My last house was 2200 sq foot. It has wall-2-wall carpet, ceramic
tile in the entry way, linoleum in the kitchen, Formica counters. It
was a nice home and I sold it for $140K ( SE USA.)
The realtor described it as an Entry Level home. What does that mean?
A Cheap house?

I'm in a new home now, a bit nicer then the one I was in, and bigger
to boot. However it also has Formica and linoleum in the kitchen.
When I get ready to sell it, I don't want it to be an Entry Level
Home. What changes can I make so it is no longer entry level? I'd
like to do something that I can get use out of now, rather then 5 or
10 years down the road when I decide to sell it.
Suggestions?


Also, the house had Gas heat and a gas water heater. My summer
electric bill was $350 for a 2 story brick house ( 4 bedrooms, 2 & 1/2
bath great room) I don't know the sq foot but it would have to be
closer to 3k then 2500. The bill seems a bit high and I was thinking
of getting a new HVAC unit. The Electric company gave me a flyer
showing that a heat pump was cheaper to use then gas heat. I've had a
heat pump before and I think it give poor heat v/s gas heat. But I
was thinking replacing the HVAC with something ultra efficient or
even using geothermal heat pump (if I went that route.)

Comments on both, thoughts, flames?
S


Steve

Typically it means that it's priced on the low end in a particular market.
There's nothing inherently "wrong" with your realtor advertising it as such.
In fact, in many areas, the so-called 'entry-level" houses are being sold
much quicker and have the largest percent appreciation each year.

Interior finish item upgrades (granite countertops, hardwood floors, 6-panel
solid doors, etc) may or may not make your house not be considered "entry
levels". About a decade ago I looked at a good number of houses that had
some of these ammenities, but they were still very much "entry level" to me
due to their market price and square footage. So the lesson is-- it's
unlikely that you'll be able to make your house a level or more about "entry
level" if that's what all the neighbor's houses are, generally speaking...

-Tim

Stevey Sandlin wrote in
:

My last house was 2200 sq foot. It has wall-2-wall carpet, ceramic
tile in the entry way, linoleum in the kitchen, Formica counters. It
was a nice home and I sold it for $140K ( SE USA.)
The realtor described it as an Entry Level home. What does that mean?
A Cheap house?

Cheap as in low quality - no. Cheap relative to the avg cost of homes
purchased where you are - yes possibly.

2200 sq ft for 140k can be an unoccupyable wreck in an area where a 1200 sf
starter/entry level home is 400-700k. It can be a nice brand new palce in
other areas.

I'm in a new home now, a bit nicer then the one I was in,

Nicer is always good.

and bigger
to boot.

This seems to be is important to you? Bigger is good if you were crunched
for space before. If you weren't crunched and you still think bigger is
better then you are more concerned about what other people think of where
you live vs what you think about where you live.

However it also has Formica and linoleum in the kitchen.
When I get ready to sell it, I don't want it to be an Entry Level
Home.

Then don't buy an entry level home. What do you care what they label it?
You are more concerned with that than the selling price. What you should be
focusing on for selling is what can you do to get the most bang for the
buck and make it move fast. In general, a house will only bring what other
homes sold for in the past 6 mos. in the surrounding area...aka the Comps
with adjustments for features. The biggest adjustment - sq footage.

What changes can I make so it is no longer entry level?

Nothing. You can make it a nice entry level. You can make it a great entry
level. You can make it a surperb entry level.

I'd
like to do something that I can get use out of now, rather then 5 or
10 years down the road when I decide to sell it.

Finally thinking of yourself!

Suggestions?


Also, the house had Gas heat and a gas water heater. My summer
electric bill was $350 for a 2 story brick house ( 4 bedrooms, 2 & 1/2
bath great room) I don't know the sq foot but it would have to be
closer to 3k then 2500. The bill seems a bit high and I was thinking
of getting a new HVAC unit.

