The Equitable Division Of Property And A Business

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The Von Esch Law Group prides itself on its unique expertise and experience in matters of property division and the division of other assets. Our business valuation process is handled by our in-house business and real estate department which can provide valuable insight into the many complexities of business and property division. Our experts include highly qualified investigators, appraisers and forensic accountants and these experts are a formidable team when working to achieve the best interests of our clients.

We know that many factors are involved in assessing the character of a property and the property’s current value. The complexities of this process include but are not limited to:

-The origin of the property or the business (Is the property separate or community property?)

-The valuation of the property and the busienss.

-Ownership agreements and structure

-Accounting practices

-The business type or class

-The existence of a breach of fiduciary duty

-The existence of Prenuptial and Postnuptial agreements.

The primary factors in assessing the value of assets are designed to:

-Achieve an equitable division of property and a business.

-Determine property and business buy-outs.

-Protection for our clients from unfair asset division demands.

All parties to an equitable division of assets will have a perception of what the value of each asset is, and usually they do not share the same perception. Since there are several approaches to establishing an equitable valuation, our expert staff will use the most accurate methods.

The commonly accepted method used to establish the value of property involves the assessment of data that will establish value according to the value of similar properties in the area adjusted for any high-end improvements. Our experts know the best method to use for ensuring that our valuation will be approved by a court if that step is necessary. However, our approach is so thorough and very well documented that the opposition usually will not oppose it.

Our methods for valuating a business are much more complex, but our staff is highly trained and very well experienced in valuing a business regardless of its activity. We go well beyond the minimal valuation of using just the money that would be derived from the sale of assets less the amount required for debt liquidation. Using complex but proven mathematical formulas, we will look at trends found in historical earnings and the results of gross income multipliers. Assessing the value of the goodwill of the business is also important in arriving at a value.

Once a value has been established, we will recommend a method for equitable disposition of the business. We will protect the interest of our client in making this recommendation. Selling the business may not be the best alternative, so we can recommend a buy-out agreement for the other party. We can also structure a continuous operation agreement with a structured schedule for buy-out payments over a period of time.

The Von Esch Law Group can deal successfully with any challenge you face in a division of property and a business. Our experts will manage any challenge you face in these issues.

Property Damage

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There are various forms in which a person can suffer property damage ranging from natural causes to man-related accidents. Some causes include earthquakes, storms, fires and other disasters. Property can as well get destroyed as a result of the negligence of another party. So, when your property has been destroyed, as a homeowner, you can seek compensation though sometimes it might be an uphill task. At such times, you need an experienced lawyer in property law from Von Esch Law Group. We have the right attorneys who’ll take your case and ensure you get the correct compensation. Our lawyers have great expertise and the experience to win your case.

My property has been damaged, what should I do?
Accidents do occur and when they happen, it’s excellent to respond as fast as you can so as to lower the extent of the property damage. Here at Von Esch Law Group, we always advise our clients to ensure they get in touch with their assets damage litigation lawyers. Ensure you get the right guidance and counselling since legal procedures that relate to property damage are sensitive, and you might end making some grave mistakes.

You will also have to get in touch with the correct authorities dealing with investigations so as to know the source of your property damage that will be used to know whether you will get compensated. As earlier said, do all that you can to reduce the damages like taking some steps that will prevent or stop further damage from happening. Here at Von Esch Law Group, we have our competent attorneys who will help you on these matters as they look at your case in a professional manner.

Is my property covered under my insurance?
Most homeowners always have some protection against property damage from different insurance companies. However, there are different types of protection and as an owner you need to know whether your policy covers the entire property. Ensure you undertake a close evaluation of the particular damage that your policy covers.

You need to understand that, having a cover doesn’t guarantee you that you will get compensated when a disaster strikes and your property has been damaged. Before you have signed and start paying your premium for a cover, ensure you understand the policy well and where you’ve issues, consult an attorney in property damage to help you.

What happens when someone’s negligence causes my property damage?
Not all property damages result from accidents that couldn’t get prevented. Someone might have slept on their job that led to the accident. In such a case, we at Von Esch Law Group will help you have the negligent person held liable and paid for the damages.

Why choose us?
Our attorneys at Von Esch Law Group are well experienced in property law, and we have served different clients who can be individuals or institutions. Come to us today and also get free legal advice on matters relating to property damage. We make you more informed about your rights.

