I was talking with an old friend today about some issues going on with her home, when I had sort of a revelation. Well not a revelation, but more of a thought. Ive been hearing a lot of I’m sorry, Sorry to Bother you, sorry to waste your time, or don’t put too much time into it… from my customers, clients, friends, etc. I want to make it quite clear to everyone… there are no apologies for anything to be asked of me! You are never bothering me, wasting my time, or making me feel like I NEED to do something for you! I am ALWAYS happy to do anything for ANYONE!

I’ve had sellers say to me “oh my gosh, thats not your job”.. well it is… I love my job, it’s my passion and If I can’t make YOUR life easier by doing something, then why am I even doing it!

I’ve had buyers say…. “I’m so sorry to bother you with all these questions”… If I can’t answer your questions, then what good am I? or “I feel like you’re my therapist”… guess what? I am also a bartender… so I basically am a therapist… and I love it!

Ive had friends say “don’t put too much time into it”… I LOVE helping people and I will put as much time into it as I feel fit!

Ive had Clients say “I’m so sorry to waste your time” because they didn’t like the house we went to see! NOT a problem, at very least I got to go see another home, that will only make me better at what I do! And help you find the ONE! My time is never wasted, unless wasted by me personally! Which happens!

Lets say you had a friend who was a Mechanic and your car broke down on the side of the road, if he can’t be your first phone call then theres a problem! Same goes for me! Im happy to help in anyway that I can, I tell people all the time, call me if you need ANYTHING EVER! I truly mean that! Any question, concern, stress, or to watch your dog- because we all know I’ll do that, without a question!

So Finally just so we are all on the same page…..I love helping a friend with their questions, I love showing people homes- even if they don’t like them, I love helping people through their stresses of buying or selling. I love answering questions, I love giving advice, I love helping people move, and I love being able to meet an HVAC guy for you when you can’t. I have given my advice to people who want to sell For Sale By Owner…I literally do not discriminate! I CANNOT express it enough.. I love Real Estate and I love what I do! I want to be your greatest resource, therapist, friend, dream home matchmaker, and make things as easy on you as I can. Im always here for anything big or small! Yes it is my job and what I get paid to do…. but thats not why I do it! We are all in this crazy world together so Please call me if you EVER need ANYTHING!

920-627-1086 🙂

As always thanks for reading…

Sarah 🙂

Are you planning a new home this Spring? This is a very exciting time, but can also be stressful. I am always meeting with different mortgage companies as to what they have to offer my buyers depending on their situation. Buying a home is a very unique process to you, because some of you may have a lower credit score, may need to sell your home to buy a new one, have a low amount available for a downpayment, lower income, etc. If you’ve been wanting a new place but don’t think you can… more than likely you truly can buy a home! You just need to best loan type to work towards your needs.

Here are some of the mortgages available… see what’s best for you and your family

Conventional Loan- Best for the person with a credit score above 620. This loan is perfect if you have a 20% downpayment, with 20% down you will be able to avoid paying PMI (Private Mortgage Insurance)- an additional fee charge by the bank with less than 20% down. Even without 20% down, with a good credit score most banks and mortgage companies can also use this loan for you with as little as 3% down, If you plan to stay in your home for 5-10 years a conventional loan may be your best route.

FHA Loan- This is best for people with a lower credit score under 620 to approximately 580… though some mortgage lenders can do this lower than 580, depending on your situation. You can also use this loan if you have a lower down payment, usually requires are 3.5% down. This loan is ideal for the person with a lower credit score and a small downpayment. Keep in mind during the appraisal process of the home, the appraiser will make sure the home is safe for them to insure. The home must be free of safety hazards and chipping paint if it was built before 1978. For example, if the home has chipping paint, missing staircase railings, loose electrical work, this will be required to be repaired prior to closing.

VA Loan- Have you served our country as a veteran? This loan will be best for you! A Veterans Affairs loan is a guaranteed loan to help returning Veterans purchase homes without needing a downpayment or excellent credit. There are no private mortgage insurance requirements, & lower closing costs, which will help you save money upfront. This loan also has more income and credit flexibility which helps borrowers qualify a lot easier. The VA loan will also have the same housing requirements as the FHA loan as in it must be free of safety hazards and chipping paint if built before 1978.

