Terri Lynne McNaughton Team's Blog

Happy New Year!

1/1/2009 8:57:00 AM

Happy New Year! Its a new year with New oppourtunity's we are here to help you with all of your real estate goals. If you searching for a New Home or investment property or maybe you just want to rent the perfect home because you arent sure exactly what your looking for. 2009 will be a great year! Focus on your Dreams and Live Life with passion!

New Websites

12/28/2008 7:14:00 PM

We are making alot of changes to our websites to make them search friendly. From our newest website www.mcnaughtonteam.com you can can do quick searches for Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville, Farmington, West Fork. You can search all of NWA listings from there also. You can also get information about community, buying and selling, staging, or even schedule our moving truck. We also have a avoid foreclosure website www.cdpehelp.com. Learn what CDPE means and how it can help you!

Don't Be Hosed!

10/27/2008 9:58:00 AM

The first Freeze is just around the corner! It's very important that you un-hook your water hose from the spigot! If the hose is not removed, it can freeze and bust and cause major problems and leaks! This can be a very costly problem that is easily avoided by simply un-hooking your water hose.

Burglar Proof your Garage

10/13/2008 8:17:00 AM

Treat any door to your garage like an external door, which means making sure it has a good dead bolt on it. Burglars will scour neighborhoods with common brands of remote openers, looking for garage doors that will open. Change your garage-door opener code. New openers come with factory-set codes that are meant to be changed, but many people neglect to do so. Keep your car locked with the alarm on, even in your garage, and consider additional anti-theft devices such as The Club or any device that allows you to track your vehicle through a GPS system. Use a large key lockbox in the garage for storing rarely used car keys. Make sure garage lights can be turned on from inside the house so you never have to walk into a dark garage.

Inviting Yard is Profitable

10/13/2008 8:11:00 AM

Choose your landscaping project carefully. The value of landscaping is directly related to its permanence, yielding up to a 200% return on your investment. Some landscaping ideas to keep in mind:

Trees add the most value followed by flowering shrubs. Plants that need to be replanted every year or require excessive care and pruning hold the least value.

Keep your design unified and proportional to the size of your yard. An overpowering landscape may be attractive for a city park, but a turn-off to prospective buyers.

Cover the difficult areas. Bark chips, mulch and crushed rock are good solutions for the areas of the yard where its difficult to grow or mow the grass.

10 Reasons to Avoid Foreclosure

10/7/2008 12:25:00 PM

1. The client will always have to disclose that they have had a foreclosure on any mortgage application and many job applications they submit in the future and this can have an adverse affect on your future mortgage rates. This is the only credit item that is asked specifically and does not rely on what is on an individuals' credit report.

2. Credit scores will be lowered by 300+ points and a foreclosure is the most devastating credit issue you can have in relation to future credit availability.

3. A foreclosure is the one credit report item that is almost impossible to have repaired.

4. Your lender can seek a deficiency judgment against you and collect for any amount they do not recuperate at bank sale.

5. Many employers run credit checks on prospective employees and foreclosure is one of the top items that will put a potential new hire in jeopardy.

6. Many current employers run credit checks and a foreclosure can put a current position in jeopardy

7. Security clearances and government positions including but not limited to military and law enforcement can be jeopardized by a foreclosure.

8. The client may be responsible for any deficiencies after foreclosure for an intermediate. Period of time depending on the state you live in; this can land a homeowner in never ending collections.

9. "As your CDPE agent I will explore every option with you and work toward a resolution

10 "While it may not seem like it now there will come a time where your current financial troubles will pass. You will feel much better knowing that you did everything you could to avoid this devastating financial consequence so many people face today?

Certified Distressed Property Institute

10/7/2008 12:14:00 PM

Terri Lynne and I recently attended class in Orlando Flordia to recieve our Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) Designation. This designation gives us the knowledge and the tools to help troubled homeowners in distressed situations potentially avoide foreclosure and do a short sale with the bank. This is a cruicial part of the real estate market right now and staying on top of constant changes and laws allow us to help our current clients and future clients in need of selling there home.

$7,500 Tax Credit to First Time Home Buyers

8/8/2008 10:14:00 AM

First Time Home Buyers Receive a $7,500 tax credit for the purchase of any home on or after April 9th 2008 and before July 1, 2009

Tax Credit is Refundable so if you pay less than $7,500 in federal income taxes, then the government will write you a check for the difference

All homes qualify, single-family, town homes, condominium apartments providing the home will be used as a principal residence and the buyer has not owned a home in the prior three years.

For all the details about this great opportunity email info@mcnaughtonrealtors.com

Home Sale Stoppers

4/24/2008 9:17:00 AM

Unintentional neglects are real sales stoppers.

