Tips on Increasing Your Home’s Value

When it comes to increasing your home’s value, it’s the little things that have the biggest impact. 

What can you do to increase the value of your home?

Some people automatically think it has to be a big project like redoing the kitchen or the bathrooms, but that’s not the answer. If you want to redo a kitchen or bathroom for your own satisfaction, go right on ahead, but when it comes to selling your home, these things won’t pay back your investment.

Doing these four simple little maintenance chores instead will have a far greater impact on your home’s value:

1. Paint. Paint the walls and trim so that it makes everything look new and nice. 
2. Flooring. If your hardwood floor is shining or your carpet looks freshly-installed, that attracts a buyer’s attention in a positive way. 
3. Landscaping. Trim and cut anything that looks ragged and unkempt. Furthermore, plant some flowers to add some extra color. 
4. Cleaning the entire interior. You don’t need more room in your budget to simply clean everything inside the home so that it looks brand new. 

You don’t need a budget, just clean the inside of your home.

If you have any questions about this or any other real estate-related topic, please don’t hesitate to give me a call. I look forward to hearing from you!

What Happens When You Sell Before You Buy?

If your home sells before you find the next one, don’t panic. Assuming that you haven’t already started searching for a property, there are three things you can do. 

 If you sell your home before you find your next one, what are your options?

Well, the best thing to do would be to start looking when you put your home on the market. That way, you have an idea of what you’re looking for and you can jump on the house you want once your current house is sold. Assuming that you didn’t do that, there are three things you could do:

1. Rent your original home back from the new owner. Rent-backs are very common. You get to stay in the home for a few weeks before closing and since you sold your home, you have money in your pocket for the next one.

2. Find a short-term rental. Most people rent properties long-term, but you can find somewhere to live for less than six months while you go out and look for your next home. You do have to move twice, but you have more time to make your decision.

3. Keep in mind that selling your house is a good thing. Depending on the market, selling before you buy might be the best option for you. Don’t just hurry out and buy a house once your home has sold; you may end up regretting your decision later on. Find some kind of temporary housing and take your time finding your next home.

If you have any other questions about buying and selling a home at the same time, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Don’t Be Fooled by Discount Brokers

Discount brokers may offer more money on the sale of your house, but they’re not nearly as effective in getting it sold as full-service brokers.

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You’ve probably heard that there are real estate companies out there that offer huge discounts on being able to sell your house. There aren’t many of them, but they exist. Why would anybody hire a discount broker over a full-service broker? 

The obvious answer is the idea that at the end of the closing, you’d end up with a little bit more money if you chose the discount broker. How can they deliver that, though? Well, they can’t! That’s why they haven’t overtaken the business. The public has spoken. However, a few discount brokers manage to survive and complete deals here and there.

In choosing between a discount broker and a full-service broker, you need to interview each type and ask them what they’re going to do to sell your house. Most discount brokers are not going to do very much at all, but in their defense, they don’t promise to do very much.

Working with a discount broker is a bit of a crapshoot.

In this way, working with a discount broker is a bit of a crapshoot. That’s mostly how they work. In fact, that’s the only way they work. In the process of interviewing both the discount brokers and the full-service brokers, you’ll be able to know which one is better for you.

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or email me. I look forward to hearing from you!

Are Appraisals Reliable?

What are appraisals? How reliable are they? Should you have one done before you list your home? These are all common questions that I wanted to clear up.

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Today I wanted to talk about appraisals. What are they? How reliable are they? Should you have one done before you put your home on the market?

An appraisal is just an opinion of value.

To put it bluntly, an appraisal is simply an educated opinion of value in the marketplace. The appraiser has constraints within which they have to work, so they come up with an opinion of value for a home.

How reliable is it? Not very. If you watch real estate ads, you'll see homes coming in thousands below appraisal. Why? Because appraisers missed the price!

Finally, should you have an appraisal done before you put your home on the market? You can if you’d like, but I'll say this: I wouldn't, because the only opinion that really counts is the market's opinion.

If you have any questions for me about appraisals or about the Atlanta real estate market, give me a call on my cell phone. I'm happy to help!

Maintaining Your Heating and Cooling Systems

With summer nearly over, I’m sure you (like me) have been reminded just how much we use our air conditioning. Soon, in the winter, you’ll also be reminded of how often you use the furnace, too.

It’s one of the major systems in your home, and a surprise issue with one of these systems can be a nightmare if handled improperly. That’s why I wanted to share a video from Angie’s List that I recently saw about proper maintenance of your heating and cooling systems.

If either unit is having issues, did you know you can actually hire technicians who are specially trained to work on certain brands? For example, if you have a Trane system, you can find a tech who is trained specifically to work on Trane products.

Secondly, always remember to get a second opinion when someone recommends that you replace a system because oftentimes a repair will do. You want to be certain when it comes to a part of your home that should last 20 years, especially considering the cost of a replacement.

"...be proactive with service on these systems."

Unfortunately, as the video points out, there are a lot of people out there in that deal in these systems and prey on customers that don’t know any better. If you’re hiring a company, you should investigate them by checking out their web reviews or social media pages. 