USDA Loan- The USDA loans purpose is to provide affordable homeownership to stimulate economic growth in rural and suburban communities. Some benefits are a 0 downpayment, lower private mortgage insurance, and flexible with credit scores. This home will also need to be free of safety concerns, and chipping paint if built before 1978. Only certain areas will work with a USDA loan, it is up to 97% of the United States, but around our area, the homes that will qualify will most times need to be west of interstate 43. This type of loan is great for the borrower that doesn’t have a downpayment, has a lower income, and wants to live in a rural area.

Home Equity Loan- Im throwing this one in there because it is the best way for someone to buy a new home and sell their current home later. During this competitive market, a lot of sellers will not accept an offer contingent on your current home needing to sell. So your best way about this is to take the equity out of your home as a downpayment or to pay in full on your new home purchase. This usually works best if your home is paid off, and you are downsizing, but can also work in a lot of other scenarios.  The bank will appraise your current home and give you a loan based on 80% or less of its value- Usually whatever you need, even if its 20% for a new down payment. But you will have to be approved for this as well as any other mortgage loan.

All of these loans will be based off your current credit worthiness… so my advice to you would be, know your credit score, save as much money as you can, pay down your debt & don’t make any large purchases while your searching! You WILL be able to afford a home! These are just the main types of mortgages available as well… before looking for your new home, always sit down with a mortgage lender and get pre approved! Make sure that person is working their hardest to give you the loan best to your circumstances.

I also have about a dozen of amazing lenders I work with… that I would be happy to refer you to. Then… when you’re ready… we can go find your dream home! 🙂

As always in here to help, thanks for reading 🙂

 

I have a lot of sellers tell me…. I want it gone now! Well the best way to go about it is to not take any shortcuts and do it right the first time! Heres some of my “Get it Sold” Tips  to help you put you best foot forward and get a quick sale!

#1 – De Clutter and Clean… This is not just a tip! This is by far the number 1 thing any seller can do to appeal to any buyer! Deep clean the entire house, all nooks and crannies, inside cupboards, drawers, closets and under couches…. literally everything! Buyers will open up everything in your home, make sure that what they see in drawers is not dust, dirt and a poorly kept home. Any buyer will be turned off by a dirty home and it also leads them to believe that you didn’t care for the home all around! Sparkling clean sells! De cluttering! Get rid of the knickknacks and anything taking up space! Most any person can get rid or box up 40% of their belongings that aren’t needed. A minimalistic home helps the buyer look at the home and Picture themselves in it… not all your stuff, so get rid of the doll collection, extra family photos, extra kitchen applicances you aren’t using, and clean out those closets and junk drawers!

#2 – Take Great Photos- Ive seen this time and time again, poorly taken photos by real estate agents and or owners!  Photos with piles of laundry,  with poorly lit rooms, panoramic photos that don’t do your home justice! When I see these I literally cringe! The agent and owner are doing themselves a total disservice! I have seen beautiful homes sit on the market for ages because no one wants to see them, the photos look terrible! Make sure your rooms are bright- curtains open, all lights on, cleaned up, and depict your home in a great aspect! I am not a photographer, I am a real estate agent.. my motto is… Always hire a professional!

#3 – Price your home right- This is also very important, know the market for your home and what your home should be priced at! If you don’t know, hire a real estate professional to help you. A well priced home in this market will not last long! Properties overpriced will sit on the market, and sit on the market and the longer they sit, the more people wonder… what’s wrong with that house? Why hasn’t it sold yet? It creates a stigma about the property, if no one else wants to buy the house…. why would you? If you price it right…. you can celebrate the sale and cash in sooner than later!

These are the 3 most important things to do when selling your home! I do not take these things lightly. Theres also a lot to be said for not skimping… if you do it right and hire the right people to help get your home sold, you will not have any issues! Selling a home is not for the faint at heart! Trust me, it is a lot of work but having the right professionals behind you can make the world of difference and take the stress off of you!

Thanks for reading… As always, I’m here to help!

Sarah 🙂

 

 

 

Thought I would touch on this topic, because I still see a lot of buyers and sellers taking some serious risks regarding their new homes!

Most People don’t realize what a Realtors job actually is….Our job is to protect the buyer or Seller during one of the biggest transactions of their lives! A Realtor will provide you with Monitoring, Negotiating, Marketing and provide you security to the transaction. The transfer of Real Estate is a delicate thing, everything should be handled in a very legal sense, including properly filled out Offers, Listing Contracts, a Realtor has a lot of connections and expertise to properly bring your new home to closing, in the “right” way!

