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Posts Tagged ‘selling your home’

Home buying can be a long and tiring process.

It can be stressful physically, mentally and emotionally.  But once you step into a house that is ALL yours, you realize that it was definitely WORTH the strain.  Here are 10 things that you can keep in mind to help make sure you have all your hair by the end of the process.

1. Get your finances in order
“The seller wants to know that if they do accept the offer, that barring catastrophic title issues or inspection issues, the deal is going to go through,” said Gary Dwyer, broker-owner of Buyer Agents of Boston. Another expert recommends having a full pre-approval within the past 30 days: “Six months is no good anymore, because the rules keep changing.”

2. Know your timeframe
“As a shorter-term buyer, you might consider whether the place is a good investment, and if it’s the kind of property that’s going to be attractive for the next buyer…A house near train tracks, for instance, is probably not what most people are looking for. But for someone who’s planning to stay longer, a good school system or larger lot size might make up for the trains thundering past.”

3. Investigate market conditions
One of the benefits of working with a REALTOR® is that they will have an idea of this, and if not they have the tools to do the research.  Your REALTOR® will investigate what comparable properties have sold for over the past three to six months.

4. Search and buy within your means
“If the housing crisis has taught us anything, it’s that buying with the expectation that prices will continuously go up — and that if you can eke out the payments each month, you’ll be in a good spot in the long run — isn’t such a good idea.”

5. If you’re waiting for prices to go lower, think again
Real estate is continually changing.  There are many people waiting for prices to continue to drop, but they may be missing out on their dream home.

6. Don’t get too sucked in by appearances
Buyers should keep in mind that many sellers will try to present their homes in the best possible light. Don’t count on items that are in the house when shown to be there after you have purchased the home.  Many times a REALTOR® will have the home staged.  In that case, the “stuff” will be taken out when the sellers leave.

7. Have questions prepared
Be ready to answer questions regarding age of the roof, heating system, hot water heater, windows, etc.  Also be prepared to answer, if the basement has taken water in the time the seller has been there, if there’s a sump pump; and what utilities and homeowner insurance generally cost. If there’s been recent renovation work, buyers should find out if all building permits have been signed off, and if all of the contractors and sub-contractors have been paid in full. If there’s a pool, buyers should ask when the last inspection was done to check the back flow preventer.

8. If you’re thinking of buying a brand new house…
If buying a new house, take into consideration that no one has lived in the home to “test it out”.  If someone has lived in the house, they have been there to know if there is water that comes in the basement when it rains or if there are drafts in the house.

9. If you’re buying a condo, know the rules
Lenders have become more strict in this market.  Some would-be buyers have been turned away from getting financing.  Many lenders want buildings to be at least 50% owner-occupied.

10. Think about a home’s intrinsic value
Is this is an investment decision, consumption decision or both?  Think to yourself “Is this a house where I can see myself raising a family” or “Is this location good for me and my interests”.

To talk with a Prudential Vision Properties agent today, call 573.449.6200 or email info@PrudentialVision.com.

By: Norma Kinder

When it comes to preparing your home for sale in an environmentally friendly way, Kermit the Frog had it wrong. It is easy being green.

With so many home-buyers seeking green features in the homes they consider, sellers should create an eco-friendly atmosphere for the buyer, and that doesn’t always mean costly fixes.

It’s always nice for a home-buyer who’s been touring houses all day to find water or a snack waiting for them in your kitchen. Instead of leaving the customary bottled water, go the eco-friendly route and have a pitcher of filtered tap water at the ready. Add some organic fruits and vegetables and keep trash minimized. Also, use glassware and plates instead of plastic cups and paper plates. This practice is not only green, it shows class.

Talk with your agent about using recycled paper for all your brochures and advertisements around the neighborhood. Someone who is environmentally conscious will appreciate the effort.

Another way to act “green” is during your de-cluttering stage, where you remove furniture and other items from your home prior to the home’s listing. Instead of simply throwing out all those things you no longer want or need, you can recycle, resell at a garage sale, donate to a charity, or give away the items at the popular website Freecycle.com.

Big fixes around the home can go a long way, too. In this age of global warming and high-energy costs, more buyers are looking for houses that embrace energy conservation. The simplest upgrade is to replace all the light bulbs in the home with CFLs (compact fluorescents), which use a quarter of the electricity as regular bulbs.

To help with heating, make sure cracks are tightly caulked and leaks are sealed. Doing so can reduce your annual heating bill by $100, according to Department of Energy figures.

