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Invite Buyers Into Your South Central Vermont Home

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Although the interior of your home may be lovely, you can’t use that fact to your advantage if potential buyers don’t come inside to see it. The majority of house shoppers are influenced by first impressions, and, according to the National Association of Realtors, nearly 50% of them make their decision about your South Central Vermont home before stepping through the door. Ensuring that prospective buyers will want to see more doesn’t have to be time-consuming or cost-prohibitive; there are numerous ways to strengthen your home’s curb appeal, to capture the interest of buyers, and most likely increase the selling value.

When selling your South Central Vermont home, appearances are important. The exterior of the house should be attractive and in good condition, and the well-maintained grounds should be pleasing to the eye. The first thing to do is to look at the exterior objectively. Assess the color scheme (siding, trim, brick, roof) and determine if the architectural features of your house are in keeping with the rest of the neighborhood.

Perhaps the easiest way to boost curb appeal is to clean.

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Staging Tips For South Central Vermont Open House

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You are selling your South Central Vermont home and the first Open House only a week away. The house is filled with clutter and things you don’t want to throw away. But the clutter is not appealing to potential home buyers. What do you? Here are staging tips for an Open House. 

8 Staging Tips For An Open House 

1. Remove the clutter.

Having a garage sale is out when removing clutter because the Open House is only a week away. You don’t want to stuff the garage or closets to the gills either. One solution is to rent an off-site storage facility or stack boxes neatly in a basement or crawlspace. 

2. Stage each room. 

The first thing to do is clean from top to bottom. Make sure windows and light fixtures shine and are in working order. If the room is crowded, put some furniture in the storage facility. Finally, pick a focal point that will attract buyers when they see the room. For example, the focal point of a bedroom is usually the bed, and for a music room, it’s the piano. 

3. Use the rule of three. 

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Expanded Tax Credit for South Central Vermont Home Buyers

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The $8000 first-time home buyer tax credit was scheduled to expire in just a few short weeks…Nov 30, 2009. I say ‘was’, because the Senate voted unanimously to extend the credit on Monday and the House of Representatives approved the extension yesterday afternoon by a vote of 403-12. The extension includes an expanded tax credit to repeat home buyers. The bill now goes to the President for his signature which is expected to happen today. 

Home Buyer Tax Credit Expansion and Extension  

  • The $8,000 tax credit will be extended and available for first-time home buyers through May 1, 2010.
  • A new $6,500 tax credit will be available for repeat buyers who purchase between December 1, 2009, and May 1, 2010. To qualify, buyers must have used the home sold or being sold as a principal residence consecutively for 5 of the previous 8 years.
  • Prospective buyers with binding contracts in place as of April 30, 2010, will be allowed an additional 60 days to complete the transaction.
  • Income limits are expanded to $125,000 on a single return and $225,000 on a joint return.
  • Limitation on the cost of a purchased home is $800,000. 

If you know anyone looking to buy their first South Central Vermont home at a time when prices and interest rates are still down, or if you are thinking of buying another home and getting the new $6,500 credit please contact me today.

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Mistakes Serious South Central Vermont Home Sellers Don’t Want To Make

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The current economic climate has created an extremely competitive market for South Central Vermont home sellers. High inventories and the abundance of deals on foreclosures puts to pressure on South Central Vermont home sellers to have properties in showing condition and to be puzzle housepriced right. Many sellers want to initially price their property on the high end of the market and underestimate the costs of having a property sit on the market unsold. Maintenance costs, taxes and insurance are ongoing. Another thing to consider is the benefits of having invested the money that can be made with a fast sale vs. the cost of sitting on the market for a long period of time. 

The saying ‘time is money’ is never more true than when selling a South Central Vermont home, For example,

In January, you put your property on the market for $500,000. In February, your agent recommends a price reduction of $10,000 to $490,000, but you decide to wait out the market a little longer. Assuming your monthly payment on the property is $4,000-5,000 per month (including mortgage, property taxes, and insurance), and it hasn’t sold in six months, by June you have spent $24,000-30,000. This $30,000 expense has lowered the property value from $500,000 to $470,000. If you had lowered the selling price in February to $490,000 and obtained a faster sale, you would have had ended up with more money in your pocket. 

