Buyers look for homes year-round. But since you may not be able to depend on spectacular landscaping to attract byers to your home, marketing your home during the winter months may require that you highlight its other features.
Turn on all your exterior lights and open the curtains during the day to make the most of the light. Make sure the inside temperature is comfortable, but not too warm. Bake some cookies or fill your house with an inviting scent like cinnamon, vanilla or evergreen. Keep walkways and driveways clear.
Include photos of your home’s exterior in other seasons on all advertising. Strategically place a few photographs of your landscape in all its spring and summer glory throughout your home. This is an extra touch that potential buyers will likely appreciate.
Of course, the traditional guidelines of showing your house still apply – clean your home thoroughly before showing, eliminate clutter and make any needed repairs.
The place you decide to call home can have a significant impact on your overall quality of life. Neighborhoods, like their inhabitants, have unique personalities and charm. With a little investigative work, you can find your dream neighborhood – a neighborhood that is perfectly suited to your lifestyle and that makes you and your family members feel at home.
When you’re searching for a home, begin by turning to me for help. I am knowledgeable about the local real estate market and I will be able to compare the homes you may be interested in with others in the area.
Once I have answered your questions, you can continue to do further research on your own. Get a comprehensive feel fro the area by driving through at various times of the day. Take note of noise levels and the overall ambiance to see how you feel about the area in relation to what I told you. Don’t be afraid to get out and walk around and even visit with residents who might be out walking around. Consult public resources and search online for statistics and reports, like school ranking and crime reports.
Here are five improvements you can make that might help your home sell faster in a cooling market:
1. Create a welcoming entrance. Make sure your front door is clean, polish the hardware (or replace it if necessary) and repaint the door if it is in poor shape. Finally, add a new doormat, update your mailbox, and place attractive greenery or flowers on either side of the door.
2. Remove clutter and put it in storage. Box up anything you won’t use in the next few months (including holiday decorations, seasonal closthing or sports equipment, old toys, etc.) and send it to a storage faclility.
3. Replace outdated window treatments with simple white miniblinds or wood blinds cut-to-measure at a home center. This is a fairly simple fix that can refresh your rooms in just one weekend.
4. Update your storage space with closet systems so the closet looks organized, not cluttered.
5. Have wood floors professionally cleaned and polished. If you have worn, dirty or badly colered carpeting with wood underneath, tear out and expose the wood.
Nearly three out of four renters (72 percent) say owning a home is a top priority for their future, up from 63 percent a year ago, according to the 2011 National Housing Pulse Survey from the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. But more than three-fourths of renters say they would be less likely to buy a home if they were required to put 20 percent down, and 71 percent believe a 20 percent down payment requirement could have a negative impact on the housing market.
Some groups of homeowners — including self-described “working class” homeowners, younger non-college graduates, African Americans and Hispanics — believe that a 20 percent down payment requirement would have prevented them from becoming homeowners. More than eight out of 10 respondents (82 percent) say the top obstacle to homeownership is having enough money for a down payment and closing costs, followed by having confidence in one’s job security.
Great info. from CRS Member Connect on-line newsletter
There are many homes on the market today – which is ideal for people who are looking to buy. With more to choose from, there’s more opportunity to find a good deal.
Fixer-uppers can be found in most communities, even wealthier neighborhoods. Fixer-uppers can be a great deal for someone who doesn’t mind investing a little sweat equity; however, you want to be sure that the house you buy doesn’t have major issues, like structural problems, so a home inspection is essential.
You may want to look at homes that merely need some cosmetic work, like adding new appliances or a fresh coat of paint. In fact, in some instances sellers may offer an allowance to cover all or part of the repair as an incentive to buy.
Whether you are looking for a fixer-upper, new construction, or anything in between, when looking for a home, the best place to start is always with a trusted real estate professional.
