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Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Effectively Prepping Your Home
You want to sell your home quickly. The fastest way to do so is to start depersonalizing your home to create a blank canvas. You don't want to distract the buyer with your personal belongings, so pack up the photos, and let the buyer imagine their own photos on your walls and knick-knacks on your shelves all the while saying, "I can see myself living in this home!" Less is more.
To help create the blank canvas, paint is inexpensive and it will increase the value of your home, but you need to choose a neutral palette. The goal is to appeal to the masses because when you do, you get more showings, which leads to more offers and then, ultimately, the highest price possible for your property.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Interest Rates
Welcome back!
I’m sure you have all heard about the increase in interest
rates. In the past month they have increased from 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent.
Historically, 4.5 percent is an incredible rate.
I used to sell real estate when rates were in the double
digits: 14 percent! Four and half doesn’t sound so bad now does it? A lot of first
time homebuyers have got into the market to take advantage of the phenomenal interest
rates and prices!
Have more questions about interest rates? Or are you ready
to buy or sell? Please call me at 908.347.7798 or email gendelteam@gmail.com
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Curb Appeal Is a Must to Pull Buyers In and Keep Them Interested
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The last thing a seller wants to happen is for a buyer to express interest, only to drive away because the exterior does not appeal to them. Believe it or not, this happens and it happens all the time. One of the ways you can avoid losing buyer interest is to spruce up your home’s exterior by creating an inviting and interesting outdoor area that will intrigue buyers to make them want to see more. Keep in mind, that first impression tells them what they might expect in the rest of the home.
Create
a Smooth Drive Up to the House
The
last thing a buyer wants to see is a cracked driveway that can only
indicate further maintenance issues ahead. Stains and unsightly
discoloration is also a negative. Depending on the condition of your
driveway, consider getting it resurfaced. It can cost about $2,000
but the return on that investment can be the difference between
getting and not getting an offer on the home.
Landscaping
Should Be Neatly Maintained and Inviting
It
does not matter if you have a lush garden or just a few bushes and
flowers – the key is that your lawn and garden space is well
maintained and inviting. If your grass is not green or is uneven and
ill-maintained then buyers will assume the rest of your house is in
the same apparent disarray.
Make
People Want to See What’s Behind the Front Door
By
creating an eye-catching visual presentation in the front door and
surrounding area, you will almost guarantee a buyer’s interest in
seeing more. Use updated colors of the season that pop and work well
with the rest of your home’s exterior. Place interesting
accessories and thoughtfully arrange the front porch so that buyers
can visualize living and enjoying that outdoor space.
Dust
Off the Cobwebs (and Other Unsightly Messes)
Buyers’
eyes go directly to anything and everything that isn’t perfect and
as a first impression you simply can’t afford to leave a
less-than-perfect image of your home. So even the slightest dirt,
cobwebs or mess on the outside of your home will be very noticeable
and could end up in a lost sale.
~
Once
you list your home, it takes a good amount of time, energy and
expense to get buyers to request to see the home. So the last thing
you want to happen is for them to turn away from the home because of
a negative first impression. Contact us today to learn more about how
you can spruce up your home so buyers can’t wait to see more the
moment they set eyes on it!
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Exciting New Construction Provides Home Buyers with Everything They Want and More
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You’ve probably already heard that much of the nation is experiencing a sellers’ market. What does that mean? It means there are far more buyers than there are homes available for sale. Considering the relatively few numbers of homes on the market, if you’re looking for the perfect house the first step is to know exactly what you’re looking for. Whether considering specific neighborhoods, zooming in on certain school districts or expecting a particular style of floor plan – it’s very hard to get it all under one roof.
For
many buyers, new construction is the answer to all of their home
buying needs. They are able to find all the bells and whistles that
line up with today’s trends. Depending on their timing within the
construction process, they may even be able to customize their home
according to their own tastes. Imagine being able to choose flooring,
cabinets, fixtures, paint colors and more.
Here
are just a few of the things you can expect to get in a newly
construction home:
Open
floor plans
Multi-car
garages
Gorgeous
landscaped exteriors
Premium
flooring
High
ceilings
Great
flow for entertaining
Kitchen
family rooms
Granite
counters
Center
islands and built-in, high-end appliances
Master
bedroom suites
Large
walk-in closets
Baths
with jetted tubs
High-tech
showers
Dual
vanities in bathrooms
High-efficiency
heating and air conditioning systems that keep costs down
Contact
us today to see one of the gorgeous homes that start at $900,000! The
one we recorded our video from is located in Berkeley Heights. We
look forward to helping make your dreams of owning the perfect home
become a reality!
Monday, April 1, 2013
What Buyers and Sellers Need to Know in the New Market
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As your real estate resource center, we’re committed to keeping you up to date on changes in the market—and what they mean to you. There’s reason to believe the real estate market is poised for strong growth in 2013.
Here’s what’s new. Housing demand is revving up at a time when the number of homes for sale has fallen to the lowest level in decades. Home price appreciation is also accelerating in the U.S. and our market as well. In fact, prices rose 8% in January, the largest gain in six years. When the year began, many analysts expected prices to rise at a slower pace, but all these conditions have produced low inventory, a growing economy, stronger investor demand and low interest rates creating a stronger than expected market. The market is hot!
What does this mean for you? Since there are fewer homes on the market, there’s more competition for those available homes. Here are a few tips for both buyers and sellers.
