Aug 15, 2014 | Home Seller Tips
The work of a real estate agent can make or break how a prospective buyer feels about the property. Now that it’s time to sell your home, you want to find the right agent to market it.
How do you find someone you can trust who will make you feel confident they can sell your home quickly for the best price possible? Here are the questions you should be asking.
Are They Licensed?
This one is the easy one. You should be working with a member of the National Association of Realtors®. It is also important that you check whether they have any complaints on record about their practices.
You can check with your state’s real estate department as well.
Are They Successful?
A successful real estate agent is more than the number of sales they have completed. You should also find out the average difference between listing and selling prices on their most recent sales.
If an agent is closing deals at far below the original asking price consistently, that might be a red flag.
How Busy Are They?
Make sure you ask in advance how often the agent will contact you and how they will keep you informed of potential buyers. If you’re going to be working with one of their associates at times, you should know.
How Familiar Are They With Your Neighborhood?
A real estate agent is not just marketing your home – they’re marketing your entire community. If they have closed nearby sales before, they are familiar with the selling points of the neighborhood as well as the right price range for properties similar to yours.
How Much Commission Do They Expect?
Normally you will pay the agent about 6 percent of the sale price. If you find one that offers their services for a low percentage, you should know why. Are they just trying to stay competitive? Or do they expect you to do a large share of the marketing yourself?
Do They Have A Plan?
The real estate agent should be able to tell you exactly which marketing techniques they would use for your home and how they plan to promote the listing. They should come to the table with ideas from the very beginning.
Now that you have a clearer idea of the basics, use the internet to find trusted real estate agents in your area. Then pick up the phone and begin your journey toward becoming a successful home seller today.
Aug 14, 2014 | Home Seller Tips
Before you make a major structural change to your property, it is important to consider how this will affect your resale value. While there are many steps that you can take to improve your property, the addition of a detached garage may be beneficial to you and may drastically improve your resale price when you are ready to sell.
You can contact a trusted real estate agent today to obtain customized information about how the addition of a detached garage may affect your property’s value.
Adding Square Footage to Your Home
As a property owner, you may be well aware that one of the most common ways the value of your property is determined is by the market rate for price per square foot of homes in the area.
While factors such as age of the property, condition of the property and amenities in the neighborhood may affect whether your property’s price per square foot is above or below market average, the kind of the improvements has a direct impact on property value.
While adding a detached garage adds overall square footage to the property, it generally won’t be considered at the same rate as finished square footage within the home. However, outbuilding improvements do add value to your property and a real estate agent can help you to determine the true financial gain you may experience through this addition.
Increasing Appeal to Potential Buyers
Properties that are more appealing to potential buyers may sell for a higher price. When you add a detached garage to your property, you may be adding style and function to the property by adding a place to park vehicles and to store items like seasonal items and lawn equipment. You can also create a detached garage with a workshop or another functional area for added appeal.
Transforming Existing Space
Some home additions will add a detached garage to a property because a garage was never constructed on the property, but others will be added because the homeowner wants to transform the existing garage attached to the home into a more functional area. For example, a new home addition, may turn the existing garage into a living room, a bedroom or another functional area. With the addition of a detached garage, the property owner can retain the benefits of having a garage while also improving the functional use of the main area of the home.
The addition of a detached garage can benefit you and your family in a number of ways, and it can also improve the resale value of your home. By speaking with a real estate agent, you can get a better idea about how this addition will affect your property.
Aug 5, 2014 | Home Seller Tips
As exciting as selling a home should be, there’s no denying that it can be a stressful endeavor for those interested in making their home an attractive option for buyers. Nowhere is this more evident than for homeowners who were former smokers.
While it’s truly commendable to quit smoking, removing the smell of smoke from a home can feel like an impossible task. With that in mind, here are some of the most effective ways to make smoke smell and paint stain removal as effortless as possible.
Make Preparations Beforehand
Cigarette smoke has a nasty habit of permeating through every facet of a home. As such, it can be difficult to pinpoint the areas that are most problematic. Before starting the cleaning process, open all of the doors and windows throughout the home to help it air out naturally.
It’s also worth mentioning that many longtime smokers have difficulty picking up the odor that they’ve become accustomed to. If you know someone that isn’t a smoker, invite them over and ask them to point out any problem areas.
Treat Your Home Like a Quarantine Zone
Unfortunately, a home that is infested with smoke can create a cyclical effect on anything that is washed. If you want your clothing and linens to stop carrying the smell, you’ll need an alternative to your own washer and dryer. Of course, you’ll also need to keep them away from your home for the remaining duration of the cleaning process.
