First impressions are extraordinarily powerful, and your house is no exception. When others approach it for the first time, does it strike them as clean, inviting and well maintained? In real estate, these all-important qualities are known as “curb appeal.” If you plan to put your home on the market, or simply want it to look its best, here are some ideas that will ensure your home makes a positive first impression.

Clean, clean, clean

Start by cleaning and tidying your driveway, walkway, front yard, and front porch. Pressure washing can make concrete and aggregate surfaces look like new; pressure washers are also ideal for cleaning stains from gutters and removing moss from patios and decks.

In your yard, keep the grass neatly trimmed, and edge your paths and walkways for a meticulously groomed look. Keep the beds weed-free, and trim trees and bushes as needed. Remove and replace any dead or struggling plants. If you are selling your home, it’s a smart investment to have a professional gardener make things picture-perfect, and then you can maintain the look yourself.

On your front porch, remove any cobwebs and sweep away all traces of dirt, leaves and pet hair. Clean your light fixtures and bulbs, and be sure your windows are sparkling clean. Wipe down your front door and polish your door hardware.

Repair and update

Fix or replace loose latticework, gently tap down nail heads that have worked loose from your siding or decks, and ensure that downspouts are attached and secure. It might make sense to replace and outdated front door, or at least five it a fresh coat of paint and update the handle and kick plate.  If your exterior light fixtures were fashionable 25 years ago, they’re undoubtedly out of date now. Visit a home-improvement store and choose something more contemporary.

If your exterior paint is in good shape, light pressure washing will make it look almost new, and a fresh coat of pain on just the trim and shutters can provide a quick facelift. On the other hand, shabby paint dramatically devalues a home. If repainting is necessary, use a mainstream color that fits in with your neighborhood.

Keep it simple, clean and classic

If your home is on the market, be ruthless with clutter. Remove anything that distracts from the home itself, including children’s toys, bicycles, garden hoses and tools. You want your home to appeal to as many people as possible. When potential buyers step onto your property, they need to be able to imagine it as their own.

Create a welcoming entry

Your front porch and/or entryway provide an opportunity to make visitors feel comfortable and welcome. Beautiful pots overflowing with flowers appeal to everyone, and a trickling water feature can create a serene atmosphere. And if there’s room, a small table and chairs on the front porch are very inviting.  Finally, if your doormat has worn out its welcome, it’s time to purchase a new one.

Get a fresh point of view

It can be surprisingly difficult to view your home objectively and to see it as others do. One helpful trick is to shoot photos or video; for most people, this technique helps them see their home from a fresh perspective. By all means, ask your agent for a professional opinion. He or she can give you a checklist of recommended tasks that will strengthen your home’s curb appeal.

There’s only one chance to make a first impression

Curb appeal is more important than you might imagine. We’ve seen buyers make a snap judgment before they step out of the car. If it’s a negative first impression, that’s hard to overcome no matter how nice the home is inside. One the other hand, when a home is charming and cleaned and cared for on the outside, buyers can be so positively affected that once they’re inside, they are less critical of an outdated kitchen or a small bathroom. Strong curb appeal can help cement a positive opinion.

If you have questions about getting your home ready to sell, or are looking for an agent in your area we have professionals that can help you. Contact us here.

Rising home prices have been in the news.  The upside:  It’s a solid sign of a recovering economy.  The downside:  It is creating unrealistic optimism among underwater homeowners, causing many of them to think, “I’ll just hold off on a short sale and see what happens.” That decision could be a very costly mistake for homeowners. Here’s why.

1) While home prices are rising in some areas, they’re not rising fast enough. 

Projections for home prices in many areas of the country for 2013 indicate an increase.  But it’s a moderate increase. And there are just as many areas that are expected to see flat or decreased values through 2013. The result? Underwater homes will remain underwater for years.

2) Banks are moving more quickly on foreclosure.

In the past, homeowners often had the luxury of time.  Lenders caught unprepared for the onslaught of distressed properties often took nine months or more to begin foreclosure proceedings.  That is no longer the case. With systems and resources now in place,  the foreclosure process now is moving quickly. And as soon as a homeowner receives a Notice of Default from the lender, their options are limited.  While a short sale may still be an option, it’s a race against the clock. If the homeowner can’t execute a short sale in time, they face foreclosure. When they go to buy a home again in a few years, homeowners will have fewer options after a foreclosure vs a short sale.

