selling: Property Re-listing: Success Depends on Re-examination - 10/17/13 10:46 PM
Even though Columbus, GA area property prices continue to recover, the current market can still present challenges. No one understands this better than homeowners who are re-listing this Fall and Winter season. For some of them, surrounding seas of “For Sale” signs created a less-than-appealing neighborhood setting. Others drew buyers who weren’t able to secure financing in the uncertain mortgage environment. Whatever the reason, it can be disheartening for anyone who has to re-list their property.
Once you undertake a repeat attempt to sell your Columbus, GA area home, you want to be certain the job gets done right. A key … (0 comments)

selling: Thinking about selling your home "For Sale By Owner" - 07/09/13 06:04 AM
 
FSBO: “For Sale By Owner” - it can be a siren’s call when you first mull over the prospects for selling your house.  A Columbus, GA For Sale By Owner listing promises to allow a homeowner to sell without even consulting a Columbus, GA/ Phenix City, AL area real estate agents! Depending on a home’s final sale price, the commission saved looks to be substantial.
While there are certainly theoretical attractions to the idea of working on your own, time and again statistics prove it is not only more efficient to work with a real estate agent -- it also … (1 comments)

selling: When a kitchen shines, Realtors beam! - 04/02/13 12:27 AM
Keeping control of your kitchen is one of the most basic actions you can take to help your real estate agent sell your home. The execution can be simple when it’s approached systematically. 
Especially during the winter months, kitchen control can seem an all but unmanageable task. Days are shorter; kids or pets may be cooped up inside; and everyone tracks winter through the kitchen all day long. But Spring is here! To help you keep your kitchen looking great (and your Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area real estate agent beaming), some simple preparation is needed. That, plus sticking to a … (0 comments)

selling: Listing Agent, Buyers' Agent, Sellers' Agent: Who is My Agent? - 01/09/13 09:00 AM
Buyers’ agent, sellers’ agent – what does it mean? In every Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area real estate transaction, the differences are easy to understand, right? Not quite. A potential linguistic trapdoor can lie right around the corner. 
            For openers, that sellers' agent may also be called the “listing agent” – both mean the same thing. The trapdoor is a further complication that comes into play once a contract is in place -- after which the buyer’s agent may also properly be called the “selling” agent!
            The potential confusion between seller’s agent and selling agent doesn’t usually have much … (2 comments)

selling: Buying a Columbus, GA Bank Owned Home? - 01/09/13 08:55 AM
In our Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area market “Bank-Owned Homes” are usually described as “Foreclosures”. Even though the terms are used interchangeably here and in other places, there is a difference. The difference between a “Foreclosure” and a “Bank-Owned Home” may be technical, but important to understand.  Foreclosures are properties that are auctioned off in a court process. A bank-owned home, on the other hand, is one that has reverted to the mortgage issuer: a bank.
A foreclosure can change hands with the bang of the auctioneer’s gavel: it’s a cash-in-hand situation, carrying all of the excitement (and risk) of any … (0 comments)

selling: Getting a Mortgage - Understanding the GFE - 01/09/13 08:43 AM
When you plan on getting a mortgage in the Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area anytime this year, you’re fairly certain to run into something known as the GFE. It’s the acronym for ‘Good Faith Estimate’-- and despite the reassuring name, the federal government decided they had better make it mandatory. 
The GFE has a new format dictated by the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act which requires lenders to provide an estimate of the charges and fees due at closing. Lenders have three days to make it available.
The GFE looks like a bill. It features a list of fees and … (0 comments)

selling: Home Listings Trends for the Future - 01/09/13 08:37 AM
Homeowners who are puzzling over whether to add their property to the Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area home listings this winter (rather than hold back until spring) have more than just timing to factor into their decision. How their offering will stack up alongside the other home listings is a prime consideration.
The residential market has made good progress this year – and a strong majority of pundits expect more of the same for 2013. I deal with the home-buying public all the time, and so get an inside look and listen to what features and qualities wind up having the … (0 comments)

selling: Selling your home? Think like a buyer! - 01/09/13 05:24 AM
One of the effects of the steady national rise in home prices is a shift in attitude by previously cautious consumers. It’s only natural to find more people focused on buying homes in the Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area while it is still relatively inexpensive to do so.
Homeowners who are listing their own Columbus, GA area properties this year are well advised to be mindful of those and other considerations bound to be motivating prospective customers. Buying homes – especially homes in a far away locale – gives rise to many concerns. Positioning the way a home is marketed to … (4 comments)

selling: Selling Decision - Short Sale vs Foreclosure - 01/09/13 05:11 AM
For bargain-hunters looking over 2013’s first listings of foreclosed homes for sale in the Columbus, GA/Phenix City, AL area, the opportunities speak for themselves. Throughout 2012, the size of that selection of Columbus, GA area foreclosure varies. But no matter how large that increase or decrease turns out to be in 2013, in addition to representing a unique opportunity to potential buyers, each one also posed a substantial decision for the departing homeowner.
The question each homeowner faced was whether to attempt to short sell or to allow their property to be foreclosed upon. Choosing the most positive outcome means shedding … (0 comments)

