If you’ve bought a new house, but haven’t yet sold your old one, it’s probably your priority that you sell as quickly as possible to avoid carrying two mortgages. Here’s a tidbit of really good news: having a vacant home is a GREAT time to undertake some basic home repairs and projects that can help you sell faster and make your old home look great. There are simply some things that it’s much easier to do without furniture and inhabitants cluttering up the house, and on top of that, they will help present a beautiful clean slate to prospective buyers instead of an empty shell. It’s all about perspective. 

Neutralize the paint

Have any rooms painted loud colors? Now is the time to tone them down. Your teenage daughter may have loved the plummy fuschia of her old bedroom, but for visually conservative potential buyers, that’s a lot. Actually, any color that stands out or makes a statement in any way should be given a fresh coat of beige, gray, cream, or tan. Yes, those colorful walls looked great when you had all the other accoutrements of living filling them up. Now it just looks like a funhouse. Everyone loves the basics, on the other hand. 

Patch any holes in the walls

It’s just courteous to leave the next owner of your old home without holes in the walls. On top of that, seeing holes in the walls is one of those immediate “ick” factors for potential buyers. Holes make your home look uncared-for and sloppy. Fill the holes in with spackling compound, which is found easily at any home improvement store, and then touch up the paint with what you hopefully have at home. If not, peel off a small strip from a corner and have it color-matched at the same store. 

Clean carpets and/or hardwoods

Nasty flooring is going to turn the stomach of any potential buyer, but especially if it’s carpet. Carpet is, by its very nature, a sponge that attracts dirt, bad odors, and stains, and buyers no more want to walk on that than they want to use a toilet that hasn’t been cleaned in six months. Make your carpet squeaky-clean once everything’s out of the house by either renting a rug cleaner - they are widely available - or hiring a pro to come out and give it a thorough washing. As for wood floors, there is no sight that can make a buyer swoon like gleaming hardwood. Attain that fantasy by cleaning the floors to a high polish. Wood needs to be cleaned specially with either a commercial cleaner, which contains quick-drying isopropyl alcohol, or with a homemade solution of hot water and a capful of white vinegar. 

If you are preparing your home for sale, it pays to think about who may be buying it. Increasingly, especially in hot neighborhoods, that answer is “millennials.” Buyers from this generation are coming into their own en masse and demand for housing is rising swiftly. Right now they are the demographic that runs the market, due to size and influence. As “millennial” can encompass a wide range of ages, you could be dealing with first-time homeowners or established families with school-aged children. While the phrase “millennial” is nowhere near as homogenous as the media has led you to believe, it’s true that there are certain trends among the spectrum. Let’s talk about some of them right here. 

Storage Space

Despite stereotypes that paint us as frivolous and drawn to form over function, let me correct you: millennials love storage space. As this generation puts down roots and grows their families, they, like so many before them, have discovered that few aspects of a home are as attractive in the long run as plenty of room to store all their stuff. To that end, rooms with lots of built-ins that maximize space are very popular, along with expanded garages lined in cabinets. 

A Game Room

Young people are social creatures, and they want their homes to reflect that and provide generous space for entertainment. Studies have shown that when millennials check out potential homes, they have room for friends in mind. Consider staging your living space in a way that suggests “hang out” possibilities - a projector screen and comfy seating, or a large table with plenty of room for both dinner parties and card/game nights. 

USB Outlets

Millennials have plenty of devices - phones, tablets, etc. And all these toys require chargers. Charging ports are so passe - today’s buyer prefers that about half the outlets in the living/family room, bedrooms, and kitchen be swapped out with USB-charging outlets. This is a small touch, but it’s one that will have a big impact with your young buyers. 

Home Work Space

Increasingly, more and more Americans are working from home or telecommuting at least part-time. This is a move that leads to less traffic and car emissions, making life a little greener. A smart seller will stage one extra bedroom as a home office, with built-in shelving, desks, and bookcases. In a pinch, it doesn’t even need to be a whole room. A nook where the new homeowners can finish up their daily tasks or take a conference call will be equally attractive. 

