Repairs Before Selling Return Rewards

Quick fixes before selling a home always pay off, but which repairs bring the biggest return? Specific answers to this often-asked question largely depend on a variety of factors such as:

• Time of year
• Location of the home
• Market temperature
• Competing inventory

There is no hard and fast rule. But there are general guidelines that apply to most homes. For example, the National Association of Realtors publishes each year the Cost vs. Value Report with Remodeling Magazine, which features various home project costs and returns in four regions, including a national average.

Flooring Fixes

In my neighborhood, most of the homes were built in the late 1940s, which means the floors are original, hardwood oak. Wood floors are a hot item today, but preferences over the years have changed. Carpeting became popular -- like with lots of consumer products -- after somebody figured out how to get the government to pay for it. When vets returned home from WWII, housing was at a shortage. Homes were sold with newly installed carpeting because the cost for the carpeting could be rolled into government-insured (VA) loans.

Then carpeting became vogue in the 1960s. Some homes today, sadly, still sport '60's shag carpeting. The final movement away from hardwood happened when installing hardwood floors became too expensive. Plywood was easier to obtain and faster to install. Plus choices in carpeting were plenty. It's still relatively inexpensive to install carpeting.

• Hardwood Floors
  If your home has hardwood floors, that's what buyers want, and it would pay to have the carpeting removed and the floors refinished.
• Carpeting
  If your sub-floor is plywood, then replace the carpeting with light tan. Neutral carpeting is your best bet for resale.

• Ceramic
  Replace chipped or cracked tiles. Clean or replace the grout. But don't install ceramic (it's too expensive) unless it's for aesthetic reasons in an entry way.

Paint Ceilings & Walls

Buyers spend more time than you would think staring at ceilings. They are looking for signs of a leaky roof, but what you don't want them to see are stains from grease or smoke and ceiling cracks. Ditto for walls. Nothing says freshness like new paint, and it's the most cost effective improvement. Use fiberglass tape on large cracks, cover with joint compound and sand. Paint a neutral color such as light tan - think of coffee with cream.

• Wallpaper
  It's not that all buyers hate wallpaper. They hate your wallpaper - because it's your personal choice, not theirs. And they hate all dated wallpaper. Get rid of it. The easiest way is to steam it off by using an inexpensive wallpaper remover steamer.

• Wood paneling
  Even if your wood paneling is not real wood but composite, you can paint it. Dated paneling must go. Older wood paneling such as walnut, mahogany, cedar and pine, it's all gone out of style. Paint it a neutral and soft color after priming it.

• Textured ceilings
  Older popcorn ceilings with the "sparkles" often contain asbestos and if disturbed are health hazards. Say goodbye to it. But even recently sprayed ceilings turn off buyers. It's not expensive but it is time consuming to remove. Lay down drop cloths and scrape it off. You will need to repaint.

Kitchen Improvements

Appliances and cabinets are typically the most expensive items to replace in a kitchen. If you don't have to replace them, you'll save a ton of money. However, if your cabinets are dated and beat-up, your house might not sell if the cabinets aren't replaced.

Kitchen remodels return nearly 100%. According to Remodeling Magazine, the high-end kitchens don't return as much as the mid-range or minor kitchen remodels. Most buyers won't pay extra for a built-in Sub Zero refrigerator, professional 8-burner stove, undermount sink or travertine floors. If you live in the Midwest, your return will be less than for those who live in other parts of the country.

• Cabinets
  Resurfacing is your best option. This involves attaching a thin veneer to the surface of the cabinets and replacing the doors and hardware. If your cabinets are painted, add a fresh coat of paint and new hardware.

• Counter tops, sinks & faucets
  Granite counters are not necessary. Simple laminates, newer faucets and sparkling sinks sell. Buyers don't want leaky faucets or stained sinks.

Bathrooms

The national average of recouped cost is more than 100% for bathrooms. New floors, fixtures and lights payoff.

Roofs & Exterior

If your home needs a new roof, bite the bullet and do it. Even though most roofing tear-off jobs take one to two days, buyers shy away from buying a home if the roof needs to be replaced.

• Patch cement cracks in sidewalks
• Resurface asphalt driveways
• Plant flowers
• Caulk windows and doors
• Replace doorknobs and locks
• Fix or paint fences

Conclusion

Overall, buyers want to buy a home that has no deferred maintenance, newer appliances, updated plumbing, electrical and heating (including a/c), modern conveniences and is ready to occupy.

source: homebuying.about.com


For really great selling information, don't forget to download yoru free copy of my book!
"EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SELLING YOUR HOME"

5 Important Steps Before Selling

By Elizabeth Weintraub

Before you start making repairs, before selling your home or marking dates on your calendar for an open house, it's smart to prepare a home selling plan. Of course, you want top dollar, but you could make costly home selling mistakes along the way if your enthusiasm for quickly selling causes you to run out and stick a for sale sign in the yard before you're fully prepared to sell.