Without  using a Realtor and their knowledge, you take some big risks. Risking being sued by the other party, risking that other party running away from the contract and or sale, and possibly losing lots of money.  There are a lot of Common mistakes that buyers and sellers might make out there by themselves… It seriously scares me when I hear buyers are writing their own offers, not having inspections or sellers are selling their own homes without the proper disclosures, some people even write their own offers on a For Sale by Owner home…. There is a lot that can go wrong!

Why would you not want the biggest decision of your life to be protected by someone who is working for YOU, and has a great deal of expertise regarding selling and or buying homes? Trust me we do this everyday, and we WANT you to be protected, that is our goal! 

And, of course, We’re working for you at nearly all hours of the day and night…whether you need more info on a home or just someone to talk to in order to feel at ease with the offer you just put in. This is the biggest financial and sometimes, emotional decision of your life, and guiding you through it isn’t a responsibility Realtors take lightly. We are always here to help and make the transaction as easy on you as possible, and be your greatest asset to your greatest benefit!

As always, Im here if you need me!

Sarah 🙂

 

Ive been seeing a lot of home buyers lately, especially first time home buyers, not knowing the Costs of Buying their new home. There are a lot out of pocket costs, not all of the money comes from the bank! I see buyers come in with barely enough money left over to get a home inspection, this scares me. How will you pay for your homes maintenance, your taxes, and everything in between? Your new home will come with many unexpected costs that most people aren’t aware of,  Down payment, Home inspection, Closing costs and lender costs, Earnest Money put down in good faith toward your home, plus possibly some others.  In turn, these need to be discussed with your lender, and your realtor so you are all on the same page, and you know that you can afford the house you’re buying and all costs that come along with it, and have some money left over for possible updates to the home.

Earnest Money

This is Money put down on your Offer to purchase the home, this goes into a trust account, until after the home has closed.  Earnest Money is put down to ensure the seller that you are, in good faith purchasing their home and are willing enough to put money down toward this purchase and ensures the seller you will not run away and never show up again, or default against the agreed contract. This amount is usually based off the purchase price of the home. 1%-2% is usually done.  So if you are buying a $200,000 home, your earnest money the Offer would be around $3,000 dollars. This is in most times deposited into the trust account within 5 days of the accepted offer.

Down Payment

This is the Cash you have already, that will be your down payment to your mortgage lender on your loan. Most conventional loans require 20% down, but there are lots of different loan options out there that only require 3-5% down, and some times nothing down with a VA or USDA loan. Make sure you speak to your lender and find out the best loan for your personal situation. Everyones situation is different, they can give you all your options.

Home Inspection

Next is the costs of a home inspection, obviously I’m very biased against this, and in my opinion everyone should get a home inspection on any home! You don’t know anything about the home, or what has possibly gone wrong. Ive seen bad inspections in new builds.  This saves you lots of possible money problems in the future, by uncovering any possible issues before you purchase. The costs of a home inspection vary somewhat but around us, in the Sheboygan area, more than likely your cost will be about $300-$500, plus another $100-$200 if you are also testing the home for Radon-an odorless, cancer causing gas. This must be paid at time of the home inspection.

Closing Costs

Closing costs are additional costs on top of your down payment. Your lender will have you bring a check to cover these at closing. These costs include the appraisal of the home ordered by the lender, Title fees, & Lender fees. These usually accumulate to approximately 2%-5% of your loan, depending on your lender.

All in all, it costs money to buy a home! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Sometimes you may have that low down payment, but possible higher closing costs. Im not trying to scare anyone away from buying your new home, but making sure you’re aware of all costs before they creep up on you, and your in way over your head! Planning is your best option before even looking for your first home! That way you have all the money you need and can proceed looking for that perfect house without any worries!

Thanks for Reading… Sarah 🙂

So… where do I start? I’ve lived in Sheboygan my entire life, went through school here, also got my first job here. If you don’t know much about it, its great little city right on the shores of Lake Michigan!  When I was a kid I never would have imagined all of the great things that could come of this small city in its future. We have an amazing beach and waterfront that is a favorite spot for surfers, paddleboarders, sailors ,and kayakers alike. Our riverfront can be called quaint and brings you back to a simpler time with lots of shanty shops from Natural and Holistic Stores to our very own Bait shop “The Wharf” for all your fishing needs! An abundance of amazing restaurants, most now with locally grown food. Tons of parks for kids to play, also more and more small businesses and shopping boutiques popping up everyday. We are also named the Bratwurst Capital of the world! Which if you ever had a brat, you will never eat a hot dog again! That’s the thing, In summer especially, Sheboygan lights up! Whether it be all the people walking and shopping our downtown, and watching our Free Thursday night concerts in the park, or the 4th of July fireworks lighting up the night sky over the lake and Blue Harbor Resort, we have it all!