Cutting-Edge Tech

This should be a given - of course today’s young people are obsessed with tech - but not everyone realizes that millennials want to have control of their homes in the palms of their hands. Appliances such as smart thermostats, smart doorbells, and more that can be controlled from an app are in hot demand these days, especially if they are low-cost and don’t require a monthly subscription, and so on. Connectivity is the name of the game. 

Very few people like bugs, and of those who do, I doubt that they want the creepy-crawlies running free in their homes. Here in Northern Virginia, we don’t have to deal with the palmetto bugs (cockroaches’ bigger, uglier cousins) that we had in my native Florida, but we do have little nasties that they have in most of the country: silverfish. Even if you don’t know these by name, you’ve probably seen them: they are a silvery-gray color, with what looks like a tail - hence the name. 

Silverfish have been around for a long time. I’m talking 100 million years before dinosaurs! These nocturnal, wingless bugs are rampant in all parts of the United States. They like humidity, so you might find them hanging out in basements, attics, crawl spaces, and the like. It’s an unpleasant surprise to stumble into your bathroom late at night and find one of these specimens, antennae flopping, crawling around your tub! 

The easiest way to get rid of these pests is to make your house unwelcoming to them and their friends. To this end, you should aim to eradicate places that they can nest - stacks of newspapers or old magazines are one prime example. Next, cut off their food supply. Vacuum frequently to pick up any yummy crumbs, and make sure that all dry food (especially cat or dog kibble) is stored in a sealed container. Rooms should be ventilated regularly, and any leaks in either your foundation or insulating pipes should be dealt with, pronto. 

The good news is that silverfish may be creepy, but they are nowhere as destructive as other communicable forms of vermin. They cannot bite humans or animals, thanks to their tiny jaws capable of gnawing on only paper and some microscopic bits of dry food, so they don’t spread disease. This also means that they can’t destroy your foundation, a la termites. But what they can do is nibble away relentlessly at treasured books, photo albums, and important documents. They can also contaminate your dry food (bags of rice, grains, etc.) by getting into improperly-sealed containers, meaning that you have to waste money and throw them out. 

In severe cases, you can and should consult with a professional pest removal service to get your silverfish problem in check. There are also DIY extermination methods that you can research online. Silverfish may not be the nuisance that termites, fleas, or roaches are, but you don’t want them in your home! It’s best to prevent, but if they’ve already invaded, you can take steps to send them packing. 

A lot of work goes into getting your home ready to sell. Sellers can spend a small fortune on deep-cleaning, painting, upgrading, and staging a home before it goes on the market. That’s why it’s a darn shame when owners overlook ONE aspect of their home that can absolutely make or break a potential buyer’s perception of it - the smell. 

No matter how good your home looks, if it has a foul odor hanging in the air when buyers come courting, they will be out the door faster than a teenage girl who just received free tickets to tonight’s Jonas Brothers revival concert. On the other hand, a home that smells clean or otherwise pleasantly fragrant upon entry can encourage house hunters to linger, and possibly even overlook some minor defects. So how do you make your house smell lovely? 

Deep clean the bathroom

It should come as no surprise to you that a grubby, unkempt bathroom is a huge turnoff for buyers. It can also be the source of lingering unpleasant odors. Get in there with some scented liquid cleaner and scrub, scrub, scrub.

Empty the trash cans

Your trash should be empty - not just “mostly” empty - when a prospective buyer comes to visit. As the homeowner, you can become “noseblind” to hovering odors coming from your trash can even when it is freshly changed. For best results, sprinkle the bottom of the can with baking soda before you line it. That will soak up any nasty smells. 

Pay attention to the carpets

Carpet is, unfortunately, one of the biggest (literally) magnets for trapping stench and dirt in your home. The situation is made much worse if you have pets, and, as we head into the summer, the heat can also compound any problems that may already exist. The answer is to rent or buy a carpet steamer or hire someone to professionally clean the carpets and have the job done right before an open house. 

