Published: April 27, 2010

Check local zoning laws, ordinances, building codes, and covenants before adding a workshop or studio to your property.

Typical zoning ordinances

Zoning ordinances vary by locale, but in general they exist to keep your new structure from adversely affecting quality of life and real estate values in your neighborhood. Zoning ordinances affecting a backyard structure boil down to these essentials:

Setbacks are the required buffers (typically about 12 feet) between your structure and your neighbors’ lot lines. They also specify at least 20 feet of front yard and 25 feet of backyard.
Lot coverage (sometimes referred to as Lot Coverage Ratio or LCR) is the allowable percentage of your lot occupied by structures and paving. Most municipalities want at least half the lot to be open space. Larger lots face more severe restrictions to avoid the look of a high-density compound. In Arlington, Va., for example, a half-acre lot is restricted to an LCR of only 33%.
Easements protect access pathways for utilities, but they may also include public access to a beach or a neighbor’s right to share your driveway.
Wanda Edwards, a practicing structural engineer and Director of Building Code Development for the Institute for Business & Home Safety, recommends tackling potential zoning problems early. “Before you begin with any design, sit down with the local zoning official,” she advises. “Discuss what you are going to do and be sure that what you are planning will not violate any zoning ordinances.”

Codes and restrictions

Building codes that govern the construction of new homes and remodeling projects apply to backyard structures as well. The codes ensure that your building won’t collapse under snow load, sink into the ground because of an inadequate footing, or burst into flame due to an electrical fault.

“Their purpose is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public,” says Edwards.

Codes vary according to locale, mainly because regional differences (low temperatures, hurricanes, earthquakes) put different demands on a building. Codes also reflect local preferences for certain types of materials. For example, some areas allow flexible plastic piping for water lines, some insist on copper pipe.

Other types restrictions may affect placing a separate studio or workshop on your property. “It’s not just zoning and codes that you need to take into consideration,” Edwards points out. “Subdivisions or neighborhoods might have restricted covenants as well.”

Also known as Deed Restrictions, these rules will have been filed with your deed. They can even stretch to aesthetic concerns. “A lot of times there is an architectural board,” notes Edwards. “They want to see what it’s going to look like.” For example, the restrictions may dictate the type and color of materials, such as siding and roofing.

Obtaining a building permit (and what happens if you don’t)

Check with your city or county building department for information about obtaining a permit for your studio or workshop. Often, they will have essential information on their web site, along with downloadable application forms.

Permit costs vary. Some begin with a modest fee of $50 or so for the first $1,000 of valuation, and then an additional $7 per $1,000 of valuation. Others are based on square footage. Figured either way, the fee for a 400 sq. ft. structure costing $33,000 to construct averages about $275.

If your structure requires something unusual, such as foundation piers to cope with a steep slope, you may need your plans reviewed and approved by a structural engineer before you can obtain a permit. Expect to pay $300 to $500 for the services of a structural engineer.

After obtaining a permit, your project will be reviewed on-site by a building inspector. The inspector checks critical items, such as the foundation, framing, wiring, and plumbing, to make sure they comply with building codes. In addition, many municipalities check insulation and energy conservation measures. When signing off on completed work, the inspector will list items to be corrected before the next inspection.

Despite the fairly modest fee, some homeowners skip taking out a permit. The risk is hardly worth it. If you later put your house on the market and the prospective owner spots something that’s not to code, you may be required to make a repair that will cost much more than if the job had been done correctly from the start.

If the wiring and plumbing were not inspected, you may have to provide a clear look by pulling out obstructing drywall. Or worse. “An inspector will try to work with you, but he has the authority to make you tear down the structure,” warns Edwards.

Property assessments, taxes, and insurance

When you take out a building permit, your tax assessor is cued to your property’s increased value. Typically, the tax increase is a set amount multiplied by the square footage of your new studio or workshop, allowing you to estimate your tax increase in advance.

Your building as a place of business

If your business is simply you, a computer, and an occasional client dropping by, your separate structure will likely fall under residential–not business–zoning laws. However, if you have several employees and a stream of customers, you may run afoul of zoning laws that restrict commerce in residential areas. Your option is to apply for a variance that grants you exemption from the laws based on your circumstances.

Should zoning laws permit you to use your new studio or workshop as a place of business, brace yourself for some demanding code requirements. Now that you’re inviting the public in, expect to provide things like more than one exit, a fire lane, restroom facilities, and adequate parking.