In this post im going to share a few of my favorite places in Sheboygan. Whether you’re looking to move here or just stop by for a short visit some of these places you definitely HAVE to visit during your time here! I am including some great restaurants, coffee shops,  activities to do with the family, and some great places for some night life!

 

Il Ritrovo Pizza- If you are looking for a nice Restaurant, located right downtown on 8th St, also with a casual atmosphere look no further. Il Ritrovo is a neopolitan wood fired Pizzeria. They have an Italian Flare that showcases local farmers and seasonal ingredients. If you don’t have time to eat, you have to stop in their amazing farmers market type full deli and retail store in the back, for Fresh Baked breads, Local meats, fruits and vegetables. Make sure look through their showcase of homemade tapas and Cheeses too. This Place is my absolute favorite restaurant!

The Weather Center Cafe- This great little Coffee shop is located right in one of the old shanties on the riverfront. You can get a cup of great Coffee, Italian soda, a muffin or great sandwich for lunch. Sit inside and look at all the beautiful artwork by local artists surrounding you, or on a nice day sit outside in their sitting area on the River Boardwalk and relax and take it all in.

Natures Best- Just a short 2 min walk from The Weather Center, Natures Best is a holistic/ Health food Store on the Riverfront. Products range from Essential oils, and body products to vitamins, Whole Foods and Teas. This place is great mostly anything you’re looking for, you can find there. If they don’t have it, more than likely it can be ordered for you. The employees are always very helpful, and all products they carry will help your mind-body and soul!

Above and Beyond Childrens Museum– Looking for a great stop with the kids? This Interactive museum does not disappoint! 3 Floors of Hands on Exhibits for all ages, your kids and you can learn and have fun at the same time! Located Right in the heart of downtown on Niagara Ave and N 8th St. They will also host a great birthday party or special event for your little ones!

Bookworm Gardens–  A local Botanical Garden inspired by memorable children’s books. This beautiful place will bring you back to your childhood! Also a great place to bring the kids. During the day, Spring Through Fall, you can walk through the beautiful gardens tucked away in the woods, by our local UW Sheboygan College.  Admission is a voluntary donation. You can Plan a Family Picnic, great location for family photos, Guided tours for larger groups, or visit the lovely gift shop. Bookworm Gardens does local benefits for the area for adults during the summer as well, including yoga classes, benefit concerts, Dinners, and everything from craft cocktail to cooking classes.

Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts–  This Great old Theater which was originally constructed in 1928, has been fully restored to its original Grandeur in 1996 to Host Live Performances, Movies, and our Sheboygan Orchestra. This theater receives no public funding but relies solely on the efforts of amazing volunteers, donors and Foundations. Some great appearances have been, The Gufs, The Bodeans, Billy Joel Tribute Band, Herman’s Hermits, Ballets, Comedians, and great for a family friendly Friday night movie! Also Serves wine, beer, and mixed drinks. A great place to go if you are visiting Sheboygan!

 

 

Urbane- Looking for a drink after the theater?! This Great Local Restaurant/ Bar is amazing! Located on the Corner of N 8th and Michigan Ave. Their drink menu is to die for, they feature a variety of fresh squeezed juice drinks, wines and local craft beers. While you sit at the bar you can admire the eclectic feel, amazing old architecture, and the floor to ceiling oak bar. This place is also known for great food, small plates, Salads, Burgers, and their amazing Pulled Pork Nachos! During the Summer they open their huge front windows! Who can resist relaxing enjoying a fruity cocktail on a beautiful summer day!

I can talk about this great city forever but, You’ll have to come here to see for your self! Whether you’re coming to relax on the beach, Surf, golf, visit our amazing shops, restaurants, Wineries, or coming here to make this great little part of Wisconsin home, You will enjoy yourself!  If you’re in town feel free to stop by my Office for a visit, I’ll tell you all you need to know! I’m right on the Corner of N 8th and New York Ave! Look Forward to seeing you here!

