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Archive for the 'Georgia Mountain Home Seller’s reVIEWS' Category
Not all home improvements are created equal. Especially if you’re looking for “resale value” back from your work.
An article from the Wall Street Journal lays it out cleanly. Function beats flash these days so be wary of where you spend.
Environmental upgrades such as home insulation and energy-efficient steel entry doors are recovering a much greater percentage of their cost these days than major remodels including kitchens or bathrooms. This is especially true for homes that are already “over-improved” relative to the neighborhood.
Upgrading the biggest and best homes on the block can be a losing proposition.
The article’s findings include data from groups such as the National Association of Home Builders, Remodeling Magazine, and Consumer Reports. It lists the following home improvements among its top “paybacks”:
- Steel entry door replacement : 129% cost recovery
- Wood deck addition : 81% cost recovery
- Vinyl-replacement window : 77% cost recovery
Energy-efficiency projects also recoup costs monthly in the form of lower heating and cooling bills.
Remodeling Magazine says a larger number of homeowners will remodel their homes in 2010 with less emphasis on upgrading kitchens and bathrooms, and more emphasis on adding new rooms. From an appraisal perspective, this is a terrific way to increase your home’s value — especially if your home’s bed/bath count lags your neighbors.
Before starting a home improvement project, regardless of whether your goal is increase resale value, talk with a real estate agent about other homes in the area and how they’re built. At worst, you’ll gather some ideas you can work into your plan. At best, you’ll keep yourself from over-improving.
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Replacing the Surprise Ingredient with Profit by having a Pre-Listing Home Inspection
Today we had the pleasure of having Lisa Turner, a North Georgia Mountain Home Inspector with Your Inspection Expert. Lisa helped in providing me some thoughts on new approaches for my Home Sellers 
to have a “Leg Up” on the competition by having them perform a Home Inspection even before we List The Home and place it on the MLS. I will let Lisa explain, and again I want to thank her for her time she shared with all of us at Blairsville Realty today.
As an informed Home Seller in Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Ellijay or Hiawassee Georgia, you already know that the Buyer is usually responsible for getting a Home Inspection on your North Georgia Mountain Home before closing. What we’re about to reveal to you is an important secret that can deliver a higher price to you, faster, and with much less stress, than if you go the traditional route of waiting for a buyer to perform your home inspection! Got your attention…..it sure did catch mine. Keep on reading.
Reasons YOU, the SELLER, Should Get A Pre-Listing Home Inspection:
- Legal: Fulfills your obligation to disclose known defects in your home before the sales avoid future liability from Surprises.
- Financial: Waiting for the Home Inspection to occur during contract time creates stressful, last minute negotiations from Surprises and complications over repairs, usually lowering your own cash reserves and potentially killing the sale.
- Marketing and Good Faith: Having already obtained your own Home Inspection, you can now price your home fairly knowing you have eliminated the Surprises, and attract Buyers who appreciate your own good faith effort and care in your home. (This also provides you the opportunity to repair or replace any items needed before a potential Buyer even has to worry with it themselves.)
- Emotional: The most important factor for both Sellers and Buyers: having a pre-listing inspection prevents Buyer Surprise and the resulting disappointment and potential deal failure. And the knowledge YOU gain from the inspection helps you manage your own emotions BEFORE you reach negotiations.
There are many more reasons why a Selle’s Home Inspection eliminates the Surprise Ingredient and adds the Profit Ingredient to a Home Sale, and the price of an Inspection is a small fraction of that profit. Please call Lisa Turner at 800.738.8781, or visit her website for more information.
Thanks so much again Lisa, and look forward to doing some business with you soon. Also, if you would like to speak with a Real Estate Professional about Listing Your North Georgia Mountain Home, please call me at 706.994.8686, or Contact Me today.
Related Article:
10 Reasons To List Your Mountain Home With Me
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I am very glad to bring back friend and colleague Tonia Mosteller with Redesign + More. Tonia is going to tell us a little about getting your home ready this Spring to sell. Now more than ever it is imperative that if your home is on the market, especially here in the North Georgia Mountains, that it be ready to show at ALL times. Let’s face it, if your home is not in a Pricing War, then chances are it is most definitely in a Beauty Pageant. So sick back right there in your rocking chair and welcome Tonia to “The Porch” for some great Springtime Home Staging Advice to help your home looks it’s Best!