Motivation for Selling

Explore your reasons for selling. Everybody has a reason to sell. If you aren't truly motivated or committed to selling -- if it just struck you one morning that you should move to the other side of town and you haven't completely thought through the process -- you could be setting yourself up for disappointment.

Buying a New Home

Most people who sell do so to buy another home. Put together a list of neighborhoods where you may want to live and drive them. Go to open houses. Check out pricing between newer homes vs. older homes. Weigh your options. You might find you prefer to stay where you are.

Call Real Estate Agents

Interview real estate agents, talk to at least three neighborhood specialists. Ask each listing agent to give you a marketing plan that explains what they will do to market your home. In addition, ask the agents to prepare a comparative market analysis for you and ask each for advice about:

• Preparing Your Home for Sale
  Compare suggestions and consider accepting the most sound advice. Generally, you will want to move out bulky and excess furniture.

• Repairs Before Selling
  Not all resale repairs will pay off. You don't want to spend a lot of money making improvements but you do want to repair obvious maintenance issues, if any have been neglected.

• Home Staging
  You can hire a professional stager, ask your agent to help stage or stage it yourself. You will get more for your home if it is staged.

• Home Pricing
  Do not select an agent based on suggested sales price. Some will overbid each other to get the listing. But do not overprice. Homes that are overpriced often sell for less than market value.

• Net Profits from Selling
  I always prepare two net sheets for sellers, each with a low price and a high price. This way, sellers can be prepared for the worst and hope for the best. If the lowest net price will let you buy the home you want, it's time to find financing.

Find a Lender

First, call your existing lender to find out exactly how much you need to pay off. You should order a beneficiary statement. Then check out new financing offers from your own lending institutions and credit unions. Ask for a Good Faith Estimate - GFE. Compare rates and fees. Also, ask for referrals to mortgage brokers from agents. Often, mortgage brokers have more flexibility to discount rates and are more competitive.

• Get a loan preapproval letter, so you know how much of a mortgage you will qualify to obtain.

• You don't need to apply for the maximum mortgage, and a lower mortgage payment might make you more comfortable in the long run.
• Compare mortgage loan types and choose wisely.

Sell Before Buying

The moment your home goes on the market, you might be tempted to bounce around online looking at homes on the web. Next thing you know, you'll want to make an appointment to view a few homes. Don't get carried away by virtual tours and beautiful photographs of your dream home. It is almost always more profitable to sell before buying.

for more tips on selling your home, get your complimentary copy of my book, "EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SELLING YOUR HOME"

One of the many homes I am in the process of selling.

If you are interested in selling your home, do not hesitate to contact me! You can also get your complimentary copy of my book, "EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO ABOUT SELLING YOUR HOME" at http://homesellerhandbook.com.

OTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT SHOWING YOUR HOUSE...

The following is an excerpt from my complimentary book:

"EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SELLING YOUR HOME"


Providing easy access ~

Top-selling agents will not show your home unless they have a key and easy access. They are
busy and don’t have the time to run around and track down keys. Their main goal is to show and
sell your home.

The best solution to having your home readily available for showings is
to have a key available in a lock box attached to or near your front door.

When an appointment has been made to show your house, you
should do the following ~

♦ Turn on the lights.

♦ Open the drapes and shutters. Make the house as bright as possible.

♦ Keep all doors within the home unlocked.

♦ Play soft music.

♦ Take a walk or arrange to be away from
home.

♦ If you must be at home for any reason, give
the agent and buyers their space; don’t
follow them through the house.

♦ Top performing real estate brokerages use
an off-site appointment center to schedule showings.

13 Home-Staging Secrets

By Leah Hennen

Admit it: You have too much stuff. "The most important thing people can do to improve their home is to clear out, clean up and get rid of clutter," says Lisa LaPorta, designer on HGTV's Designed to Sell and owner of Lisa LaPorta Design in L.A.

Be ruthless as you go about purging your belongings. If you haven't used it in three months, stagers say, box it up and store it away; if you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it. Make a house rule that for every new item that comes in, an old one has to leave. Any mixed feelings you have about tossing life's accumulated belongings will quickly be replaced with a sense of relief and appreciation of your uncluttered surroundings.

Sound daunting? Take it one room at a time. If your bookshelves are bursting at the seams, for instance, "clear them off and start over," suggests Michelle Yackel, owner of Divine Redesigns in Atlanta. "It's OK to have empty space around your books and knickknacks." Suggestions:

• Inexpensive baskets make great hiding places for unsightly paperbacks while adding texture and visual interest.


• Books stacked vertically serve as pedestals to show off prized pottery or other objets d'art.


• You can even remove the dust covers from hardbacks and group them by color, turning a busy jumble into a decorative addition to the room.

