by Jeff Pittman | Apr 20, 2015 | Sellers
Southern California has just slipped into a neutral market however with low inventory in nearly every county, the market is still strongly favoring home sellers. If you’re ready to put your home on the market, there’s no better time to than now with demand increasing as we enter the spring and summer. While you do have the upper-hand as a seller in this market, here’s some more ways to take advantage in a seller’s market. 1. Prepare your home While it is true that you will have to do a lot less when interest for your home is high and multiple buyers compete for it, it is also true that you still have to make your home as presentable as possible. Before you list, make sure that you have a nice looking and well maintained home to present to potential buyers. This will guarantee a quick turnover. When preparing your home do a deep clean, de-clutter and focus on curb appeal. 2. Don’t worry about making too many improvements Because demand highly exceeds supply, your home will likely sell even if you do not invest in significant improvements. It’s still important to prepare your home as mentioned above however big remodeling jobs are unnecessary. Your time – and money – is better spent on marketing and basic home prep. 3. Don’t limit visiting hours The more available you make your home, the more buyers and offers you will see coming in. And the more offers you get, the more likely you are to get that perfect bid. Keeping your visiting hours open and easily accessible is a good seller...
by Jeff Pittman | Apr 14, 2015 | Sellers
Simple Adjustments to Make Your Home Look Light, Inviting, and Spacious to Potential Buyers Getting the absolute best price for your home may require more than a good market and experienced real estate agent. Homeowners will need to understand some of the simple steps that they can take to “stage” their home for potential buyers. While you want to make sure that the home looks, smells, and feels nice for potential buyers, there are a few staging techniques that will make your home feel even more desirable. By making the house look light, inviting, and spacious, you’ll really set the stage for potential buyers who can see themselves living in the home. If you want to make your home look light, inviting, and spacious to potential buyers, try a few of the following tricks to get the look buyers are looking for: Use Neutral Tones and Soft Accents Selling a home is not the time to go with boisterous colors or complex painting schemes. Instead, pick a few neutral tones or light colors and then add accents from there. Off-white and light browns are a great place to start and can be matched to almost any décor or material. With a glossy finish, these colors will also increase the natural light within a room. Crazy colors and wallpaper can be a huge turnoff for potential buyers if they have clashing style. Add Some Mirrors and Reflective Surfaces One of the oldest tricks used by real estate agents to make a home appear to be brighter and larger is to add a few mirrors and reflective objects to every room....
by Jeff Pittman | Mar 24, 2015 | Sellers
Problems That Can Get Your Home Stuck On The Real Estate Market When you’re preparing your home to sell it, you have to think in terms of your audience – the homebuyer. Even if it seems minor, most buyers don’t want to purchase a house that’s littered with a slew of “honey-do” projects. That’s why little problems with your house could get it stuck on the market for months if you don’t take the time to fix them now. Getting stuck on the market means you might have to drop the price, buyers start thinking there’s a big problem because it’s not moving and suddenly your nice quick home sale is getting unnecessarily complicated. What’s wrong with your house that buyers aren’t going to want to fix? Here’s a list of things that might seem little but can be a big turn off for potential homebuyers. So if you want to avoid getting stuck on the market, mark these items off your pre-sale checklist. Landscaping Issues Dead spots on the lawn, brown flowers, and spindly trees are all things that will turn off a buyer from your house. Don’t forget that the first impression is made as the buyer drives up, so don’t let their impression be a bad one. Seed or fertilize your lawn, prune shrubs and tidy your garden before you put that “for sale” sign in the yard. Beat Up Floors If your floors need some work, do it before you let any potential buyers come into it. If you’re lucky enough to already have hardwood floors in the house, ensure they’re in pristine condition. Buyers much...
by Jeff Pittman | Mar 18, 2015 | Sellers
The most important market to keep an eye on is our local one here in Southern California when it comes time to decide when to list your home. So if you’re considering a home sale soon, take a look at the local signs because they all point to the fact that demand for homes is kicking into high gear. Strong SoCal housing demand and job report signal it’s a good time to list your home! According to the latest Trendgraphix report, demand is ramping up across Southern California. If we take a look at pending sales (red line) over the past two years, it’s clear that homebuyer demand is on the rise – and quick. Pending sales rose 30.5% from January to February ringing in the new year and new home sales with a bang. That’s a 14.9% change from last February year and a 15.9% from this time two years ago. Pending sales show the demand and soon sold transactions will be rising as well. Unemployment dropped New unemployment numbers could be a big contributing factor to the growing housing demand in our local market. Unemployment has been dropping steadily for the past few years and as of the end of 2014 they’re at their lowest level in 5 years. According to latest update from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the California unemployment rate dropped to 7% in December 2014 and 5.6% for the country. More reasons for the high buyer demand The demand for the Southern California real estate market is here, all we need now are the homes to quench the thirst of homebuyers. Why are...
by Jeff Pittman | Mar 9, 2015 | Sellers
When getting ready to sell your home this year, don’t discount the importance of improving the curb appeal. The right first impression will go a long way in drawing in people who are willing to meet your price. Increasing curb appeal is just one of the ways in which a real estate agent will market your home to get you more bang for your buck.Timing is also a huge factor in selling your home and right now is a great time for sellers to hop on the market. The Southern California real estate market will be heating up soon, so put a spring in your step and some in your home as well to prepare for your big sale. These 6 tips will increase the chances for a quick sale this spring by freshening the look and feel of your home’s exterior. 1. Get Rid of the Clutter Anything that is detracting from the permanent elements of the home’s exterior needs to go. That includes garden gnomes, toys, and that bench you’ve been meaning to repair. Since all those things will move with you anyway, put them in storage and let the other elements of the exterior capture the eye. 2. Dress the Front Door Your goal is to make the main entrance to the home as appealing as possible. Flank the front door with potted plants, and invest in a new welcome mat. While you are at it, a simple wreath that calls attention to the door design is worth considering. Don’t overlook the value of applying a fresh coat of paint if the door is beginning to look...
by Jeff Pittman | Mar 3, 2015 | Sellers
The latest infographic from the California Association of REALTORS® explores the way in which technology is transforming the home based on data from the ERA/HGTV Automation Survey. From what you can see, consumers of all generations value smart tech features not only in their own homes but in future homes as well. What Home Technologies Are Out There? Over the past few years a lot of exciting technology has come onto the market. Here are just a few ways in which technology is making its way into the home and transforming our lives. Smart environment management: Not only can you have a programmable thermostat, you can get one that learns your usage patterns. The Nest controller is a prime example of this cool new tech. It’s a palm-sized module that’s fixed to a wall and infused with learning capabilities. It learns which rooms are most commonly used, what temperature settings you usually set and uses all of this to maximize energy savings. Security solutions: Security companies can now use wireless connectivity installations and keyless entry systems. The way it works is they integrate traditional sensors into your wireless home network to safeguard your property. IP cameras, fire detectors, carbon monoxide sensors and motion detectors take on the role of watch dogs all controlled by a central control panel. It will report back to your smartphone if it notifies any danger aka a boundary breach while you’re gone. Appliances of the future: There are all kinds of different smart appliances hitting the market. The fridge for example can be outfitted with tiny microprocessors, sensors, and faux intelligence to check if food...
