Thursday, July 17, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
First Offer
Evaluating the First Offer
Your dining room table is the scene of high drama. Your home has been listed for sale for six weeks, and finally, the first offer has come in. You are meeting with the agents, and are very excited until they mention the price--it is a lot less than you expected.
Before you feel offended, however, remember that the first offer is often just the beginning of a negotiating process. Your agent can help you weigh the good and bad points, evaluating the price in relationship to the terms or conditions of the sale. Sometimes an offer with a low price can look quite attractive once you understand all of the terms.
If you are willing to make some compromises, the buyers may accept a counter offer that will give you more money. A lower price from highly qualified buyers may be better than one from people who may have difficulties with financing. Keep in mind that your first negotiated price is often your best price!
Your dining room table is the scene of high drama. Your home has been listed for sale for six weeks, and finally, the first offer has come in. You are meeting with the agents, and are very excited until they mention the price--it is a lot less than you expected.
Before you feel offended, however, remember that the first offer is often just the beginning of a negotiating process. Your agent can help you weigh the good and bad points, evaluating the price in relationship to the terms or conditions of the sale. Sometimes an offer with a low price can look quite attractive once you understand all of the terms.
If you are willing to make some compromises, the buyers may accept a counter offer that will give you more money. A lower price from highly qualified buyers may be better than one from people who may have difficulties with financing. Keep in mind that your first negotiated price is often your best price!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Location, Location, Location
The Benefits of a Good Location
One primary and irreplaceable feature that influences a home's appeal is its location. Desirable homes are often situated in beautiful geographical settings, with convenient access to jobs, shops and transportation. In preferred locations, homes hold their value over time, even as real estate markets in other, less popular vicinities show evidence of abating.
Some of the most valuable and exquisite homes in America are located in areas that are associated with breathtaking views, fresh air, and enjoyable leisure activities. In such locations, property values tend to remain at a premium because of the fact that there is only a limited amount of precious land, and there is easy access to the pleasures and necessities of life. Existing homes that are well maintained and situated in exceptional natural surroundings often sell very quickly, because people eager to move into the area keep an eye on the listings. There is always competition for homes where the local supply does not accommodate the public demand.
Give us a call today if we can help you find that PERFECT location.
One primary and irreplaceable feature that influences a home's appeal is its location. Desirable homes are often situated in beautiful geographical settings, with convenient access to jobs, shops and transportation. In preferred locations, homes hold their value over time, even as real estate markets in other, less popular vicinities show evidence of abating.
Some of the most valuable and exquisite homes in America are located in areas that are associated with breathtaking views, fresh air, and enjoyable leisure activities. In such locations, property values tend to remain at a premium because of the fact that there is only a limited amount of precious land, and there is easy access to the pleasures and necessities of life. Existing homes that are well maintained and situated in exceptional natural surroundings often sell very quickly, because people eager to move into the area keep an eye on the listings. There is always competition for homes where the local supply does not accommodate the public demand.
Give us a call today if we can help you find that PERFECT location.
The Homes Around Nashville Team
Realty Executives Fine Homes
615-376-4500
615-566-3712
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Curb appeal
Curb Appeal Takes Starring Role in Competitive Market Updating Windows and Doors is a Must in a House Exterior Makeover
(ARA) – Real estate may be about location, location, location, but it's also about looks. Curb appeal is taking on a bigger role in today's housing market. With the number of available homes for sale growing each day, buyers can afford to be choosy and consider only houses that show well from the street. That means sellers now have just a few seconds to make a first impression, capture interest and draw buyers inside.
Confirming just how important curb appeal is to hooking new owners, JELD-WEN, a leading window and door manufacturer, discovered in a recent survey of real estate agents that 82 percent have had potential buyers decline to look at the interior of a home based on the exterior appearance.
“In today's competitive market, buyers want upgrades, like windows and doors, that create visual appeal,” says Elizabeth Souders, product marketing manager for JELD-WEN. “A home must present itself favorably in a quick snapshot. The real estate agent survey shows that without strong curb appeal, buyers might not even consider looking inside the home.”
Upgrading curb appeal is proving to be a good investment when selling a home. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), window and door projects mostly pay for themselves at closing. Typically, homeowners can expect between an 81 to 88 percent return on window upgrades, the NAR said.
