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Get ready! With the spring sale season just around the corner, now is the time to get your home ready to put on the market. As a Minnesota Realtor, I have seen many homes go on the market that simply are not ready. This decreases the amount a buyer is willing to pay buy thousands of dollars.

These are my 10 ten ideas for sellers to get their homes in top condition for a quick sale.

1. Make the Front Entrance SPARKLE!.

You need to make a great first impression! A coat of paint and a new brass kick plate or doorknocker says “welcome home”. Remove any personalized doorknockers or signs from the front of the home. Remember to trim bushes and shrubs and keep walkways clear. A blooming plant or festive wreath is a nice touch.

2. Organize the Kitchen.

Kitchens sell homesmake yours appear more large and inviting! Clean off counters and organize cupboards and drawers. Store or pack seldom used appliances and large pans. Consider replacing the counter if it is worn or has an unusual color. Repair or replace leaky kitchen faucets and dated florescent light fixtures.

3. Reduce Clutter Inside and Out.

Sort out E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G! Throw away anything you do not need and organize the rest. Too much stuff? Consider an off-site storage facility during the move. Donate unwanted items to a local charity. Campers, boats and old cars should be parked at a different location.

4. Clean.

Your home should be spotless and smell clean too! Remember to give attention to the yard and garage too. Buyers want to see the size of your garage not where you dumped all the stuff from the house. If you have a dog, make certain that the yard has been picked up before every showing and it is completely free of debris.

5. Paint.

Light neutral colors make small rooms appear larger. That cute personalization you painstakingly painted on your child’s wall is a paint-over project to a new buyer. Do them a favor and paint over before the first showing. Remove dated wallpaper and borders and paint walls. Use premium quality paint and remember to patch holes properly and tape woodwork prior to starting. A sloppy paint job can be more detrimental to your bottom line than no paint job at all.

6. Update Bath.

If cleaning and painting cannot help a dingy bath, consider replacing vanity, counter and sink. Look at the faucets and light fixtures. If they are vintage, consider replacing. Also consider installing new flooring or buy nice plush floor mats to make the bathroom cozy. If the tub is nasty and stained, look into having it resurfaced.

7. Make Minor Repairs.

Tighten knobs, fix leaky faucets, oil squeaking hinges, replace dirty filters, repair cracked windows and holes in screens. If it can be fixed, fix it! Buyers do not pay top dollar for a “project house”.

8. Fix Roof Leaks.

One tiny water stain on the ceiling will cause a buyer to question the entire roof. Find and fix the leak at the source. This may be the time to call in an expert. Repair any ceiling damage. Disclose any information on repairs made to potential buyers.

9. Explain a Wet Basement.

Do what you can to make repairs but be prepared to explain all existing and repaired problems to the potential buyers. Never try to cover signs of a wet basement.

10. Exterminate.

Call a professional to get rid of the pests, repair any damage, and allow time for any pesticide smells to dissipate before showing. One bug, dead or alive, can make a bad impression on a buyer. If you have periodic mice, remove the traps and bait before showings. Again, disclose any pest infestations to potential buyers before the sale.

Copyright 2006 Teri Eckholm.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Teri Eckholm, Realtor
Keller Williams Premier Realty
http://www.terieckholm.com

Teri Eckholm is a native Minnesotan with nearly 20 years of sales and marketing experience. She grew up in a St. Paul suburb and working as a Realtor, she has serviced residents of the Twin Cities metro area for over five years. Teri has assisted hundreds of clients move from across town, across Minnesota and across the United States.

Many real estate agents begin and sometimes sadly end their careers without a plan. And as the saying goes, failing to plan is as good as planning to fail.

Sure, some do the usual and expected things to cultivate new business, like mailing letters and post cards to friends and relatives, phoning acquaintances, and giving out business cards to any and everybody they meet.

Heck, some are courageous enough to “cold call” prospects, the most
dreaded of all tasks! And while all of these activities are good things to do, they don’t necessarily translate into new business opportunities – now or later!

And while these may be good strategies you need more. But instead of working harder why not work smarter?

The most successful Realtors and Real Estate Agents have “lead
generating systems.” Some Farm Expired Listings for huge profits.

A good listing system can:

jump start new or average real estate sales career; bring in real estate listings on a regular basis; week after week
generate prospective buyers and sellers; give you marketing exposure in months rather than years; and position you to know the best real estate investment buys

Personally, I love Expired Listing Systems and their laser beam like focus on warm, responsive sellers. Sellers that are typically still Realtor friendly, eager to sell and will do what it takes to get their properties sold.