Making Your Case For Spousal Support

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After separating from your spouse, you are likely to experience some financial challenges. Depending on what kind of separation you had, you may be entitled to spousal support that can help your financial situation. When deciding if a spouse is entitled to spousal support benefits, the court will consider various aspects regarding their marriage. The main factor that they will consider is whether or not you have children and if so, who is the primary caretaker for these children. They will also consider your lifestyle before the divorce took place and also your marital standard of living.

When preparing a spousal support case, you will need to include several documents that basically show where and how you spend your money. Some of the documents you will include are:

1. Credit-Card Statements
2. Checking Account Statements
3. Credit Reports
4. Passports
5. Tax Returns
6. Gift Tax Returns

The best thing to do when seeking spousal support is to be prepared. It is important that you protect yourself and your children. Make sure that you have an experienced attorney by your side that is after your best interests.

For more information regarding Von Esch Law Group and their legal services, visit their website and Facebook page!

How Real Estate Attorneys Can Help You

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Those in the real estate business know that it only takes one bad transaction to mess you up completely. It helps to be diligent and exercise caution in all your real estate endeavors. To safeguard your interests, and prevent financial loss, it is highly recommended to work with a real estate lawyer who is knowledgeable of local laws. When seeking help on real estate law, Orange, California residents understand that they can count on Von Esch Law group for all their real estate law requirements. Here are a few matters that real estate attorneys handle.

They draft, review and negotiate real estate documents such as sale and purchase agreements, commercial or residential leases and many more. The attorneys represent parties who are involved in litigation. This normally happens when there is an eviction issue between a landlord and a tenant or when there are legal issues that are emerging between construction companies and owners of homes that are under construction. This may be because there are defects and other malfunctions in the property. Issues may also arise when the owner complains of poor workmanship by the contractor.

Von Esch Law Group helps to present a development proposal to the community where a project is to be undertaken. This is normally done in a community board hearing. Also, when a client wants to get a permission to obtain a variance or any other zoning relief, a real estate attorney can help make the necessary submission on behalf of the client.

Moreover, the legal service providers can represent a developer in a meeting with environmental management agencies when they want to prove that they have taken the required steps to satisfy environmental-due diligence procedures. Lawyers work with environmental experts in ensuring that the development project meets the stated environmental condition.

Von Esch Law Group offer valuable advice to those who want to develop joint projects where the community will share common interests. An example to this is when a condominium is being built and where there will be many shared facilities.

The attorneys provide valuable tax advice that will help their clients avoid unfavorable consequences in their transactions. For example, clients will need to understand what tax implications different forms of ownership have and also the effects that tax defer kind of transaction may offer.

In scenarios where there are disputes or disagreements and the matter end up in court, Von Esch Law Group will ensure that the interests of their clients are safeguarded. For instance, they will carry out an investigation about the underlying facts and call in a witness in the case.

For more information regarding Von Esch Law Group and their real estate law services, visit their website and Facebook page below!

http://www.voneschlaw.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Von-Esch-Law-Group/787869571246480?fref=ts

Tax Court Goes To Webster For Definition Of Construction – And Watch That NAICS Code

If you are involved in construction and reconstruction, you may get a better deal on your losses from rental real estate and beginning with 2013 avoid the Obamacare tax on gains from rental real estate.  But what exactly is construction and reconstruction?  The Tax Court had to look it up in the dicitionary.  Here’s the story.

Some Background

The stake in the heart of the tax shelter vampire provided by the Tax Reform Act of 1986 was Code Section 469 , which introduced the oxymoronic concept – passive activities.  Other sections of the Code, like those concerning S corporations discuss “passive income” – interest and dividends and the like, but such investment income is not the passive activity income that 469 refers to.  Passive activity income and more significantly loss comes from a trade or business activity in which you do not materially participate.  We are required to divide our trade or business income from proprietorships, partnerships and S Corporations into two buckets.  If the passive bucket is a net loss, the loss is suspended and carried forward to be used if there is passive income in the future or when the underlying activity is entirely disposed.

The rules about how you classify your activities and measure material participation are mind boggling in their complexity.  Don’t get me started.  There is one rule that created a lot of angst, though.  Rental activities are per se passive.  This was troubling to people in the real estate industry who might for example have rental losses on a development while making money on the sale of property.  So a special rule was created for people involved in real estate trades or businesses.  If you spend more than 750 hours per year in real estate trades or businesses and the amount of time that you spend in the real estate trades is greater than the amount of time you spending doing anything else, then the per se passive rental income rule does not apply to you.  Rental losses are not passive, if you materially participate in the related properties.