Potential payback

Although you may be building the ceramics studio or furniture-making shop of your dreams, it probably won’t add appreciable value to your property.

“We struggle with those outbuildings from an appraisal standpoint,” says Bryan Flaherty, an appraiser in Missoula, Mont. “The classic example is somebody who likes to rebuild cars and they build a separate shop on their property in a residential zone. They’ll end up investing $25,000 to $50,000 in that shop building.”

They typically won’t get their investment back, says Flaherty. “People buy the house first as a place to live. The incidental buildings are secondary. Normally they’ll contribute less than the cost value.”

The Appraisal Foundation recently created this resource, “A Guide to Understanding a Residential Appraisal.” NAR, as a Sponsoring Organization of The Appraisal Foundation, has co-branded the brochure. It is available for REALTORS® to download and provide to their clients to help them understand the residential appraisal process.

For more information on The Appraisal Foundation or to download more free publications, visit http://www.appraisalfoundation.org/

Published: August 5, 2010

Before you put your home up for sale, use the right comparable sales to find the perfect price.

Knowing how much homes similar to yours, called comparable sales (or in real estate lingo, comps), sold for gives you the best idea of the current estimated value of your home. The trick is finding sales that closely match yours.

What makes a good comparable sale?
Your best comparable sale is the same model as your house in the same subdivision—and it closed escrow last week. If you can’t find that, here are other factors that count:

Location: The closer to your house the better, but don’t just use any comparable sale within a mile radius. A good comparable sale is a house in your neighborhood, your subdivision, on the same type of street as your house, and in your school district.

Home type: Try to find comparable sales that are like your home in style, construction material, square footage, number of bedrooms and baths, basement (having one and whether it’s finished), finishes, and yard size.

Amenities and upgrades: Is the kitchen new? Does the comparable sale house have full A/C? Is there crown molding, a deck, or a pool? Does your community have the same amenities (pool, workout room, walking trails, etc.) and homeowners association fees?

Date of sale: You may want to use a comparable sale from two years ago when the market was high, but that won’t fly. Most buyers use government-guaranteed mortgages, and those lending programs say comparable sales can be no older than 90 days.

Sales sweeteners: Did the comparable-sale sellers give the buyers downpayment assistance, closing costs, or a free television? You have to reduce the value of any comparable sale to account for any deal sweeteners.

Agents can help adjust price based on insider insights
Even if you live in a subdivision, your home will always be different from your neighbors’. Evaluating those differences—like the fact that your home has one more bedroom than the comparables or a basement office—is one of the ways real estate agents add value.

An active agent has been inside a lot of homes in your neighborhood and knows all sorts of details about comparable sales. She has read the comments the selling agent put into the MLS, seen the ugly wallpaper, and heard what other REALTORS®, lenders, closing agents, and appraisers said about the comparable sale.

More ways to pick a home listing price
If you’re still having trouble picking out a listing price for your home, look at the current competition. Ask your real estate agent to be honest about your home and the other homes on the market (and then listen to her without taking the criticism personally).

Next, put your comparable sales into two piles: more expensive and less expensive. What makes your home more valuable than the cheaper comparable sales and less valuable than the pricier comparable sales?

Are foreclosures and short sales comparables?
If one or more of your comparable sales was a foreclosed home or a short sale (a home that sold for less money than the owners owed on the mortgage), ask your real estate agent how to treat those comps.

A foreclosed home is usually in poor condition because owners who can’t pay their mortgage can’t afford to pay for upkeep. Your home is in great shape, so the foreclosure should be priced lower than your home.

Short sales are typically in good condition, although they are still distressed sales. The owners usually have to sell because they’re divorcing, or their employer is moving them to Kansas.

How much short sales are discounted from their market value varies among local markets. The average short-sale home in Omaha in recent years was discounted by 8.5%, according to a University of Nebraska at Omaha study. In suburban Washington, D.C., sellers typically discount short-sale homes by 3% to 5% to get them quickly sold, real estate agents report. In other markets, sellers price short sales the same as other homes in the neighborhood.

So you have to rely on your REALTOR’s® knowledge of the local market to use a short sale as a comparable sale.

Published: March 12, 2010

Understanding how appraisals work will help you achieve a quick and profitable refinance or sale.