"Had" gas heat? What the old 2200 sf one? Or do you mean the new one had
gas heat? If so, what happened to it? Where did it go?! And you bought a
new house and don't know how many sq ft it is? But you said the last place
was 2200 and the current one is closer to 3k. I'm really getting lost here.

A bit high? Compared to what the last house? Well when you say it's bigger
to boot and closer to 3k sf (+800 sf), what do you expect? 800 sf is
another 35%. Yes there are many efficency factors involves but it's still a
35% increase. Toss in vaulted ceilings and there's a chunk.


The Electric company gave me a flyer
showing that a heat pump was cheaper to use then gas heat. I've had a
heat pump before and I think it give poor heat v/s gas heat.

Yes they do. We both know that obviously. With gas you get real heat from a
flame. You pay for that but you get it.

But I
was thinking replacing the HVAC with something ultra efficient or
even using geothermal heat pump (if I went that route.)

Comments on both, thoughts, flames?
S


Steve

term is used along with such realter bable as "starter home" and means
it would be a good home for someone thats never had one before. as a
seller you want to avoid selling as a "fixer-upper" unless you want to
sell now and for less money.

your new house is too big to be "entry level" so no worries there, if
you are interested in improvements that will add to the homes value,
then get a realestate agent (a good one not a new one, find someone
with a few hundered sales to thier own name, not just the agents name)
and ask them while they are looking the house over what would increase
the value. tell them that you will get back to them after making the
improvements, but prepare for spam mail from agents for a while.

this worked out great for us, we actualy were selling our house at the
time and in a depressed market we still sold for over asking thanks to
our agent. incidently the agent with no actual sales under her belt
that we talked to first told us it wouldn't sell at all and quoted us
an estimate over 20K under what the experienced agent did.

Empressess #124457


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Stevey Sandlin wrote:
My last house was 2200 sq foot. It has wall-2-wall carpet, ceramic
tile in the entry way, linoleum in the kitchen, Formica counters. It
was a nice home and I sold it for $140K ( SE USA.)
The realtor described it as an Entry Level home. What does that mean?
A Cheap house?

I'm in a new home now, a bit nicer then the one I was in, and bigger
to boot. However it also has Formica and linoleum in the kitchen.
When I get ready to sell it, I don't want it to be an Entry Level
Home. What changes can I make so it is no longer entry level? I'd
like to do something that I can get use out of now, rather then 5 or
10 years down the road when I decide to sell it.
Suggestions?


Also, the house had Gas heat and a gas water heater. My summer
electric bill was $350 for a 2 story brick house ( 4 bedrooms, 2 & 1/2
bath great room) I don't know the sq foot but it would have to be
closer to 3k then 2500. The bill seems a bit high and I was thinking
of getting a new HVAC unit. The Electric company gave me a flyer
showing that a heat pump was cheaper to use then gas heat. I've had a
heat pump before and I think it give poor heat v/s gas heat. But I
was thinking replacing the HVAC with something ultra efficient or
even using geothermal heat pump (if I went that route.)

Comments on both, thoughts, flames?
S


Steve

On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:11:44 -0400, Stevey Sandlin
wrote:

My last house was 2200 sq foot. It has wall-2-wall carpet, ceramic
tile in the entry way, linoleum in the kitchen, Formica counters. It
was a nice home and I sold it for $140K ( SE USA.)
The realtor described it as an Entry Level home. What does that mean?
A Cheap house?

I'm in a new home now, a bit nicer then the one I was in, and bigger
to boot. However it also has Formica and linoleum in the kitchen.
When I get ready to sell it, I don't want it to be an Entry Level
Home. What changes can I make so it is no longer entry level? I'd
like to do something that I can get use out of now, rather then 5 or
10 years down the road when I decide to sell it.
Suggestions?


