Many people start out in real estate investing with great fervor, only to become discouraged after a few months when they don't attain instant fortune.
They discover they can't get rich quickly and easily, so they move on to the next scheme. These impatient investors often make one common mistake: They learn a few tricks and think success will follow instantly.
Another common mistake is seeing the instant success of someone else and believing you'll have the same results. In reality, this rarely happens. These people may have had a good plan, but face failure because they didn't give the required effort necessary to achieve the goal.
It takes a lot of work to achieve long-term success in real estate, which is why so few accomplish it on a grand scale.
Start with lofty, but reasonable goals:
Thinking big is great, but I cringe when I hear someone say, "I want to make a million dollars in real estate in my first year." Everyone loves a dreamer, but there's a fine line between dreams and delusions!
Someone who earns $50,000 a year and has no prior experience investing in real estate probably wouldn't make that kind of money by next Christmas.
What kinds of expectations are realistic for a beginner?
The best approach is to set short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals. Be sure your goals are realistic, specific, and attainable.
For example, your goals may look like this:
Fifteen-year goal: Retire with $10,000 in passive income per month, inflation-adjusted. This may require between $3 million and $4 million in free-and-clear rental real estate.
Five-year goal: Acquire between $3 million and $4 million in real estate in steadily appreciating areas. Buy, fix, and flip five properties per year at an average profit of $20,000 to replace current income.
One-year goal: Wholesale two or three properties, buy, fix, and flip (retail) two properties and acquire three rental properties to keep long term.
Six-month goal: Buy one rental property and do two or three wholesale flips.
Be as specific as possible:
. . . and take time to do the math. For example, if your goal is to retire within fifteen years, how much income will you need to attain that goal? If you need $10,000 per month, will that require owning and collecting rent on five houses? Ten houses?
Will you be managing that property? If you pay a manager, how will that affect your bottom line? If you need $10,000 in today's money, what will that amount be worth adjusted for inflation? The more diligently you put the pen to paper (or the fingers to the keyboard), the better prepared you'll be.
To avoid setting yourself up for certain disappointment and possible financial disaster, you must forget the dream of becoming an overnight millionaire. Instead, focus on the slow-and-steady route, aiming to accumulate wealth one small step at a time, one deal at a time.
And, of course, seek help along the way from qualified experts who are active in the business. The more mistakes you can avoid on your path to riches, the faster you will reach your destination.
Click here to find out the 8 critical components that make a successful direct mail marketing campaign, and have motivated sellers begging to give you their houses.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
Want to Eliminate Your School Property Taxes?
Many of us who own our own homes know that the school tax portion of our property tax is the largest portion by far that we pay. Many older folks, who are on fixed incomes, know to well how much the school property tax is on their home.
Ever think about having NO SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES? Well let me tell you, my school property taxes just went up 14% where I live so I am certainly thinking about how we can eliminate this darn tax.
There may be a way. Listen up. There is a proposed bill called house bill 1275 "The School Property Tax Elimination Act" and I think it makes a lot of sense.
Basically, it calls for the elimination of school property taxes and all of those nuisance taxes like the Earned Income Tax, etc. And to of course, make up for this lost money it calls for the expansion of the sales tax. Keep in mind it's not talking about increasing the sales tax, but it's talking about expanding the things that we are taxed on. Make sense?
Check out Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition for more information. Good info there.
People if you want to see something change you need to get out there and TAKE ACTION!
And if you decide not to take action and realize that you can't afford your house because your property taxes are too high then you could always sell your house. Get a cash offer in 48 hours here!
Ever think about having NO SCHOOL PROPERTY TAXES? Well let me tell you, my school property taxes just went up 14% where I live so I am certainly thinking about how we can eliminate this darn tax.
There may be a way. Listen up. There is a proposed bill called house bill 1275 "The School Property Tax Elimination Act" and I think it makes a lot of sense.
Basically, it calls for the elimination of school property taxes and all of those nuisance taxes like the Earned Income Tax, etc. And to of course, make up for this lost money it calls for the expansion of the sales tax. Keep in mind it's not talking about increasing the sales tax, but it's talking about expanding the things that we are taxed on. Make sense?
Check out Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition for more information. Good info there.
People if you want to see something change you need to get out there and TAKE ACTION!
And if you decide not to take action and realize that you can't afford your house because your property taxes are too high then you could always sell your house. Get a cash offer in 48 hours here!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Should You Become a Landlord?
Everyone knows that this market now sucks! Yes, I'm not going to be polite about it...it downright SUCKS! I know it, you know it, we all know it.
So in this market what is happening that is making it suck? Well houses are NOT selling, prices are falling and people are losing their houses to foreclosure left and right.
Most people that want to sell their house list it with a real estate agent, right? Right. And most real estate agents all they do to sell your house is list it on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), right? Right. Then when the house doesn't sell the agent asks you to drop the price and then when the house STILL doesn't sell the agent says "Well why don't you rent it out?"
