How To Choose An Okemo Mountain Realtor
How To Choose An Okemo Mountain Realtor
Your Okemo Mountain home is most likely the largest investment you have and choosing a Realtor to assist you with the sale is a major decision. Below are questions to ask when choosing an Okemo Mountain Realtor:
Make sure you choose aa Okemo Mountain REALTOR® who will provide top-notch service and meet your unique needs.
1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is it your full-time job? While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate – like many other professions – is mostly learned on the job.
2. What designations do you hold? Designations such as GRI and CRS®, which require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training, are held only by about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.
3. How many homes did you and your real estate brokerage sell last year? By asking this question, you’ll get a good idea of how much experience the practitioner has.
4. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to the overall market? The REALTOR® you interview should have these facts on hand, and be able to present market statistics from the local MLS to provide a comparison.
5. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices? This is one indication of how skilled the REALTOR® is at pricing homes and marketing to suitable buyers. Of course, other factors also may be at play, including an exceptionally hot or cool real estate market.
6. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home? You don’t want someone who’s going to put a For Sale sign in the yard and hope for the best. Look for someone who has aggressive and innovative approaches, and knows how to market your property competitively on the Internet. Buyers today want information fast, so it’s important that your REALTOR® is responsive.
7. Will you represent me exclusively, or will you represent both the buyer and the seller in the transaction? While it’s usually legal to represent both parties in a transaction, it’s important to understand where the practitioner’s obligations lie. Your REALTOR® should explain his or her agency relationship to you and describe the rights of each party.
8. Can you recommend service providers who can help me obtain a mortgage, make home repairs, and help with other things I need done? Because REALTORS® are immersed in the industry, they’re wonderful resources as you seek lenders, home improvement companies, and other home service providers. Practitioners should generally recommend more than one provider and let you know if they have any special relationship with or receive compensation from any of the providers.
9. What type of support and supervision does your brokerage office provide to you? Having resources such as in-house support staff, access to a real estate attorney, and assistance with technology can help an agent sell your home.
10. What’s your business philosophy? While there’s no right answer to this question, the response will help you assess what’s important to the agent and determine how closely the agent’s goals and business emphasis mesh with your own.
11. How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How frequently? Again, this is not a question with a correct answer, but how you judge the response will reflect your own desires. Do you want updates twice a week or do you prefer not to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, e-mail, or a personal visit?
12. Could you please give me the names and phone numbers of your three most recent clients? Ask recent clients if they would work with this REALTOR® again. Find out whether they were pleased with the communication style, follow-up, and work ethic of the REALTOR®.
When you are ready to interview Okemo Mountain Realtors, give me a call. I am glad to answer the above questions and any additional questions you might have.
Okemo Mountain VT Real Estate: Reverse 1031 Exchange Demand Rising
Okemo Mountain VT Real Estate: Reverse 1031 Exchange Demand Rising
A slower Okemo Mountain VT real estate market is creating more of a demand for reverse 1031 exchanges. Properties are taking longer to sell making it difficult for sellers to adhere to 1031 exchange 180 day rules. But there is another option called a Reverse 1031 Exchange allowing for the roll-over of proceeds after closing on another property. Inman had a great article by Ilyce Glink addressing reverse exchanges. Read what she has to say:
Q: We are Canadian citizens who have owned a home in Fort Myers, Fla., for four years. There is no mortgage on the property.
We have put the property up for sale, and have made a down payment on a new house. We have bought and sold in the past, and I understand that as long as the new house is equal or higher in value, there are no capital gains taxes owed on the profits under IRS tax code 1031.
Do I Really Need To Complete The Honey-Do List When Selling My Okemo Mountain Home
Do I Really Need To Complete The Honey-Do List When Selling My Okemo Mountain Home?
That is the question all Okemo Mountain home owners should ask themselves when they consider selling their home.
The first item on the fix-it list: clear the clutter! If your closets, attic, basement, garage, and other storage areas appear neat, half-full and organized, your house will seem to have more storage space. To accomplish the clutter – clearing task, empty the house, hold a garage sale, and use the profits to help offset the next set of fix-it priorities.
Check your house for “curb appeal”. The exterior is the first impression a prospective buyer has of your home. Make it as inviting as you can. Think of it as outside decorating. Clean (or paint, if necessary) the exterior, re-sod brown spots and crab grass, mow the lawn, pull weeds, remove dead trees or plants, and trim the shrubs.
Flowers give warmth and personality to a home. Plant them tastefully in pots or beds at the entrance, on decks and around patios. If it isn’t flower season, at least clean the beds, remove the dead leaves, and cover the ground with fresh wood chips or other clean looking mulch.