Hide the soap

This tip works as a decorative one as well as a smell-friendly bit of advice: get some little baskets for your bathrooms, and drop travel-sized bars of soap into them. Unwrapped soap leaves a clean, pleasant fragrance in the air. But don’t stop there: unwrap more bars (even full-sized ones!) and hide them in closets or other enclosed spaces for that freshly-washed scent.

Get your bake on

Baking some cookies right before an open house has the dual effect of not only making your home (and especially the kitchen, the heart of the operation) smell yummy, but it also produces treats for your visitors, which you can arrange on a pretty dish right before you leave. 

One major stressor for buyers and sellers alike when it comes to buying and selling a home is the closing process. Both sides of the transaction are likely to have homes waiting in the wings, either to buy or sell, at the same time that they are completing the process. Timing is everything. And yet, it can easily take a couple of months to close on a home. Good news - it used to take a long time to close. Nowadays, if everyone has their ducks in a row, closing can be as quick as a few weeks. Some digital lenders even offer closings as brief as a few days. So what can you do to help keep the closing moving along speedily? 

Make sure your credit is tip-top

As is the case with most things in adult life, having great credit is the secret to getting what you want: in this case, a faster closing. According to finance website LendingTree, buyers with a credit score of above 760 (rating: excellent) have managed to close in an average of 38 days in 2019, while closings take an average of 45 days for those with scores below 720.

Get all your paperwork together BEFORE you pull the trigger

One process that can bring the closing process to a crawl is the exchange of paperwork between the borrower and the lender. This is usually due to the borrower not having their papers in order before they sign a purchase agreement. The requirements are very simple, and generally do not change between lenders. You will need at least a month’s worth of pay stubs, your last two or three W2 forms, and bank statements. Gathering all of that when you start your home search will make the inevitable process faster. 

Obtain a pre-approval letter FIRST

There is no good reason not to get preapproved for a mortgage before you start your home search. This will help speed the process along once you find the home of your dreams, and can seriously expedite the closing. Nowadays, many lenders can get you preapproved with a simple phone call. This way, you will know in advance what your purchase ceiling is, and what your conditions are. Better to deal with that at the beginning than to scramble towards the end of the transaction. 

Have cash in hand

You can slow things down a lot at the closing table if you don’t have the liquid cash you need for closing costs and other such things. Find out well in advance what you will need so that you can cut a check for the appropriate amount. 

Of course you know that a home inspection is a normal part of closing on a home once the papers have been signed. Did you know, however, that some sellers opt for a pre-listing home inspection? Paid for in advance of the home going on the market, there are several reasons why this can be a good idea for those looking to maximize their profits and go through a hassle-free closing. Read on to discover why a pre-listing home inspection might be the right choice for you.

It can clue you in to any problems with the house. 

It is not a pleasant feeling for any seller when the home inspection comes back with disturbing news. Now, all of the sudden, sellers are in a crunch to do repairs quickly to adhere to the soonest possible closing date, and buyers may feel that they are in a position to lower their offer on the house. There are no surprises when you have already had the home inspected before the listing, and you have plenty of time to make repairs and changes as the inspector recommends.

You may be able to ask a higher price for the home. 

Being able to boast to prospective buyers that the house is in sound shape - and being able to prove it - is a fabulous selling point for any home. Buyers will know going in that they, too, won’t be surprised by problems at the presale inspection, and they will feel good knowing that they are getting a solid product. Your house having a clean bill of health will also allow you as the seller to have the upper hand when it comes to negotiations, as buyers won’t have much room to wheel n’ deal based on the condition of the structure.

Fixes fall on your schedule. 

When a presale home inspection turns up problems like an aging roof or an HVAC unit on its last legs, sellers are forced to fix the issues as quickly as possible, or risk losing the sale. This can often lead to choosing a contractor or professional without a lot of time to vet them thoroughly, or being counted as a last-minute job, which costs more than if you had a few weeks of leisure. When you get an inspection before listing, you have the time to make repairs on your own terms, with exactly who you want, when you want. 

Keep this in mind, however. 