Those are classic words from an idiot real estate agent who doesn't know what else to do to sell your house and is thinking that telling you to become a landlord is going to make your life better!
Now don't get me wrong, I'm a landlord and I have no problems with it. But ya gotta keep in mind that I CHOOSE to be a landlord....I just don't fall into a situation and decide "ahh nothing else is working to sell this place, so I'll rent it." Nah....it's not like that.
First of all the truth of the matter is NOT EVERYONE IS CUT OUT TO BE A LANDLORD. It's true. Not everyone has the stomach for it.
Ok now...will your house even make a profit for you to be able to be a landlord? How much is market rent? Then how much is your mortgage payments? Your taxes? Insurance? And any utilities or anything that YOU, the landlord, must pay, like licenses, etc. After you do the math...do you come out ahead or behind?
So you'll have a positive cashflow every month. Awesome! Now, how much do you have in reserves? Didn't think you needed that eh? Well you do. What happens when your tenant calls you and says "uhh Mr. Landlord we have no heat, the heating system just went!" Guess what happens? You had best be getting a new heating system so your tenants have heat. It's the LAW that you provide them with heat.
Ok so hopefully you get my drift about having some cash reserves saved up just in case (and believe it's not just in case you need it...it's WHEN you need it.) Now what about asking yourself if you will be able to deal with different personalities of tenants that you come in contact with or the different personalities of the potential tenats that you will meet. Do you even know how to screen tenants properly? Do you know how to read a credit report? Do you know how to check the tenants references? Do you know how to determine if their references are real or if they pulled them from their rear-end? Do you know the eviction process? Can you handle a tenant NOT paying the rent; financially and emotionally? Can you handle a tenant damaging your house; again financially and emotionally?
These are all questions you need to ask yourself before you tell that real estate agent of yours "Yeah, you know that's a great idea...I think I WILL rent out my property and become a landlord!"
Just for the record...landlording can be very profitable, but you must know what you're getting yourself into first.
If you have a house that you're having problems selling and you want to get a cash offer now and sell your pa house fast with no commissions or fees then call Carey at 610-999-6410 today or fill out this form on our website to receive your quick cash offer!
So in this market what is happening that is making it suck? Well houses are NOT selling, prices are falling and people are losing their houses to foreclosure left and right.
Most people that want to sell their house list it with a real estate agent, right? Right. And most real estate agents all they do to sell your house is list it on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), right? Right. Then when the house doesn't sell the agent asks you to drop the price and then when the house STILL doesn't sell the agent says "Well why don't you rent it out?"
Those are classic words from an idiot real estate agent who doesn't know what else to do to sell your house and is thinking that telling you to become a landlord is going to make your life better!
Now don't get me wrong, I'm a landlord and I have no problems with it. But ya gotta keep in mind that I CHOOSE to be a landlord....I just don't fall into a situation and decide "ahh nothing else is working to sell this place, so I'll rent it." Nah....it's not like that.
First of all the truth of the matter is NOT EVERYONE IS CUT OUT TO BE A LANDLORD. It's true. Not everyone has the stomach for it.
Ok now...will your house even make a profit for you to be able to be a landlord? How much is market rent? Then how much is your mortgage payments? Your taxes? Insurance? And any utilities or anything that YOU, the landlord, must pay, like licenses, etc. After you do the math...do you come out ahead or behind?
So you'll have a positive cashflow every month. Awesome! Now, how much do you have in reserves? Didn't think you needed that eh? Well you do. What happens when your tenant calls you and says "uhh Mr. Landlord we have no heat, the heating system just went!" Guess what happens? You had best be getting a new heating system so your tenants have heat. It's the LAW that you provide them with heat.
Ok so hopefully you get my drift about having some cash reserves saved up just in case (and believe it's not just in case you need it...it's WHEN you need it.) Now what about asking yourself if you will be able to deal with different personalities of tenants that you come in contact with or the different personalities of the potential tenats that you will meet. Do you even know how to screen tenants properly? Do you know how to read a credit report? Do you know how to check the tenants references? Do you know how to determine if their references are real or if they pulled them from their rear-end? Do you know the eviction process? Can you handle a tenant NOT paying the rent; financially and emotionally? Can you handle a tenant damaging your house; again financially and emotionally?
These are all questions you need to ask yourself before you tell that real estate agent of yours "Yeah, you know that's a great idea...I think I WILL rent out my property and become a landlord!"
Just for the record...landlording can be very profitable, but you must know what you're getting yourself into first.
If you have a house that you're having problems selling and you want to get a cash offer now and sell your pa house fast with no commissions or fees then call Carey at 610-999-6410 today or fill out this form on our website to receive your quick cash offer!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Don't Bury Your Head in the Sand for Too Long Folks!