If you have a limited budget, make the most of it. Put the money where it is most obviously needed and the return the greatest and most visible.
Fix Little Things
Take care of the little obvious things: fix leaking faucets, stop running toilets, replace broken windows, kill pet or mildew odors, repair holes in screens, remove mildew from tile, and re-caulk around bathtubs and sinks. Walk around; look at your house with a prospective buyer’s eyes. Small things tell buyers whether or not a house has been maintained.
Paint it!
A coat of light-colored, neutral paint-white or off-white-will make your home’s interior look crisper, cleaner, and also larger. Many buyers may not be able to imagine their sofa in your decor. White interiors work for the greatest number of people without their having to redecorate immediately. If you just moved, would you want to redo every room?
Your Carpeting
If the carpet is in reasonable condition, have it shampooed. If it is worn, threadbare or a non-neutral color, consider replacing it with beige or gray. You do not need to purchase the best quality money can buy. Lifetime wear is not required. You want it to look great now. Neutral walls and carpet do not offend anyone. Almost all furnishings look good with them. Rental property managers know this and have been doing it for years.
Professional Inspection
Consider having your house inspected by qualified inspector. Safety- and health-related items, such as radon and electrical problems could kill a sale if not properly attended to. It is much better to fix these items on your own time schedule and financial terms than hurriedly during a contract negotiation. Roof leaks, even if inactive, are also deal breakers.
What else do you fix amongst the inspector’s flagged items? Unless you can realistically get money back, fix only the problems with major systems. You want to keep your home’s selling price as low as possible to increase the pool of buyers.
Do not undertake any major remodeling in preparation for sale. It places more limitations on the size of your buyer pool. Tastes vary, and some people will dislike the results of your efforts. You will have to raise your selling price to reflect your fix-up investment, thereby pricing your home out of the range of other potential buyers.
A neutral color scheme in a house that sparkles brings you the highest return in the shortest time when selling your Okemo Mountain home.
Learn more about Okemo Mountain real estate at ISellVermontRealEstate.com or give us a call, 800-659-1819 #103.
Making Your Ludlow VT Home More Appealing To Buyers
Does your Ludlow VT home have a façade only a homeowner could love? Selling a home can be an emotional experience, and people can lack objectivity when it comes to their own abode. Presenting a home in its best light is always important, but it’s imperative in our current competitive real estate market.
Professional advice and assistance can make the difference between “Wow!” and “Whaaa?” – a recent industry study found that staged homes 94.9 percent of staged homes sell in 35 days or less, while unstaged homes sell in 171.2 days.
Below are 7 tips to ‘setting the stage’ and making your Ludlow VT home more appealing to buyers:
1. Thoroughly clean from top to bottom, especially kitchens and baths.
A dirty house an immediate buyer turn-off. The two most important areas are the kitchen and the bathrooms. If you have not deep cleaned all counter and tile surfaces to a spotless condition, you stand the chance of having the buyers walk right back out the door.
2. De-clutter the entire house.
Clutter makes it extremely hard for the buyers to visualize moving into your home. The disorganization affects the buyer’s ability to focus on your home and they will most likely overlook your key selling features. In addition, clutter has the affect of making your home appear smaller than it is as the “open” feeling is gone.
3. Remove the personal memorabilia.
People are generally curious and when you want them to notice the beautiful entryway they may be focused on all the family pictures on the piano or all the “stuff” stuck to the front of your refrigerator. Your objective is to change the view of your home from “lived in” to “ready to move in.”
4. Neutralize inside and out.
The best way to present a home is for the wall colors to be painted a neutral color. This goes for the outside as well – a loud or non-neutral color may just keep the buyers from even stopping to see the inside.
5. Let the sun shine in with spotless windows.
Nothing is more distracting to a buyer than to be looking at a view through a dirty window. What you don’t see is often more important that what you do see.
6. Make your pets go away.
While your pets are a loving member of your family, for the buyers their presence, food and boxes are generally a turn-off. Every trace of their presence should be removed so, once again, the buyers are not distracted from the prime objective – viewing your home in the best possible light.
7. Add curb appeal.
A healthy, neat, trimmed and well maintained yard and flower beds are the keys to getting the buyers up to the front door. A well-maintained exterior translates to a well maintained home in the mind of the buyer.
Need help setting the stage and showing off your Ludlow VT home in its best light? Give us a call, we are glad to help.