Once you have your home inspected and know what its faults are, you are legally obligated to disclose any defects to the prospective buyers. This can come around to bite you in the butt if you are unwilling to make major repairs, and could end up as a bargaining chip for the other party. Consider your budget and willingness to make problems right before you commit to a pre-listing home inspection. 

The kitchen is frequently referred to as the heart of the home, and it’s often one of the areas of a house that prospective buyers scrutinize the closest when they are in the market for somewhere new to live. Trends come and go, but it is always the case that buyers like a luxe, clean kitchen. If you're selling your home and kitchen is dated or has cheap fixtures, or if it feels claustrophobic, this can either be a deal breaker or cause you to lose profits on the house because you get continuous bad feedback on the kitchen. Luckily, attaining an attractive, clean kitchen that appears high-end does not necessarily require a total reno. With these easy tips, you can make your kitchen look inviting and opulent without costing a fortune. 

Bad Lighting

Harsh overhead fluorescent lighting can throw an ugly sallow cast over everything in your kitchen and, worse, remind buyers of cubicle illumination at work. This is compounded when the lights are covered by yellowing, ancient plastic. The solution, of course, is to replace the lights. This need not break the budget, either. Hanging simple pendant lights or a striking-but-thrifty chandelier can brighten up your room in more ways than one, and make everything look cozier. 

Dated, Faded Linoleum

Many, many homeowners are in the predicament of having cheap linoleum in the kitchen instead of the much-desired hardwood floors that buyers love. The obvious fix would be to replace the floors, but this is out of many owners’ budgets. Consider covering a large section of your uninspiring floor with an eye-catching area rug for an updated look, or, if you have the coin, refloor the kitchen with an inexpensive but attractive tile.

Clutter of Any Kind

We all have that one counter in the kitchen that accumulates unopened bills and other miscellany, and it looks equally sloppy for all of us. One of the things homebuyers most hate in a kitchen is clutter, so now would be a great time to stick all those bills in the filing cabinet and clear the room of unnecessary tchotchkes - your shot glass collection, any bottles of preserved olive oil, frou-frou baskets or ceramics - you know what we’re talking about. 

Fake Plants

You aren’t fooling anyone with that fake ivy plant hanging down from the space between your cabinets and ceiling, I’m sorry to say. There was a time when silk greenery was considered a classy way to dress up your kitchen, but faux plants read as fake no matter how expensive they are, and they make most kitchens look cheap. Ditch all the pretend plants and stick with a vase of fresh-cut blooms or a small windowsill herb garden that checks the boxes of both form and function.

If you are contemplating becoming a nurse, good for you! You have chosen a career that is not only rewarding and pays a livable wage, but is one that is held in high regard in our society. The only downside to nursing school is that entrance is competitive. Only scholars at the top of their game will gain admission to the RN/BSN programs at Northern Virginia nursing schools. While you are polishing up your transcript, here are the details on some of the programs in NoVA.

George Mason University

This public university in Fairfax has been nationally recognized, not just for their nursing programs. GMU was ranked one of the top five “up-and-coming institutions” in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. In 2011, U.S. News & World Report also ranked the School of Nursing graduate program as a Top Online Education Program. One of the big pros of getting a nursing degree at George Mason is that your opportunities are not limited by program options. GMU offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs with offered concentration areas of nursing administration, nurse educator, advanced clinical nursing and nurse practitioner; or a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, intended for those individuals who desire to work as expert clinical nurses.

Marymount University

This coed Catholic institution is located in Arlington, just a hop-skip-jump away from the Capital. Its BSN program is open to prospective nurses coming from many walks of life: high school graduates, current RNs and second-degree students. There is also an MSN program, which prepares students for family practice when they graduate. The learning experience revolves around lab and clinical experiences in order to ready fledgling nurses for certification exams offered by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the American Nurses Credentialing Committee. Areas of study include advanced pathophysiology, health care data analysis and nursing research design. Marymount additionally offers a DNP program for experienced nurses who wish to focus on advanced clinical practice. Before they can matriculate, all DNP candidates must prepare a manuscript and present it at a national conference. 

