Small Fixes-Big Payoff

Today's real estate market is booming. With the huge rise in home decorating shows, home building shows, and home carpentry as a hobby, more and more Americans are enthused about the idea of having a property they can call their own. With that in mind, sometimes selling a house in today's market can be trickier than you would think.

Of course, if you live in a highly desirable area, you will probably get lucky. Houses in certain suburbs of Los Angeles and other large cities or popular states will often sell no matter what the condition, and sell quickly too, because people aren't paying for the house- they're paying for location, location, location.

So what do you do if your house isn't about location? If you're feeling a little overwhelmed, and like your little bungalow is just one of millions out there on the ever-expanding market, don't despair. There are some easy tricks that can give your home the extra edge it needs to make a sale quickly and painlessly.

The number one trick is to check your market. This is hardly even a trick, but amazingly, some homeowners skip this one, especially if they are selling independently and not dealing with an experienced realtor, who knows this one like the back of her hand. Check out comparable houses in comparable neighborhoods, and price yours accordingly. The fact that your parents built this house themselves forty years ago isn't going to matter to a potential buyer. The fact that it costs a little more than the one around the corner, but has a newer roof, is what will get you the sale.

Assuming your house is priced correctly and is in fair condition, what can you do to draw in the buyers and get the place sold at or around your asking price? For starters, let go of your house emotionally as much as possible, and take a good objective look at it from an outsider's point of view. The cracked driveway might not matter to you, but perhaps it will to a potential buyer whose spouse uses a cane. Your daughter's rose-pink bedroom might be just fine, but what if your potential buyers have three sons? Prepare yourself to invest a little time and money into giving your house some general appeal. If it's possible to fix a problem partially for a small investment, then go for it. Twenty dollars for a gallon of paint, or two hundred dollars for some used appliances that are newer than the ones currently in the house, can make a huge difference when it comes to asking price.

Of course, real estate is sold on an 'as is' basis- provided the buyer is fully aware of whatever conditions may preexist- and some repairs or alterations might simply be too costly. These are things that will all come into play when it comes time to negotiate the actual price of the house with a potential buyer. But the trick is to catch the relatively small things- before the buyers start looking- and use them to your advantage.  

   

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Dobler Consulting Inc
2339 Warwick Dr
Oldsmar
FL 34677
United States

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Simple Tips for Showing Your Home

If your home is on the market, it should be available at all times for showing to potential buyers. After all, how else do you expect to sell it? During the time your house is on the market, try to keep it prepared for a showing whenever possible. When you get prior notice that someone is coming to view your home, there are a few simple things you can do to ensure their viewing is a pleasant one.

The number one thing is not to be there. If it all possible, try to schedule showings during times when you're at work, or simply leave for an hour when you know potential buyers are on their way. The reason is obvious: Buyers who are exploring your home will feel like they're intruding if you are there, and they'll want to exit quickly. You want buyers to feel welcome, and to feel as though this house is a place they might be able to call home themselves. Your absence allows them to test their own comfort level in the home.

Take out the trash. This is a tiny tip that works wonders. Even if it's hidden in the cellar, or if the can is almost empty, put a fresh trash bag in before buyers come to look at your home. Aside from eliminating the chance that your house might have a funky smell, this also reduces the "lived-in" look," making it easier for buyers to picture this home as their own.

Don't leave out dirty dishes. This is another big "Someone Lives Here" clue that is unpleasant to buyers. If you have a dishwasher, it's fine to pile the dirty dishes inside and close the door (although keep in mind that if the dishwasher comes with the house, they might very well look inside!) But a sink (or, worse, a table) piled with dishes sends the wrong message.

Open the curtains. This one seems small, but it's not. Even if you don't have much natural light in your home, it's crucial to take advantage of what you do have. Open all blinds fully (unless there's a really ugly view outside) and draw back light-blocking curtains. If you're out of luck and your showing isn't on a sunny day, turn on the lights in every room. You might feel like you're wasting energy, but in reality you're eliminating dark corners and a possibly musty feeling that might come from a house sitting in shadow.

The best way to keep a house prepared for the market is to keep the major cleaning at bay. Wash, wax and vacuum twice a week, and keep it picked up in between. That way, if you get last-minute notice of a showing, you can fix a few details, head out the door, and know that your house is showing its best possible face to the world.

