Dec 4, 2015 | Home Selling Tips
Most people don’t know enough to sell their own house. Here’s why.
1. They Can’t List It!
– Only licensed brokers and agents can create a listing in the MLS sale-by-owner houses will be invisible to agents and unavailable on the Web.
2. Agents Won’t Show It.
– Typically, a buyer’s agent gets part of the commission paid to the seller’s agent. Sale-by-owner houses don’t have that commission commitment so a buyer’s agent might not get paid. No agents makes the pool of buyers MUCH smaller.
3. It’s Probably Overpriced.
– Most homeowners don’t have enough data and emotional distance to put a market price on their own home. and overpricing is another deterrent to potential buyers.
4. Buyers Prefer Neutrality
– Buyers will spend less time in the home and be less likely to make an offer because owners aren’t neutral about the transaction.
5. Legalities & Complexities.
-Real estate transactions are complicated. Most homeowners don’t know enough to avoid potentially expensive liabilities Overlooking a form or required disclosure exposes the seller to lawsuits AFTER the transaction is closed.
There are buyers with enough real estate experience to sell their own home but if you haven’t ever sold someone else’s home you probably shouldn’t try selling your own.
Sep 30, 2014 | Home Selling Tips
Can you believe that autumn is already here? Autumn is not only a great time to enjoy some cooler weather, but it is also a perfect time to sell a home. If you want to sell your house this autumn, these home staging tips will have buyers pounding down your door.
Improve Your Curb Appeal
Curb appeal is easily the most important factor when it comes to selling a home, and it is even more important in the autumn. Maintaining great curb appeal can be difficult in autumn because of all the falling leaves.
Raking the leaves and planting some autumn flowers will make your home inviting to buyers. You can even add some pumpkins around the porch, if you desire.
Brighten Up The House
The shorter days of autumn make lighting more important when staging a home, because nobody wants to walk into a dark and depressing house. The best way to brighten up any house is by opening the blinds and turning on every light.
While it may not be great for the electric bill, the extra lighting will help the home sell quicker. You can even place some spotlights on the floor behind furniture to brighten up the darker rooms.
Make It Feel Comfortable
There is something about the cooling weather of autumn that makes people want to stay inside. Showing off how comfortable your home is will definitely pique buyers’ interest. A great way to make your home more cozy during a showing is by playing seasonal music and handing out some fresh baked cookies – it adds a personal touch and a subtle sense of coziness.
Accent The Home With Autumn Colors
While it is impossible to change the color scheme of your home to fit the season, you can add some accent colors throughout the house. If you have a neutral colored couch, then you can easily throw some red or orange pillows on it to make it really stand out. Adding some autumn decorations to each room is also a great way to accent your home with autumn colors.
Autumn is an extremely popular time to buy or sell a house, and for good reason. Taking advantage of autumn’s vibrant colors when you stage your home will give your house an irresistible appeal. For more information about how to sell your home in the autumn, or if you’d like to list your home for sale, contact an experienced real estate professional today.
Sep 3, 2014 | Home Selling Tips
A short sale is something that occurs when a homeowner is not able to make the mortgage payments on time due to a financial hardship. Instead of foreclosing on the property after one or more missed payments, the bank may agree to allow the homeowner to turn the home over to the bank, which will sell it to as close to market value as possible.
Here’s what you need to know about how short sales work and what circumstances might call for one.
Step 1: The Homeowner Provides Information To The Bank
The first step in the short sale process is for the homeowner to submit an information package to the bank. The homeowner will provide information such as the reason for the short sale, an authorization letter allowing the real estate agent to talk to the bank, and a financial statement. In addition, the seller may need to provide an HUD-1 statement as well as a list of comparable homes in the area.
Step 2: The Buyer Makes An Offer
Once the house is put on the market, a buyer can make an offer just as he or she would on any other home. The seller will then have the opportunity to accept any offer that he or she receives from a prospective buyer.
Step 3: The Bank Makes A Decision About The Offer
Once the seller accepts an offer to buy the home on short sale, the seller is responsible for sending information about the sale to the bank. Before the sale is finalized, the bank must approve the buyer’s offer. It could take as little as two weeks or as long as 120 days for the bank to approve the offer.
However, not all short sales are immediately approved. The seller’s bank bank might decline the buyer’s offer for one reason or another. A bank may decline a short sale offer if the bank negotiator thinks the house is worth more than the buyer’s offer or if the seller violates a clause in the short sale agreement – such as moving out of the property and violating a clause that states only owner-occupied properties are eligible for short sale.
Buying a home that is being sold as a short sale requires patience and an ability to move at the bank’s pace. Working closely with an experienced lender or mortgage broker may make it easier to get through the process without a lot of hassle or drama. For more information about short sales, pick up the phone and contact me. I can introduce you to the finest real estate professionals (Realtors and Mortgage Lenders) in the area. David 978-728-5104.
