Why Put Your Home On the Market During The Holiday's?

This time of the year the question arises as to whether I should place my home on the market now or wait to after the first of the year. I always seem to get this question now and my answer is always the same....Defintely YES.

There are numerous arguements for and against putting homes on the market during the holiday season. But one arguement that is hard to refute is; the buyers that are out looking at your home now are buying a house now.

Yes, it can be inconvient this time of the year.With family getting together and holiday parties and shopping. Keeping your home up for showings can be an added stress some people do not want to deal with this time of the eyar.

But so many people intentionally let their home expire prior to the holidays. This way they do nto have to worry about showings and finding a home to move to during the holiday's and enjoy the time with family and loved ones. But, are you losing out on potential buyers?

Well, one large community I have a listing in had 7 active listings in October. Today there are 2. The remainign 5 expired and have elected to stay off the market until after the New Year. I have three showings scheduled this week alone. I now have a very captive audience of buyers. The choices for them have narroweed substantially; thus increasing my chances of my seller receiving an offer on their home.

This time of the year showings are probably going to be less now than after the New Year going into the spring season. But, the people that are out there looking at the homes are not looking three to six months down the road before they buy...they are lookign to buy now. So, why would you not want to have your home on the market during the holiday season?

Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com

Selling Your Home...Consider A Pre-inspection Of Your Home

With many choices out there for buyers to choose from sellers need to make sure their home stands out from the rest. Give a buyer a reason to want to look at your home. One way to do this; have a home inspection done prior to putting your home on the market.

A lot of times there are thngs you may not have noticed that you could get fixed prior to listing your home or adjust the price of your home accordingly. I have never sold a home; be it resale or new constrction that there has not been something wrong with the home.

One way to help allievate a buyers hestiation about your home is to have it pre-inspected. This will give both you and the buyer some additional peace of mind. For one, you will be able to know what is wrong with the house before it goes on the market. It allows you to do the minor repairs that may be needed to make your home more marketable or adjust the price if there are things found you were unaware of.

For buyers, by having the listing agent post the copy of the home inspection and informing the buyer that the home has been inspected and repaired it will give the buyer added peace of mind and knowledge of what was wrong with the house and what was repaired.

When a buyer is comparing your home to other homes that added peace of mind can help the buyer decide more toward your home. It will help them know how the home was maintained and that the reparis are done.

In this competititve market; as a seller you need any and all advantages you can take. If the small amount you pay to have an inspection done returns you a buyer sooner rather than later you can see substantial savings if you are lowering your monthly mortgage payment or the savings you will recoup by not having to lower your asking price to attract a buyer....

Dave dicecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com

What I Am Thankful For This Thanksgiving

Today as we celebrate Thanksgiving I use this time to ponder what I am thankful for duing the past year. I usually say I am thankful for my health during the past year, my family, roof over my head and the ability to pay my bills every month.

But this thanksgiving I am sitting here doing some reflection on the past year and realzied I am thankful for so much more as well.... I have had the privledge to be able to help people realize the American dream of homeownership. But, I sit here and write this I am thinking back to each and every client I helped this past year. Whether it was buying their first home, selling their home or relocating to other parts of the country.

I start to think; what I do is one of the greatest gifts I can give a family this time of year...The pride of home ownership. I always feel the best part of being a Real Estate agent is sitting at the closing table and looking into the buyers eyes as the attroney has just told them they are now proud homeowners. The look on their faces makes all the work and driving around and searching for homes so much more gratifying.

Today, 15 buyers I helped find their first home or upgrade from an existing home will be celebrating their first thanksgiving in their new homes... I remeber the joy I felt when I had that first family holiday in my new home...it was like no other feeling I had except when I finally opened the door to my new home.

So, today I am thankful for the opportunity to have helped so many young families experince the joy of home ownership this year....So, thank you to all who have entrusted me with helping me to find their first home.

This Thanksgiving I say Thank You.....

Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com