Northern Virginia Community College

With six locations across NoVA, and the main campus located in Annandale, NVCC is a more affordable and accessible route to a nursing career for many students. Only an Associate of Applied Science in Nursing degree program is offered. This degree gets students on track for nursing positions in many different healthcare environments. Generally the program is completed in two years, but there are flexible options for an accelerated track with summer courses and a hybrid online option. 

I should start by saying that this post is not intended to make you feel good about going through foreclosure, because I don’t think that any amount of words could do that. If you are in the midst of having your home repossessed for non-payment, it’s probably the most demoralizing experience of your life. But, there’s something you should know about foreclosure: that almost everything you know is wrong. The ins and outs of this process are vastly misunderstood and misrepresented in popular media. Hopefully, with an injection of reality, the process will seem less scary and daunting to you. 

The bank doesn’t want to take your home. 

Believe me, the bank doesn’t want to take your house any more than you don’t want them to do it. Banks are, after all, in the business of lending and dealing with money, not owning houses. In fact, if you keep open lines of communication with your bank - no dodging phone calls, total honesty about your situation - you may be surprised by how many programs and opportunities the bank has to work with. Foreclosure is an absolutely last-ditch action for your lender. 

You can stop an active foreclosure process. 

You are not a helpless sideline character in the fate of your home. Up until the point that your home goes up for public auction on the steps of the courthouse. You can refinance with another lender, you can manage to raise funds, you can work something out with the bank… the situation is far from hopeless. 

They won’t immediately evict you.

If you have missed a couple of mortgage payments and your situation is starting to feel scary, know that the bank cannot evict you from your house until the foreclosure process is complete - a process that can take almost a year. And, depending on your situation, you may actually be allowed to stay in your home longer than that. Once again, open communication and honesty are key. Take this time to really evaluate your options and decide what you are going to do. 

Your credit is not ruined for life, and you can eventually buy another home. 

Foreclosure stays on your credit report for seven years. During that time, you can work on bettering your credit by making regular payments on your car, credit cards, and any other loans you have. Between two and four years into the foreclosure penalty phase, you may find that you have better credit than you ever did before. And yes, you will be able to buy another house - in less than seven years, even! Your mortgage will undoubtedly have a higher interest rate, but you will be able to get a home within a few years. 

If you sell your home for more than you owe on your mortgage, surely you get cut a (hopefully fat) check for the difference, right? Well, the answer to that one is a big “we’ll see.” Little do you know if you haven’t been in this situation before, but sellers have a lot of people and fees that need paying when they come to the closing table. All these debts have to be paid before you can see any profit - if you even do at all! 

Here’s how the money moves around after the sale: a go-between between buyer and

 seller, who could be an escrow company, a real estate agent or attorney, or a title company, handles the transfer of the check from the buyer’s lender, which is used to pay off the seller’s mortgage. But, as you’ve already learned, the balance left over doesn’t go straight into your checking account.

On the top of the “pay me” list are the real estate agents who handled the house purchase and sale. If you used a pro to sell your house, you have to pay their commission out of the home’s proceeds. If the buyer also used an agent, that commission is split between the two realtors. The commission for a home sale is usually five or six percent of the purchase price, and you will know exactly what it is for your situation because it will be spelled out for you in the listing agreement. The go-between, previously mentioned, will cut a check to the agent or agents. Should there not be enough money after the home sale, you will have to get your own checkbook out and pay the balance yourself. 

Then there are closing costs. While it’s true that these costs are typically incurred by buyers, sellers have their share of closing costs that must be deducted from the purchase proceeds. These fees total about one to three percent of the purchase price, and generally include recording fees, title insurance premiums, and other such necessities. You will also have to pay the year’s taxes on the house. Most homes’ taxes are paid in arrears, which means that the taxes you paid in 2019 were actually meant to cover 2018. You will have to bring the taxes up to date before you can say goodbye to the house. 

Finally, if there is any money left after dealing with all those payments - then and only then - you will see a check for your profit on the house. Congratulations!