1. An appraisal isn’t an exact science
When appraisers evaluate a home’s value, they’re giving their best opinion based on how the home’s features stack up against those of similar homes recently sold nearby. One appraiser may factor in a recent sale, but another may consider that sale too long ago, or the home too different, or too far away to be a fair comparison. The result can be differences in the values two separate appraisers set for your home.

2. Appraisals have different purposes
An appraisal being used to figure out how much to insure your home for or to determine your property taxes may rely on other factors and arrive at different values. For example, though an appraisal for a home loan evaluates today’s market value, an appraisal for insurance purposes calculates what it would cost to rebuild your home at today’s building material and labor rates, which can result in two different numbers.

Appraisals are also different from CMAs, or competitive market analyses. In a CMA, a real estate agent relies on market expertise to estimate how much your home will sell for in a specific time period. The price your home will sell for in 30 days may be different than the price your home will sell for in 120 days. Because real estate agents don’t follow the rules appraisers do, there can be variations between CMAs and appraisals on the same home.

3. An appraisal is a snapshot
Home prices shift, and appraised values will shift with those market changes. Your home may be appraised at $150,000 today, but in two months when you refinance or list it for sale, the appraised value could be lower or higher depending on how your market has performed.

4. Appraisals don’t factor in your personal issues
You may have a reason you must sell immediately, such as a job loss or transfer, which can affect the amount of money you’ll accept to complete the transaction in your time frame. An appraisal doesn’t consider those personal factors.

5. You can ask for a second opinion
If your home appraisal comes back at a value you believe is too low, you can request that a second appraisal be performed by a different appraiser. You, or potential buyers, if they’ve requested the appraisal, will have to pay for the second appraisal. But it may be worth it to keep the sale from collapsing from a faulty appraisal. On the other hand, the appraisal may be accurate, and it may be a sign that you need to adjust your pricing or the size of the loan you’re refinancing.

Published: May 6, 2011

An inviting open house can put your home on buyers’ short lists.
Four weeks before the open house
Ask your parents to babysit the kids the weekend of the open house. Then book a reservation for your pet with the dog sitter or at the kennel. Having everyone out of the house on the day of will help you keep your home tidy and smelling fresh. Plus, no dogs and no kids equal more time for last-minute prep.
Line up a contractor to take care of maintence issues your REALTOR® has asked you to fix, like leaking faucets, sagging gutters, or dings in the walls.
De-clutter every room (even if you already de-cluttered once before). Don’t hide your stuff in the closet—buyers will open doors to size up closet space. Store your off-season clothes, sports equipment, and toys somewhere else.
Book carpet cleaners for a few days before the open house and a house cleaning service for the day before. Otherwise, make sure to leave time to do these things yourself a couple of days before.
Three weeks before the open house
Buy fluffy white towels to create a spa-like feel in the bathrooms.
Buy a front door mat to give a good first impression.
Designate a shoebox for each bathroom to stow away personal items the day of the open house.
Two weeks before the open house
Clean the light fixtures, ceiling fans, light switches, and around door knobs. A spic-and-span house makes buyers feel like they can move right in.
Power-wash the house, deck, sidewalk, and driveway.
One week before the open house
Make sure potential buyers can get up close and personal with your furnace, air-conditioning unit, and appliances. They’ll want to read any maintenance and manufacturer’s stickers to see how old everything is.
Clean the inside of appliances and de-clutter kitchen cabinets and drawers and the pantry. Buyers will open cabinet doors and drawers. If yours are stuffed to the gills, buyers will think your kitchen lacks enough storage space.
Put out the new door mat to break it in. It’ll look nice, but not too obviously new for the open house.
Week of the open house
Buy ready-made cookie dough and disposable aluminum cookie sheets so you don’t have to take time for clean up after baking (you can recycle the pans after use). Nothing says “home” like the smell of freshly baked cookies.
Buy a bag of apples or lemons to display in a pretty bowl.
Let your REALTOR® know if you’re running low on sales brochures explaining the features of your house.
Clean the windows to let in the most light possible.
Mow the lawn two days before the open house. Mowing the morning of the open house can peeve house hunters with allergies.
Day before the open house
Make sure your REALTOR® puts up plenty of open-house signs pointing in the right direction and located where drivers will see them. If she can’t get to it on the Friday before a Sunday open house, offer to do it yourself.
Put away yard clutter like hoses, toys, or pet water bowls.
Lay fresh logs in the fireplace.
Day of the open house
Put checkbooks, kids’ piggybanks, jewelry, prescription drugs, bank statements, and other valuables in the trunk of your car, at a neighbor’s house, or in your safe. It’s rare, but thefts do happen at open houses.
Set the dining room table for a special-occasion dinner. In the backyard, uncover the barbeque and set the patio table for a picnic to show buyers how elegantly and simply they can entertain once they move in.
Check any play equipment for spider webs or insect invasions. A kid screaming about spiders won’t endear buyers to your home.
Clean the fingerprints off the storm door. First impressions count.
Put up Post-It notes around the house to highlight great features like tilt-in windows or a recently updated appliance.
Remove shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, and other personal items from the bathtub, shower, and sinks in all the bathrooms. Store them in a shoebox under the sink. Removing personal items makes it easier for buyers to see themselves living in your house.
Stow away all kitchen countertop appliances.
One hour before the open house
Bake the ready-to-bake cookies you bought earlier this week. Put them on a nice platter for your open house guests to eat with a note that says: “Help yourself!”
Hang the new towels in the bathrooms.
Put your bowl of apples or lemons on the kitchen table or bar counter.
Pick up and put away any throw rugs, like the bath mats. They’re a trip hazard.
15 minutes before the open house
Open all the curtains and blinds and turn on the lights in the house. Buyers like bright homes.
Light fireplace logs (if it’s winter).
Didn’t get those cookies baked? Brew a pot of coffee to make the house smell inviting.
During the open house
Get out of the house and let your REALTOR® sell it! Potential buyers will be uncomfortable discussing your home if you’re loitering during the open house. Take advantage of your child- and pet-free hours by treating yourself to something you enjoy–a few extra hours at the gym, a trip to the bookstore, or a manicure.

