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Selling Your Home
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For most families, their home is their largest financial asset, and deciding to sell it is a big decision that involves a lot of preparation and work. When you're ready to sell it's important to have an experienced real estate professional handle the details involved in the successful sale of a home for top dollar.
As an experienced professional who has helped many Huntington Beach residents sell their homes, I know how to handle every aspect of the sales process - from strategically marketing and staging your home to making sure everything's signed, sealed and delivered by the closing date.
4 Reasons to Sell Now
1. Sell low and buy low. Because all property values are down, the loss on the property a home owner sells is really only a paper loss because the next property he buys also will be a bargain. If he buys smartly, when prices come back up in a few years, he’ll be in better shape.
2. Down-payment help is widely available. While nothing-down loans have disappeared, it is easy to find down-payment assistance for lower-income and first-time home buyers. Programs vary all over the country, but one good way to find them is to search online for “down-payment assistance programs” and the name of your region.
3. Your uncle has money to share. Besides the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit and the $6,500 move-up credit, there are an array of energy tax credits that can make home improvements pay off in cash.
4. Good help is available. Really talented real estate practitioners, contractors, and designers are available and eager for business.
Source: McClatchy Tribune, Kate Forgach (02/07/2010).
Considering a Short Sale or Foreclosure?
If you are a troubled borrower looking for Free Foreclosure Prevention Counseling, as well as information about the Obama administration’s mortgage modification and refinancing programs, you may contact a local HUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agency, to apply for help in working with your mortgage servicer. You may also check to see if you qualify for a loan modification and refinance under the Obama plan and you can apply online at www.makinghomeaffordable.org for help from your mortgage servicer. Visit Orange County Home Ownership Preservation Collaborative for a list of local housing counseling resources and events at www.ochopc.org or the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development’s website at www.hud.gov. Local Orange County HUD-Approved Agencies include three of OCAR’s Community Partners: the Fair Housing Council of Orange County www.fairhousingoc.org, Neighborhood Housing Services of Orange County www.nhsoc.org, and Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Orange County www.cccsoc.org.
I am a certified Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource (SFR), the only distressed property certification available for realtors, with comprehensive experience in this area. Providing you with outstanding, high-quality listing service is my top priority. So when you decide to sell your home, please contact me and let's get started!
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Interested in selling your home? Don't wait for 'spring' in February
LA TIMES January 10, 2010 states that the busiest season for home sales traditionally begins the day after the Super Bowl. But putting off getting the word out about your property would probably be a mistake, some experts say.
Traditionally, the "spring" home buying season, theoretically the busiest time in the marketplace, begins the day after the Super Bowl. Why this is so has never been clear, but it probably has something to do with finally being able to pry spouses off the couch to tour houses.
This year, "spring" arrives later than usual: The big game is Feb. 7.
But if you're thinking of selling, waiting to list until the bowl festivities have passed probably is a mistake in the current market, according to some experts.
If you're new to the selling game or haven't sold a house in years, here are a few thoughts:
* Think about planting that "for sale" sign in the yard before your neighbor gets around to doing the same thing.
"We're going to see a lot of property coming on the market," said James Kinney, vice president of luxury home sales for Chicago-based Baird & Warner Real Estate. "We're going to see everything that people took off the market in the fall, knowing they were going to be back in the spring."
Plus there will be genuinely new listings in addition to the continuing cascade of foreclosures and short sales, he said.
* Don't be surprised if, in determining an asking price, listing agents emphasize how much the competition is asking, rather than relying solely on data for recently sold homes.
Agents have always at least considered what else is on the market in setting an asking price, said Jim Merrion, regional director of Re/Max Northern Illinois.
"Now there's more weight being placed on the current inventory, because in many cases it's pushing prices to lower levels," Merrion said. "I don't know if it's the effect of HGTV shows or what, but now we're seeing agents taking sellers right into active listings" to get a true comparison of what they're up against. "That never used to happen."
Still, there's a danger in relying too much on what the guy down the street is asking.
"An awful lot of listings are wrongly priced," Kinney said. "If people use those as a guidepost, they could get into trouble. Do a combination of historical data and looking at who you're competing against, once you've determined whether they're valid prices."
* And then there's the thorniest issue: Most people have inflated notions of their home's value in this boom-gone-bust market.
Experimenting with trying to net a price that's rooted in the past can taint a house as an "old" listing, Kinney said.
"If you're asking a price commensurate with or higher than prices achieved in 2006 and 2007, you're incorrectly priced," he said.
By Mary Umberger, The Los Angeles Times, January 10, 2010 | |
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Remodeling projects that would give you the best return on your investment!
Tidy up the insides of your kitchen cabinets to make them appear roomier, add or replace tile on counters and backsplashes, and add a breakfast bar. You can even replace the cabinet doors and drawer fronts for $4,000 to $10,000 in an average size kitchen.
- In the bathroom, add a new medicine cabinet, light fixtures and faucet. Install new glass shower doors if they are dated.
- Replace light fixtures in the entry hall and other major rooms. New overhead lighting can provide a lot of “pop” for little money.
- If you have a basement, consider painting the basement floor with floor paint. Also, make sure the room’s been ventilated before showing. No one wants to be in a room with air that’s stale or damp.
- If your garage is at the front of your house, you may want to consider replacing the door with a new one and adding a remote touchpad entry system.
Remember, the way you sell your home may not be the way you live in your home. Every organized home I see makes me impressed and leaves a positive impression. |
The following articles are a great place to start if you're looking for information about the sales process and how you can get more for your home when you decide to sell.
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