Archives

How to Prepare Your Home for Sale

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

You want your home to show well, which means getting rid of clutter and making sure it is clean, neat and well maintained both inside and outside.

  • Remove all clutter. Pack or store anything you do not need. Donate the rest to your favorite charity or having a garage sale.
  • Store your valuables or lock them up in a safe place. This includes jewelry, collectibles, artwork and medicines in your medicine cabinet.
  • Eliminate smoking odors and pet odors.
  • Paint the inside and outside with neutral colors, steam clean carpets or replace with new carpeting or flooring. Stage the furniture and accessorize with pillows, plants, candles and other accessories.
  • Curb appeal matters. Manicure your lawn and trim trees and shrubs. Plant new flowers. Mend broken fences or gates.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | No Comments »

How to Prepare for the Spring Housing Market

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Spring is the time of year when sellers and buyers gird up for what has traditionally been the most important season for buying or selling a home. Following are some ways to prepare:

Sellers

Sellers should be aware that there’s a lot of competition for buyers in the spring. That means sellers should do everything possible to differentiate their home from others, including the following:

• Polish windows and floors, rake the yard, mow the lawn, and add flowers in containers.

• Wash blinds and curtains and have carpeting cleaned.

• If a seller has spent the winter renovating to sell, new pictures should be taken to show the renovated space to best advantage. Be sure to add the new information to the feature sheets and advertising of real estate agents.

• Consign dark linens and towels to storage and add bright or pastel accents in baths and bedrooms.

Buyers

Buyers should have a good idea of what they want, how much they can spend and the neighborhoods they’re interested in. Buyers should also:

• Have a network of experts in place, such as a real estate agent, lawyer, home inspector and mortgage broker.

• Obtain a copy of their credit report, and if there are errors, clear them up.

• Approach several lenders for pre-approval.

• Decide before shopping for a home the most they’re prepared to pay, and resist the urge to pay more.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | No Comments »

FREE Help to Avoid Foreclosure

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

 

Posted in Blog | No Comments »

Five Ways to Take Advantage of the Current Market

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012

Real estate remains a bargain in much of the United States. For many home buyers this is the ideal time to jump into the housing market with a long-term investment strategy.  Following are five tips to help you take advantage of a the current market.

Use a Buyer’s Agent: A buyer’s agent can help you navigate a rapidly changing marketplace and let you know how to maximize your real estate dollar.

Get Preapproved for a Mortgage: Sitting down with a mortgage professional before you begin your search will help refine what you are looking for. This will allow you to set your budgets and narrow your search criteria. Note that a mortgage prequalification is not the same as a preapproved mortgage.

Make a List of Your Needs and Wants: Understand what you need and what you want. Wants are the things you can live without but you would like. Sitting down with your real estate agent will help speed up the home-buying process.

Invest for the Long Term: Buying in a down market offers affordable prices and greater home selection. Long-term investment in real estate is the surest way to maximize your initial investment.

Be Patient and Ask Questions: Down markets allow home buyers to be more patient. Surplus housing inventory means that there are fewer buyers competing for homes, allowing buyers to ask questions and ensure that they are selecting the home that is going to be right for them.

With real estate bargains in much of the United States and with market improvement across the country, this is the ideal time to jump into the housing market.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Blog | No Comments »