Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Sell Your Home Successfully With These Helpful Tips

Cap Hill housing
Many homes sit on the market for months and even years. Owners think that lowering the asking price will entice buyers but it only sends red flags and creates the idea that there is something wrong with the house that is causing it to not sell. Owners become frustrated and not sure what to do. If you follow the 5 tips below, you won’t have to worry as these tips will help your home sell quickly.
1.   Price it Low:   Many owners are hesitant to set an asking price lower than the estimated value of their home but it helps sell the house quickly. Most want to ask more than the value to give room to drop the price during negotiations but by asking a lower price, more buyers become interested and compete for the home which often results in a selling price that is higher than the value of the home and a much shorter time spent on the market. A real estate agent in Northern California listed a house for $535,000 even though it had been appraised at $560,000. The house had multiple bidders and sold for $575,000 within weeks.
2.   Try a New Sales Approach:   If your house is not selling and nobody is looking, try a new approach to advertising your home. Put out a larger ad that gives little, but important, information. The info should catch the buyer’s interest and lure them in. Use a photo that shows nice curb appeal and descriptive words. Be sure to keep the house clean so that buyers will be intrigued with what they see.
3.   Do Not Try to Fight the Market:   If in general houses are just not selling, don’t try too hard to get exactly what you want for your home. In a not-so-great market, many people have a hard time getting financed or can’t buy a new home until theirs sells. You may not get the price you hoped for but by accepting a lower offer you will be done with the deal and less stressed.
4.   Renovations Don’t Guarantee a Sale:   Although a new coat of paint or new carpet may make your home look nicer and allow the asking price to go up a little, spending a ton of money on renovations will not necessarily sell your home or at least not for the price you would hope for. A lot of sellers spend thousands of dollars making changes hoping that they can sell their home for a higher price and earn their money back that was spent on the renovations. Some changes are good but for the most part the price is based on appraisals of the surrounding houses. If you ask $100,000 more than what the houses in your neighborhood are worth because you remodeled the kitchen and put in new floors, buyers will find your home to be over priced and walk away.
5.   Advertise Your Home Online:   In this day and age everyone is doing everything online. There are more people searching for homes online than there are circling ads in the paper. Post an ad online using attractive and good quality pictures to advertise your home. Use social media to get the word out that you are selling. People aren’t walking into real estate offices asking “find me something” as often as they used to. They are now coming in with a list of homes they found advertised online.
Bonus Tip:   Find a good realtor. Interview at least 3 real estate agents before choosing one. Be sure to trust them and their methods. Selling houses is what they do for a living and they know what they are doing. If you’re looking for a Seattle real estate expert, contact your local Real Estate agent today.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Mobile Becoming Dominant Platform For Home Shoppers

Cap Hill housingHave you searched the real estate market using your mobile phone or ipad? According to Zillow, in 2012 more than half of all their traffic was using their search capabilities through mobile, and now as 2013 comes to a close, they’ve estimated that over 60% of their users are mobile users, hitting 70% mobile users on the weekends. Because mobile is clearly becoming the dominant platform to use in your home search, Zillow has put together a list of interesting highlights from mobile users in 2013. According to Zillow, mobile users spent over 5 billion minutes on the Zillow app, which averages about 16 minutes per person in the US. Shoppers views homes over 2.5 billion times, which is up 150% percent from this time last year. Almost 100 million gps-tracking searches were used nationwide on Zillow’s mobile app this year, and over 4.7 million loan requests were submitted through mobile users, which increased nearly 72% from this time last year. For more information about the mobile home search, contact your local real estate broker today.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Is SLU Too Expensive For Seattle Startups?

According to the Puget Sound Business Journal, Chris DeVore of Techstars and Founder Co-op predicts that South Lake Union is becoming too expensive for Seattle startups. Startups innately need inexpensive office space to get their company up and running, and the combination of the new Amazon towers and other large scale office buildings in South Lake Union are beginning to push startups out. So where will these new businesses flock? DeVore predicts the University District is the next big up and coming neighborhood to become popular for startups, and he is so confident that he’s moving both of his businesses in at the end of the year.
Photo by Wikimedia

He lists several strong points – the light rail will soon service the area, and it would be convenient to have all that tech talent from the University right outside your office doorstep. The City of Seattle is also planning on updating the U District’s zoning regulations to allow taller buildings, an enhancement that would likely attract larger office tenants. If you’re office is looking for new scenery, contact your local commercial real estate office today.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Credit Options For Home Buyers

homeBuying a home is exciting and stressful especially if you are a first time home buyer. Finding the right home can be challenging but the biggest challenge is financing it. You need to have enough money in the bank to convince the lender you can make monthly payments on top of having enough to cover the costs of closing the loan in order to obtain a mortgage loan. Some home buyers search for available home buyer credits to help fund the purchasing process. Here are a few options available:
Mortgage Credit Certificate: MCC is available for first time home buyers in certain states and provides up to $8,000 in tax credits for those who have not owned a home in the previous three years, meet certain income criteria and will be using the new home as their permanent residence.