selling: Finding a Columbus GA Realtor - 11/08/12 11:51 PM
When you want to sell your house, you want it to bring in top dollar. That means you want to find a Realtor® in the Columbus GA area who has the characteristics of a top performer. He or she may or may not have last month's highest sales volume, may or may not have page after page of onscreen MLS listings. However, there are characteristics you can look for that are bound to point to the best candidate to represent your home in your neighborhood.
1) Understanding You: the Client
I agree with Realtor Magazine:
"One of the strongest ways to increase likability … (0 comments)

selling: Swimming Pool Pros and Cons - 08/03/12 05:27 AM
At last! To the joy of every child (and most adults) you know, your Columbus, GA area home has a swimming pool! Whether you just bought the property or have recently installed a pool yourself, this is a feature that's not only a pleasure to look at, but also a true centerpiece -- a magnet for socializing and relaxing throughout the hot summer months. 
 Also true: that pool carries a few drawbacks, as well. You should consider both when it comes to writing an offer or selling a home with a pool
Pro 1: Boost Your Property's Value
In today's super-competitive housing market, … (1 comments)

selling: Wood Deck or Composite Deck? - 08/03/12 05:16 AM
Selling your home in boom times can seem like quite a different proposition from what we have today. But Columbus, GA area real estate veterans know that there are many factors that aren't subject to change. One of them is the basic arithmetic of residential space: bigger sells for more.
That's where you -- if you're an Columbus, GA homeowner thinking about selling your home down the road -- can have make a real impact. Especially if you think 'deck'!
A backyard deck can add aesthetic value to any home while providing functional outdoor space - truly adding to the usable living area … (0 comments)

selling: Hot Colors for the Kitchen! - 08/03/12 04:47 AM
Designers of today's Columbus, GA new homes and remodeled homes are continuing to regard the kitchen as the functioning central gathering place - the family's social hub, where a great deal more than meal preparation takes place. The trend toward bigger kitchens is on track: many feature kitchens designed with open space for family gatherings as well as multi-generational cooking. Many new homes deck out their kitchens in the hottest new colors (it's become a widespread international fashion trend).
When you are making decisions about your own kitchen, if you decide to keep future home values in mind, your color choices may differ … (1 comments)

selling: Wood vs Gas Fireplace: Pros and Cons - 08/03/12 04:29 AM
Many potential Columbus, GA area homebuyers rate fireplaces near the top of their 'nice to have' list. Not a 'gotta have,' but definitely a solid plus. For them, fireplaces are romantic additions to any property.  Sometimes a backyard fire pit or open-hearth barbecue can fill the bill. Especially during brisk fall or winter evenings, the allure of the dancing flames, crackling sound and woodsy aroma are all that are needed to bring back fond family memories and build new ones...
However - whether indoors or out, there are some practical advantages and drawbacks to both wood burners and gas fireplaces. 
The … (0 comments)

selling: Salt Water Pools - Pros and Cons - 07/18/12 01:31 PM
For most of us, a swimming pool would be a truly valuable addition to any home. It isn't just the fun pools bring to the backyard recreational space -- they add value to Columbus, GA property listings when it comes time to sell. For many years, homeowners could choose their pool's size and shape, but that was about all. The water was going to be fresh, and the maintenance method, chlorination. 
But that was before the saltwater pool began to come into its own as a popular choice. One of the reasons is that most people have misconceptions about the plusses … (3 comments)

selling: How Safe is Your Home from Break-Ins? - 07/18/12 01:15 PM
Ahhhh! At the end of a busy day, who doesn't look forward to the surge of well being that comes with closing the door behind you, finally able to relax now that the world is at bay. Whether living in apartments or homes, everyone deserves that feeling of safety and security. Yet, like most everything else, real security has to be earned.
In the area of home security, we've come across both good and bad news. The good: the most recent FBI report shows that the number of burglaries is decreasing across the nation. The bad: burglaries are still responsible for … (2 comments)

selling: Time to Sell Your Columbus, GA Home? - 07/18/12 01:05 PM
Every homeowner can have all sorts of reasons for selling their Columbus, GA house. Those in the boomer generation can be in one of the traditional phases of retirement (planning, transitioning, initiating) or perhaps in one of the newly-popular phases (postponing, rejecting).
For them and everyone else, the decision about whether to sell the house falls into one of two categories: those triggered by economic pressures - or all the other reasons. In all cases, being in control of the timing of your house sale will put you in control of the process. That pays off.
Even if the money factor … (1 comments)

selling: Luxury Home Features that Stand Out - 07/01/12 02:49 AM
Gracious living in a well-appointed home may evoke visions of price tags in the millions of dollars, but not all true luxury homes in the Columbus, GA area fall into the seven-figure bracket.  If you are considering selling your own high-end home, it's important to consider your target buyer and the criteria most of them bring to their Columbus, GA property search. What for them constitutes the definition of "luxury homes"?.
 
Although many features could be considered as must-haves for the majority of luxury home listings, three criteria in particular are usually included: well-planned and well-tended grounds, high-quality materials, and distinctive amenities … (2 comments)