Ok so I was recently talking to a woman who needed to desperately sell her house. Her and her husband haven't lived in it for over 8 months. They moved! They bought a new house! They are done with the old house. Ok?
Now, let's also add the fact that they are paying approximately $1500 to $1800 a month (this includes taxes and insurance) every month on a house they don't live in anymore. Plus, they still pay all of the utilities; electric, water, sewer, heat, etc.
And let's also add the fact that the husband is in desperate need of an operation that he will most likely be getting soon that will PUT HIM OUT OF WORK! What's that mean? Less income coming in of course. Soooooo less money to pay BOTH mortgages, right?
I'm not even done yet. Their house has been listed for going on 6 months now! It's a nice house, in a nice neighborhood but #1) People aren't getting approved for mortgages now like they used to and #2) These sellers are UNREALISTIC about their price. Ummm somethings wrong if you've gone 6 months and your nice house in your nice neighborhood hasn't sold!!!
So what's the problem here you're wondering? Well there is no problem for ME....I offered to help these folks out of their Problem situation but they are waiting around for that $30,000 to $40,000 payday! Hint: It ain't happening because they aren't going to sell their house for that much above what's owed. Plus, keep in mind that thus far they've already spend $18,000 plus paying the mortgage and utilities! So, don't forget to keep deducting those costs from that potential profit they are looking to make.
Bottomline folks: Don't bury your head in the sand or get too emotionally attached to your property when you CAN NOT AFFORD TO KEEP YOUR PROPERTY! Sure, you may potentially be giving up $30k of profit....but at $1800/mo in bills for a house you don't live in and can't afford........paying those bills for a year and a half will have already eaten up that $30k profit of yours! Now guess what? When you sell your house you sell it for a HUGE LOSS.
Keep in mind that I don't tell you this stuff to scare you, I tell you this stuff to help you stay on top of your real estate situations. I see them every single day.....don't wait too long and become the sellers' that I'm talking about in this situation who are going to end up in a huge negative situation.
If you need to sell your Pennsylvania house fast and for cash then visit: SellYourPaHouse.Com today!
Now, let's also add the fact that they are paying approximately $1500 to $1800 a month (this includes taxes and insurance) every month on a house they don't live in anymore. Plus, they still pay all of the utilities; electric, water, sewer, heat, etc.
And let's also add the fact that the husband is in desperate need of an operation that he will most likely be getting soon that will PUT HIM OUT OF WORK! What's that mean? Less income coming in of course. Soooooo less money to pay BOTH mortgages, right?
I'm not even done yet. Their house has been listed for going on 6 months now! It's a nice house, in a nice neighborhood but #1) People aren't getting approved for mortgages now like they used to and #2) These sellers are UNREALISTIC about their price. Ummm somethings wrong if you've gone 6 months and your nice house in your nice neighborhood hasn't sold!!!
So what's the problem here you're wondering? Well there is no problem for ME....I offered to help these folks out of their Problem situation but they are waiting around for that $30,000 to $40,000 payday! Hint: It ain't happening because they aren't going to sell their house for that much above what's owed. Plus, keep in mind that thus far they've already spend $18,000 plus paying the mortgage and utilities! So, don't forget to keep deducting those costs from that potential profit they are looking to make.
Bottomline folks: Don't bury your head in the sand or get too emotionally attached to your property when you CAN NOT AFFORD TO KEEP YOUR PROPERTY! Sure, you may potentially be giving up $30k of profit....but at $1800/mo in bills for a house you don't live in and can't afford........paying those bills for a year and a half will have already eaten up that $30k profit of yours! Now guess what? When you sell your house you sell it for a HUGE LOSS.
Keep in mind that I don't tell you this stuff to scare you, I tell you this stuff to help you stay on top of your real estate situations. I see them every single day.....don't wait too long and become the sellers' that I'm talking about in this situation who are going to end up in a huge negative situation.
If you need to sell your Pennsylvania house fast and for cash then visit: SellYourPaHouse.Com today!
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Stop Your PA Foreclosure?
If you're familiar with this blog you know that it was created by Real Home Solutions, Inc. (RHS) to help Pennsylvania homeowners and buyers who need help with their real estate transaction. RHS provides tips, articles and insights that may help folks out. We get many folks who contact us because they need to sell their PA house fast for a variety of reasons: divorce, death in the family, job loss, excessive repairs needed and foreclosure.
Well lately there has been a HUGE rise in foreclosures in the area. Unless you live under a rock, you're well aware of what's going on in the financing industry and real estate market here in Pennsylvania. Now more than ever before RHS is contacted by homeowners who are headed into foreclosure and they are looking for our help to STOP their foreclosure. Something that a lot of homeowners get misled about is the ability to stop their foreclosure. RHS can NOT stop your foreclosure nor can anyone else for that matter except YOU. And YOU can stop it by paying the cash needed to bring your loan current.