Justin Barnes, a policy analyst for the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, said some of the easiest green fixes deal with appliance replacement. Most of today’s appliances are highly efficient and will reduce your energy bills. They’re also more attractive than their worn-out predecessors.

Barnes also suggests replacing doors and windows if the budget allows, and looking for better ways to insulate the home.

Also consider tankless water heaters, which are energy efficient and ultimately use less water during the heating process.

Don’t be afraid to boast about your green home and any recent enhancements. Working with your agent to highlight your eco-friendly features may just be what makes the difference in completing the sale.

Norma Kinder can be reached at 573.819.9912. Prudential Vision Properties is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

By: Karen Bataille

With spring in the air, the exterior of a home becomes even more important when putting your house on the market because buyers now will spend more time outside looking at your property and envisioning what their summer barbeques and family playtime will look like.

The addition of any amount of usable real estate to a property increases value. Customized decks and personalized outdoor living areas are a hot trend in home improvement upgrades, and a great-looking deck may entice more people to come see your home.

Building or updating an existing deck isn’t simply a great investment; it also provides opportunities to personalize your backyard and customize the look to your taste. And with many families staying home this summer to save money, why not think about creating the perfect location for entertaining?

Deck experts agree that multi-level decks are the most popular now. These are a series of decks connected by stairways or walkways, which are aesthetically pleasing and can be used for different purposes. One level can be used to catch the sun, one level can be positioned for shade and another can be set close to the house for entertaining and barbequing.

Wood decks have always been the most popular, but caring for them is tough. They will rot over time, are subject to insect infestation and require a great deal of maintenance to keep the wood from fading. Accordingly, people are embracing composite materials for their decks, which cost significantly more but will last longer with less maintenance.

For those homes that already have a deck, it’s important to make sure that it’s still in good shape and adds to the attractiveness of a property. You can change your deck’s appearance with interesting balusters to match other decorative accents on your house or in your yard and really add unique touches to make the deck a personal haven. Meanwhile, railings offer a good opportunity to pull in color and ornamental detail that complements the house.

By designing your deck with accents, lights and unique accessories, you can transform your backyard into an outdoor retreat one will never want to leave. Whether you’re catching up with friends over a grilled dinner in the evening or are curled up with a book in a lounge chair on a sunny afternoon, a deck is the perfect place to be.

Karen Bataille can be reached at 573.808.4480. Prudential Vision Properties is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.

By: John Geha

They say a picture paints a thousand words and when it comes to selling your home, you want those words to end with “sold.” It’s no secret that better-presented homes get more traffic and more buyer interest, therefore selling faster.

That’s why it is essential that you showcase your home through images in the best way possible.

According to the National Association of REALTORS^®, nearly 90% of all homebuyers begin shopping for homes online. Many flip through photos of the homes and send a list of those they want to see to their agent. In fact, homes with few or no photos are often passed over simply for that reason, even if the home’s description matches a buyer’s ideal listing.

Many agents believe that apart from staging, no other marketing investment is as important as professional photography in marketing a property effectively. So, to generate more buyer interest, there has been a dramatic increase in the use of professional real estate photographers in the past few years.

The best photographs are most likely to come from someone who has an eye for the underlying beauty of the home’s structure and spaces; has specialized equipment and techniques for lighting and perspective control; and uses workflow processes for post-processing of the images for use on the Web and in publications.

Let’s face it, as much as we all like to think we take great photos, a professional has an eye for seeing the best vantage points and lighting options and also has better equipment to make the photos bright, clear and sharp. A professional photographer will most likely use a 10mm lens that can capture up to 85% of a room and lighting that can illuminate the entire room.

The same holds true with taking video of your home to add to a website listing. An amateur can show what each room and yard looks like, but a video professional will make the strongest elements stand out and provide a much better video narrative of the home. Plus, you don’t have to worry about any shakiness or dullness that someone not that experienced with a video camera may give you.

Before bringing in someone to photograph or video your home, it’s essential that it is clean and de-cluttered so the pictures entice a buyer to want to see the home in person. You don’t want clothes, pets or anything else distracting people from the photo at hand.

Indeed, homes showcased with the best photographs and videos will attract more sellers and help speed the home-sale process to a successful conclusion.

John Geha can be reached at 573.424.3300. Prudential Vision Properties is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential company. Equal Housing Opportunity.