Okemo Mountain Real Estate: Second-home Sellers Pay For Tax Credits
Okemo Mountain Second-home Sellers Pay For Tax Credits
You have probably heard, last week President signed into law the Housing Rescue and Foreclosure Prevention Act. This is the most comprehensive housing bill to be enacted in over a decade. The bill is designed to help more buyers of Okemo Mountain real estate realize their dreams, as well as, boast the struggling housing and mortgage markets.
One of the biggest benefits, and probably one of the most talked about provisions in this legislation, is the $7,500 tax credit to first time home buyers. Tax breaks are all well and good, but they have to be paid for somehow. While first time home buyers are getting a break, second home sellers will be paying for the $15.1 million dollars in tax cuts.
Up until the new legislation went into effect last week, homeowners could exclude up to $250,000 taxable profit on the sale of their home if they’re single taxpayers and $500,000 if married filing joint returns. The catch being, they had to live the in house as their primary residence for two of the five years before it is sold.
Many second home owners took advantage of this by moving into a property that was once a rental or vacation home, live there for two years prior to selling and benefiting from the tax-free profit.
Ludlow VT Real Estate: Is The Price Right?
What do you think is the single most important factor that determines why one property sells more quickly than another?
In the real estate world, we always hear “Location, Location, Location,” but according to a recent poll conducted by the National Association of Realtors, almost 2/3 of the respondents said price was the key factor.
The same results held true for sellers. “Getting the price right” was and is one of the most frequently cited challenges for sellers who are not represented by a Realtor®.
Other factors that were included in the poll were – no surprise here – location as well as condition of the property, staging, and upgrades.
If you are interested in learning about Ludlow VT real estate prices, please call me at 802-353-1983 or visit ISellVermontRealEstate.com. You may also begin searching the MLS!
Why Stage Your Ludlow VT Real Estate
“Staging” Ludlow VT real estate for sale has become a hot trend in the industry. Unlike some trends that are more trouble than they’re worth, however, this is one trend that can really pay off! Here are 12 reasons why you should consider staging your home on the market:
1. Turbo Boost Sales Time
Experts all agree and studies show staged homes sell quicker – sometimes up to 50% faster – than non-staged homes. Typically, when a home has been on the market for some time, buyers and agents will assume there must be something wrong with it or that the seller will be anxious to sell and will take much less than the asking price.
2. First Impressions Are The Most Important
People’s first impression of your listing is critical. Staging gives you the best opportunity to make a positive first impression rather than a negative one. The stronger the impression, the less likely a potential buyer will be bothered if some things aren’t perfect.
People’s first impression of your listing is critical. Staging gives you the best opportunity to make a positive first impression rather than a negative one. The stronger the impression, the less likely a potential buyer will be bothered if some things aren’t perfect.
3. Gone In 60 Seconds…
Psychology experts have proven that people react based on emotion and then seek logic to back up the feeling. From a real estate perspective, a buyer will make an initial reaction in less than a minute whether they like your listing or not. Then, after the potential buyer’s initial decision has been made, they will either confirm that decision or rescind it in the next 6 to 20 minutes as they tour the property. This is why proper staging is critical for any listing.
4. Ready, Set, Go – Move-In Ready Sells Faster
A properly staged listing not only appears to be in “Move-In Ready” condition, but it really is. Staging a house for sale means that every component of the house is as close as possible to model condition. All buyers prefer to buy a home where they can just move-in and start enjoying life. This is especially true for vacation homes, where buyers may not have a lot of time to devote to “updating” the property.
5. Imagination Not Included
Did you know that only 5% of the population can truly visualize how beautiful a home can be or see past the clutter, grime and so-so appearance? It’s true. Help potential buyers see themselves happily living in your listing and let the offers come pouring in. For vacation homes, help buyers envision themselves enjoying a family vacation in your property and reaping the rewards of renting it out to others on vacation.
6. Be the Needle In The Haystack
Staged homes have a much greater competitive advantage over houses that are not staged. Experts are predicting that more and more listings will be sitting on the market for sale in the next few years. Some areas have already seen a 100-300% increase in available inventory and average time on market. A staged home stands apart from other listings because it has been properly merchandised to bring out the best qualities of the listing.
7. No Skeletons In The Closet
Staged homes project an image of being well maintained and well cared for. The underlying psychological message that is sent to potential buyers is that it’s worth more. More importantly, staging helps remove a certain degree of risk that a potential buyer might have about buying a house that is in disarray.
8. Appraise It High Or Go Home
As more and more homes become available, you need every advantage possible. One marketing advantage you might overlook is to create instant loan to value (LTV) by getting an appraisal after the house is staged. If you can show a potential buyer how much the home is worth i.e. appraised value and the sales price is less….instant value. It will sell faster because it appears to be a better deal.
