During the winter months it is easy to get away with your yard looking barren. Generally the trees are dormat for the winter and your grass is brown. However; as you enter the spring season all that changes. Home buyers are now looking at your home from the outside first. How is the curb appeal of the house?
I had a buyer the other day when we went out to look at homes that they had picked out to view would not go into two of the homes becuase of the curb appeal. As you prepare to sell your home this spring; think of the saying: first impression. It probably holds truer now more than ever before.
When I asked them their reason for not wanting to go inside and look at the house they answered that if the outside is taken care of this way then chances are the inside of the home is also or they have neglected the maintenance on the house. With everything to chose from, we want somethng that is going to give us the least amount of problems.
A reasoning that is hard to argue with. The photos of the exterior of the home were taken in the winter before spring bloom. So, they could not know what the yard looked like this spring. When I thnk of clients homes that I have listed.....the ones with the nice yards and curb appeal are the same ones that the inside of the homes was well cared for and maintenance was up to date.
Your home is your castle....In this ever competing market you need to enusre your home stands out from other homes in the area. One way to do that is to make sure the curb appeal of your home is up to par. Even banks today have gotten in the habit of ensuring that the yards are cut every two weeks and the shrubs trimmed, and the home looking it's best for potential buyers.
Selling your home this spring......look at it form the outside first. Sometimes a pwerwashing and fresh paint on the trim and door can make a world of difference to the look of the house. If someone cannot get over the exterior look; they are not going to go inside.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Who is Watching Or Hearing You As You Look At That House?
I came across a question the other day about the ethics of using a nanny cam in a house to see what prospective buyers are looking at or saying. The question was an intriguing one and one that brings to light an even bigger question....who is watching/listening to you?
I personally understand that some people use nanny cam for the protection of their valuables or to watch their children. I do not advocate a homeowner going out and buying one just to see who is looking at their home.
But as Realtors, we are under an obligation to look out for our clients best interests.... So, the questions becomes more do you talk when you are looking at a home inside the house or wait to you go outside? I have always been a believer of the theory; say nothing in the house unless it is empty and vacant. Because only then do you know for certain that noone is listening or watching you.
As I reflected back on why I do that; I tried to remeber what made me feel that way. Then I remember watching a TV show about selling your house and they used the feedback that people said and the video of them to make the house more desirable to sell. I guess it made a lasting impression on me and have always been cautious about that.
As I was talking with some friends about writing this they showed me a babysitter cam they have. I will be completely honest with you in that there was no way I even knew that had a camera and recorder in it with remote access even after they told me. So, how do you know who is watching or listening to you?????? What are you saying when you are in a house??? Are you giving to much information to the seller?
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
I personally understand that some people use nanny cam for the protection of their valuables or to watch their children. I do not advocate a homeowner going out and buying one just to see who is looking at their home.
But as Realtors, we are under an obligation to look out for our clients best interests.... So, the questions becomes more do you talk when you are looking at a home inside the house or wait to you go outside? I have always been a believer of the theory; say nothing in the house unless it is empty and vacant. Because only then do you know for certain that noone is listening or watching you.
As I reflected back on why I do that; I tried to remeber what made me feel that way. Then I remember watching a TV show about selling your house and they used the feedback that people said and the video of them to make the house more desirable to sell. I guess it made a lasting impression on me and have always been cautious about that.
As I was talking with some friends about writing this they showed me a babysitter cam they have. I will be completely honest with you in that there was no way I even knew that had a camera and recorder in it with remote access even after they told me. So, how do you know who is watching or listening to you?????? What are you saying when you are in a house??? Are you giving to much information to the seller?
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Selling Your Home.....What Does Your Neighborhood Look Like?
The other day I was out with a buyer form out of town. Not familiar with the area and unable to steer him to one area or neighborhood more than another I had sent him an extensive list of homes to view. He picked out six to look at. All the homes were in neighborhoods and areas that met his criteria and I think after meeting hm were places he would want to live.
We instantly ruled out three homes by pulling into the neighborhoods.......Why? becuase of the way the neighbors homes looked from the outside. it was to the point he would not even go inside the houses to look at them. he said driving through the neighborhoods " you can tell a lot aboout the neighborhood and the people by the wya they keep their homes, yards and cars parked in the driveway". When I asked him to eleaborate for me...he explained it.
His theory was that if the yards were well kept, house looked presentable from the outside and the cars were not disabled or broken down in the driveway then the neighborhood took pride in their homes. if the reverse was true; it was either people stopped caring or the neighborhood was becoming a predominant rentla community. Both options did not appeal to him.
As I look back at some f the buyers I took out recently I remeber a trend now. When we got done looking at a house that they liked; they would look around at the other homes in the neighborhood. Were they doing the same thing?
A recent feedback on one of my listings posed the same scenario to me....The agent informed me they were not going inside the house at all because his cleint did not like the neighborhood or the curb appeal.
So, if you are selling your home; or thinking of selling your home....what does your neighborhood look like? it could make a difference in someone buying your home ornot.....
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
We instantly ruled out three homes by pulling into the neighborhoods.......Why? becuase of the way the neighbors homes looked from the outside. it was to the point he would not even go inside the houses to look at them. he said driving through the neighborhoods " you can tell a lot aboout the neighborhood and the people by the wya they keep their homes, yards and cars parked in the driveway". When I asked him to eleaborate for me...he explained it.