Good Neighbor Next Door Program: This program makes homes available for up to 50 percent off the listing price as long as the buyer agrees to live in the home for at least three years. HUD offers credits to school teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who purchase single-family homes in areas targeted for revitalization.

Credits for Native American Buyers: HUD provides two programs for Native Americans who wish to buy a home. Native Americans are given access to sources to private mortgage financing to buy homes in Indian or Alaskan Native areas through the Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program. Members of Indian tribes who cannot qualify for mortgages through other sources can be guaranteed a loan through The Tribal Housing Activities Loan Guarantee Program.

The Federal Housing Authority has several other options to help reduce the burden of financing a
 home for first time home buyers, single parents, minorities and people with moderate-low income.

If you're in the market to buy a home, contact your local real estate agent today.

homeBuying a home is exciting and stressful especially if you are a first time home buyer. Finding the right home can be challenging but the biggest challenge is financing it. You need to have enough money in the bank to convince the lender you can make monthly payments on top of having enough to cover the costs of closing the loan in order to obtain a mortgage loan. Some home buyers search for available home buyer credits to help fund the purchasing process. Here are a few options available:
Mortgage Credit Certificate: MCC is available for first time home buyers in certain states and provides up to $8,000 in tax credits for those who have not owned a home in the previous three years, meet certain income criteria and will be using the new home as their permanent residence.
Good Neighbor Next Door Program: This program makes homes available for up to 50 percent off the listing price as long as the buyer agrees to live in the home for at least three years. HUD offers credits to school teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who purchase single-family homes in areas targeted for revitalization.
Credits for Native American Buyers: HUD provides two programs for Native Americans who wish to buy a home. Native Americans are given access to sources to private mortgage financing to buy homes in Indian or Alaskan Native areas through the Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program. Members of Indian tribes who cannot qualify for mortgages through other sources can be guaranteed a loan through The Tribal Housing Activities Loan Guarantee Program.
The Federal Housing Authority has several other options to help reduce the burden of financing a home for first time home buyers, single parents, minorities and people with moderate-low income.
If you're interested in buying a home, contact your local real estate agent today.
- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4273580/credit-options-for-home-buyers?share_opt=1#sthash.hgxKKztD.dpuf
homeBuying a home is exciting and stressful especially if you are a first time home buyer. Finding the right home can be challenging but the biggest challenge is financing it. You need to have enough money in the bank to convince the lender you can make monthly payments on top of having enough to cover the costs of closing the loan in order to obtain a mortgage loan. Some home buyers search for available home buyer credits to help fund the purchasing process. Here are a few options available:
Mortgage Credit Certificate: MCC is available for first time home buyers in certain states and provides up to $8,000 in tax credits for those who have not owned a home in the previous three years, meet certain income criteria and will be using the new home as their permanent residence.
Good Neighbor Next Door Program: This program makes homes available for up to 50 percent off the listing price as long as the buyer agrees to live in the home for at least three years. HUD offers credits to school teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians who purchase single-family homes in areas targeted for revitalization.
Credits for Native American Buyers: HUD provides two programs for Native Americans who wish to buy a home. Native Americans are given access to sources to private mortgage financing to buy homes in Indian or Alaskan Native areas through the Indian Home Loan Guarantee Program. Members of Indian tribes who cannot qualify for mortgages through other sources can be guaranteed a loan through The Tribal Housing Activities Loan Guarantee Program.
The Federal Housing Authority has several other options to help reduce the burden of financing a home for first time home buyers, single parents, minorities and people with moderate-low income.
If you're interested in buying a home, contact your local real estate agent today.
- See more at: http://activerain.com/blogsview/4273580/credit-options-for-home-buyers?share_opt=1#sthash.hgxKKztD.dpuf

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Easy Steps to Create a Cozy and Cost-Efficiant Home

cozy
Now that the cold weather has arrived it is a great time to add a few steps in warming up your home in cost-efficient yet cozy ways.
Curtains are a great addition to the home. Some might think that curtains are outdated but there are many fashionable curtains available at great prices. The heavier the curtain the better. When closed the curtain can block the cold from drafty windows and help save you money on the heater bill.
Using the new Cree brand LED bulbs instead of incandescent and florescent light bulbs will save you money. They pay for themselves in a year and last will last nine more!
Replacing old thermostats with Nest brand thermostats can cut heating costs by thirty percent each month. They look better and are programmable. They track your habits and adjust accordingly as well as connect to WiFi and can be controlled from your ipad.
Having hardwood or tile floors can keep your home cooler in the warmer months but can be a bit chillier on your feet in the winter. Add a thick rug to warm the space up and make it more comfortable.
By simply adding comfortable and soft upholstery fabrics to lampshades, curtains, or a heavy throw blankets will make a room feel warmer.