Lifestyle searches are expected to soon become one of the hottest trends in real estate. AND EXIT REALTY LEADS THE WAY! The leading innovator is Onboard Informatics, which is working with EXIT Realty Corp. EXIT Realty home shoppers will be able to tap into a database that provides information about neighborhoods, and includes school ratings, population demographics, ratings, and reviews. Home shoppers will be able to overlay their own interests with area information to see what homes are available for sale based upon their very own lifestyle criteria. That is COOL!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Homes Sales Drop in September
Yep, Arkansas homes sales dropped by 21% compared to September of 2009. Of course, at that time last year the tax credit deadline was approaching. BUT….home prices have actually INCREASED by 4%. The Arkansas market is actually one of only a handful of states that the average home prices have increased. FYI….the Little Rock market was recently ranked by MetroMonitor as the fourth strongest economy in the country based on employment change, unemployment change, gross metropolitan product and home price changes. We have a good market!
Have you heard of Groupon?
Check out this link. Groupon sends you daily discounts and coupons for local vendors serving Central Arkansas. Just go to http://www.groupon.com/r/uu5857746 to sign up.
5 Strategies to Rebuild Your Credit after Foreclosure
If you are having financial concerns about making your mortgage payments, please call me asap. There are better options than a foreclosure. If you have gone through a foreclosure situation, read this article for helpful tips: http://rismedia.com/2010-11-29/5-strategies-to-rebuild-your-credit-after-foreclosure/
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Arkansas Home Prices going up?!
Yes, they are. Over the past year, Arkansas home prices have RISEN by .3%. Ok, that isn’t a lot, but we are one of only 9 states that saw a positive swing in home prices since last year BUT….here is what you can do to sell your home faster:
1. Don’t raise the price. The uptick in home prices doesn’t mean that you should get all excited and raise the price. There are still many homes available for the buyer to choose from. We want them to choose yours.
2. Remain flexible. Selling quickly means making some concessions—and we’re not talking price. It’s those little extras that may inspire a buyer to sign on the dotted line. Obviously, no one has the right to get your vintage grand piano in the deal. But if a buyer wants your stainless-steel fridge with ice-maker, give it up. There’s more ice waiting in your new home.
3. De-clutter. For a quick sale, you may not have time to fully “stage” your home down to the accent pillows and entirely new living room furniture. But you do have time to clear out the clutter. If we saw a home we’d like, we’d look past the clutter, but most buyers won’t. So, before you worry about making your home pretty, focus on making it neat. In a better market, neat is often all you need.
4. Go big and go local. List with a local agent in MLS (multiple-listing service), it’s a good idea, especially if you want to sell fast. The math is simple—more eyes on your listing equals more potential bites. But a lot of people who use the MLS forget that having a full marketing strategy is just as important as the MSL to attract buyers these days. 90% of buyers are on the internet looking for homes. I should take this time to mention EXIT’s complete “Digital Marketing Strategy. Everyone deserves this level of marketing on their home.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Mortgage on the Rise #2
Ok, here’s the reality. A few weeks ago, if you were looking to buy a $200,000 home, your payment would have been $926 a month (P&I). Today, your payment will still be $926 per month, but you can only buy a house at $188,000! BAM! Reality Check! For all those buyers waiting til the ‘bottom’ occurred to buy? YOU MISSED IT! Seriously, if you are thinking of needing to buy a home, you need to consider it quickly. As interest rates rise, you have less purchasing power. Let me know, I will be glad to discuss purchasing and finance options.
Mortgage Rates Back on the Rise
Rates for 30-year fixed mortgages rose to 4.39 percent this week from 4.17 percent a week ago. Remember just a few weeks ago when the 30 yr mortage rate was around 3.5%??? That is almost a whole point rise in the past few months. A 1% increase in interest rates lowers your purchasing power by 10%! Ouch! This means if you have been waiting to buy a home, you just lost 10% of value. You now have 10% less to buy a home with. Example: last month you could afford a $200,000 home. Now you can only afford a $190,000 home. What are you waiting for?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Sellers - Crafty Ideas for Winter Curb Appeal
During summer months when gardens are in bloom and the sun is shining bright, curb appeal comes naturally to many homes. But when the autumn chill turns to winter cold and the sun sets earlier in the day, it becomes more difficult to create that inviting exterior look that grabs buyers from the curb. Fortunately, it is possible to create striking winter curb appeal without expensive or complicated exterior changes, says Charlene Storozuk, a home stager and designer with Dezigner Digz in Burlington, Ontario—a city that averages 51 inches of snow per year. It just requires a little creativity.
She and other home-design experts offer these eight tips:
1. Add splashes of green and purple. Plants, grasses, and evergreens can liven up a home’s winter landscape. Experiment with tall grasses, such as fountain grasses, that survive harsh winters. And in late fall and early winter, plants from the cabbage family add a vibrant purple color. Make the front door the focal point with a large wreath adorned with a colorful ribbon. To finish the look, place large, colorful planters filled with evergreens beside the front door, suggests Elizabeth Lord, broker with Carolina Farms & Estates LLC in Rock Hill, S.C.
2. Give it seasonal sparkle. Transform an unused bird bath or fountain into a seasonal display by adding twigs with red berries. Or fill frost-resistant urns with twigs, winter greenery, and sparkly baubles (sold at most craft stores), Storozuk says. For extra sparkle, roll twigs in glitter and incorporate a gazing ball—a mirrored glass ball available in various colors—into the display.
3. Make the garden statuesque. Roman- or Greek-themed outdoor sculptures can add class and elegance to a garden in winter. Be sure to use frost-resistant statues so they don’t crack, Storozuk says. Place the statues strategically throughout the garden to draw buyers’ eyes around the outdoor space.
4. Light it bright. During the winter, it’s more likely that buyers will be viewing home after sunset. Use clear flood spotlights to focus on the home’s architectural features, Storozuk says. Keep exterior lighting fixtures at maximum wattage and clean them regularly. When snow covers the ground, Michele Thompson, broker-owner of White Fence Real Estate in Vevay, Ind., takes photos of listings at night with all of the interior lights on—the light bounces off the white snow to create a warm, inviting glow. For the best results, turn off the flash, and use a tripod to avoid blurring, she says.
5. Show off the lifestyle. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t use the deck. Shovel your backyard sitting area and leave your grill uncovered so buyers can envision themselves using the space, Storozuk says. If the home has a hot tub, leave that open and running during showings as well.
6. Make the deck an extension of the house. Set up your outdoor tables and chairs just as you would in warmer months. “Home owners often cover their furniture and place lawn objects haphazardly on the deck,” says Kitty Schwartz, president and owner of Classic Home Staging in Katonah, N.Y. For added appeal, she adds a weatherproof cafe set with pillows that play off of interior accent colors. “Glancing out onto this type of vignette can make the indoor space feel larger and more interesting,” she says.
7. Create a photo display of sunnier days. Show buyers what the outside of the home looks like during other seasons by displaying some landscape photos in frames or using a digital photo frame with a slide show of images. “This will give a sense of what the property looks like at other times of year,” Storozuk says. If the home has a garden, make a list of what’s planted where. “Perennials can be expensive,” she says, “so treat them as a selling feature.”
8. Don’t forget to clear a path. If the ground is covered in snow, the simplest and most important thing you can do is shovel the driveway and sidewalks and keep the home’s patios and decks as clear as possible so buyers can get a sense of their true size.
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