Author Archive for Hal James

Are Home For Sale Signs Important?

Published
by
Hal James
on July 17, 2008
in Home & Family
. 0 Comments
by Hal James

The beginning of this decade saw a real estate market so hot that you barely had to mention you were thinking about selling your home to get offers rolling in. Well, those days are long gone. Now you need to focus on the details to get your home sold.

The first step to selling your home is to get it into the proper shape. There are plenty of guides and articles on how to do this, so I am going to skip it to focus on the next, vital step you need to take.

This is the digital age. This means you should be posting your home on real estate sites like FSBOAmerica.org. That doesn’t mean you should ignore the basics, however. They still can make or break the sale of your home.

One of the simplest and oldest strategies for advertising a home is the real estate sign. You know, the “for sale by owner” red and white signs. The web is great, but these signs really work if you use them.

Why are home for sale signs important? Buyers shop by geographic areas. They look for “good” neighborhoods that have the aspects they are looking for. While they will look online and in the MLS for homes, they will do one other thing you can take advantage of.

So, why do these signs work? Well, you need to think how buyers shop. They look for areas they like and then they cruise around them. Guess what they do when they see a for sale sign? Yep, they check it out.

Your for sale sign is a window to your home for buyers. This means you need to include some basic information on it. Since space is at a premium, make sure to list the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the price and your phone number.

A for sale sign on a telephone pole is not going to convince a buyer to make an offer on your home. That is not the purpose of the sign. It should only get them to come take a look. Once they do, you’ll have a second tidbit for them.

As soon as you list your home for sale, print out brochures with pictures and all the information you can think of. Now post a stand alone for sale sign in the yard with a box. Pack it with brochures for buyers to take, to wit, the bait.

Overall, the signs around the neighborhood should entice buyers to come to drive by the home. The signage on the lawn should entice them to grab a brochure. The brochure should entice them to give you a call. Then it is up to you to get an offer.

About the Author:
Hal James writes about real estate issues for FSBOAmerica.org - where you can get customized real estate signs for selling your home.\n\n You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.

Jokes About Real Estate - Why Not!

Published
by
Hal James
on June 19, 2008
in Home & Family
. 0 Comments
by Hal James

Whether you are a homeowner, potential buyer or someone working in the real estate industry, it has been a very rough couple of years. The market will eventually turn around, but it is going to take some time. Until then, you might as well laugh!

I listed a maintenance free house. In the last 25 years there hasn’t been any maintenance.

Definition of “potential” in real estate ads - Grim. Steer clear unless you have a lot of money and believe your blind dates really did have nice personalities. See “Ready to Rehab,” and “Fixer Upper.”

Definition of “unique downtown loft” in real estate ads - Used to be the drunk tank at the local jail.

The trouble with owning a home is that no matter where you sit, you’re looking at something you should be doing.

Q: When is a one-story house a two-story house? A: You get one story before you buy and the second story after.

A Happy Home is a place where each spouse entertains the possibility that the other may be right though neither believes it.

If you want to know exactly where the property line is, just watch the neighbor cut the grass.

Did you hear about Robin Hood’s house? It has a little John.

Definition of “one of a kind” in real estate ads - Architect was a heroin addict. So ugly, the neighbors are pooling money to have it demolished!

Definition of “sophisticated” in real estate ads - Black walls and no windows. See “Architect’s Delight.”

There is no escaping the fact the current real estate market is an absolute bear. There is a definite silver lining, however. Later this year or perhaps next year, it will turn around. When it does, people are going to bounce back with a vengeance. Until then, just smile.

About the Author:
Hal James is with FSBOAmerica.org, where you can get free foreclosure listings across the country.

moving your home in a buyer’s market

Published
by
Hal James
on March 1, 2008
in Real Estate
. 0 Comments
by Hal James

After years of the sellers being in control, the real estate market has swung like a pendulum in favor of buyers. Don’t worry. You can still sell a house if you follow these tips.

1. When selling your home, it is important to understand the difference between home values and prices. The value is something determined by the appraisal. The price is what you can get for it.

