Hale Properties - June 2020

Hale Properties - June 2020

JUNE 2020

612-567-9530 HALEPROPERTIES.COM DO I REALLY NEED TO INSPECT MY HOME PRIOR TO LISTING IT FOR SALE?

You may already know a lot about the home you are selling. You fastidiously maintain the house, perform furnace maintenance four times a year, and patch roof shingles every spring. You may also have completed electrical or plumbing repairs that were straight out of a WorldWar II-era Army field guide handbook. These repairs may have worked GREAT for 40 years, but likely, they will not pass the eye of a critical buyer’s inspector. Real estate professionals the world over will tell you to never pre-inspect the home. “I don’t want to know all the problems with the home; I will have to disclose them to the buyer.”True, they make a great point. Knowing the faults of a home has certain disadvantages. It may mean the home is worth less money, and certain issues may NEED to be addressed due to safety concerns. It may seem like an unnecessary expense, especially if the buyer schedules an inspection anyway. On the other hand, it could be to your advantage as the seller to schedule an inspection of your property before you list it. When the seller schedules a home inspection before listing their home, they can make their property more appealing to potential buyers and prevent any potential renegotiations or addenda to the sale after the fact. Say you want to sell your home and don’t know of any notable repairs needed to your property. So you put it up for sale without calling in a professional home inspector. The buyer is almost always going to complete an inspection AFTER you have agreed upon a price and terms. Then, when faults are found, the buyer will be in the leveraged position to request concessions, in the form of price reduction, cash back at closing, or repairs that you end up paying for. Why do I say that the buyer is in a leveraged position? Once the property goes under contract and is listed on the MLS as “Sold-Contingent on Inspection,” that record stays with the property on the MLS indefinitely. Even if the buyer makes EXTREMELY unreasonable requests, and those do happen, the sellers must give consideration to these requests, and if you refuse and relist the property as active, the next buyer may question you about why the deal fell through during the inspection. Or worse yet, they may not even ask at all and just remove it from their list of potential properties, thereby eliminating the possibility of you even explaining how unreasonable the buyer’s requests were. In other cases, where the repairs needed are incredibly expensive, the buyer might decide that they don’t want the house anymore, and if they still do, you might have to renegotiate the selling price, rush repairs on the property if possible, or tell the buyer that they’re stuck with the repairs themselves, at which point, they might back out of the deal. All of these scenarios can be avoided if you inspect your home before you list it for sale.

Conversely, when you, the seller, inspect the property prior to listing it, youmight find some problems you didn’t know about, but you’ll also have time to get them repaired. If there are any repairs you can’t fix or decide not to fix, you can at least make sure buyers know about them in

your listing. All of this will ensure that potential buyers will have more peace of

mind when they view your home and that you will be more confident knowing that if the buyer schedules an inspection, you’ll have nothing to worry about.

I can hear my fellow listing agents cringe that I am revealing some huge secret that buyers’ agents and their clients don’t already know. They do know this, in fact, and the competent buyers’ agents who I have had the pleasure of working with fully appreciate the pre-listing inspection and work that is done. It makes OUR job of communicating value to the potential buyer even easier. Does this mean that if you don’t pre-inspect your property the buyer will have ultimate leverage in negotiations over you as a seller? Not necessarily. Every home and geographic market is unique, and submarkets can have completely different characteristics than the larger market as a whole. Desirable properties may have multiple bidders who are price-insensitive because of the home’s great appeal. Others will be looking at purchasing the property specifically for the land and plan to redevelop the site into a new home or new use altogether. If you and your agent determine that the highest and best use for the property would be a new building, a pre-listing inspection may not be of as great of value to you or the buyer. To answer the question posed in the title of this article, you should absolutely get your home inspected before you put it up for sale. While it might seem unnecessary, you shouldn’t measure the cost of a home inspection against how much you’ll save by not scheduling one. You should measure that cost against the costs you could potentially incur without an inspection. That’s why many cities in the Twin Cities area actually require them (though not all do). If you’re trying to decide who to contact to get a home inspection scheduled, feel free to give us a call at Hale Properties. We’ll know where you can turn.