Springtime brings lots of sunshine, warmer weather, May showers and plenty of opportunities for home staging. Make the most of this season and prepare you home for sale. Use these fresh updates that are sure to attract potential buyers to your home.
Create Curb Appeal
You have an open window when you’re selling in the spring; you need to get your yard in shape as quickly as possible to take advantage of the fresh and sunny spring days. Clear winter yard debris, and get frost-resistant plants that won’t be affected if a late cold spells and make sure they work in your planting zone. Harmonize with your home’s surroundings such as your landscape and other homes in your neighborhood. Coordinate your exterior paint colors with your home’s existing features-roof shingles, stone or brick. Remember your home’s appeal starts at the curb! Create an unforgettable first impression.
Bring The Outdoors In
Spring is a beautiful and colorful season but it is also a fragrant one too. Bring the amazing aroma indoors and add them to your rooms. Scents have a profound effect on mood, so infusing scent into your decor with diffusers, candles, fresh cut plants/flowers, or incense can change the overall feeling of a space and not to mention the natural beauty you have added to your space. Plus, most of the time it doesn’t cost you a thing, unless you make a trip to your nursery or local Farmer’s Market.
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This is a “BIG DEAL!” Most Buyer’s and Seller’s are absolutely scared to death right now of a Short Sale agreement. Rightfully so in my opinion. These Banks and Servicing Institutions have got to get it together. I have been fortunate enough to have been apart of many Short Sale transactions that were closed in a relatively acceptable amount of time. However on the other hand, I have had the misfortune of being party to several that have not only been an embarrassment to all parties involved, but nothing more than total aggravation and frustration. Let me give you just one example and you decide for yourself.
I currently have a Short Sale contract where I am representing the Buyer for a Cabin for Sale in Blue Ridge, GA. The contract was entered into on July 24, 2009. The list price of the Cabin For Sale was $340,000. An agreement was reached by both parties of $300,000. After many months of sitting and waiting to hear something, anything from the Bank, we finally received a notice that they would not accept the Short Sale on the contracted price, but counter offered to use in the amount of $350,000. They highly encouraged a counter offer, of any kind from my client. So, after speaking with my client, we decided that we would counter offer $305,000 to show the Bank our good faith in the transaction. Another couple of months passed and we again finally received word from the Bank that they had yet another counter offer at a price of $389,000. I was in disbelief. Not only was this last counter offer higher than their first counter, but it was more than what was owed on the home to begin with. As a result of the ridiculous manner in which this Bank had handled this transaction, the Seller to my understanding is now filing for Bankruptcy, and will eventually lose the home through Foreclosure. I am currently searching for another property for my client.
Am I to feel sorry for these Banks? Do you?
Not sure what a Short Sale is? Click Here for a simple explanation.
I certainly hope that I haven’t ruined your day…..go out and Make it an AWESOME day!
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Well-made beds aren’t just for comfort — they’re for presentation, too. Especially when you’re selling your home. A pristine bed conveys an image of cleanliness and order to potential home buyers and that can help you get more of your asking price at the point of negotiation.
When homeowners don’t take the time to make a bed, buyers wonder what else around the home is getting neglected.
And there’s a proper way to make a bed, too.
In this 15-step video from Howcast, you’ll learn how to start with a stripped down mattress, add bedding, pillows and a blanket, and end with the hotel-quality look that today’s home buyers expect. The alternative is to leave a bed sloppy, reducing your home’s overall appeal.
To make a bed the right way takes less than 2 minutes. When your home is listed for sale, make making the bed a part of your daily routine.
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It’s a sensational headline — “The Sellers’ Deadly Sins” — but the message is clear. Home sellers make mistakes that not only cost themselves thousands, but sometimes cost the sale, too.
NBC’s The Today Show lays it out cleanly in this 5-minute video:
1. How to respond to an “insulting offer”
2. How to handle the first purchase offer you receive
3. What do when you can’t leave your home for its Open House
4. What room in the home should be kept the neatest
But, be aware. At the video’s end, there’s a piece of advice that may sound extremely self-serving coming from a real estate professional. Don’t let it turn you off. The video’s overall message is spot-on and the advice is real-world tested.
I have to say that there is some really good advice within this video. The funny thing is this is the advice that is usually the hardest to offer to a client as a Realtor. However as a Seller, this is invaluable information to remember.
If you or someone you know is looking to sell your North Georgia Mountain Home or Cabin, please give me a call at 706-994-8686, or you can Contact Me through this website.
Selling a home is a process. Make sure to do it properly.