 

 

 

Yes There are a lot of people who think they can do it! Put their home on the market and boom, its out there and people will come! There are a lot of things For sale by owners need to know! In this Post I’m going to share some statistics with you, as well as explain why Selling your home yourself can be a hard, exhausting task that may not go in your favor.

You did all your research, and read everything thing you think you need to read, from magazines to internet articles. Your house is clean, fixed up, and ready to be put on the market. You put that “For Sale By Owner” sign outside and wait for the calls to come rolling in. You may get lucky and your home will sell in 4 days with no issues on its way to closing, but as a Realtor even I see an “EASY” transaction about 1 in every 10 homes. Those are bad odds!

In today’s market, it is in your best interests to have a realtor selling your home, working for you, with your best interests at heart! I’m not just saying this to sway you one way because I want to get paid. There are many questions/ problems that we realtors deal with on a daily basis, that we are trained to handle. Do you know how much to price your home for based on other sold properties that are similar? Where will you market it and to who? What are you going to do when there is negotiations needed from the inspection? What is the process for the Septic or well and well water?  What about the things you did not have to do when you bought it but is now a requirement?  Do you know how to read the contract and what it means…..all 16-21 pages?  Is this an investment you want to be worthwhile for you in the long run? Where does the earnest money go? How much?  Do you know anything about ordering title?  Reviewing a title?  What about other closing costs?  Do you know what you pay for and what the Buyer pays for?  When were you in 100 homes in the past 3 months to know the value and what buyers are looking for?  What are the contingencies you need to worry about?  What if deadlines are missed?  What if you get 5 offers at the same time?  What if an agent comes in and says they have a buyer for your house, then what? Do you know what you are required to disclose about your home?

Yes, I would imagine all of those questions are over whelming and scary…..if you can’t answer half of those questions I would suggest asking a Realtor to list your home!  You are also taking a risk selling your home for sale by owner, there are many scams out there these days and being taken advantage of could be potentially terrible. As a realtor we have many Ethics and Laws that have to be followed all day Everyday, who’s to say that, that great buyer comes along and they want your home very bad and they love it! It’s the one! Then 2 weeks from closing they back out! No reason what so ever, they’re gone! Now what do you do? These things happen to Realtors, we have dealt with this before, and know how to approach it!

Dealing with a Realtor will help get you the greatest return of money on your home as well, it may not seem like it, but an agent can sell your home for an almost 13% higher price than you can. That is a statistic….look it up! We also have many other things we do to market your home. When I put a listing on the MLS it is connected to over 50 websites immediately, not to mention gets sent to over 300 realtors in our MLS, that on average lets say, have 20 buyers/ per realtor. We will put up a yard sign, Facebook Ads,  Printed flyers that we pass out to people, and we hold beneficial Open Houses that attract a lot of buyers! That’s a lot of marketing! When you list your home, People may see your sign on the street, and you may have it listed on Zillow or Trulia, how else are you getting buyers into your home to view it?

All in All, an agent is out there to help you as a guiding force towards your goal of selling your home! We have a lot of resources that we love putting to good use, and trust me we know a lot of people!  There’s also that thing called “helping people”, which in my eyes is number one, I love finding my buyer the home of their dreams that they’d almost do anything to have, it’s a great feeling! Don’t be afraid to ask for recommendations from your friends or family! Also, having a Realtor come in and give you a Market Analysis on your home is FREE! They will tell you what they think your home would sell for!  Your home will sell quicker and for more money, and trust me it will be a lot less of a headache for you and you can sleep well at night! Now off to finding you that new home that you have been needing right? Lets both make it easier on you!

Like Always I’m Here To Help!

Call me with any questions,

Sarah 🙂

 

 

 

Right now it is pouring outside,  and all I can think of is the water leaking into my basement. I am sitting here contemplating of all the repairs that have to get done to my house this spring! if spring ever comes!? Being a homeowner is rewarding yet also a lot of work! Home improvements and Repairs also require money. You will find out that all the money you used to go out to dinner with, or spend on new stuff every time you went to Target, is now spent on your home!

Yes buying a home does cost money, money for down payment, closing costs etc, but I cannot stress this enough! Save as much as you can for repairs to your home as they occur, that way you are not stuck in a rut, with no money and no way to fix your furnace when it’s out in January and your freezing your butt off! You may also want to do home Improvements to your home to make it “your own”.

