Buying a Home Tips

If you're thinking about buying a home, you'll want to carefully choose the real estate professional you work with during the process.

You should commit yourself to working with one sales associate who can learn your likes and dislikes in homes to make your home-buying process easier. Choose a professional who specializes in residential real estate and who has specific knowledge of the local real estate and mortgage markets.

The person you choose should listen to you and be interested enough in you to find out about your housing needs and preferences. Service first should be the motto of the professional you choose with services going above and beyond what you expect and need. Doing some preliminary planning before you begin your home search will make the entire process more manageable and less overwhelming.

Download the Buying a Home Tips PDF Document for more helpful Real Estate Buying Tips. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free download). You will appreciate the results!

Selling a Home Tips

If you're thinking of selling your home, keep in mind that buyers appreciate a clean look in the homes they view. You can increase the value of your home and decrease the time it takes to sell by making a few simple improvements.

Aroma is the first thing prospective buyers notice when they step inside a home. To eliminate odors, steam clean your carpet and wash walls and floors with household cleaners and disinfectants. Keep your home smelling fresh by burning candles or potpourri, boiling a pot of cinnamon sticks or putting a dab of vanilla on cold light bulbs before turning them on.

Nothing makes a home look newer faster than painting. Painting your walls and removing outdated wallpaper may be the best interior improvements you can make. For broader appeal, paint in neutral colors such as beige, white, off-white, or gray. These colors suggest newness and cleanliness and can brighten a dull or outdated room. If your carpet is badly worn, outdated or stained, consider replacing it. If your carpet is heavily soiled, you may want to have it professionally cleaned. Brighten the interior of your home by cleaning your windows and opening your curtains to let light in. Clean hanging light fixtures and add the highest-wattage bulbs allowed.

Download the Selling a Home Tips PDF Document for more helpful helpful suggestions that will help you sell your home. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free download). You will appreciate the results!

Common Mistakes Sellers Make

• Skimping on listing photos: The Internet is the first stop for many home shoppers. How you present your home online is just as important as how it looks during the open house. Sellers should include as many pictures as allowed on real estate listing sites and on the local Multiple Listing Service contends Smart Money Magazine. Highlight the rooms and features home shoppers care about the most: the kitchen, bathrooms and outdoor space. Make sure your real estate agent has a web site that can attractively show your home photos.
• Declutter your home: Get rid of as much clutter as possible. Stuffed closets, extraneous furniture, crowded countertops and endless knickknacks make homes seem smaller than they are. Consider putting some things in storage.

Download the Common Mistakes Sellers Make PDF Document for more examples of mistakes sellers make. (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free download). You will appreciate the results!