ALPHARETTA GA HOMES FOR SALE – Alpharetta, Ga Real Estate

Selling (or Buying) a home in todays Real Estate Market…
written by Traci Morreale Strub – HUNTFORHOUSES@YAHOO.COM

I know the Real Estate Market look bleak right now. Sellers are thinking: “I will never be able to sell my home” and buyers are thinking: “I will never be able to get a loan in this market”. In this case, it could be perception is your reality.

Despite the constant barrage of negative Real Estate news, keep your head up. Look at it in a more positive light. After 14 years experience in Real Estate, I have seen all the ups and downs of the market and still succeeded in helping my clients buy or sell without losing. I make it a win – win situation.

The thought that homes aren’t selling is just not true. You need to understand that you have to price it right. You CAN NOT say “let put it on the market for XYZ and if we don’t get a lot of interest, we can lower the price”. That is the kiss of death.

Like most Realtors, I want to list your home! That’s what I’m here for and that’s how I get paid. BUT, I have had to turn down a listing or two because the sellers had unreal expectations. Make sure you find a Realtor who will tell it to you straight, lumps and all. Anyone can be a yes man and that is robbing you of precious time and money!

Lets move on to buyers. YES, you can get financed. Just because lenders have tightened there belts on loans doesn’t mean you can get one! Like I mentioned earlier, Mortgage applications are up and the rates have been slashed. Now is the time to buy a home! Sellers are competing for your business. You no longer have to settle.

Regardless of all the negative information floating around, there is always a silver lining. In this case, seller can sell and buyers can buy. Don’t let the reports frighten you from your dream of owning a home or upgrading to a bigger home.

I have to reiterate… find an experienced Realtor who will shoot straight. Don’t listen to the Realtor who says “I’ve done this and I’ve done that”, things are different in the market now, you need to hear “I will do this and I will do that”. Find a Realtor who’s been in the business longer than a few years. Most new Realtors have not had experience in a down market

Call or e mail me and I will tell you what your home is worth, how much we should list it for AND what improvements (if any) need to be made in order to make your home shine!

For information about Alpharetta, Real Estate, Market Trends, Events and Happenings in and around Alpharetta, please call Traci at 678-575-6735 or send an e mail to
huntforhouses@yahoo.com

Okay home sellers; this is from me, a real live person and long time Realtor/Broker. I have taken home staging courses and love decorating. Regardless, I write this from the heart because I have seen it happen time and time again….A nice home gone bad! Are you ready? Here we go! 

First… You know when you’re driving around to look at homes? You pull up in front of a home that’s for sale; you take one look at it and drive away? YOU DONT WANT THAT! So make sure your yard and the exterior of your home look fresh and inviting. A fresh coat of paint, a new door mat and some colorful flowers will draw buyers in.

Now that they are in your house, what do they see? Clutter? Dirty carpet? Ugly paint? Ouch, that’s a deal breaker. Please believe me when I tell you, the following things will help you sell:

Clear out clutter! That means collectibles, piles of books or extra furniture. It will make the room look much bigger. Now that that’s done, how does the paint look? It’s amazing what a $25.00 bucket of light beige paint can do for a room! I always tell my clients “Safety in beige”. So if you need to paint or to buy new carpet… remember my saying “safety in beige”. Now is NOT the time to go out a limb and try orange.

Clear off the kitchen counter tops. Really? All of them? Strategically place a small potted fern or decorative lamp where the toaster used to be. OH…I hear you, “but what about my coffee maker and toaster”? Put it somewhere close, but out of sight. Remember, as soon as you put that FOR SALE sign in the yard, your home should be a show place, the goal is to sell.

Need to freshen up the kitchen a bit more? How about replacing the knobs on the cabinet doors? Oh, you don’t have knobs on your cabinet doors? That’s okay, add them. You will be amazed at the difference it makes! Put a new throw rug in front of the sink and maybe a few new kitchen towels just for “pretty”.

YOU ARE DOING GREAT…we’re almost done!

How are the bathrooms? Not so bad?  First, remember the painting rule. “Safety in beige”.  Now that we have that out of the way.  How about a new shower curtain, a rug and some new decor? You don’t have to spend a lot to get that “wow” effect! Once again, the clear the counter tops rule is in place.