Sometimes, after spending many comforting years in their homes, sentimental and subjective sellers overlook potential home sale stoppers. Points of neglect by the seller, such as stains on the ceilings, drains that run slowly or walls which show signs of pipe leaks, are all red flags to buyers. The seller who have lived with these malfunctions can let their emotional attachment overshadow their practical judgment. Beware! These problems become deferred maintenance nightmares to potential buyers.

Also, make these improvements before you sell:

Clean up and remove clutter

A new coat of paint, new carpeting, freshly manicured landscaping, updated fixtures, windows, doors and other touches can put your home in the best light.

Add Value to Your Home!

4/24/2008 9:10:00 AM

Whether you're building or remodeling, it's the extras that can add considerably to your enjoyment as well as the resale value of your home. According to a survey of consumer preferences by the National Association of Home Builders, here are the amenities that homeowners want most:

Double sink in the kitchen

Walk-in Pantry

Island work area in the Kitchen

Built-in Microwave Oven

Home Office

Soundproofing

Walk-in his and hers closets

Linen closet in the bathroom

Separate shower enclosure

Private toilet compartment

Dressing/Make up area

Laundry room near kitchen or bedroom

Exterior Lighting

Deck/patio at the rear of the house

Built-in sprinkler system

Front porch

Savings on Home Energy Costs

4/24/2008 9:04:00 AM

According to the Department of Energy, electricity for heating and cooling cost the average family $1,500 per year. That cost is expected to climb to $1,640 during the next five years fueling families to consider "zero-energy homes", a highly energy -efficient design meant to produce as much electricity as it uses. The Federal Energy Policy Act provides a tax credit of up to 30 percent of the system's cost (to a maximum of $2,000) when purchasing a new home with solar equipment. The credit is part of a nationwide initiative to reduce home energy consumption 70 percent by year 2020

Home Selling Tips

4/24/2008 8:59:00 AM

Home sellers spend a lot of time and money on the interior of their homes and tend to forget the part everyone sees. the first impression the potential buyer is going to have of your home is the exterior. the big three exterior concerns are the roof, windows and paint. Check the roof to see if the shingles are warped or curling. If they are you will need to decide if they can be repaired or if a replacement is needed. Do all the windows open and close easily? Are there signs of leaking? Does the exterior paint have cracks, blisters or wrinkles? Maybe a power washing and a little touch up can bring it back to life. Remember, no one buying a home wants to spend the first six months replacing a roof, windows, and repainting.

Household Pet Safety

1/8/2008 11:15:00 AM

The average home can be a dangerous place for pets. The best way to ensure the safety of canine or feline friends is to be aware of possible household dangers (electrical cords, liquid potpourri, toxic plants, chemcials in cleaning products, etc) Also, be preparied in case an emergency arises. The American Veterinary Medical Association at www.avma.org has information on household hazards and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at www.apcc.aspca.org has an extensive list of toxic and nontoxic plants. Being prepared and aware will give peace of mind that your pet is sharing your home safely.

The Power of Flowers

1/8/2008 11:09:00 AM

Flowers really do brighten your day, according to Harvard researchers. In the study, two groups of people lived with either fresh flowers or decorative item like a candle for about a week; their emotions were recorded several times a day. Those who kept flowers were kinder and more compassionate toward other, and felt less negative overall. What's more, they said the positive vibes even made it from home o work, where they felt happier, more enthusiastic, and more energized. So imagine what fresh flowers could do in your home to a prospective buyer.

Helping Home Sales

1/8/2008 11:05:00 AM

Existing home sales have cooled forcing sellers to go to new lengths to catch a prospective buyer's eye. Here are two ways to help sellers make a house look its very best: Design lite - "Home Stagers" at www.stagedhomes.com specialize in readying a house for sale. Charging about $75.00 an hour, they might temporarily bring in new furniture, plnats and other accents. Mini makeover-Professional rearrangrs, refiners and "microdesigners" charge about $50 an hour to display furniture and knick-knacks in a visually appealing way at www.interiorrefiners.com

What is AMT?

1/8/2008 11:00:00 AM

It is the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) whose origins date back to the late 1960's and was designed to make sure a small number of very wealthy people couldn't avoid paying federal income taxes. Now, however, it's hitting growing numbers of other people. The number of people that could be hit by the AMT for 2007 will soar to more than 23 million from about four million last year

Old Main

10/2/2007 7:19:00 AM

The symbol of higher education in Arkansas, Old Main was the first permanent building to be erected on the ArkansasIndustrialUniversity campus. Its exterior was finished in 1875, just three years after the university opened for classes. It is the oldest building still standing on the campus and the only one built in the 19th century still standing.

