Fall is upon us and the real estate market continues to be very active. It is still a good time to buy and sell homes. Homes that prepared to sell and priced at value are selling with very few days on market. Top Real Estate bloggers across the country continue to share outstanding real estate content. These top bloggers intend to educate the consumer and other real estate professionals. This month's real estate content includes information about Halloween safety to defining your decor style!
How to Define Your Decor Style
You have purchased a new home and as you are moving in, you will need to determine how you plan to decorate. Anita Clark has written an excellent article Finding the Right Decorating Style for Your New Home. She discusses how to find a home design style that will work for your new home. You can always hire an interior decorator and let them decide the best style for the home. Other ways to define your style will be reading interior design magazines and determine what is appealing to you. Anita also discusses the financial implications of moving into a new home, and if possible to utilize what you have and accessorize accordingly.
Pros & Cons of Selling Your Own Home
Are you considering selling your home, and want to save money not paying a Realtor? Then you may be considering selling the home on your own. Michelle Gibson has written an excellent article about the Pros & Cons of Selling Your Own Home. Some of the PROS of selling your home on your own include you are in control, no pressure to compromise and you will be the expert. The CONS include lack of knowledge of contracts and disclosures. That alone should dissuade a homeowner from trying to sell their own home. Other CONS include you will have to deal with a real estate agent one way or another when they bring a buyer to the home. That is another consideration, are you going to cooperate with other agents. A must-read for anyone wanting to sell their home by owner.
Inexpensive Ways to Stage Your Home
When you are trying to sell your home, you know that it is imperative to give an excellent first impression to buyers. Bill Gassett has written a very detailed article about Inexpensive Ways to Stage Your Home. Bill discusses the importance of decluttering and putting away personal items such as family photos. You want your home to be as neutral as possible. Other considerations include giving each room a purpose, so a buyer will understand how the room will be utilized. A fresh coat of paint is not all that expensive and always makes a home look fresh and clean. Be sure to deodorize the home so there are no smells that are offensive to a potential home buyer. Great tips to get your home ready to sell!
How Do You Know if Your Property is Priced too High?
Pricing is essential when getting ready to list your home to sell. Danny Margagliano has put together a great post about Signs Your Home is Priced too High. Overpricing a property can be the difference in selling your property quickly, having it sit on the market, or not selling at all. Signs that a property is priced too high include few internet inquiries, few or no showings, and no offers. Other signs include if other homes sold much faster than your home. It is imperative to price it correctly right from the beginning. Once the home goes on the market, you should be getting showings within the first week.
Inexpensive Ways to Enhance Your Curb Appeal
Your house has ONE chance to get a good first impression. One of the best ways to make your home appealing is to create an inviting curb appeal. Imagine what a buyer will see when they pull up to the front of your property. Jeff Nelson has written an excellent article Inexpensive Ways to Enhance Your Curb Appeal. An important consideration is that buyers will notice that they have less to do if they do decide to buy your house. Jeff discusses ensuring the front door is freshly painted in good repair. Replace the mailbox with a new one to make the exterior look inviting. Other factors include making sure the house numbers are updated and easy to ready. Excellent tips about enhancing your curb appeal!
Downsides of Selling a Vacant Home
Selling a vacant home can be challenging. Many home buyers cannot imagine the purpose of a room if there are no furnishings in it. Sharon Paxson has written a detailed post about the Downsides of Selling a Vacant Home. Imperfections can stand out if the home is vacant, so be sure it has fresh paint and new carpet. It can also be challenging to photograph a vacant home. All the rooms may appear to look the same without any furnishings. Your home has one chance to make an excellent first impression, so adding decor and furnishings add details and function to photos.
Consider partially staging the home if possible. Rooms that need to be staged including the living room, dining room, and master bedrooms. Imagine what buyers are going to view when they walk into the home.