It doesn’t matter whether you just built a home, bought a newly remodeled home or condo, or even purchased a fixer upper. Finally having a place you can call “Home” brings out the itch to change things about it we didn’t see before! Here are a few pieces of advice when it comes to making your dwelling into a better home for you and your family, whether it’s just general maintenance and repairs or big ticket remodeling.

Choose Home improvements that will add value to your home, incase you sell it down the road. Some things that will give you that return on investment are a bathroom and/or kitchen remodel, Finishing the basement/ Water proofing, adding a deck on the back of your home for entertaining, or even new exterior doors can add value to your home! Think of your newly purchased home as an investment and if you treat it as one you will get the highest return!

 

 

Great inspiration for your new projects always helps too! Speak with friends and family, and look on houzz.com for ideas. Pinterest is your best friend already, use it as a great tool for tips to redo anything in your home. These ideas are if you are tackling a home project on your own. If you are doing a large remodel I do not suggest you do it your self, unless you are a very handy mechanically inclined person, if you’re not you may make something worse. Then its best to call a couple of contractors, compare prices and let the experts handle all the dirty work!

Some Home improvements are urgent and could cause large amounts of damage when left unattended. These are things to tackle as soon as possible, to prevent a catastrophe. In regards to a leaky basement, adding a sump pump can be somewhat expensive but will also prevent water in your basement in turn preventing mold and mildew growing where you don’t want it! Or a leaky roof! Roofs can be patched too instead of fully replaced, when the roof overall is still in good shape! As almost every home owner has experienced, one day you will go down in your basement to see it flooded and ohhh %^&$!!! look its the water heater, it has reached its end of life and decided it wanted to explode or leak all over your floor! There goes another expense. Do not let these things wait, you will be paying way more money later after more damage is done.

Owning a home is somewhat of a hassle, but as long as you are on top of issues as they arise, and budget your money, it will not break your bank and will pay off in the long run! Keep in mind maintenance items highlighted in your inspection report as well, that you can budget for. If your furnace is 30+ years old, start saving your money to replace it. Same goes for your roof, water heater, etc… Having these items replaced and staying on top of your investment guarantees you more money in the future! Now you’re a homeowner and have a place to raise your kids and you can also get that dog you always wanted because now he will finally have his own yard! No landlord to hassle you, and a new-found respect for responsibility. Good for you!

 

 

 

 

Having a Professional Home inspection benefits both buyers and sellers in today’s market! I’m starting on this topic because it’s not always an easy one, some people don’t want to spend the money on it but, being a realtor I always recommend a home inspection. It gives both buyers and sellers piece of mind when it comes to getting their forever home, or selling their home faster and for more money!

A Home inspection is one of the most important decisions you will make with your home. The Inspection will take approximately 2 hours and go over the home from head to toe! A Home inspector will focus on, is this home safe?, are there any signs of potential failure in mechanical’s of the home?, should some small things be repaired to prevent large expenses in the future? Some things included in the home inspection are Roof, Gutters, windows, siding, decks, patios, outside grounds of home including landscaping, downspouts, chimneys, flashings, air conditioner, heating systems, plumbing systems, electrical, floors, walls, ceilings, basement and attic, just to name a few! The inspector will make sure they are all working correctly and in good shape. They can also test for radon in your home. Radon is a colorless, tasteless gas that comes up from the ground soil and is known to be cancer causing. It will come in through cracks in the foundation of your home, and every home varies, you may have high levels in your home, but your neighbor may have low levels. Keeping in mind that Wisconsin in general is known to have higher levels.

For the home buyer, a home inspection will provide you with a solid knowledge of your new home and understanding its components and maintenance. You will also know if your home has any potential safety or health risks to your family. Your trusted home inspector will also let you know if something in your home is dated, and will let you know to budget for that to be replaced in the future, or if something needs to be done immediately before you buy the home.

For Someone selling their home an inspection can help you sell your home faster, by giving you a competitive marketing tool over other homes on the market. Having a home inspection done prior to listing can give you an advantage and provides your potential buyers with full disclosure of your home. The buyer gains peace of mind as well as not having to pay for the inspection themselves is also a plus! It may also give you the opportunity to fix any repairs needed in the home before you put it on the market to help you sell your home at the highest price possible! You can also test for radon prior to selling, to show those buyers as well, your home is not potentially cancer causing.