South Central Vermont property values recently have been declining 5-10 percent a month. A property that might have sold in January or February for $490,000, will most likely only sell for $440,000-465,000 in June. So how do you sell your South Central Vermont home faster and for more money? 

Selling South Central Vermont Home Fast and For More Money

1. Take a look at comparable home sales in your neighborhood and price at your 5% below the last comparable sale within a three-month prior period. 

2. Work with an experienced real estate agent who has market knowledge in your neighborhood. 

3. Have your South Central Vermont home is saleable condition. Have your ‘honey-do list’ complete, your yard ship-shape and your home ready to show at a moments notice. 

Your efforts will be rewarded! 

Learn more about selling your South Central Vermont home faster and for more money. 

What’s your South Central Vermont home worth?

Will You Owe Capital Gains When Selling Your South Central Vermont Home

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Something to consider when selling your home is the Capital Gains ramifications. Will you owe Uncle Sam money after the sale of your South Central Vermont home? Capital Gains are calculated as the difference between what you paid for your property and what you sell it for. Here is how you calculate your Capital Gains. 

Calculating Capital Gains

(+) PURCHASE PRICE – Price paid for property

(+) COST OF PURCHASE – Transfer fees, attorney fees, inspections

(+) COST OF SALE – Repairs, commissions, attorney fees, inspections

(+) COST OF IMPROVEMENT – Room additions, deck, for example, though not replacing existing

(=) ADJUSTED COST BASIS OF YOUR HOME

(-) AMOUNT YOU SELL YOUR HOME

(=) CAPITAL GAIN 

A Special Real Estate Exemption for Capital Gains

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Selling Your South Central Vermont Home In Changing Market

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In today’s rapidly changing economy, many South Central Vermont home owners wonder or worry about selling their home for the best price, and terms in the shortest period of time. 

Here are 9 helpful hints if you are considering selling your South Central Vermont home:

  • checklistBe realistic, and price your home right by using market comparisons.
  • Know your true bottom line for both price and time.
  • As the market shifts, be prepared to evaluate your price.
  • Advertising your property with yard signs, local MLS and newspapers.
  • Get rid of the clutter! It makes your house appear smaller.
  • Clean your walls, floors, baseboards, stove and refrigerator. Buyers will know your house is well cared for.
  • Clean up outdoors! Remove tools, toys and be sure lawn and shrubs are neatly trimmed.
  • Have the carpets cleaned to eliminate odors, smoke, and pet smells.
  • Make minor repairs such as leaky faucets, sticky doors, etc.
  • Do a walk-thru with your Realtor before listing your property.

Learn more about selling your South Central Vermont home by visiting ISellVermontRealEstate.com.

What’s your South Central Vermont home worth?

Avoid These Mistakes When Selling Your South Central Vermont Home

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Selling your South Central Vermont home should be a smooth profitable transaction. But it could end up being an unsuccessful, draining experience, especially if the appropriate precautions and preparations are not observed. A majority of the time, the chance for success lies within the hands of the hired real estate expert. In order to guarantee optimal results, the sellers must be willing to cooperate and consider the houseprofessional advice of their real estate agent. Agonizing over a listing price, making the property presentable, rushing for last minute showings, answering inconvenient calls, and frazzling thoughts of not being able to sell are all stressful components of selling your South Central Vermont home. If you and your South Central Vermont home are not properly prepared there is a great risk of losing thousands of dollars in an unsuccessful transaction. Included in the following section are five of the most common, costly mistakes homeowners can easily avoid when selling their South Central Vermont home. 

Do not believe all real estate professionals are the same, choose wisely

The process of selling your home involves many tedious details and critical decisions. Real estate professionals are experts in handling these situations and offering knowledgeable guidance to sellers. It is crucial to research several professionals in order to find a suitable match with experience selling homes similar to yours. Real estate agents use different methods to sell their listings. Innovative professionals who promote listings with newer techniques to attract buyers are always more successful than professionals relying on traditional strategies. 24-7 advertising, excessive exposure and lead generation are important services agents offer to aid in selling your home. Hiring and utilizing the right real estate professional can significantly maximize the chances for a smooth, profitable transaction. 

