Brian Ripp ~ Your Bay Area & Fremont Real Estate & Financial Agent » home selling

Be a “Snoopy” Seller

Brian Ripp — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:52:07 +0000

Before you put your home on the market,take the time to do a little “snooping” on your neighbors by comparing your home to others on the market and visiting open houses. Visiting a few open houses can give you a better idea of what your home is worth and can highlight needed improvements.

If two or three houses that you visit, for example, have recently redone their roofs or windows, you probably should put those repairs toward the top of your to-do list, so your home doesn’t suffer from comparison once you start marketing it.

Visiting open houses also give you the chance to see how to “stage” your home to show its best features. Take notice of what appeals to you as you walk through the house and what little things jump out at you that you may have overlooked in your own home.

It’s All in the Location

Brian Ripp — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 21:29:38 +0000

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

Curb Appeal Starts at the Curb

Brian Ripp — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 16:51:14 +0000

Getting you house in top shape is important when welcoming potential buyers inside. But you don’t want to forget about enticing buyers from the outside as well. Your yard is definitely part of the first impression and having it in tip-top condition can help set the tone of any visit. Unfortunately, summer’s scorching sun can often work against you. Here’s how you can keep your garden and yard looking healthy and beautiful even in the hottest months:

Keep Watering, Set up a sprinkler in your yard and make sure your flowers and grass get water daily. You’ll save water – and plants – by only watering in the evenings or early mornings when the sun isn’t beating down.

Choose Summer Flowers. When planting your garden, always keep in mind the amount of sun and heat flowers might receive. With a little bit of TLC, your snapdragons and petunias will maintain their blooms throughout the summer.

Fertilize. When fertilizing summer blooming flowers, use a fertilizer high in phosphorus or use a “bloom booster” formula. This will help stimulate flowering throughout the summer, ensuring your garden will always look its best.

If all else fails, hire a local landscaping company or gardening center to plant a season of colorful flowers. While this is an additional cost, it’s worth it if it helps your house sell faster and at a higher price.

Updating Your Kitchen

Brian Ripp — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:59:58 +0000

According to the National Association of Realtors, the kitchen is the single most important room for most prospective home buyers. If you don’t have the funds to do a complete kitchen overhaul, don’t despair. For just $1,000 you can make some significant changes that will have home buyers doing a double-take, such as:

Re-facing or refinishing your cabinets. Re-facing involves replacing your cabinet doors but leaving the actual cabinets (boxes) intact. Depending on the size of your kitchen you can get it done for about $1,000 professionally or if you’re willing to undertake a little work you can do it for less. It’s a quick and much less expensive way of getting “new” cabinets without the big demolition work (and big price tag) of brand new cabinets.

If you have wood cabinets you could refinish them instead by simply stripping the old paint or varnish and applying new. For just a couple hundred dollars (plus some elbow grease to sand and paint or stain) you’ll get a whole new look.

Changing out the countertops. Depending on the size of your kitchen, you may be able to swing new granite countertops with a $1,000 budget (you can find them as low as $40 per square foot on sale or at an outlet). For larger kitchens consider other, less costly options like stainless steel or solid surfacing products like Corian®. Use Dupont’s online Corian Kitchen Countertop Installed Price Estimator to get an idea of how much it would cost you to have the product professionally installed.
Painting the room. With a gallon of paint covering approximately 350 square feet and running an average of $25, if you throw in the cost of brushes, tape, primer, etc. it could cost you as little as $75 to repaint a kitchen with 700 square feet of wall space.
Upgrading appliances. Switching to energy-efficient Energy Star appliances will not only improve your kitchen’s appearance, it will also save you (and future owners) money on your monthly utility bills.
Updating accessories. Small changes like replacing outlet covers, cabinet knobs and drawer pulls can give your kitchen an entirely different look and feel. When you consider that the average kitchen can be upgraded with new accessories for as little as $150., it’s a no-brainer for your small remodeling budget.
Tiling the floor. If you have a small or moderate sized bathroom you may be able to find discounted tiles that you can install yourself (many tiling stores and home improvement centers offer free weeknight or weekend courses) for as little as $1 -$2 per square foot.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker – your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp

