When we purchase a home it is the largest single investment we are going to make in our lifetime. regardless if it our first home, and upgrade or a downsize from our existing home; you still will not invest financially in any greater investment in your lifetime. So, a lot is always mentioned about having the home inspected. When we hire a home inspector, they are checking for leaks, faulty electrical, structural damage, and functionality of the equipment in the home and overall condition of the house. We tend to base whether we are going to follow through on the purchase of the home based on that report. But what about termites? Do you have the home inspected for them? Should you have the home inspected for termites?
Without any doubt YES. Just becuase a home may look structurally fine from the naked eye; it may not be. Termites tend to eat at wood from the inside and go out. So, the extent of damage they cause is not necessarily known right away to the homeowner. What if there were termites found and treated? Was the wood damaged? Or was it found and treated in enough time? These little creatures can cause extensive amount of damage without anyone knowing it.
recently had a house that was bank owned. The buyer elected to have a termite inspection. the inspector found that there were previous termite treatment to the house. But also located newer termite tubes that were active in the ground of the crawl space that were not treated. Upon further testing found that the termites had eaten away at the floor joists and band sill on the home to a point that the structural integrity of the wood had been compromised. My buyer elected to not pursue this house based on that information. The home was already in need of minor repairs and updates prior to the knolwedge of this...
Without having the termite report done she would have never known and would have been faced with a larger financial burden down the road that was not anticipated... So, if you are looking to purchase a home, have it checked for termites....that small expense could save you thousands of dollars down the road.....
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Friday, February 4, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Does Your Realtor Explain Their Marketing To You?
Recently I spoke with someone who had their home on the market with another Realtor. One of the questions I asked was why they felt the home did not sell? I hear a lot of the same answers from most homeowners... My previous Realtor put a sign in the yard and put it on the Multiple listing serivce with a flyer box in front and i never heard from them again except to ask me to reduce my price.
The other day I got a different variation on this response which made me wonder....I was told they did not feel their Realtor was marketing their home. Intriguing answer. Considering we do not get paid until the home is sold and closed you would think that their Realtor is doing everything possible to market the home to as many buyers as possible. But, what if they are? Are they communicating to the seller what they are doing as marketing and when they are marketing?
I make it a rule to not only follow up with my sellers every week to ten days; but to show them what I am doing to help them get their home sold in a timely manner. Yes, there are Realtors out there that still beleive putting a sign in the yard, placing it on the local Multiple Listing Service system and sitting back will get the home sold.
Now, Realtors all have certain marketing techniques that have worked for them in the past. I beleive in using what has worked as well to get a home sold.. But, is your Realtor thinking outside the traditonal means of marketing today? In this competitve market where the buyer has a wide array of choices you may need to do some unconventional marketing or different techniques to help expose your home to a wide array of buyers.
You should at least have a conversation every month with your Realtor to see what they are doing to help you get your home sold. This is a large transaction and I feel that my sellers need to have some input into the marketing of the home. Sometimes, they will tell you what made them look at the house or buy the house. It may be somethng that your Realtor did not think of in their marketing plan.
At least ask your Realtor what they are doing and ask to see some statistics or links for your home on various marketing avenues. You have just as much vested in the transaction, if not more than your Realtor does...why wait?
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
The other day I got a different variation on this response which made me wonder....I was told they did not feel their Realtor was marketing their home. Intriguing answer. Considering we do not get paid until the home is sold and closed you would think that their Realtor is doing everything possible to market the home to as many buyers as possible. But, what if they are? Are they communicating to the seller what they are doing as marketing and when they are marketing?
I make it a rule to not only follow up with my sellers every week to ten days; but to show them what I am doing to help them get their home sold in a timely manner. Yes, there are Realtors out there that still beleive putting a sign in the yard, placing it on the local Multiple Listing Service system and sitting back will get the home sold.
Now, Realtors all have certain marketing techniques that have worked for them in the past. I beleive in using what has worked as well to get a home sold.. But, is your Realtor thinking outside the traditonal means of marketing today? In this competitve market where the buyer has a wide array of choices you may need to do some unconventional marketing or different techniques to help expose your home to a wide array of buyers.
You should at least have a conversation every month with your Realtor to see what they are doing to help you get your home sold. This is a large transaction and I feel that my sellers need to have some input into the marketing of the home. Sometimes, they will tell you what made them look at the house or buy the house. It may be somethng that your Realtor did not think of in their marketing plan.
At least ask your Realtor what they are doing and ask to see some statistics or links for your home on various marketing avenues. You have just as much vested in the transaction, if not more than your Realtor does...why wait?
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
New Listing: 2922 Redfield Drive Charlotte, NC. 28270
This traditional 4 bedroom home with 2.5 bathrooms situated in Providence Downs Subdivison is both stunning and charming. The open floor plan uses the space extremely well. Conviently located to major highways and shopping it offers the best of all situations for that growing family. The downstairs living room, dining room and foyer are all adorned with beautifully cared for hardwood floors. The great room has a natural wood burning fireplace that is the focal point of the family room that flows into the recently redone kitchen.
The kitchen features brand new granite countertops and a tile backsplash and is large and open. The appliances have all been repalced recently in the kitchen and storage is plentiful. With easy access to the dining area the kitchen is a cooking user friendly area.
