Realtor Tips – Page 17

What Do Most Home Sellers Want Most?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

You have a home to sell, and like most sellers, you want your home to sell fast and for the most money. Seems all Realtors promise that too. So how do you find one who actually will sell your home fast and for the most money?

Sell for the highest dollar

Selling for the highest dollar seems to be a great idea…until that high dollar deal falls through because the buyer wasn’t vetted and didn’t have access to financing.

A great Realtor won’t promise the highest dollar. They will promise the best price from a qualified buyer. That high bid does you no good without an actual closing to give you the money. However, a lower bid that is within the market value of your home from a qualified buyer with a pre-approved mortgage means a check in hand and money in the bank.

Sell fast

Selling fast is something all buyers want as well. Fast is great, but fast for a price that is under market value isn’t. A great Realtor will take the time it takes to get you the best price. Selling fast means pricing your home correctly and making sure that your home has the needed repairs and upgrades to make it the “must have” property in the neighborhood. Once those are in place the time to sale will be no time at all.

Don’t sell your home short

Sloppy selling won’t get your home sold for the best price. Sloppy selling means that your home sits on the market. The longer it sits, the less money you will make. Choose a Realtor who will honestly tell you what your home needs, how it should be priced and which offer is the best, even if it isn’t the highest.

Top Tips for Buyers – What Happens When You Get a Bad Home Inspection?

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Here are some tips for buyers about what to do when you get a bad home inspection.

You spent weeks trudging through home after home and you finally found it, the perfect home. You offered and counter-offered and finally got it! But now your excitement has come crashing down. The home inspection came back with some problems that were a bit more serious than replacing some woodwork or painting. So what do you do now?

First, take a deep breath. Step back and remember the reason why you got the home inspection in the first place. Would you want to go through with the sale and then find them? Of course not. Home inspections are done to protect you; to find any troubles before you buy, so be glad things were found. Anyone who’s been through it will tell you that emotionally it’s no fun, so step back, get some perspective and then act.

Next, turn to your Realtor for help. They’ve been there before and know what is fixable and what you should run from. Your Realtor will be able to get professionals into the home to see the extent of the problem or problems and then get estimates for fixing it. Then you can make smart decisions about whether to walk away from the contract or negotiate who will fix it. You’re best bet is to remember that if the sellers won’t negotiate, walking away may be the best bet.

If the sellers will negotiate there are a few things that you need to decide with your Realtor. First, how much can you afford to contribute to the repairs? Then take that figure and decide do you 1) just pay out of pocket and do it yourself after settlement; 2) negotiate with the seller to reimburse them for your agreed upon portion of the repairs; or 3) ask for a credit against the selling price or closing costs, If you choose option 1 remember to let the settlement company know the sellers portion of the agreed upon repair costs so it can be paid to you out of the proceeds.

A bad home inspection isn’t the end of the world, or even the end of the contract. Remain calm and think it through.

3 Things To Watch For When You Are Shopping For A Golf Course Home

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Want a golf course home? They’re a symbol of your success and the views are great. There are a few things to watch for when shopping for a golf course home. Here are a few.

Noise and hazards

A few obvious items are golf course noise and hazards. Tour the home on a weekend afternoon when golfers are out and about. If your home is close to a tee box or tee off area people tend to chat a lot and it can be noisy.

Look for signs of whether the house or the yard is getting hit by golf balls. In Florida many golf course homes are made from stucco which are particularly susceptible to damage from golf balls.

Also look to see how private your yard and home really are. Remember that if you can see the fairway, they can probably see you.

Golf carts

Golf carts can be a nuisance too. Even though electric powered golf carts are quiet, if the course has a cart path rule (meaning that golfers have to use cart paths which are closer to the edge of the course) are by proximity also closer to you home and gas powered ones are noisy.

Homeowner’s association rules

Don’t think for a minute that your homeowner’s association will let you do whatever you want or need to do to ensure your privacy or lack of damage. Try asking them to allow you to put up a fence or a net to keep balls off your home or land and watch how fast they tell you no. Something to keep in mind as you shop.

Think that golf course is an extension of your backyard? Think again. Your yard is your yard and you will need to keep to it. The course isn’t a run for your pets or kids. So ask the size and line where your yard stops and the course starts.

Financial Considerations For Move Up Home Buyers

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

It feels like your home is bursting at the seams and figure it’s time to move up. Here are some tips to help make the move up easier.

The biggest thing that should be considered when you decide it’s time to move up is can you afford it. Needing space and being able to afford it are two completely different things. To get to a decision on affordability you need to do a few things.