Not Easy For People With Day Jobs To Be Considered Real Estate Pros

For some reason, the IRS is particularly zealous in enforcing Code Section 469.  If you have substantial income and are posting losses from rental activities, you can put as many “I love Obama” signs on your lawn as you want and you still have a better than average chance of being challenged. At least that is my inference from the cases I read and some discussions with other practitioners.

The way the cases have broken, people with non-real estate day jobs who claim that they spend more time on their amateur landlord activity are almost always accused of having insufficient records of their time, “ballpark guestimates, a colorful term that the Tax Court seems to have reserved for 469 cases. Even in the cases where people have logs, they are often found to be improbable.   You don’t see “pants on fire” in the decisions, but you suspect the judges are whispering it under their breath.
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In Pennsylvania and beyond, teaching boys and men to prevent domestic violence

On a high school football field near Pittsburgh, an assistant coach tackled a topic unrelated to the upcoming game.

“One of the biggest components of being a man is how you treat females,” Kevin Murray told his players at Woodland Hills High. “We’d be doing you a very big disservice by not holding you accountable.”

At the jailhouse in High Point, North Carolina, a sterner version of that message is now given routinely to men detained for domestic-violence offenses and considered at risk of re-offending.

“We’re putting these guys on notice that domestic violence is not going to be tolerated here,” said Police Chief Marty Sumner. “The message is very clear: ‘We know who you are, we know what you’re doing. It has to stop.'”

The two programs target different audiences. But in the realm of domestic-violence prevention, where the record of success is spotty, they share a status as two of the nation’s most promising initiatives.

Coaching Boys Into Men is one of the flagship programs developed by Futures Without Violence, a nonprofit working to curb abuse of women and children. Thousands of high school coaches across the country, now joined by some middle school coaches, have received training in how to convey to their players the importance of treating young women with respect and avoiding abusive behavior.

The program has attracted the notice of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The federal agency funded a three-year evaluation, involving more than 2,000 high school athletes in Sacramento County, California, which found that participating players were more likely to intervene to stop abuse and less likely to perpetrate it.

High Point’s program — the Offender-Focused Domestic Violence Initiative — was conceived in 2009 based on an approach developed by David M. Kennedy, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. While many programs focus on helping victims of domestic violence, High Point’s initiative targets the offender with a strategy of aggressive deterrence.

Since the program was fully implemented in 2012, the recidivism rate for domestic-violence offenders in High Point has been cut to about 9 percent, which the police department says is about one-third the national rate. There’s been one intimate-partner homicide since 2009, compared to 17 between 2004 and 2008.

“We’d get 5,000 domestic-violence calls a year — every year it’s our No. 1 call,” Chief Sumner said. “It gets passed on from generation to generation, but this program is a really good shot at breaking that cycle citywide.”

Efforts to raise awareness about domestic violence have been vigorously pursued in the U.S. for more than three decades. After Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act in 1994, domestic violence committed by intimate partners — current or former spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends — declined by more than 60 percent over the next 10 years.

Since then, however, the numbers have stayed relatively flat.

Even as incidents involving National Football League players and other pro athletes refocus attention on domestic violence, leading prevention advocates say more resources and smarter strategies are needed to combat it.

“We now have a safety net for victims, we have the laws in place, judges who understand the seriousness of the issue,” said Esta Soler, president of Futures Without Violence. “We need to do more to prevent the problems, not just treat the problems.”

For decades, so-called batterer intervention programs have been one of the main forms of prevention, with offenders participating in group sessions aimed at promoting non-abusive behavior. A range of local programs have won praise — such as Wisdom Walk, which focuses on African-American men in Milwaukee, and Caminar Latino, which runs a 24-week program for Latino men in Atlanta.

However, research on the effectiveness of group intervention programs has produced mixed findings — causing some judges and probation officers to mandate that men participate, others saying there’s no evidence of success.

And what about the much-discussed programs in High Point and Pittsburgh? Here’s a closer look at each:

___

The new regimen in High Point, a city of about 107,000, kicks into gear whenever police respond to a domestic disturbance call. Even if there’s no arrest, and no previous record of domestic violence, the alleged aggressors receive another visit from a police officer within 48 hours and are notified that they are henceforth on a “watch list.”

With any subsequent domestic violence offense, there’s an escalating series of consequences, including a face-to-face warning from a detective at the time of arrest and — for some repeat offenders — a summons to appear in person before a panel of police, prosecutors and members of the community.

“In an hour, we explain how it’s going to be different,” Sumner said. “We will use any means to sanction you.”

