PREPARE YOUR HOUSE FOR TODAY'S COMPETITIVE MARKET!

Let's Get Your House Ready For Market!

Tips For the Exterior

In the Acadiana region of Louisiana, Spring is "the selling season."  People want to be able to get their families settled into a new home before school starts back up after summer vacation, so phones in real estate offices begin ringing in earnest usually the day after Mardi Gras (they started much earlier this year, though) and continue unabated until almost the end of summer.  So if you plan to sell, NOW is the time to do it!  Especially with today's low interest rates.  The key is to price your property well, and have it stand out from others so it will "speak" to buyers.

There are many ways to set your house apart.  But let's start with the most obvious - curb appeal.

1.   Set a pot or two of brightly colored seasonal flowers on the front porch, or flanking the door - red geraniums work especially well.

2.   Hose down the porch (restain the wood, if necessary), touch up chipped paint, and remove any mildew.

3.   If your front sidewalk is cracked and bumpy from problems with

nearby trees, think about replacing it; you don't necessarily have

to pave or put bricks - even pavers or stones with low-maintenance grass in between is an attractive (and safer) alternative to a lumpy, bumpy, unappealing sidewalk.

4.  Clean the glass in your front porch fixtures.  Polish the glass, take out any moths or other bodily remains that could put potential buyers into a negative mindframe before they even open the front door.

5.   Is your roof in good condition?  If not, replace missing shingles or ridge caps; if the roof is truly worn and at the end of its life, this could be a problem with both the appraisal and the insurability for a new owner - consider replacing it.

6.   Wash the windows!  Sparkling glass goes a long way toward making a good impression!

7.   Clean out the gutters and downspouts.

8.   Clean your mailbox.  It's amazing how easily overlooked that is - but how quickly a potential buyer will spot a dirty mailbox and think "maintenance issues."

9.   Is your doorbell working?  If not, replace it.

10. Is your door hardware out-of-date?  Shiny brass 1990s doorknobs and knockers scream "updates required" to a potential buyer.

11. Mulch the garden.  For a truly good effect, wet it with a hose just before you leave when a showing is scheduled; the darker, wet, sparkling mulch lends appeal to a garden.

12. Spritz up the front flower beds with some seasonal color.

13. Add some color - reasonable color - to your front door. 

If trim and door are all painted white, help made it pop

by adding a bright, welcoming color.  Nothing extreme, mind

you - a barn red, black, or dark green often does the trick.

14. Make sure your house numbers are visible and clean.  You certainly want potential buyers to be able to identify your house, especially if the For Sale sign has not yet been installed!

15. Sweep the porch and sidewalk, keeping them neat at all times.  First impressions only happen once!

16. Rake the lawn, and be sure to use an edger, where appropriate.

When prospective buyers drive up to your house, what do they see?  If you can't step back and view your house unemotionally, ask a friend or neighbor to be totally honest and tell you what they see; chances are, it's what a potential buyer would see.  And when your agent recommends changes, repairs or touch-ups, remember that the agent has experience and repeatedly hears the comments of clients as to how they view properties.

The next post will be how to make the inside of the house market-ready!

To surf the web for all Acadiana listings currently available on the net, visit my website and click on "Search MLS Listings":  http://www.justaskallen.com/mls.php

For information about our area, from restaurants to neighborhoods to schools, visit my main page and find the information you're looking for; remember, when it comes to real estate questions, Just Ask Allen!   www.justaskallen.com

Keeping Your Insurance Costs Down
If your insurance premiums have risen in the past few years, it's time to get pro-active and see if you can't curb that climb!  Here are a few tips offered recently by insurance experts:
1.  Shop around.  Compare last year's premium to this year's; if there's more than a 5% increase, call your company for an explanation.  If your rate changed because your risk profile changed (drop in your credit score, etc.), you'll at least know the reason and be better informed when you compare premiums with other companies.
2.  Bundling may offer discounts.  Some insurance companies will offer you a lower premium if you place all your insurance with them - home, cars, recreational vehicles, etc.  Some insurers will give you a substantial discount if you have a security and fire alarm system which is monitored.  Storm shutters and a new roof often help, as well.

