Don't let the rush and excitement of the holiday season make you careless in protecting your home from potential criminals. The holiday season is a time when busy people can become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. The following tips from the Los Angeles Police Department Crime Prevention Section can help you be more careful, prepared and aware during the holiday season.

• Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even for a few minutes.
• When leaving home for an extended time, have a neighbor or family member watch your house and pick up your newspapers and mail.
• Indoor and outdoor lights should be on an automatic timer.
• Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.
• Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through the windows and doors of your home.
• When setting up a Christmas tree or other holiday display, make sure doors and passageways are clear inside your home.
• Be sure your Christmas tree (Or Hanukkah bush) is mounted on a sturdy base so children, elderly persons or family pets cannot pull it over on themselves.
• If you use lights on your tree ensure the wiring is not damaged or frayed. Frayed or damaged wiring can cause a fire.
• Place your Christmas tree in water or wet sand to keep it green.
• Never place wrapping paper in your fireplace.

Happy holidays and be safe!

Someone lives in their house many years and decides it is time to sell.  But before they do they feel the need to add granite to the kitchen, or add a pool, or some other big ticket remodel item.  Why?

Well according to this article from CNN Money,  this expense is most likely not the way to go because it will rarely return any kind of investment for a seller.  A Realtor worth anything would not advise you to take this kind of project on because in many cases you are trying to "predict" what a potential buyer may want. And in many cases, you would be wrong.

Just to be clear, I am not suggesting that you do not do minor cosmetic surgery to get your home "show ready".  Before putting a home on the market for a client, I go through a house and put together a comprehensive list of things that need to be done so that the home will be shown in the best possible light.  But I am referring to painting, de-cluttering, and smaller repairs- not the big renovation.   Pictured is the kitchen from a house I have listed at 1790 Greenwich Ave in Winter Park.  This is a one story house that is one block away from Winter Park Hospital in a very desirable neighborhood with Winter Park Schools.  It is competitively priced at $239,000 and might be perfect for an empty-nester, or a younger family looking for an entry into the area.  All the major "bones" of the house are strong- newer roof, air conditioning etc.  And the kitchen looks great! In this case, I determined with my sellers that a very attractive price point would be most important to potential buyers.


Now take the example of a high ticket granite kitchen update.   First off, a seller may be making a bunch of incorrect assumptions.  Granite isn't the "only game in town" as far as counter surfaces are concerned.  Is everyone a chef? Maybe a potential buyer has no interest in a high end kitchen and does not want to feel like he is paying a premium for one that has recently been installed.  There are all kind of buyers out there- some who want "turn key" homes, others who want to feel they are getting a good deal and enjoy "fixer-uppers".

Oh, and by the way, what are the chances that the seller is going to pick the granite color the buyer has his/her heart set on.....?

Wouldn't a credit be a smarter way to go if a granite kitchen became a negotiating issue with a buyer?  This way, the buyer can get exactly what they want.....and the seller doesn't have to go through the remodeling hassle playing "interior designer" or predict what a buyer wants.

Bottomw line- if a Realtor suggests a big remodel project before listing your home....get a second opinion from another Realtor.
If your Realtor suggests "don't spend your money on a remodel project to prepare your home for sale" -listen up and be happy!

He probably just saved you a lot of money.