Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Tips for Preparing Your House for Sale

Ten Ways to Make Your House More Salable

1. Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and
magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store
out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the
garage.

2. Wash your window and screens to let more light into the interior.

3. Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch
plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean
house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the
home has been well cared for.

4. Get rid of smells. Clean carpeting and drapes to eliminate cooking
odors, smoke, and pet smells. Open the windows.

5. Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem
brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any
burnt-out bulbs.

6. Make minor repair that can create a bad impression. Small problems
such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping
faucet may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyer the impression that the
house isn’t well maintained.

7. Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and
edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.

8. Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.

9. Clean your gutters.

10. Polish your front doorknob and door numbers.





Five Things to do Before You Sell

1. Get estimates from a reliable repairperson on items that need to be replaced soon,
a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense
of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.

2. Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.

3. Get a pre-sale home inspection so you’ll be able to make repairs before buyers
become concerned and cancel a contract.

4. Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other
items that will remain with the house.

5. Fill out a disclosure form provided by a sales associate. Take the time to be sure that you don’t forget problems, however minor, that might crete liability for you after the sale.


Five Ways to Speed Up Your Sale

1. Price it right. Set a price at the lower end of your item’s realistic price
range.

2. Get your house market ready for at least two weeks before you begin
showing it.

3. Be flexible about showings. It’s often disruptive to have a house ready
to show on the spur of the moment, but the more often someone can
see your home, the sooner you’ll find a seller.

4. Be ready for the offers. Decide in advance what price and terms you’ll
find acceptable.

5. Don’t refuse to drop the price. If your home has bee on the market for
more than 30 days without an offer, be prepared to lower your asking
price.


Tips for Holding a Yard Sale


Use a yard sale to reduce the clutter in your home and get rid of items you
don’t want to move.

1. Check with your city government to see if you need a permit or
license.

2. See if neighbors want to participate and have a “block” sale to attract
more visitors.

3. Advertise. Put an ad in free classified papers, put up signs and
balloons at major intersections and in stores near your home.

4. Price items ahead and attach prices wit removable stickers.
Remember, yard sales are supposed to be bargains, so don’t try to sell
anything of significant value this way.

5. Check items before the sale to be sure you haven’t included
something you want by mistake.

6. Keep pets away from the sale.

7. Display everything neatly and individually so customers don’t have to
dig through boxes.

8. Have an electrical outlet available so buyers can test appliances.

9. Have plenty of bags and newspaper for wrapping fragile items.

10. Have enough change on hand, and keep a close eye on your cash.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Banks Halt Foreclosures

Bank of America and other banks have halted foreclosures in all 50 states!! The sheer number of delinquent homeowners has created a mountain of paperwork. Banks have been remiss in properly processing foreclosure documents. There has been much discussion as to who owns the promissory note. The owner of that note is the only one entitled to foreclose. When a bank sells your mortgage, that note sometimes remains held by the original bank.

View the video to find out more....




NBC News explains.......

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


What does this mean to you? If you are currently in foreclosure, you are not out of the woods. The banks will review their paperwork and "put their ducks in a row". The foreclosure will take longer, but it will happen.

Monday, September 27, 2010

I Can't Make my Mortgage Payment, Now What Do I Do?

If you are facing unemployment or have financial issues, you may be able to keep your home,  if you take the right steps. Many people avoid calling their lender when they have financial difficulties. Most of us are embarrassed or believe that if the lender knows we are in trouble, they will rush to foreclose. 

Don’t be afraid to contact your lender to discuss your circumstances as soon as you are unable to make your monthly payment. The sooner you call, the sooner help is available. Some remedies are only  available in the early phase of delinquency. Lenders are willing to work with you and provide options to help you keep your home. These options work best when your loan is only one or two payments behind. The further behind you are with your payments,  fewer options will be available.

First and foremost, if you can keep your mortgage current, do so. Seek credit counseling, trim expenses and give up extra unneeded expenses and activities. If you find that you can no longer afford to keep your home, your lender will usually agree to give you a specific amount of time to find a purchaser. You will be expected to obtain the services of a real estate professional who can aggressively market the property.