Owners of expired listings are motivated for many reasons; double mortgages, vacant properties, terrible tenants, recently married and combining households, recently divorced and liquidating real estate assets, and on and on.

Plus, they have gone through a listing cycle and may be anxious to get on with their lives. But, as you know, or will soon learn, all listings aren’t worth having.

As for me, I initially listed every property that I could; vacant land, single family homes, condo’s, triplexes, mobile home parks, mobile homes, homes in top notch condition, fixer uppers, whatever.

And I got to feeling pretty darn good (and just a little smug) as my listing portfolio grew to more listings than I could manage.

So, I first hired a part time clerk/assistant to help me market my listings, then took on a newly licensed salesperson as a partner and split the listing fees 50/50. Pretty soon my listing system was humming and I was averaging 1-2 listings a week.

I then had an army of agents working for me day and night, as almost all of my listings were in the Multiple Listing System. Working to get me paid, even when I was chaperoning field trips, getting a haircut, or just taking a day off!

That’s what a good real estate listing system can do for you!

So, if you don’t have a good listing system you should get one. After all, if real estate listings are the lifeblood of the industry then how successful can you be without them?

Lanard Perry is the author of “Farming Expired Listings – Your Personal Guide To Listing Success.” Visit his website at http://www.farmingexpiredlistings.com for more real estate sales and marketing ideas.

Should you do your own pre-purchase inspection? Yes and no. Yes, you should inspect a house before you write an offer on it. Then you should put an inspection contingency clause in the offer, and hire a professional inspector. Why do both?

Doing your own inspection can help you get a better deal. Each cracked window or leaky toilet you can find is a negotiating point. You see, you could just make a low offer, but a seller is more likely to accept your offer if you have reasons for it being lower. In fact, you should attach a list of your concerns to the offer, as an explanation and justification for your price.

Use a list as you walk through the house. Using a home inspection checklist keeps you from forgetting things. You don’t have to know the difference between 12-gauge and 14-gauge wiring, or become an expert on all the building trades, as useful as this would be. Just use what you do know, and make a note if something looks “odd” or “smells funny.” Afterwards, you can have a professional inspector take a closer look.

Pay for a professional pre-purchase inspection. Unless you really know a lot, it can save your neck financially. An acquaintance of mine just discovered that the house he made an offer on was almost beyond hope, because their was so much termite and other damage. He backed out of the deal, and considering the tens of thousands of damage he hadn’t planned on, I don’t think he’s regretting the $300 he spent on inspections.

Do a walk-through inspection yourself, by all means. Just also put that clause in the contract allowing you to have professional inspections too. Now, how do you choose the right person to do the inspections? Carefully.

Pre-Purchase Inspection – Choosing An Inspector

For specific inspections that are customary in your area, you can rely on most reputable companies. Termite inspections are the norm here in Tucson, for example, and it’s cheap to get one done by a pest control company (they hope to get the job if there are termites to be eradicated). If the roof has obvious problems, you can get a roofer to take a look and give you an itemized quote.

For general pre-purchase inspections, though, it isn’t as easy to hire the right person. In many states it is relatively easy to get licensed for general home inspection. What you really want, though, is not someone that read the right books and passed a test, but an inspector with real life experience. Ideally, you want a former builder or tradesman that has real experience with everything from electrical work to roofing to plumbing and more.

You want to know what is wrong, but you also want to know what it will cost to fix these problems. Not all inspectors will have that information for you. Ask if they can give you estimates for repairing any problem they find, even if only in the form of a range of the possible cost. You may be re-negotiating the price based on his findings. You could call in contractors to get quotes on big problems, but you need to at least know which are big problems, and a good inspector should be able to tell you.

To sum up: Do your own walk-through inspection, then hire a professional. Ask about their experience. Ask if they can note estimated costs next to problems found. If you want to learn more, ask if maybe you can tag along for the inspection. Do these things and you’ll have a thorough pre-purchase inspection.

Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learn more, get a free real estate investing course, home inspection checklist, and see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

As you consider selling your home, you might be thinking “Why do I need a Realtor, what value does a Sellers Agent provide to me?”

Here are five areas where a licensed Realtor can help you sell your home -

SETTING THE PRICE

Pricing your home for sale is a careful balance. Set the price too low and you end up leaving money on the table. Set the price too high and your home will be on the market a long time, which will make the problem worse as potential buyers think “that house has been on the market a long time, there must be a problem with it”.