3.  Check the rates for different deductibles.  Be very careful, though, and ask how those deductibles are figured - many insurance companies are now using a percentage rather than a dollar discount.  In Louisiana, the deductible for wind damage can be substantial, and is normally figured as a percentage.

4.  Be sure you know what your home is worth.  An appraisal for market value of your home is not at all the same as an appraisal for insurance purposes; for insurance purposes, you need to know what the cost of replacing your home will be on a per-square-foot basis.

Want to search the active listings in the Acadiana area?  Just go to my web site and use the Search MLS button!  http://www.justaskallen.com/

Selling Your Home In Winter

There are some challenges to be faced when marketing a home in winter. But challenges can be met, and here's how:

1. Turn on as many lights as possible to chase away "the drearies." The winter sun provides a bit weaker light, and clouds are always a possibility. Even in bright sunlight, a home looks better with more than one source of light. Turn on lamps, and if they aren't harsh, turn on overhead lights, as well, even at high noon.

2. Trim away dead or dormant plants near the entry and in beds near the house. Curb appeal is everyone's first impression - make it a good one!

3.Thin out seasonal clothing. Winter clothes generally take up more room in the closet, as they're heavier and thicker. If need be, thin them out; place clothing you really don't need on a frequent basis in containers which you can store on a shelf or in a nearby store room.

4. Keep the temperature comfortable, but not overly warm. While the winter chill may make people thankful to be in a warm place when first entering the house, it doesn't take long for people wearing winter clothing to be overly warm. Keep the house "comfortably cool" - provide enough heat for people to stay in the house without being chilled, but not so warm that they're hit with a blast of hot air the moment they walk in.

5. Be mindful of odors. A house which is "sealed" for the winter may intensify pet odors, scented candles, etc. Remember that not everyone will love Fido or Felix the cat, and try to eliminate their "scent presence." Also, remember that scented candles, while nice, need to be as neutral as possible in scent, and subtle - some people have allergies to certain odors, and others just find them unpleasant.

6. Think spring and summer! A few photos of the house with the azaleas in full bloom or that crepe myrtle tree when it's flowering never hurt. It reminds people that winter will soon be over, and the house and yard will have a whole different look.

Buyers in mid-winter tend to be more serious. If people are making appointments to view your property in winter, they are generally serious about buying a home. Studies have shown that it takes fewer showings to sell a home in winter, as there are not a bunch of "looky-loos" out just to pass a Sunday afternoon while getting ideas for the home they plan to build; the people looking in winter tend to be ready to buy a house.

A Few Things Which May Hurt Your Home's Value

So you live in a nice neighborhood, and have a lovely home. Awesome! But....there may be some things of which you're unaware which might hurt the value of your home. Among them:
Being the largest home in your neighborhood
While you may treasure the extra square footage in your home, appraisers don't quite see it the same way you do; any house which is atypical of a neighborhood takes a hit when it comes to appraisals. This includes being a 3,200 square foot home in a neighborhood where the typical square footage is considerably less. Sure, you may get more dollars in your sale, but your per-square-foot value may be less than what you had expected, given recent sales. This is one case where "bigger" may not necessarily be "better."
Lacking a room or space that's expected in homes in your neighborhood.
If most of the homes in your neighborhood have a formal dining room, and your home has only a family dining area adjacent to the kitchen, that may be a negative. Ditto the lack of a study or office, if such a room is typical of the housea around you. The same goes for having 3 bedrooms in a 4 bedroom neighborhood. While certainly not necessarily a killer for your ability to sell the house, it may affect the value of the house.
Being a "unique" house (architecturally speaking) in an area of more "typical" homes.
For instance, the Acadiana area of Louisiana - the southern parishes including Lafayette, Iberia, St. Martin, St. Mary, Acadia, and Vermilion - favor traditional architecture. Lovely though your contemporary-designed home may be, you may well be faced with a longer selling time and a bit less per-square-foot than you would face with a French country or Creole-styled home. "Familiar" bring comfort; "unique" can be unsettling to buyers. That isn't to say your home won't sell; if it's properly maintained, properly presented, and properly priced, it will. It just may take a little longer, and a more traditional house with the same square footage and amenities may bring a bit more in sales price.

