Are We there Yet? House Buying with Kids

Well Lets All Load Up!

House Buying with kids in mind (and in tow) can introduce a whole new dynamic to the house search quest. Home buyers are not only searching for  a comfortable place that meets their own needs but often seek the perfect sized home, in a popular school area, with lots of  amenities. In addition, as a Mom (as well as a realtor) I can attest to the spirited tactics of going on house tours with children tagging along. However,  keeping a few simple tips in mind can not only help you find a home that meets your family's needs as well as keep your sanity while on the hunt.

Sellers or Buyers’ Market, Which Direction Are We Heading?

Watch for Signs

Is it a Sellers or Buyers’ Real Estate Market? At times finding the right path in the complicated real estate market means understanding which way the road is headed. Without knowing which direction the market is going and having no available roadmap, many home sellers and buyers can be left at a dead end. Yet when buying or selling a home, there are signs within the marketplace that if followed correctly, will have sellers packing to leave and buyers on the freeway to home ownership.

5 Simple Tips for First Time Home Sellers

The housing market has been changed forever. If you are selling a house for the first time, you need to know that today's home buyers are pickier and are using more tools to help them find the right home to suit their needs. As such, it is not enough to simply list your house for sale. You need to have a solid marketing strategy to help you sell your house fast and make a good profit out of it. Here are some tips that can help you accomplish this goal.

Know your potential buyers.

You can create an effective marketing plan if you know who would most likely buy your listing. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), today's home buyers would most probably belong to the millennial generation, are mobile (use their mobile phones to search for listings and open houses), and use photos to help them make their buying decision. Moreover, today's buyers enter the market when they are ready to buy.

On the other hand, buyers belonging to the Silent Generation (those born between 1925 and 1945) start the process by getting in touch with their agents and prefer to attend open houses before making a decision.

Price it right.

You will get the most number of showings during the first two to three weeks so put a realistic price tag on your house right from the start to increase your chances of selling your house fast.

Throw in some extras.

Sweeten the deal by offering some nice extras (new stainless steel kitchen appliances, flat TVs and/or washer and dryer sets, etc.) to potential home buyers. 

Make it move-ready.

You can sell your house fast and for top dollar if you make your home move-ready before listing it on the market. Keep in mind that most buyers want to start fresh and would not want another item on their to-do list after buying a new house.

Hire the right agent.

Not all real estate agents are created equal so do your homework before choosing the agent you would like to work with. To increase your chances of choosing the right agent, get a referral from someone you trust, and talk with recent and past clients. Make sure that the agent is licensed, has the right credentials, knows your area and has considerable experience in the field. You should also look at their current listings and business websites to see what types of properties they are selling and to determine how effectively they are using their online tools.

For more valuable tips on selling or buying a home, please visit my site at http://www.pamsantoro.bhhsgeorgia.com/. You can also contact me at 678-656-6627 if you have any questions about local market conditions, financing or anything that can help you with in your search for real estate.

Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at freedigitalphotos.com