Archive for the 'Information for Sellers' Category
To List, or Not to List
Every year around Thanksgiving the same old question comes up. Should I list my house now, or wait until after the holidays? And, if your house is already on the market, you might be wondering if it makes sense to temporarily withdraw it and try again in the more robust spring market? The holiday housing market is always a puzzle.
I did a little sleuthing and discovered some interesting information. I cast a fairly wide net for my research (specifically, I looked at zips 20814, 20815, 20816, 20817, 20818, 20895, 20910, 20901, 20015, 20016 and 20008, or Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Friendship Heights, Somerset, Kensington, close-in Silver Spring, Chevy Chase DC, AU Park, and Cleveland Park). As it turns out, the week before Thanksgiving and all the way through the end of November, prime holiday and travel time, a healthy Read the rest of this entry »
How to Hire the Best Contractor- 13 Easy Steps
Getting the right contractor for the job is key to any project’s success. Trust me… I’ve been there. According to Angie’s List, the two items critical to a job’s success are verifying a contractors license and READING the home improvement contract before signing it. In addition, you’ll want to focus on the following hiring guidelines:
1. Who will Manage the Job?: If your job involves more than 3-4 different specialists (electrician, drywall, plumbing, masonry, etc) things will go better if you have a general contractor to oversee the various tasks and timelines.
2. Define your project: Before you jump in, know what you want. And if you don’t know what you want, learn about what’s out there by reading remodeling magazines, taking a picture of a friend’s kitchen (or bathroom or entryway). Put these ideas on paper to give a potential contractor a sense of what you hope to achieve. Read the rest of this entry »
Feeling Under Water?
Not everybody has had the luxury of coasting through this recession unscathed.
The US Treasury and HUD have teamed together to provide information to struggling homeowners. Check out their website to:
- explore eligibility for various programs offered
- find a counselor to discuss your situation
- request a loan modification
- get help if unemployed
- estimate payment reductions if eligible for a loan modification
- homeowner FAQ’s
- if you find you’re out of options, strategies for a graceful exit
In addition, I have access to several local lawyers who can help advise you on the many options that are out there. Please contact me if I can be of help.
Donna’s 10 Common Selling Myths
As wary sellers begin putting their houses on the market in anticipation of the spring selling season, Evers & Co. Real Estate President, Broker, and my boss Donna Evers debunks 10 Common Myths that sellers should be aware of:
- “We’re not going to get the price we want.” While the Washington Metro area market was hit hard the last five years, things are improving! The average sales price hit bottom in 2009, but 2010 saw an improvement of +8.3 percent. As long as sellers don’t fall victim to the following 9 myths, they should be able to successfully sell their property.
- “We can always come down in price.” Conversely, some sellers think they should price their house high, and then come down. But putting a high price on a house has risks and negative consequences. The most likely buyers for your property lose interest immediately when they see the high Read the rest of this entry »
Selling an Estate in Bethesda, MD
I was talking to a client the other day about selling her mother’s estate in Bethesda, MD. She was feeling a little frazzled. There is so much that goes into preparing a home for sale, and it’s especially challenging when it isn’t your own home, or if you live out of town. During our discussion, I realized I had addressed many of her issues in previous blogs. So folks, I’ve pulled them all together into one spot… read on:
1. How to Sell an Estate in Bethesda (and Beyond…). This one covers the basics, including what to do with the stuff that’s left over (not wanted, but not ready for the trash bin).
2. Staging Your Home. Furnished homes typically sell more quickly and for more money than their unfurnished counterparts.. At Evers & Company, we provide free staging for empty homes (or homes that need a little extra umph) as long as you are willing to pay for the transportation of the furniture. Compare this to a professional staging service and you’ll realize you’re saving a bundle.