Many folks resort to filing bankruptcy to stop their foreclosure. However, they are very misinformed by their bankruptcy attorney. Filing bankruptcy does NOT stop your foreclosure, it just stalls it. I promise you though, if you are in foreclosure and you stall it by filing bankruptcy, the bank WILL eventually get the OK from the bankruptcy court to proceed with the foreclosure. So don't be misinformed ever again when speaking with a bankruptcy attorney. Also, some need guidelines have been set by Fannie Mae in regards to foreclosures and filing bankruptcy, etc.
To sum it up: IF you file bankruptcy (except Chap. 13) to STALL your foreclosure you have just ruined your credit for 4 years! If you file Chap. 13 and your case gets discharged then your credit is only ruined for 2 years from the date of discharge. But if you file Chap. 13 and your case gets dismissed then your credit is ruined for 4 years and it starts from the date of dismissal.
And the key to remember with bankruptcy is that it WILL NOT STOP YOUR FORECLOSURE. It just stalls it and screws up your credit for the most part for 4 years!
Now, something that RHS can do to help folks heading into foreclosure is that we buy your house and negotiate with your lender to accept less than what you owe them. Why do we do this? Well alot of times folks headed into foreclosure owe more than what their house is worth so this is a necessary negotiation for us in order to get the deal done. Banks, beleive it or not, are very open to this type of negotiation because they do NOT want to foreclose on you (costs too much time and money.) They just want the house to be sold and the loan to be gone forever and if that means taking less than whats owed then they are al for it. Well with the new Fannie Mae guidelines if YOU, as a homeowner, agree to this type of negotiation and the sale goes through (instead of getting foreclosed on) then your credit is only messed up for 2 years! That's it! And there are no other stipulations involved with that.
But if you let your house go to foreclosure then not only is your credit ruined for between 5 to 7 years BUT there are other stipulations involved if you ever want to buy a house again. The biggest stipulation is that you have to have at least 10% to put down and a 680 credit score! Even if you just turn the deed over to the bank, which is called a deed in lieu (of foreclosure,) then your credit is ruined for to 7 years and you're going to need 10% down if you want to buy a house again!
What does all of this mean? It means working with a company like Real Home Solutions, Inc. to negotiate a shortsale with your mortgage company is SUPER beneficial to homeowners who are going into foreclosure.
Don't take our word for it though. Read it from Fannie Mae. The text below is taken from Fannie Mae's site and you can follow the link at the end to read the chart that will describe all of the actions you can take and what those actions will mean to you.
"Establishing a new policy for preforeclosure sales. A preforeclosure sale involves the sale of the property by the borrower to a third party for less than the amount owed to satisfy the delinquent mortgage, as agreed to by the lender, investor, and mortgage insurer. Due to the increased incidence of preforeclosure sales, Fannie Mae is establishing a 2-year elapsed time period for reestablishing credit following completion of the action.
The following table outlines Fannie Mae’s current and new policies for manually underwritten loans related to the time period that must elapse before borrowers can demonstrate they have reestablished an acceptable credit history after the occurrence of
the bankruptcy or foreclosure."
Here's the link to everything just put out recently by Fannie Mae and a link to the chart that you can look at to see what your actions will mean for you.
If you'd like RHS to help you with your foreclosure situation then please call Carey at 610-999-6410 or visit our website to GET A CASH OFFER NOW!
Feel free to post any comments or questions on this blog and we'll be more than happy to help you out!
Well lately there has been a HUGE rise in foreclosures in the area. Unless you live under a rock, you're well aware of what's going on in the financing industry and real estate market here in Pennsylvania. Now more than ever before RHS is contacted by homeowners who are headed into foreclosure and they are looking for our help to STOP their foreclosure. Something that a lot of homeowners get misled about is the ability to stop their foreclosure. RHS can NOT stop your foreclosure nor can anyone else for that matter except YOU. And YOU can stop it by paying the cash needed to bring your loan current.
Many folks resort to filing bankruptcy to stop their foreclosure. However, they are very misinformed by their bankruptcy attorney. Filing bankruptcy does NOT stop your foreclosure, it just stalls it. I promise you though, if you are in foreclosure and you stall it by filing bankruptcy, the bank WILL eventually get the OK from the bankruptcy court to proceed with the foreclosure. So don't be misinformed ever again when speaking with a bankruptcy attorney. Also, some need guidelines have been set by Fannie Mae in regards to foreclosures and filing bankruptcy, etc.
To sum it up: IF you file bankruptcy (except Chap. 13) to STALL your foreclosure you have just ruined your credit for 4 years! If you file Chap. 13 and your case gets discharged then your credit is only ruined for 2 years from the date of discharge. But if you file Chap. 13 and your case gets dismissed then your credit is ruined for 4 years and it starts from the date of dismissal.
And the key to remember with bankruptcy is that it WILL NOT STOP YOUR FORECLOSURE. It just stalls it and screws up your credit for the most part for 4 years!