The pressure tactics include threatening to classify any further domestic violence offense as a felony and to expedite prosecution of any other criminal case pending against the offender. Sumner’s department has found that many domestic-violence offenders have a record of other violent crimes, and uses those records to help decide which targets of the program might deserve extra scrutiny.

The community panel makes clear that the police will maintain their aggressive stance regardless of whether the offender’s victim plays an active role in any future case or seeks to stay out of it.

David Kennedy noted that in the traditional responses to domestic violence, the onus often was on the victim to report the abuse and testify about it in court, sometimes incurring threats and further violence in the process.

“We wanted to be able to say to the offender, ‘You’re dealing with us, you’re not dealing with her. The state is going to make you stop,'” Kennedy said. “The feedback from the women is, ‘You’ve got his attention. Things are better. Keep it up, and keep me out of it.'”

If victimized women do want services, they are offered through a Victim’s Justice Center that opened in April. It’s a one-stop site where victims can meet with police, get protective orders from legal aid attorneys, and be informed of other available services.

“In the past, it was up to the victim to do all the work while dealing with the threats,” said Tiffany Atkins, a domestic violence attorney with Legal Aid of North Carolina. “Now we take the responsibility.”

Sumner said his department has been able to implement the program without increasing its budget — primarily by adding some new training and reassigning two detectives to specialize in domestic-violence cases.

Said Kennedy of the approach, “If you do it smart, it doesn’t need to be costly.”

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If any high school was tailor-made for Coaching Boys Into Men, it might be Woodland Hills. It’s a perennial football powerhouse in western Pennsylvania, sending many of its players on to major college teams and even to the NFL. It also serves a 12-town district that includes some of greater Pittsburgh’s roughest neighborhoods.

“The community of kids we deal with — there are a lot of broken homes,” said Keith Davis, who attended the school and now, at 30, is in his third year on the football coaching staff.

“A lot of players have seen where their father has beaten their mother, beaten their sister — it’s no wonder they grow up the same way,” Davis said. “The program — they’re actually living it. In some schools, it might not hit home the way it did with us.”

Davis recalled how players followed news reports of the Steubenville, Ohio, case in which two high school football players were convicted last year of raping a 16-year-old girl after an alcohol-fueled party in 2012.

“A lot of our guys came back and said, ‘Coach, I’ve been in situations like that,'” Davis said. “We have to put a stop to it.”

Launched as a public service announcement campaign in 2001, Coaching Boys Into Men has since expanded to schools and coaches associations across the country — with new pilot programs this year involving coaches of 7th- and 8th-grade athletes. It’s based on the premise that young athletes will take exhortations from their coaches seriously, and then — as role models among their peers — will be taken seriously by other students as they re-think their attitudes about relationships and abuse.

“If you’re a student athlete, you’re also a student leader — respected by peers, by underclassmen, with a degree of influence and power,” said Alan Johnson, superintendent of the Woodland Hills School District. “You can be a leader for good, or a leader for bad. You have to make the decision which kind you’re going to be.”

One of the team’s top linemen on offense and defense, 265-pound senior Daniel Gibson, said the players, by taking the program to heart, had indeed had an influence on other students.

“Whatever we do, everyone else would like to do,” he said. “They get off on our vibe”

Another advocate of Coaching Boys Into Men is Wendell Say, head football coach for 35 years at Aiea High School near Honolulu. He’s been using the program for five years — it’s now a routine prelude to practices on Wednesdays.

“The curriculum is simple — it just takes 15 minutes at most, unless you let the kids talk,” Say said. “I sometimes take 45 minutes.”

Say says his players — many from low-income housing projects — often convey their firsthand knowledge of domestic violence. They’ve seen it in their family, or abused their own girlfriends, and they’ve also followed the domestic-violence cases involving Ray Rice and other NFL players.

“We still have kids who make wrong choices,” Say said. “But hopefully every year you learn more — a little understanding that just because you’re stronger doesn’t give you the right to hurt someone.”

The program — broken down thematically on a series of “training cards” — targets such behavior as catcalling and demeaning boasts about girlfriends. It also advises coaches on how to handle actual incidents of physical and sexual violence committed by team members.

The ethos is summed up in a pledge to be taken by players and coaches:

“I believe in treating women and girls with honor and respect. I know that violence is neither a solution nor a sign of strength. I believe that real men lead with conviction and speak out against violence against women and girls. I believe that I can be a role model to others by taking this pledge.”

http://www.pennlive.com/nation-world/2014/11/in_pennsylvania_and_beyond_tea.html

What Does a Real Estate Lawyer Do?

