On the Move
Lang McLaughry Spera Rutland Office has moved to a new location. Please come and visit me at the beautiful new office location:
85 North Main Street, Rutland, Vermont 05701
Phone, Fax and e-mail stay the same.
Selling Your Rutland VT and Okemo Mountain VT Home Yourself
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®.
The 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.
Cautious Optimism For Rutland VT Home Market
According to the recently released Real Estate Roundtable’s Sentiment Survey, real estate experts think market conditions are improving despite the credit crunch.
Nearly 60 percent of the survey’s 120 respondents expect market conditions to improve within a year. Although 88 percent of the respondents think loans are tougher to get now compared to a year ago, 68 percent predict conditions will improve in the next year.
Their optimism is based on an uptick in the Overall Q2 2009 Sentiment Index. Measured on a scale of 1-100, the index evaluates surveys from recent quarters and calculates an overall average. Currently the index rests at 41, up from 38 last quarter and 33 six months ago.
What do these figures really mean for Rutland VT home buyers? It means the market is bottoming out, prices have reached bottom or close to it and now is the time to buy a Rutland VT home. Don’t be one of those people next year who has to say, “I wish I had bought last year when prices were low.” Give me a call today and for the best deal on your next Rutland Vt home!
Rutland VT Home Buying Tips
The thought of buying your first Rutland VT home can be intimidating…but it doesn’t have to be. Below are tips to guide you through the intial stages of buying a Rutland VT home.
1. Research before you look. Decide what features you most want to have in a home, what neighborhoods you prefer, and how much you’d be willing to spend each month for housing.
2. Be realistic. It’s OK to be picky, but don’t be unrealistic with your expectations. There’s no such thing as a perfect home. Use your list of priorities as a guide to evaluate each property.
3. Get your finances in order. Review your credit report and be sure you have enough money to cover your down payment and closing costs. Then, talk to a lender and get prequalified for a mortgage. This will save you the heartache later of falling in love with a house you can’t afford.
4. Don’t ask too many people for opinions. It will drive you crazy. Select one or two people to turn to if you feel you need a second opinion, but be ready to make the final decision on your own.
5. Decide your moving timeline. When is your lease up? Are you allowed to sublet? How tight is the rental market in your area? All of these factors will help you determine when you should move.
6. Think long term. Are you looking for a starter house with plans to move up in a few years, or do you hope to stay in this home for a longer period? This decision may dictate what type of home you’ll buy as well as the type of mortgage terms that will best suit you.
7. Insist on a home inspection. If possible, get a warranty from the seller to cover defects for one year.
8. Get help from a REALTOR®. Hire a real estate professional who specializes in buyer representation. Unlike a listing agent, whose first duty is to the seller, a buyer’s representative is working only for you. Buyer’s reps are usually paid out of the seller’s commission payment.
For more about buying a Rutland VT home or South Central VT, visit ISellVermontRealEstate.com. And give me a call so I can get to work for YOU!
Energy Saving Tips For Rutland and South Central VT Home Owners
I found a great website, Energy Savers, with energy saving tips for Rutland and South Central VT home owners. This site provides homeowners with tips for saving energy and money at home and on the road.
By following just a few of the simple tips found on this Energy Savers Web site, you can make your home more comfortable and easier to heat and cool—while you save money. The site also helps you beat the high cost of fuel, with driving and car maintenance tips to save you money on the road.
Some easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy include:
- Install a programmable thermostat to keep your house comfortably warm in the winter and comfortably cool in the summer.
- Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with the ENERGY STAR® label.
- Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.
- Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
- Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).
- Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.
- Take short showers instead of baths.
- Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
- Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.
Look for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The information on this Web site is also available in PDF format (PDF 2.7 MB).
If you are a Rutland VT home owner, I encourage you to check out Energy Savers. Following a few of their suggestions will not only put more money in your pocket, but make our planet healthier and greener.
If you are thinking about buying a Rutland or South Central VT home, visit ISellVermontRealEstate.com. It’s a great place to learn about Rutland and South Central VT real estate and view Rutland and South Central VT homes for sale.
5 Things To Do Before Selling Your South Central VT Home
If you are thinking of selling your Rutland or Okemo VT home this spring or summer, now is the time to start getting ready to sell. Below are 5 things to do before putting the ‘For Sale’ sign in the yard:
1. Have a pre-sale home inspection. Be proactive by arranging for a pre-sale home inspection. An inspector will be able to give you a good indication of the trouble areas that will stand out to potential buyers, and you’ll be able to make repairs before open houses begin.
2. Organize and clean. Pare down clutter and pack up your least-used items, such as large blenders and other kitchen tools, out-of-season clothes, toys, and exercise equipment. Store items off-site or in boxes neatly arranged in the garage or basement. Clean the windows, carpets, walls, lighting fixtures, and baseboards to make the house shine.
3. Get replacement estimates. Do you have big-ticket items that are worn our or will need to be replaced soon, such your roof or carpeting? Get estimates on how much it would cost to replace them, even if you don’t plan to do it yourself. The figures will help buyers determine if they can afford the home, and will be handy when negotiations begin.
4. Find your warranties. Gather up the warranties, guarantees, and user manuals for the furnace, washer and dryer, dishwasher, and any other items that will remain with the house.
5. Spruce up the curb appeal. Pretend you’re a buyer and stand outside of your home. As you approach the front door, what is your impression of the property? Do the lawn and bushes look neatly manicured? Is the address clearly visible? Are pretty flowers or plants framing the entrance? Is the walkway free from cracks and impediments?
Learn more about selling your Rutland and Okemo VT home at ISellVermontRealEstate.com.
What is your Vermont home worth?
www.REALTOR.org/realtormag Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® . Copyright 2003. All rights reserved.
450 Ideas To Help Sell Your Rutland and Okemo Mountain VT Home Faster
You will want to be as prepared as possible when you place your Rutland VT home on the market. I offer a FREE eBook, 450 Ideas…To Help Sell Your Home Faster, which tackles important issues you need to know to make your Rutland VT home competitive in today’s tough real estate market.
Through these 450 Ideas you will learn how to capitalize on your investment, reduce stress, be in control of your situation, and make the most profit possible.
You’ll discover how to avoid financial disappointment or worse, a financial disaster when selling your Rutland Vt home. Using a common sense approach, you get the straight facts about what can make or break the sale of your home.
You owe it to yourself to learn how these important tips will give you the competitive edge to get your Rutland VT home sold fast and for the most amount of money.
Simply click here, fill out the form and your FREE eBook, 450 Ideas…To Help Sell Your Home Faster, will be emailed to you.
Rutland, Okemo Mountain VT Home Sellers – Should I Take First Offer?
Many Rutland 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 VT home sellers will want to consider the first offer very seriously. Here are reasons 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 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.