Clean out the closets, basement and garage. Rent a storage space to put all that stuff into. I know it’s a big job. It will be worth it, I promise. FIX anything that is broken, cracked or looks just plain old (no, not your spouse). Think fresh, clean and new! PAINT PAINT PAINT! Have I mentioned that you should paint?

If you are going to show your home (hey, what’s your agent doing? Call me; I’ll help you with this stuff!) Make sure all the clothes are off the floor and the beds are made. Cage the animals (again, not your spouse). Turn all the lights on, put on some soft music and cross your fingers. If you have cleaned, removed clutter, painted & pretty-ed up, your good to go! Oh, one more thing….makes sure your home is priced right!

Okay, now let’s go get ‘em! Want to know how much your home is worth? Click here to huntforhouses, fill out the form and I will e mail you the info. No SPAM, No pushy pitch and NO phone calls.

While I have your attention, if you’re looking to sell your home, please give me a call. I have years of experience, tons of happy clients and I work really hard!!! I will help you “stage” your home, advertise it like crazy to make sure everyone knows your houses is for sale AND I’m one harsh negotiator! While I was being a bit silly with this column, I am professional prompt and REAL. Not some stuffy pushy sales person giving you “the pitch”.  Hey, look at it this way; at least you know I have a sense of humor! That’s a good thing.  

For more tips of the trade or to talk with the best Realtor in Alpharetta, call 678-575-6735 or e mail  huntforhouses@yahoo.com

How To Get The Best Price In A Slowing Market

by Peter G. Miller

Reports across the country suggest that real estate in most areas of the country is no longer appreciating at the rates seen in the past few years. In fact, the National Association of Realtors reports that nationwide August existing home prices were actually down 1.7 percent from a year earlier.

None of this is terrible or awful unless you bought last year and must now sell. Those who have owned for a few years are well ahead in most communities.

Consider that in 2000, according to the National Association of Realtors, the typical existing home sold for $111,800 versus $225,000 in August.

So, what’s the best approach to selling in today’s market? Consider these five core points.

• Buyers are scarce relative to home supply.

While sellers have called the shots for the past few years, that’s no longer the case in most markets. No problem — adjust. Make your home the most attractive, best priced property in the neighborhood.

While pre-market prep could have been ignored in the recent past, today you have to paint, clean-up and repair before offering a home for sale. An MLS photo that shows a home with a lousy roof is evidence of a property that likely will not sell quickly or at full price.

• Remember that cash is still an issue.While home prices may have slipped a touch, real estate continues to be hugely expensive for most buyers, especially first-timers who lack equity from a prior sale. Rather than reducing prices, offer to pay for buyer closing costs, thus lowering out-of-pocket purchaser cash requirements.

• Choose the right Realtor.When comparing local brokers, look for such markers as recent success in your neighborhood, a high level of local activity and professional education.

In a slow market picking the realtor becomes especially important. Why? Because a broker with a strong local history is known and respected: If he or she offers a property at a given price that value is likely to be accepted as at least within the realm of reason.

Alternatively, let’s say we used a less experienced broker, someone who was not an authority figure. The property might have sold for less because another broker might have been less credible. In effect, one of the values of using an experienced listing broker is to readily establish believable prices and terms, an important matter in a buyer’s market.

• Numbers Count.

Real estate sales are a by-product of exposure. If the odds of selling a home are 100 to one, if it takes 100 inquiries and visits to sell a property, then the quicker you get those inquires the better. No less important, if you can get more than 100 inquiries the odds of getting a top price and terms improve.

This means that when considering a listing broker you need to review the marketing plan with care. What, exactly is the broker going to do in terms of advertising, open houses, market trends, MLS placements, online marketing, broker relations, etc?

Remember that the marketing plan which works for one property may not work for another. Plans need to be specific to local markets, to particular homes and for current market conditions. The thinking that seemed so good last year may be inappropriate this year.

• It’s a business deal.