9. Move To The Head Of The Class
Real estate professionals never like to show a house that’s not going to impress their buyer. A well-staged home could easily be described as “staged to sell” which means that it’s going to impress their buyer. Staged homes are always at the top of the list when it comes to which properties an agent will show.
10. The Exception To The Rule – The Buyer’s Rule
Would you show a house to a buyer that didn’t meet their exact criteria? Maybe…but ONLY if the house is staged properly and gets clients excited. If an agent knows that a listing shows really well, but doesn’t match the buyer’s criteria exactly, it’s possible they’ll show it anyway. A well-staged home could be the one to get a buyer excited enough to make an offer.
11. Peace, Love and FREE Advertising
Brokerages love showcasing beautifully staged homes because they draw more business to their firm. They usually invest considerable money to advertise a well staged listing to generate leads for other agents. Why not use this to your advantage – the more advertising your home can get, the better!
12. Show Me The Money!
The better a home shows, the higher it will sell for – which means more dollars in your pocket. Non-staged homes are more likely to require price reductions in order to sell as opposed to staged homes, which are more likely to enjoy a number of offers, or even a bidding war or a sale above the asking price. Information provided by AHS.
How to Avoid Foreclosure in Ludlow VT
If you have a mortgage on your Ludlow VT home, you have probably been paying close attention to the latest interest rates and are aware of the ongoing rise in the foreclosure rate across America.This article from FreddieMac.com outlines the terms associated with foreclosure and gives a good starting point with steps to take if you think you may soon be unable to pay your mortgage. Some of the topics covered in this helpful article:
– What to do if you can not pay your mortgage
– What if you can no longer afford to keep your home
– Beware of scam artistshere!
What would you do if you were actually faced with the prospect of foreclosure? Would you have the information needed to make an informed decision on your financial future? Many homeowners think it can or will not happen to them, so they do not take the time to learn what the options are on the best way to move forward in a stressful situation such as foreclosure.
I would like to add to the list of steps to take when facing foreclosure – contact an experienced Realtor! Along with a reputable lender, an experienced Realtor can help explain your options and guide you through the choice that is best for you.
For more information about Ludlow VT real estate, please call me today at 802-353-1983 or visit ISellVermontRealEstate.com, I would be happy to help you. You may also begin searching the MLS
10 Ways to Make Your House in Ludlow VT More Saleable
1. Get rid of clutter. Throw out or file stacks of newspapers and magazines. Pack away most of your small decorative items. Store out-of-season clothing to make closets seem roomier. Clean out the garage.2. Wash your windows and screens to let more light into the interior.
3. Keep everything extra clean. Wash fingerprints from light switch plates. Mop and wax floors. Clean the stove and refrigerator. A clean house makes a better first impression and convinces buyers that the home has been well cared for.
4. Get rid of smells! Even if you think you house does not have smells, spring for a good carpet and drape cleaning to eliminate any possible cooking odors, smoke, and pet smells. Keep the windows open when possible (if road noise is not an issue).
5. Put higher wattage bulbs in light sockets to make rooms seem brighter, especially basements and other dark rooms. Replace any burnt-out bulbs.
6. Make minor repairs that can create a bad impression. Small problems, such as sticky doors, torn screens, cracked caulking, or a dripping faucet, may seem trivial, but they’ll give buyers the impression that the house isn’t well maintained.
7. Tidy your yard. Cut the grass, rake the leaves, trim the bushes, and edge the walks. Put a pot or two of bright flowers near the entryway.
8. Patch holes in your driveway and reapply sealant, if applicable.
9. Clean your gutters. Remove any debris such as pine straw that has accumulated on the roof.
10. Polish your front doorknob and door numbers. Remember, the door is the first part of the home potential buyers see!
For more information about real estate and selling your home in Ludlow, VT please call me at 802-353-1983 or visit my Web site https://www.isellvermontrealestate.com/. I would love to help make your home more saleable!
How To Sell Your Vermont Home Fast!
The number of Vermont homes for sale has increased dramatically in the last year, causing homes to stay on the market for longer periods of time. If you are selling a home and want it to sell FAST, you’ll be interested in my FREE e-Book, ‘450 Ideas To Sell Your Home Faster’. Here you will learn tips and tricks to make your home sell faster and for more money.
Get your copy today and give me, Irene Gaffigan, a call at 800-659-1819 #103 with any questions you might have or to get a current market valuation on your Vermont home.