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sellers: 6 Things I Promise to Do for Buyers and Sellers in Bucks County - 07/20/09 07:14 PM
I'm being bombarded by a general lack of professionalism, not just in Real Estate, but in life in general. So, in a bit of a rant, here are
Six Things I Promise to Do for Sellers and Buyers in Bucks County!
1. I'll call you back. I'll email you back. Promptly.
2. When I tell you I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it. If, for some reason, it doesn't get done, I'll let you know beforehand why it wasn't and when it will be.
3. I'm going to keep you updated on your status. If you've listed your … (7 comments)
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sellers: Bucks County Sellers - Yes, you CAN sell your home in 30 days! - 07/07/09 02:13 PM
In fact, you can sell your home in Bucks County in THREE DAYS. I just did.
420 Brandywine Court
Warminster, PA
$165,000
Sold in 3 Days
48 Brecknock Court
Newtown, PA
$470,000
Sold in 12 Days
What's the secret?
Staging the home before you list it. One home was professionally staged, the other I did myself (it was my personal fix & flip investment). Staging works! Pricing the home with good, solid comparables, and pricing it within the pricing reflected by those comps. Pictures and internet presence. Easy access to … (1 comments)
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sellers: The Best of Heather's Hints - How Sellers in Bucks County PA can Get Their Home Ready for Sale - 05/03/09 08:31 PM
My husband and I just spent the day getting our fix and flip investment property in Warminster, PA ready to be put on the market. There is the inevitable list of piddly little "to-do" items that take forever to complete: cabinet hardware on the kitchen cabinets, grills on the A/C vents, toilet paper holders and towel racks in the bathroom. We spent about 5 hours today doing a multitude of tiny things that add up to mean big money in the end. Of course, I played washer woman - nothing like cleaning toilets in a house that was inhabited solely by workmen. … (0 comments)
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sellers: Why Appraisals May Be Doing Buyers (and Agents) Dirty Work in the Future - 04/09/09 01:19 PM
For the first time, ever, in my real estate career, I'm seeing homes not appraise for the contract price.
Now, some may think this is long overdue, and that appraisers are finally doing their job the RIGHT way. I'm of the opinion that appraisers were doing their job the right way all along - houses were worth those inflated prices because people were willing to pay those inflated prices. If houses are worth what a Buyer is willing to pay....well, I'm getting off track here.
Anyhow, the fact of the matter is that appraisers are now under direct scrutiny, and they're being a … (2 comments)
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sellers: Help! My Listing Expired and I'm Never Gonna Sell This Place! - 02/12/09 07:11 PM
Cute clip-art aside, I know that having your home listing expire without a sale isn't funny or cute: it's scary and disheartening.
I ran a list of expired listings in Bucks County, and boy...there are quite a few. I'm certainly seeing an increase in expired listings, so you are not alone.
You may be panicked at the thought that you will never sell your home. You may feel as if it's a lost cause, or that it'll "never happen."
So, what do you do if your listing has expired?
Decide whether you want to re-list with your current REALTOR (R). … (4 comments)
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sellers: Bucks County Real Estate Inventory - December 2008 - 01/30/09 07:12 PM
We saw an increase in the Months Supply of Inventory from our November numbers of 14.7 months supply of inventory. As of December, we currently have 16.2 months supply of inventory of single family homes, an increase of 76% over two years.
What does this mean to Sellers in Bucks County?
Well, what it doesn't mean is that you'll never be able to sell your home in this market. Homes sell every day, and not all of them are distressed, well-under-market, deal-of-the-century sales. There are plenty of people selling their homes at market value, and moving forward with their … (2 comments)
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sellers: Bucks County Real Estate Inventory - October 2008 - 11/12/08 02:29 PM
In September, I told you about some seriously cool software that I learned that gives my clients and me some great tools to determine pricing, competition, and timing.
The following information is regarding "Months Supply of Inventory" of single family residential homes currently on the market, as of the last day of October 2008. I warn you, it's grim news.
We currently have 15.7 months of inventory on the market, up from 11.6 months in September. Over a two year period, the "Month Supply of Inventory" has increased 108%.
Shoot me an email and I'll be happy to send the report to … (0 comments)
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sellers: Yeah! My home is SOLD! (Not so fast...) - 07/23/08 11:13 AM
It's one of the best phone calls I get to make as a REALTOR: the call that we've got a deal. It's especially nice to give that news to Sellers, since they're getting beat up just a bit in the current market. Be it a full price offer (yeah, they're still around) or a negotiation marathon, it's a huge relief to get that baby under contract. We all do a happy dance, the Sellers disconnect emotionally from the house, and we all look to move forward.
...Screetch...
That's the sound of your home sale careening out of control and crashing. … (5 comments)
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sellers: "It's Tricky, Tricky, Tricky, Tricky." ~ Beastie Boys - 07/18/08 08:43 AM
My dear Sellers in Bucks County, while educating yourself on how to get a quick sale, you're going to find a lot of articles that tout "creative" ideas for getting your home sold.
Offer the Buyers a Car! A boat! A vacation!
Getting tricky isn't the answer. There are only three things a Buyer really cares about: price, location, and condition. That's it. Every other scenario is encompassed by those three concerns. A car isn't going to address any of those concerns, is it? So it's not going to impact your home sale.