 

   

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Dobler Consulting Inc
2339 Warwick Dr
Oldsmar
FL 34677
United States

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The Ins and Outs of Becoming a Real Estate Agent

Getting into the real estate business can be one of the most rewarding, yet tiresome occupations out there.  Whether the rewards outweigh the downfalls of the position really does depend on the person looking into the career.  If you are a family-oriented person  or someone who likes to spend a lot of time to themselves or enjoying the more leisurely things in life and you are really not looking to give these things up (at least for a while), real estate may not be the right gig for you.

 

Generally, getting settled into the real estate business can take up to six months, or even a year!  Of course, a year does sound like an extremely long time to get into an occupation, but if you think about it and take into consideration all of the steps that are involved, that time frame is fairly reasonable.  All real estate agents start out in pre-licensing schools.  Pre licensing schools are basically classes that teach prospective real estate agents the ins and outs of the business itself.  In such classes, laws, dos and don'ts of the business, basic rules, and sales tips are all discussed in detail. Pre licensing real estate classes can take up to three whole months to complete, and successful completion of the classes should lead to a successful passing of the real estate examination.  Passing the real estate exam is nothing like the SAT however; it takes long hours of studying minute little details as well as broad, more general real estate information to successfully complete the course and pass the exam the first time.  And passing the exam on the first time is always the goal!

 

After completing the required pre licensing courses and passing the real estate licensing exam, there is the actual time frame that it takes to get into business to consider.  Of course, you are going to have to decide if you want to go into business for yourself or go to work for a real estate company, such as RE/MAX or Century 21.  Do take into consideration that it might not be the smartest idea in the world to immediately go into business for yourself, and there are several reasons for this.  The first is that when you are just becoming licensed and getting into the real estate business, you don't know if you want to do this for sure or not.  Sure, you think you do and that was why you decided to spend all of your money on time on classes and exams, but the reason real estate agencies are always hiring is because the turnover rate in that line of work is extremely high.  Like most other sales jobs--the real estate business is NOT for everyone, and do you really want to find out that you hate your line of work after you have signed a 12-month lease on an office space and hired a secretary? I didn't think so. 

 

The best advice is to start out at one of your local agencies, and if you are good and you enjoy what you do work up from there.  Have fun, and if you devote yourself to the business and you are good at it, your efforts will most definitely pay off.

 

   

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Dobler Consulting Inc
2339 Warwick Dr
Oldsmar
FL 34677
United States

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Selecting the Best Real Estate Agent for You

Let's face it: selling or buying your home is probably one of the biggest, most daunting projects you will ever take on in your life.  It's a monumental event that could impact a large part of at least the next few years of your life, and it's for that reason that a lot of homeowners looking to buy or sell homes or commercial property will turn to a real estate agent or Realtor for help.

 

Having the assistance of a Realtor by your side can be very reassuring, especially for a homeowner in their first round of dealings.  If you have never sold a home before, the legality of it all can be quite overwhelming and that's what the agent does for you; the position of real estate agent is designed to alleviate as much stress off of your shoulders as possible when it comes to legal and business matters relating to the sale, potential or otherwise, of your home or property.  They do most of the footwork for you if you pay them, from advertising to showing the property to closing the sale.  They can have as little or as much participation in the matter as possible.

 

In a sense, you are going to have to interview people for the position as your real estate agent just as the hiring position would go were you hiring for some other type of position.  When selecting an agent, think back on how well known properties were that they represented before this? Do they have a name that you have heard or seen before, perhaps on flyers, yard signs, billboards, or even local television? The more well known an agent is the more reputable they tend to be, and the more reputable they are, the more negotiating power they are going to carry with them when it comes to selling your home for the highest possible price, or purchasing it for yourself at the lowest possible cost; that, of course means a higher rate of commission for them, as well as profiting your pocket as the homeowner and prime beneficiary of the sale.

 

When you are selecting an agent, be sure that they are willing to provide you with a detailed blue print on how they intend things to go from that point on out.  Ensure that you and your prospective agent discuss how they plan to inform others that your property is on the market.  Are they going to post an ad on the Internet? Are they including your particular property in a flyer or circular?  Be sure to ask them how much time they plan to devote to your particular account.  If you are looking to sell your property on a schedule or if you are in a time crunch, a part time real estate agent just will not do.  Be sure that details regarding fees and commissions are disclosed properly prior to any type of agreement, especially a contractual agreement.