Real estate lawyers document and review real estate transactions, including purchases, leases, inspections and appraisals. They also help resolve title insurance and environmental issues. When things go wrong in real estate transactions, real estate lawyers step in to file and defend lawsuits in court. Many real estate lawyers also help lenders carry out foreclosure, while others help borrowers defend against foreclosure.

Document Drafting

One of the key roles a real estate lawyer plays is that of document drafter. Real estate attorneys prepare deeds for conveyance transactions, leases and rental agreements, purchase contracts and financing agreements. While state law allows real estate agents to help clients fill out these types of documents, only licensed lawyers can actually draft and revise the documents.

Negotiations

Because real estate lawyers have sophisticated experience with many types of real estate transactions, clients often ask their real estate lawyer to negotiate the terms and conditions of real estate deals. This involves working with other attorneys, developers, brokers and investors.

Transaction Review

Some real estate attorneys are involved only in reviewing and providing advice on real estate transactions. Clients will negotiate their own deals, sign a contract and then ask the lawyer to perform the “due diligence” on the deal. This means the lawyer will examine legal title issues, environment issues and reports and any of the contracts or other documents involved in the transaction. Real estate lawyers have training that allows them to spot issues that their clients do not recognize. In this role, the real estate lawyer plays guardian for the clients to make sure the clients don’t fall into any unseen legal traps.

Litigation

Real estate transactions don’t always work out, and when they don’t, it is common to involve the court in a lawsuit. Real estate lawyers represent their clients in real estate litigation. This includes drafting legal pleadings to file with the judge, participating in hearings and trial with the judge, and filing appeals if necessary. It also includes bargaining with opposing counsel to try and work out settlement agreements.

Foreclosure

Many real estate attorneys specialize in mortgage and trust deed foreclosure, particularly during difficult economic times. Some lawyers represent lenders while others represent borrowers. The lawyers representing lenders help guide lenders correctly through the foreclosure process, which may include filing a lawsuit in court. The lawyers representing borrowers, on the other hand, try to make life difficult for the foreclosing lender by challenging any mistakes made in the foreclosure process, and by negotiating with the lender for a settlement agreement to stop the foreclosure process.

Real Estate Law

Real Estate and Property Law covers an extensive legal area, which is regulated by federal and state statutes, as well as common law. Many aspects of this area overlap with contract law. The terms “real estate”, “realty” and “real property” are generally used interchangeably, although many people associate “real estate” more closely with the structures or buildings and the land. However, real property/real estate encompasses more than just the obviously tangible aspects. It comprises land and that which is attached to or belongs with the land, such as the immovable structures like buildings, houses, trees, bushes and minerals permanently affixed to the land, But it also consists of the interests, benefits and rights that are legally considered attached to the real property, which can include certain rights to the air above the land, to drill in the ground beneath it, rights to live on the property for a specific timeframe or to acquire the real property in the future, and more.

The practice area of real estate and property law deals with a variety of related issues, including the following: rights and interests in real estate and real property; sales, purchases and other transfers of real estate and real property; legal aspects of rental property and landlord issues; tenants’, renters’ and homeowners’ rights; title to real property; settlement of claims against property rights; property development; zoning and land use; related agriculture issues; home loans and foreclosures; and various other relevant topics. This is a complex practice area, further complicated by the significant inconsistency in the laws throughout different cities and states. Real estate attorneys are versed in many different activities, from the mundane drafting of deeds and filing of liens, to handling boundary and zoning disputes and even assisting families in court when threatened with foreclosure. Copyright HG.org

http://www.hg.org/realest.html

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Sellers’ Rules of Disclosure in CA Real Estate Sales

This guide is a summary of the pertinent information that California homeowners and their agents are required by law to disclose to buyers.

Under California law (California Civil Code Section 1100 et seq.), sellers of residential real property are required to disclose sufficient information to allow prospective buyers the opportunity to make a reasoned judgment when purchasing property.

Two sets of statutes contain disclosure obligations for sellers and sellers’ representatives regarding sales of residential real property consisting of one to four dwelling units. The first statute is entitled “Disclosures Upon Transfer of Residential Property” (California Civil Code Sections 1102-1102.15). The second, “Duty to Prospective Purchaser of Residential Property” (California Civil Code Sections 2079-2079.11), applies to sales involving a licensed real estate broker.