Shadow inventory of residential homes fell to 1.7 million in April, down from 1.9 million the previous month, according to CoreLogic. This represents a five months’ supply of shadow inventory and accounts for 29 percent of total housing supply. Of the 1.7 million units, 790,000 are seriously delinquent, 440,000 are in some stage of foreclosure and another 440,000 are already REO.
In addition to the current shadow inventory, there are 2 million current negative equity loans that are more than 50 percent, or at least $150,000, upside down. These current underwater loans have an increased risk of entering the shadow inventory if the owners’ ability to pay is impaired while significantly underwater.
information from CRS Member Connect on-line newsletter
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Despite the ups and downs of the housing market and the decline in housing values, most homeowners, including those who are under water on their mortgages, don’t regret owning a home. In a new survey by the National Association of Home Builders, three out of four Americans believe that owning a home is the best long-term investment and is worth the risk of the ups and downs of the housing market, and 95 percent say they are happy with their decision to own a home.
That sentiment is also strong among homeowners who are under water on their mortgages. Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) believe owning a home is worth the risk of the ups and downs of the housing market and 83 percent of say they are happy with their decision to own a home.
Four out of five homeowners (80 percent) say they would advise a friend or family member to buy a home while slightly fewer (78 percent) of underwater homeowners would do the same. Only 19 percent of homeowners under water believe homeownership is too risky.
information from CRS “Member Connect” on-line newsletter
How important is property location? Very. When considering a house purchase, it’s always wise to weigh how property values may rise – or fall – before making an investment. Generally speaking, property values tend to rise in neighborhoods where there is a transit route that cuts commute time. What’s more, houses located within the jurisdiction of a good school district have higher property values than those served by less desirable schools. Despite this, a house’s value can be adversely affected if it is situated directly across the street from a school.
Location within a community can affect property value as well. A house that is within walking distance of public transportation or a shopping area is oftentimes more valuable. But if it’s too close to either, it may lower in value. Similarly, a house near a busy freeway or heavily traveled road is generally lower in value. Within subdivisions, cul-de-sacs tend to be quiet, private and more desirable locales. Thus, corner lots often sell for less due to their increased exposure.
information from the CRS “Your Home” newsletter
You’ve always known that owning a home meant more than putting a roof over your head, but now there’s proof. The positive Karma that comes from owning a home results in higher life satisfaction and happiness, says Robert Dietz, author of a study on the social benefits of homeownership. What’s more, those benefits extend to the houshold and community levels.
The study shows that childern of homeowners are likely to perform higher on academic achievement tests, are more likely to finish high school and have fewer behavioral problems at school. Political activity, such as voting and participating in community organizations, is also higher among homeowners.
The bottom line: Homeowners are happier and more satified with their lives. Why? A couple of factors could be the government’s policy of promoting homeownership and the positive social outcomes of homeownership, Dietz says.
“Through their investment in the home – and therefore in the local neighborhood – homeowners appear to be overall more involved in their communities” Dietz says. “These spillover benefits suggest that the neighborhood homeownership rate itself may produce positive social consequences for communities”
Homeownership can even have financial benefits. Recent research indicates that high levels of homeownership in neighborhoods increase property values.
information from CRS ‘your home’ newsletter
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At present, elevated levels of lead can cause serious health problems, especially for pregnant women and young children. Lead in drinking water is primarily from materials and components associated with service lines and home plumbing. Alameda County Water District is responsible for providing high quality drinking water, but cannot control the variety of materials used in plumbing components. When your water has been sitting for several hours, you can minimize the potential for lead exposure by flushing your tap for 30 seconds to 2 minutes before using water for drinking or cooking. If you are concerned about lead in your water, you may wish to have your water tested. Information on lead in drinking water, testing methods, and steps you can take to minimize exposure is available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline (800-426-4791) or www.epa.gov/safewater/lead
this information taken from the ACWD newsletter
Buyers look for homes year-round. But since you may not be able to depend on spectacular landscaping to attract byers to your home, marketing your home during the winter months may require that you highlight its other features.