It is the Realtors job to know what homes like yours have sold for recently, and they can utilize the detailed history of the home sales in your neighborhood to tell whether your home – with it’s unique features, location and condition – will bring more, or less, than similar listings. The Realtor always has the pulse of the local and regional Real Estate market, so they know whether the market is heating up or cooling down, and can stay ahead of the trend, pricing your home to get you the highest possible price in the least amount of time.

PROVIDE MARKETING MUSCLE

Attracting interested people to view and buy your home does not happen automatically. A Realtor will market your home to the widest audience of potential buyers through a well-coordinated multimedia campaign. Of course they will use “For Sale” Signs, Newspaper Ads, Internet websites and open houses, but you’ll also be placed in the Multiple Listing Service where other local Real Estate agents can bring it to the attention of their buyers. Realtors can also advertise your home on Realtor.com and Yahoo Classifieds Real Estate where it can be viewed by anyone in the world that is relocating to your area.

BEING OBJECTIVE

Selling a home can be an emotional experience. After all, it’s been a part of your life, perhaps the center of your life, for years. As a third party, a Realtor can keep you focused and provide independent feedback on things you should do, or changes and repairs that should be made, to help the home sell. They will also act as a buffer during negotiations. A licensed Realtor will adhere to a strict code of ethics, and work to represent your best interests.

PRE-QUALIFY BUYERS

A Realtor can help separate the serious buyers from people that are “just out touring homes” and this will save you a lot of time and frustration. The Realtor will determine if buyers are serious by getting answers to questions about their motivations and purchasing power and by ensuring that they have been pre-qualified for a mortgage in the amount needed to buy your home. When the Realtor brings you an offer on your home, you can be sure that the buyers’ finances have been checked and they can close the deal in a timely fashion.

FOLLOWING THROUGH and CLOSING THE DEAL

Selling your house is a complicated process. There are offers and counter-offers. Then come the Contracts of Sale, inspection reports, disclosure forms, deeds, mortgage documents and more. There are many government-required inspections, disclosures and releases to be signed and exchanged between Buyer and Seller. Your Realtor keeps track of it all and sees to every detail. The value they provide is in avoiding delays and mistakes, and coordinating the timing of the sale of your house with the purchase of another, so that you make a smooth transition to your new home.

SUMMARY

Your home is probably your biggest asset. Selling it is one of the biggest transactions most people undertake. To try to do it without a seasoned professional beside you, is like going into a courtroom without a lawyer.

The value that a Realtor provides to someone selling a house is peace of mind. The marketing, the details, the paperwork, the coordination. A Realtor does it for a living every day, and has been through the process dozens, if not, hundreds of times. So relax and leave the details to them. You’ll find that having a knowledgeable Realtor beside you throughout the sale of your home is……… priceless.

Vicki Walker is a Realtor serving the Northern California communities of Davis, Woodland, Winters and Yolo County. You can get more information at her websites, Davis Real Estate and Homes and Woodland California Real Estate

A very smart attorney I know paid $7,000 for a roof repair, only to have the roof leak the next time it rained. The contractor stalled, made excuses, but never did a thing about it. Anyone can have these kinds of problems when having repairs or improvements done, but to make it less likely, avoid the folowing mistakes when hiring a contractor.

1. Not knowing what you want. If you don’t know what you want, you might not like what you get. Also, if you change your mind and change the job halfway through, the contract – and price – have changed (Hint: it won’t get cheaper). Know clearly what you want done.

2. Not getting everything in writing. You don’t want to hear, “I didn’t say I was going to include the gutters.”

3. Not having dates in the contract. Did you want it finished this year? You better have it in the contract.

4. Paying too much up front. A deposit may be a reasonable request when the contract is signed, and money for materials prior to the start date. Never pay in full before the job is finished.

5. Hiring unlicensed contractors. Actually, this can be okay, if you know what you are doing (and he does). The license doesn’t mean you get expertise, but it does mean you get leverage. A contractor will right his wrongs to avoid losing that license.

6. Hiring the first one in the phone book. Ask friends who had work done, or the owner of a hardware store. Find a recommendation based on a similar job to yours.

7. Thinking there will be no problems. Weather delays, employees quitting, and more will happen. Having problems is okay, but it’s not okay if the contractor can’t work out the issues to your satisfaction.

8. Expecting neatness. Believe it or not, it is sometimes efficient to leave things laying where they’ll next be used. There will be messes, so prepare accordingly. Cover things if it will be a dusty job, for example. Also be clear in the contract that the jobsite will be cleaned up at the end of the job.

9. Not having penalties in the contract. This is important on large jobs. It’s one thing to say “Work to be completed by May 2nd,” but better to add, “$100 per day to be deducted from the contract price for each day the job is unfinished beyond May 2nd.” That’s what I call a motivational clause.