The Transfer Disclosure Statement

When a property is sold, the seller must deliver a written Transfer Disclosure Statement to the prospective purchaser, before transfer of title, in the form mandated by California law. (See “Disclosures in Real Property Transactions from the California Bureau of Real Estate” (“CA BRE”)) If a licensed broker was hired to assist in the sale, the broker must complete the Agent’s Inspection Disclosure sections of the Statement. He or she is required to conduct a “reasonably competent and diligent” visual inspection of the property for sale that provides “all facts materially affecting the value or desirability of the property that such an inspection would reveal.” (See CA Civil Code Section 2079.)

Disclosures Regarding the Property’s Physical Condition

Regardless of a real estate broker’s involvement in the transaction, state law requires all sellers to provide information on the Transfer Disclosure Form regarding the physical condition of the property. See the CA BRE form above for a complete listing, but some of the essential items the form requires the seller to disclose are: all fixtures and appliances and features of the property and whether or not each is operable; any physical improvements to the property and the current state of those improvements; any additions, structural modifications, or alterations or repairs made without the proper permits or which are not compliant with building codes; settling from any cause, or slippage, sliding, or other soil problems; any issues with flooding, drainage or grading; any significant damage from fires, earthquakes, floods, or landslides.

Disclosures Regarding Earthquake Fault Zones & Seismic Hazard Zones

Regarding earthquakes, under existing law a seller or seller’s representative must make known to prospective purchasers whether the property is located within a delineated earthquake fault zone or seismic hazard zone. Earthquake fault zones are those areas that bear surface evidence of active faults that show potential for future activity; seismic hazard zones include areas subject to ground shaking, liquefaction, landslides, or other surface rupturing that occur during an earthquake.

The State Geologist creates maps outlining these zones, and copies are provided to each city or county where such zones exist. In order to inform sellers and their representatives, notices of the maps’ receipt and their location are posted at the offices of the county recorder, county assessor, and county planning commission. If a notice has been posted in the seller’s city or county it is the duty of the seller and his or her representative to alert the buyer that these maps are available for viewing at the aforementioned offices.

Sellers’ disclosure requirements under California law are numerous, and this article is intended to serve only as an introductory guide. Before selling your home be sure to consult with your agent or broker, or a real estate attorney, to ensure that you are in compliance with the disclosure law.

Source from  Harvey I. Stern, Attorney At Law

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Five Painting Strategies for a Strong Sell

Just about every home seller knows that a fresh coat of paint is one of the most inexpensive fixes you can do to perk up your home. Making a good first impression is so important partly because a potential buyer won’t spend long looking at your home if it appears that it is dirty or in bad shape.  One of the easiest and most dramatic ways to enhance that first impression is through paint . A few key tips can help you make the most of your painting budget.

1) Repaint your door. Brightly colored doors are often charming and frequently appear on design blogs and Pinterest. However there is a risk here when reselling, some people may not like the color and that could put them off your home. One way to be more secure about your choice is to check out your neighborhood. What colors are others using? You can also check houses for sale in the area online in order to get more ideas. Also, if you are in a development with a homeowners association there may be some rules about what you can and can’t do in terms of color.  If you are repainting your door make sure to use an outdoor paint that can weather the elements.

2) Touch up the trim. Peeling or faded exterior trim on your home will send a measure that the home isn’t well maintained. Newly painted trim can also make it appear as if the entire exterior has been freshened up. Make sure to do to wash and patch first so that the overall finish is smooth and clean.

3) Prep work makes great work. A sloppy paint job can be worse than no paint job at all. All walls should be patched, smoothed and taped before painting begins and drop cloths should be spread over all exposed surfaces. Even if the trim is a similar color to the rest of the wall, use trim paint for the trim and paint it separately. Make sure to wait between coats and touch up any missed or thin spots.

4) Go neutral. As with doors, vivid colors delight design bloggers but don’t necessarily resonate with potential homeowners. Buyers want to imagine your home as a blank canvas for their own vision. Ivory, white, and pale beige not only won’t clash with your buyer’s furniture but they will also help amplify the experience of light and space in the home.

5) Green it up. One way to help your home go green and appeal to sellers is to use a low or non VOC paint indoors.  VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. These compounds contribute to ozone and smog formation and are linked to respiratory illnesses. That new paint smell often gives people headaches. If you use an eco-friendly paint be sure to mention it in your listing description. Buyers, especially those who are chemically sensitive or have young children, will often look favorably upon this feature.

Source by: Deidre Woollard

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