In slower housing markets, most sellers understand that attracting buyers becomes more of a challenge. With more homes for sale at ever more competitive prices, buyers tend to have more power to choose and negotiate under these circumstances.What steps can you take to insure a faster sale at a higher price? First, seek representation. Over the last ten years, the number of homes that sold “by owner” fell by one third, and that statistic includes all markets, both hot and cool. What does that trend mean? Sellers have come to realize that real estate professionals are better equipped to produce top dollar offers, especially in slower conditions.

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There are all sorts of loans for all types of homes, and “fixer uppers” are no exception. Lenders can offer attractive terms to buyers who want to renovate their purchase. One well-known lender offers three different types of renovation loans, with the most popular requiring a downpayment of only five percent.So how does it work? Along with their application, borrowers submit architectural drawings of the proposed improvements. Then a completed home value is determined and financing terms are offered, with interest rates usually coming in just slightly higher than those on conventional loans.

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As you prepare to sell your home, you probably expect to have a For Sale sign in the yard, information on the Multiple Listing Service, and perhaps an Open House. If you expect top dollar in today’s market, you can count on a real estate professional to provide many more services in addition to those three most obvious elements of successful marketing. (more…)

If you have ever bought or sold a home, you are probably familiar with the term Multiple Listing Service. It’s a convenient way to locate most homes for sale, and access to that data has created a new kind of buyer who expects a high level of service from real estate professionals, and the competition is admittedly fierce. (more…)