Upstairs boasts four bedrooms. The master features his and hers separate closets and dual sinks in the master bathroom. A separate garden tub and shower round out the large master suite. The other three bedrooms are very good size and have plenty of room for that growing family. The upstairs is finished off with a large bonus room that is currently being used as an entertainment room. Their is a separate fireplace in the room and beautifully crafted built in book cases and storage that add to the charm of the bonus room.
The yard is a fenced in level back yard that backs up to some trees and a long driveway of the neighbor behind. This adds to the privacy you receive form this home. The yard has been maintained and cared for. With some luck you may even get the chance to encounter some deer running through your back yard while sitting on your screened in porch. A three season porch with power, has become a popular place for the family to spend evenings enjoying the yard and the quietness of the neighborhood.
The garage is a nice size two car garage with little extra space for the work tools or bench. You have the option in this community to join the swim and tennis club. Part of the community but optional to join it offers the family a state of the art pool and tennis club. A popular hangout among the families in the summer time wth various activities and socials planned there throughout the year.
Convience is a large reason families choose Providence Downs Subdivsion as their home. Conviently located to 485 and providence road. This makes communting to various parts of Charlotte easy. In addition there is plentiful shopping around and great restaurants to choose from all within a 15 minute drive.
The home is located in one of the best school locations within Charlotte. Providence School Elementary is rated as one of the top elementary schools in the state of North Carolina. Consistently recognized as a Honor School of Excellence; the highest honor a school can receive from the state. Crestdale Middle School is a School of Distinction. Offering academic excellence with a variety of activities for the children. Providence High School is among one of the top High Schools in the state. Also recognized as a Honor School of Excellence.
This home on Redfield drive offers you privacy, convient location for commuting, and excellent school in a park like setting....Come see whay so many families chose Providence Downs as their home.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
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Monday, January 31, 2011
Selling Your Home Today...What Are Buyers Looking For?
There was an article I read the other day that had me thinking back to the past few buyers I had helped find a home. The article was talking about how a larger percentage of buyers are looking for homes in musuem" condition. Basically, that the house needed nothing and was ready to move in. But is that the reality of the market today?
Foreclosed homes and short sales make up about 36% of all home sales in 2010. Those homes are far from move in condition when they were sold. The extent of work needed on the homes dictated the price they were sold for though. I think you have three types of buyers out there looking at homes today.
First, is the buyer looking for the home they can just walk into and move their items in and do nothing (or close to nothing) to get the home where they want it. This market of buyers are willing to pay the small difference in a home price for a home that they feel is ready for them to move into. There are still a lot of homes like that out there today for buyers to choose from. A lot of buyers are going toward those homes after lookign at foreclsoed and short sale homes becuase fo the amount of work they needed. their realization si they can get this home down the street for X amount more and it justifies the cost of what it would be to repair the other one.
Second, is the buyer looking for a home that needs cosmetic repairs. By this I mean, painting on the walls, cleaning the carpet, small minor little fixes. They are looking for a good deal and do not mind doing some minor work if it can save them some money. This seems to be the largest portion of buyers I have dealt with recently. They would consider a house ready to move in. But the paint scheme, flooring and everything would have to be exactly what they want or they will pass on the house.
Third, is the buyer looking to buy a home that needs repairs. The extent of repairs needed are dictated by the price of the house and the amount of work they are willing to do to the house or can get financed when buying the house. This group tends to mostly be investors or laborers who are in the construction, electrical, or plumbing fields. They want to do the work themselves to get the hosue to the standards they want. Their looking for a great deal, knowing that the cost of getting the home up is more based on materials than labor. They are willing to do "sweat equity". Basically buy the materials and do the work themselves.
The questions when you are putting your home on the market is where does it fall in thsoe three categotries? Based on that, pricing the home according to that will enhance the likelihood of your home selling in a timely fashion.
Dave dicecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Foreclosed homes and short sales make up about 36% of all home sales in 2010. Those homes are far from move in condition when they were sold. The extent of work needed on the homes dictated the price they were sold for though. I think you have three types of buyers out there looking at homes today.
First, is the buyer looking for the home they can just walk into and move their items in and do nothing (or close to nothing) to get the home where they want it. This market of buyers are willing to pay the small difference in a home price for a home that they feel is ready for them to move into. There are still a lot of homes like that out there today for buyers to choose from. A lot of buyers are going toward those homes after lookign at foreclsoed and short sale homes becuase fo the amount of work they needed. their realization si they can get this home down the street for X amount more and it justifies the cost of what it would be to repair the other one.
Second, is the buyer looking for a home that needs cosmetic repairs. By this I mean, painting on the walls, cleaning the carpet, small minor little fixes. They are looking for a good deal and do not mind doing some minor work if it can save them some money. This seems to be the largest portion of buyers I have dealt with recently. They would consider a house ready to move in. But the paint scheme, flooring and everything would have to be exactly what they want or they will pass on the house.
Third, is the buyer looking to buy a home that needs repairs. The extent of repairs needed are dictated by the price of the house and the amount of work they are willing to do to the house or can get financed when buying the house. This group tends to mostly be investors or laborers who are in the construction, electrical, or plumbing fields. They want to do the work themselves to get the hosue to the standards they want. Their looking for a great deal, knowing that the cost of getting the home up is more based on materials than labor. They are willing to do "sweat equity". Basically buy the materials and do the work themselves.
The questions when you are putting your home on the market is where does it fall in thsoe three categotries? Based on that, pricing the home according to that will enhance the likelihood of your home selling in a timely fashion.
Dave dicecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
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