Cindy Hartman's Blog

What Not to Overlook on your Final Walk-through...

Cindy Hartman (Hartman Florida Real Estate LLC) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:19:01 -0700

Be sure that:

Repairs you've requested have been made. Obtain copies of paid bills and any related warranties.
All items that were included in the sale price-draperies, lighting fixtures-are still there.
Screens and storm windows are in place or stored.
All appliances are operating.
Intercom, doorbell, and alarm are operational.
Hot water heater is working.
HVAC is working.
No plants or shrubs have been removed from the yard.
Garage door opener and other remotes are available.
Instruction books and warranties on appliances and fixtures are there.
All personal items of the sellers and all debris have been removed.

A Fresh Start...Or...2009 is Going to Be Fine!

Cindy Hartman (Hartman Florida Real Estate LLC) — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 15:01:55 -0800

New Years always get me motivated - so I start cleaning, throwing away trash, organize and file papers, and on and on...

This is a great time to :

clean up that database...

delete those unused icons off your desktop...

let GO of those potential leads that will never pan out...

delete old and junk email...

throw out all those old condiments from the back of the fridge that only have an inch of stuff in them...

trash those packages of meat in the freezer that are covered with frost...

are you REALLY going to eat that last half an ounce of cereal in those four boxes that are in the cabinet?

let go of that jar of specialty mustard in the cupboard that someone gave you for christmas 4 years ago...

clear out all the linens in the linen closet that you put there 10 years ago when you moved in...

ragged and torn towels are great for the workshop...so why do they keep showing up in my bathroom?

if the elastic is worn, it's time to buy new underwear...

Just go ahead and drink that wine in the wine rack...what the heck are your saving it for? And it's always good to rotate stock!

Take a minute to think...and then be safe...

Cindy Hartman (Hartman Florida Real Estate LLC) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 15:06:08 -0800

Be Safe

A potential buyer calls, we're motivated, he wants to meet at the house - do we jump in the car and meet him at the house?

Be safe.

In this market we may tend to forget our processes. Meet your new client at the office first. Let your office know where you'll be. If you do meet a previously unknown client at a home, keep your car keys with you in your hands and use the security alarm if you feel threatened. Wait at the front door at a vacant home and let the buyer go in and take a look without you.

I don't encourage open houses for clients who still occupy the home - you're letting strangers who haven't been "vetted" by a Realtor to enter your home. Would you open your door to strangers to walk through your home at any other time?

Just some thoughts. .. We're entering rough times, and it's a good time to take a moment and think about what we are doing.

7 Great Reasons to Buy a Home!

Cindy Hartman (Hartman Florida Real Estate LLC) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:34:08 -0800

Just a reminder, in these confusing times...

These are 7 Great Reasons to Buy a Home!

Your mortgage interest may be tax deductible.
Your property taxes may be deductible.
Your home has the potential to appreciate in value.
Through deferred gain, the profit from your home may be tax free.
You will have a place to call home for your family.
The longer you are there, the more equity you may accumulate.
You will have pride in owning your own home!

www.HomesBuddy.com

www.CindyHartmanHomes.com

The First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit 7,500.00... what is it really?

Cindy Hartman (Hartman Florida Real Estate LLC) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 11:46:37 -0800

The full answer is a little complicated. If you are a first time home buyer (defined by the IRS), you have an income of less than $75,000 ($150,000 if married filing joint), and you bought a new home between April 9th, 2008 and July 1, 2009 you are eligible for the Federal Housing Tax Credit for First time Home buyers.

The $7,500 credit is called a refundable credit. This means it will first be applied towards any money that you owe the IRS. Whatever is left over will be given to you.

However, it must be paid back over the next 15 years (that's $500 a year). If you sell the house during that time, the remainder of the $7500 must be paid back from the gain on the sell of the home. If you sell the home for a loss, the debt is canceled!

My thanks to Maximum Title, for this explanation -

Virtual Tours and Videos? How much is too much?

Cindy Hartman (Hartman Florida Real Estate LLC) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:32:20 -0700

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I was listening to the radio this morning and heard that Yahoo is unveiling a new site or expanding the existing one for real estate searches to include more videos - I'm not sure how I feel about this.

How much is too much?

When a Buyer is searching on the internet for months at a time, which they do, they are inundated with virtual tours and videos. When I am searching for my buyers, I am inundated as well. The virtual tours that are "slow" or won't let you pause them so you can actually see a room, irritate me to no end. And then there is the music. I usually put up multiple pictures on all my listings and the virtual tours as well. For the tours, I try my best to make sure the sequence is only a second or two between images, as we all have such a short attention span these days...the tours that take too long...loose my interest rapidly, as I sure happens with internet searchers too.

My thoughts on these tours are; might they be detrimental to our sellers?

If you are looking at multiple tours, or your buyers are...you are weeding out the homes on your list to see.

I don't like that.

A few pictures give you the feel of the home, but unless you actually walk into the home, drive through the neighborhood etc., you don't get the feel for that home. The tours show you a lot to weed out, but we want our buyers to actually go there and see how it feels.

Case in point....I personally live in a neighborhood in a great commute area, close to shopping and a military base...but this neighborhood is in a park like setting. As soon as you drive in, you breathe. It has running and biking lanes, lots of trees, a neighborhood shopping center and many community amenities...but on a virtual tour, all you see is that the homes with the best park like setting lots were built in the late 80"s, so you'll have the "oak wood" trim and "80's" style kitchens etc. The newer neighborhoods have the expansive kitchens...but when you walk outside...you can touch your neighbor's car.

Buyers need to see the place and actually walk in before they get a true feeling for the home. That's why I'm not sure that the virtual tours are such a great idea - they tend to weed out great properties. Any thoughts?

Save and Continue Writing Save, but don't Publish Publish

Top 10 Reasons to List Your Home During the Holidays!

Cindy Hartman (Hartman Florida Real Estate LLC) — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:29:14 -0700

1. People who look at property during the holidays are serious buyers and are more ready to make a decision.

2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the holidays, so the property has less competition.

3. Houses "show better" when decorated for the holidays with the wonderful lights and festive colors associated with the season.

4. Buyers are more emotional during the holidays and often base their decision on the warmth and good feelings they receive when viewing the home.

5. Buyers have more time to look for a house during the holidays because they have designated time off from work to purchase a home.

6. Many people want to buy before the end of the year for financial and tax reasons.

7. January is traditionally the month for transfers. Transferees can't wait until the spring to buy. These buyers need a home now and houses must be on the market to capture these buyers.

8. Sellers can restrict showings during personal family events and still take advantage of their homes being spruced up and decorated "show ready" property.

9. Sellers can sell now - but specify a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year if it is agreeable within the negotiations of the contract.

10. By selling now sellers have the opportunity to buy during the spring - when more properties are on the market.