Smart Home Features That Boosts The Value Of Your Home
Adding smart home technology will boost the value of your home. Joe Boylan has written a detailed post about Smart Home Features that Boosts the Value of Your Home. Utilizing smart appliances in your home can create convenience and be self-sufficient. Utilizing an Alexa to control the appliances or devices in your home creates convenience and productivity. Other important devices to consider are home security cameras. There are some fantastic devices that monitor the activity around your home. Other devices to consider include smart locks that can be controlled with your smartphone and smart garage door opener. How many times have you wondered if the garage door was closed? This is a must-read for anyone adding smart devices to their home.
Pros and Cons of Selling to an iBuyer
An iBuyer is generally defined as “a company that uses technology to make an offer on your home.” This means they rely on data from an algorithm to determine a price for your property. Sort of like a z-estimate. Conor MacEvilly has written a detailed post about the Pros and Cons of Selling to an iBuyer. Conor explains what an iBuyer is, and who they are which includes OpenDoor, Redfin Now Offerpad, and Zillow Offers. A seller would sell their home to an iBuyer because it is supposed to be convenient and efficient. There are steps a seller would take which include filling out a form and then get an offer from the iBuyer. The next step would be the inspection process. and there have been occasions where they may request a significant discount on the price for repair requests. Additionally, there are fees associated with selling your home to an iBuyer. Excellent information about selling your home to an iBuyer.
Do I Need a Buyer's Agent?
The answer is and should be YES! Kevin Vitali has shared some expertise about a situation where a buyer did not have her own representation and the listing agent was threatening her that she would lose her earnest money deposit in an article Do I Need a Buyer's Agent? A buyer's agent is going to negotiate on your behalf and have your fiduciary responsibility. A listing agent's first allegiances are going to be to the seller. Kevin recommends finding an experienced agent that has been in the business for at least five years. They will understand the different markets, and they know how to negotiate on your behalf. There really is no reason why you should not use a buyer's agent as it is no cost to the buyer. A great read about utilizing a buyer's agent when purchasing a home.
Advanced Security Tips for Protecting Your Home
There are many ways to secure your home. And in today's times, there are some unscrupulous people who will try to physically access your home, or even steal an identity. Paul Sian has put together a very detailed article Advanced Security Tips for Protecting Your Home. He discusses utilizing an alarm and they can be monitored or unmonitored. An unmonitored alarm will sound a siren whereas a monitored alarm is monitored by a security company and they generally call the police. Cameras are another important consideration and they are not all that expensive. Ring and Nest are two popular cameras that are operated on your smartphone. Paul also discusses data security and it's importance. WiFi should be password protected. Thieves can steal an identity from credit cards or social security numbers. Ensuring that sensitive documents are shredded is also very important.
Halloween Safety Tips
Halloween is packed with potential risks. Your property, children, and pets are at an increased risk from a number of dangers on Halloween. David Martin has put together an excellent article about Halloween Safety Tips. Utilize LED lights versus candles for home safety, and safety to children walking by lit pumpkins. Address costume safety to ensure that the children (or adults) will not trip on them. Also, be extremely cautious of vehicles on Halloween, especially on unlit streets. You want to be sure that your home is protected as well. If you are out trick or treating with your children, do not leave your home unlocked. Be sure to protect pets and crate them. Pets can be nervous from the doorbell getting rung over and over again. Great tips to prepare for the upcoming Halloween!
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed this month's Top Real Estate Articles for October 2019. There is detailed information about selling a vacant home, selling to an iBuyer, home security tips, the importance of using a buyer's agent and much more. Make sure to read all the posts and let us know which one(s) you like the best. Top bloggers continue to share detailed information to educate buyers and sellers. Let us know what other topics you would like to see covered!
About the Author
Top Newport Beach CA Realtor Sharon Paxson has written the article “Top Real Estate Articles for October 2019 ”. We have experience since 2005 representing buyers, sellers, and landlords with their real estate transactions. We welcome the opportunity to assist you with your real estate needs
We provide real estate service to our clients within the coastal Orange County CA area including Corona del Mar, Newport Beach, Newport Coast, Tustin and more! We welcome the opportunity to meet you!