Also, be proactive with service on these systems. If you wait until the system is broken down and needs repair to get it checked out, you’re now at their mercy. 

As always, for any real estate questions, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to answer them for you!

3 Areas to Focus on When Preparing Your Atlanta Home for Sale

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Once you have chosen the right agent, you are ready to prepare your home for sale in Atlanta. We’ve got three great tips for you today that will help you prepare your home to sell for the most amount of money possible and for the least cost and trouble:

1. Prepare the yard. Trim the grass nicely, cut the bushes, and make sure there are flowers. It doesn’t cost a lot, but it allows the buyer to feel good as they walk into their house. 

2. Kitchen and bathrooms. These are the most important rooms in the home. The top priority here is absolute cleanliness, because it’s the number one money-maker for you. If there is a bit of mold between some tiles or stains on the counters, make sure they are taken care of. These rooms should have pleasant, inviting aromas as well. 

3. The rest of the house. Paint, carpet, and other cosmetic details will go a long way towards getting you top dollar for little or sometimes no expense at all.

Cleanliness is the number one money-maker.

If you have any questions as to whether you should do a major kitchen or bathroom renovation, every situation is different, so give us a call and we’ll be able to come out and take a look to see if it would be a worthwhile investment for you. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

3 Tips for North Atlanta Home Sellers Hiring an Agent

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How do you choose an agent to sell your house? There are three things you should consider:

1. The agent’s track record: Have they sold homes? If they have, what was the list-to-sales price ratio? How long did it take them to sell it? Check their references and look for testimonials by previous customers. Don’t hire a relative who just got their license. Would you go to a surgeon who just got their license? No. You would want an experienced surgeon, and you should work with an experienced agent.

2. The agent’s ability to sell: Have the agent do a presentation for you. See how persuasive they are. See if you can actually feel if they will be able to sell your home.

3. The agent’s ability to close the sale: Are they asking you for the business? If they are asking you, they will ask a buyer. If they’re not asking you, they will not ask the buyer.

Work with an experienced agent that has a solid marketing plan.

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

The Right Time to Buy and Sell in North Atlanta

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How do you know the right time to sell your current home and buy a new one in North Atlanta? Today, we’ll address that specific question. There a few important factors in making this crucial decision.

• Your financial situation: If you contact us, we’ll review your financial situation and determine what you can afford. We’ll learn what you want in a future home, too. Let’s work together!

• Family: Did your parents move in? Do your children need more space in the future? Maybe you’re moving out of your parents' home or your children moved out. Decide if you need more or less space according to your family’s needs.

• Professional life: Does your property support your profession? Is it a relaxing environment? If you’re an attorney, you need something more than a one-bedroom bachelor pad to wind down.

"We’ll determine your affordability."

If you’re thinking about buying or selling in the Atlanta area, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have and serve your local real estate needs!

What Does the Atlanta Housing Market Look Like?

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Today, I’ll cover the Atlanta real estate market by the numbers!

As of the end of January, we have 6% fewer homes available for sale compared to the same time last year. Additionally, we have 7% more sales. That’s a big swing of 13% from a year ago!

What does this mean for you? Now is the best time to sell a house! Inventory is tightening up, which makes it easier for your home to stand out and shine. In fact, I haven’t seen numbers like this in about a decade. Don’t wait!

Although buying is a little bit more of a challenge in today’s marketplace, it can still be done. Let’s work together! We can help you out either way.

If you’re considering buying or selling a home in the surrounding area, give me a call or send me an email at your earliest convenience. I’d be happy to answer any questions you might have about this topic or more!

Why Renting in North Atlanta Doesn’t Make Any Sense

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If you're on the fence about buying a home, there are a few benefits you should consider to help make your decision.

1. Paying rent doesn’t make sense. When you’re paying rent, you’re really helping someone else pay off their mortgage. Most people want to pay their own mortgages down.
2. It helps build family wealth. Down the road, you may want to give your home to a child or loved one. A home is a steady foundation that helps you build wealth for your family!
3. It’s a retirement investment. One-third of the time, we’re selling a large home in order to fund retirement. If you want to travel all over the world, owning a small, affordable condo is a great way to free up money for your retirement spending!
4. It’s something to borrow against. If you’re ever in a situation where you need some quick cash, it would be very easy to go to the bank and get $100,000 on the fact that you own that home!

If you have any questions about the benefits of home ownership, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

How Can You Price Your North Atlanta Home for Success?

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Pricing your home correctly is the most crucial aspect of the selling process. In order to make it happen, remember the three C’s:

1. Competition: What are you competing with? What homes are out there that are similar to yours, close to your neighborhood, that have either sold recently or are currently for sale?
2. Consumption: Are buyers buying the homes currently available on the market? If a home has been sitting on the market for months at a given price, what is the market saying about the price on that home? In other words, look at the home prices of homes that are selling!
3. Condition: What condition is your home in compared to the ones that have sold. You don’t necessarily need to compare your home to what homes are for sale, but the ones that have sold. 

If you have any questions about how you can get the best possible results when selling your North Atlanta home, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!