If you simply can't part with your collection of National Geographic or your kids won't let you anywhere near their carefully assembled Lego creations, it's time to get creative about storage and organization. Retailers like The Container Store and Target sell handy rolling bins designed to slip under a bed and house everything from household supplies to kids' toys.

If you can't get rid of it and can't hide it, flaunt it with style: "Places like Ikea sell colorful and inexpensive fabric, cardboard or melamine magazine holders," says Michael Friedes, owner of Nest Home Design in Oakland, Calif. "Lined up on a shelf, they look a lot cleaner than stacks of magazines everywhere and add a unified visual element to the room." Your home will be far more inviting, like the home office above by designer Sue Adams, if clutter is out of sight.

Working with your Real Esate Agent

Selecting the right real estate agent to help you buy or sell your home is essential to a smooth transaction. For the best possible experience, you should consider a professional's background, personality and responsiveness.

Here are some tips to help you choose and work with your real estate agent.

How to choose a real estate agent

1. Consumers who do their homework can save thousands of dollars and experience a smooth transition. So don't waste time and resources – decide what's most important to you, and then find a professional who specializes in that area. A RE/MAX agent can help you no matter what your needs are.

2. Ask friends and family members for referrals. Someone you know and trust may have a RE/MAX agent in mind to help you meet your real estate goals.

3. If you've already determined where you'd like to live, drive through neighborhoods in the area and survey them for REALTOR® yard signs. Seeing the same name pop up on signs time after time may indicate that the agent is a specialist in the area. If you're thinking about selling, monitor the signs in your own neighborhood.

4. Moving far away? Right here on remax.com, you can connect with a RE/MAX agent around the world who can offer great expertise and service. Consider services they offer, additional certifications, any specialties, and languages they speak. You'll find the right professional to meet your real estate needs no matter where your home search takes you.

5. Pay attention to credentials. This will help you determine areas of expertise. You may be interested in these designations: ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert), LHMS (Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist), CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) and SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist). There are dozens of designations pursued for continuing education, so identify one or more that fit your needs.

What to ask in the interview

1. If selling, ask the real estate agent how he or she would establish a listing price. Request a Comparative Market Analysis, also called a CMA, which shows the market value of similar homes in the area that are for sale or have recently sold.

2. Ask the agent how he or she would market your property. Understand that some agents may prefer to first tour your home and then put together a customized marketing plan to present at a later meeting. But if he or she can't suggest a strategy when asked, you might consider interviewing other candidates.

3. Ask the agent how often you should expect to hear from him or her. Know how and when you will communicate to avoid unrealistic expectations.

4. Ask how long the agent has been licensed and how many buyers and sellers he or she has helped.

5. Ask about designations. Interest in continuing education is a strong indicator of motivation and professionalism.

6. Pay attention to the agent's listening skills. Does he or she cut you off before you've finished a sentence? There's nothing worse than looking at houses you have no interest in because the real estate agent has not listened carefully to your needs, or having your home on the market too long because it's priced incorrectly and the wrong buyers are being targeted.

7. Ask the agent what his or her fee structure is. Does he or she require a percentage of the sales price or work for a flat fee? Will the agent be paid another way?

8. If you are unsatisfied with a prospect's plans or personality, thank him or her for taking the time to meet with you and repeat the process with another real estate agent. It can be time-consuming, but it's worthwhile.

Once you've found the right real estate agent to represent you, hold up your end of the relationship. There are simple things you can do to help your real estate agent get you the best deal.

How to work with your real estate agent

1. If you are selling, create an information sheet that lists your home's features and best qualities, especially those that others might overlook. Your agent may be able to use the information when marketing your home.

2. When selling, talk to the real estate agent about cosmetic improvements. Your home may need fresh paint or new carpet.

3. If selling, keep it clean. Eliminate cobwebs and dust. Keep the bathroom counters and mirrors wiped down. Vacuum and sweep daily.

4. If buying, be clear about what you want. Make a list of your priorities numbered 1 through 10. You can always revise the list, but give your agent something concrete so that he or she can research available listings more efficiently.

Food for thought

1. Hiring a REALTOR® will give you a strong advantage. Although many practitioners work part-time, RE/MAX Associates are full-time professionals who provide their complete attention and expertise.

2. Your real estate agent is an authority you hire to help you make the right decisions, but you have the final word.

3. Your residence is likely to be the biggest single investment you'll ever make. Buy and sell wisely.

4. Office environment can say a lot about a businessperson. Is it clean and organized? Do the office hours make it easily accessible? Are staff members pleasant and helpful?

5. Remember that home values fluctuate with the economy.

source: www.remax.com

Hire a REALTOR®

Studies show that homesellers who use a REALTOR® to represent them generally get a better price than those who sell the home themselves. REALTORS® are up-to-date on critical processes and can help keep you out of trouble. They can also help you get your home sold at the best price in the right timeframe.