 

   

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Dobler Consulting Inc
2339 Warwick Dr
Oldsmar
FL 34677
United States

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Secrets of Resale Value

Whether you currently own a home or are looking to buy one, chances are you're interested in resale value. There's always the chance that you will be selling your home in the future, and with that in mind, it's good to know you can get good payback for your purchase. Here are three things about house resale value that may surprise you.

First of all, swimming pools are not worth much. Not in resale value, anyhow, even if you did pay a lot to have one installed. There was a time when having a pool in the backyard meant a lush and expensive home, but nowadays they are more common than you might think. Many modern home buyers are more interested in a backyard for the kids than they are in having a tiled pool outside their back door. Speaking of the kids, that's another reason the resale value of homes with pools has gone down: With the ever-growing number of Americans with small children, many would just as soon steer clear of a large body of water in the yard. This is not to say that swimming pools do not have good resale value to the right buyer. It does mean, however, that there are fewer "right buyers" for this type of property than there once were.

The second surprise is an easy one: You can never have too many bathrooms. Nowadays bathrooms are prime space in a home. Even installing a shower and toilet in a corner of the basement can add remodeling potential to your home. Ideally, every house would have a main floor bathroom, a guest bathroom, and a bathroom off of the master bedroom. In short, the more toilets and showers for today's family, the better your home will fare in the market of the future.

The third and final surprise source of value is this: If your home is the smallest in the neighborhood, it might be the best in terms of resale value. A small, modern, nicely kept home in a neighborhood of larger houses may fare very well. Picture it this way: Your neighborhood is desirable, and you're lucky enough to have the most affordable house on the block. Compared to the prices of the property around you, what might seem like a high price for the size of your home can be considered a very good deal.

Calculating resale value for a home that you plan to sell in the future can be a tricky job. It's sometimes difficult to predict what will come and go in the buying market. The best advice is to keep the basics updated and in good shape- this means your kitchen, your roof, your yard, and other obvious hubs of the household. When the time comes to sell your home, be prepared to spend a little money to invest in one or two areas that can increase your home's value considerably. It will be worth it.

 

 

   

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Dobler Consulting Inc
2339 Warwick Dr
Oldsmar
FL 34677
United States

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Reversible Negatives When Buying a House

So it's time to buy a house. Whether you're shopping on a budget or searching for your dream home no matter what the cost, there are a few things you should keep in mind when you go to view potential properties.

The bottom line is this: Every house has its drawbacks. The trick of being a smart buyer is to know which of those drawbacks aren't so negative, to use them to your advantage when it comes to negotiating price, and then fix them later at little cost to yourself. Here are three negatives you may encounter in the housing world- that you would be doing yourself a favor to look beyond.

Paint colors. Honestly, if you're buying something as permanent as a home, what difference does it make what color the walls are? This is not a rental property where you're stuck with what you get; the house is yours, and the walls are yours to do with as you please. I have actually heard of buyers turning down a house because the burgundy walls made it too dark. A twenty-dollar gallon of paint, or the cost of a painter for a day if you'd rather not do the work, can recreate a room and rejuvenate a house. The trick is to see the house for its possibilities, not its current actualities. Turning down a house because you don't like the color of the walls is almost as bad as a woman I heard once turn down a house because she didn't like the doorknobs!

Appliances. Sure, it's a plus- a big one- if you get a house that comes complete with up-to-date appliances, already installed. But this major convenience comes with a price tag. The reason is simple: Nobody likes lugging in and installing those things. You're paying to have them there, not necessarily because they're good appliances. Buy some used ones, have them delivered or borrow a truck, and save on cost. It's that simple.

Landscaping. This one might be a surprise, since a yard is a fairly permanent thing. Potential buyers should certainly check out the property and what lies adjacent to it. But don't be overly concerned if the previous owners had dogs that tore up the grass. Planting grass is an easy project that pays off over time and can increase the value of the property tremendously as years go by.

If factors like those above are lacking from the house you're considering, you should certainly use it as a bargaining tool in lowering your final purchase price. A good seller will recognize that you will incur some out-of-pocket expense to remedy these things, and they'll adjust the price of the house accordingly. But turning down a property when the fixes are this simple is more than just a foolish move on the buyer's part. It's a lost chance to incur some valuable equity and possibly get a great home for a much lower price.

 

 

   

www.pinellas247.com

www.suncoastrenttoown.com

Dobler Consulting Inc
2339 Warwick Dr
Oldsmar
FL 34677
United States

To stop further mailings or to change your details, click here.