Interest Rates At Record Lows!

If you've been thinking of buying a new home, but weren't too optimistic about being able to buy a "decent" house with what you had to spend, you might want to consult your Realtor and your mortgage professional now! A year or so ago, interst rates hovered around 6%, and everyone thought those rates were wonderful. Then came the last year, and interest rates began to fall....and fall....and fall. As rates fell, consumer purchasing power increased substantially. To read an intersting take on the new interest rates, check out this article from Realtor Magazine: http://tinyurl.com/3uqnyzz

Thinking of Selling Your Home Yourself?

So you're thinking of selling your home yourself?

For most people, the prospect of coping with a For Sale By Owner is daunting - not only because they don't know who they're letting into their home, whether or not they're qualified to buy it, and because they don't have enough time - or ways to expose their property - to market it properly. But the upside, of course, is the ability to save the Realtor's fees.

But.... the two real obstacles are the ability and knowledge to price the property correctly, and a knowledge of local real estate laws and regulations and how to keep from being exposed to a future lawsuit.

Pricing, of course, is the big bugaboo (definitely not a real estate term) when facing the market. In my own listing presentation to potential clients, the section on pricing takes up a whole chapter, it's that important. As a Realtor, I have access to our Multiple Listing System and the record of recent sales to actually compare the potential client's home to what has sold recently which has the same living area, age, amenities, location, etc. And if data is sparse, my relationship with licensed appraisers is such that I can call them for guidance, and get it - something most For-Sale-By-Owner sellers don't usually have.

Interestingly enough, the co-founder of ForSaleByOwner.com recently sold his New York condominium - through a Realtor. Colby Sombrotto saw his $2 million condo languishing on the market for months, so did the only logical thing - he called a Realtor to list the apartment. The sale closed this summer (2011) and brought in $150,000 more than Mr. Sombrotto had his condo listed for when trying to sell it himself! Even after paying the 6% commission to the listing agency, Mr. Sombrotto walked away with more money than he would have if he had sold it himself - AND it actually sold and was off his hands.

One of the principal reasons Mr. Sombrotto's condo hadn't sold was that it was mispriced. By bumping it up to where it should be, the right people saw it, and instead of it being the highest price unit in its price range, it became one of the lowest, and the right people saw it - people who were actually looking for that type and price of apartment.

There's a good reason only 9% of the real estate market is sold by the owners, themselves: people understand the value of having someone knowledgeable about the market and the laws pertaining to it.

By the way, at the higher price the condo received multiple offers. Just so you know...

Trying To Sell?

People often watch television shows, read magazines, and surf the net for tips on how to sell their homes. As a real estate professional, I am often in meetings with people who are thinking of having me list their home and find them quoting HGTV or some other venue which has information about selling. I applaud those who take the time to know what the market demands, and make the effort to see that their property is market-ready. But there are some things which aren't always stressed, yet they are important:

1. How your home looks when the potential buyer drives up can make or break your ability to receive an offer. Touch up flaking paint, replant beds where the shrubbery has gotten out of control or is overshadowing your house, and mulch the flower beds and be sure the front walk and porch are kept clean and neat.

2. Wallpaper is passe'. Strip it off, treat and paint the walls with a fairly neutral color. If people see wallpaper or anything else which is going to require work on their part to "overcome," they don't make offers - they run screaming from the house and move on to the next property!

3. Empty houses can be a turn-off. How much more bland a space than a neutrally painted emply room can there be? Leave just enough in the house to add a bit of life and color without personalizing the house too much; if you can't do that, consider paying a professional home stager to 'warm' things up a bit.

4. Make sure all maintenance is current; repaint areas where paint is flaking, and that the roof shingles aer all present and accounted for. Deferred maintenance will turn buyers off - big time!