10 TIPS FOR A STRESS FREE SUMMER MOVE

by admin | Jul 14, 2016 | Uncategorized

10 TIPS FOR A STRESS FREE SUMMER MOVE!

The summer months are full of household moves! If just the thought of moving sends your stress levels through the roof, look no further.

Here are 10 great tips to help minimize the stress of your summer move!

1. Plan In Advance

Schedule a move as much in advance as you can. This gives you time to get estimates from multiple movers. Having ample time also gives you the opportunity of getting the best price and the better quality movers. Last minute requests can result in added stress and increased prices.

2. Pick The Right Date

Avoid moving the first and last week of the summer months (Memorial Day – Labor Day). This time of year is by far the busiest to move for households. Leases and mortgages often take place during the first and last week of the month, making it  prime time. If you schedule your move mid-month, you will have a better chance of finding an opening for your big day.

3. Price Doesn’t Always Equal Quality

While finding the cheapest price may seem attractive, if hiring a professional mover, think beyond the scope of cost. Things like reputation, in-home estimates, binding guarantee pricing, trained movers and criminal background checks are all very important.

4. Research Movers

Larger van-lines often are a better route to go when moving because they have larger haul capacities during the busy summer months. Remember you are moving your most important possessions so hiring a professional should involve research.

5. Electronics Prep

With all the rushing and packing of your household items, things like electronic hook-ups can easily be forgotten. Some items have numerous cords and wires that can lead to frustration when re-assembling. Taking a photo with your phone or camera of each device can save a lot of time at your new home.

6. Keep Track Of The Small Things

When moving, many things are taken apart with loose pieces floating around. Screws, nuts, bolts, and brackets are all things that can easily be lost in the shuffle. This leads to frustration when unpacking and assembling in the new home. Buy a box of Ziploc bags and as you disassemble things, label a bag with that item. Place all the small pieces in the coordinating bags. All the part bags can then go inside a master parts box for easy access during unpacking!

7. Deduct It!

Let’s face it, whether you move yourself or hire a professional, moving is expensive. Many moving expenses can be deducted on your taxes! If your move is within one year of your first day on the job, your new home is at least 50 miles further than your past home, and you have worked at least 39 weeks at your new position during the first year, you may qualify for deducting moving expenses. Visit the IRS website or speak to your accountant for more info!

8. Remember the Children and Pets

Summer moves are very attractive to families because children are on summer break. While it is a benefit that children will not have to miss school, they will also be around the house while parents are packing their belongings. The same goes for your pets! They feel the stress of moving day as well! Having a friend, relative or babysitting service care for your children and/or pets during the move is a good way to keep the day running smooth! Read more tips for moving with children, by Barbara Bottitta of The Lehigh Valley Home Experts.

9. Be Aware of What You Pack

Summer months can lead to excessive heat. Be conscious of this as you pack your belongings. Things like candles, aerosol cans, cleaning products, cd’s, tapes, photos, and paint are all items that can be damaged if sitting in a hot moving truck for an extended amount of time. Make arrangements to have these items transported with you or properly dispose of them.

10. Down Time

Schedule in some down time at your new home. Moving is one of the most stressful events a person will ever go through. If possible, try to schedule at least a few days of down time before you get back to normal routines. Unpacking, organizing and getting acclimated to your new home will take time.

Moving to a new home is an exciting time! Keeping these tips in mind as you begin your preparation will help minimize stress and maximize the enjoyment of the journey to your new home!

-Source: teresacowart.com

Tips For First Time Home Sellers

by admin | Jun 29, 2016 | Uncategorized

 Tips for First Time Home Sellers! 

Selling your home is a big deal, and is not a process that most people go through too often. There are many things to consider as you move forward with your sale – things that must be dealt with if you want to sell quickly and for a good price. From picking the right agent to pricing your home correctly, when you do things right you put yourself in the best position to get the results you want.

How to sell a home for the first time is not something you should take lightly. It is easy to make mistakes without the proper guidance.

No matter what the market happens to be doing right now, understand that you can sell your home if you want to or need to. You can sell it, and you can sell it for a price comparable to other similar homes – as long as you work with the right agent and you listen to his or her advice. Selling a home for the first time can sometimes be a daunting task because you don’t have any experience to fall back on. It is fairly easy to make mistakes as a first time home seller if you don’t have the proper guidance.

 Here is a List of the Best Tips For First Time Home Sellers…

– Pick The Right Realtor

While it is possible to sell your home without the help of a professional, doing so is not recommended. There is too much at stake in a home sale, and too many things that can go wrong. A good agent will handle all the details and help you understand your options – specific to your area. You can read all the information you want about real estate sales, but you will still not have the connections or experience to market your home effectively and to avoid making costly mistakes.