10. Thinking contracts will prevent problems. They help, but unreasonable people on either side of a contract can ignore them, or use “literal readings” to make things even worse. Find someone you can work with, and keep your eyes open.

Steve Gillman has invested in real estate for years. To learn more, and to see a photo of a beautiful house he and his wife bought for $17,500, visit http://www.HousesUnderFiftyThousand.com

Utah county real estate is becoming more popular each year. Only recently have we begun to see housing prices rise to match the average national prices. Located 44 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah County lies in a valley beneath the Wasatch Mountains. Utah County is currently experiencing unprecedented growth. Founded in 1852 Utah County has a long history of being a wonderful community. It has consistently been ranked in the top twenty best places to live in the nation by Money Magazine and was ranked in the top twenty best places to do business in America by Forbes magazine. The County ranked 5th for the fastest growth of out all counties in Utah last year with an 8% percent increase. The total estimated population for the area is 398,056. Provo is the largest city in the county with a population of 153,600. Other cities of note are Orem, Pleasant Grove, and American Fork.

The total number of housing units in the county is 104,315. This number is increasing significantly each year. Several large developments are currently being underway in Lehi and American Fork. New construction can be seen everywhere. It is really an exciting time of growth for the Utah County. A majority of these units are owner occupied. Current estimates show that around 33,137 units are being rented. Utah County real estate is very popular among real estate investors due to the ease of renting in the area. There are several colleges, hair schools and dental hygiene schools in the area providing a large population of student renters. The 71,178 units that are owner occupied have an average monthly mortgage cost of $1,148. Due to the higher appreciation rates seen in other parts of the country those who relocate to Utah are able to buy a home that is much larger and newer than their pervious home. This is another reason for the amount of growth we are seeing in Utah County. Real estate here is a great buy.

Another reason Utah County real estate is so appealing is the low crime rate. An FBI report showed the Provo-Orem Area has the second-lowest rate of violent crime in the nation for the year 2000. Utah County is also very family-oriented. The average family size is 3.86, much higher than the national average. Large families and a high student population are responsible for the county’s low median age of 23.3 (the lowest county median age in the United States). This is a community of active young adults and young families.

Median income for a household in the county is $45,833, and the median income for a family was $50,196. Males had a median income of $37,878 versus $22,656 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,557. Over 12.00% of the population and 6.80% of families were below the poverty line. The poverty rate for the county is partially due to the large student population in the area. Also because of its younger population many haven’t been in the job long enough to receive raises. The lower income of the area makes buying Utah County real estate possible to everyone. Excluding Alpine City where the homes are large and luxurious. Alpine is know for its incredible real estate.
About 88% of Utah County residents are Latter-day Saints; this is probably the highest concentration of Saints in the world. The culture and lifestyle of the people here is unique and welcoming. Members of all faiths have found Utah County Real Estate not only a great buy and wise investment but also a cherished place to call home.

Mark Keller is an internet marketer for http://www.10xmarketing.com Learn more about Utah County real estate by visiting the http://www.lucidiagroup.com at http://www.lucidiagroup.com/Index.aspx

Last year, to be a successful real estate agent all you had to do was get any listing. Underpriced? Never mind, multiple offers will fix that. Overpriced? Never mind, we’ll get there in a week or two. Anyone who could fog a mirror could be a real estate pro.

This year, it’s going to be a slightly bumpier ride, so make sure the Realtor you list your home with has enough experience to handle the current market conditions. Last January, the Greater Phoenix area had just above 3000 listings; this January the number is over 33,000, which is a much more normal level and will restore balance to the market. The key to success in the real estate market is often said to be listings. That is partly true. The real key is “saleable” listings which means the price has to be right. Yesterday, a lender remarked to me that many appraisals, of late, have been coming in over price. That is to be expected because the superheated market of last fall, which has cooled considerably, is still recent enough to be used as comparables.

And therein lies the rub.

An inexperienced agent will use those comps to justify a high listing price which will placate an owner temporarily, but won’t get the house sold. I have had supposedly experienced agents attempt to justify their high, in my opinion, listing prices by stating “similar homes in the area are for sale at the same price”. Right, and they’re not selling either.

A good Realtor should persuade an owner of the benefits of not overpricing, in order to list and sell a property promptly for the best price. The only thing that fixes everything wrong with a home is price.

In order to survive a species has to adapt; the same can be said of Realtors and, of course, sellers.

