Get Happy Home.com - buy cheaper, sell better

Economists predict decline in home prices in 2007. The National Association of Realtors said it now sees the median price of existing homes sold falling 1.3 percent this year. That’s almost twice the 0.7 percent drop forecast just two months ago, and is worse than the 1.0 percent drop in prices it estimated in May.
 

“Overall housing levels are historically strong, but sales remain sluggish compared to the recent boom,” Lawrence Yun, the Realtors’ senior economist, said statement in the latest forecast. “Home sales will probably fluctuate in a narrow range in the short run, but gradually trend upward with improving activity by the end of the year.”
 
I read about it on CNN, here’s the source of the article So is the housing slump really that bad?
 
Just came across another post on a real estate blog that says home prices continue to fall: “Prices are down 1.5 percent in 10 major cities in the past year, the fastest decline in 13 years.” Indeed, the Crazy market…

Money magazine has some useful tips on how to help you sell your home.

Play Video

Enjoy!

Top 7 Questions For Buyer Feedback
 

The most important question a home seller can ask a buyer who has just finished viewing a home is “What did you think?” Yet, many sellers (and their agents) hesitate to get buyer feedback after showings. Why? Some people don’t know which questions to ask, and others, most likely, are afraid to hear the answers.
 

Buyer feedback is essential. Without it, home sellers won’t know what they are doing right and what could be improved upon. Because after all, it doesn’t really matter what the seller thinks. It’s the buyer’s opinion that matters.
 

Here are sample questions that you can use to get buyer feedback:
 

1. What is Your Overall Impression of This Home?

 
Buyers will tell you the truth but pepper it with compliments they think you want to hear because nobody wants to offend you.
 

They might use weak adjectives or make statements such as “It’s nice,” or “I liked it,” which is why you will need to probe deeper. In any case, whatever responses you receive, don’t become combative or argue with the buyer, just thank them for their input and for viewing your home.
 
(more…)

In a buyer’s market, it is twice as important to increase traffic over other types of markets. If you aren’t getting enough showings because the exterior of your home looks like every other home in the neighborhood — whether it’s a single family home or a townhome / condo, it might not be price. It might be because there is an abundance of inventory on the market, and buyers have too much to choose from.

 
Here are some ways to Increase Traffic:
 
(more…)

I love Nancy Lucas cartoons and you?

Check for more at http://www.thirdfloorcell.com/

Home sellers not only need to think like a realtor in finding potential buyers for their homes, they also need to think like a personal security agent.

Sellers need to keep their safety in mind when prospecting potential buyers. The real estate industry has seen a problematic climb in assaults towards realtors, and so is the concern for those who are selling their own homes.

Here are the top 7 ways to protect you, your family, and your home, from being victimized:

 
(more…)

 
Ask any full-service luxury agent this question and the answer will probably be a resounding, “No.” Yesterday, however, USA Today reported that Ron Baron, founder of the Baron Funds investment company, paid a record $103 million for a residential property in East Hampton, N.Y. The price is strictly for the land and it supposedly sold without an agent.
 
Clearly, this was a “discreetly marketed” property, which many ultra-high-end sales are. The owners want absolute privacy about the transaction and rely on personal spheres of influence to push the sale rather than going public and listing. There’s nothing unusual about commercial or industrial properties of this magnitude being sold directly without an agent. At this level, there are only limited number of players. In terms of residential real estate, however, this is unprecedented.
 
The typical arguments those of us on the full-service side make is that we can market the property internationally, we can provide better exposure throughout our national and international brokerage networks, and we can help the seller negotiate a higher price. The question in this case is whether these services and the potentially higher price are worth a $6 million commission. Clearly in Baron’s case it was not. It will be interesting to see whether the Blixseth estate at Yellowstone Club or any of the other $75+ million listings follow suit.
Source: Inman.com

You’ve heard of this acronym before and now that you’re in the process of selling your home, expect to hear more of it. But what exactly is MLS and why should you know more about it?
 
(more…)

Elizabeth Weintraub has an extensive background in real estate spanning more than 30 years, including experience in related industries that support real estate sellers and buyers. Elizabeth wrote about the most common mistakes home sellers do when selling a house and I decided to publish this information on the blog as well.

Selling your home is one of the most critical activities you will do your entire life. If you are going to sell your home, it is ideal if you secure the services of professionals who can guide you every step of the way. But if you are intent on doing this on your own, make sure you avoid these mistakes most home-sellers make.

• Basing a home’s selling price on your emotions or its perceived market value is another usual mistake home sellers make. As a seller, you must put your pride and love for your home and allow a professional appraiser provide you with your home’s true market value. If you rely on your emotions, you may price your home too low or too high. Peg the price too low and you don’t get what it’s really worth, peg the price too high and it stays in the market longer (thus lowering its market value). Either way, you lose, so it’s best to leave this task to the experts.
• The manner by which you present your home and the renovations you have done prior to putting your home up for sale are also home selling mistakes. Presenting an unkempt or ill-maintained house turns off buyers. Over improving it prior to selling and over pricing it also affects the outcome of your sale.
• Another mistake home sellers make is that they don’t take the first offer seriously. Remember that an offer is an offer. Don’t ignore an offer and keep holding out for a better price.
• Finally, not getting yourself with the legal rights and obligations as a home seller is the biggest mistake you can make. A wrong stipulation or an erroneous document can cost you not just your home, but litigation expenses as well.

Bear these in mind when you are selling your home. If you feel that you’re in over your head, just go to the professionals and let them do all the work.

You already know how to make your home more appealing to the eye. You’ve repainted the walls, rearranged the furniture pieces, removed personal mementos, and brought in warmth by the use of plants and flowers. Now you have to attend to the daunting task of taking a snapshot of your home.

 
Is it necessary to take a photo of your home? Yes, it is necessary. You will need the photo when you place an advertisement in the newspaper, or to make flyers from your home computer. You will also probably want to have a visual reminder of the place that sheltered you and your family for many years.
 

(more…)