills against another player using one of the four Infra Red
challenges.

"It was awesome that we could play together!
That was the best part." Kaila

The game is designed for children 8 and up and is available
in royal blue and light blue for $19.96. Currently in soccer and hockey themes,
with more sports being considered in the future.

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Back To School With Gymboree Giveaway- Winner

by Kathy Helbig 1 Comment

Here it is Shak-ers….today is the day to announce the TWO winners of a $250.00 gift certificate from our Back To School Giveaway with Gymboree.

We had a vast amount of entrants, even though some of you registered on last years post-but no worries, we still counted you in on the contest. But unfortunately, only two could be our winners.

So without further delay….drum roll please…….and the Winners are……

Chrysa of Thriftyjimxy.blogspot.com

AND

Brandi (with an i)

Congratulations ladies and a special thanks to Gymboree for sponsoring this fantastic giveaway!

Check back for more promotions coming soon, and tell all your friends to stop in.

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Back To School Giveaway With Gymboree!

by Kathy Helbig 52 Comments

I don’t know about you, but back to school time is bitter-sweet here at our house. My oldest son (13) is absolutely dreading it, my social butterfly 10 year old daughter can’t wait, and my 3 year old baby girl is both excited and a little nervous to start pre-school 2 days a week for the first time.

Personally, I love my kids being home and I don’t look forward to getting back to the daily grind, not to mention the homework! But the silver lining is always the back to school shopping that is so much fun. My kids love it and secretly, so do I!

Kids get so excited to shop for their school supplies, possibly a new backpack and of course the ever popular, back to school clothes. The bloggers here at Loveshakbaby know how crazy it is for families to keep up with the demands of growing children so we have partnered with Gymboree to bring you a fabulous way to get your kids ready in time for back to school.

Gymboree is offering two of our readers each a $250 Gift Card to be used at the Gymboree store or Gymboree online. Our contest will run from July 27th through August 17th, 2008 and just like our other giveaways we are going to randomly choose two winners from the comment section of this post!

From now until midnight, August 17th, 2008 here’s what you will need to do in order to be entered to win:

*Leave
a comment on this post telling us what your child’s favorite thing is
about going back to school. There will be other posts that refer to the
Back To School Giveaway With Gymboree but only comments left on this
post will count as an entry. Please enter only once.
*Link back to this post using the "Back To School Giveaway With Gymboree" banner in a post on your blog or website.
*If
you do not have a blog, leave your e-mail address and tell your
friends. Your e-mail address will automatically register you for the
Gymboree Newsletter.
*All comments must be entered by midnight, August 17th.

The two winners names will be posted at LoveShakBaby on August 18th. They will be notified by e-mail and in a "winner’s post".

Attention entrants, many of our readers have registered on last years post for the Back To School Giveaway with Gymboree in error.

If you already registered for this giveaway previously, do not register again as we will incorporate everyone who registered on either post into the random drawing at the end of the promotion. Thank you!

(This is a "sticky" post and will remain at the top of the page
for the duration of our Freedom Giveaway but new posts will be written
daily and published underneath this post).

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Public Perception Of The Real Estate Business

by Kathy Helbig 5 Comments

Ok, today I was told a situation that happened over the weekend that tripped my "rant" trigger. Realtors deal with a nasty public perception of our profession pretty much on a daily basis (we’ll discuss some more of these in later posts). But this little act that happened over the weekend exemplifies how disrespected we are by some of the public.

A competing Realtor placed a call to one of my agents this morning asking about the placement of some of our directional arrows that led to a home that we had recently placed on the market for sale. She said that she had placed some arrows for her listing as well and had noticed ours out previously. When she went back yesterday, she noticed that all of the arrows were mysteriously gone.

My agent interjected, "Oh, I’m sure the city must have grabbed them". "Not hardly", the other agent replied. "I know exactly what happened". It seems that our signs were hijacked so that a lady in the neighborhood could use them to help her find her lost dog! Now we are all dog lovers here, but she literally stole our signs, cut them up to fit her needs and taped lost dog signs on top of them and placed them all over the area. The agent knows this because a) she found the destroyed signs; and b) because she found the lady who destroyed them.

When she was driving around, she ran across the lady. She decided to question her on the missing and misused arrows. The lady readily admitted that she had taken them because, as she said her in words, "so what, I figured your company has tons of them that they give you, so whats the difference?". Unbelievable! The agent took a breath and decided to give her a piece of her mind.

She explained to the lady, that although she too is a dog lover and wished her best on finding her pooch, that these signs are not provided to her free from the broker. They are purchased by each individual Realtor when they are customized. Did she not notice the custom house shape? Didn’t she notice that they had the agents name and phone number printed on them? These signs cost on average about $15.00 a piece. She went on to mention that it has been a hard year as it is in our industry and money is tight for many Realtors as it is. But, no remorse, no apology, nothing but smugness from a thief.

I know most people who are not selling a home hate directional arrows (privately, I do too). But, when the time comes for people to sell THEIR homes, they sure change their tune. I have NEVER had a seller request that we do not use directional arrows to point the public to their home. NOT ONCE in 12 years. But boy, do I get phone call after phone call from the people who are not currently selling a home requesting that they be removed. Funny how their opinion changes when they put the For Sale sign in their yard.

Private property is private property even when it is placed on public property. I don’t care if the signs are owned by the broker or the agent. The fact is this is vandalism and theft, period. This mentality is why there are so many people in our Country that think it is ok to take home office supplies from their place of employment to supply their kids all year long. Or, to fudge their hours on time sheets because they deserve it. It’s the act of ENTITLEMENT. That feeling inside you that says, he or she has more than me and I work hard too so I deserve it even if theoretically, it’s wrong. Stop the madness people! Be honorable! Treat others as you would have them treat you!

So I ask you to consider this; the next time you see a directional arrow or open house sign think about how you would feel if someone came to your home and stole something out of your landscaping or yard because they needed it, or because they were tired of looking at it? You would be appalled, just as we are, as you can tell by this post.

Even though I hate to receive those calls by neighbors asking us to remove a sign, I respect the fact that they gave us notice to retrieve the signs rather than disposing of our private property. That’s called R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and it’s sure nice to have every once in a while.

End Rant.

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