Now, something that RHS can do to help folks heading into foreclosure is that we buy your house and negotiate with your lender to accept less than what you owe them. Why do we do this? Well alot of times folks headed into foreclosure owe more than what their house is worth so this is a necessary negotiation for us in order to get the deal done. Banks, beleive it or not, are very open to this type of negotiation because they do NOT want to foreclose on you (costs too much time and money.) They just want the house to be sold and the loan to be gone forever and if that means taking less than whats owed then they are al for it. Well with the new Fannie Mae guidelines if YOU, as a homeowner, agree to this type of negotiation and the sale goes through (instead of getting foreclosed on) then your credit is only messed up for 2 years! That's it! And there are no other stipulations involved with that.
But if you let your house go to foreclosure then not only is your credit ruined for between 5 to 7 years BUT there are other stipulations involved if you ever want to buy a house again. The biggest stipulation is that you have to have at least 10% to put down and a 680 credit score! Even if you just turn the deed over to the bank, which is called a deed in lieu (of foreclosure,) then your credit is ruined for to 7 years and you're going to need 10% down if you want to buy a house again!
What does all of this mean? It means working with a company like Real Home Solutions, Inc. to negotiate a shortsale with your mortgage company is SUPER beneficial to homeowners who are going into foreclosure.
Don't take our word for it though. Read it from Fannie Mae. The text below is taken from Fannie Mae's site and you can follow the link at the end to read the chart that will describe all of the actions you can take and what those actions will mean to you.
"Establishing a new policy for preforeclosure sales. A preforeclosure sale involves the sale of the property by the borrower to a third party for less than the amount owed to satisfy the delinquent mortgage, as agreed to by the lender, investor, and mortgage insurer. Due to the increased incidence of preforeclosure sales, Fannie Mae is establishing a 2-year elapsed time period for reestablishing credit following completion of the action.
The following table outlines Fannie Mae’s current and new policies for manually underwritten loans related to the time period that must elapse before borrowers can demonstrate they have reestablished an acceptable credit history after the occurrence of
the bankruptcy or foreclosure."
Here's the link to everything just put out recently by Fannie Mae and a link to the chart that you can look at to see what your actions will mean for you.
If you'd like RHS to help you with your foreclosure situation then please call Carey at 610-999-6410 or visit our website to GET A CASH OFFER NOW!
Feel free to post any comments or questions on this blog and we'll be more than happy to help you out!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Is it a good idea to sell your home yourself?
Are you thinking about selling your home? Have you been thinking of selling it by yourself instead of hiring a real estate agent? There are several advantages of selling your home yourself, but there are disadvantages as well.
To make it easier for you to make a decision find the most important pros and cons below.
The most important PRO for selling your home yourself is MONEY. Selling your home without the help of an agent means more money in your pocket! By selling it yourself you save the commissions and fees. We are not talking about pennys, we are talking about THOUSANDS of dollars which you would have to pay an agent.
Another advantage is that you are able to decide the times for open houses and showings. It is also completely up to you where and when you want to advertise.
Unlike a real estate agent who is selling many houses, you can focus on YOUR house, because you are only selling your own house. It is obvious that you will have more interest in the sale than an agent.
But as mentioned above there are also disadvantages to selling your house yourself. Real estate agents are paid a lot of money for a reason. Selling a home takes a lot of energy and time. Dealing with potential buyers, open houses, closing sales and of course dealing with legal issues. Real estate agents are familiar with all the above and their experience can impact the sale.
Be realistic when making a decision! Will you drop everything to make a showing? Do you think you are indeed a good negotatior and ask for an offer? Are you 100% sure you are able to close a deal? Selling a home is a big project! It is not everyone who can take on such a big project and can stay calm and professional when dealing with buyers. And do you even know if you are dealing with a qualified buyer or is it someone that is just wasting your time? How about safety? Have you taken all of the safety precautions that you should when you are letting strangers into your home?
Selling your home is not impossible, but it is a challenge. If this challenge excites you and if you are willing to learn then it is not impossible managing selling your home without the help of an agent. With some know-how and a lot of energy you can sell your house without the help of a real estate agent and save thousands.
So how to start? Sit down and start evaluating your house. Finding the right price is the first and most important step when selling your home yourself.
And if you are looking for someone who is ready to buy your house RIGHT NOW and have an offer in your hands within 48 hours then you can contact Real Home Solutions, Inc. at 610-999-6410 and they will make you an offer on your house. They buy houses in any condition and in any situation. Call the 610 number for an IMMEDIATE response or if your situation is not urgent then fill out this form on their website to get a cash offer in 48 hours! By the way, Real Home Solutions, Inc. does NOT charge any commissions or fees and you will be able to sell your PA house fast!
To make it easier for you to make a decision find the most important pros and cons below.
The most important PRO for selling your home yourself is MONEY. Selling your home without the help of an agent means more money in your pocket! By selling it yourself you save the commissions and fees. We are not talking about pennys, we are talking about THOUSANDS of dollars which you would have to pay an agent.