Now, there are several things that you can … (4 comments)
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sellers: What Buyers DO give a *&%$ About... - 06/12/08 11:27 AM
As promised, here are a few things that Buyers really do care about:
Curb Appeal
The first impression when a Buyer pulls up in front of your home gives them an initial "Ahhh" or "Ewww" to start off the showing. Even if the house is beautiful inside, it's hard to combat the initial "Ew" factor. The good news is that an initial "Ah" lends itself to Buyers looking a little more kindly on any interior fix ups. Set the tone. Your house should look happy and cared for. Grass should be cut, trash cans hidden, landscaping trimmed and mulched.
Maintenance
… (5 comments)
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sellers: Buyers Don't Give a *&%$ About the Following: - 06/06/08 09:14 AM
How much you paid for your house
It has absolutely no impact on the Buyers at all. How much you are making or losing on your house is your problem. Just as a Buyer can't limit your profit, neither is he/she responsible for covering your losses.
How much money you need to move into your next home
Again, see above. YOUR finances are never the problem of the Buyer. A lot of Sellers will say, "What's another $5,000 over 30 years?" It's $5,000 more than the Buyer wants to spend on your house. That $5,000 is just as important to the Buyer … (3 comments)
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sellers: What to Expect When You're Expecting (A Showing) - 05/05/08 07:05 PM
Because you may only sell one house in your entire life, or at least do it so infrequently that everything changes in the years between sales, I thought it would be helpful to tell you what to expect when your house is being shown by a Buyer's Agent.Your REALTOR will install a lockbox on your front door, either electronic or combination. A Buyer's Agent will bring the Buyers to your home and access the property via the lockbox. They will leave a business card to indicate that they have been in the property. In most of Bucks County your REALTOR will … (3 comments)
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sellers: Smart Clients are Always a Joy - 03/26/08 08:54 AM
I've begun working with new clients, and they are a complete joy to work with. Why? 'Cause they're so darn SMART!
Here's a few things that they're doing that are going to pay off for them...big time:
They've decided to sell their home first, then buy. They'll know exactly how much money they have to work with. More than that, they won't have that excruciating stress of selling their home under the gun because they are making two mortgage payments. They can get the right price for their home, rather than having a fire sale to stop the bleeding.They're educating themselves on the … (13 comments)
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sellers: What a Difference a Cookie Makes - 02/16/08 10:40 AM
I was showing homes on Thursday, and I've come to the conclusion that a cookie can make a big difference. We toured several properties in the same neighborhood. The first property we walked into, the Seller had left a small plate of cookies by the brochures. But it wasn't just the cookies - it was the whole experience she created. Candles were lit, soft music was playing, towels were stacked neatly in the baths. Was the home perfectly staged? No. The closet was filled with clothes and the children's rooms weren't neutral. There was an odd family photo throughout the home. … (4 comments)
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sellers: 7 Creative Ways to Appeal to Buyers - 02/01/08 08:53 AM
7 Creative ways to appeal to Buyers:
Pay points on the mortgage to reduce the interest rate on the loan.Pay closing costs to reduce the money a Buyer needs to bring to settlement.Pay the taxes for the year to give the Buyer a year of no tax escrows in their monthly payment.Pay for Home Owner Association Dues for the year to reduce the monthly payment.Pay for a home warranty, pre-pay for oil, or pay for a heater contract for the year.Give them an American Express Gift Card to purchase a washer, dryer, and refrigerator.Pay for lawn care for one season. … (0 comments)
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sellers: "What's that smell?" and 4 other things sure to run off Buyers - 01/29/08 02:48 PM
Five of the quickest ways to drive Buyers out of your house... 1. Cooking smells, including: tuna fish (blech!), bacon, garlic, deep fry oil, etc. If you can still smell it after you've cleaned up, you shouldn't be making it while the house is on the market. Coffee and cinnamon buns? Good. Hot Dogs and Sauerkraut? Baaaaaad. 2. Giving Buyers a "tour" of your home. Buyers HATE (I mean really HATE) having the homeowner following them around telling them about the house. They really want to check out your closet and cabinet space, and feel rude doing it in front of … (8 comments)
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sellers: Should I Stay or Should I Go? - 01/04/08 02:04 PM
If you have a property to sell before you buy, many Sellers in Bucks County struggle with whether to buy or sell first. Ideally, you can coordinate the settlements back to back and there is no difficulty in getting the proceeds of your home sale to move forward with your purchase. Ahhhh, it's so lovely to have things work out.
But it doesn't always work that way. Here's a quick snapshot of the risks and rewards of selling first, or buying first:
Sell Your Home First
The drawback is you may not find a property that you like and have to move in with … (0 comments)
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sellers: Photos Make a Difference in Your Home Sale - 12/31/07 08:25 PM
Anyone who has been searching online knows the truth in this - pictures matter. We've all seen the terrible house photos: pictures of a bedrooms showing only the bed (Hey, nice linens!), or pictures of the bathroom with the toilet seat up (Gross. Seriously.), or pictures that are blurred, or pictures where you can see that the Realtor(R) rolled up in his car, leaned out the window, and snapped a picture of the front of the house.Your pictures should invite people into your home. They should look professional and be taken at angles that tell a story about the room they … (1 comments)
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Heather Oberhau, Bucks County Real Estate, e-PRO
Newtown,
PA
More about me…
Prudential Fox & Roach
Address: Heather@SoldbyHeatherO.com, 677 S. State Street, Newtown, PA, 18940
Office Phone: (215) 860-9300 x 4778
Cell Phone: (215) 584-2700
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