Should I Take My Home Off the Market During the Holidays?
When you look at your calendar you may find the months already overloaded with seasonal obligations — shopping, entertaining, children’s pageants, charity work, decorating the house, and so much more. If you are also trying to sell your home, you are under extra pressure to keep your home in “showtime” condition. And that could be the last thing you need before the holiday spirit is broken. It is understandable why you would be tempted to take your home off the market during the holidays. And the list of justifications...
read moreTips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday
It’s hard to believe, but according to Robert Lilienfeld, co-author of the book, “Use Less Stuff: Environmental Solutions for Who We Really Are,” between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, Americans throw away a million extra tons of garbage each week. During the season of giving, it sure seems like we’re taking a lot from Mother Nature. Here are some suggestions of ways to go green this holiday season, and you just might save some green in the meantime. Start with your gift giving. You may not have ever thought...
read moreDisclosure: Safest Way To Sell A Home
If you’re putting your home on the market, better be sure you’re ready to tell all — good and bad. “The majority of lawsuits or claims that occur are as a result of buyers finding out about something that is wrong with their property after the close of escrow and coming to the belief that the seller knew but didn’t tell them,” says real estate attorney, Peter Solecki of Winton & Larson, LLP. Disclosure is vital. In one extreme case, it may have spared a seller from going to jail and even saved lives....
read moreCould Your Closets Be Turning Off Buyers?
Homeowners are always looking to fine-tune the look of their homes before they put their house on the market. But all too often an area that gets forgotten is the closet. Everyone seems to have more stuff than ever before and a lot of that stuff gets crammed into the closets. Then when you list the home on the market, and Mr. and Mrs. Buyer come to have a look, they reach for a closet door and are greeted with an overstuffed, unorganized mess. The prospective buyers don’t see your valuables as prized possessions; instead what they see...
read moreWhy Buy a Home?
The past few years of rocky real estate markets has left some people wondering, why buy a home? If you find that thought running through your mind consider these things. A recent survey commissioned by the National Association of Home Builders found that 72 percent of its respondents opposed any effort to get rid of the homeowners’ mortgage interest deduction. That’s despite the fact that doing so could help ease the nation’s budget deficit. Gil Gross host of Real Estate Today Radio reported that, “The survey cut...
read moreCreating Traditional Style
Are you moving into your dream house or dreaming of finding it? If you are like most potential homeowners, you are already designing and decorating the home in your head! How can you make your new home a stand-out with Traditional style? Traditional design is characterized by tailoring, elegance, and an overall finely-crafted style. HGTV.com gives a history lesson on Traditional, saying, “Traditional furnishings can hail from England in the 18th century, the French countryside, or even the exotic lands of the East. Among the most...
read moreValue in Homeownership
Is there value in owning a home? The recently released 2010 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers brings us some promising results. Today homeowners are living in their homes longer, and after several years of price declines, are seeing rises in home equity gains. It was only earlier this decade that so many buyers jumped on the investment bandwagon. They bought and sold within incredibly short time frames, and walked away with profits. But as the booms busted, many sellers found they had bought at the top of...
read moreDetermining Factors of a Qualified Prospect
1. Strong motivation Motivation is simply the desire to do something. The stronger the desires on the part of the Buyer, the easier it will be for you to satisfy or even exceed their expectations. The stronger the motivation, the lower the expectations they will have for a property or your service. A low motivation prospect is willing to look for extended periods of time until they find the perfect home. In essence, they are looking for something that doesn’t exist in many cases. Do they want it? Do they have to have it? Those are the...
read moreSell Your Home Faster, Give Your Cabinets a New Look
As the fall season sets in and the weather gets colder, it’s just another reason to spend more time in the kitchen cooking up warming soups and maybe some hot cider. But no matter which season, kitchens and great rooms tend to be very popular for homeowners and, of course, buyers. For this reason, it’s important to make sure your cabinets are looking good–not laden with holes from chipped or worn off paint or stain. Kitchen cabinets often take a beating from all the opening and closing of the doors and drawers; however...
read moreHow Buyers Compete in a Sellers’ Market
No matter the market, sellers can find a competitive edge, whether it be through pricing, staging, or even negotiating closing costs. What about buyers? Do they have any hope for an edge during a sellers market? A sellers market is one which favors the seller. Perhaps you find yourself in a hot area where homes garner multiple offers and bidding wars. Or perhaps you live in an area where prices are appreciating or there is only a small inventory of homes for sale. No matter the situation, buyers can still find ways to gain an advantage. Here...
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