Look for a real estate agent that has a list of recent, satisfied customers. You want an agent who sells homes for close to the price that they are listed – which demonstrates an understanding of the market. Interview several Realtors before deciding on the best one. The person you choose will be responsible for how your sale goes, so it is worth your time to look around and be demanding. There are plenty of real estate agents out there, but not all of them are necessarily great. Do your homework and choose someone that can help you accomplish your sales goals.

It is especially important to understand the difference between a listing agent and a selling agent. There are two distinct facets of the real estate business. Some agents do an exceptional job working with sellers and some agents with buyers. If you are selling your home for the first time, it is extremely important to work with someone who specializes in working with sellers. Rarely does an agent do both well. Keep in mind if your listing agent is also out showing houses everyday, they are not going to have the time necessary to invest in getting your home sold.

When selling your home you should be working with an agent that possesses outstanding marketing skills. This is one of the vital traits to look for in a great listing agent. Over 90 percent of all buyers find their home online so you want an agent who has the skills and drive to make your home standout. Outstanding photography, detailed listing descriptions and providing video tours are all part of a top producing agents marketing arsenal. There are lots of real estate agents who do none of these things! Check to make sure you know what you are getting with the agent you hire.

Here are some of the additional things you should expect from your real estate agent when selling including attending the home inspection and appraisal to represent your best interests. Real Estate agents are a dime a dozen – pick one that goes the extra mile in everything they do.

– Price Your Home Appropriately

Picking the right real estate agent and the right price go hand in hand. Pricing a home properly is another skill the best agent have. Everyone wants to sell for the highest possible price. But be careful, because pricing a home too high will repel buyers. If your home stays on the market long enough, it could develop a stigma and be seen as undesirable by most buyers. It is not enough to look at your neighbors house to see what they are selling for.

There are numerous real estate pricing factors that need to be considered, factors which your agent should have a good grasp of. If you find an experienced agent, one with a history of selling at close to the original selling price, you know you are working with someone that knows what he or she is doing.

Your neighbors home may or may not be priced correctly. Always look at similar closed sales as a basis for establishing the right asking price.

Correcting the price a month or two later is not going to fix the problem, either. By that point you can expect to be low-balled whatever price you set. Talk with your Realtor and try to price the home appropriately to the market you are in. If you have a real estate agent you trust, you definitely want to price the home at the point recommended by the professional you are working with.

Do be careful when choosing an agent based upon the value they provide for your home. There are tons of agents who will pull on your heart strings by giving you an unrealistic market value. This is the kind of agent you need to stay away from. Sometimes real estate agents will blatantly misrepresent the value of your home just to get you to sign a contract with them.

– Spend Time Getting The Home Ready

One of the biggest mistakes numerous sellers make is not being completely ready to put their home on the market. Remember you are in competition with a lot of other sellers who are trying to accomplish the same thing. It stands to reason you need to keep up with the Jones-es when it comes to selling a home! What exactly does this mean? Start with these things:

Exterior Home Improvements

• Make sure your curb appeal is exceptional.
• Make any necessary repairs to any blatant defects like rotted siding or trim.
• Keep decks, patio’s and walk-ways clean and tidy.
• Freshen up the landscaping by planting some flowers with color, pulling any weeds and adding some fresh mulch to beds.
• Seal coat the driveway if necessary.

Interior Home Improvements:

• Clean the home from top to bottom – this is one of the cheapest improvements you can do that make a real difference.
• Remove any pet or smoking odors.
• Paint any rooms that need a fresh or neutral coat of paint.
• Add brighter light bulbs in darker areas of the home.
• Correct any visible defect that a buyer will more than likely bring up at a home inspection. There are some great tips in this article on how to prepare for a home inspection.
• Replace stained or worn carpeting.
• Re-finish hardwood floors.

It is understood that there are times when an owner has no money to do some of things mentioned above like replacing carpeting or re-finishing hardwood floors. If you have the funds, however, you will get a great return on your investment as these things can change the whole complexion of a home. Here are some additional ways to make your home more appealing to a buyer.

– Be Ready to Move if You Get an Offer

When someone makes an offer on your home and you accept it, you will need to be ready to move quickly to finalize your relocation and get all your things out of your home. Sometimes it can feel like you have a good deal of time, especially if you have not gotten any offers. But once the paperwork is signed, you will need to get into gear and take care of all of your business as quickly as you can. Know where you are going to go before the sale closes. Moving is a time consuming and tiresome process all on its own. Be prepared for it.

Often times first time sellers don’t understand the concept of selling and buying a home at the same time. Some of the common mistakes are thinking another seller is going to allow you a home sale contingency or putting in a clause into your listing agreement that says something like “sale subject to successfully finding another home of choice. These kind of contingencies muddy up the home selling process and make it far more difficult to achieve the goal of selling your home. In most markets owners are not going to accept a home sale contingency and maybe not even a right of first refusal. You should absolutely consult with your agent about this before listing your home for sale.