3) Waiting too long may cost homeowners thousands of dollars in taxes.

As part of the fiscal cliff resolution, Congress extended the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act …but only through December 31, 2013.

The extension prevents many homeowners who go through a short sale from being taxed on the amount of their mortgage debt that has been forgiven. Normally, debt that has been forgiven by a lender counts as taxable income.

If a homeowner wants to make sure their debt forgiveness is not counted as taxable income, their short sale must close by December 31, 2013. That means they need to get their house on the market now.

Richard Eastern is a Windermere broker in Bellevue, WA and co-founder of Washington Property Solutions, a short sales negotiating company. Since 2003 he has helped more than 900 homeowners sell their homes. A Bellevue native and a University of Washington grad, Richard is an avid sports fan and a devoted Little League and basketball coach. You can learn more about Richard here or at www.washortsales.com.

Financial setbacks like the loss of a job or large medical bills can make it tough to make ends meet. If you find yourself behind on your mortgage payments, it helps to be proactive.  It's also good to know that federal and local agencies, even banks, are working to help those who are behind on their mortgages from going into foreclosure.

If you are behind on your mortgage, here are 5 steps you can take.     

1)  Call your lender as soon as possible.

As uncomfortable as that call can be, the problem will not go away by avoiding your lender. If you are having trouble making your payments, the sooner you contact your lender, the more options you will have. Some homeowners postpone communicating with their lender for so long, that foreclosure becomes the only option.  Don't let that happen to you.

2) Talk to a housing counselor.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a list of approved nonprofit housing counselors, who will provide free counseling for homeowners who are behind on their mortgages. They'll go over options and suggest next steps. Call HUD at 888-995-4673 or visit the HUD site to find a counselor in your area.

3)  See if you can lower your mortgage payment.

You might be able to refinance or do a loan modification to make your monthly payment more affordable. There are a number of programs available depending on your circumstances. A HUD housing counselor or your lender can help you explore your options.

4)  Find out if you qualify for a short sale.

A short sale is an alternative to foreclosure when a homeowner needs to sell and can no longer afford to make mortgage payments. The lender agrees to accept less than the amount owed to pay off a loan, rather than going forward with a lengthy and costly foreclosure process.

Although every homeowner’s situation is unique, the basic criteria for qualifying for a short sale are:

• You need to sell your home.
• You owe more on your mortgage than your home is worth.
• You have a personal financial hardship that will prevent you from making future payments. (Examples of hardship include loss of job, divorce, death of a spouse and medical emergency or illness.)

In most instances, a short sale makes more sense than foreclosure. In general, when you want to obtain a loan to purchase a property in the future, more opportunities will be available to you if you do a short sale. Find out more about how short sales work.

5) See if you qualify for cash incentives tied to a short sale.

Several programs offer cash incentives to homeowners to do a short sale in order to avoid foreclosure.

The federal government's Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program might provide $3,000 in relocation assistance to homeowners who do short sales. 

Lenders, including Chase and Bank of America, have paid significant cash incentives to encourage sellers to do a short sale and avoid foreclosure. In the past few months, we have had homeowners receive checks from their lender at closing in amounts that range up to $35,000. And these large incentives are not restricted to owners of high-end properties. The owner of a short sale property that recently sold for $164,000 received a check for $25,000. The checks are given for relocation assistance and can be used however the homeowner sees fit. There are no restrictions.

It’s important to note that the seller incentive is determined by the investor, so not every lender is paying incentives. However, if you are considering a short sale, it’s a good time to find out if you qualify.

Richard Eastern is a Windermere broker in Bellevue, WA and co-founder of Washington Property Solutions, a short sales negotiating company. Since 2003 he has helped more than 700 homeowners sell their homes. A Bellevue native and a University of Washington grad, Richard is an avid sports fan and a devoted Little League and basketball coach. You can learn more about Richard here or at www.washortsales.com.