Top Five Curb Appeal Tips
In addition to obvious touches like a new coat of paint or fixing cracks in the pavement, updating windows and doors is an ideal first step in boosting a home's image. Whether owners are listing a home for sale, or simply want to increase their home's stature in the neighborhood, JELD-WEN suggests these five tips to increasing curb appeal:
Stay true to style: Upgrades should fit in with a home's architectural style. For example, JELD-WEN says contemporary homes call for windows and doors with clean lines and simple profiles, while traditional homes such as Craftsmans or Colonials are better matched with windows and doors featuring appropriate divided lite designs.
Add details: Custom features are a great way to achieve one-of-a-kind looks that stand out. Adding a doorknocker, speakeasy, decorative glass or metal accents to an upgraded front door can give an Old World home a heightened level of charm to catch a buyer's eye. New house numbers and porch lights also provide a fresh look for entry areas.
Remember the garage: The most prominent exterior feature in many homes is the garage door, so this upgrade goes a long way toward elevating curb appeal. JELD-WEN is seeing many homeowners ordering garage doors complete with window inserts, metal accents and hardware to match the main entry door for a coordinated appearance.
Dress the yard: Make sure the house is the first thing potential buyers see, not overgrown hedges or dead grass. Hire a gardener to spruce up the landscaping and add colorful touches like seasonal flowers, decorative rocks or bubbly water fountains. Shaping bushes and curving lawn borders can shake up a tired front yard.
Coordinate color: Color, when done right, sells. Doors and windows give homeowners ideal opportunities to infuse color into their curb appeal without having to paint.
(ARA) – Real estate may be about location, location, location, but it's also about looks. Curb appeal is taking on a bigger role in today's housing market. With the number of available homes for sale growing each day, buyers can afford to be choosy and consider only houses that show well from the street. That means sellers now have just a few seconds to make a first impression, capture interest and draw buyers inside.
Confirming just how important curb appeal is to hooking new owners, JELD-WEN, a leading window and door manufacturer, discovered in a recent survey of real estate agents that 82 percent have had potential buyers decline to look at the interior of a home based on the exterior appearance.
“In today's competitive market, buyers want upgrades, like windows and doors, that create visual appeal,” says Elizabeth Souders, product marketing manager for JELD-WEN. “A home must present itself favorably in a quick snapshot. The real estate agent survey shows that without strong curb appeal, buyers might not even consider looking inside the home.”
Upgrading curb appeal is proving to be a good investment when selling a home. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), window and door projects mostly pay for themselves at closing. Typically, homeowners can expect between an 81 to 88 percent return on window upgrades, the NAR said.
Top Five Curb Appeal Tips
In addition to obvious touches like a new coat of paint or fixing cracks in the pavement, updating windows and doors is an ideal first step in boosting a home's image. Whether owners are listing a home for sale, or simply want to increase their home's stature in the neighborhood, JELD-WEN suggests these five tips to increasing curb appeal:
Stay true to style: Upgrades should fit in with a home's architectural style. For example, JELD-WEN says contemporary homes call for windows and doors with clean lines and simple profiles, while traditional homes such as Craftsmans or Colonials are better matched with windows and doors featuring appropriate divided lite designs.
Add details: Custom features are a great way to achieve one-of-a-kind looks that stand out. Adding a doorknocker, speakeasy, decorative glass or metal accents to an upgraded front door can give an Old World home a heightened level of charm to catch a buyer's eye. New house numbers and porch lights also provide a fresh look for entry areas.
Remember the garage: The most prominent exterior feature in many homes is the garage door, so this upgrade goes a long way toward elevating curb appeal. JELD-WEN is seeing many homeowners ordering garage doors complete with window inserts, metal accents and hardware to match the main entry door for a coordinated appearance.
Dress the yard: Make sure the house is the first thing potential buyers see, not overgrown hedges or dead grass. Hire a gardener to spruce up the landscaping and add colorful touches like seasonal flowers, decorative rocks or bubbly water fountains. Shaping bushes and curving lawn borders can shake up a tired front yard.
