First impressions are everything and the exterior of a home can set the tone for a potential buyer. Whether you're thinking of putting your home on the market or trying to spruce up the exterior of your home for the summer, these small changes can have a big impact.

1. Maintain Your Landscaping

Make sure to regularly prune any shrubs against and around your home. As they become overgrown they can block your windows. This trick will also help to showcase your windows and allow more natural light to shine through. Another tip is to keep an eye on the landscaping leading up to the house. Dig out or cut back any species that might be overflowing onto your walkway.

2. Freshen Up Your Front Door

Throw a fresh coat of paint on your front door to drastically improve the appeal of your home from a distance. Maintenance is often required with painted doors, so whether you're touching up an existing color or introducing a vibrant new hue both will achieve a sought after exterior appearance. Also, consider hanging a seasonal wreath or adding a couple of planters onto the front porch or the steps.

3. Hide Unnecessary Clutter

An easy way to spruce up your front yard is to remove items that are not necessarily meant to be on display. Relocate your gadgets and equipment such as any tools, lawnmowers, or toys that may be laying around in plain sight. While tidying up outside, take the time to clean out your gutters. This chore is not only important to clean them for the exterior, but also for your home’s general maintenance.

These 3 tips will help spruce up the exterior of your home for summer or to get it ready to sell! If you would like a professional opinion of ways to improve your home please contact us for a personal home consultation with no cost or obligation.

In the past year, the reliance on technology has increased immensely and the real estate industry is no exception to this dependence. Incorporating cutting edge tech trends such as drone photography, virtual tours, and HDR photography into a home's marketing plan will ensure that your home gets noticed fast. 

1. Drone Photo and Video

Aerial photography is changing the real estate game! Drone photography is crucial to fully capture unique lakefront homes. According to MLS, Homes with aerial photos sold 68% faster. Whether it's a waterfront home or a unique inland property, aerial shots ensure that your home will get noticed. 

2. Virtual Home Tours

Popularity among home tour videos has increased immensely due to buyers not being able to physically go to showings. Walkthrough virtual tours give buyers detailed information about the property to give you a realistic layout of the space and offerings. This also allows buyers to preview multiple homes in a short amount of time to decipher which homes they would like to go see in person. 

3. HDR Photography 

High Dynamic Range photography is a technique that involves shooting multiple images of the same scene at different exposure values and then merging them together to create a seamless scene. Photos are the first impression of your home so it is paramount to have great images that capture the character, main features, and layout of your home. This, coupled with light editing, makes homes stand out online while maintaining its true depiction!

Every home is unique and the marketing efforts must reflect that. At CBIR, we stay on top of the latest real estate trends and create a personalized marketing plan to ensure that your home stands out. Learn more about our 360 Marketing Plan. 

At Coldwell Banker Islands Realty we feel very grateful to be a part of such a close knit community filled with individuals and organizations that go above and beyond for one another. As we know, the pandemic has brought a number of unforeseen challenges and many families in Grand Isle County have been impacted in some way.

We are proud to support organizations such as the Champlain Islands Empty Bowls and CIDER who are working to eradicate food insecurity in Grand Isle County. We urge you to join the fight and lend a helping hand to your fellow Island neighbors in whatever way possible. Listed below is a guide of local food organizations that currently are asking for donations or have volunteer opportunities.

1. Virtually Support Champlain Islands Empty Bowls 
While we surely missed the annual raffle, dinner, and handmade bowls, you can still help to decrease food insecurity in Grand Isle County. The Empty Bowls fundraising efforts have gone virtual this year however, the need is still great! During the month of February they were collecting funds for food organizations such as, CIDER, Food for Thought, and Grand Isle Food Shelf. That being said, there is no deadline to donate, just make your checks out to the Congregational Church of South Hero with "Empty Bowls'" on the notation line. You can send the check to Margaret Nowak, the Congregational Church of South Hero or drop the check or cash off at CIDER.