Equally as important, REALTORS® add objectivity to an inherently emotional transaction: the sale of your home.

Before Your Home Is Listed

It's important to have your home in good showing condition before buyers start going through it. Here are some steps to take:

• Touch up interior and exterior paint as needed.
• Install new carpeting and flooring if it appears worn or dated.
• Make sure the front is clean and spruced up – curb appeal will create a favorable first impression.
• Trim bushes and plants as needed, and make sure the lawn is kept mowed and trimmed. In autumn, rake the leaves; in winter, keep the snow shoveled.
• Keep the interior clean, decluttered and odor-free. Eliminate evidence of pets.
• Minimize personal items such as family photos. You want buyers to see themselves living in the home.
• Consider putting excess furniture and belongings in storage. Now's the time to clean out the garage and basement and sell, give away or throw away items you don't need anymore.
• Consider having a pre-listing inspection performed. Buyers will be hiring professional inspectors; here's your chance to address problems in advance.
• Consider engaging a professional stager to give your home the right emotional appeal.

During the Listing Period

• When potential buyers visit your home, either be absent or make yourselves as inconspicuous as possible.
• Have fresh flowers in the entryway. It makes for a friendly introduction into your home.
• If offers are made that don't match your hoped-for price, don't reject them out of hand. Pay attention to your agent's advice.
• Consider dropping the price if several months go by with few or no offers. But if you and your agent have priced your home properly from the start, this shouldn't be necessary.
• Don't get discouraged. In buyer's markets, homes take longer to sell than during boom times. Your home will eventually sell; it's a matter of your RE/MAX agent finding the right buyer for you.

Help Your Agent

You have the best chance of selling your home if you work closely with your RE/MAX agent. Make sure all showings are coordinated through him or her. If you have a brochure box, be sure to keep it filled.

If prospective buyers want to discuss your property or negotiate price or other terms, defer to your RE/MAX agent. He or she is the expert and can best handle all these details without emotion.

source: www.remax.com

20 tricks to selling your home.

Selling a house is a lot like romance. It really pays to set the mood.

Real estate pros call it staging -- showcasing the best side of a home to create interest and help you get top dollar.

Here are 20 tricks to selling your home from the pros:

1. Make room. Clear out as much furniture as you can. Put it in storage, give it to Goodwill Industries or have a garage sale.

"What you want to do is open the house up so it does not look cluttered -- it looks spacious," says Michael Love, president of Interior Options Inc., a New York interior design firm. "And people can picture their own stuff in it."

Hallways and doorways, in particular, need to be clear and open.

2. Use counter intelligence. Go through the house and clear off all the horizontal surfaces like kitchen and bathroom countertops. Old magazines? Toss 'em. Knick-knacks? Pack 'em. Counters need to be clear and clean.

3. Follow your nose. A home should smell good. That means no noticeable odor -- no pet scent, no stale cooking smells and no cigarette smoke. "People just don't realize how much odor plays into this," says Scott Griffith, president of ERA Griffith Realty in Brighton, Mich.

"And I find that people who smoke or have pets become so accustomed to the smell, they don't notice it," Griffith says. Instead, have a friend whose judgment -- and nose -- you trust give your home the real sniff test.

Remember the old story about the smell of baking bread or steaming cinnamon potpourri? Today's real estate pros say it's a no-no. Ditto the scented candles and air freshener.

"If you just go through with Lysol before a showing, that won't help," says Dan Lee, vice president of First Weber Group Inc., in Madison, Wisc. Instead, get rid of scent problems at the source: scrub the house, have the air vents cleaned, replace old, smelly carpeting and smoke outside.

4. Remember, the next buyer is as lazy as you are. If the property needs work -- dated wallpaper, ratty carpet -- have it replaced now so that all buyers have to picture is moving day. "Most people want it before they move in," says Myra Zollinger, an owner/partner with Coldwell Banker Realty Center in Chapel Hill.

The more changes buyers calculate they'll have to make in the home, "the more concerned they get," says Richard F. Gaylord, Realtor with RE/MAX Real Estate Specialists in Long Beach, Calif.

5. Do the baby test. Does your potential market include families with young kids? If so, ask yourself, "Would I put my child down on this floor to crawl around the room?" says Dick Koestner, a partner in Koestner McGivern & Associates in Davenport, Iowa. If not, you know what you have to fix. Likewise, if your walls sport grimy smudges or handprints, it might be worth it to paint.

6. Deep-six the cigarettes. Buyers are much more sensitive to cigarette smells, says Zollinger. "If somebody's a smoker, he doesn't smell it."

Having a smoker in the house also eliminates a lot of potential buyers. Many shoppers won't even want to tour a home if the owner is a smoker.

