Will Housing Market Benefit from Good News
Out of Black Friday Chaos?
November 30, 2011
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Selling Your Home in a Buyer’s Market
August 31, 2011
First of all, what does it meant to be selling your home in a buyer’s market? A buyer’s market is when there are many more sellers trying to sell property than there are buyers wanting to buy. If this happens to be the case when it’s time to place your home on the market, what can you do to make sure your home sells
Start by making sure the home is priced right! Try to be very realistic about what homes similar to yours are selling for in your area and price yours accordingly. Pricing within 2% of conservative market value will maximize interest and the chance of an offer.
Have the home pre-inspected and fix what needs fixing in advance. Buyers like the idea of having a home they can move right into with no worries. Throw in a home warranty too! The cost is very reasonable and will give the buyer peace of mind.
Offer to pay the buyers closing costs or even owner financing if possible. These are especially enticing if your neighbors aren’t offering such incentives but your homes are similarly priced.
Make sure your home is spruced up and available for showings. Keeping the grass cut, using a lockbox and cooperating with showing requests will give you that leg up over the other homes for sale. If the right buyer is only in town for one day, you won’t want to miss out!
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Is Your Home For Sale? How Much Should You Spend to Increase Curb Appeal?
August 3, 2011
When investing in landscaping, try to get the most bang for the least amount of buck. You never want to spend a huge amount of money on a property you’re trying to sell.
The idea is to do whatever is necessary to make the yard look clean and efficient. Buyers want a home that is easy to maintain. Prune the shrubs, keep the grass nicely mowed and green, and possibly add colorful flowers near the entry ways.
Make sure that your yard is not extravagant when compared to other homes in the neighborhood. A buyer will only pay as much as the other homes in the neighborhood are selling for. Therefore, if you overspend, it is unlikely that you will be able to recover your expenses.
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SAVING ENERGY DURING THE HEAT OF SUMMER
July 29, 2011
There's no doubt about it, this has been a very hot and humid summer in Florida. It’s also been especially hard in other parts of the country as well. Whether it's due to global warming or just coincidental, it's always a good idea to take energy conservation seriously.
Taking steps now to conserve home energy costs can save you money over time. These steps range from the free or low-cost to the more expensive which are worthwhile but will take longer to see a return on investment. Examples of both include keeping your blinds closed (except during showings if your home is for sale), installing a programmable thermostat, regularly replacing your A/C filter, vacuuming any build-up of dust on refrigerator and freezer coils, lowering your hot water heaters' temperature setting, installing window tinting, or replacing your air-conditioning system with a new, more efficient one. Whole house air-conditioning units typically need replacement every 10-12 years in Florida.
Also, many utility companies offer homeowners a free energy audit that includes a report on things you can do to lower your energy bills.
Here are some helpful links with more information on energy conservation:
http://realestate.msn.com/-plant-trees-and-cut-your-energy-bills-by-30percent
http://realestate.msn.com/8-simple-tips-for-keeping-cool-without-ac
http://www.houselogic.com/articles/save-money-repairing-windows/
http://www.houselogic.com/articles/energy-money-savers/
- NUMBER1EXPERTS™ 