Also, the house had Gas heat and a gas water heater. My summer
electric bill was $350 for a 2 story brick house ( 4 bedrooms, 2 & 1/2
bath great room) I don't know the sq foot but it would have to be
closer to 3k then 2500. The bill seems a bit high and I was thinking
of getting a new HVAC unit. The Electric company gave me a flyer
showing that a heat pump was cheaper to use then gas heat. I've had a
heat pump before and I think it give poor heat v/s gas heat. But I
was thinking replacing the HVAC with something ultra efficient or
even using geothermal heat pump (if I went that route.)

Comments on both, thoughts, flames?
S


Steve


Might be easier to share thoughts if we knew some additional
information.

How much per kwh do you pay?

How much insulation in attic?

What is the condition of the house? Well, bad, etc....

later,

tom @ www.Consolidated-Loans.info

Did you say you lived in Alaska?



On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:11:44 -0400, Stevey Sandlin
wrote:

My last house was 2200 sq foot. It has wall-2-wall carpet, ceramic
tile in the entry way, linoleum in the kitchen, Formica counters. It
was a nice home and I sold it for $140K ( SE USA.)
The realtor described it as an Entry Level home. What does that mean?
A Cheap house?

I'm in a new home now, a bit nicer then the one I was in, and bigger
to boot. However it also has Formica and linoleum in the kitchen.
When I get ready to sell it, I don't want it to be an Entry Level
Home. What changes can I make so it is no longer entry level? I'd
like to do something that I can get use out of now, rather then 5 or
10 years down the road when I decide to sell it.
Suggestions?


Also, the house had Gas heat and a gas water heater. My summer
electric bill was $350 for a 2 story brick house ( 4 bedrooms, 2 & 1/2
bath great room) I don't know the sq foot but it would have to be
closer to 3k then 2500. The bill seems a bit high and I was thinking
of getting a new HVAC unit. The Electric company gave me a flyer
showing that a heat pump was cheaper to use then gas heat. I've had a
heat pump before and I think it give poor heat v/s gas heat. But I
was thinking replacing the HVAC with something ultra efficient or
even using geothermal heat pump (if I went that route.)

Comments on both, thoughts, flames?
S


Steve

On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 20:11:44 -0400, Stevey Sandlin
wrote:

My last house was 2200 sq foot. It has wall-2-wall carpet, ceramic
tile in the entry way, linoleum in the kitchen, Formica counters. It
was a nice home and I sold it for $140K ( SE USA.)
The realtor described it as an Entry Level home. What does that mean?
A Cheap house?

I'm in a new home now, a bit nicer then the one I was in, and bigger
to boot. However it also has Formica and linoleum in the kitchen.
When I get ready to sell it, I don't want it to be an Entry Level
Home. What changes can I make so it is no longer entry level? I'd
like to do something that I can get use out of now, rather then 5 or
10 years down the road when I decide to sell it.
Suggestions?


Also, the house had Gas heat and a gas water heater. My summer
electric bill was $350 for a 2 story brick house ( 4 bedrooms, 2 & 1/2
bath great room) I don't know the sq foot but it would have to be
closer to 3k then 2500. The bill seems a bit high and I was thinking
of getting a new HVAC unit. The Electric company gave me a flyer
showing that a heat pump was cheaper to use then gas heat. I've had a
heat pump before and I think it give poor heat v/s gas heat. But I
was thinking replacing the HVAC with something ultra efficient or
even using geothermal heat pump (if I went that route.)

Comments on both, thoughts, flames?
S


Steve


An entry level home often refers to a home that a young couple buys
when they have little money. For example, your home may have sold
for 140K when the typical price of home in the area are 200K.
Actually, it is a big plus to buy a home where the surrounding homes
are valued higher. You may be able to add improvements to increase
the overall value, but these improvements must be selected carefully.

For energy costs think about caulking, insulation, thermo pane
windows, shade trees on the south side, etc. Personally I do not like
electric heat--gas heat is less expensive, at least in my region.