Sep 20, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
Selling a home is more than real estate listings and making the home appealing to potential buyers. One factor to take into account when buying a home is its location, meaning the community surrounds the home.
For sellers as well as buyers, it’s important to highlight the benefits of living in a particular community. After all, neighborhoods will have an enormous impact on the future buyer’s living experience.
It’s All About Walkable Neighborhoods
According to a Portland, Oregon-based company, City Observatory, there’s a growing demand for homes located in walkable neighborhoods. A decades-long love affair with commuting from suburban areas to work in the city has greatly lost its appeal.
Also, the growing demand for walkable neighborhoods is fueled by people desiring convenient access good schools as well as to entertainment options like movies, restaurants, and shopping. There’s also an appeal for easy access through reliable public transportation.
This trend has been around for a while now. In 2013, the National Association of Realtors found that 57 percent of study participants wanted smaller homes and shorter work commutes.
Fifty-five percent of participants said they would gladly get a small house with a small yard if it meant easy access to stores, schools, and restaurants. Plus, a walkable neighborhood also significantly increases property values. So play up the nearby community benefits that would entice potential buyers.
Great Neighborhood Amenities
Other favorable community amenities bicycle paths and libraries, parks. These are great bonuses for neighborhoods to attract fitness-minded individuals and promote a family-friendly atmosphere for buyers with kids. Speaking of kids, living in an excellent school district usually yields higher home values.
According to a survey conducted by the Demand Institute, almost half of participants wanted a pet-friendly neighborhood. In fact, this factor ranked higher than easy access to public transportation and even public schooling.
Neighborhood Safety
Safety is a top concern for most homebuyers. Although, there’s little one can do to quell neighborhood violence there are things an owner can do to make their home safer. They may want to consider studying security features on homes in their neighborhoods and adopt what they can, within reason.
What Potential Home Buyers Don’t Want In A Neighborhood
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), fewer home buyers were least impressed with communities with golf courses, a high population, gated communities, and mixed-use communities.
Homeowners, when listing a home, seek the help of a professional real estate agent experienced in listing the best features of both the home and the community surrounding it.
Sep 15, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
Selling a home is more than real estate listings and making the home appealing to potential buyers. One factor to take into account when buying a home is its location, meaning the community surrounds the home.
For sellers as well as buyers, it’s important to highlight the benefits of living in a particular community. After all, neighborhoods will have an enormous impact on the future buyer’s living experience.
It’s All About Walkable Neighborhoods
According to a Portland, Oregon-based company, City Observatory, there’s a growing demand for homes located in walkable neighborhoods. A decades-long love affair with commuting from suburban areas to work in the city has greatly lost its appeal.
Also, the growing demand for walkable neighborhoods is fueled by people desiring convenient access good schools as well as to entertainment options like movies, restaurants, and shopping. There’s also an appeal for easy access through reliable public transportation.
This trend has been around for a while now. In 2013, the National Association of Realtors found that 57 percent of study participants wanted smaller homes and shorter work commutes.
Fifty-five percent of participants said they would gladly get a small house with a small yard if it meant easy access to stores, schools, and restaurants. Plus, a walkable neighborhood also significantly increases property values. So play up the nearby community benefits that would entice potential buyers.
Great Neighborhood Amenities
Other favorable community amenities bicycle paths and libraries, parks. These are great bonuses for neighborhoods to attract fitness-minded individuals and promote a family-friendly atmosphere for buyers with kids. Speaking of kids, living in an excellent school district usually yields higher home values.
According to a survey conducted by the Demand Institute, almost half of participants wanted a pet-friendly neighborhood. In fact, this factor ranked higher than easy access to public transportation and even public schooling.
Neighborhood Safety
Safety is a top concern for most homebuyers. Although, there’s little one can do to quell neighborhood violence there are things an owner can do to make their home safer. They may want to consider studying security features on homes in their neighborhoods and adopt what they can, within reason.
What Potential Home Buyers Don’t Want In A Neighborhood
According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), fewer home buyers were least impressed with communities with golf courses, a high population, gated communities, and mixed-use communities.
Homeowners, when listing a home, seek the help of a trusted real estate agent experienced in listing the best features of both the home and the community surrounding it.
Sep 11, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
Moving is stressful. Don’t worry. There is an app for that. Technology makes moving easier than ever. Here are three mobile apps that help sellers manage their moves efficiently and with minimum stress.
App One: Move Advisor
First on the list is Move Advisor. This app not only received top reviews from users, it is free. The easy-to-use interface walks sellers through the moving process with four features.
Move Advisor provides users with a comprehensive moving timeline, a home inventory checklist, a moving company locator, and a moving quote.
The moving timeline lets users put in their moving date and any other information. The app then creates a personalized to do list. Each week is broken down into tasks to ease stress and prevent last minute panic.
