BP Realty

If you’re getting ready to put your house on the market, then you’ll want to know these home selling secrets straight from the real estate experts at HGTV. Selling your home can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. With the right support, a skilled real estate agent, and a few insider tips from those who know the market and the home selling process best, you’ll be on your way to a smooth and successful home sale. Here’s what you need to know!

Minimize your stuff

A cluttered home is a total distraction when it comes to showcasing your home and one of the biggest deterrents to potential buyers. Too much stuff takes away from the visual appeal of your home and lessens a home buyer’s interest in what your home has to offer. Potential buyers will be too inundated with all of the things to really see the essence of your house and its highlights. Do yourself a big a favor and start decluttering before you ever put your house on the market.

Light it up

Maximize the light in your home. After location, good light is the one thing that every buyer cites that they want in a home. Take down the drapes, clean the windows, change the lampshades, increase the wattage of your light bulbs and cut the bushes outside to let in the sunshine. Do what you have to do to make your house bright and cheery, thereby making it much more marketable and sellable.

Don’t over-upgrade

Quick fixes before selling always pay off. Mammoth makeovers, not so much. You probably won’t get your money back if you do a huge improvement project before you put your house on the market. Instead, do updates that will pay off and get you top dollar. Get a new fresh coat of paint on the walls. Clean the curtains or go buy some inexpensive new ones. Replace door handles, cabinet hardware, make sure closet doors are on track, fix leaky faucets and clean the grout.

Sell your house not your home

One of the most important things to do when selling your house is to de-personalize it. The more personal stuff in your house, the less potential buyers can imagine themselves living there. Get rid of a third of your stuff and put it in storage. This includes family photos, memorabilia collections and personal keepsakes. Consider hiring a home stager to maximize the full potential of your home. Staging simply means arranging your furniture to best showcase the floor plan and maximize the use of space.

Stay show ready

Your house needs to be show-ready at all times, since you never know when your buyer is going to walk through the door. You have to be available whenever they want to come see the place and it has to be in tip-top shape. Don’t leave dishes in the sink, keep the dishwasher cleaned out, the bathrooms sparkling and make sure there are no dust bunnies in the corners. It’s a little inconvenient at the moment, but it will get your house sold.

The first impression is the only impression.

No matter how good the interior of your home looks, buyers have already judged your home before they walk through the door. You never have a second chance to make a first impression. It’s important to make people feel warm, welcome and safe as they approach the house. Spruce up your home’s exterior with inexpensive shrubs and brightly colored flowers. You can typically get a 100-percent return on the money you put into your home’s curb appeal. Entryways are also important. You use it as a utility space for your coat and keys. But when you’re selling, make it welcoming by putting in a small bench, a vase of fresh-cut flowers or even some cookies. The little details matter.

1. Your Realtor is simply not good enough.

Not all Realtor’s are the same. National Association of Realtors shares 89% of all transactions are done by 11% of the Realtors. Almost 2000 new people have taken the test to get their Realtor’s license. A new Realtor does not have the education, strategies nor competencies to sell many homes. National Association of Realtors shares the average Realtor sells 3 homes a year. That’s like going to a dentist who fills 3 cavities a year. The best way to make sure you get the right Realtor is to interview at least 3 and ask at least these 4 questions. A. Do you have a team, on your payroll, consisting of an administrative person to handle all of the paperwork crossing every “T” and dotting every “I”, inside sales agent to respond to the buyers interested in your home 24/7 with in 2 minute response time and a marketing director that promotes your home professionally on hundreds of websites, runs social adds, google adds, circle marketing adds and calls, who all work to get top dollar for my home. B. Do you have a satisfaction and communication guarantee in writing? This guarantee gives you the seller complete control of the contract. Listing contracts have dates to abide by.  Some Realtor’s lock you into those dates no matter if they are doing what they said they would do or not. The bet Realtor’s have these guarantee’s so that if they are not doing what they said they would, then you have the right to cancel the listing agreement at anytime. C. Do you Guarantee me the highest sales price in writing?  This question helps you to understand the Realtor’s marketing plan and if they are willing to put their money where their mouth is so to say. Great Realtors always have Guarantee’s and are willing to put their neck on the line for you. D. Finally, ask yourself if your gut feeling is that you are interviewing someone who is a good person and truly cares about you and getting you the highest price for your home headache hassle free. Your gut is usually correct.

2. Photos are lacking quality.

Photo’s are a big key to getting interested parties to come view your home in person. They can make or break a home sale very quickly. A professional is needed to take HD, wide angel view at the correct exposure all complete with a floor plan, virtual tour, video plus sometimes drone is needed. Get this right or you will be limiting the amount of showings on your home.

3. Home repairs-touch ups are needed. 

Many times there are minor inexpensive things, (learned tricks of the trade so to say) that can be done which will make a huge difference in your home sale plus many times bring you a higher sales price. Great Realtors know these tricks and are always willing to share to maximize the return on your investment…..your home. 

4. Your home is not advertised properly.

Most Realtor’s put your home in the Multiple Listing Service, put a sign in the yard and hope for the best. Great Realtor’s have a specific marketing strategy that is tailored to your specific home. Every home is unique and should have a unique marketing budget on where and how to spend marketing dollars to get your home in front of the right buyer. It’s called pro-active marketing. Instead of trying to attract potential buyers to your home, great Realtor’s identify buyers for your home and then bring your home to them via internet, mailings, calls and texts.  

