All Entries in the "Sell Your Home Articles" Category

Is FSBO the Way to Go?

Home sellers were living large in the peak of the real estate market.  In Jupiter, Florida many home buyers were sleeping overnight on local builders’ doorsteps for a chance to purchase a home.  Since that time, the market has taken a dive.  Short sales are more common and foreclosures have not only permeated the market, but have contributed to the dramatic decrease in home prices.

Now many home sellers wonder if selling their home themselves is a more profitable option.  I always tell people who ask to take a look at the facts and understand the amount of work involved to sell your home yourself.

Most Difficult Tasks for FSBO Sellers:

FSBO Methods Used to Market Home:

Typical Home Sold:

The most difficult task for FSBO Sellers is understanding the paperwork followed by getting the right price/fixing up home for sale.  Your first option would be to hire a real estate attorney who can interpret documents and advise you on the rules and regulations for selling your home yourself.  After the cost, consider the availability of your attorney.  Questions arise at unexpected times and will you be able to get answers from your attorney quickly?  The second option is hiring a REALTOR® (see my article Why Hire a REALTOR®).  A REALTOR® is trained to understand paperwork, pricing your home and helping you to prepare your home for sale.

The largest and most time consuming part of the job is marketing your home.  How will you get the news out that your home is for sale?   The most used for FSBO’s is the yard sign.  No question, it is a great marketing tool for us REALTORS®.  However, using that alone may not get your home sold.  Most REALTORS® use all of the marketing methods listed above and more including the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) a primary selling tool in real estate.  The MLS alone markets to over 14,000 other REALTORS® in our area.  It is a powerful
tool.

The most powerful statistic is the price of the typical home sold.  In the above scenario, an agent assisted home sold for $59,800 more.  In our area, the standard REALTORS® commission rate is 6%.  Subtract that from your sale price ($14,820).  You end up with $44,980 more than if you had sold the home yourself.

Source:  2007 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

Joe Quirk, Broker for Cobblestone Realty in Jupiter, Florida.  He is also a real estate investor and has investment property throughout Palm Beach County. Contact Joe at (561) 427-9326, by e-mail, or visit our website www.CobblestoneFL.com to learn more.

How to Make Your Home for Sale Outbeat Your Competition

There was a time not long ago, your home would sell the same week that it was listed in the Jupiter real estate market.  But that was then and this is now.  Times are tough and many clients ask, “How do I make my home competitive in this real estate market?”  In this market, this is the time to present your home at its best.  Many of the properties in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens and even Juno Beach are short sale or foreclosures.  That can be to your advantage.  Most of those homes are not kept up as well.  Here is where you have the opportunity to outshine your competitors.

There are a few basic things you need to do to make sure their home gets noticed first, gets viewed first, and sells first. These things are a combination of enhancing the home’s curb appeal and interior detail, plus a few thoughtful touches that make the viewing experience more enjoyable for prospective home buyers.

First, take a look a your home’s exterior. Now compare that to photos of other homes listed in your neighborhood.  Visually, which home is more appealing?  If it is not your home, you have some work to do. It’s hard to look at your home with a detached eye, but it is necessary. Set aside the years of good memories and try to “be the buyer,” note any small details that need fixing or a cosmetic touch up and get those done.

Next, turn your attention to the inside. Most homes are a bit to cluttered to show off the details of a home’s interior. This is not to say that a home is messy, it’s just “lived in.” Try to minimize the amount of furniture and “stuff” in your home. If necessary, remove some things and put them in storage. You are going to be moving soon anyway, why not get a head start on it? The more “open” your home feels, the better for showing. Remember to clean off all counters and clean the closets. Buyers are nosey and will open all the closets, cabinets and cupboards to ensure there is enough room for their things.

Lastly, make sure that your home is welcoming when people come to view it. Keep the temperature cool if it is one of your typical hot days in Florida. It will probably be necessary to clean the home daily to maintain its pristine condition. Also, little things like pleasant aromas can help people to feel more at home, cinnamon or chocolate chip cookies are very comforting smells. But if you utilize these, make sure there are some snacks available as viewers might get the munchies!

Buying or Remodeling A Home with Asbestos

The following article is from Jesse Herman, Awareness Coordinator at the Mesothelioma Cancer Center.  It is a great article on the dangers of Asbestos.  Critical information for homeowners and buyers of homes built before 1980.

Abestos Removal and Greener Alternatives

There are many things to consider when remodeling or purchasing an older home. Homes built before 1980 have the strong likelihood of containing asbestos. Due to a steady progression of technology and green sustainable methods, there are many ways to ensure your home or property is asbestos free. If you are interested in saving money, remodeling and improving your carbon footprint, here is some information to get you on the right track.