Lighter, Brighter Rooms

Brian Ripp — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:32:17 +0000

Choosing the right lighting fixtures can enhance the beauty of your home, but there are other ways to brighten rooms and make the most of interior light. For example:

Glossy surfaces tend to reflect light, while matte surfaces absorb light. Replace dark furniture and carpeting with lighter versions that will reflect more light. For a less expensive solution, opt for pale slipcovers and area rugs. Selecting white or neutral shades of paint in a glossy finish for your walls and ceilings will also make your rooms brighter
Adding mirrors to your home décor also adds light, especially if you hang them directly across from windows.
Keeping your windows sparkling clean will allow more sunlight into your home and help to open a dark room. You should also remove from windowsills any knickknacks that block your view and replace heavy draperies with sheers to take advantage of natural light.
If your home still seems dark, you may want to consider adding more windows or installing a skylight.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker – your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.

Real Estate Market Weekly Update Webcast: http://realtytimes.com/REUv/BrianRipp

Home Selling Tips For Spring/Summer Buyers Market

Brian Ripp — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:57:41 +0000

If you’re planning to put your home on the market in time for spring, now’s the time to get it ready to show.
But wait, it’s still a buyer’s market. What can you do to catch the buyer’s eye and get them to make an offer?
It’s going to take more than a fresh coat of paint and a new welcome mat. A buyer’s market raises the stakes, and you’ll find you need to do a lot more work on your home than you think, if you want to get the highest price possible.
You’ve heard that you should clean, paint and repair, but that may not be enough. If your home is cluttered and in disrepair, buyers won’t pay top dollar. Knowing how buyers reason should help you pick which updates are most likely to help you sell your home.
Let’s take the most basic selling suggestions and explore why these are such important mantras.
• Boost your curb appeal. A clean house with cosmetic upgrades like painting and planting flowers can help form a fantastic first impression of your home.
Why? Eighty-four percent of homebuyers use the Internet to search for homes. One-third of homebuyers use the Internet first, before any other source. That means that people are making decisions whether or not to even drive by your home based on how it looks in video, virtual tours and photographs.
• Make big fixes where you can. If your budget allows, invest in bigger improvements. Focus on “make or break” rooms like bathrooms and kitchens, because nothing says “uninviting” like an unattractive cooking space.
Why? The National Association of Realtors found in 2007 that a whopping 59 percent of homebuyers remodeled or made improvements to their homes within three months of purchase. Forty-seven percent made improvements to the kitchen, another 45 percent remodeled or improved a bathroom, and 43 percent remodeled a bedroom.
Keep in mind that the rate of new home building accelerated during the housing boom, and buyers are used to seeing as much as 25 percent of available inventory as new. That’s your competition, and the closer you can get the buyer to new, the likelier you are to sell your home.
• Be upfront with disclosures. Don’t wait for the buyer to get a home inspection, or the buyer could find a reason to wiggle out of the deal. Get a preliminary inspection yourself, so you can improve the condition of your home before a buyer sees it. Keep receipts of recent improvements and provide estimates on optional upgrades. These actions will reinforce your trustworthiness as a seller and help overcome objections from the buyer.
With new homes, buyers have some guarantees that systems will be fixed by the builder if they fail, but they have no such guaranteed with an existing home. Providing a home warranty will go a long way in assuring the buyer.
• Be realistic. Your price should be competitive with nearby comparable homes with similar features and approximate condition that have sold or are on the market within the last three months. You may find that homes are taking longer to sell and that buyers are more selective. Your buyer may be using the Internet to find home valuation sites, so search those sites yourself and be ready to defend your price with proper comparables from your Realtor.
Remember, your home is competing with new construction and with the buyer’s idea of what a home should look like. Over 33 percent of home buyers prefer a home less than 10 years old, yet the typical home purchased by all buyers was 12 years of age. That suggests that condition is very important. If you can ease your buyer’s fears about the condition of your home, you’re much more likely to strike a deal.

Brian Ripp, CRS, GRI, Broker - your Bay Area Realtor

www.BrianRipp.com serving Fremont, Newark, Union City & surrounding communities. Real Estate & Property Management.