–Fritz Soberay

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GLAZED GOODNESS

The Sweet History of National Doughnut Day

Get ready to treat yourself because June 5 is National Doughnut Day! Contrary to popular belief, National Doughnut Day wasn’t created as an excuse for Americans to eat more doughnuts. The celebration was actually started by the Salvation Army in 1938 to honor “Doughnut Lassies,” the women who served doughnuts to soldiers on the front lines duringWorldWar I. The Salvation Army still celebrates National Doughnut Day by delivering doughnuts to veterans across the country. The earliest version of the doughnut is believed to have come to North America with Dutch settlers in the 17th century. The Dutch brought with them balls of fried, sweetened dough called olykoeks , which translates to “oily cakes.”Though they were tasty, we don’t think many people would be eager to pick up a dozen oily cakes for the office. According to Smithsonian Magazine, the word “doughnut”was coined in the 19th century by a woman named Elizabeth Gregory. Her son, Handon Gregory, was a New England ship captain. She began making deep-fried dough treats with nutmeg, cinnamon, and lemon rind for her son and his crew. She would put hazelnuts or walnuts in the center of the pastry where the dough might not cook through, so she called her creation “doughnuts.”

THE BEST WAYS TO HELP LOCAL NONPROFITS IN CHALLENGING TIMES

Over the past several months, families, businesses, and nonprofits have had to navigate life in this challenging “new normal,” and it can be hard to support your favorite nonprofits when times are tough. Here are a few ways you can help these important entities, even when you don’t have resources to spare right now. Donate While many people donate generously during the holiday season, remember that nonprofits need donations throughout the year, and different nonprofits need different things. A monetary donation can often go a long way, but never feel obligated to give money, especially when your budget may be tight. Instead, consider cleaning out your closet. What clothes, shoes, or other accessories can you part with? What about dishware or small appliances? When you clean out your home and donate unused items, you benefit those in the community who need them most.

Handon Gregory also gets some credit for making doughnuts recognizable: He was the one who first put the hole in the doughnuts, though the exact reason is unclear. Some say it was to use fewer

ingredients, while others suggest he created the hole by accident

Volunteer In a time of social distancing, volunteering may be discouraged, but nonprofits still need volunteers to operate. The good news is that many nonprofits need volunteers for positions that maintain social distance, such as driving. Food banks and kitchens

after skewering the pastry on the spokes of the ship’s wheel when he needed to steer with both hands during a storm.

Whatever the reason, that hole is still part of a classic doughnut to this day. There are lots of ways to celebrate National Doughnut Day. Recognize the history of the

need drivers to pick up donations or ingredients from donors and to deliver food to people in need, such as the elderly or those with disabilities.

Advocate Even if you don’t have time or resources to give, you can become an advocate for important causes around your community. While it might not seem like much, sharing information about local nonprofits on social media can make a genuine difference. Nonprofits need exposure, which is greatly boosted through community support. Sharing useful information about nonprofits — or sharing their posts — increases their visibility so more people will take action.

holiday by donating to the Salvation Army or by

sending a box of doughnuts to a veteran in your life. You can also order from your favorite local doughnut shop or fry up some homemade doughnuts with your family. There’s a pretty great recipe at SallysBakingAddiction.com/how-to-make-

homemade-glazed-doughnuts.

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SUPER BEAGLES AND JUMPING LLAMAS Guinness World Records’ Most Amazing Animals

Hearing about someone who has claimed a Guinness World Record is pretty cool, but do you know what’s even cooler? When animals make world records. Here are a few amazing animals who hold some really cool records. Caspa, the Amazing Jumping Llama Sue Williams is an animal trainer and behaviorist who specializes in dogs. One day, she was working on agility training with her dogs when she noticed her llama,

Caspa, watching them. After a little time and training, Williams discovered that Caspa loved jumping, too. In 2015, Caspa cleared a bar set at 3 feet, 8 1/2 inches. He jumped right into the world record for “highest bar jump cleared by a llama.”

“He’s a complete diva,” says Williams. “So, if there are people there to show off in front of, that’s when he’s at his ultimate best.”