Published: March 19, 2010

While you’d like to get the best price for your home, consider our six reasons to reduce your home price.

These six signs may be telling you it’s time to lower your price.

1. You’re drawing few lookers
You get the most interest in your home right after you put it on the market because buyers want to catch a great new home before anybody else takes it. If your real estate agent reports there have been fewer buyers calling about and asking to tour your home than there have been for other homes in your area, that may be a sign buyers think it’s overpriced and are waiting for the price to fall before viewing it.

2. You’re drawing lots of lookers but have no offers
If you’ve had 30 sets of potential buyers come through your home and not a single one has made an offer, something is off. What are other agents telling your agent about your home? An overly high price may be discouraging buyers from making an offer.

3. Your home’s been on the market longer than similar homes
Ask your real estate agent about the average number of days it takes to sell a home in your market. If the answer is 30 and you’re pushing 45, your price may be affecting buyer interest. When a home sits on the market, buyers can begin to wonder if there’s something wrong with it, which can delay a sale even further. At least consider lowering your asking price.

4. You have a deadline
If you’ve got to sell soon because of a job transfer or you’ve already purchased another home, it may be necessary to generate buyer interest by dropping your price so your home is a little lower priced than comparable homes in your area. Remember: It’s not how much money you need that determines the sale price of your home, it’s how much money a buyer is willing to spend.

5. You can’t make upgrades
Maybe you’re plum out of cash and don’t have the funds to put fresh paint on the walls, clean the carpets, and add curb appeal. But the feedback your agent is reporting from buyers is that your home isn’t as well-appointed as similarly priced homes. When your home has been on the market longer than comparable homes in better condition, it’s time to accept that buyers expect to pay less for a home that doesn’t show as well as others.

6. The competition has changed
If weeks go by with no offers, continue to check out the competition. What have comparable homes sold for and what’s still on the market? What new listings have been added since you listed your home for sale? If comparable home sales or new listings show your price is too steep, consider a price reduction.

Published: February 10, 2010

Be sure you’re walking away with all the money you’re entitled to from the sale of your home.

1. Take services out of your name
Avoid a dispute with the buyers after closing over things like fees for the cable service you forgot to discontinue. Contact every utility and service provider to end or transfer service to your new address as of the closing date.

If you’re on an automatic-fill schedule for heating oil or propane, don’t pay for a pre-closing refill that provides free fuel for the new owner. Contact your insurer to terminate coverage on your old home, get coverage on your new home, and ask whether you’re entitled to a refund of prepaid premium.