Initially, it was simply referred to as “the University building,” but it was formally named University Hall in 1895. By the turn of the 20th century, the more sentimental name of Old Main had gained currency, and the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees officially changed the name to Old Main in 1991.

A firm at Helena, Arkansas, McKay and Helmle, was originally considered for designing a university hall, but trustees visited campuses in Illinois and Michigan, coming away set on having a main building like the one at IllinoisIndustrialUniversity, designed by John Mills Van Osdel, a Chicago architect. Although the two buildings were nearly identical, the towers were swapped, with the taller bell tower to the right side of the building and the smaller clock tower moved to the left. Although the reason for the switch is unknown, two myths for why this switch occurred have attained:

Moving the taller tower to the north would symbolize the Union’s victory in the Civil War, waged only a decade earlier.
The contractor while drunk got the plans backwards.

Whatever the reason, the switch made it easier for residents of downtown Fayetteville to see the clock tower, not that there was a clock to see. Because of expense, installation of a clock was put off.

The construction bid from Mayes and Oliver of Fayetteville was accepted, and Joseph Carter Corbin, the superintendent of public instruction for Arkansas and ex-officio president of the university board of trustees, signed the $123,885 contract for erection of University Hall. John McKay was made supervising architect, and two Fayetteville civic leaders, Lafayette Gregg and Stephen K. Stone, were added to the trustees’ building committee.

Materials for construction came mostly from local sources. Lumber was milled at Peter Van Winkle’s mill near the historic War Eagle Mill and hauled to Fayetteville by oxen. Bricks were made from clay deposits on the south side of Fayetteville and fired in the brickyard of John L. Kelton. Cut stone for the exterior trim came from northeast Washington and western Madison counties. And sandstone for the foundation and basement was quarried near the building.

Old Main’s architectural style is known as Second Empire, and its mansard roof is perhaps the most obvious expression of that style. The east portico, however, is a classical design and is immortalized in the official seal of the university.

Although the building has needed repairs almost as soon as it was finished and has been remodeled almost as often as new academic programs were initiated at the university. By the early 1980s, though, the building was closed because of safety concerns. A fund-raising campaign was launched to renovate the structure, and it was rededicated in 1991.

In 2005, a clock was finally installed as part of the culmination of the Campaign for the Twenty-First Century. Today, Old Main is home to the dean’s offices of the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences as well as several academic departments.

Graffiti Removal and Cleanup

10/2/2007 7:15:00 AM

Fayetteville Police Chief Greg Tabor announced in April 2007 the Fayetteville Police Department in partnership with Fayetteville in Bloom, Target, and the Fayetteville Fire Department will now provide graffiti cleanup kits to Fayetteville citizens that are victims of graffiti.

With instances of graffiti in Fayetteville on the rise, officers from the Fayetteville Police Department^TMs Community Policing Division began working with other community stakeholders and representatives from the City of Fayetteville to develop ways to assist citizens with the removal of graffiti on private property. By teaming up with Fayetteville in Bloom and Target, the Fayetteville Police Department was able to obtain the materials needed for graffiti clean up kits.

The kits are available to citizens at each Fayetteville Fire Station and available for pick up by citizens victimized by graffiti. Citizens must first file a police report and take the incident number to the Fire Station to sign out a clean up kit. Once the graffiti has been removed, the citizens are asked return the kit to the Fire Station.

McNaughton Team New Virtual Tour Software

9/28/2007 1:04:00 PM

We have choosen a new virtual tour program to better server our clients. This is an excellent program is highlights your homes features very well. Plus it has mapping, downloadable feature sheets and flyers, and the best of all is that it will tell us and you how many people have viewed your home online even down to how many views each room has had! This should really help us be very accurate as to how many "Virtual Showings" you get. Virtual Showings is the new way prospective buyers view homes. You can check out our tours at http://tours.tourfactory.com/results.asp?u=38230&home=www.mcnaughtonrealtors.com&m=1&p=1

Enjoy a Cup of Coffee and a morning walk in Fayetteville.

9/28/2007 9:16:00 AM

Recently while having coffee with a friend, we decided to schedule mornings to explore the new Fayetteville walking trails. Our first morning we met at Panera Bread on Front Street for a cup of coffee to go. The Mud Creek Trail crosses under HWY 71B about 200 yards north of Panera. Total trail distance is 2.1 miles with the HWY 71B access being about equal distance from each end. The trail is paved and provides a great two way path for walkers, bikes or strollers. A round trip in either direction is about 2 miles. We did both directions round trip for a great 4 mile hike that made us ready for a second cup at Panera.