A professional home inspection involves a comprehensive check of over 300 items regarding your home. It will protect you from hazards as well as possibly saving you a lot of money in the long run, by finding something that needs fixing. Without it you may spend more money on repairs, compared to the home. A Home inspection protects what matters most, you and your family! Everyone involved in the buying or selling process gains a little satisfaction as well!

 

Selling your home can be challenging, it depends on many factors leading to and after your offer to purchase has been accepted! Honesty between you and your realtor is the best policy when it comes to getting the best price for your home and here are some things to remember while selling!

1. A Clean uncluttered home sells- Cleanliness is the first thing a buyer will notice when they walk into the home, and clean also says that you care about your home. Getting rid of unused things in your home and de cluttering countertops and tables are all a huge thing as well! Simplicity is best! It also gives the buyer a better look at your home without things in the way.

2. Know your Neighborhood Real Estate Market- If you do not know, make sure your realtor does! A Realtor can give you a Market Analysis- a recommendation on what your home will sell for in today’s market. Trust their knowledge!

3. A home that is priced right sells- Price your home to sell. The first day your home goes on the market you will attract the most qualified and most interested Buyers. The first few weeks of a new home listing shines brightest.  A fresh new listing draws the attention of Buyers waiting for a new home to hit the market and those Buyers who just started looking will see your home priced right, and will break down your front door to take a closer look.  A listing that stagnates on the market for weeks and months on end becomes stale and often stigmatized as to why has the home hasn’t sold.  They’ll either assume something is wrong with the home or that it’s priced too high. If Buyers think that something is wrong, they’ll want a discount and if it’s been on the market due to being priced too high, they’ll think you’re beginning to get desperate because your home hasn’t sold and that you’d likely start to consider taking a discount. Avoid the discounts, price it right- right away, and increase your chances of getting the most money for your home!

4. Selling a home is a nuisance- Anticipate that selling your home will be an inconvenience, makes it a lot easier to handle! Yes, you will have showings and other people walking through your home! Cleaning up for showings also needs to be done, empty garbages, vacuum, and tidy up for those interested buyers! Your daily life will be interrupted by prospective buyers, but knowing that, makes it a lot less painful!

5. Photos sell homes- Make sure your realtor will provide you with great photos that will get people into your home! In today’s market over 90% of home buyers start their search online. If your photos are of poor quality or do not depict your home well, those well qualified buyers will look over your home and go see the next!

 

6. Hiding Home defects will haunt you- Honesty is always the best policy! Disclosing everything wrong with your home is always the way to go! The last thing you want is a call from an attorney saying that the buyers who just purchased your home are suing you for a large defect that you tried to cover up! Speak the truth!

7. Buyers will grill Sellers- When there is a showing on your home it is important for you to leave! You being there gives the buyer the best reason to ask you every question in the book, and it is important that you do not disclose anything you may not want them to know or give them a reason to offer you less money! The buyer also wants to picture themselves living in your home, they can’t do that with you breathing down their necks! Go out to lunch for your own benefit!

8. Cash is not always King – Cash does not always rule the roost but does hold a lot of leeway. When financing Buyers have to compete with Cash Buyers, they can make their offer look very appealing in a number of ways that can beat out the Cash Buyer. First, by making sure their offer is accurate and complete. Next, they’ll want to make sure their Pre Approval letter indicates their strong ability to secure the mortgage to buy your home. You’d also be surprised how many Buyers and their stories of how they’d live in the Seller’s home can pull out a Seller’s heart strings, particularly if the Seller holds a lot of favorable memories from the home.

9. Repairs left undone will cost you more money than the repair itself – Repairs that you’ve been meaning to do will be a lot less expensive to complete if you do them BEFORE you sell your home.  Once the needed repair is evident to a Buyer, they’re going to question how much this costs? is it worth it? and some people are not handy people. They will also wonder what else is in need of repair and they’ll wonder did you really maintain the home properly.  They’ll wonder what may be lurking beneath the surface, hidden and not visual to the naked eye.  They may get a bit frightened in the unknown and will want a little bit more of a price reduction.

10. Closing day is moving day- Closing day is the day buyers will take possession of your home! This day you must have all belongings packed up and moved out and home in broom swept condition! Moving occurs before this, and you will not have time to do the last-minute things you wanted to do after closing!

Finally Experience sells – Hiring a skilled, trusted, Real Estate professional gets homes sold in the shortest amount of time for the most amount of money. Your home is one of your greatest treasures, treat it like one and you will get your highest return on your investment.