Can’t find a home to purchase?
Maybe it’s time to remodel.
Being a buyer in today’s housing
market is tough. There is very little
inventory of homes for sale —
many have offers well above
asking price before the first open
house. There is a growing pool of
potential buyers all competing for
the attention of a smaller number
of homes. You’re likely to sell your
home if you put it on the market,
but where will you go?
However, maybe you need more
space for a growing family. Or
perhaps your outdated kitchen
is so inefficient that you’ve
found yourself eating out every
night. Buying your dream house
with more bedrooms and a
gourmet kitchen might solve your
problems — or you could stay out
of the difficult housing market
altogether and remodel instead.
Benefits of remodeling
Remodeling can be a good way to
get the space you need without
the hassle of buying a new
home. If you enjoy the location
of your home, it’s an even bigger
incentive to stay put and turn the
house you already own into the
house of your dreams.
Another bonus to remodeling is
that by bringing your home up
to date or expanding the square
footage, you can expect to
recoup some of the costs if you
do decide to sell.
Make changes without losing money
According to Remodeling magazine, the best midrange remodeling investments are:
1
- Addition of a wood deck (cost recovered: 85%)
- Siding replacement (cost recovered: 83%)
- Minor kitchen remodel (cost recovered: 83%)
- Window replacement (cost recovered: 79% - 81%)
- Bathroom remodel (cost recovered: 78%)
- Major kitchen remodel (cost recovered: 78%)
By making these or other valuable improvements, you can get more mileage out of the
place you already call home. Call us at (877) 820-2265 or visit us at
macatawabank.com/homeequity to learn more about how a home equity loan or home equity line of credit could help finance your remodel.
5 Projects that lower your home’s value
Upgrading or renovating your house can bring great joy and functionality to your homeownership experience. Yet there are some projects that may lower your home’s value if you plan to sell within the next few years. Try to avoid these projects if a sale is in your near future:
1
Excessively decorating children’s rooms.
Yes, it may be a lot of fun to paint a mural wall in your child’s room, but if you’re planning to sell soon, the time and money spent will likely not be recouped. From a seller’s standpoint, it’s better to paint with more neutral colors.
2
Adding textured walls.
Textured walls can be difficult to sand down or remove, so consider avoiding them. If you do choose to texture a wall, try to choose one that can be easily converted back to a typical flat wall.
3
Installing a hot tub.
A hot tub is a great place to relax and unwind after your day, but many potential homebuyers are turned off by using someone else’s hot tub.
4
Overly difficult landscaping.
Many non-green thumbs may be intimidated by elaborately landscaped yards and walk away, no matter what the inside of your home looks like. Try to keep your yard neat and tidy, but not too difficult to maintain.
5
Converting extra bedrooms into non-bedrooms.
Really want that formal dining room? Before you convert the main-floor bedroom to accommodate, be careful not to change
too much — and be sure not to touch the closet. In order for you to list the room as a bedroom in the future, the closet must stay intact.
4 Benefits of a mobile wallet
Maybe it’s new to you. Maybe the woman in front of you at the coffee shop used one. Maybe you’re leading the trend. Whether it’s Apple Pay®, Android Pay or another mobile wallet, app-based payment methods are here to stay. And for good reason! Using a near-field communication (NFC) chip in your smartphone, mobile wallets offer many advantages over traditional payment methods, including:
1
Extra layers of security.
Mobile wallets encrypt your credit and debit card information and many use a payment code entirely separate from your card number for making payments. In addition, you’re in control of your device at all times, and some even require a fingerprint scan when paying. These added protections can help to minimize the risk of card fraud.
2
Loyalty program tracking.
In addition to storing card information, most mobile wallets can also store your favorite loyalty cards, allowing you to continue earning points and score special deals. Forgetting your punch card can be a thing of the past.
3
Easy money management.
While online account management has made budgeting easier, with multiple cards and accounts it can be difficult to keep track of spending. Most mobile payment apps allow you to easily see recent spending on all of your connected cards, saving you time and the headache of logging in to multiple websites.
4
Increased payment speed.
Without the need to search through your wallet for the right card, paying can be faster than ever. Some merchants even allow you to skip the line entirely when using a mobile wallet app to pay for items you’ve ordered online or from your phone.
70%
Password protect the phone
58%
Customize privacy settings
Convenient Mobile Banking is available through the Macatawa Bank Personal Mobile Banking app. For more information regarding online and mobile security, visit macatawabank.com/info/about-us/safe-banking-tips. Protecting your money and your personal information online is a top priority at Macatawa Bank.
Money milestones for kids
A Harris Poll2 surveyed adults and teens about the appropriate age for “firsts” like getting an allowance, a cellphone, a first job, etc. Participants also shared how old they were for these first-time activities and responsibilities. Here’s a quick look at the average ages for financial milestones:
Receive an allowance - age 9.8
First cellphone - age 14.0
1National averages. Your costs and cost recouped will vary.
2Source: The Harris Poll #57, Sept. 1, 2016, www.theharrispoll.com/health-and-life/First-Time-for-Everything.html.