Thanks

Thought for the Day

"There's nothing in this world that can't be made better with chocolate and a hug."

Anonymous

Suddenly Grey

Today - Our First Snowfall of the Season

Winter Curb Appeal

We can't always time the need or desire to sell our home with the seasons. If we could, most homes would probably go on the market during the Spring when everything outdoors is looking fresh and renewed. But sometimes we need to put our home on the market during the "off season" when the yard and the surroundings have turned drab and grey - or maybe everything is even covered with snow.

A suggestion I make to anyone who will listen is that they maintain files of recent photos of their yards during their peak seasons. This has been made easier and less expensive with digital cameras.

Then if you find need to list your house during the "grey" months you can print several of your pictures when your property is its prettiest and have them laying out for open houses and showings. One approach that I really liked and have suggested to my clients was used by a neighbor with a pool. They put their house on the market in the early winter and we found ourselves covered with snow. They produced a CD/DVD slide show of their yard and pool area from pictures taken during the summer. If they had a showing or an open house they put the slide show on their big screen TV and let it continuously replay.

This way prospective buyers can get some sense of how the property will look once the "grey" goes away.

Neighbors Can Be A Source of Great Referrals

The vast majority of us value our good neighbors - primarily for their friendship and support. What we often overlook is how important good neighbors can be when it comes time to sell our homes. The obvious - buyers are always interested in what types of neighbors they might have should choose to buy your house. It's always a positive if you can honestly respond that you have good relationships with your neighbors. The less obvious - neighbors are a great network for bringing potential buyers to your house.

Think about it. Your neighbors will want their new neighbor (the buyer of your house) to be someone they'll enjoy. Your neighbors have networks of friends, family and coworkers - some who might be in the market for a new house or who know someone else who is. Other than through your Realtor there is no better way to get the word out to a potential market of buyers.

So - even if you have no intent of selling in the immediate future, introduce yourself to your neighbors. Invite them into your home. Develop a relationship. Make friends. That's what a neighborhood is all about.

A Little Paint and Time Goes A Long Way

Little updates can go a long way to enhancing the marketability of your house. The pictures above are a shining example of how one can turn a 1970's fireplace and bookshelves into an updated fresh look. The room has been brightened and feels bigger. The shelves have been decluttered and the look is clean. The investment in a project like this was a few pieces of wood to cover the original brick mantle, a gallon or two of paint and several hours of time. This is an easy project. I should know. I did it.

First Time Buyers - This Is Your Time

Inventories of homes on the market are up. Sellers are motivated and prices have come down. Mortgage interest rates are extremely attractive. Tax incentives are available.

Worried about future appreciation of a home you might buy now? Concerned that it won't return a sufficient dividend for your investment?

Look at it this way. If you're renting today, 100% of your monthly rent is an expense to you. There is no accumulation of equity from a rental payment. You get nothing back in the future for the rental payments you make today.

Investing in a home provides no guarantees either. But with each monthly payment you increase your equity in an asset that when you're ready to sell should at least return some level of value - even if home values continue to fall slightly.

If you've been considering a purchase but are wary of the market, a rent vs. buy analysis may be very beneficial.

Think of Your Home As "Always For Sale"

There are really 3 basic things that impact the salability of a home:
· Location
· Condition
· Price

If you own the property, there is nothing you can do to change the location. It is what it is. But you do have control over the condition and the pricing of your home when you go to sell it.

I recommend to anyone that will listen, that they maintain their home in a condition that will allow them to put it on the market in a moment’s notice. You never know when a job relocation or a change in your financial situation might occur. Or perhaps the house you’ve coveted down the street comes on the market and you want to pursue its purchase. Suddenly you’re faced with getting your house ready to sell. It’s far easier if you’ve kept it updated all along than it is to suddenly scramble. More often than not, sellers in this situation will decide to forgo updates rationalizing that the future purchaser will want to personalize the property themselves – the result often being the house sits on the market longer and will likely sell at a price lower than if the property had been maintained and updated.

Most of us eventually sell our homes. I suggest if you haven’t already started that you begin today, preparing your home for sale – even if that sale might not take place in the foreseeable future. Vigilant maintenance and updating will ease your burden when it is time to sell – and guess what? You’ll probably enjoy living in a well maintained and “fresh” home until you do sell. And yes – when you do sell the odds are greater that your house will stand out – selling quicker and for a higher price.

If you’d like an independent perspective on what you could do now to make your home the best value on the market when you go to sell, please contact me. I’ll be glad to provide my observations and recommendations.

Buyer's Market - Really It Is.

It’s amazing - another year almost gone. And what a year it’s been. We’ve endured a long challenging election process and we’re faced with an economy unlike anything most of us have seen in our lives. With challenges come opportunities.

If you’ve been considering a purchase of real estate and your finances are in order, this may be the time you want to make a move.

At no other time in recent history has the inventory of homes been as high as today – providing buyers many more options from which to choose.

Home prices are depressed. Deals are being done. This is a “buyer’s market”. Will home prices continue to decline? Maybe – maybe not. Will the house of your dreams be available if and when the prices do fall? Maybe – maybe not.

Mortgage interest rates are at attractively low levels. How long they remain low is difficult to project.

And if you’re a first-time homebuyer you may qualify for government sponsored tax credits.

For these reasons, it’s a wonderful time to buy. I’d be honored to help you or anyone you know who is in the market to achieve their dream.

Dr. Seuss

Unless someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It's not.

It's That Time Again