Why should you get a home inspection done on the property you are purchasing?
You should always hire a professional home inspector. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial investment you will have. Your house may look beautiful, in the most desirable location and exactly what you are looking for, but you have no clue as to the structural elements of the home. Like the saying goes, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”.
So let talk about home inspection. You as a home owner want to know what would need to be repaired now, or in the near future. By having this information it allows you to make an informed decision when purchasing and negotiating with the seller.
Your professional home inspector will look at the structural elements such as foundation, roof, grounds, exterior surfaces, plumbing, attic, electrical system, appliances, heating and cooling system, and garage space. Once the inspector checks everything he will then put together a report. This can be as much as 30 pages long or more. This report will tell you exactly what was found.
This is where you decide if you are willing to do home projects which may be in your future. If not, then your may want to negotiate with the seller for credit where you can fix the things that need fixing after closing or have the seller do the fixing before the closing. Either way, the ball is in your court. Need more information on home inspections CONTACT US.
Home Sweet Home! Most people would say that in your lifetime your biggest financial investment would be your home. I would say that is true, that the biggest financial investment most of us Americans will make in our lifetime is buying a home. If that is the case when selling or buying a home who do you trust with the biggest financial investment of your lifetime?
As a homeowner myself, it’s very difficult to just trust anyone with such a huge transaction. Many of us have saved for most of our lives to have enough money to have a down payment for our dream home. Even if it’s not our dream home, it could be just a place that we want to call home, until we can afford our dream home.
You need a Realtor for this transaction, whether you are buying or selling a home. This will be something you want to do right the first time. Buying and selling a home includes tons of technical documents and having a realtor to help you navigate through this without making major mistakes is a lifesaver and can be less costly to you.
Who do you want working for you?
When interviewing an agent you want to go with the one that is not afraid of being honest with you. An agent should go above and beyond for their client, as long as it’s legal. I would say an agent that puts their clients before their commission is a keeper. Realtors have inside knowledge about pricing for neighborhoods and can direct you to a neighborhood that you may not have heard of, but one that will fit your needs and with your perfect home.
Realtors are trained to negotiate to get the best deal for you, whether you’re buying or selling your home. You may not be the only buyer looking at a particular home. A Realtor can help you negotiate whether their are contingencies or other factors to deal with.
Putting your house on the market, then get a Realtor, the more people that see your home the better chance of selling it faster and for a better price. Once you list with a Realtor you have your home listed on many websites where buyers are able to view all the information and photos of your listing.
Before you agent leaves your home and before you sign that contract, you should know what to expect from your agent. How he or she will communicate with you. Whether on a daily basis every couple of days etc. You should understand what will happen once your home is sold . He or she should have gone over the contract so that you understand exactly who will see your home and where will it be seen, whether through online website and which ones.
Marketing should be your main focus. If the agent is not marketing your home properly then no one will see it and it will not sell as quickly as you may want it to. Your agent should provide you with a detailed marketing plan or strategy on how to sell your home. And how they will show your home.
Just remember not every real estate agent is a Realtor. A Realtor is someone who belongs to the National Association of Realtors®. Realtors are held to a higher ethical standard than licensed agents and follow the Realtors® Code of Ethics. Realtors also have access to the MLS.
Realtors want to work with their clients to get the best outcome for their listings. We wear a lot of different hats through out the whole process of selling or buying a home. Our job is to make sure that our client is happy and is getting the best deal possible. We hold our client’s hand through out this whole emotional process and we want to make this process an easy one for them. It’s a job we don’t take lightly.
So when thinking about hiring a Realtor, don’t think about the commission they will be making. Realtors work hard and earn their commission. Realtors pay out of their pocket for marketing, spend time researching listings, driving around, doing showings, taking professional photos/videos and being on call for you at all times. We take pride in what we do.
When selling your home you need to show buyers a house that they can’t wait to live in. A well-staged home can have a big impact on whether the buyer makes and offer or not. This gives the buyer a memorable first impression of your home.
Here are some reasons why you should think about staging your home if you are planning on selling it.
Visualization
You want buyers to visualize themselves living in your home, raising their family and entertaining their friends. Once they can visualize that, they can then make a connection with your house. Then they carry that image with them to every other home they visit. You have a higher chance of getting an offer.