Used in millions of homes throughout the last quarter of the 20^th century, asbestos insulation can become a real dilemma for homeowners due to causing a variety of health problems, including Peritoneal
Mesothelioma and Malignant Mesothelioma. These types of cancer take the lives of thousands each
year.

Non-regulated asbestos material can be legally performed by homeowners, regular contractors, or licensed asbestos abatement contractors as long as the National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants(NESHAP) are not violated.  Asbestos removal in public facilities, homes and workplaces must be undertaken
by a licensed asbestos abatement contractor. Once the removal is complete, green insulation options should be given serious consideration, such as:  Cellulose, Cotton Fiber and Lcynene.

The United StatesGreen Building Council(USGBC), in a study conducted in 2003, estimated a savings of $50-$65 per square foot for well-constructed green buildings in the U.S. (see table below) during that year. The numbers continue to improve as more eco-friendly options become available, and those kinds of figures have finally begun to attract those who thought eco-friendly construction was just a bunch of hogwash.

Other Articles of Interest:

Florida Template for Recovering Housing Market

We’re beginning to hear positive reports from the news media about the housing market. Especially here in Florida.  Jim Cramer from The Street in a recent video was comparing real estate to stocks, he positions Florida as the “template” for how the housing market will unfold for rest of the nation.  Florida was one of the first and worst states hit hard by the housing market.  Now rebounding, Cramer credits the low housing inventory for its turnaround.  Building ceased two years ago and purchases continued to help dry up the inventory.

[vodpod id=ExternalVideo.608137&w=425&h=350&fv=]

What’s Broken Now?

As you may recall from one of our earlier postings, Susanne and the kids call me Mr. Fix It. It’s not that I need a name change as mine works quit well as it is. The fact is that I have had the good fortune while growing up of gaining some basic knowledge of the trades. I have had many jobs during and after high school and many of them were “hands on” type of positions where I had to use tools. I also rode a Harley (72 FLH) for about 10 years and tour that apart more than once in an effort to make it run and look better. Because of all this great “unqualified training” I get called upon to fix what breaks.

We still have family in Boston that we visit on a regular basis. One of the first things I do is stop by to see my mom (out of habit and necessity). Every visit I walk in the door and ask, “What’s broken now?” You see, my mom has a tendency to let things that break or that need mending to pile up until I get there. I’m sure those of you that are “handy” can relate.

When I flew back in from Boston last week, Susanne told me that I had to get my tools for some work she had planned for me. Hummm…Whats broken now? It seems that in the two days while I was away, our 20 month old daughter, Jacqueline, climbed out of her crib at 11:00pm the night earlier. That’s right…BOOM! Another infant proving Newton’s Laws of Gravity. Miss Jacqueline has lost her crib and gained a new bed compliments of Mr. Fix It. Now when she decides to take a fall in the middle of the night, it will only be about a foot down.

The average person can do most small home repairs. Renters and owners can take care of regular maintenance tasks such as changing your air filter monthly. As we Floridians know, if you don’t change your air condition filter regularly you are going to wake up one day with a hot house and possibly a frozen system. I will tackle just about any job but will usually ask someone for advise before I try fixing something I have never encountered before. Believe it or not, one of the best places where I find good advise is at the local Home Depot, Lowes or Ace Hardware stores. These stores typically hire people from the trades and often have them working in those departments. I often call the manufacture of a product and speak to the customer service people for help.

Don’t forget to check the internet. I’ve gone to manufactures websites to order “dealer only”products because the products were not available anywhere else. Most of the large hardware stores carry generic parts and sometimes they work and sometimes they don’t. So, always keep your receipts!

Below are a number of sites that are available to go to that may help you when you have small home repairs. Remember to ask a friend for referrals of contractors that they have used and are happy with. Always hire contractors for the bigger jobs and make sure that they are registered and licensed.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Do your homework. Check with the Better Business Bureau to see that the contractor you hire is credible.
• Always ask contractors you interview for references and always check those references.
• Never pay the entire bill upfront for services. Always keep some of the money (1/2 – 1/3) until the job is complete to your satisfaction.
• Stay ahead of regular maintenance tasks such as the air conditioning filters.
• If your new to the area and don’t know qualified contractors, ask a Realtor. Realtors are constantly in touch with qualified and proven contractors that they would gladly recommend.

Home Repair Websites:

Other Articles of Interest: