How to Get an Offer on Your Home

1. Price it right. Set a price at the lower end of your property’s realistic price range.

2. Prepare for visitors. Get your house market ready at least two weeks before you begin showing it.

3. Be flexible about showings. It’s often disruptive to have a house ready to show at the spur of the moment. But the more amenable you can be about letting people see your home, the sooner you’ll find a buyer.

4. Anticipate the offers. Decide in advance what price and terms you’ll find acceptable.

5. Don’t refuse to drop the price. If your home has been on the market for more than 30 days without an offer, you should be prepared to at least consider lowering your asking price.

The Dos and Don’ts of Home Selling

Selling a home in the recession-hit times of today is no less than an ordeal that one needs to pass before they get a fairly compensated deal for their property. The nuances of home selling are many and they all need to be heeded if you want your home to sell quicker and at a good price. But many a home owner end up making mistakes that cost them heavily in the deal.

We throw some light on some common mistakes that you should avoid:

1) Inappropriate Pricing
Bad prices are great deterrents to fast home-selling. They include both – too high and too low prices. It is important to remember that real estate prices fluctuate like tides and need to be kept track of if you are going to put your home up for sale. If you market your home on too high a price, it will ward off clients, whereas a price too low will rob you of the profits you very much deserve.

2) Wrong or Incomplete Marketing
Good marketing is essential for selling a house effectively. Thinking that selling a house is local business is a big mistake that home-owners make. Make your house on sale visible to as many people as possible. Use the Internet and its valuable resources like social media to market your house to a global audience; you never know who is moving to your city from around the world.

For doing the same, use pictures, as many of them as possible because a humble little picture is worth a thousand words. Click high resolution photos of your house at its visual best. If you get a lot of natural light in the house, it is best to click day time photos on sunny days, otherwise use appropriate artificial lighting to get the best results.

A disastrous mistake to avoid is shooting photos of an untidy residence. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you de-clutter your house before you begin your home selling marketing campaign.

3) Homes in an untidy or ill-maintained condition
Unkempt homes give a negative vibe that may lower the chances of a prospective buyer finalizing a deal with you. Append sufficient efforts and money on getting things fixed in the house. Leave no walls with paint peeling off them. Do your home maintenance assignment right if you want to influence clients to like your home better.

4) Not treating the buyers right
The happier a buyer feels on visiting your house, higher are their chances of fixing a deal with you. So always treat any prospective buyer with utmost respect and hospitality. Give them a warm reception and serve some snacks to eat. Most importantly, don’t stick to the visitors while they see your house. This makes them tad uncomfortable. Just give them some time to view the house on their own.

Home selling is serious business and demands a great deal of patience from you. It is important to stay calm even if you have had your home in the market for pretty long because this is just the plight every home seller has to go through, and it eventually passes!

10 Things To Do Before You Sell Your Home.

There are many things to do before you sell your home that will maximize the perceived value of your home. Today’s housing market is intensely competitive and anything you can do to make your home appear neat, inviting and well maintained can give you an edge in a crowded field.  Important Things To Do Before You Sell Your Home Although it seems daunting, you can get your home ready for sale if you stay organized and focused. Concentrate on your goal—to help the house you love to look its best.

Here are the basic checklist of 10 things to do before you sell your home:

1.Pest free? Get your home professionally inspected for termites and other pests and once any are removed, get rid of any evidence of having had them. Having a recent inspection certification in hand will give prospective buyers solid piece of mind that there are no creepy-crawlies hiding in the woodwork.

2.First impressions. The first things buyers will see when they walk up to your home are the landscaping and exterior features of your house. Make sure the yard and shrubs are neatly trimmed—plant fresh flowers in existing beds. Paint or power-wash the exterior of your home if years of weather have taken their toll. Make any repairs to gutters, trim or windows as needed. And apartment dwellers should make sure all common areas are neat and clean as well, so clear out those strollers and bikes from the hallway.

3.Go generic. As buyers walk through your home, they’ll want to imagine themselves living in the space. You can make this easier by keeping personal effects out of view. Store collectibles and family photos and try to decorate with simple landscapes or commonplace objects.

4.That deep down clean. It is understood that your home should be kept neat and clean, but you’ll need to go beyond surface cleaning. Dusting and vacuuming are a given, but don’t forget to clean windows and molding, light fixtures and ceiling fans and appliances and other fixtures. And clean should mean the place smells great too. If you can’t bake cookies for each showing, at least make sure all offensive odors are eliminated at their root cause.

5.Down, Spot! Consider an alternate place to board your pets during the selling process. Remove all pet supplies and things like litter boxes, beds and feeding stations before showing your home.
6.Getting steamed. Add carpet cleaning to the list of things to do before you sell your home. Industry experts recommend professionally cleaning your carpets every three years or so. Even if your carpets have been cleaned in the last 18 months, it’s a small investment to have them cleaned before you begin showing your home.