When selling your home, if you want to get top dollar for your property, you should take advantage of the low inventory. Here’s the thing: supply and demand affect what you’ll get for your home. When everyone who has been thinking about selling their home puts their home on the market is not the time to dive in—if you want to get the most out of your home. At the end of the day, you have a better chance at success if you decide to sell now, instead of waiting until all the Joneses get into the market.
If you’re in the market to buy a home, when a home that you’re interested in hits the market, plan to see it as soon as possible and make the best possible offer that’s at an appropriate price point for the seller. Go for it! Remember, inventory is low. If you hesitate, the property could be gone because others will be making offers.
Keep in mind that mortgage loan rates are still fantastic, which makes buying a home more affordable than ever. A 30-year fixed-rate mortgage hovered at record-low rates during 2012 and are still low into 2013, but the rates won’t last forever, so there’s not a better time to buy than now. If you wait and interest rates rise, you could get locked into spending a few hundred extra dollars a month on your payment.
Give me a call so I can tell you where to be positioned and how to be successful in this market. Please contact me at (908) 347-7798 or gendelteam@gmail.com.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Home for Home, Real Estate Agents Outsell All Other Methods of Selling a House
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When you’re selling a home, the single most important thing to you is to, well – get it sold! So what is the most effective way to make it happen? It turns out that in a study conducted by the California Association of Realtors it was revealed that a very surprisingly low number of homes actually sell based on an open house. Equally as low results come from homes that are marketed online. And while a For Sale sign may generate interest, the chances of that home selling directly as a result of that sign are only as little as 4% compared to other things.
So
what IS the biggest method of achieving home selling success? Believe it or
not, it all lies in the hands of real estate agents. Breaking down the
statistics a bit, 3% of homes sell because of an open house, 4% due to street
level signage and 13% of sales come from the Internet.
The overwhelming number of home sales stem from real estate agents – and in our case, particularly those in other companies. Unless an agent shows the property and puts it on their tour of homes for their buyer clients, there is a good chance the buyer(s) will not see the home.
That’s
why we make an extra effort to market our homes to all the other Realtors® in
the area. We know that the key to successfully selling the home to the right
buyer is making sure the home is shown to
the right buyer. And when agents show properties, it’s important that they show
well and are set up nicely, in a way that is attractive and welcoming.
Additionally,
we do whatever we can to make the process as easy and enjoyable as possible for
the other agents and we price our properties well to begin with. This teamwork
is a great example of how powerful the MLS works!
~
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Tips for First-Time Home Buyers
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Guiding You Every Step of the Way
There are so many first-time buyers in the market right now. According to the National Association of Realtors, from June 2011 to June 2012, 39% of the transactions came from first-time home buyers. This is a tremendous amount over the previous year.
What are the challenges for first-time buyers? There are many and that is why I compiled a guide to purchasing property to help them. It covers topics such as mortgages, seller disclosures, contracts of sale, and what you need to purchase a home in New Jersey.
Five years ago, in the middle of housing bust, buyers had a glut of properties to choose from, so there was little competition and a lot of leverage. Not so today. The inventory is down and the buyers are out there, so prices will rise. It’s all about supply and demand.
If you’re serious about buying, get preapproved by a reputable mortgage professional. This is an important first step. At this time the inventory of homes is so low that homes are only on the market for a short period of time, so you don’t want to back track and hope you get preapproved to buy the property you like. Instead, once you are preapproved, when a home that you’re interested in hits the market, plan to see it as soon as possible and make an offer that’s at an appropriate price point for the seller. Remember, if you’re not preapproved, you could miss out on the deal. First things first!
If you can’t find a property in the town you’re looking in, broaden your search. You can buy in a nearby community without losing the desired quality of life you want. Also, be flexible and compromise. And keep in mind that interest rates are still low, but the rates won’t last forever. These rates have helped make home-buying more affordable.
If you’re interested in seeing what homes are on the market, give us a call at 908.347. 7798. Rest assured, you’ll feel “at home” with our team guiding you every step of the way. We’d be happy to assist you.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Trends in 2013
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I’ve been doing a lot of homework, looking at what went on in the real estate market in 2012 and also reading about what we can expect in 2013. According to the real estate blog “Keeping Current Matters,” there are five trends to consider when looking into real estate this year. Here are the highlights.
Demand will surge in 2013. We already saw a surge in December with many
buyers and many properties under contract.
There’s reason to think this type of demand will continue.
Some of the demand will come from the younger generation. Those in between the ages
of 18 and 35 believe in home ownership and, in fact, 43% own their own homes,
72% want to own a home, and 93% who rent plan to buy. These recent studies may indicate many of
these young adults will become homeowners in 2013.
Prices will increase. It’s all about supply and demand. The demand will continue to be strong, but since
the supply is shrinking, prices will increase.
Move-up sellers will return to the marketplace. These buyers thought
negatively about the market, but now that the market is improving and they feel
they have enough equity in their home, they’re ready to move off the sidelines
and into the home of their dreams. The timing
is right.
The real estate agent will need to be an expert because that’s what
the consumer expects. Remember, your agent will be your best
advocate. Investing in a home is the
biggest purchase you’ll make so it’s important have a professional by your
side. This person can help you land your
dream home and avoid home-buyer
mistakes. Your agent will also connect
you with the right people (a lender, home inspector, attorney) to make the
entire process as smooth as possible.
It’s that time of the year to
make resolutions. My New Year’s
resolution is to be healthy, eat healthy and be the best I can be. What’s yours?
Happy New Year!
If you’d like to see the best deals for 2013,
contact us today at 908.273.2991.
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