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Rutland VT Real Estate Appraisal Myths And Facts

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appraisalA real estate Appraisal is not the same thing as a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA).  A real estate Appraisal determines the market value of the property, which is an estimate of the sale price of the house. An Appraisal is mandatory when you are borrowing money from a lender to purchase a home.  An Appraisal is done by a specially trained and experienced individual known as an appraiser. 

On the other hand, a Comparative Market Analysis is used to determine a reasonable asking price based on the selling and listing prices of comparable real estate. This is conducted by the real estate agent listing the property. The sole purpose of a CMA is to help the real estate agent advise the sellers when trying to come up with an appropriate asking price. This is different from an appraisal because a Comparative Market Analysis helps determine the actual asking price, where as the appraisal reveals the property’s actual value. Appraisers usually use similar research on comparable properties as a factor in determining the property value. 

Here are some myths and facts to help you lean more about the Appraisal of your Rutland VT real estate. 

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Selling Your Rutland VT and Okemo Mountain VT Home Yourself

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Selling your Rutland VT and Okemo Mountain VT home yourself might sound like a good idea at first, but many FSBO (for sale by owner) sellers quickly realize they’ve gotten in over their heads or may have sold their home for much less than they would have had they worked with a Realtor®. 

fsboThe 2008 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that two-thirds of “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO) sellers found some aspect of the home sale to be difficult. 

Twelve percent of sellers who knew the buyer thought that getting the price right was the hardest task. Among FSBO sellers who didn’t know the buyer, 16 percent found it difficult to sell within the time planned, 15 percent found fixing up the home arduous, and 12 percent found it difficult to get the price right. 

Statistics also show 25 percent of FSBO sellers took no action to market their home and 72 percent didn’t offer incentives to attract buyers? 

If you are considering selling your Rutland VT home yourself and want to discuss other missteps FSBO sellers risk when attempting to go it alone, give me a call. I am glad to talk with you. 

Learn how I can help you sell your Rutland VT  home by visiting ISellVermontRealEstate.com.

What’s your Rutland VT home worth?

Reasons To Take First Offer Seriously

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Many Rutland and Okemo Mountain VT  home sellers look at the first offer on their home as just that, the First Offer with many more to come. You know what they say, ‘A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’ And in the current Buyers Market, offers are few and far between. Rutland and Okemo Mountain VT  home sellers will want to consider the first offer very seriously. Here are reaskeys2ons why: 

  • An early offer (if you’re lucky!) doesn’t necessarily mean buyers are lining up to follow suit. It could just mean that your home meets the needs or preferences of that one particular buyer who made the offer.
  • Your home will get the most interest from buyers just after it goes on the market. The longer it stays on the market, the more “desperate” buyers will think you are, prompting lower and lower offers.
  • Even if the first offer is thousands lower than your list price, consider carefully whether it might be enough — in terms of price and contract terms — before rejecting it out of hand. After all, the longer your home is on the market, the more it costs you in mortgage payments, taxes, insurance, upkeep and sheer inconvenience.
  • If the offered price and contract terms are less than ideal, start negotiations by making a counteroffer, being as flexible with the terms as possible. It isn’t uncommon for buyers to offer a price below what they are truly willing to pay, sometimes much below, just to see if they can buy under market.

An offer indicates serious interest in your home — don’t underestimate that but don’t take it for granted, either.

Thinking of selling your Rutland or Okemo Mountain VT home? We’ll be happy to work with you to fine-tune your home’s listing price so it fits our local market. We can also advise you on what would make your home more saleable at low cost to you. Most importantly, we can put our expertise to work for you when it comes time to negotiate with potential buyers. Learn more about us by visiting ISellVermontRealEstate.com. 

Get the value of your Rutland or Okemo Mountain VT home.

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