Small Upgrades Make a Big Impression

Sprucing up your house before putting it on the market doesn't always require a big budget. With a modest spending plan, you can still make noticeable improvements that can increase your selling price.

Here are a few low-cost upgrades and staging tips that can make a surprisingly noticeable difference in your home's appeal, according to HouseLogic.com.

• Update lighting fixtures in the kitchen or dining room with a metal chandelier, wall sconce or pendant lighting.
• Hang stylish new mirrors in bathrooms, bedrooms or living areas.
• Install wall trim molding in the bedrooms or dining room.
• Upgrade cabinet hardware.
• Wallpaper the inside back of built-in bookcases or shelves.

• Organize pantries with attractive glass jars and woven baskets.
• Place live plants in the kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, or living areas.

Negotiating After the Inspection

The last few years saw a hot seller's market and a cool attitude toward home inspections. Thankfully, that mindset is fading like thin exterior paint, and inspections are returning as a standard in the home-buying process.

Negotiating after a home inspection can be complex, so it's wise to have a licensed real estate agent help you navigate the process. In the event issues are exposed, here are some sound tips to keep in mind.

• You can ask the seller to make the repairs identified in the home inspection report before the sale is complete.
• It's acceptable to request a credit at closing to cover repair costs if the seller is unwilling to fix the problems.
• Sometimes, the best solution is to negotiate a combination of repairs and credit where the seller will make some repairs, and the buyer will receive a credit for the remaining repairs.

Regardless of what action you take, a real estate professional's skill and knowledge will prove to be indispensable.

Trees That Turn Heads

Grand, graceful and grounded — trees can greatly enhance curb appeal and add value to most properties. Here's a list of beauties suited for a variety of climates.

• The dogwood's showy pink or white flowers blossom in the spring. The foliage turns colorful red or purple in the fall.
• By early spring, redbud branches populate with vibrant pink or purple flowers.
• The mighty oak is known for its strength, majesty and beautiful canopy of leaves that turn golden brown in the fall.
• Graceful leaves of the Japanese maple turn shades of red, orange and yellow as summer turns to autumn.
• The cherry blossom's delicate pink or white flowers herald spring's arrival.
• Each spring, the magnolia's large, elegant flowers blossom in shades of pink, purple or white.

Check with your local garden center for expert advice on tree selection for your area.

Understanding Escrow

"We're in escrow!" Maybe you've heard this on a real estate podcast or TV program. But what does it really mean?

Escrow is an "in-between" stage of the home-buying process. It begins once the seller has accepted an offer and ends with the closing. Typically, the buyers wire earnest money (a good-faith deposit) into an escrow account managed by a third party, such as a bank or title company.

Several requirements are completed while the funds are in escrow.

• The lender appraises the property.
• The buyer arranges for inspections.
• The lender provides good-faith estimates for the actual interest rate, loan amount and closing costs.
• The buyer secures homeowners insurance and receives a title report.
• The buyers and sellers, along with their agents, conduct the final walk-through.

Once all conditions of the escrow agreement have been fulfilled, ownership of the property will be transferred to the new owner.