After several long months of cold wind, snow, and rain, your home may need a little TLC. For this reason, spring is an ideal time of year to catch up on your maintenance tasks — some of which are especially important if you are planning to list your home in the near future. And when you’re ready to hit the housing market, make sure you connect with the real estate professionals at Yellow Rose Realty. They can help you with everything from preparing to sell to negotiating and closing on your new home. Call 210-664-3500 to get started. 

But first, use this checklist to help you stay organized and get your house ready for the warm months ahead. 

Check Your Toolbox

Before you start tackling any repair, maintenance, or renovation projects you have planned, check that your toolbox is in order. Replace any tools that are old or ineffective, top up on things like screws and nails, and make sure your essentials are up to scratch. This doesn’t have to involve spending loads of money: a high-quality utility knife, for example, can cost under $10.  

It’s also a good idea to brush up on your DIY safety basics. This guide by Dunn Lumber contains great advice, from using the right tools for the job to knowing when to call in an expert. 

Clear the Gutters

Autumn and spring are the most important times to clear the gutters, because this is when leaves, blooms, pollen, and other plant matter are most likely to cause blockages. All you need is a ladder and a bucket, but make sure the ladder is safe and securely positioned (not against the gutter itself).  

Service Your HVAC

Regular maintenance can keep your HVAC system running efficiently for much longer. Work your way through this HVAC maintenance checklist, which includes advice on what to do immediately, monthly, and annually. Perhaps the most important thing is to make sure you have a reliable filter and that you change it regularly. 

Check on Your Trees

Winter may have not been kind to the trees in your yard. Prepare them for spring by pruning them (this is actually the best time for it), inspecting them for ice and snow damage, and removing any dead or weak branches. If you think the whole tree needs to be removed, get the opinion of an arborist and don’t attempt to do this yourself. 

Give Your Lawn Some Love

If you’re the kind of person who loves a nice lawn, you may be disheartened by the effects of a harsh winter on your beloved yard. Luckily, Essential Home and Garden notes there are many things you can do to revive your lawn. Clean and weed the yard, aerate the soil, rake away dead grass, and revive dead patches by either installing sod or planting new seeds.  

Check the Roof

The combination of winter damage and heavy spring rains can be deadly for your roof, so a thorough inspection is in order. If you are DIY-savvy and familiar with the different parts of your roof, you can use this checklist to make sure everything is in order. Otherwise, it is highly recommended that you hire a team of experts given the hazardous nature of roofing work. 

Declutter

It’s not all about the outside of your house. Spring is the time to clear up what’s inside and do a proper decluttering. You don’t have to go full minimalist, but you may be surprised at how liberating and positive it can feel to get rid of a lot of the stuff that’s crowding your house. Feel free to take it slow — for example, many methods involve doing a little bit every day for 30 days.

The best thing about most of these tasks is that they can be done in a matter of hours (or even less). Spring maintenance can feel like a huge chore, but once you break it down into smaller jobs, it can all be achieved in a few weekends. Besides, it’s a great opportunity to start flexing those DIY muscles in anticipation for the coming season.  

Moving to Start a Business? Get All the Help You Need Here

Location, location, location. It's everything when buying a house, and it's just as important when starting a business. Location influences a company’s market, costs, and scalability. In other words, where you live has a big impact on your ability to make a living as a small business owner. That's one reason so many people are moving to Texas. With its booming economy and business-friendly climate, the Lone Star State is the ideal destination for entrepreneurs.

However, starting a business in a new town is intimidating, to say the least. On top of buying a home and moving, you have to get everything in place for your startup. Pulling it off won't be easy, but Yellow Rose Realty is here to help.

House hunting and your home-based business

Many entrepreneurs today start at home. Home-based businesses are affordable and agile, great for a bootstrapping startup. However, buying a house is complicated on its own, let alone when you need it to pull double-duty.

What to look for in a live-work property

The best live-work homes are properties with accessory dwelling units or finished outbuildings. A detached building lends privacy and professionalism to home businesses. You can also buy a home with space to build an ADU. First, perform due diligence to ensure zoning and building codes permit the addition.

When a home office is located within the home, opt for a location away from the main activity hub. A private entrance and half bathroom take home offices up a notch.

Pre-owned vs. new construction

Home offices are in high demand right now. Rather than compete in the competitive housing market, consider new construction. New construction gives buyers the ability to customize and many builders offer enticing incentives. Buying new construction is a bit different from purchasing a pre-owned home, but Yellow Rose Realty can guide you through the process.

5 services to help with your big move

Speaking of help: You're going to need it if you want to hit the ground running after your move. Here are five services that take a bite out of moving and starting a business.

A local real estate agent

Websites like Zillow and Trulia have made it easier than ever to shop for homes. However, they can't tell buyers what they really need to know when moving to a new city. For inside information on the best neighborhoods, connections to quality service providers, and up-to-date market data, you need a local real estate team like Yellow Rose Realty.

Professional movers

Start your relocation off on the right foot by letting professional movers handle the heavy lifting. Whether you pack yourself or opt for a full-service move, outsourcing your move saves a ton of time. Just be sure to hire reputable movers lest your move becomes more stressful. Ask for references, avoid companies with a recent name switch, and get everything in writing.

Business formation services

While movers are busy packing up your old life, focus on starting your new one. After picking a name, a business formation service can file the paperwork required to legally form your business. Many small business owners choose an LLC because it offers liability protection without all the complicated tax and filing requirements of corporations.