Another advantage is that you are able to decide the times for open houses and showings. It is also completely up to you where and when you want to advertise.
Unlike a real estate agent who is selling many houses, you can focus on YOUR house, because you are only selling your own house. It is obvious that you will have more interest in the sale than an agent.
But as mentioned above there are also disadvantages to selling your house yourself. Real estate agents are paid a lot of money for a reason. Selling a home takes a lot of energy and time. Dealing with potential buyers, open houses, closing sales and of course dealing with legal issues. Real estate agents are familiar with all the above and their experience can impact the sale.
Be realistic when making a decision! Will you drop everything to make a showing? Do you think you are indeed a good negotatior and ask for an offer? Are you 100% sure you are able to close a deal? Selling a home is a big project! It is not everyone who can take on such a big project and can stay calm and professional when dealing with buyers. And do you even know if you are dealing with a qualified buyer or is it someone that is just wasting your time? How about safety? Have you taken all of the safety precautions that you should when you are letting strangers into your home?
Selling your home is not impossible, but it is a challenge. If this challenge excites you and if you are willing to learn then it is not impossible managing selling your home without the help of an agent. With some know-how and a lot of energy you can sell your house without the help of a real estate agent and save thousands.
So how to start? Sit down and start evaluating your house. Finding the right price is the first and most important step when selling your home yourself.
And if you are looking for someone who is ready to buy your house RIGHT NOW and have an offer in your hands within 48 hours then you can contact Real Home Solutions, Inc. at 610-999-6410 and they will make you an offer on your house. They buy houses in any condition and in any situation. Call the 610 number for an IMMEDIATE response or if your situation is not urgent then fill out this form on their website to get a cash offer in 48 hours! By the way, Real Home Solutions, Inc. does NOT charge any commissions or fees and you will be able to sell your PA house fast!
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Home Selling Advice
There are so many aspects one needs to consider when selling their home. You, of course, are the seller but you should try your best to put yourself in the buyers’ shoes. Think about things that a buyer would like to see, smell, hear, etc. But to get your started here is some advice for selling your home:
First, you should always be an informative seller. When you have put your “For Sale” sign in the front yard, or you put brochures out for people don’t EVER forget to put your phone number. I know it sounds silly, but it’s very stressful when you are selling your home and you have a lot of things to think about and take care of and it’s very easy to forget something so simple as a phone number.
Second, you should ask a reasonable price for your home, based on the physical appearance of your home, environment and location. The better location where your home is placed, the better price you can get. And the better physical condition of your home, a better price should be granted. The best way to find out what your home is worth is to have at least 3 licensed real estate agents do a comparable market analysis on your home. You can also search the tax records in your area to find homes that have sold and for how much. But keep in mind, you won’t have as much detail that is needed to really compare those homes to yours. And don’t forget that a buyer needs an achievable price. So the process of the negotiation will determine it. It’s hard for sellers to understand that no matter how much research they do in regards to pricing their home that the BUYERS have the ultimate say in saying what they think your home is worth. Your home is actually worth the price that you and a qualified buyer actually AGREE ON. It’s as simple as that.
Third, speaking of physical condition of your home, your homes curb appeal is the most important thing. Why? Well because it’s the very first thing people see when they come to your home. And you want to make a great first impression! You can do some simple work to improve the appeal of your homes exterior. Such as; clean up the kids’ toys, their bikes, your grill, etc. Just little things to make it beautiful, tidy, and fresh. The color of your homes exterior should be considered as well.
Fourth, get your buyer in the right mood by creating a cozy environment in your home. What do I mean by “cozy environment”? The following are very important; fresh air, a clean environment, fresh odors, and the most important is a homelike situation. Just make a buyer feel like they are in their own home sweet home. This also means to depersonalize your home. Depersonalizing your home means that if you have a wall full of family pictures and they are all over your coffee tables, etc. you will want to get rid of them. They are awesome for you and your family, but the truth is, the buyer isn’t going to feel like it’s their home sweet home if all they see is YOUR family all over the place. So try to make your home feel comfy, cozy and very homey, but without all of your family pictures. Declutter as well. Remove all unnecessary clutter, even take it out of the garage and closets. Rent a storage unit while your home is for sale if you have to or borrow a family members garage. Just get it out of your home.
Fifth, when you get down to the negotiations, you should learn how to make a great offer. In order to make the absolute best offer, you should be a great win-win negotiator. Remember, the buyer wants to get what they want and you want to get what you want, but when you can actually figure out the perfect win-win scenario for both parties, well they you have a great offer that will most likely go to the settlement table. You can find plenty of articles and books on the internet and in bookstores that can help you become a great communicator and negotiator.
There is a little advice that should help you get ready to sell your home.