Coordinate color: Color, when done right, sells. Doors and windows give homeowners ideal opportunities to infuse color into their curb appeal without having to paint.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Current Real Estate Rates
Real estate rates up overnight
30-year fixed rate at 5.85%; 10-year Treasury yield at 3.92%
Long-term mortgage interest rates increased Tuesday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield climbed to 3.92 percent.
The 30-year fixed-rate average rose to 5.85 percent, and the 15-year fixed rate gained to 5.42 percent. Meanwhile, the 1-year adjustable rate increased to 5.9 percent.
The 30-year Treasury bond yield edged up to 4.64 percent.
Rates and bonds are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Mortgage rate figures are according to Bankrate.com, which publishes nightly averages based on its survey of 4,000 banks in 50 states. Points on these mortgages range from zero to 3.5.
In other economic news, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 68.72 points, or 0.55 percent, finishing at 12,548.35. The Nasdaq rose 36.57 points, or 1.5 percent, closing at 2,481.24.
30-year fixed rate at 5.85%; 10-year Treasury yield at 3.92%
Long-term mortgage interest rates increased Tuesday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield climbed to 3.92 percent.
The 30-year fixed-rate average rose to 5.85 percent, and the 15-year fixed rate gained to 5.42 percent. Meanwhile, the 1-year adjustable rate increased to 5.9 percent.
The 30-year Treasury bond yield edged up to 4.64 percent.
Rates and bonds are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Mortgage rate figures are according to Bankrate.com, which publishes nightly averages based on its survey of 4,000 banks in 50 states. Points on these mortgages range from zero to 3.5.
In other economic news, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 68.72 points, or 0.55 percent, finishing at 12,548.35. The Nasdaq rose 36.57 points, or 1.5 percent, closing at 2,481.24.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Nashville Real estate /rates
Long-term mortgage interest rates increased Wednesday, and the benchmark 10-year Treasury bond yield climbed to 3.81 percent.
The 30-year fixed-rate average rose to 5.74 percent, and the 15-year fixed rate gained to 5.31 percent. Meanwhile, the 1-year adjustable rate fell to 5.87 percent.
The 30-year Treasury bond yield edged up to 4.54 percent.
Rates and bonds are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Mortgage rate figures are according to Bankrate.com, which publishes nightly averages based on its survey of 4,000 banks in 50 states. Points on these mortgages range from zero to 3.5.
In other economic news, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 227.49 points, or 1.77 percent, finishing at 12,601.19. The Nasdaq lost 43.99 points, or 1.77 percent, closing at 2,492.26.
Now is a great time to buy real estate in Nashville, TN. If you have any questions regarding the Nashville real estate market, please give a call at 615-376-4500 or send us an email at jennifer@homesaroundnashville.com.
The 30-year fixed-rate average rose to 5.74 percent, and the 15-year fixed rate gained to 5.31 percent. Meanwhile, the 1-year adjustable rate fell to 5.87 percent.
The 30-year Treasury bond yield edged up to 4.54 percent.
Rates and bonds are current as of 7:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.
Mortgage rate figures are according to Bankrate.com, which publishes nightly averages based on its survey of 4,000 banks in 50 states. Points on these mortgages range from zero to 3.5.
In other economic news, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 227.49 points, or 1.77 percent, finishing at 12,601.19. The Nasdaq lost 43.99 points, or 1.77 percent, closing at 2,492.26.
Now is a great time to buy real estate in Nashville, TN. If you have any questions regarding the Nashville real estate market, please give a call at 615-376-4500 or send us an email at jennifer@homesaroundnashville.com.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Costly Home Seller mistakes to AVOID
To maximize your sale profit, here are the key costly home seller mistakes to avoid:
1 – DON'T HAVE A STRONG REASON FOR SELLING. As experienced real estate sales agents know, the most difficult home sellers are those who are not highly motivated to sell. Their attitude is, "I'll sell my home if I can get my price and terms."
These homes are often overpriced, wasting the time of the sellers and local realty agents. After a few weeks, local realty agents and their buyers quickly learn about these non-motivated sellers and avoid showing those residences.
But motivated sellers usually have strong sales reasons, such as moving to a retirement home, job relocation, birth or death in the family, purchase of another house or condo, divorce, unemployment, pending foreclosure, illness, or other strong reason to sell.