Freelance marketplaces

Paperwork is just the first step. You need to establish a web presence, design a logo, and craft a marketing plan before launching a business. Marketplaces like Upwork, 99 Designs, and Freelancer.com make it easy to hire freelancers for your startup.

On-demand handymen

Buying a new house always comes with a long list of small jobs. From assembling home office furniture to changing the locks, you can hire a handyman for anything you need on the gig economy. Apps like TaskRabbit, Handy, Thumbtack, and Porch connect homeowners to on-demand home services in their area.

There's a lot to do when buying a house and starting a business. So why do it alone? From real estate experts to Jacks of all trades, there are people just waiting to help with your big move. Contact Yellow Rose Realty today and start searching for your new live-work home.

Creating the Ultimate Home Theater in Your San Antonio Home

Not too long ago you had to be somewhat wealthy to have a home theater room in your home. Projectors, screens, and components used to cost an arm and a leg. But just like a lot of things, as innovations occurred, prices began to drop. Now just about anyone can enjoy watching sporting events and movies from the comfort of their own homes.

And that’s a good thing in these troubling COVID-19 pandemic times. Most movie theaters have been shut down since March. They are just now beginning to reopen at very limited capacities. Sporting events are being held in empty stadiums, if they are being held at all. And besides, just how safe do you think it may be to mingle in a crowd of people today? Home theaters make maintaining social distancing a lot easier.

So the answer is to turn that family room or bonus space into your own personal home cinema. Here is what it is going to take.

A High-Quality Projector

A laser projector is now an affordable state-of-the-art necessity. They are easy to set up, have a greater picture quality then the older technology lamp-based projectors, and can be used in rooms that are less that completely dark. The important features that your choice of laser projector should have include:

• 4K UHD (Ultra-High Definition) resolution
• High brightness, measured in lumens, of at least 2500-3000 lumens
• A contrast ratio of a minimum 50,000:1
• Throw ratio – how far away from the screen can the projector be placed to obtain the image size that you desire (room dimensions need to be considered)
• Zoom lens capability

A Viewing Screen

Yes, you could just use a white wall, but if you are making an effort to create a true home theater, a quality screen is required. There are several types of screens on the market, so you need to explore all of the different options.

• Permanent
• Portable
• Manual pull down
• Electric

Seating

Comfortable chairs to accommodate the crowd has to be part of the plan. The seating doesn’t have to be theater seats, but recliners with footrests are recommended. After all, even a short movie is more than 1 ½ hours long.

Components

Make sure you have a good sound system with surround and rear speakers, a subwoofer, and ceiling-mounted height speakers. You should also have a 4K blue-ray player, computer, or some other device that provides streaming services, like an Amazon Firestick.

Space

You need a room to put everything in. Although an extra bedroom will do, a larger room to fit the chairs and theater equipment would be more reasonable. Remember the number of viewers you want to have and the need for comfortable seating with adequate viewing angles. Your seating should not be in one line from side to side. Seating needs to be arranged in rows, one set of seats behind another, and maybe a row or two behind those.

Conclusion

The entire home theater concept should cost somewhere in the $4,000 to $6,000 range, depending upon how fancy you choose to make it. Dimming lighting features, motorized window blinds, and a conveniently nearby snack bar could add to that overall cost.

If you are in the market for a new home, make sure that your realtor understands that you need room for a home theater. Realtors are hearing this requirement from buyers more and more often these days and will have no trouble finding you prospective homes with room for a home theater.

The decision to buy a preowned home as opposed to new construction is sort of like the decision between buying a used car or a new car.  Preowned homes will most always cost less than new construction, plus you may get the upgrades the prior owners paid for (that would cost even more in a new construction home).  What you don't get is the "new-home smell" and "bumper-to-bumper" warranty a new home comes with.  New homes cost more due to the prices of building materials, land, construction labor and permitting always going up.  Plus, new home communities tend to be farther away from downtown areas, shopping, restaurants and entertainment.

While the home itself may cost more, new home builders (even in a seller's market) may offer incentives such as lower interest rates and greatly reduced (or zero) closing costs if you use their preferred lenders and title companies.  Here at Yellow Rose Realty San Antonio, TX, we have experience guiding our buyers through the new construction home buying process.  

Stay tuned for more information on purchasing new construction homes!

The beginning of the second quarter this year saw a deep dive in housing activity followed by a huge increase in activity at the end of the quarter. That increased activity has carried forward to July and will probably continue, powered by pent up demand and incredibly low mortgage rates. The low levels of inventory are driving prices higher. Nationally, inventory rates are down 15% across all price bands compared to a year ago.

Societal factors are driving the market as well. There is an increased demand for suburban homes as well as rotation within suburbs of people looking for more green space as well as separate home office spaces. More affluent buyers have been accelerating second home purchases as well as moving to states with better tax situations or better weather. Bottom line...we will continue to see a strong housing market for the foreseeable future.

I just participated in a economic outlook webinar presented by Dr. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist and Senior VP of Research at National Association of Realtors. Here are some key takeaways: In 2021, we should recover from 2020 losses caused by pandemic 30 year fixed interest rates have room to dip down to about 2.9% Inventory of mid-range priced homes is scarce. This shortage (and the heavy competition associated with it) will not go away any time soon. Federal Reserve is printing money to buy debt...there is a possibility of inflation rearing it's head in 2025 and beyond. This means it will be extremely advantageous to lock in low, fixed interest rates NOW since principal and interest will remain low as home prices continue to appreciate. Permanent changes post pandemic will include: Virtual office meetings More working remotely Less traffic around city centers People moving further out from large cities People looking for larger homes (think 4 bedrooms instead of three for a home office)

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