Archive for the ‘Real Estate Articles’ Category

Create curb appeal. They won’t buy it if they don’t see it and if they don’t get out of the car, they won’t see it. I have been with many buyers that have refused to get out of the car because the house or the landscaping is not attractive. With so many properties to choose from, you can make yours stand out by keeping the grass mowed and trimmed, rake existing beauty bark and planter beds, and cut overgrown shrubs so that they house shows its best features. Keep the room free from moss, green belongs on the lawn, not the roof. While not free, some colorful flowers either planted or in pots will go a long way to making the home more attractive.
De-clutter.  Pack away everything in the house you don’t need. You are going to have to pack these things anyway when you move and when showing your house, less is more. This does two things for you, first, it creates an illusion of having ample space and buyers. Having piles around the house will indicate that you don?t have enough space and that your house is simply too small to accommodate you. If it’s too small for you it could be too small for your potential buyer. Personal items can be distracting to buyers also, so pack away the family photos and valuables, they will be safe during showings.
Always be neat and fresh smelling. First impressions count and messy or unclean house will make the house uninviting and uncomfortable to view. Buyers they are less likely to spend the time to get to know the house and see if it is right for them. Of particular importance, are bathrooms and the kitchen. They have to be sparkling, ultra-hygienic with no strong odors. Each viewing is a potential sale and tedious though it may be, clean thoroughly before each one. If you indicate any lack of care, buyers may quickly take the view that you have not cared for the property and there may be maintenance problems lurking which buyers will not find attractive. Don’t cook anything with a strong odor just before a showing. A freshly baked apple pie, cookies or a hint of vanilla is OK, but not curry, garlic or strong air freshener. I’ve shown houses where the buyer won’t go past the front door because of cooking or air freshener odors.
Remove pets during showings. The majority of homes now have at least one pet and many times three or four. Some buyers may like pets and it may be a common interest but other buyers will certainly find this a turn-off. Pets can mean that dirt is being brought into the house, fleas could be around, lingering odors, hair and fur on the floor and furniture. While putting a dog or cat in the garage is convenient for you, it may prohibit the buyer from looking in the garage to see if their car will fit or if there is extra storage. Take your animals for a ride or maybe send them to neighbor or friend’s house. It might be a great adventure for them and it might be the difference of selling or not selling your house.

Never be present when a buyer is viewing the house. When you are in the home during a showing, the buyer will not feel relaxed or free to ask questions, for fear of offending you. Also, you may feel that you have to show the buyer all of the important things about the house. Frankly, what is important to you may not be important to the buyer and you may scare them off. Professional real estate agents will be able to guide the buyer to the things that are important to them and if there are questions, they will get back to you. It may be hard, but stay away and let the agents handle the showing.

Here are the highlights of the new Home Buyer Tax Credit Changes.  Please pass the word along because your friends and family may not know the good news yet!

Congress has extended and expanded the homebuyer tax credit.  The modification in the column labeled ” December 1 - April 30, 2010″ became effective when President Obama signed the bill.  All changes made to the current credit became effective on that date, as well.

How can I get the most money for my house?

There are many factors that go into pricing a home.  How it looks, inside and out, is the most important factor for a buyer to be attracted to a house.  Almost 90% of buyers start their search on the internet for a house and the pictures tell them a lot of what they want to know.  If the buyer doesn’t see a picture of the kitchen, the buyer assumes that it isn’t updated.  If the front of the house isn’t included, it must not have good curb appeal.  Deciding to sell is not usually an overnight decision.  You have time to make your house as attractive as possible to a buyer and you should take the time to make a plan, do the work and have really good pictures to showcase it.

What is the right price?

Contrary to popular demand, Realtors® don’t make the market.  The market makes the market.  We analyze the market, report the sales facts and interpret the trends.  Because of all the media hype about the down housing market, buyers are very aggressive in their offers and sellers are often offended by them.  It’s important to keep your in mind that the object of the exercise is to sell the house.  In order to do that, you need a willing buyer.   One thing to keep in mind is that if you are selling your house for less than you want, you are also likely to get the home you are going to buy for less than the asking price and with the interest rates historically low, you will be getting much more house for less money and a lower monthly payment than you would have previously.  Look at the big picture and don’t  focus on the sale part only, think of the opportunity selling creates for you to buy the home you really want.

How do I live in the house while it is on the market?

People aren’t going to buy a house if they can’t see it.  Having your house on the market is not terribly convenient.  You have to be ready for a buyer to come in, look around and imagine how their furniture will look in your living room instead of yours.  You house needs to be perfect when you leave in the morning or you have to be ready to drop what you are doing and leave when you get a showing request.  Unfortunately, you are at the mercy of the buyer’s schedule and that isn’t always convenient.  It’s not always easy, but it’s worth it, because that buyer that wants to see the house in 30 minutes may be your buyer and these days, there are a lot more sellers than buyers.

What if it doesn’t sell?

A couple of years ago, if a house didn’t sell in a week many people would ask, “What’s wrong with it?” Now the average time for a house to be on the market is 90-120 days.  There are still some houses that sell in a week, usually because they are priced very aggressively or the right buyer just happened to come along, but these sales are pretty rare these days.  Buyers want to wait and see all of their choices and that takes time because there are lots of houses on the market.   Neighborhoods and schools are huge factors for people to decide where to live and that often takes time to understand.  Patience and  consistency are key factors for sellers to keep their house in the most appealing condition for buyers.  It will pay off when the offer comes in.  It is very important to negotiate any offer that comes in, no matter how low the buyer starts.

What if the timeline doesn’t work?

Once you get a contract on your house, the marathon turns into a sprint.  You need to pack, move and go to your new home and unpack and get settled.  The pressure of getting all the time lines to stay on track and not blow up is enormous.  There may be some bumps in the road and there are always extensions, rental agreements and storage units available to accomplish the ultimate goal.  It may not be pretty, but there are solutions.  Just ask your Realtor® for help.