Are you in need of a Realtor who is going to put their best foot forward for YOU? Email us at info@boeveproperties.com to receive our credibility kit and see if we’re the right fit for YOU!

 Do you have any home selling secrets you’d like to share? We’d love to hear your experience and advice. Our comment section is always open!

Here are five reasons listing your home for sale this winter makes sense.

1. Demand Is Strong

The latest Buyer Traffic Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that buyer demand remains strong throughout the vast majority of the country. These buyers are ready, willing and able to purchase… and are in the market right now! More often than not, multiple buyers are competing with each other to buy a home.

Take advantage of the buyer activity currently in the market.

2. There Is Less Competition Now

Housing inventory is still under the 6-month supply that is needed for a normal housing market. This means that, in the majority of the country, there are not enough homes for sale to satisfy the number of buyers in the market. This is good news for homeowners who have gained equity as their home values have increased. However, additional inventory could be coming to the market soon.

Historically, the average number of years a homeowner stayed in their home was six but has hovered between nine and ten years since 2011. There is a pent-up desire for many homeowners to move, as they were unable to sell over the last few years because of a negative equity situation. As home values continue to appreciate, more and more homeowners will be given the freedom to move.

The choices buyers have will continue to increase. Don’t wait until this other inventory comes to market before you decide to sell.

3. The Process Will Be Quicker

Today’s competitive environment has forced buyers to do all they can to stand out from the crowd, including getting pre-approved for their mortgage financing. This makes the entire selling process much faster and much simpler as buyers know exactly what they can afford before home shopping. According to Ellie Mae’s latest Origination Insights Report, the time to close a loan has dropped to 46 days.

4. There Will Never Be a Better Time to Move Up

If your next move will be into a premium or luxury home, now is the time to move up! The inventory of homes for sale at these higher price ranges has forced these markets into a buyer’s market. This means that if you are planning on selling a starter or trade-up home, your home will sell quickly, AND you’ll be able to find a premium home to call your own!

Prices are projected to appreciate by 4.8% over the next year according to CoreLogic. If you are moving to a higher-priced home, it will wind up costing you more in raw dollars (both in down payment and mortgage payment) if you wait.

5. It’s Time to Move on With Your Life

Look at the reason you decided to sell in the first place and determine whether it is worth waiting. Is money more important than being with family? Is money more important than your health? Is money more important than having the freedom to go on with your life the way you think you should?

Only you know the answers to the questions above. You have the power to take control of the situation by putting your home on the market. Perhaps the time has come for you and your family to move on and start living the life you desire.

That is what is truly important.

With home prices on the rise and buyer demand still strong, some sellers may be tempted to try and sell their homes on their own without using the services of a real estate professional.

Real estate agents are trained and experienced in negotiation and, in most cases, the seller is not. Sellers must realize that their ability to negotiate will determine whether or not they get the best deal for themselves and their families.

Here is a list of just some of the people with whom the seller must be prepared to negotiate with if they decide to For Sale by Owner (FSBO):

• The buyer who wants the best deal possible
• The buyer’s agent who solely represents the best interests of the buyer
• The buyer’s attorney (in some parts of the country)
• The home inspection companies, which work for the buyer and will almost always find someproblems with the house
• The termite company if there are challenges
• The buyer’s lender if the structure of the mortgage requires the sellers’ participation
• The appraiser if there is a question of value
• The title company if there are challenges with certificates of occupancy (CO) or other permits
• The town or municipality if you need to get the CO permits mentioned above
• The buyer’s buyer in case there are challenges with the house your buyer is selling

Bottom Line

The percentage of sellers who have hired real estate agents to sell their homes has increased steadily over the last 20 years. Meet with a professional in your local market to see the difference that he or she can make in easing the selling process for you.

Here are four great reasons to consider buying a home today instead of waiting.

1. Prices Will Continue to Rise

CoreLogic’s latest Home Price Insight report revealed that home prices have appreciated by 5.6% over the last 12 months. The same report predicts that prices will continue to increase at a rate of 4.7% over the next year.

The bottom in home prices has come and gone. Home values will continue to appreciate for years. Waiting no longer makes sense.

2. Mortgage Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase 

Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey shows that interest rates for a 30-year mortgage have hovered around 4.8%. Most experts predict that rates will rise over the next 12 months. The Mortgage Bankers Association, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the National Association of Realtors are in unison, projecting that rates will increase in 2019.

An increase in rates will impact YOUR monthly mortgage payment. A year from now, your housing expense will increase if a mortgage is necessary to buy your next home.

3. Either Way, You are Paying a Mortgage

There are some renters who have not yet purchased homes because they are uncomfortable taking on the obligation of a mortgage. Everyone should realize that unless you are living with your parents rent-free, you are paying a mortgage – either yours or your landlord’s.

As an owner, your mortgage payment is a form of ‘forced savings’ that allows you to build equity in your home that you can tap into later in life. As a renter, you guarantee your landlord is the person building that equity.

Are you ready to put your housing cost to work for you?

4. It’s Time to Move on With Your Life

The ‘cost’ of a home is determined by two major components: the price of the home and the current mortgage rate. It appears that both are on the rise.

But what if they weren’t? Would you wait?

Look at the actual reason you are buying and decide if it is worth waiting. Whether you want to have a great place for your children to grow up, you want your family to be safer, or you just want to have control over renovations, maybe now is the time to buy.

If the right thing for you and your family is to purchase a home this year, buying sooner rather than later could lead to substantial savings.

Source: Keeping Current Matters