Posts for Syndication

Valentines Day is fast approaching and love is in the air.  Share a little extra love with your home for sale this week and you may find a buyer sooner than you thought!  Buying a home is largely an emotional decision.  Buyers may try to rationalize, set limits, make T-charts, and even compromise when searching for a home, however typically the sale is made when a potential buyer “falls in love” with your home for sale.

As a home seller, you may feel challenged in trying to anticipate what you can do to make your home more inviting and attractive to a prospective buyer.  However, the following easy steps can welcome your buyer instantly and help them to feel as though they are “coming home” when they enter your property, so read on.

First, look out your windows.  Are they clean and inviting?  Do you have a pleasant view or can you camouflage it with some temporary plants just outside the window?  Whenever you leave or anticipate a home showing, remember to leave the window coverings open so natural lighting can show off your property.  The more light the better, so evaluate whether additional room lighting should be left on,  as well.  If the weather is nice and the outside noise quiet, consider leaving a window open to create a slight breeze.

Is your home comfortable looking?  Is the temperature moderate and the ambiance set without being overdone?  Soft music, flowing water from a fountain, or fresh flowers can leave a lasting impression about the “feel” of a home.

Your goal is to intrigue the senses throughout your home.  Whether it’s a soft blanket or an antique desk; if you have an unusual and beautiful showpiece, show it off.  Creating a lasting impression through touch or evoking a memory, since these are often reasons later given for why a particular home was chosen.  The sense of smell is very powerful, too, so keep in mind that baking cookies REALLY can help in the sale of your home.  If you do have the smell of baked goods lingering in your home, please make sure the cookies are available for potential buyers so disappointment does not cloud their view of your property.

Lastly, leave the house.  That’s right – let the potential buyer have a chance to feel that the house is theirs – if even for 15 minutes.  Your home buyer needs to feel as if they are in their new home.  For this reason, many professional home stagers recommend eliminating personal effects and photos when a home is being shown.  Remember, your main job as a home seller is to prepare your home so potential home buyers feel a sense of ownership and an urgency to make it theirs before they leave.

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Any major purchase requires analysis and thought, and home buying isn’t any different. Specifications on location, bedroom and bathroom quantity, and yard size may come more quickly to mind, but there are many other considerations to be aware of, as well. Did you know that you can compare prices on mortgage rates and lender options? That’s right – not every broker will offer the same programs – and you can save a lot of money through a little comparison shopping.

The last five weeks have brought mortgage rates to historic lows according to Freddie Mac, with many averaging below 4%. That means more buying and bargaining power for you, the home buyer. In fact, according to last Thursday’s Primary Mortgage Market survey by Freddie Mac, the average rate for a 15 year mortgage was 3.16% with fees and points averaging .8 and the average rate for a 30 year mortgage was 3.89% with fees and points of .7.

Keeping those stats in mind, it’s always wise to do your homework and ask your lender for a list of current rates and determine if those are lowest for that day or week and if the rate is fixed or adjustable, as that answer will affect your payment significantly. Keep in mind that the APR (annual percentage rate) considers all fees, including points and other charges such as origination, underwriting, or closing costs fees, so it may be advantageous to use in comparisons. In a constantly evolving real estate market, it’s always wise to educate yourself and shop around, listen up, and be ready to make the best deal you can on your home purchase and your lending costs.