Didga, a Very Tricky Kitty Anyone who says cats can’t learn tricks hasn’t met Didga. In 2016, Didga, with help from her human, Robert Dollwet, claimed a world record by performing 20 different tricks in 60 seconds. Her routine started with the classics, like sitting and giving high-fives, and culminated in riding a skateboard while hopping over a low bar. Dollwet told Guinness World Records that training Didga took a lot of time and patience and that he was so proud of his clever cat. Purin, the Beagle Who Holds 3 Guinness World Records Nicknamed “The Super Beagle,” Purin scored her first title in 2015 for her amazing goalkeeping skills. The beagle “saved” 14 mini soccer balls thrown by her human, Makoto Kumagai, in one minute. A year later, Purin claimed another record when she became the “fastest dog on a ball” by traveling 10 meters in 10.39 seconds while balancing on a ball. Not long after, Purin and Kumagai set the record for “most skips by a dog and a person in one minute — single rope” with 58 skips. Talk about super!

You can find videos of all these amazing record holders and more at GuinnessWorldRecords.com .

GRILLED BASIL CHICKEN AND TOMATOES

TAKE A BREAK

Inspired by TasteOfHome.com

Directions

You can’t go wrong with grilled chicken and tomatoes on a warm summer’s evening. It’s a simple recipe that packs a flavor punch.

1.

For marinade: In blender, combine olive oil, garlic, salt, vinegar, and basil. Cut 2 tomatoes into quarters and add to mixture. Cover and process until blended. Halve remaining tomatoes for grilling. In bowl, combine chicken and 2/3 cup marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Reserve remaining marinade.

Ingredients

•

2 tbsp olive oil

2.

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1 clove garlic

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1/2 tsp salt

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3/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3.

Heat grill to about 350–400 F. Lightly oil grates. Grill chicken until internal

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1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves

temperature reads 165 F, about 4–6 minutes per side. Grill tomatoes until lightly browned, about 2–4 minutes per side. Discard remaining marinade. Serve chicken and tomatoes with reserved marinade.

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8 Roma tomatoes

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4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)

Solution on Page 4

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1161 Wayzata Blvd. E, #210 Wayzata, MN 55391 HaleProperties.com 612-567-9530

INSIDE 1

Why You Should Inspect Your Home Prior to Listing It for Sale Help Local Nonprofits in Challenging Times A Day to Honor Doughnut Lassies 5 World Records Broken by Animals Grilled Basil Chicken and Tomatoes 3 Enriching Staycation Ideas

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TURN YOUR VACATION INTO A STAYCATION 3 Ways to Replace a Canceled Vacation

Vacations provide opportunities for families to spend time together in a relaxed environment, get away from the routines of everyday life, and create meaningful memories. If you’ve recently had to cancel a trip but still want to create the experience of a vacation for your family, then a staycation is just what you need. TransformYour Backyard When you’re trying to recreate a vacation, the outdoor areas of your home present a variety of possibilities. You can turn a sandbox into a relaxing beach, complete with a kiddie pool “ocean.” If you have trees, then set up a zip line or obstacle course. You can even stimulate summer brains with a scavenger hunt around the backyard with hidden clues in the dirt or bushes. The ultimate prize can be something you would have purchased on your original vacation, like a souvenir you can find online. Create a ‘Family Museum’ Many vacations include an educational aspect in order to enrich our understanding of the place we’re visiting, and museums are a great way to accomplish that. If you’re confined to the house, then teach your kids about your own knowledge and interests and encourage them to get creative and make their own contributions, too. Have everyone create art, take photos, or write about their prized possessions. Display these masterpieces around your home and let their creators take you on a tour. Learning more about one another builds meaningful bonds.

Bring Your Trip Home You probably chose your original vacation destination in order to experience new and different cultures and activities. But just because you’re no longer traveling to that location doesn’t mean you can’t experience some of what it has to offer! Research popular local cuisine, activities, and history of the area, then create ways to experience them with your family. Cook a traditional meal, recreate a scenic location through photographs, or share a story about local lore and history. Your changed plans will no longer feel like a missed opportunity. Staying at home doesn’t mean your family can’t have the fun of a vacation. All it takes is a little creativity and innovation to build an experience that will bring your family closer together.

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