2. Spread the word on your change of address
Provide the post office with your forwarding address two to four weeks before the closing. Also notify credit card companies, publication subscription departments, friends and family, and your financial institutions of your new address.

3. Manage the movers
Scrutinize your moving company’s estimate. If you’re making a long-distance move, which is often billed according to weight, note the weight of your property and watch so the movers don’t use excessive padding to boost the weight. Also check with your homeowners insurer about coverage for your move. Usually movers cover only what they pack.

4. Do the settlement math
Title company employees are only human, so they can make mistakes. The day before your closing, check the math on your HUD-1 Settlement Statement.

5. Review charges on your settlement statement
Are all mortgages being paid off, and are the payoff amounts correct? If your real estate agent promised you extras—such as a discounted commission or a home warranty policy—make sure that’s included. Also check whether your real estate agent or title company added fees that weren’t disclosed earlier. If any party suggests leaving items off the settlement statement, consult a lawyer about whether that might expose you to legal risk.

6. Search for missing credits
Be sure the settlement company properly credited you for prepaid expenses, such as property taxes and homeowners association fees, if applicable. If you’ve prepaid taxes for the year, you’re entitled to a credit for the time you no longer own the home. Have you been credited for heating oil or propane left in the tank?

7. Don’t leave money in escrow
End your home sale closing with nothing unresolved. Make sure the title company releases money already held in escrow for you, and avoid leaving sales proceeds in a new escrow to be dickered over later.

WASHINGTON (February 27, 2013) – Pending home sales are up in January, and have been above levels from a year ago for the past 21 months, according to the National Association of Realtors®. There were healthy monthly gains in all regions but the West, which is has a limited inventory but was only a little better.

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, increased 4.5% to 105.9 in January from a down cycle revised 101.3 in December and is 9.5% above January 2012 when it was 96.7. The data reflect contracts, not closings.

The January index is the highest reading since April 2010 when it hit 110.9, just before the deadline for the home buyer tax credit. Aside from spikes induced by the tax credits, the last time there was a higher reading was in February 2007 when it reached 107.9.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said inventory is the key to this year’s housing market. “Favorable affordability conditions and job growth have unleashed a pent-up demand. Most areas are drawing down housing inventory, which has shifted the supply/demand balance to sellers in much of the country. It’s also why we’re experiencing the strongest price growth in more than seven years,” he said.

“Over the near term, rising contract activity means higher home sales, but total sales for the year are expected to rise less than in 2012, while home prices are projected to rise more strongly because of inventory shortages,” Yun said.

The PHSI in the Northeast rose 8.2 percent to 84.8 in January and is 10.5 percent higher than January 2012. In the Midwest the index increased 4.5 percent to 105.0 in January and is 17.7 percent above a year ago. Pending home sales in the South rose 5.9 percent to an index of 119.3 in January and are 11.3 percent higher January 2012. In the West the index edged up 0.1 percent in January to 102.1 but is 1.5 percent below a year ago.

Yun expects approximately 5.0 million existing-home sales this year. However, price growth could exceed a 7 percent gain projected for 2013 if inventory supplies remain low. Previously, NAR had expected 5.1 million existing-home sales in 2013, while prices were forecast to rise 5.5 to 6.0 percent.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. For additional commentary and consumer information, visit www.houselogic.com and http://retradio.com.

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* The Pending Home Sales Index is a leading indicator for the housing sector, based on pending sales of existing homes. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed, though the sale usually is finalized within one or two months of signing.

The index is based on a large national sample, typically representing about 20 percent of transactions for existing-home sales. In developing the model for the index, it was demonstrated that the level of monthly sales-contract activity parallels the level of closed existing-home sales in the following two months.

An index of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001, which was the first year to be examined. By coincidence, the volume of existing-home sales in 2001 fell within the range of 5.0 to 5.5 million, which is considered normal for the current U.S. population.

Also released today are annual data revisions. Each February, NAR Research incorporates a review of seasonal activity factors and fine-tunes historic data for the past three years based on the most recent findings. There are no changes to unadjusted or annual data.

NOTE: Existing-home sales for February will be reported March 21 and the next Pending Home Sales Index will be on March 27. The Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, covering transactions in 2012, is scheduled for April 2; all release times are 10:00 a.m. EDT.