7.Reduce, remove and reorganize. Eliminate clutter in bedrooms, on counters and wherever else your family tends to leave things. Have a yard sale to get rid of as much as you can and then work as hard as you can to organize what is left behind. And if you don’t have a yard, log in to Craigslist.org and start your own virtual garage sale. Resist the temptation to shove things in the basement or a back closet—prospective buyers will want to check out your storage areas. And if you simply can’t get rid of that Nordic Trac, rent a storage locker and get it out of your home.
8.Important rooms. The kitchen and baths are the most frequently used areas in any house. Pay particular attention to cleaning, organizing and repairing these rooms. Remove and replace stained or damaged caulk; clean grout in tiled areas and repair or replace appliances or fixtures as needed.

9.Slap on a coat. There is much debate about the value of painting before you sell your home. While the new owner may want to paint with her own colors, you should certainly consider a coat of paint in areas that are chipped, peeling or stained. Be sure to use neutral colors and do a neat job.

10. Keep up to date. Consider replacing cabinet pull or door handles that are damaged or dated. While replacing these fixtures can be a cheap fix, the replacements will keep your house looking current and well cared for.

How to stage your baths for buyers

Staging your home properly creates an inviting and welcoming environment for potential buyers. It can mean the difference between a property languishing on the market or a quick sell. Here are some bath ideas that are sure to delight potential buyers.

Clean is king. First and foremost, baths should be clean. Generally, buyers do not spend much time viewing baths, so
the first impression should be a lasting one. Take the time to scrub tiles, shower doors, and mirrors.

Simple updates. Change the hardware to reflect current trends. An inexpensive makeover entails updating knobs, pulls, faucets and towel racks.

Fresh linens. Set out matching guest towels that accent the wall color to bring the room together. Less is more. Remove personal pictures and items and instead opt for a hotel chic.

Win by a nose. Consider placing flowers, scented soaps or room deodorizers to enhance the space. Lit candles are discouraged for safety reasons.

Personal effects. Remove any personal items you would not want potential buyers to see. It's a good idea to store all clutter out of view.

Don't be a drip. A constant drip can be a distraction and turn off to potential buyers. Repair any leaky faucets or clogged drains.

Sunnyvale Housing Data

Love statistics, data, and chart..... me too!

How to make your house bigger to the potential buyers!

No matter what the square footage is of your home, there is always potential to make it appear larger and more appealing to potential buyers. An offer can depend on whether your property is interpreted as a cozy bungalow or cramped old cottage. The difference between these two descriptions often depends on staging and utilizing the space effectively. Here are some tips on how to make the most of a small space.

Crisp and clean. First and foremost, your home should be clean and free of any fingerprints, stuff marks and dust. Dirt and grime can detract from even the most spacious of rooms.

Let in the light. Natural light is a major selling point. Open curtains and blinds to illuminate every room and make sure those windows are streak-free.

Eliminate clutter. Clutter on counter tops can make a space feel cramped. Even if you ordinarily store the blender, knife set and toaster oven on the kitchen counter, store these items away when potential buyers are viewing the property. The same goes for bathroom counters.

Invest in built-ins. Built in shelves, bookcases and wall units provide both a showcase and storage without seeming clunky. Built-ins often add interest to a small space with architectural detail.

Think neutral. Bold paint color can make a room seem smaller, consider white or neutral tones to enlarge the space.

Minimize for maximum results. An oversize couch or extra wing chair can overwhelm a room. Don't cramp an averaged-sized room with unnecessary furniture.

Does Moving Up Make Sense?

These questions will help you decide whether you’re ready for a home that’s larger or in a more desirable location. If you answer yes to most of the questions, it’s a sign that you may be ready to move.

1. Have you built substantial equity in your current home? Look at your annual mortgage statement or call your lender to find out. Usually, you don’t build up much equity in the first few years of your mortgage, as monthly payments are mostly interest, but if you’ve owned your home for five or more years, you may have significant, unrealized gains.

2. Has your income or financial situation improved? If you’re making more money, you may be able to afford higher mortgage payments and cover the costs of moving.

3. Have you outgrown your neighborhood? The neighborhood you pick for your first home might not be the same neighborhood you want to settle down in for good. For example, you may have realized that you’d like to be closer to your job or live in a better school district.

4. Are there reasons why you can’t remodel or add on? Sometimes you can create a bigger home by adding a new room or building up. But if your property isn’t large enough, your municipality doesn’t allow it, or you’re simply not interested in remodeling, then moving to a bigger home may be your best option.

5. Are you comfortable moving in the current housing market? If your market is hot, your home may sell quickly and for top dollar, but the home you buy also will be more expensive. If your market is slow, finding a buyer may take longer, but you’ll have more selection and better pricing as you seek your new home.

6. Are interest rates attractive? A low rate not only helps you buy a larger home, but also makes it easier to find a buyer.