For more home selling advice and to receive your FREE report “How to Sell Your Pennsylvania House Fast (in 7 days even!)” then simply fill out this form.
First, you should always be an informative seller. When you have put your “For Sale” sign in the front yard, or you put brochures out for people don’t EVER forget to put your phone number. I know it sounds silly, but it’s very stressful when you are selling your home and you have a lot of things to think about and take care of and it’s very easy to forget something so simple as a phone number.
Second, you should ask a reasonable price for your home, based on the physical appearance of your home, environment and location. The better location where your home is placed, the better price you can get. And the better physical condition of your home, a better price should be granted. The best way to find out what your home is worth is to have at least 3 licensed real estate agents do a comparable market analysis on your home. You can also search the tax records in your area to find homes that have sold and for how much. But keep in mind, you won’t have as much detail that is needed to really compare those homes to yours. And don’t forget that a buyer needs an achievable price. So the process of the negotiation will determine it. It’s hard for sellers to understand that no matter how much research they do in regards to pricing their home that the BUYERS have the ultimate say in saying what they think your home is worth. Your home is actually worth the price that you and a qualified buyer actually AGREE ON. It’s as simple as that.
Third, speaking of physical condition of your home, your homes curb appeal is the most important thing. Why? Well because it’s the very first thing people see when they come to your home. And you want to make a great first impression! You can do some simple work to improve the appeal of your homes exterior. Such as; clean up the kids’ toys, their bikes, your grill, etc. Just little things to make it beautiful, tidy, and fresh. The color of your homes exterior should be considered as well.
Fourth, get your buyer in the right mood by creating a cozy environment in your home. What do I mean by “cozy environment”? The following are very important; fresh air, a clean environment, fresh odors, and the most important is a homelike situation. Just make a buyer feel like they are in their own home sweet home. This also means to depersonalize your home. Depersonalizing your home means that if you have a wall full of family pictures and they are all over your coffee tables, etc. you will want to get rid of them. They are awesome for you and your family, but the truth is, the buyer isn’t going to feel like it’s their home sweet home if all they see is YOUR family all over the place. So try to make your home feel comfy, cozy and very homey, but without all of your family pictures. Declutter as well. Remove all unnecessary clutter, even take it out of the garage and closets. Rent a storage unit while your home is for sale if you have to or borrow a family members garage. Just get it out of your home.
Fifth, when you get down to the negotiations, you should learn how to make a great offer. In order to make the absolute best offer, you should be a great win-win negotiator. Remember, the buyer wants to get what they want and you want to get what you want, but when you can actually figure out the perfect win-win scenario for both parties, well they you have a great offer that will most likely go to the settlement table. You can find plenty of articles and books on the internet and in bookstores that can help you become a great communicator and negotiator.
There is a little advice that should help you get ready to sell your home.
For more home selling advice and to receive your FREE report “How to Sell Your Pennsylvania House Fast (in 7 days even!)” then simply fill out this form.
Getting Your House Ready to Sell
How can a buyer get interest in purchasing your house? Impression is the keyword. You just need to get your house ready to sell by doing some preparations so that you can make an awesome first impression. To get the best results we suggest you pay for a home inspection by a licensed professional home inspector. Remember your buyer will most likely get one, so why not have everything fixed that a home inspector will find before your buyer gets it! If you can’t afford to pay for a home inspection, usually around $300 to $400 or so, then there are other first impression type of things that you can do yourself.
So, what are a few things you can do to give your house a great first impression? These are the steps for getting your house ready to sell quickly to a buyer.
Beautify your Exterior (also known as curb appeal)
Make the outside look appealing. The goal is to make your exterior look pretty and fresh to impress your buyer. Remember, the exterior is the FIRST thing that your buyer sees when they go to look at your house. There are two sensory organs of a buyer you must impress. Those are eyes and nose. So make the outside LOOK presentable and SMELL presentable. Here are some steps you can take:- Get the grass, trees, flowers, and plants tidy and fresh by mowing and watering them- Clean up the curb and walkway; some potted flowers on the sides can help as well.- Freshen up the smells around your exterior by adding flowers and by getting rid of any pet waste, etc.- Clean all of the windows and doors.- Get rid of ALL clutter outside. This includes moving your grill to the shed, putting bikes in the garage, etc. etc.
Make the Interior Look Cozy
Make the inside of your house feel homelike to a buyer. Try to put your own personal feelings aside, remember, it’s not about YOU anymore, it’s about appealing to a new buyer. These are some steps you can take:
- Clean up the tile floors; scrub it if there are some bad spots.
- Get rid of spider webs on your ceilings and walls.
- Wash the carpets with a fragrant soap.
- Get your furniture placed tidily and do not OVERCLUTTER your house with unnecessary furniture pieces.
- Clean out your closets. Don’t jam pack them with stuff. Allow the buyer to see the available closet space.
- Clean the garage, basement, and attic
- Get the windows opened and clean, it will bring freshness to your house inside
- If you have pets, bathe them.
