Archive for the 'Home Staging' category

Can You Make Money Flipping Houses in This Market?

by Bob Roscoe — published on July 10th, 2007
By Guest Author Jeanette Joy Fisher

Even though the real estate market has entered a “correction cycle,” there’s no need to sit on the sidelines, waiting for the market to rebound. There’s still money in flipping houses, even during an economic downturn. Here are a few suggestions:

First, save money on your building materials. A good place to find discounted construction materials, paint, and appliances is at ReStore, the retail outlet of Habitat for Humanity. You can purchase quality used or surplus building materials, doors, lighting fixtures, and hardware for your project at a fraction of the normal price.

If you don’t have a ReStore nearby, shop around for an appliance store that offers returned, refurbished, or scratch-and-dent appliances at a discount. If you let it be known that you’re in the market for those kinds of items, you may find a store owner who’d rather sell those types of appliances to you rather than writing them off altogether. Ask. You have nothing to lose, and profits to gain–especially during a market downturn.

Another way to sell your house is to research your target buyers and then make sure your project meets what they’re looking for. When the market’s hot, you can get away with painting the walls white and installing neutral carpet, but when times are tighter, you have to be more creative. If you know your potential buyers, you can tailor your flipping efforts toward attracting them.

Along that same line, don’t underestimate the value of staging a house to attract your target buyers and to prompt them to offer top dollar. You don’t have to totally furnish it. Just add a few strategic decorations to prompt potential buyers to begin visualizing what their own furnishings would look like in the home.

Finally, it’s important to close sales quickly during a down market. If you find someone who really likes the home, don’t spend too much time negotiating. The term “buyer’s market” means that buyers have the advantage, so when you find someone willing to buy your house, don’t try to squeeze out every dollar of profit you can. Take your profit and move on, since you can never be sure when the next offer will come in–and in real estate especially, time truly is money.

It doesn’t matter if the market is up or down. You can still make money flipping houses if you plan carefully–and then stick to your plan.

Bob Roscoe, Mortgage Marketing Associates, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Real Estate News
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categories: Selling Real Estate, Buying Real Estate, Investment Real Estate, Home Staging

Home Sellers’ Biggest Summer Selling Mistake

by Bob Roscoe — published on July 17th, 2006
By Guest Author Jeanette Joy FisherIf your home languishes on the market during the sweltering heat of summer, take a look at how your normal everyday living habits may be turning buyers away. Buyers can’t help the way they respond to houses. Everyone has natural instincts that influence the way their body reacts to stimulation. The way you leave your home during the day can make or break your sale.Home Sellers’ Mistake

I can’t even begin to number the houses I’ve previewed during the day when the sellers were away working. Many of the homes felt depressing. I couldn’t wait to get out of there and go see the next house. Why?

Because the sellers wanted to come home to a cool home, they left the window coverings closed up tight. Some times they left on a few lights just in case agents showed the house. But lights alone won’t make your buyers feel naturally happy.

Support Your Home Buyers’ Natural Instincts

Home buyers choose the home that make them feel at home and happy. They also need to feel good themselves while previewing your home. This means that you want to support their circadian rhythm. Science has known about the concept of circadian rhythm for a long time. Circadian rhythm is the body’s natural internal clock, and it regulates all biological processes. Circadian rhythm depends upon sunlight to keep our internal clock regular and healthy.

Even if you don’t know anything about circadian rhythm, you’re familiar with its effects. For instance, if you get sleepy in the mid-afternoon or if you seem to get your best work done late at night, you’re being guided by your body’s internal clock. That same system controls things such as your heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature, so it’s important to pay attention to your body’s natural rhythm.

Although scientists haven’t nailed down all the factors involved, the most important factor they’ve identified for keeping circadian rhythm in balance is sunlight.

Don’t make this big home seller mistake. Open all your window coverings that don’t cover up an unpleasant view. And if you do have curtains hiding your next door neighbor’s unsightly side yard or peeling paint, make sure the natural daylight filters through the curtain fabric. So keep your buyers happy–feeling great. Open your window coverings. Keep buyers looking at your home instead of leaving right away for the next house on their list.

Let the sun shine in and sell your home!

