Your
October 2024
your real estate insider
Test your credit score knowledge
Fall Lawn care Checklist
Front Doors
Tips to Sell Your Home this Fall
October Home Maintence
Market Update
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www.betsyturnage.com
Betsy Turnage
Test your credit score knowledge
Which of these things does not typically impact your credit score?
A: Paying off the minimum balance on your credit cards every month
B: Making your car loan payment on time every month
C: The amount of money you have invested in the stock market
D: How long your credit accounts have been open
67% of Americans polled answered correctly
When buying a house, your credit is monitored and can affect your mortgage until...
A: The day of closing
B: Pre-approval
C: Making an offer
D: Going under contract
67% of Americans polled answered correctly
How long should you wait to buy a house after taking out a car loan?
A: 2 weeks
B: 6 months
C: 2 years
D: 3 months
67% of Americans polled answered correctly
How high does your credit score need to be to qualify for a conventional mortgage?
A: 700
B: 550
C: 620
D: 740
67% of Americans polled answered correctly
Rank the most important pieces of your credit score from most to least important...
1 - Amount of credit you're using
2 - Payment history
3 -The length of your credit history
67% of Americans polled answered correctly
Fall Lawn Care Checklist
Time Your Pruning
Don’t prune while plants are still actively blooming. Instead, wait until later in the fall when blooms fade and fall. Once a shrub’s blooms fade and leaves drop, trim down dead blooms and make height adjustments with haste before the plants can fully go dormant. For most things, stop pruning at the end of August until all of the leaves drop. Don't prune evergreen or deciduous plants after the end of August.
Fertilize Your Lawn
Despite what people may think, you actually do want to feed your plants before they go dormant. It helps them go to sleep before the cold weather comes in. Once the cold rolls in, there's no need to fertilize again until spring.
Don’t Stop Watering
Don’t be fooled into thinking that falling leaves means you can abandon your watering efforts. Watering is still very important, especially for young plants.
Clean Up Mowing Debris
Make sure that when you're mowing, you bag all that debris. You don't want that to build up on the lawn in the wintertime. You want to make sure you keep the lawn as clean as possible to alleviate issues like brown patches that can happen in the dormant season. The cleaner you can keep it in the fall, the healthier it'll be. If let be, fallen leaves can smother your freshly planted grass. Prevent this from happening by raking leaves up and keeping the law tidy. Another option is to use a mulching mower to shred leaves into a substance that can be helpful for the lawn.
Adjust Irrigation
Once the temperatures drop, you want to make sure you adjust your irrigation runtimes. Those working with an irrigation system will want to run it as late as they possibly can while still giving the lawn time to dry before the day heats up. For example, instead of running irrigation at midnight like one might in the summer, experts recommend switching to doing so at 6 a.m. By running it at midnight, you're letting that moisture sit on the turf all night and that'll cause fungal issues. If you let water sit too long, that's when you get fungal issues like brown patches.
Contain Thatch
In the fall, take the time to prioritize your soil health. Check for thatch, a layer of dead organic plant material that sits between the turf and soil by unearthing a small patch of turf. If there’s more than an inch or so, you’ll need to remove the excess in the fall by pulling it out with a machine so it won’t stay there all winter.
the best
Front Door
paint colors
When it comes to creating a strong first impression for your home, the front door plays a pivotal role. It serves as the focal point of your exterior, welcoming guests and greeting you and your neighbors daily. From its architectural style to the selection of hardware, the front door not only introduces the home but also sets the overall aesthetic tone. Selecting the perfect paint color is an essential step, as it should harmonize with your home’s architecture, blend thoughtfully with the surroundings, and, of course, reflect your personal preference. In the magazine, Southern Living, key designers have shared their top recommendations.
Neutral
Farrow & Ball
Black Blue No. 95
White Tie No. 2002
Green
Benjamin Moore
Georgian Green HC-115
Farrow & Ball
Bancha No. 298
Studio Green No. 93
Blue
Farrow & Ball
Powder Blue No. 23
Benjamin Moore
Palladian Blue HC-144
Wythe Blue HC-143
Tips to Sell Your Home this Fall
It’s common knowledge that spring is the peak real estate season and the best time of year to sell a house. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t sell (and make a profit) during other times of the year, including the fall.
While it’s true that housing inventory (the number of homes on the market) is lower in the fall than in the spring and summer, it’s also true that buyers who are shopping in the fall are likely to be serious about buying. Fall buyers may be moving because of a job relocation or change in a family situation, so they’re often eager to close a deal. And, the hotter your local real estate market, the less significant a role seasonality plays.
Advantages of selling your house in the fall
- Serious buyers want to purchase quickly, before the busy holiday season and bad weather set in.
- The seasonal atmosphere makes your home feel warm and welcoming.
- It’s a misconception that most buyers are home shopping to fit their kids’ school year schedules. In fact, more than half of buyers don’t have kids under 18 at home, so the fall is as good a time as any.
- In early fall, it’s typically light enough to do weeknight showings, in addition to weekend open houses.
Challenges of selling your house in the fall
- Since it’s an off-peak season, there are simply fewer buyers than there are in spring.
- Worsening weather can make showings difficult, and falling leaves make it hard to keep up with autumn curb appeal.
- The 44 percent of buyers who do have kids generally prefer to be settled in a new home before the school year starts.
- Work and school schedules are busy and holiday plans can make it hard to schedule showings.
Question 1 - Answer C
Question 2 - Answer A
Question 3 - Answer B
Question 4 - Answer C
Question 5 - Answer:
1- Payment history
2- Amount of credit you're using
3- The length of your credit history
Quiz
answers
October Home
Maintenance
Examine your foundation
Take a walk around your home to check the foundation for cracks. It can cause big trouble in the winter when the rain hits. Address cracks immediately.
Close up the pool
There may be a few hot days left this month, but the swim season is winding down. When you’re ready, clean, close, and cover your pool for winter, or call your pool maintenance company to do it for you.
Shut off sprinklers
Shut your sprinkler system off for the winter to protect it from freezing temps.
Inspect your sump pump
Ensure it’s in good working order before rain causes a rise in groundwater.
563
NEW
LISTINGS
383
HOMES
SOLD
25
DAYS ON
MARKET
$1,189,824
AVERAGE
SALE PRICE
market update
Williamson County
Is your home value falling like the leaves?
what is your home worth today?
Betsy Turnage
Affiliate Broker 615.406.7556
betsyturnage615@gmail.com
www.betsyturnage.com