Real Estate Information

Here is a report for the East Idaho Market for the month of January from AmeriTitle.

Stand out statistics from the report

*  Bonneville had little change in resale activity from January 2012 while both NOD’s and Trustees Deeds continue to see positive trends downward.

* Jefferson County had its best resale January since 2008 while NOD and Trustee Deed activity remain steady.

*  Resale transactions in Madison dropped in January, however new building permits (MRF & SFR) in Rexburg almost doubled resale activity.

Click on the photo below to see full report.

In the United States more than 60 percent of people don't know how to use a fire extinguisher! The typical extinguisher has as little as 8 seconds of life, so the first key is to work fast! The second is to make sure to stow it near an exit so you can back out as you fight the flames. The third thing is to remember this acronym "PASS": 1) Pull the pin. 2) Aim the nozzle at the base of the flames. 3) Squeeze the trigger. 4) Sweep the spray from side to side.

Moving can be a stressful time in every ones lives that are involved! Today we will share a few tips to help this process run smoother.

Start by going through all of your stuff. Try to eliminate as much of your junk as possible! Try having a garage sale. The more stuff you are able to get rid of, the less stuff you will have to move!

Once you have exact dates on you move, start making a list of everyone you need to notify. Most importantly your post office and utility companies.

If you are leaving the area for good take some time to go on a farewell visit to some of the places that hold your fondest memories.

The last thing you do is probably one of the most important, the final walk through! Once everything is pack away make sure to go back through every room checking closets, cabinets, and any storage areas for anything you might have left behind.

If you are considering moving anytime soon and need a Real Estate Agent please remember us here at Luke Stallings Real Estate Services. We are always here to help!

In 1934 The Idaho Museum of Natural History was founded by a group of professors that wanted to start displaying Idaho's heritage. The Pocatello Chamber of Commerce donated a huge portion of the museums objects, that were mainly anthropological and historical artifacts. The museum now watches over 500,000 natural and cultural objects. You can discover dinosaurs, ice-age mammals, volcanic hotspots, living off the land, and much more! In 2009, the Idaho Museum of Natural History celebrated its 75th birthday.

The museum is located on the ISU campus in Pocatello, building # 12. It is open Wed-Fri 12:30pm-5pm and Sat 10am-5pm. Admission to the museum is free of charge!

Painting your trim

Re-painting the trim around your house is a really simple task but it will have a HUGE impact on making your home look more to date. Make sure to tape off your edges and paint away!

Re-Upholster a stool

Some upholstery jobs can take a lot of time, and some may be a job for a professional. But recovering that old padded footstool you have had for to long is simple! Buy a piece of foam, some batting, and a piece of fabric at your local craft store. Cut the foam to fit, then use a nail gun to attach the batting and fabric.

Replacing Hardware

Replacing hardware can create a new look in every room of your home! Doing this will really help focus of the overall design of the room. The two most important things to consider are fit and appearance. Fit is the easy part. When you remove a piece of hardware, replace it with one that requires the same mounting holes, or one that is big enough to cover the old holes. If you like the way the hardware looks, it's the right hardware. First do some research about the look that you're going for. Try a knob on a door and a drawer, and live with it for a while. If it works, install the rest.

Here’s a list of tips to make a small home feel larger. These tips are great for staging your home to sell or even if you are planning to stay, and need some extra help! These tips can work with either vacant or occupied properties.

1) Eliminate what you have in smaller rooms to the essentials. Do you really need a bench in your bedroom to put your shoes on?

2) Clutter makes a room feel a lot smaller. Only display a few things at a time. Store the rest and rotate through them from time to time. Your room will feel much larger, and your displays will be much more exciting.

3) A room with good lighting will feel larger

4) Instead of having multiple small rugs, try one large one

5) Cooler colors recede, so painting a room with pale colors will make it feel larger.

Living in Eastern Idaho in the winter can make it difficult to spend time together. Especially if have younger children. Little ones need to burn off some energy sometimes! You can only take them sledding so many times before they have had enough of the cold and snow! Blast off is a great indoor place that you can take your children to year round, but even more so in the winter time! Blast off is located on Yellowstone in Idaho Falls. They have all sorts of indoor fun, for all ages! For more information click here to visit the website!

Dealing with a seized lock is never a fun thing! Before you call your expensive locksmith, hit the hardware store for some WD-40! Sprayed it into the keyhole this will loosen the mechanism quickly and should free up your lock. If that doesn't do it, you may have a broken spring or tumbler and need that professional after all. If so, to keep the new lock from locking up again give it a yearly spray of long-lasting Teflon spray.

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Having a sense of humor is almost a must have in real estate. So today we thought we would share a few jokes to help brighten your day!

A realty salesman had just closed his first deal, only to discover that the piece of land he had sold was completely under water. “That customer’s going to come back here pretty mad,” he said to his boss. “Should I give him his money back?” “Money back?” roared the boss. “What kind of salesman are you? Get out there and sell him a houseboat.”

A client bought a new home and the broker wanted to send flowers for the occasion.
They arrived at the home and the owner read the card; it said "Rest in Peace".
The owner was angry and called the florist to complain. After he had told the florist of the obvious mistake and how angry he was, the florist said. "Sir, I'm really sorry for the mistake, but rather than getting angry you should imagine this: somewhere there is a funeral taking place today, and they have flowers with a note saying"Congratulations on your new home".

All of us here at Luke Stallings Real Estate Services hope that you all have a wonderful day, and hope that our jokes put a smile on your face!

People bring many different priorities to the table when looking for a home to purchase. Buyers may eliminate homes by curb appeal, layout, and we fell most importantly the amount of work the will have to put into the home after they have purchased it. Before you put your home on the market let us help you make sure that potential buyers have less concerns about your house. It is time to put on your Home inspector cap!

This is not to suggest that anyone except an experienced professional will be the one to complete an inspection. The buyers will most likely hire certified home inspection. But by putting on your inspector’s cap can help you minimize the things the inspector will find!

An exterior walk-around is a good place to start. When doing this, check for irregularities in the roof could be an indication of needed repair or replacement. If any problems are found, fixing them before listing your home would be smart! As you continue to walk around,  look for poor drainage: sloping which leads toward rather than away from the house itself. Drainage that leads toward the home can cause water damage you may never have suspected without crawling under the house.If you can change the slope of the ground around your house before putting the house on the market, it is typically a good idea as well!

For more information contact a Local Home Inspector or click here for information on who Luke Stallings Real Estate Services recommends.