Home Seller's Showing Checklist

If you're ready to sell your home, it's important to make a great first impression, which means stellar home showings. There are a lot of tips that your friends, realtor and others will offer you in the realm of home showings including everything from buying fresh flowers to painting in netural colors. Consult the comprehensive checklist below to make sure that you cover the basics when it's time to show your home.

Outdoors

• Lawns and shrubs trimmed
• Lawns and shrubs watered
• Walkways and driveway cleared
• Hoses neatly coiled
• Bikes and cars in garage or shed
• Mailbox in good shape

Home Exterior

• Roof clean and in good shape
• Steps and patios clear and clean
• Windows caulked and clean
• Yard clear of toys, tools and equipment
• Gutters clean

Garage

• Floor is swept and possibly painted
• Garage is organized
• Cobwebs and dirt cleaned
• No clutter

Home Interior

• Floors and carpets clean
• Pets not in view
• All furnishings clean and dusted
• Beds made
• Dishes put away, counters clean, appliances wiped down
• Bathroom well aired and clean
• Sinks and bowls shining

Plumbing/HV AC

• Leaky fixtures repaired
• Under sink clean and dry
• Clutter removed
• Stains scrubbed away

Electrical

• Burned out bulbs replaced
• No frayed wires
• Makeshift extension cords removed
• Outlet plates clean and intact

Decor

• Walls clean and painted if necessary
• Ceilings and ceiling fans cleaned
• Pictures straight
• Blinds clean and orderly
• Fireplace clean and ash free

Final Touches

• No loud noises - TV etc
• Smells fresh, consider air freshener, but not too strong
• Netural temperature, maybe open windows for fresh air
• Well lit

Basement

• Clean and organized
• Laundry area clean, no dirty laundry

If you're selling a home in the East Lansing or Greater Lansing areas and would like more tips on presenting your home in the best possible way, please contact me at MyRealtorRob. As an East Lansing realtor, I can help prepare your home for showings in addition to offering you a free makret analysis.

Buyers Purchasing Before Homes On Sale

If you have any doubts that the current housing market is in an upswing, just refer to a recent article published by RisMedia. According to the popular Real Estate website, house hunters who are disappointed by the current housing selection have begun to contact homeowners whose houses are not even on the market. In most cases, these buyers work with a Realtor who has access to the database of houses in their desired area that were previously listed and did not sell as well as upcoming listings that have not yet hit the market. Many Realtors, myself included, will also contact the homeowners of a house that my client really loves simply to discover whether selling is something that may interest them. 

According to Joe Grunnet, a Minneapolis broker, a shadow market exists that includes many potential sellers who would like to sell their homes, but have chosen to rent them out or wait for a turn in the market. They are unaware that many people are currently buying and that right now is a prime opportunity to find buyers willing to pay full or close to full asking prices. Grunnet's firm specializes in the sale and rental of downtown condos and lately, as the number of available units has dwindled, he has begun to contact condo owners who rent their properties to see if they are willing to sell. It appears to be working since he has sold more off-market condos in the first four months of 2012 than in the previous three years combined. 

The important thing to remember when pursuing a home that is not on the market is that the owner's may not want to sell. Flexibility and an open mind are important. Fortunately, there are may homeowners who are ready to sell, but are unaware of the recent influx of home buyers and the shortage of viable properties on the market. 

How To Access the Shadow Housing Market:

1. Find a good realtor: Get connected with someone who specializes in the location that you desire to own a home. The more people they've worked with, the more connections they will have to potential sellers. 
2. Figure out exactly what you want: Narrow down what you want from number of bedrooms to a basement rec room. This will help your realtor when searching the MLS for previously listed properties. 
3. Drive around: If you're bent set on a specific area, spend some time driving around the neighborhood. Let your realtor know about any homes that you would love to make an offer on, listed or not. 
4. Get in contact: As the buyer, you can leave this task to your realtor, but make sure to follow up with them. Some realtors will contact potential sellers with a quick note in the mail explaining that they have a party interested in their home. Other options include calling the owner directly or stopping by their house to inquire about the possibility of a sale. 
5. Get comfortable: Home selling takes time even when a homeowner has listed their property and is ready to move elsewhere. When you're purchasing a home from someone whose property was not listed, you can expect it to take time for that person to settle on an asking price, find a new house and prepare for the actual move. If you've found the home of your dreams, it's worth waiting for so allow the process to unfold naturally. 

As an East Lansing Realtor, I am happy to assist you with all of your real estate needs. If you're a buyer looking to tap into the shadow housing market or a seller ready to take advantage of the current surplus of home buyers, contact me at MyRealtorRob. 