– Understand What The Costs Will Be For Closing The Sale

There can be a lot of extra costs associated with selling a home, costs that you may be expected to take care of as the seller. You are also going to need to pay the commission to your real estate agent once the house sells. First, understand that many of these costs, including the commission, can be negotiated. The perfect example of this is when you are selling your home and turning around and buying another with the same agent.Real Estate agents love these kind of transactions!

A business savvy agent is not going to turn down the opportunity to make two sales. An agent that is closed minded and says no to any kind of negotiation might not be the best bet to work with. It is in your best interests to seek a fair deal, so don’t be afraid to seek a middle ground between the offer that is presented to you and what you actually think is fair to pay.

Second, make sure you understand every cost that will be coming your way. Have your real estate agent present you with a list of all costs and make sure you are prepared to pay them. Feel free to question anything you are uncertain about.

– Know Your Local Market

Local real estate markets are unique, which means that what works in one market may not work in another market. Just because you see a home like yours the next town over that is selling for a certain price does not mean that your home will sell for a similar price. There are so many factors that go into real estate markets that it takes quite a bit of training and experience working in each market to have a clear understanding of what to expect.

For example in my neck of the woods, the exact same home in Hopkinton Massachusetts could be over $100,000 more than the same home in Milford Massachusetts and these two towns are right next to each other!

Your real estate agent should be an expert on your local market. He or she should be able to tell you if you want to sell in spring, summer, fall or winter. Your agent should know what houses similar to yours are selling for, and how to compare your home to those other homes to decide on the best selling price. The more your agent knows about your area, the better job he or she can do when selling your house.

Final Thoughts

Selling a home is not rocket science but it is easy to make mistakes when you are not completely educated on the process. By following the above tips for selling a home for the first time, you will increase your odds for an enjoyable and profitable sale.

– Source : Maxrealestateexposure.com

10 reasons you should never buy or sell without an agent

by admin | Jun 28, 2016 | Uncategorized

10 Reasons You Should Never Buy or Sell Without An Agent.

**Don’t go into the buying and selling process blind**

As with most important things in life, you wouldn’t try to handle a legal situation without an attorney, build your own house or take on the IRS solo to challenge a tax matter. Well, buying or selling a home is no different.

Here are 10 reasons you should never buy or sell without an agent…

1. Knowledge is not power

A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing when it comes to real estate. At the click of a mouse or a tap on your phone, you can get an instant valuation of your property.

Is that value realistic? On which properties is it based? What did those properties have that yours does or does not? What were the dates and details of those sales?

That valuation could be significantly more or less than what your property is actually worth. Just like using the internet to self-diagnose a medical issue is not the best idea, the same applies to real estate.

2. What do you know about the market?

To the above point, as a seller, do you know what other options buyers are likely to consider when they are looking at your home? Do you know who the typical buyer audience is, where they are coming from and how to find them?

Do you know what agents likely work with this group? What is the average number of days on market for homes in your area, and what percentage of the asking price are they getting? Are there any particular terms of sale that are a trend in your area, such as sellers paying closing costs for buyers or other concessions?

As a buyer, what types of properties are most realistic for your price range and the kind of financing you will be doing?

A good agent educates you about “real estate reality” as far as what you can get for your money in your desired areas and criteria that are important to you.

Lastly, whether a buyer or seller, do you know why properties in one particular location sell faster than another? Are there challenges, perceived or real that could affect values?

A stellar agent can prevent you from making an expensive mistake when it comes to buying (such as a home near a soon-to-be-constructed highway or busy railroad tracks — no wonder it was priced so cheap). And alternatively, that same agent can help sellers position their property in the best way when taking into account external factors around it that can affect value.

3. Agents are expert problem-solvers

So what happens when the inspection reveals termites, a roof leak, a house that needs to be replumbed — or worse yet when an inspector paints a picture of a fairly minor repair issue in a far worse light than it is? What happens when an appraisal comes in at less than contract sales price?

These are run-of-the-mill issues that agents face every day. They don’t make our palms sweat and cause us to faint, but instead we stand tall in the face of the myriad challenges this business presents.

My first broker told me, “If you aren’t solving problems, you aren’t selling real estate.” How true this is.

If you are selling your home on your own and encounter these situations, can you prevent the buyer from running for the hills? Do you have a plethora of experts you can call upon, often at a moment’s notice, who can help?

As a buyer, do you really want to be addressing repair items with a seller directly? Sellers are so often in “repair denial,” particularly when they are trying to sell their home on their own — there are never any issues as far as they are concerned.