2. Buyers are always going to offer less than the asking price, so make sure to list a sales price that is higher than what you want. This gives you wiggle room to negotiate and avoids a situation where you are trapped by your initial asking price.

3. When you decide to sell your home, giving the kitchen the once over is a good first step. Kitchens are unique in our daily lives. For some reason, we always seem to congregate there. Buyers know this and will be focusing on the condition of yours.

4. When selling your home, be realistic about your asking price. You can check public record at the courthouse, or in many cases on-line, for the amounts of recent sales in your neighborhood.

5. When it comes to selling your home, your driveway tells potential buyers a lot about your property.If it has cracks and nasty oil stains, it is a blight on your property. Make sure to clean it thoroughly and repair all cracks.

6. Many people try to sell real estate with an “as is” qualifier. The idea is this protects them from any claims the failed to disclose problems with the property. This assumption is incorrect. If you sell a home with problems, you must disclose them.

7. When showing your home, you need to have a friend watch your pet. You also need to go through the home and remove all pet odors, hair and so on. Once you sell the property, you can buy another one with a bigger yard for your little one.

8. If someone gives you their word they will do something, but doesn’t put it in writing, you cannot force them to do it. Make sure you get everything in writing!

9. Whether buying or selling, you will want to take a close look at comparable homes in the neighborhood. Do not pay much attention to the listed prices. Homes do not sell for the listed price. Focus on the actual sales prices of recently sold homes.

10. Many people ask escrow officers for advice or help. Don’t expect any! Escrow companies are supposed to be neutral third parties. They handle the paperwork, not negotiations or problems.

If you are a seller, the real estate news probably sounds pretty grim. It really isn’t. There is always a market for sellers and buyers. You just need to put your nose to the grindstone a bit. Since most people don’t, you’ll have an advantage and get that sale.

About the Author:
Get real estate contracts and a free one month listing at FSBOAmerica.org. You are welcome to reprint this article - but get your own unique content version here.

Selling Your Condo In A Slow Market

Published
by
Hal James
on February 15, 2008
in Sales
. 0 Comments
by Hal James

With the real estate market flooded with foreclosures and general properties for sale, it can be tough to get the attention of buyers. Here are some tips for selling a condo in the current market.

Getting a sign out on your property is a vital first step. This sounds obvious, but most homeowners’ associations do not allow them. The outer walls and grass areas around your condo are not yours, so you can’t post anything there. Such is condo life.

Technically, the inside of the window on a condo is yours, but the outside is not. If you want to post a sign, and you do, guess where you should put it? Yep. The inside of the window. Use a window people can see when passing buy.

Speaking of homeowner associations, condos are heavily regulated by them and the covenants and restrictions for the development. When prospective buyers come, you need to provide them with copies of everything.

More and more, we are seeing condominium developments grow to a size rivalling a small town. Just because you know how to get to the unit does not mean buyers do. Provide them with a map with clear printed directions.

Condominiums are occassionally referred to as caves because they tend to have dark corners and areas. This is not attractive to buyers. Crank up the lights in all rooms. It will add visual space to the unit and be more attractive.

In certain parts of the country, lawsuits related to construction defects are par for the course for condo developments. If yours is one, you have to disclose the lawsuit. Make sure you explain what the problem was and how it was fixed.

Most condo owners fail to fully promote their units to potential buyers. They focus only on the unit. In a condo community, you have much more. Make sure to walk potential buyers through other areas such as the pool, tennis courts and so on.

In this market, helping your buyer finance the purchase can make all the difference in the world. Buyers with even great credit are having problem getting money. Offer to carry back part of the purchase price as a second loan. It might just do the trick.

The current market is in a big pull back. This means people are shying away from expensive homes, which makes condos attractive. Can you sell your condo now? Of course! Just follow these tips.

About the Author:
Hal James writes about issues faced by FSBO sellers for FSBOAmerica.org, where you can get a free one month listing to sell your home by owner and get more real estate tips. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service