It's Getting Cheaper to Buy than Rent

For the last several years, renting has been the primary choice for many U.S. residents. Between the volatile housing market and challenges getting financing, many people turned to renting homes or apartments. However, a recent CNN Money article cites rising rental costs while housing prices remain steady.

According to the article, rents have risen approximately 5% while housing prices have declined .7% in the last 12 months. In fact, Trulia economist Jed Kolko says that buying has now become more affordable then renting in nearly every part of the U.S. The cities that have seen the largest rent increases include Sarasota, FL; Miami, FL; San Francisco, CA; Middlesex County, MA; and Edison, NJ. The average home rented for $1285 monthly one year ago and these days costs nearly $100 more at $1350 a month. Some areas have seen nearly double digit rent increases such as Indianapolis where rents rose 9.7% and Columbus, Ohio where they increased 9.3%.

Fortunately, federally-backed programs, record low interest rates and a housing market flooded with motivated sellers offers buyers an ideal opportunity to segue into home ownership. In the Lansing area alone, we have witnessed a noteworthy bounce-back as houses sell faster than we can list them. In the past week, I have twice contacted real estate agents for showings only to discover that the homes were already under contract.

I was so curious about these perceived increases that I asked a fellow Tomie Raines staff member to run a report  comparing our sales in March 2012 to 2011. Sure enough the market activity in the Greater Lansing area reveals a 3.2 increase in sales and a whopping 17% increase in average home sale price for 2012.

I personally am working with a lot of current buyers who are searching for everything from homes with acreage to modern condominiums. If you're thinking about selling and would information about your home's market value or the sales activity in your area, please contact me at MyRealtorRob or through email.

How to Sell A House

There are thousands, maybe millions, of articles that give you tips on how to sell a house. It's a popular topic because most of us, at some point in our lives, will be selling a house. Maybe we're selling our own home, selling an investment property, or perhaps you're like me, a realtor, who sells other people's houses. In my case, I'm fortunate to have the desire to continually learn and evolve my career as an East Lansing Realtor. This means, I read a lot, take classes and pay close attention to what properties I'm selling and why. Below I've compiled a few tips to streamline your home's sale.

Network A Lot: If you're similar to most people you have a job, engage in activities such as Zumba classes or bowling leagues and attend your kids' functions like Ice Cream Socials and soccer practice. Every one of these activities offers you dozens of people who may want to buy your home. Engage in conversation and casually mention that you're selling your house...to everyone. You will be amazed at how many people are either looking to buy a new home or know someone that is. Be ready with some listing information or your Realtor's card and pass them out liberally. This also goes for your social network sites like Facebook, Twitter and Linked In - let your friends know where they can find out more about your home.

Choose the Right Realtor: I cannot stress this one enough. Don't google "realtor" and pick the first one on the list. Instead, do some research and find out which Realtors are successfully selling homes in your area. Talk to your neighbors and get their recommendations. Then sit down with some prospective agents and see if you click. Find out what the agent does to attract buyers to your home. Do they market online? Are they clocking out after 5 pm and on the weekends or are they available when you need them?

Seek Help from a High Power: Okay so this may seem a bit strange, what higher power after all has time to worry about the successful sale of your home, but ultimately that's not the point. Believing that something is going to happen is half the battle and for some people, it's easier to believe when a little magic gets involved. According to a 2012 article in the Wall Street Journal,  Cindy Lin, general manager of Staged4more Home Staging and Redesigns, adds oranges to home showings because they are associated with good fortune in Chinese Culture. Other home sellers are known for burying statues of St. Joseph in their yards or sprinkling salt over their doorways.

Make a Video: More and more people are finding their future homes online. Get a step ahead by creating a video, According to a Reader's Digest article, one effective way to market your property is through YouTube. Specifically they recommend creating a "love letter" video which highlights all of the things that you and your family loved about your home as you walk through. Also include your favorite nearby bakery and the park where you walk your dog to help prospective buyers understand the benefits of living in your area.

Cover the Basics: The basics are many when it's time to sell your home, but knowing them isn't the same as doing them. Clean well before every showing. De-clutter and depersonalize the space so that buyers can imagine their family in the home, not yours. Touch up peeling paint, weed the garden and fix any faulty areas. Buyers aren't interested in purchasing a job, they want a house. Be open to every offer and consider offering creative financing such as land contracts to attract more potential buyers.

If you live in the East Lansing or Lansing areas of Michigan and would like more information about selling your property, feel free to get in touch with me at MyRealtorRob. As a realtor with Tomie Raines, I can extend a variety of resources to help you sell your home faster for more money.