Thursday, September 27, 2007

Yahoo Affect

You hear sometimes that real estate is "local", that each market has it own rules, in essence. I think that is true. However, many people read the latest real estate news article and think that it pertains to them.
I'm calling it the Yahoo affect.
It's when a potential customer reads an article online about the national real estate market, rate increases, fed comments, and a housing bubble and assume that it pertains to their area. This is not necessarily the case.

You rarely, if ever, come across an article talking about local market conditions. Not all markets had a meteoric rise in home prices. Many were steady and honest (for lack of a better way to put it) - like Ithaca.

The market I am in, Ithaca NY, is thriving. We have had steady growth and development, not the overheated market like say, Boston.

Its too bad. But this is the way the market works - i guess.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

5 Ways to Increase the Chance of your Home Selling

5 Ways To Sell Your House Faster

5. Clear the clutter out of your home. Your ceramic lion's head that you got from Tijuana while on a family vacation is roaring in the front entranceway. Prospective buyers don't want to see that

4. Hire a Full-Time Real Estate Agent to handle the sale of your home. When you use a full-time real estate professional ( I emphasize full-time) you increase your chances of selling your home at the highest price in the shortest amount of time.

3. Landscape. Spend a weekend or two to landscape and "pretty-up" your exterior. You'll get more for it.

2. Don't be home when the agent(s) come by to show your home to prospective buyers. You'll sell it faster.

1. If possible, Don't leave a home vacant. Stage it. Prospective buyers like having furniture in place when they visualize their own furniture placement.