4. Overcoming objections is what agents excel at

You are selling your home on your own. Do you have a record of who has come through and when? If they had an agent, who it was and what the buyer thought of it? If they didn’t buy your home, what did they buy instead and why?

That’s what agents working with sellers manage. Are there any themes emerging? If there are concerns that are presenting as a challenge for buyers, do you know how to address them?

Are there ways to combat these objections by providing additional information or consulting with needed designers, contractors, landscapers, the homeowners’ association and so on?

Superstar agents can effectively address objections such as “didn’t like layout” or “needs too much work” and know how to position a property effectively, so buyers go from “just looking” to locking an offer up.

5. Effective negotiation skills are key

As a seller, you received a low offer on the property. Do you make a counteroffer, outright reject it or not respond?

As a buyer, you want to make an offer that asks the seller for everything and the kitchen sink (well, because it’s attached, it conveys as part of the house anyway).

How do you formulate a strategy? Do you know your opponent and have you gathered much intelligence about them? How much should you offer or counteroffer?

Does your response risk alienating the other side? What about more than one offer? How do you facilitate, manage and negotiate effectively to keep all interested buyers in play?

The negotiation landscape can get complex, which is why a third party is always beneficial in acting as a buffer zone to separate emotion from facts and work to reach an objective outcome.

6. Preventive medicine equals more money in your pockets

The saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies when it comes to real estate because surprise is never a good thing when it comes to buying or selling.

A good agent walks you through the necessary steps before you start your property search or put your property on the market.

As a buyer, there are certain things you must do before starting your property search, such as getting prequalified — preferably preapproved — so you don’t waste time looking at properties that aren’t a match, and so that you don’t waste a seller’s time coming through a home that you cannot afford.

As a seller, are there items that should be addressed before putting your property on the market? Should you get a pre-listing inspection, and are there any repair items that need to be taken care of?

What about staging or editing your furnishings and decor? What items make the most sense for you to address to position your home for maximum exposure?

Do you need a floor plan created for your home? Is there any pertinent information you need to pull together that is critical for the sale?

In short, a top-notch agent guides you on critical steps you need to take before stepping into the market that will save you time, headaches and hassle when an offer comes through.

7. Marketing expertise is needed to sell your home

Image is everything when it comes to real estate, and a poorly presented property is like showing up at the Oscars without using a stylist.

Do you have access to the right photographers, video producers, stagers and interior designers to make your property shine?

Although you might think marketing your property on your own is easy, there is a difference between playing photographer and hiring someone with an objective, critical eye for what kind of marketing will attract the right buyers.

Are you able to find the money shot? What photos are going to best present the property? Should a drone be used, and for which shots?

Are you able to create a video to effectively tell your property’s story and how to best find that story and articulate it? What kind of marketing collateral can you prepare that’s going to communicate the features, benefits and advantages of your property over another effectively, and how is that collateral going to be distributed?

Do you have access to vendors that might be able to offer incentives or discounts for buyers who could benefit from their services with the new home?

8. Social network exposure is unmatched

Can you broadcast your property across numerous websites and various social media networks to pique buyer and agent interest — locally, nationally and possibly internationally?

Are you able to reach hundreds, thousands or even more with the click of a mouse? Are you able to use predictive analytics and targeted digital marketing to put your property in front of the right prospects? A top agent is skilled in making your property go viral in just seconds.

9. Agents have mad connections

Real estate agents are connected to just about everyone and everything. The three degrees of separation rule applies here.

Agents are constantly in the know — it’s their job to be. They leverage their relationships with real estate related service providers, lenders — and, most importantly, other agents — to help bring the sale together.

Agents exchange and share advice and ideas that can help one another, and by networking and information-sharing, they help bridge the gap between for sale and sold.

They also have access to properties that are not officially on the market and often know deals not advertised that builders might be offering in terms of discounts or specials that can help save you money.

Need a handyman or a really good painter? Ask your agent about the contacts he or she has, and get hooked up with great providers.

10. Trusted advice and an available point person are a seller’s best friend

Who else can you go to with a question or concern almost any time of the day or night? Yes, as much as we don’t like to admit it, there is no such thing as office hours for real estate.

A good real estate agent is your trusted adviser every step of the way, and unlike your attorney or accountant, you won’t get charged for every phone call or email.

Who else can you unload your qualms, fears and worries upon regarding the buying and selling process? When your peanut gallery of friends, family and co-workers are giving you confusing advice, who can you trust for objective information to make the best possible decision?

Don’t go into the buying and selling process blind. Let a real estate professional be your guide so that you can celebrate this incredible milestone without worry, knowing that the heavy lifting and problem-solving was done for you.

– Source : Inman.com