7. Make your home ageless. There's a difference between an old house and a classic home. "If the house looks 40 years old with 40-year-old paint, 40-year-old appliances and 40-year-old carpet, that's a hard sell," says Phipps. Keep everything fresh and up-to-date (read well-maintained) and you have a solid home in an established neighborhood -- a real looker.

8. Let there be light. "People buy space and light, for the most part," says Zollinger.

One dark room is "cool," says Phipps. "But if the whole house is dark, that's a problem." So open the blinds. Turn on all the lights. Add lights in rooms that are dark.

And if Mother Nature isn't cooperating with your marketing efforts, "use more flowers and things that suggest sunlight," says Phipps.

One seller who really understood staging was marketing her home during a spate of bleak weather. Before a showing, she threw a couple of beach towels over the rail of the deck, put up the sun umbrella and set out a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses.

"You want a space that's crisp and sharp and vibrant,' Phipps says. "Happy space."

9. Get a home inspection. Most buyers will have one done anyway, says Zollinger. Do it now -- and make any needed repairs before you put the home on the market. Depending on where you live, the service will probably run about $200 to $400, she says, and your real estate professional can recommend several good inspectors.

10. Learn to love white walls. When it comes to walls, color is popular. The problem is that the next buyer might not like the same colors. Paint is a relatively inexpensive way to make a house look clean and fresh. And if you're going to repaint prior to selling, stick with neutrals. "Despite the fact that it's more boring to live in, it's still an easier sale," says Griffith. And remember that white reflects the light best and makes rooms look their largest.

11. Take a close look at the carpet. Get the carpet shampooed to get out any stains or smells. If that doesn't work, replace it. "Get rid of carpet that looks dirty, soiled, stained," says Love. And consider, if you can, wood or laminates as an alternative.

"It makes the house look bigger and people love seeing the fact that it has wood floors," she says. "Plus it's a lot easier to keep clean."

12. Avoid controversy. If you have a deer head on the wall, you might want to take it down. It will be a turnoff to some buyers, says Zollinger.

Phipps advises his clients to play it safe with the books and magazines they display while showing a home. Anything provocative could turn off buyers, says Phipps.

13. Replace deteriorating wallpaper. If wallpaper is peeling -- especially in bathrooms -- remove it and consider replacing it with a coat of paint. Go with a neutral or match the tile, says Love. Likewise, if the kids' rooms need a fresh look. That way, buyers are looking at the house, not your decorating skills. And it's easier for them to see their things in the space.

14. Clean your closets. Sellers need to "empty the closets of half the things they have in them," says Love. Partially empty closets look roomy -- and space sells. Do the same thing with kitchen cabinets. (And if you donate your extra clothes and surplus food to a shelter or food bank, you won't have to worry about moving it to your next home.)

15. Harness flower power. Lee and his wife used this technique and sold their own home in two weeks, he says. "We spent a fortune on flowers, but I really do think it helped," he says. Their favorite -- wild flowers. "It gave the home a nice, softer feel," says Lee.

Showing your home on a budget? Go for less expensive bouquets, green plants or seasonal flowers from the yard, says Love.

16. Open the windows. "If it's a cool summer day, have the windows open," says Meg Werren, owner of It's About Time, a home sales prepping company in Fitchburg, Wisc.

Conversely, if it's cold and dreary, light a fire in the fireplace.

17. Take everyone's advice with a grain of salt. When Gaylord sold his own condo years ago, one real estate expert told him it would sit on the market because of the emerald green carpet in one of the rooms. But the home "was a showplace," he says, and a buyer quickly snapped it up -- green carpet and all.

"Putting colors and tastes aside," says Gaylord," if a person drives by and the home is exciting and it's showy -- even if your colors may not be as neutral as they like -- they'll be turned on."

18. Keep it clean. No dust, cobwebs or trash. "People looking to buy a home are extremely observant and meticulous," says Werren.

19. Set your house apart. Phipps recalls one real estate study in which potential buyers were shown many different houses in similar neighborhoods, all with similar features and amenities. The one that stood out? A home that had yellow roses on the dining room table. People not only remembered the detail, but they rated the home higher as a result, says Phipps.

"You need to give the home a hook," he says. "Something that makes it different in a positive way from the other houses."

20. Keep it real. You don't have to go to the extreme of one buyer -- who before a showing set up the bedroom to look like the night maid had just been through and pulled down the comforter, fluffed the pillow and placed a book open on the bed.

"You don't want it to look so staged that it's artificial," says Phipps. "What you want is for them to walk in there and say 'I could put myself here.'"

source: www.bankrate.com



For even more tricks and tips, pick up a copy of my book "Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Home" at http://www.homesellerhandbook.com

The Worst Home Selling Mistake

By Elizabeth Weintraub

There's a great saying in the real estate business. To succeed in life, you want to be:

• The First Child
• The Second Spouse
• The Third Realtor

And like with most sayings, there is some truth in that statement, as agents who pick up listings after sellers have made major mistakes will attest.