Gary Kiernan is a licensed Broker in both Arizona and California, who practices real estate in Arizona with his wife who is a licensed sales associatie also in both states. They specialize in the Greater Phoenix area concentrating on Cave Creek, Carefree, Scottsdale, Phoenix including Desert Hills, Anthem, Paradise Valley, Gilbert, Mesa, and Chandler. To learn more about Gary and Shannon and Cave Creek, Arizona and the surrounding communities please visit their website at http://www.garizonaproperties.com or you may email them at skiernanc21@yahoo.com

In the North American school system students seeking to be the best strive for an ‘A’ grade. However, the school system is not the end of the drive to be the best and earn an ‘A’ grade. Letter grades are used by rating agencies to rank communities in terms of investment risk.

Ostrava, in recent times, received an ‘A3′ grade from Moody’s Investors Service.

What does this mean to you as a potential investor? What are the other indicators which would point to the health and prospects of Ostrava’s property market?

What does this rating actually mean?

There are 25 rankings from Moodys in the investor services, an ‘A3′ is seventh from the top and is defined as an upper-medium grade. A similar grading company, Standard and Poors, also gave Ostrava an ‘A’ ranking based on their grading system.

What will that mean for the city?

Some investors will only look at cities with ‘A’ ratings. It is an indicator of the financial and fiscal health of the community.

Since the restructuring of the industry in the 1990s, the economic platform of the city has changed substantially. In fact, most of its incomes are no longer dependant on local economic conditions.

Ostrava, in receiving this rating, achieved the identical level of rating as other mid-sized cities in Central Europe. Brno, for example, also received an ‘A3′ rating (for a complete discussion of Brno property and economic developments visit our feature on Brno property.)

Let’s go through some other indicators as to the investment potential for this Northern Moravian city.

Area: 214 km2
Population (latest data April, 2004): 315 000

Road Distance from important European and Czech cities:

City / kms

Brno / 170
Olomouc / 93
Prague / 360
Vienna / 310

Bratislava / 300

Warsaw / 300
Budapest / 389

Berlin / 540
Paris / 1 500

With the completion of the D-47 highway the infrastructure capacity will greatly increase as well as the ease of travel. Travel time to the Czech capital, Prague, will be shortened to a little over three hours.

Air Transportation:

Ostrava – Mosnov International Airport is located 25 km from the city centre. It is the biggest regional airport in the Czech Republic with a capacity of more than one million passengers per year (current actual figures are just over 200 000 per year and expected to triple next year) and a runway 3500m in length and 63m wide, allowing it to accommodate the world’s largest airplanes. Currently it caters to both domestic and international flights.

Although there are currently not any well-known low cost carriers flying into Ostrava we expect it will only be a matter of time.

Average monthly salary for Ostrava region (2004): 18 966 CZK

Average monthly salary for Czech Republic (2004): 18 582 CZK
Average monthly salary for Czech Republic (2005 2nd Q): 18 763 CZK

Education: 16.3% of residents in Ostrava have University level education compared to 9.4% Czech wide.

Average temperature in January: – 2

Are you considering putting your house up for sale, but not sure where to start? Afraid it will take too long to sell, or that you won’t get the price you want? Think about “staging” your home, or in other words, setting the scene for immediate buyer interest in your property.

To be really effective, you need to look at both the outside and the inside of your home. Here are 3 tips to get you started with the inside of your home:

1. De-clutter. This is one of the most important things you can do. It might be easier to think of de-cluttering like this – you’re moving anyway, so why not start packing now?

Pack up everything you don’t need and store the boxes out of sight in the garage (or consider temporarily renting a small storage locker).

2. Organize your closets – put similar colors together, pants together, skirts together, shirts together etc. Why? Because it will make the closets look bigger. (Really.) An organized closet appears bigger, and you want your closets to look as spacious as possible.

3. Make your home look like a model. You want to de-personalize as much as possible so potential buyers can imagine themselves and their own belongings occupying the space in your house. That means minimizing – putting away everything you don’t need or use. Clear off kitchen counters as much as possible – stash all those appliances you don’t use, and put miscellaneous small clutter in a few attractive baskets or boxes

And the biggest tip of all? Imagine yourself as a potential buyer looking at your property for the very first time. What impressions are you getting? Would YOU buy your house? What would you like to see changed before you put an offer on your house?

And don’t worry about spending several thousand dollars to get your house ready to sell – you’ll get it all back when your house sells. Proper staging helps you sell your house in a shorter time and at the price you want.

~~~
Kathleen Yamauchi is a long-time realtor located in Prescott, Arizona. For more free tips and resources on buying and selling your home and other real estate advice, visit her web site at http://www.kathleeny.com.