Remember when buying, selling or refinancing real estate, start with a real estate attorney.
Jun 20, 2014 | Home Selling Tips
There’s at least one good thing about the drop in the dollar and it’s boosting the real estate market. Many high-end Europeans are now looking toward the U.S. for a vacation home or permanent residence, and that could mean big hope for your home for sale. However, this also means a different way of selling.
Stage A Benefit
No open house for high-end buyers. Host an event instead – maybe even a benefit dinner for a worthy charity. Let people come and view the property, but give them an avenue to mix and mingle as well. In addition, they get to see how the house handles a bunch of guests.
Showcase A Chef
If you have a gourmet kitchen (or two), check with chefs that would like to showcase their cooking abilities. This creates an entire “house-buying” experience for your guests. Again, they see what the featured kitchen can handle as well as being able to enjoy the culinary arts of a professional chef.
Host A Private Tour
If your home has beautiful gardens and a large landscape, add a private concert or tour of the gardens. A wine cellar and large sitting rooms can turn the event into a stylish wine tasting event.
The biggest trick in attracting high-end buyers is showing off the house’s best features. If the event is hosted at night, you can show how attractive the home is with an overall “candlelight” appearance. You might even go so far as to set the time for when the sky is at it’s best and frames the home just right.
First impressions are everything, so pull out all the stops. Don’t let any great feature go undiscovered, from indoor swimming pools to music rooms and manly dens. Let your home shine!
Jun 19, 2014 | Home Selling Tips
Just when you think you’ve done everything you need to do to get your home ready for the market, months pass and your home doesn’t sell. Consider a few factors that can effect your goal of selling your home.
Priced Too High – If your home has an excessive asking price, it will be harder to sell. With so many homes available today, a big price tag may turn buyers off.
And, your competition down the street may have the same home but a better price.
The Market – No longer can you simply put a home on the market and watch the offers roll in. Nowadays, you have to be diligent and knowledgeable in your approach.
Research the market value of homes in your neighborhood and know what kind of competition you’re up against. And, understand today’s buyers and what they need in order to make a good offer on a home.
Unfavorable Location – No matter how gorgeous a home is a bad location can hurt sales. Although you can’t change the location, you can be creative in figuring out ways to appeal to buyers. Offer incentives to attract buyers or lower your asking price.
The Appearance – Does your home need some work? If so, you want to attack those issues first before putting your home on the market.
Things like dirty carpets and broken appliances can turn buyers off. Try staging your home. This will help to ensure your home dazzles potential buyers.
You Didn’t Consult A Professional – Trying to sell a home yourself can be an extremely daunting task. That’s why you need a real estate professional who knows the ins and outs of the industry and can market your home in the right way.
The good thing is that you can make changes that will improve the situation. Go over all the points listed and address any problems. Once that’s done, you’ll have a better chance of watching your home sell.
Jun 13, 2014 | Home Selling Tips
Many home owners putting up their home for sale on the market don’t have a lot of available cash to spruce it up. While staging houses is a definite plus, it can cost a fair amount of money, as do many of the other suggested “to-dos.” Here are a few inexpensive and easy ways to make your home look more inviting to buyers.
Put Up Your Personal Stuff
Not every buyer looking at a home for sale appreciates the fact that someone still lives there. Putting away the your personal things can help the buyers’ see themselves in the home.
You will want to put your pet’s things (toys, litter box, bowls) away and out of sight. The same goes for your medications, toothbrushes and toilet accessories.
Clean up your kids’ rooms and put away any toys around the house. Minimize or put away knick-knacks and personal pictures. Remember that you want the buyer to imagine themselves in the home.
Create More Space
Small, closed-in spaces are major turnoffs for buyers. Create the illusion of more space by putting up out-of-season clothes or clothes you don’t wear very often to make your closets look bigger. A good way to make your bedrooms look bigger is by taking one piece of furniture out of each bedroom.
Packing up the small appliances in your kitchen is a great way to make your countertops seem larger. You can also take out all but four chairs in your dining room, as well as extra table leaves to give that illusion of space.
Touch On The Trends
Chances are that some of the buyers are paying attention to celebrity trends. Feng shui is a big one, and you can do your part with just a few touches like adding a fresh bowl of fruit to the kitchen. Put a comfortable couch or chair on the east side of your living room or den. Place a green welcome mat on your porch to symbolize opportunity. Go through your house and get rid of reds.
Whether you see or feel a difference doesn’t matter. Keep in mind that you’re trying to appeal to potential buyers of your home, not make the home more livable for you. If it helps, pretend that you’re the buyer, seeing the house for the first time.
If you’re trying to get your home ready to sell, I can help. Get in touch with me for more information.