But We Want More Money

When the average seller sits down to interview real estate agents, it's easy to get caught up in the excitement over choosing a sales price. More money means more financial opportunities for the homeowner. Perhaps it means the seller can afford to buy a more expensive home, help pay for her child's college education or take that greatly overdue vacation. Unfortunately, uninformed sellers often choose the listing agent who suggests the highest list price, which is the worst mistake a seller can make.

Establishing Value

The truth is it doesn't really matter how much money you think your home is worth. Nor does it matter what your agent thinks or ten other agents just like her. The person whose opinion matters is the buyer who makes an offer. Pricing homes is part art and part science. It involves comparing similar properties, making adjustments for the differences among them, tracking market movements and taking stock of present inventory, all in an attempt to come up with a range of value, an educated opinion. This method is the same way an appraiser evaluates a home. And no two appraisals are ever exactly the same; however, they are generally close to each other. In other words, there is no hard and fast price tag to slap on your home. It's only an educated guess and the market will dictate the price.

Is it Too Low?

Homes sell at a price a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept. If a home is priced too low, priced under the competition, the seller should receive multiple offers to drive up the price to market value. So there is little danger in pricing a home too low. The danger lies in pricing it too high and selecting your agent solely on opinion of value.

How It Starts To Go Wrong

The seller of a Spanish home didn't even interview her real estate agents. She plucked the first one off the Internet because, "He looked like such a nice guy." He priced her home at $1.3 million. This agent never heard the local agents chuckling behind his back because he worked in a different city. After 90 days, the listing expired.

Continues To Go Wrong

The next agent, also from another town, listed the home at $1.1 million. Months passed. Eventually the price dropped to just under $900,000. Still no takers. A few lookie-loos, but no serious buyers.

More Than a Year Later

By the time the last agent was hired to list this home, the seller had grown weary and exhausted. It was now 12 months later. Together, the seller and her agent priced the home at $695,000. It immediately sold for all cash. The sad part is the comparable sales in the neighborhood fully justified a price of $835,000, but the home had been on the market for too long at the wrong price, and now the market had softened.

Agents Specialize in Expired Listings

There is an agent in my office whose basic real estate practice is comprised of calling sellers of expired listings and relisting them at market value. He sits in a small room with a phone, desk and chair, dialing number after number. Last year he sold more than 34 homes valued at more than $13,600,000, and he has 18 active listings right now. He makes a pretty good living repackaging overpriced homes.

Protect Yourself

The question is how much money have those expired listings cost the sellers? The financial loss often exceeds the extra mortgage payments paid and goes beyond the uncompensated hassle factor of trying to keep a home spotless during showings. It affects the value that a buyer ultimately chooses to pay because it's not a fresh listing anymore. It's now stale, dated, a market-worn home that was overpriced for too long. Don't let it happen to you. Don't be that seller of an expired listing.



I have been in the Pennsylvania area all my life, contact me, Brett Furman, for help in selling your home.
Home Seller Handbook

While Your Home is on the Market - Protecting Your Privacy

By Elizabeth Weintraub

Are your secrets safe? Before a home goes on the market and home buyers start to traipse through, savvy sellers will relocate confidential information. Even so, you might be astonished to learn what home buyers can figure out about you.

Private Documents

• Is it snooping to open a drawer?
  Not if the drawer is part of a built-in such as a kitchen cabinet or a dining room china cabinet. Buyers can innocently tug on a drawer to inspect its construction or depth and find important documents that you might not intend for anyone to see.

  I once opened a drawer and discovered the seller's net sheet sitting on top of her comparative market analysis, in plain view. It clearly indicated a lower price was expected, so you can guess what my buyer offered.

• Don't leave mail where anybody can find it.
  Lots of sellers leave piles of opened mail neatly stacked on the kitchen counter. Buyers could find out how much you owe department stores or other credit cards. They can tell if you're late on your mortgage payments or if the I.R.S. is after you. Heaven forbid should you file bankruptcy or be sued and leave those documents on the table, but sellers do it. They must believe that buyers will not read someone else's personal mail, even when that mail is taped to the refrigerator door, begging to be read.

  I've also shown vacant homes where the mail was tossed all over the floor in the entryway. Neither the seller nor his listing agent bothered to stop by and pick up the mail. It wasn't hard to figure out that much of the mail contained collection notices. If a buyer was armed with that information, guess what price the buyer would be thinking about. It wouldn't be list price.