3. Six Reasons NOT to Renovate When Selling. Sometimes there are legitimate reasons for not Read the rest of this entry »
6 Reasons NOT to Renovate When Selling
Not every house is ready for prime time. While in many cases all it takes to get a house ready for market is a little spit and polish (and maybe some granite counter tops!), for some homes coming on the market, it really doesn’t make sense to put any money into renovations. Here are a few scenarios suggesting why you might consider NOT doing any work, starting with the most obvious:
- No money $$$. There are plenty of situations where this might be the case. Foreclosures. Short sales. Estate sales, etc. (But don’t let this discourage you. Many challenges to improving the marketability of a property center around clutter and cleaning. If you can rise to the occasion and take care of these items, you can reap the rewards by releasing your inner cleaning god or goddess. Are you handy? Perhaps some basic painting & landscaping tasks can be performed… by you! Also, sometimes when there’s no money for a bathroom re-do, there is a little bit of money for towels and a new shower curtain. Make the most of your situation.)
- Sheer stubbornness/Decorators nightmare. Some folks really like their stuff. Their big, brassy, UGLY, in-your-face kind of stuff. And suggesting to them that they neutralize their surroundings falls on deaf ears (hey, I’ve tried!). If swapping your orange painted walls and gold-leafed toilet seat Read the rest of this entry »
Staging your Bethesda Home
Once an empty living room...
Great news! You got a promotion, they want you in Seattle yesterday, you have to leave town pronto because school starts next week, and that’s o.k. because the house needs a paint job. But, you’re now in the unfortunate position of having an empty house to sell. And, empty houses typically don’t do as well as their furnished counterparts. Take a deep breath.
An obvious solution is to stage your home. But staging can run a bundle… I have an old client who paid Read the rest of this entry »
The Evers & Co 2010 End-of-Year Real Estate Report
The year 2010 had two dramatically different halves: the dollar volume of sales in the first half of the year averaged an increase of 23% per month, but the market declined in July, because of the end of the First Time Homebuyer’s Tax Credit, and sales through the end of the year averaged a negative 9% per month. The year ended with a modest gain of 7% dollar volume of sales over the previous year.
The positive news was the consistent gain in prices in the close-in Washington Metro area, which led the nation in price increases that started in 2009 and continued throughout 2010, ending with an average monthly price gain of 7.17%, indicating a strong and steady recovery in our market. Projections for next year are even higher; the expectation is that 2011 will show the biggest gains in sales and price nationwide since the beginning of the recession, with our Washington Metro area leading the way.
For a more in depth view of Bethesda/Chevy Chase/DC 2010 statistics, read my 2010 Wrap Up.
*Statistics are taken from the Metropolitan Regional Information System for three areas: Washington, D.C.; Montgomery County, Maryland; and Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia.
Can I call this a Bedroom?
A few years back I took over a listing from another agent who was unable to sell it. The owners weren’t terribly happy. They had spent a lot of money staging the place, and as absentee owners, they were bleeding money for 4 long months. So what was the problem? Expectations were too high. You see, the previous agent called it a 4 bedroom house (and priced it as a 4BR house), when it was anything but. Anybody coming into that house expecting a lot of room was going to be immediately disappointed, and probably leave grumbling about their wasted time, instead of focusing in on the positive aspects of the house.
So, what defines a bedroom? Within the metropolitan DC market, including Montgomery County, MD, a bedroom can be defined as such:
- Bedroom must measure a minimum 70 sq. ft.
- It must have a heat source.
- At least one Read the rest of this entry »
I want to put a bid on a house, but I’ll be out of town
The gee whiz moments in life have actually stepped up over the past few years with the advent of i-phones, i-pads, smart tags and what not. My recent favorite actually helps me in my real estate career. YUP. I’m a new convert to Docusign. Docusign allows me to work with traveling clients as long as they have access to the internet and a computer. There’s no need for printing documents at your hotel, and there’s no need to chase down a fax machine while vacationing in Bimini. Everything is done on the computer via “electronic signatures” … it’s fast, it’s convenient, and it’s legally binding* (*in most cases…I’ve had issue with an out of state relocation company, but that’s about it). I just signed up for this service about 2 months ago, and it has already come in handy on numerous occasions.
So, if you’ve finally found your Bethesda dream house, and the offer has been accepted, but there are still a few loose ends that need tying up, and you’re leaving the next day for a 3-week family vacation out of the country (whoa- I’m exhausted just setting up this scenario), have no fear. No need to cancel your plans, or hole up in your hotel room waiting for paperwork to materialize.
Docusign is here to save the day! Kind of like a super hero, huh?
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