January 4, 2008
- Selling a Home - Hiring a Realtor
Selling a Home - Hiring a Realtor
Selling a home in most places is a lot harder today than it was a few years ago… which means getting the best possible help.
Money Talk Editor Stacy Johnson takes a look at some things you need to ask.
Have a comment or question that Stacy didn't cover? Post it [...]
December 16, 2007
- How to Determine a Home's Value
How to Determine a Home's Value
Property values are falling in many markets, balancing out some inflated markets and making home values a little more realistic. This has some sellers worried. While they might not make as much money on a sale now as they would have a year or two ago, it doesn't mean the [...]
December 15, 2007
- Staging the Exterior of Your Home
Staging the Exterior of Your Home
Before you hang the "for sale" sign in your yard, find out how to make the exterior of your home attractive to potential buyers. Click twice on the video to start, once to stop. (Video 2:59)
If you have more questions or comments about staging the exterior ot your house for [...]
December 13, 2007
- Attention Home Sellers: Open House Alert
Attention Home Sellers: Open House Alert
For homeowners planning their first open house: Hire a cleaning service. Drop the pets off with a neighbor. And lock up your valuables! You never know who may be stopping by.
Even with home sales slumping across the country, the industry still looks to open houses to lure a maximum number [...]
November 30, 2007
- Home Staging is More Critical Than Ever
Home Staging is More Critical Than Ever
Never underestimate the importance of preparing your home for showing. If your home is up for sale, proper staging is of utmost importance and can net you thousands in profits after your home sells.
A well staged home will attract buyers even if there is a surplus of homes [...]
October 20, 2007
- Staging Your Home
Staging Your Home
With the number of homes for sale out numbering the amount of home buyers, your home needs to be clearly the better choice and priced competitively with the competition. You should think about the home for sale next door and making sure it doesn't shine brighter than yours.
Your home needs to appeal to [...]
October 15, 2007
- Ten Rules for Selling Your Home
Ten Rules for Selling Your Home
1. Understand that home buyers are looking for a lifestyle as well as a home. Accentuate the lifestyle that your home and neighborhood provide.
2. Understand the real estate market. Check the average number of days homes are on the market before they are sold. When the number rises above 60, [...]
September 29, 2007
- Monterey Real Estate - All is Not Gloom and Doom
Monterey Real Estate - All is Not Gloom and Doom
With so much negative publicity and coverage on the current housing market, most buyers and sellers would think that the entire real estate sector is falling apart. This is NOT the case, and a number of great opportunities exist for qualified home buyers right now.
Most home buyers [...]
September 10, 2007
- Safety: A Concern When Selling Your Home
Safety: A Concern When Selling Your Home
The minute you put the “For Sale” sign in the front yard, your whole life changes. Suddenly, the house has to be neat and tidy 24/7 just in case a potential buyer wants to see it on short notice. Your sense of privacy wears thin as strangers file through [...]
September 3, 2007
- Selling a Home? Curb Appeal Means Everything
Selling a Home? Curb Appeal Means Everything
If you're selling your home, or even THINKING ABOUT it, one of the most important things you must do is to improve the curb appeal of your home.
The exterior of your home is the first item potential home buyers are going to see. Therefore, there should be a lot [...]
August 23, 2007
- Selling Your Home? Offer Concessions Instead of Lowering the Price
Selling Your Home? Offer Concessions Instead of Lowering the Price
Lowering the asking price on your home isn't the solution to making it stand out in today's crowded housing market. According to the National Association of Realtors, there is nearly a nine-month supply of homes for sale on the market.
How will you make your home stand [...]
August 14, 2007
- Home Buyer Incentives
Home Buyer Incentives
The current real estate slowdown has brought out some of the most unusual buyer incentives we've ever seen, from fully paid week-end getaway vacations to brand new cars. When it comes to buyer incentives however, the simple fact is — money talks. If you're trying to sell a home in this down [...]
August 10, 2007
- Home Renovations: Are They Necessary?
Home Renovations: Are They Necessary?
Thinking of renovating your home before you list it? Whether this is a smart move or not is a question many home owners have to answer. Usually the logic is that a newly renovated home will command a higher price on the market, but a major concern should be the [...]
July 31, 2007
- Home Fixes Everyone Should Consider
Home Fixes Everyone Should Consider
Whether you are buying a home or selling a home, there are some home fixes you should be concerned with.
One of the biggest concerns revolve around safety, not whether the walls are freshly painted or not. You should be concerned about the critical systems of the home and whether or not [...]
July 26, 2007
- Rent-to-Own Real Estate Deals - Beware!
Rent-to-Own Real Estate Deals - Beware!
Rent-to-own contracts that substitute for mortgages and conventional home loans are enjoying a surge in popularity in several regions of the country. The slumping real estate markets in parts of the U.S. fuels these deals, where homes can sit on the selling block for months at a time.
Add to this [...]
July 25, 2007
- Incentives to Woo Buyers and Sell Your Home
Incentives to Woo Buyers and Sell Your Home
Flashy incentives like a new car parked in the driveway or a flat-panel television hanging in the den might sound like a good way for home sellers to woo buyers in a dismal real-estate market. But when it comes to actually enticing someone to buy a home, [...]
June 29, 2007
- Buyer Beware: Skeletons in the Closet
Buyer Beware: Skeletons in the Closet
The National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (NAEBA) recently conducted an online survey of their members to rate the items they found most annoying when searching for a new home with buyers. Since these real estate companies are always looking out for the buyer's best interest they don't pull any [...]
June 27, 2007
- Home Renovations: Think Smart
Home Renovations: Think Smart
The thought of renovating your home to improve the price it will bring on the real estate market is an appealing one. The question any home owners should be asking themselves is "what does my home NEED in order to obtain a higher selling price?" Many home owners overlook obvious things their [...]
June 22, 2007
- Fix-ups That Can Speed Your Home Sale
Fix-ups That Can Speed Your Home Sale
You don't have to spend a fortune renovating your house to ensure a quick sale at the best price. Some of the most effective fix-ups are also the cheapest.
Spending just $400 to $500 on fresh landscaping, for example, can boost your home's value by $1,600 to $1,800, according to [...]
June 21, 2007
- Landscape Tips for Home Sellers
Landscape Tips for Home Sellers
If prospective buyers looked at your house today, what would they see outside? By spending $500 to $3,000 on plants and materials and a few hours of time, you can achieve a well-landscaped look without shelling out for professional help. Besides the personal enjoyment you'll get from a prettier yard, [...]
