Remodeling That Pays You Back
February 1, 2008
Upgrading your home is always appealing, but which enhancements really get you a good return for your money when it’s time to sell? The 2007 Cost vs. Value Report by Remodeling magazine and REALTOR® Magazine has the answer. San Antonio numbers are listed below.
| Project | Project Job Cost: | Resale Value: | Cost Recouped: |
| Siding Replacement | $12,926 | $14,472 | 112.0% |
| Deck Addition (Wood) | $9,048 | $9,362 | 103.5% |
| Window Replacement | $10,172 | $9,851 | 96.8% |
| Kitchen Remodel | $20,121 | $19,128 | 95.1% |
Visit CostvsValue.com for more information.
Technorati Tags: Remodeling, Home Project, Real Estate, San Antonio Real Estate
7 Tips to Make Sure the Price is Right
January 20, 2008
It’s tough being the seller in a buyer’s market. But your clients can improve their odds with the right research. And you can be the knight in shining armor who provides it.
In many cases, making a smart deal and getting the best price comes down to studying your market and being an educated seller.
“You’ve got to know more than you would have if you’d sold a year ago,” says William Poorvu, professor emeritus at Harvard Business School and author of the upcoming book “Creating and Growing Real Estate Wealth.” “If you want to protect yourself, you have to become knowledgeable.”
17 Ways to Get Buyers Inside Your Home
January 16, 2008
Here are some easy, inexpensive fixes that will help create that outside appeal and get you one, giant step further to a sale.
1. Paint or stain the front and garage doors, especially if they show any weathering. These are the first visuals where a potential buyer focuses. If garage doors are metal and dented, they may need to be replaced.
2. Any old, basically abandoned sheds or small structures, must be removed, the area graded and the grass replaced.
3. Change any dated, outside light fixtures.
The Selling Process
January 7, 2008
Step 1: Choosing a REALTOR®
Selling a home is one of the largest decisions of your life. The first thing to do is to find a Texas REALTOR® you trust.
Ask your friends and relatives who have sold homes recently for their recommendations. Or, you can use the find-a-REALTOR® search to locate one in your area.
Before working with a Texas REALTOR®, you should know that their duties depend on whom they represent.
The REALTOR® who lists the property for sale represents the owner. Your REALTOR®’s sole duty is to ensure that your home sells quickly, easily, and at a suitable price.
The Buying Process
January 6, 2008
Step 1: Choosing a REALTOR®
Buying a home is one of the largest purchases and biggest decisions of your life. The first thing to do is to find a REALTOR® you trust.
Ask your friends and relatives who have bought homes recently for their recommendations. Or, you can use the find-a-REALTOR® search to locate one in your area.
Before working with one, you should know that the duties of the REALTOR® depend on whom they represent.
8 Steps to Getting Your Finances in Order
January 5, 2008
- Develop a family budget. Instead of budgeting what you’d like to spend, use receipts to create a budget for what you actually spent over the last six months. One advantage of this approach is that it factors in unexpected expenses, such as car repairs, illnesses, etc., as well as predictable costs such as rent.
- Reduce your debt. Generally speaking, lenders look for a total debt load of no more than 36 percent of income. Since this figure includes your mortgage, which typically ranges between 25 percent and 28 percent of income, you need to get the rest of installment debt—car loans, student loans, revolving balances on credit cards—down to between 8 percent and 10 percent of your total income.
Understanding Agency
January 4, 2008
It’s important to understand what legal responsibilities your real estate salesperson has to you and to other parties in the transactions. Ask your salesperson to explain what type of agency relationship you have with him or her and with the brokerage company.
1. Seller’s representative (also known as a listing agent or 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.
Why Use A REALTOR
January 1, 2008
The terms agent, broker and REALTOR® are often used interchangeably, but have very different meanings. For example, not all agents (also called salespersons) or brokers are REALTORS®. Learn who is a REALTOR® and the reasons why you should use one. As a prerequisite to selling real estate, a person must be licensed by the state in which they work, either as an agent/salesperson or as a broker. Before a license is issued, minimum standards for education, examinations and experience, which are determined on a state by state basis, must be met.
8 Ways to Improve Your Credit
December 31, 2007
Credit scores, along with your overall income and debt, are a big factor in determining if you’ll qualify for a loan and what loan terms you’ll be able to qualify for.
1. Check for and correct errors in your credit report. Mistakes happen, and you could be paying for someone else’s poor financial management.
2. Pay down credit card bills. If possible, pay off the entire balance every month. However, transferring credit card debt from one card to another could lower your score.
3. Don’t charge your credit cards to the maximum limit.
5 Things to Do Before You Sell
December 30, 2007
1. Get estimates from a reliable repair person on items that need to be replaced soon, such as a roof or worn carpeting, for example. In this way, buyers will have a better sense of how much these needed repairs will affect their costs.
2. Have a termite inspection to prove to buyers that the property is not infested.
3. Get a pre-sale home inspection so you’ll be able to make repairs before buyers become concerned and cancel a contract.
4. Gather together warranties and guarantees on the furnace, appliances, and other items that will remain with the house.