Copyright © 2006 Jeanette J. Fisher

Get all the help you need to sell your home with free Home Staging Information. Author and interior design instructor Jeanette Fisher teaches home sellers five ways to make more money without spending more getting their homes ready to sell: http://sellfast.infoArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeanette_Joy_FisherBob Roscoe, Mortgage Markjeting Associates, Minneapolis, Minnesota

How to Stage your Home to Sell Fast

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categories: Selling Real Estate, For Sale By Owner, Home Staging

3 Tips to Staging the Outside of Your Home Like a Pro

by Bob Roscoe — published on February 1st, 2006

By Guest Author Kathleen Yamauchi

Are you considering putting your house up for sale, but not sure where to start? Afraid it will take too long to sell, or that you won’t get the price you want? Think about “staging” your home, or in other words, setting the scene for immediate buyer interest in your property.

To be really effective, you need to look at both the outside and the inside of your home. Here are 3 tips to get you started with the outside of your home:

1. Go stand on the street to see what clients see when driving up to the house. Be aware that any negative impressions they get outside the house (landscaping not maintained or non-existent, peeling paint, etc.) is just going to make them think that the house itself has not been well taken care of. So even if you have spent the time and money to fix up the interior, it would all be wasted if the clients get a bad first impression as they drive up to the house.

2. Next, step outside your front door and close the door; then stand on the stoop and look around for 5 minutes. While the realtor fumbles for keys and tries to figure out how to open the door, the clients are standing behind and looking around. So what are they seeing? Dead plants, old Halloween decorations in the middle of January, cobwebs? Again, not a good first impression!

It’s definitely worth it to take some time and clean it up. Want to go a step further? Try a new coat of paint or some new furniture or accessories.

3. Don’t forget the backyard. While that might not be part of the potential buyers’ first impression experience, you still should make sure it’s in the best condition possible. Pull up weeds, water plants, do some sweeping (if that’s applicable in your case) and maybe even purchase new furniture or accessories (plant pots, bird houses, etc.)

And the biggest tip of all? Imagine yourself as a potential buyer looking at your property for the very first time. What impressions are you getting? Would YOU buy your house? What would you like to see changed before you put an offer on your house?

And don’t worry about spending several thousand dollars to get your house ready to sell – you’ll get it all back when your house sells. Proper staging helps you sell your house in a shorter time and at the price you want.

About the Author

Kathleen Yamauchi, Prescott, AZ, USA
More Details about Home improvements here. Kathleen Yamauchi is a long-time realtor located in Prescott, Arizona. For more free tips and resources on buying and selling your home and other real estate advice, visit her web site at http://www.kathleeny.com.

Bob Roscoe, Mortgage Marketing Associates, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Home Selling Info

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categories: Selling Real Estate, For Sale By Owner, Curb Appeal, Home Staging

Three Tips to Staging the Inside of Your Home Like a Pro

by Bob Roscoe — published on January 31st, 2006

by Guest Author Kathleen Yamauchi

Are you considering putting your house up for sale, but not sure where to start? Afraid it will take too long to sell, or that you won’t get the price you want? Think about “staging” your home, or in other words, setting the scene for immediate buyer interest in your property.

To be really effective, you need to look at both the outside and the inside of your home. Here are 3 tips to get you started with the inside of your home:

1. De-clutter. This is one of the most important things you can do. It might be easier to think of de-cluttering like this – you’re moving anyway, so why not start packing now?

Pack up everything you don’t need and store the boxes out of sight in the garage (or consider temporarily renting a small storage locker).

2. Organize your closets - put similar colors together, pants together, skirts together, shirts together etc. Why? Because it will make the closets look bigger. (Really.) An organized closet appears bigger, and you want your closets to look as spacious as possible.

3. Make your home look like a model. You want to de-personalize as much as possible so potential buyers can imagine themselves and their own belongings occupying the space in your house. That means minimizing – putting away everything you don’t need or use. Clear off kitchen counters as much as possible – stash all those appliances you don’t use, and put miscellaneous small clutter in a few attractive baskets or boxes

And the biggest tip of all? Imagine yourself as a potential buyer looking at your property for the very first time. What impressions are you getting? Would YOU buy your house? What would you like to see changed before you put an offer on your house?

And don’t worry about spending several thousand dollars to get your house ready to sell – you’ll get it all back when your house sells. Proper staging helps you sell your house in a shorter time and at the price you want.

About the Author

Kathleen Yamauchi, Prescott, AZ, USA
More Details about Home improvements here. Kathleen Yamauchi is a long-time realtor located in Prescott, Arizona. For more free tips and resources on buying and selling your home and other real estate advice, visit her web site at http://www.kathleeny.com.

Home Staging: The Winning Way to Sell Your House for More Money

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categories: Selling Real Estate, For Sale By Owner, Home Staging