His theory was that if the yards were well kept, house looked presentable from the outside and the cars were not disabled or broken down in the driveway then the neighborhood took pride in their homes. if the reverse was true; it was either people stopped caring or the neighborhood was becoming a predominant rentla community. Both options did not appeal to him.
As I look back at some f the buyers I took out recently I remeber a trend now. When we got done looking at a house that they liked; they would look around at the other homes in the neighborhood. Were they doing the same thing?
A recent feedback on one of my listings posed the same scenario to me....The agent informed me they were not going inside the house at all because his cleint did not like the neighborhood or the curb appeal.
So, if you are selling your home; or thinking of selling your home....what does your neighborhood look like? it could make a difference in someone buying your home ornot.....
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Is This Spring The Right Time To Buy A House In Charlotte, NC?
One thing news people like to do (and not necessarily well) is to predict when is a good time to buy a home and not a good time to buy a home. Everyone seems to be playing the real estate market like a game of craps at vegas...it is the luck of the roll. Last year the talk was that the market was going to rebound this spring and prices would start increasing. Then it was maybe next year now, then it was we are headed for another round of price dropping (meaning we have not hit the bottom yet). Well the reality is noone knows with any certainity what the market will or will not do. Some things are out of the control of predictors.
But here is a Realtor perspective of what the market is doing right now. Currently interest rates are low. They had been climbing slowly but steadily for the past few months. However; with the stock market in flux right now investors are putting more money into bonds which drives down interest rates. So,current rates are lower now than they have been in a few months.
Home prices have remained pretty much stable for the past few months. with some exceptions in Charlotte (as with any other part of the country) pricing seems to have stabilized. There will always be neighborhoods that are doing better than the average and others that are doing worse than the average.
there is a run on foreclosures in the market right now. As banks are trying to fix some of the propblems they created more homes are falling into foreclosure and the banks are trying to sell their inventory off. This makes buying a home right now a great option.
Inventory is at the highest levels it has been in years. This is a great thing for people looking to buy. Your choices are plentiful out there. There are many choices to make when looking at a house and now you have even more to choose from when you start your search.
Mortgage companies have begun to loosen their credit standards to qualify for a house. I know of two major lenders who have loosened the credit requirements to qualify for a house to more reasonable levels. This is opening more doors for people to purchase a home now than there has been in a few years.
With all these variables; YES it is the right time to look and purchase a home. As a buyer you have historic low interest rates, foreclosures hitting the market daily, inventory levels at all time high levels, and mortgage companies loosening up their rigid credit standards. All this makes the amercian dream of owning a home more affordable to more people.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
But here is a Realtor perspective of what the market is doing right now. Currently interest rates are low. They had been climbing slowly but steadily for the past few months. However; with the stock market in flux right now investors are putting more money into bonds which drives down interest rates. So,current rates are lower now than they have been in a few months.
Home prices have remained pretty much stable for the past few months. with some exceptions in Charlotte (as with any other part of the country) pricing seems to have stabilized. There will always be neighborhoods that are doing better than the average and others that are doing worse than the average.
there is a run on foreclosures in the market right now. As banks are trying to fix some of the propblems they created more homes are falling into foreclosure and the banks are trying to sell their inventory off. This makes buying a home right now a great option.
Inventory is at the highest levels it has been in years. This is a great thing for people looking to buy. Your choices are plentiful out there. There are many choices to make when looking at a house and now you have even more to choose from when you start your search.
Mortgage companies have begun to loosen their credit standards to qualify for a house. I know of two major lenders who have loosened the credit requirements to qualify for a house to more reasonable levels. This is opening more doors for people to purchase a home now than there has been in a few years.
With all these variables; YES it is the right time to look and purchase a home. As a buyer you have historic low interest rates, foreclosures hitting the market daily, inventory levels at all time high levels, and mortgage companies loosening up their rigid credit standards. All this makes the amercian dream of owning a home more affordable to more people.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
Monday, April 18, 2011
Market Report: Crestdale Crossing Matthews, NC. 28105 April 2011
Crestdale crossing is a small community fo approximately 110 homes located conviently just outside of downtown matthews. here is the snapshot of how Crestdale Crossing has fared over the past three years in home sales:
3 years ago there were 10 homes that sold. The average sale price was $126,630. They were on the market for an average of 31 days.
2 years ago there were 5 homes that sold. The average sale price was $121,875. They were on the market for an average of 23 days.
Last year there were 5 homes that sold. The average sale price was $122,500 and they were on the market for an average of 60 days.
Currenlty there are 2 homes actively on the market right now and 2 homes that are under contract to close. Based on the sales for last year; Crestdale crossing is in a balanced neighborhood that favors slightly the seller. A six month inventory of homes is considered to be average.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
3 years ago there were 10 homes that sold. The average sale price was $126,630. They were on the market for an average of 31 days.
2 years ago there were 5 homes that sold. The average sale price was $121,875. They were on the market for an average of 23 days.
Last year there were 5 homes that sold. The average sale price was $122,500 and they were on the market for an average of 60 days.
Currenlty there are 2 homes actively on the market right now and 2 homes that are under contract to close. Based on the sales for last year; Crestdale crossing is in a balanced neighborhood that favors slightly the seller. A six month inventory of homes is considered to be average.
Dave diCecco
Realtor/Broker
www.davedicecco.com
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