The home inventory helps itemize the household. The app allows users to easily map out their homes room by room. The app keeps track of what needs to be moved, the volume and weight of the shipment, and how many boxes, furniture blankets, and moving vehicles are needed to move.
Finding a mover is easy with this app. It provides a list of local movers and quotes to make the selection process stress free.
App Two: My Move
My Move is another free app that streamlines the moving process. It focuses on informing users about what to expect from a move, finding a moving company, and properly organizing the move.
Information is invaluable. The app provides access to blogs about moving as well as an in-depth article about what to expect from a move on the app homepage.
The professional relocation assistance searches the top moving companies by state or name and includes reviews to help users make informed decisions. The quote process is as easy as a few taps of a finger. The relocation checklist is easily customized and straightforward, simplifying the packing process.
App Three: State Farm Move Tools
State Farm insurance company offers a highly interactive and visually appealing moving app designed to provide organizational assistance during the move. It comes with a to-do list, a packing tool, a label tool, an inventory, and many helpful moving tips.
Moving is easy with these three apps. Simplify the moving process by downloading one or all today. For more useful tips, contact a real estate agent for professional advice about moving, buying, and selling a home.
Sep 2, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
With all of the time and money that can go into moving, spending money on one more thing can seem like a bank account drain. However, when it comes to selling your home, investing in a professional photographer can mean the difference between getting a buyer and making a sale you’ll be proud of. If you want to get the deal your house deserves, you might want to consider the skills of a professional who will make your house look like someone’s dream home.
“Lighting” Up Your House
If you’ve ever noticed how dull a room can look when it’s cloudy outside, you’ll quickly realize how important the right lighting can be in complimenting the appearance of your house. A professional photographer will be able to determine what hours and what types of flash will work to highlight the rooms in your house the best. Not only that, they will go above and beyond what your smart phone can do to correct the issues that can impact a potentially perfect picture.
Capturing The Perfect Panorama
In the right light, it’s possible that you’ll be able to get some great pictures of your house on your own, but a photographer will be able to go beyond that. It’s a proven fact that people are most often lured in by façade photos when searching for homes online, and it’s these the right photographer will be able to perfect. By using a professional who understands what size of lens to use to compliment your home, your photos will easily optimize the way your home looks.
Diving Into The Details With Expertise
Beyond the panorama shots that might convince a potential buyer into considering your house for their next home, a professional photographer may be able to hone in on details that differentiate your house from the rest. With their keen, curious eye, they’ll not only notice intricate details, they’ll be able to highlight them in a way that makes them look interesting, expert and one-of-a-kind. They’ll also be able to beautifully capture the special features that you love about your home!
It can be tempting to be cost effective when it comes to showcasing your home, but just like wedding photographs, you don’t want to skimp on real estate images. If you’re interested in learning more about positive ways you can highlight your home, you should contact your local real estate professional for more information.
Sep 1, 2015 | Home Seller Tips
Whether you’re getting prepared to buy a new home or just curious about upcoming trends in housing, there are a bevy of features gaining momentum on the real estate market. From top to bottom and room to room, here are five popular features that homebuyers will be sure to notice this fall.
Bigger Is Not Necessarily Better
There was a time when a bigger home meant a better home, but with the cost of maintenance and heating, bigger homes are experiencing a decline in popularity. Instead of sizeable mansions that look the part, buyers are becoming more interested in houses that are more economical to maintain and possess a warmer, cozier vibe.
A Modern, Up-To-Date Kitchen
Where a living room and a bedroom can often be fixed up with a layer of paint, the costs that can go into updating an old kitchen can be quite prohibitive for a new buyer. Instead of a space they’ll just have to renovate, buyers are interested in a sleek, modern looking kitchen with stainless steel appliances that offer modern conveniences.
Energy Efficient And Environmentally Friendly
While older homes can offer character and the history that goes along with them, new homes are winning when it comes to energy efficiency. With people becoming more conscientious of the environment and their impact, energy efficiency in a home is not only popular right now, but will come to be a necessity in the next few years.
Options For A Smart Home
Technology has become so ubiquitous these days that it makes more sense for buyers to invest in homes with smart features. From thermostats that can be adjusted with mobile devices to doors opened via Bluetooth, smart features are a huge part of what makes a modern home.
A Burst Of Bright Color
Muted tones can often be the best for allowing a potential buyer to envision a home as their own, but color here and there can definitely draw in the younger crowd. With bright color making a design comeback, a brilliantly bold sink or appliance can be the type of risk that pays off and has the potential to sway the right kind of home seeker.
The features that grab a potential buyer can change all the time, but certain popular trends will not be going out of style anytime soon. If you’re curious about trends that will be hitting the market in your area, contact your trusted real estate professional for some inside tips.