In particular, carpets have a habit of retaining smoke smells long after you’ve quit. With this in mind, taking care of any carpets or curtains in your home should be a top priority.
Account For Deeper Problems
Once you’ve given your home a steam cleaning treatment and washed all of the stained surfaces down with a mixture of water and bleach, you may still discover that some areas of the house are still affected. At this point, it’s time to simply accept your losses and purchase a replacement. A nice smelling home will be far more attractive to buyers than one that inexplicably reeks of smoke.
If you’re unsure of any further steps to take in preparing your home for a sale, don’t hesitate to contact your real estate agent and request more information. Your home deserves a high price for all of the effort you’ve put into cleaning it.
Aug 1, 2014 | Home Seller Tips
The economy and the real estate market are finally on the upswing after the ‘Great Recession’. However, in many locations, the housing market is still slow.
Homeowners who want their houses to sell need to do some homework before putting up that For Sale sign. Here are several tips to help your house sell sooner rather than later.
The Price Is Right
A house priced too high will languish on the market. Before listing your home for sale, make sure the price is appropriate.
Look at the prices of recently sold homes in your neighborhood. Focus on houses of similar size and condition to yours to find the best comparable sales prices.
Also, it may be worth having your home appraised to ensure that the list price is close to the actual market value.
Lean, Mean, Cleaning Machine
Prospective buyers want to see a pristine house. Make your home look perfect, inside and out, before you list it. Stop putting off all those repairs. Replace the cracked window, and fix that leaky faucet!
Curb appeal is a huge selling point. Your yard should be neatly trimmed and completely clean. It’s time to put away the garden gnome. Consider hiring a professional landscaper to make your house stand out from the crowd.
The inside of your house should be spotless. Research home staging or hire a professional stager to prepare your home for listing. At the very least, de-clutter your house and remove all personal items. Prospective buyers want to imagine a house as their home, not yours.
Strike A Pose
Photographs accompanying a MLS listing are typically a buyer’s first introduction to a house. Buyers often dismiss a house based on photographs alone, so make sure that yours are the best quality possible. Hire a professional photographer. Make sure your house is clean and well-staged. More photos are always better than less.
Agents Sell
A good real estate agent is key to selling your house quickly. Find an agent experienced in selling homes in your community and who has a well-organized marketing plan. A good agent will not only give you the above tips, but will also customize them to the demands of your neighborhood.
Pick up the phone today and chat with a real estate agent for more information while weeding the flower bed or de-cluttering the den. Soon enough, you’ll be loading boxes onto a moving van as you journey onto your next adventure.
Jul 11, 2014 | Real Estate Tips
If you’re thinking about putting the house on the market, or are simply curious about its value in the current economic atmosphere, it’s essential to get an honest assessment of its value. An overly inflated figure won’t hold up and will only turn potential buyers away.
It’s best to get a fair assessment in order to ask a reasonable price or avoid over-extending oneself when it comes to taking out a home equity loan. Consider these three key tips to get a true assessment of a home’s value.
Identify Positive Features About The Home And Property
When seeking an appraisal for a home, it’s important to look at the big picture. While the neighborhood and specific location are important, as well as the size and condition of the home, it’s also essential to tally up any improvements or upgrades. Any recent renovations are a plus that are sure to give a boost to a home’s value. Outbuildings and swimming pools add more positives that will increase the initial value of a home. The most important thing any homeowner can do is to stay on top of repairs and give the property a facelift periodically to keep things fresh. This will be taken into consideration during an appraisal.
Pay Attention To The Competition
Whether homeowners try to estimate their home’s value on their own or bring in the professionals, it’s important to pay attention to the surrounding real estate. Take a close look at other properties in the area and their price tags when they come up for sale. It’s especially helpful to look at properties that compare in size and condition. From that point, the most expensive and least expensive homes should be tallied as well, providing a price range for the concerned individual’s home.
Think About Present Circumstances
Be sure to consider if the area is in a recession or showing a period of strong economic growth. If a home is located in an area that is booming, this will inflate the value of the home. It is all part of the law of supply and demand. When buyers are coming in droves, home sales will be ripe for the picking and homeowners can ask a higher price. However, if the population is dwindling and people are migrating elsewhere because job opportunities have fallen, there is a much greater chance that the home’s value will decrease. For those who want to sell, the best bet is to strike when the iron is hot and put the house on the market during a period of economic strength. If the economy is failing, it may be necessary to wait or cut ones’ losses.
Act Now To Learn More
There is no better time than the present to contact a name you can trust in real estate. Discover all the ins and outs of assessing your home’s value, discuss your options, and find out ways to boost your property’s potential as you seek a reliable assessment.