Image Source: Champlain Islands Empty Bowls

2. Drop off items at Food for Thought
The Congregational Church of South Hero's Food for Thought has a Little Free Pantry set up outside the church on South Street for people to take what they need and leave what they can but are asking that you omit items that are in glass containers and canned goods during the cold months. Get Directions

Image source: Kaight Althoff

3. Volunteer at CIDER  
CIDER is in need of drivers! They are looking for help to deliver their "Neighborhood Meals" specifically with a demand for drivers north of the drawbridge. They also are relying on direct mail fundraisers since their typical personal fundraising can’t take place this year. Donate Today

Image Source: Annie Gardiner
 

4. Join the Grow for a Neighbor Campaign
The South Hero Land Trust has launched the Grow for a Neighbor campaign! You can get involved by volunteering as a gardener or donating to buy seedlings. The produce yielded will be donated to a local food shelf and the seedlings are bought from local farms and will be used for the volunteer gardeners and to create potted plant packets for families at risk. Volunteer or Donate Today

Image source: South Hero Land Trust

5. Volunteer at Healthy Roots Collaborative
If monetary donations aren't in the cards for you, consider volunteering at Healthy Roots. This collaborative works to strengthen the local food system in Northwest Vermont and serves Grand Isle County. They are seeking volunteers to harvest in the fields and deliver produce to the food shelves. Volunteer Today 

Image Source: Healthy Roots Collaborative 

6. Drop off goods at a Food Shelf in Grand Isle County
CIDER has compiled a great resource with a list of the local food shelves throughout the Champlain Islands. If you are in need of food or are dropping off items we recommend contacting the pantry ahead of time to coordinate and gain insight on any COVID-19 restriction they may have. Find a food shelf near you 

Image Source: Alex Rosenberger

Please consider getting involved by donating or volunteering to assist these food organizations that are providing relief to so many members of our community!

Grand Isle 2020 Market Update

This past year was unprecedented in many ways, at the start of the pandemic it was hard to say what the impact would be on the housing market. However, despite the many challenges, 2020 turned out to be one of the hottest markets we have ever seen with homes selling faster than ever. 

One of the factors that led to this ‘pop’ in the market was that the coronavirus had homebuyers reassessing their criteria for a home. Folks spent more time at home which led to clients searching for more square footage, home offices, as well as larger outdoor space. Due to many working remotely, new areas of the state were considered. This along with the inability to travel, resulted in an increase in the second home market or second homeowners became full time residents. 

The Lake Champlain area was an ideal place for many in-state and out-of-state buyers and people selling their home took advantage of the sellers market. These factors combined with the record low mortgage rates made buyers eager to find their dream home. However, the lack of inventory made for a very competitive market. 

Ultimately, both buyers and sellers overcame, making 2020 one for the books. In Grand Isle County, 181 homes were sold. That is an increase of 19.1% from 2019 with more luxury and lakefront homes selling than usual. 14 homes sold for over $1 million in Grand Isle County--more homes than the last 4 years combined!

In Grand Isle County new listings were down 5.2% to 219 compared to 231 in 2019. Due to low inventory, competition among buyers was high and many listings were seeing multiple offers and selling above asking price. As a result, the days on market till sale has decreased 14.6% and the median sales price has increased 13.2%. As we kick off the new year, the real estate market is holding strong and buyers are still actively searching in our area. Inventory is at an all time low with just 32* homes for sale in Grand Isle County giving sellers the upper hand. Home prices are on the rise and buyers are in high demand, if you're thinking of selling now is the time!

*As of February 1, 2021

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Hidden Home:

Nestled among the cedars, maples, and pines this adorable abode offers privacy and seclusion. This lakefront retreat is sited on an amazing 2.3 acre peninsula with 670 ft of direct shoreline down a ½ mile private drive! Enjoy this exclusive look inside this covert home located in Isle La Motte. (Note: This home is NOT for sale) 

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Happy New Year to our readers! As we begin a new year we are reflecting on 2020 and even though it was a difficult year with many changes we reached many milestones and are grateful to have had another successful year. 

After 26 years we moved into a new office, we rebranded, we launched a social mission to give back to our community, and we welcomed three new people to the CBIR team. The real estate market has kept us on our toes with shutdowns, stay at home orders, and embracing technology to offer virtual services. Despite these changes we have adapted and have continued to provide real estate services safely. 

We could not have reached these accomplishments without the support of our team, clients and community. We are grateful for all of your support. We look forward to the new year!

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