Remove Diplomas and Wedding Photos from Walls
Notwithstanding that all personal items should be removed, sometimes sellers overlook the obvious and leave diplomas on the wall. People form biases and can carry a bias too far. For example, the seller might be a lawyer, and there are buyers who might not feel comfortable buying a home from a lawyer. For whatever reason. Diplomas also give away a seller's age or a close estimate. If a buyer sees a recent medical diploma, for example, the buyer might assume the seller is saddled with student loans and needs to sell to pay them off.

Wedding photos might give away the seller's religion, as do certain religious artifacts left in the home. Buyers can be prejudiced. Don't give buyers a way to form any opinion about you at all. Don't let buyers form ideas about you from the type of music you like or the literature you read.

Contents of Closets
Often sellers who are separating or getting divorced feel a lot of pressure to sell quickly, especially if the partner who remains in the home cannot afford to continue to maintain it. But that is not information most sellers want to share with buyers. Yet they do. They may as well toss their wallet out the car window doing 80 on the freeway.

They do this by hanging either all men's or all women's clothing in the closet. Was it a heterosexual or bisexual involvement? Who cares? It's nobody's business, really, if a seller is dissolving a relationship. But once a buyer finds out a seller desperately needs to sell, the buyer won't make an offer anywhere near list price. So don't leave any telltale clues around that could give away your motivation to sell.

Before you put your home in the market, please, prep it; empty out drawers, stage closets and pack up anything remotely personal. If your house speaks to a buyer about you, it's probably saying the wrong thing.



For more helpful tips on selling your home, get your copy of my book, "Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Home" at http://www.homesellerhandbook.com/ or give us a call at 484-598-2746.

How to Improve Curb Appeal

The following article about curb appeal will help you find exactly what you need to repair or change about your home in order for us to make the Purchase price you are hoping for.

Once you have figured out exactly what needs to change, be sure to give us a call and we will help you find the best service providers for the job! Also, don't forget about our complimentary book, "Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Home".


From Janet Wickell

A large percentage of home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a house or take it seriously based on its curb appeal—the view they see when they drive by or arrive for a showing. You can help make sure they want to come inside your house by spending some time working on the its exterior appearance

It's difficult to look at our own house in the same way that potential home buyers do, because when we become accustomed to the way something looks and functions, we can't see its faults. Decide right now to stop thinking of the property as a home. It's a house—a commodity you want to sell for the highest dollar possible.

Curb Appeal Exercise

The next time you come home, stop across the street or far enough down the driveway to get a good view of the house and its surroundings.

1. What is your first impression of the house and yard area?

2. What are the best exterior features of the house or lot? How can you enhance them?

3. What are the worst exterior features of the house or lot? How can you minimize or improve them?

Park where a potential buyer would and walk towards the house, looking around you as if it were your first visit. Is the approach clean and tidy? What could you do to make it more attractive?

Take photos of the home's exterior. If you have a digital camera, view the color versions first, then remove the color and look at it in black and white, because it's easier to see problems when color isn't around to affect our senses.

Make a list of the problem areas you discovered. Tackle clean up and repair chores first, then put some time into projects that make the grounds more attractive.

• Kill mold and mildew on the house, sidewalks, roof, or driveway.

• Stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools.

• Clean windows and gutters.

• Pressure wash dirty siding and dingy decks.

• Edge sidewalks and remove vegetation growing between concrete or bricks.

• Mow the lawn. Get rid of weeds.

• Rake and dispose of leaves, even if your lot is wooded.

• Trim tree limbs that are near or touching the home's roof.

Don't Forget the Rear View

Buyers doing a drive by will try their best to see your back yard. If it's visible from another street or from someone's driveway, include it in your curb appeal efforts.

Evening Curb Appeal

Do your curb appeal exercise again at dusk, because it isn't unusual for potential buyers to drive by houses in the evening.

One quick way to improve evening curb appeal is with lighting:

• String low voltage lighting along your driveway, sidewalks, and near important landscaping elements.
  
• Add a decorative street lamp or an attractive light fixture to a front porch.
  
• Make sure lighting that's visible through front doors and windows enhances the home's appearance.

Landscaping Decisions

There are times that adding elements to your landscaping can improve curb appeal, but there are other times when removing something is even more effective.

For example, we had a listing for a large brick house with large white columns. Tall evergreens, planted in front of each column, had grown taller than the roof. They obscured the columns and windows and made it difficult to see the front of the house.

We suggested that the owner remove them. She trimmed them back, but it didn't do the trick—they were unattractive and still kept potential buyers from seeing the true character of the house.

I sold the house to a couple who could see past the trees. One of their first tasks after closing was to yank them out of the ground, instantly boosting the home's curb appeal.

Most buyers cannot visualize changes, and often won't take a second look at a house if the first look doesn't appeal to them. Home buyers who can visualize changes, and are prepared to make them, expect you to reduce the price of the house to compensate for the work they plan to do.

A Few Curb Appeal Tips

• If you can budget it, a fresh paint job does wonders for a dingy house. Drive around your town to find color schemes that are appealing.