To avoid wasting time, savvy home buyers and their realty agents often ask, "Why is the seller selling?" If there is no strong motivation signal, such as a realistic asking price, buyers and agents won't even look at the home.
2 – SPEND CONSIDERABLE TIME AND MONEY RENOVATING YOUR HOME BEFORE SELLING. Another costly mistake of many home sellers is to make major home renovations shortly before selling. Such expenditures are usually a waste of money, rarely returning even $1 in increased market value for each $1 spent on improvements.
To illustrate, if your kitchen and bathrooms are outdated, spending thousands of dollars to bring them up to today's "model home" standards often results in little or no increased market value. Worse, the inconvenience of remodeling your kitchen and bathrooms is an experience most homeowners dread.
The only time it pays to renovate kitchens and bathrooms occurs if you plan to stay in your home at least five years to enjoy the improvements.
A far more profitable alternative is to thoroughly paint and fix-up your home to prepare it for sale. Paint is, by far, the most profitable improvement, often adding thousands of dollars to market value for a small expenditure of a few hundred dollars. Additional profitable but inexpensive home improvements include new carpets and flooring, new light fixtures, complete cleaning and repairing, and minor landscaping improvements.
3 – FAIL TO HAVE YOUR HOME PROFESSIONALLY INSPECTED BEFORE PUTTING IT ON THE MARKET.
The third costly mistake that most home sellers make is failing to have their residences professionally inspected before putting it on the market for sale.
The first inspection should be by a professional home inspector. The cost of about $350 is money well spent. Be sure to accompany your inspector to discuss any defects discovered. Home sellers often decide not to repair defects but disclose them to buyers and give a repair credit, if necessary.
Personally, I prefer home inspectors who belong to the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), primarily because of their tough membership requirements such as experience, examinations, and continuing education. Local ASHI members can be found at http://www.ashi.org/ or phone 1-800-743-2744.
Your professional home inspector will also recommend additional or required pre-sale inspections, such as for termites, radon, building code compliance and energy efficiency. By having these pre-sale inspections, sellers can decide whether (1) to make recommended repairs, (2) give the buyer a repair credit (such as for part of the cost of a new roof), or (3) disclose the defect in writing, but let the buyer fix it.
4 – TRY TO SELL YOUR HOME ALONE WITHOUT FIRST INTERVIEWING AT LEAST THREE SUCCESSFUL LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENTS.
The fourth major mistake many home sellers make is advertising their home "for sale by owner" (FSBO), called a "fizzbo," before interviewing at least three successful realty agents who sell homes in the vicinity.
Each agent's listing presentation should include explaining all the locally required home sale contracts and disclosures, as well as a comparative market analysis (CMA) form. The valuable CMA shows recent sales prices of comparable nearby homes, asking prices of similar neighborhood homes listed for sale (your competition), and asking prices of recently expired (usually overpriced) listings.
The agents you interview won't mind spending an hour or two showing you their listing presentation, such as explaining access to the local multiple listing service (MLS) and the Internet, even if you tell them you are considering selling your home alone to save the sales commission.
The reason is most FSBO sellers fail and, within 30 to 60 days, decide to list with a professional agent. Savvy agents who were already interviewed know they are likely to get the listing.
Approximately 80 percent of homes are sold with the help of a realty agent. Of the other 20 percent, many are sales to relatives and friends who don't require a professional agent's marketing services.
5 – OVERPRICE OR UNDERPRICE YOUR HOME. The fifth costly mistake many home sellers make is (a) pricing their home too high (most FSBOs do this), or (b) under pricing their home, leaving thousands of profit dollars on the table.
However, as a smart home seller who carefully prepared to maximize your sale profit, you won't make that error. By interviewing at least three successful local real estate agents, and comparing their CMAs and each agent's expert opinion of your home's market value, you will correctly set the asking price.
Some home sellers think a better alternative to determine the market value of their home is to obtain a professional appraisal report, usually costing at least $300.
While this approach can be valuable, especially if the home is unique without nearby recent comparable home sales, most appraisers work on past recorded sales price information rather than current up-to-date sales price trends. The result can be an inaccurate too conservative or too optimistic home market value appraisal.
SUMMARY: A successful home sale involves doing the right things right, such as preparing your home for sale by cleaning, painting, and repairing, and avoiding the five most costly mistakes explained above.
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