With some frequency I see homes priced for reasons that won’t work:

• The property must sell for this price because I need $400,000 for the next home. The truth: Prices are established by the marketplace, not seller needs.
• Similar homes in a different neighborhood command a particular price, therefore my house should sell at the same price. The truth: What happens elsewhere is irrelevant. What happens in the immediate neighborhood is what counts.
• The Flombacks got $800,00 for their home so I should be getting at least that much. The truth: This is not about the Flombacks and should not be about seller ego. The real issue is about bricks and mortar. The Flombacks may have an objectively better house.
• The buyer’s offer requires that we leave the washer and dryer — it’s an insult. The truth: Homes reflect our psychological identity, who we are, our social status, etc. But the marketplace reflects supply and demand. Leaving a washer and dryer may be a lot cheaper than not getting a sale for months on end.
• This home would have sold for $500,000 last August and we will not accept a lower price. The truth: It’s not last August. It’s now and the marketplace reflects current supply and demand.

Sellers can be successful in any market so go forth and market — but do it right.

To find out how much your home is worth. E mail me at huntforhouses@yahoo.com  or call me at 678-575-6735

The Bath: Enjoy It Before You Sell It

Friends of mine decided to sell their townhouse a while back and immediately knew what they had to do to demand top dollar, if not, multiple contracts: get the house in shape. A couple of weeks, two contractors and $10,000-plus later, they had new carpet; new kitchen appliances with white flooring; new paint throughout (including the demolition of a mirrored wall); power-washed/stained deck; and a few plumbing issues taken care of.

Once all the work was done, they sat back in their newly revamped dwelling and sighed: “Why didn’t we do this sooner?” The investment was quite small when you consider the benefit, but many homeowners wait till it’s time to sell the house before they replace all the items of their home that have been bugging them for years.

Giving your home a facelift could be more affordable than you think. This was especially brought to mind during a visit to one of my favorite restaurants. Visiting the restroom, I was appalled at the condition: old plywood; an old mirror losing its reflective backing; mildewed caulking; and a stench very unbecoming this particular establishment.

A bathroom is probably one of the easiest and most affordable rooms to give a face lift and provide a “wow” factor for buyers coming into your home. I’m not even talking about a complete remodeling, just a face lift that can change the room’s look and shift your personal feelings about the room.

Think about it — when you walk into a 20- to 30-year-old home, would you be more excited about one with the original vanity, sink, faucet, shower door, mirrors and lighting? Or would you have a wow factor when seeing fresh paint, upgraded hardware, a modern vanity, and a dual showerhead found in most fine hotels? In addition, how would you like to create that wow factor for less than $1,000? It can be done.

Looking over a few large home improvement web sites will give you a grasp of how attainable this face lift can be. What you want to spend on the bath is up to you. You can upgrade your showerhead for as little as $6 for a low-grade plastic energy saver model or as high as $3,750 for a multiple head shower tower. We’ll keep our budget a little in the middle for a run of the mill bathroom, that WarmlyYours.com says is about 100 square feet.

• Sinks: ($150 – $400) This can be as bland or fancy as you want.
• Vanity: ($150 – $900) For every bland sink, there’s a vanity to match.
• Faucet Hardware: ($30 – $100+) There are hundreds of models from which to choose — from chrome to polished brass.
• Lights: ($50 – $100+) Again lots of choices.
• Towel racks, etc.: ($50 – $100+)
• Paint/Caulking: ($50 – $100+)
• Flooring: ($45 – $100+)

Obviously, you can push the budget up a lot higher than what’s quoted above, however, I’m talking about a budget-conscious face lift, complete with a wow-factor, not gutting the bathroom for a complete remodel.

Your facelift can be as low as a few hundred dollars or a couple thousand bucks. But here are a few fix-its that are really (really) cheap, require a very minimal investment and just some good old-fashioned elbow grease:

• Deep cleaning: maybe all this room needs is just a good cleaning. Think sanitizing. Really get down to the nitty-gritty and cut the grease in all the crevices.
• Kill the mildew with a commercial spray. White caulk gleaming from underneath mildew can make all the difference.
• Remove old caulk and recaulk the complete bath.
• Regrout floor and shower tiles.

Before you invest a lot of money to make the next owner happy with your home — work on a redo so that you enjoy it yourself.

by M. Anthony Carr

Need more tips to brighten up your home? E mail me at huntforhouses@yahoo.com