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In dealing with a recent transaction, I have become very aware of the dangers involved with Radon Gases in North Georgia. Radon causes Lung Cancer and kills thousands of Americans every year, in Non-Smokers and Smokers alike. As a matter of fact, Radon is the number 1 cause of lung cancer among non-smokers, according to EPA estimates. Overall, Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Unfortunately I know this to be true, I lost my Mother-In-Law to lung cancer very sudden in the Spring of 2007. She never smoked a day in her life.
What Is Radon Gas And Where Does It Come From?
You can’t see Radon, nor can you smell or taste it. Radon is a radioactive gas. It comes from the natural decay of uranium that is found in nearly all soils. It typically moves up from the ground to the 
air above and into your home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Your home traps radon inside, where it can then build up. Any home may have a problem with Radon. This means new homes as well as older homes, well sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements. To the right is an illustration showing the State of Georgia and the levels of Radon that have been detected through tests results taken by the EPA. Red indicates Higher potential results of indoor Radon screening. Orange, which the North Georgia Mountain Region falls under, indicates a Moderate potential screening level of 2 and 4 pCi/L. The test results of the recent transaction taking by Ron Gill with Pillar To Post home Inspections that I mentioned earlier, was higher than 6 pCi/L. Anything over a 4 pCi/L is an unacceptable level. Yellow indicates the Lowest potential indoor Radon screening.
If you would like to have your home tested for Radon, here is my recommendation. Ron Gill with Pillar To Post Home Inspections can conduct a Test for you using the lastest technology. The Radon Test will cost $200 without a Home Inspection, and $175 while performing a Home Inpection.
A must read is the The United States Environmental Protection Agency “Home Buyer’s and Sellers Guide to Radon.” This guide gives great tips on Why you should test, How to test, and What To Do if you get higher than average results of Radon Gas in your home. Read the rest of this entry »
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It’s no surprise to anyone that we are in a Buyer’s Market. I have been really concerned with the lack of showings that my client’s properties have been receiving, there is no doubt. But what about those that are being shown occasionally? How can I help my client’s just get an offer?
1. Price It Right!
In this market you have to be priced at the lower end of your realistic price range. In addition to be one of the lowest price homes in your immediate market, you must offer more than the competition for less. You may ask, “what do you mean more for less?” Maybe you leave the refrigerator instead of taking it, or better yet, in new construction you buy one! Basically you want to be able to have the best home on the market in your price range.
2. Prepare For Showings
Begin preparing for client showings a minimum of 2 weeks before you list the property. Having your North Georgia Mountain Cabin ready for a viewing is crucial for an offer to come in. In a market where less than 10% of the homes are even receiving an offer, you do not want to give them any reason not to want to do so. Read the rest of this entry »
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It’s important to understand what legal responsibilities your real estate salesperson has to you and to other parties in the transaction. It is equally as important for you to know what agency relationship it is that you have with your salesperson or agent. If it has not been explained to you in a way that you fully understand, or you just simply do not know what type of agency relationship it is that you have, or if any, then you need to stop and ask before moving forward with your agent.
I suppose that every agent has their own way of working with customers.
I myself like to build a good rapport with my customers, and build a relationship in which I have instilled enough trust in both my knowledge and my abilities to perform the fiduciary duties that are expected of me.
Once I have built that relationship, I then explain the types of agency relationships and make sure that they fully understand all of them. At this point, I am comfortable enough to ask for the customer to now become my client. Once a customer agrees to become a client, the proper paper work is filled and signed, and an agency is then created between the principal (client) and the brokerage. Below are great explanations of the types of relationships you can expect to exist in a real estate transaction and the expectations of those agency relationships.
Seller’s Representative (Seller’s Agent)
A seller’s agent is hired by and represents the seller. All fiduciary duties are owed to the seller. The agency relationship usually is created by a listing contract. In the state of Georgia, ALL agents represent the Seller as either the Agent or Sub-Agent unless they have a Buyer’s Agency with a client.
We as Agents are still obligated to be Honest and Truthful to all parties involved in a transaction.
Agents do however act faithfully and efficiently to their clients. Agents must put the principals best interests above all others including the agent’s own; and agents must NOT reveal confidential information to anyone. Confidential information could be a divorce situation, financial constraints, and other information that is confidential to the client and would NOT be to be disclosed. We do however have a duty to disclose to the principal (client) ALL relevant and material information, Read the rest of this entry »
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