- Put some fresh fragrance in air conditioner.
- Purchase some of those plug-in air freshners (glade, airwick, etc.)
- DePersonalize your house. This is VERY important. Don’t have too many family pictures all over the place, don’t have too many knick knacks, etc. DeClutter/DePersonalize.
Repairing and Replacing
Some Repairing and replacement is necessary to do, if there is some broken furniture, equipment, or appliances. Just check out:
- broken or missing doors
- cabinet handles
- ceilings
- ventilation filters
- broken tiles in bathroom and kitchen
- faucet
- wallpaper
- some furniture
Get your friends’ opinion
Ask your friends to judge your house HONESTLY. Tell them that the truth will help you more then them just saying something positive so they don’t hurt your feelings about something. Ask them to judge your house on SMELL, LOOK and FEEL. Ask them what they feel are positive features of your house and what are some negative features….and when they tell you these things LISTEN TO THEM.
For more information on getting your house ready to sell and to receive your FREE report “How to Sell Your Pennsylvania House Fast (in 7 days even!)” then simply fill out this form.
So, what are a few things you can do to give your house a great first impression? These are the steps for getting your house ready to sell quickly to a buyer.
Beautify your Exterior (also known as curb appeal)
Make the outside look appealing. The goal is to make your exterior look pretty and fresh to impress your buyer. Remember, the exterior is the FIRST thing that your buyer sees when they go to look at your house. There are two sensory organs of a buyer you must impress. Those are eyes and nose. So make the outside LOOK presentable and SMELL presentable. Here are some steps you can take:- Get the grass, trees, flowers, and plants tidy and fresh by mowing and watering them- Clean up the curb and walkway; some potted flowers on the sides can help as well.- Freshen up the smells around your exterior by adding flowers and by getting rid of any pet waste, etc.- Clean all of the windows and doors.- Get rid of ALL clutter outside. This includes moving your grill to the shed, putting bikes in the garage, etc. etc.
Make the Interior Look Cozy
Make the inside of your house feel homelike to a buyer. Try to put your own personal feelings aside, remember, it’s not about YOU anymore, it’s about appealing to a new buyer. These are some steps you can take:
- Clean up the tile floors; scrub it if there are some bad spots.
- Get rid of spider webs on your ceilings and walls.
- Wash the carpets with a fragrant soap.
- Get your furniture placed tidily and do not OVERCLUTTER your house with unnecessary furniture pieces.
- Clean out your closets. Don’t jam pack them with stuff. Allow the buyer to see the available closet space.
- Clean the garage, basement, and attic
- Get the windows opened and clean, it will bring freshness to your house inside
- If you have pets, bathe them.
- Put some fresh fragrance in air conditioner.
- Purchase some of those plug-in air freshners (glade, airwick, etc.)
- DePersonalize your house. This is VERY important. Don’t have too many family pictures all over the place, don’t have too many knick knacks, etc. DeClutter/DePersonalize.
Repairing and Replacing
Some Repairing and replacement is necessary to do, if there is some broken furniture, equipment, or appliances. Just check out:
- broken or missing doors
- cabinet handles
- ceilings
- ventilation filters
- broken tiles in bathroom and kitchen
- faucet
- wallpaper
- some furniture
Get your friends’ opinion
Ask your friends to judge your house HONESTLY. Tell them that the truth will help you more then them just saying something positive so they don’t hurt your feelings about something. Ask them to judge your house on SMELL, LOOK and FEEL. Ask them what they feel are positive features of your house and what are some negative features….and when they tell you these things LISTEN TO THEM.
For more information on getting your house ready to sell and to receive your FREE report “How to Sell Your Pennsylvania House Fast (in 7 days even!)” then simply fill out this form.
Real Estate Agent vs. Realtor??
Many, many people use the terms real estate agent and Realtor interchangeably. But the reality is there IS a difference between the two terms.
A real estate agent is ANYONE who takes the required real estate classes and then passes the Pennsylvania real estate licensing exam.
A REALTOR is a real estate agent that is a member of the National Association of Realtors. Realtors subscribe to a strict code of ETHICS and STANDARDS OF PRACTICE.
So in a nutshell; all Realtors are real estate agents that subscribe to the National Association of Realtors stict code of ethics and standards of practice, but all real estate agents are NOT Realtors.
If you have any questions in regards to this difference, please feel free to ask.
A real estate agent is ANYONE who takes the required real estate classes and then passes the Pennsylvania real estate licensing exam.
A REALTOR is a real estate agent that is a member of the National Association of Realtors. Realtors subscribe to a strict code of ETHICS and STANDARDS OF PRACTICE.
So in a nutshell; all Realtors are real estate agents that subscribe to the National Association of Realtors stict code of ethics and standards of practice, but all real estate agents are NOT Realtors.
If you have any questions in regards to this difference, please feel free to ask.
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