The housing market doesn’t come to a standstill during the holidays, and several real estate experts have found that buyers shopping for homes during this time are more motivated and deadline-driven.
“Homebuyers who shop during the off season, and in particular around the holidays, are typically very serious about getting into a house,” says Sharon Voss, president of the Orlando Regional Realtor Association.
Buyers may be looking to relocate for new jobs before the start of the new year, or they may want to close a deal before the end of the tax year. Whatever the case may be, should you put the holidays on hold for you and your family, or go ahead and decorate your home?
Hiring the wrong real estate agent could significantly impact your experience as a buyer or a seller. The right real estate agent will not only have a great resume and be genuinely committed to helping you meet your needs, but he/she will “click” with you too.
“Real estate is a people business. You have to like and understand people if you want to succeed in real estate,” says Matt Williams, Broker/Owner of Realty Executives Williams Sykes Realty.
What should you be looking for when you start your real estate search and are trying to decide on an agent to represent you as a buyer or seller? And how can you tell which real estate agent will do the best job? Here are the five things to look for when deciding:
When you’re selling your home and your house is on the market, it’s almost inevitable that strangers will enter your house. Even if you don’t host an open house or showing, there may be strangers coming in and out to appraise your home, do renovations, clean the house or perform other necessary jobs related to the sale of your house.
Although the vast majority of these folks will be well-intentioned potential buyers, you have no way of knowing for sure who is and is not targeting homes for sale for all the wrong reasons. The good news is, you can take precautions in order to keep your home and family safe. Here are a few things you can do to protect your home and family:
Moving from one house to another is exciting and stressful at the same time. But planning ahead and having some sound advice can make the process a whole lot easier.
Here are some helpful tips that you can take advantage of:
Prospective buyers often have strong feelings about whether their next home must or must not include a homeowners’ association (HOA). However, the majority of people who live in managed subdivisions and developments are happy with their associations. According to the Community Associations Institute (CAI), 64% of Americans who reside in community associations rate their experience positively.
A lot of people get excited at the idea of a home renovation. They have grand ideas of how they want their home to look. But one thing to keep in mind is how those ideas will affect your home’s value once it comes time to sell after a tenure of nine years, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
Your home is on the market and ready to sell – it could be snapped up any day now, but you have a vacation coming up or would like to take a trip out of town. So what do you do?
Consult your real estate agent
“Communication is at the center of real estate,” insists Todd Mobraten, former president and CEO of USRES Inc. and its subsidiary, RES.NET Inc.
Good communication between you and your real estate agent is key. Be upfront and tell your agent that you’re planning a vacation, well in advance. Your agent can tell you your options and help you develop a plan for how to handle any queries or issues in your absence.
Homeowners know the value of reinforced doors with deadbolts or a comprehensive home security system. But there are many less obvious fixes to ensure your home is attractive to safety-conscious buyers in the future.
When shopping for a new home, the importance of finding energy efficient digs might be high on the list. Energy efficiency helps reduce the amount of energy you use in your home and in turn can reduce your energy bills as well as your home’s environmental impact. But there are options for energy efficiency beyond a roof covered in solar panels — and could lead to a higher resale value, too.