The Wow Factor
When your home is staged, it means that it is not personalized. The home owner have gotten rid of their clutter and personal photos etc. The home now looks dynamic and professional. The furniture and accessories are placed strategically to enhance the space. Basically your home now looks like a million bucks.
A Great First Impression
To get the best possible price on your home you need to make their first impression an memorable one. Once that buyer steps into your home it needs to smell good, look good and just blow them away. When they leave your home they should have formed a good opinion about your home. This can make a big impact of getting an offer or not.
Higher Price, Faster Closings
A properly staged home can give you a substantial increase in pricing in a challenging market. You are more likely to sell your home faster if it’s staged versus if it’s not staged.
Whether you have a professional staging your home or you are doing it yourself, keep in mind that most buyers want to visualize themselves living in a home. Go with a neutral palette and a design that will appeal to a broad range of buyers. Make sure your home is bright, clean and not loaded with too much furniture and personal stuff. When a buyer walks through the home it should be a pleasant experience for the buyer and free of distractions.
You’re thinking of selling your home but you don’t want to pay a Realtor.
A Realtor is a great asset to any home owner.
A Realtor comes with negotiation skills that most homeowners may not possess.
A Realtor comes into your home and is brutally honest with you about what you need to do to get the highest possible offer for your home. Realtors have knowledge on buyers and their preferences.
A Realtor has no emotional connection to your home and can negotiate with a buyer from a financial perspective versus an emotional perspective.
A Realtor spends their time marketing your home to prospective buyers. They do all your showings and open houses. They make sure that they are showing your home to buyers that are ready to buy and home buyers that can afford to buy right now
A Realtor can tell you what your home is worth. Realtors have access to data on each neighborhood , what homes are selling for and what they are appraising for. Most Realtors will give you a FREE CMA so take advantage of that and contact one today.
A Realtors takes care of all the paperwork involved in your real estate transaction. The Offer and the Negotiating Process. Inspections & Appraisals.
A buyer’s
market occurs when the supply (available properties for sale) exceeds
demand (the number of buyers seeking to purchase properties). If you’re
buying a new home, a buyer’s market is the ideal time to make your move.
You might be able to buy a great home for a lower cost than you would
in a seller’s market.
If you’re trying to sell your property in a
buyer’s market, your home may remain on the market longer before you’re
able to secure a buyer due to the large number of available properties.
You may also have to lower your listing price or make other concessions
in order to secure a buyer.
Seller’s Market Definition
A
seller’s market occurs when demand exceeds supply, or there are more
buyers seeking to purchase properties than there are available homes on
the market. This often leads to multiple buyers interested in a single
property, resulting in bidding wars. A seller’s market is a fantastic
time to sell your home as you could secure a sale price that’s higher
than your listing price, or at least more than your bottom line (the
lowest price you’d be willing to accept for your home).
If you’re buying a home in a seller’s market, be aware that the seller has the advantage. If other buyers are interested in the same property you’re making an offer on, trying to get a lower sale price probably won’t work to your advantage. In fact, you could lose the opportunity to purchase the property altogether if a competing buyer makes a higher offer. Seller’s markets are sometimes called “renter’s markets” for this reason; sometimes potential buyers need to keep renting until they can save up a higher down payment and compete with other buyers in the market.
How to Determine If It’s a Buyer’s Market vs. Seller’s Market
The
real estate market goes up and down depending on the season. There are
usually a lot more homes for sale in the summer months (June – August)
than any other time of year. That means that it could be a seller’s
market in the winter but a buyer’s market in the summer. Whether it’s a
buyer’s market or a seller’s market also depends on the area. Cities
with a lot of available jobs and growing industries will often be a
seller’s market, while those with struggling economies will be a buyer’s
market.
One way to determine if it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s market is to look at inventory, or the number of homes for sale. If inventory is low, it is most likely a seller’s market. If the current level is below 0%, that means that there are fewer homes for sale now than during this time last year, and it could be a seller’s market in your area.
Buying & Selling in Different Types of Markets
A
local real estate agent will be able to come up with a strategy for
getting the best deal, whether it’s a buyer’s market or a seller’s
market. If you’re selling, they’ll know how high of a price to ask for,
and if you’re buying, they’ll know what you need to offer in order to
compete with other potential homebuyers (or sway the homeowner to accept
a lower price).