• Install a more attractive front door, maybe something with leaded glass inserts.

• If you can't justify the cost of a new door, consider replacing plain doorknob hardware with something more attractive.

• If new hardware is beyond your budget, repaint or stain the door and polish the hardware?

If you brainstorm, you'll find that there's a solution to most problems—one that lets you stay within your budget. The trick is to find the areas where improvements are needed, then work on them as best you can.

This is just ONE of the houses that I have sold for my clients.

I can help you sell your home! Don't forget to have your complimentary copy of my book, "Everything You Need To Know About Selling Your Home". You can either go to HomeSellerHandbook.com and download your copy, or give us a call at 484-598-2746, leave a message, and we will send one right out to you.

Now, just take a look at this amazing home we sold. Like I said, we can help you sell your home, too.

The questions you ask your Realtor could make all the difference!

When you are searching for the right Realtor to sell your home, you need to have the right set of questions ready for him or her. I have come up with a simple list of questions, along with my answers, which will help you along your journey.

(click on the image for a clearer, larger view)

Are you having troubles selling your home in Pennsylvania?

If you are having a hard time finding the right Real Estate broker to properly represent you and your home in Chester, Montgomery and Deleware counties, let me introduce myself. My name is Brett Furman, and I can sell your home quickly, for the price that you are looking to get for it.

Don't just take my word for it; take a look at this testimonial from one of my past clients:

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Let me help you!
BRETT FURMAN
RE/MAX CLASSIC
610.687.2900 EXT.107
528 EAST LANCASTER AVENUE
ST. DAVIDS, PA 19087
BRETT@HOMESOFPA.COM
WWW.BRETTFURMAN.COM
WWW. HOMESOFPA.COM

Classic Senior Services Division

Did you know that our office even has a "Senior Division"? This team is specifically geared toward making the transition for the senior in your life, easier. We will help them sell their home, but before we get to that point, we will bring in professional decluttering services and help with arranging the donation and sale of unneeded items. The division provides all of their clients with life transitioning and special counseling services, as well as assistance with any financial and tax matters that might pop up along the way.

In 2008 we sought and obtained certification through the Senior Real Estate Specialist Council, the only designation recognized by the National Association of Realtors for counseling the mature population. Now, we work one on one with each of our senior clients to identify the living situation that best suits their needs.

We saw a need for this type of service, when we began to realize that our client base was growing up, and older. We also know just how confusing the real estate marketplace can be for anyone, maybe even more so for seniors when you add the stress of finding a safe and reliable, "next home" or assisted living facility. Sometimes, seniors do not have family to rely on, and that is where we can help.

Are you trying to sell your home yourself?

I have written a complimentary book that will shed some light on the strategies that you need to be using. I will guide you through the world of successful home sellers, and help you sell your home for the amount that you are looking for.

In my book, "EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SELLING YOUR HOME", you will find time tested secrets that most realtors are unaware of, or simply ignore. For your free copy, either visit HOME SELLER HANDBOOK or give us a call at 484-598-2746. You will not have to speak with anyone, just input your address, so you have no worries of sales pitches. We are here to help you.

If you are trying to sell your home, we can help.

In real estate, it’s all about the bottom line. For Brett Furman and the Brett Furman Team their homeowners are that bottom line, a commitment that led to the birth of their personalized concierge service and this year’s celebration of the one thousandth vendor to join their rapidly growing network.

The concierge service was born twenty years ago when Furman realized that there was a desperate need in the homeowner community for a way to connect with reliable, trustworthy service providers. He opened the doors to a concierge service dedicated to doing precisely that.

When it first began the service only had thirty five vendors on its list; this year an electrician from Allentown, Pennsylvania made history as number one thousand.

The list encompasses vendors in every industry, not just home improvement (although there’s plenty of that as well). The concierge service can match clients up with financial planners, exterminators, window washers, car detailers, lawyers, accountants and one of the largest granite suppliers on the east coast, many of whom have worked for clients in the past and have more to recommend them than their ability to take out an ad in the phone book.

Homeowners never have to play guessing games about whether a vendor will be able to meet their needs. A member of the Brett Furman Team personally matches each and every homeowner that calls with a vendor that has the skills and experience to do the high quality work they deserve-a service they provide at no cost.

“We wanted to build relationships so that people wouldn’t remember us as just another nameless, faceless real estate agency, but as an active part of the community,” says Furman about the birth of their concierge service. “Working with homeowners gives them a chance to get to know us, so that when the time comes for them to buy or sell their house they can turn to us knowing we’re going to put them first.”

Homeowners can take advantage of the complimentary concierge service by calling The Brett Furman Results Team at 610-687-2900, Ext. 107, or e-mailing brett@homesofpa.com. To find out more about The Brett Furman Team, visit www.homesofpa.com