First, find out what they payoff is on your current mortgage. Not the balance, the payoff figure.

Now you need to talk to a Realtor about what your home is actually worth. Obviously, if you’re upside down on your mortgage, meaning the mortgage payoff is more than the value of the home, moving up shouldn’t be on your list of things to do. If it is worth more than the payoff figure, your Realtor will help you determine by how much.

That should be your next determining factor. Are the net proceeds
enough to be a decent down payment on your next home?

So let’s say that your home will sell and give you a good down payment and all your closing costs for both the sale and purchase. Next you need to contact your lender, or a new one, and get yourself qualified for a new mortgage. To do that you’ll need to know what your price range for the new home should be. You can determine it the same way you did when you purchased your last home. You need to keep in mind that a bigger house will mean bigger bills.

Your mortgage, homeowner’s insurance, real estate taxes, heating and cooling costs and other bills will cost you more. You need to realistically sit and set up a budget.

Don’t move up if it means that you will be house poor. Be smart. Move up when you can afford it, and if that’s now, get moving!

If you are in the Tampa Bay area, now may be a time to move up. Home prices have risen and may have created equity in your home that can cover the cost of moving up. Give us a call today to find out if moving up makes sense for you!

727-410-0336

Understanding Your Home’s Real Value When Selling Your Home

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

It is important when selling your home to understand it’s real value. A home that you have lived in, created memories in, and added your personal touches to, may hold more value to you emotionally than a buyer would be willing to pay.

By the same token, a home that you have outgrown and feel frustrated with, may seem less valuable to you than the buyer who sees it’s potential and may be willing to make an investment in, for the opportunity to “make it their own.”

Selling price

If the selling price of your home is too low, you could potentially miss out on some good money. If the selling price of your home is too high, potential buyers will look over it in favor of something more affordably priced.

A home that sits on the market for too long not only keeps dollars out of your pocket, but could also earn an unfavorable reputation making it harder to sell. The goal is to set a price that is fair and accurate for market value, without being too high or too low.

Market value

Market Value is the price at which a house in its current condition should sell for within 30 to 90 days given the current economy. A home’s fair market value is determined by a variety of factors including the quality of the build, the condition it is currently in, the size of the house, the size of the property on which it sits, the location of the home, and the price that other similar homes in the neighborhood have recently sold for. It truly takes a trained professional to understand all of these nuances and help determine a fair asking price for a home.

An accurate market value can help your home sell faster making the overall home selling process much smoother and more pleasant. So take the emotion out of pricing your home and let a professional such as Deb Ward help you figure it out. She can make selling your home a positive experience.

Give the Deborah Ward & Associates Team a call today to find out more about listing your Tampa Bay home for sale! 727-410-0336

The 5 Top Reasons Your Home Didn’t Sell – Clearwater Home Sales

October 27, 2021 By Deborah Ward

Over the last few years if your home didn’t sell you could blame the bad market. Today, not so much. Markets are rebounding and now blame can be placed where it probably belongs: seller or realtor. Here are the top reasons why your Clearwater home didn’t sell.

Location:

Location matters. Your neighborhood matters. If you have issues like a busy street or you live close to things like power plants, high tension wires, waste treatment facilities, airports, train tracks or some other issue, getting it sold can be challenging. Some can be mitigated with sound proofing, but others not so much.

Price:

Price is one of the biggest factors in whether a house sells and how quickly. If your home is priced right, it will sell. Over price it and it will sit. Getting the best price doesn’t mean listing high and negotiating down. Over pricing will mean those who will be looking for your home, those who want to look in your price range, won’t see it. Those who do won’t be interested since they want a home of higher quality a higher price brings. Plus the longer it sits, the more people avoid buying, after all if it hasn’t sold something MUST be wrong with it, right? THAT is exactly what buyers are thinking about your overpriced home that has been sitting for months.

Condition:

Condition covers a lot of things: needed repairs, cleanliness, whether the home has too much clutter, pet smells, cigarette smoke smells and so on. Putting repairs off onto buyers will keep them from buying. Unless they are looking for a fixer upper, but that means they will underbid it. Clean up, fix it up, declutter and make your home shine and people will buy.

Access:

Make your home available to be seen. Sounds like an obvious thing, but allow your realtor and others to show it. Use a lock box. It allows agents to show your home while you aren’t there. Electronic lock boxes also keep a record of who accessed your home. That way your Realtor can follow up.

Bad marketing:

This one is squarely on your Realtor. A good realtor will have a proven track record about how to effectively market homes. If they don’t, find one who does.

Don’t make these mistakes and you will sell your home!