homes in henry county: Prudent Sellers Prepare Financially before Listing - 06/14/18 07:29 AM

In a fast-moving market, sellers can be caught off-guard when their Henry County listing turns into an unexpectedly quick sale. That might sound overly optimistic, but most people who are preparing to list their homes are so focused on preparing the property that they put off worrying about what happens once Job One is accomplished. Yet the downside to being caught unprepared can lead to awkward (and expensive) consequences.
 Getting the place ready for the listing photos—and after that, preparing for the first showing or open house—tends to command a lot of attention. It’s no surprise that many average home sellers don’t see … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Located at Last: Henry County's Best Real Estate Agent - 06/14/18 07:06 AM
If anyone out there is looking for the most mediocre Henry County real estate agent to represent them, they are keeping it secret. Although people usually prefer not to behave in dull, predictable ways, when someone is about to put their own Henry County home on the market or to buy their next house, almost everyone winds up with the same dull, very predictable goal. 
Everyone wants to hire the best real estate agent.
That’s easier said than done. First of all, the definition of “best” differs depending on who’s making the call. For some, the best agent is the one who communicates most … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Henry County Real Estate and Blockchain: Coming Our Way? - 06/13/18 07:51 AM
Last year, Henry County readers started reading about real estate sales transacted in bitcoin. Since Henry County real estate changes hands through transactions involving six- or seven-figure dollar amounts, the idea of actually completing sales in the mysterious new digital coinage was novel enough to get a lot of attention. “Will Bitcoin Revolutionize How Real Estate is Bought and Sold?” asked NAR.com this past February. The answer was maybe, but probably not in a meaningful way—at least not any time soon.
So Henry County homeowners needn’t feel that they are likely to be left out of some momentous advantage if they don’t … (1 comments)

homes in henry county: Sense-sational Real Estate: Selling to All the Senses - 06/04/18 07:25 AM
When we think of traditional Henry County real estate sales scenarios, most of us would initially picture the photos that dominate the MLS listing and the information we read onscreen. Then, if those impressions were positive, the next step would be seeing how well the property presents itself as a prospective buyer approaches (the renowned “curb appeal”).
Notice that every impression up until the next step, positive or negative, had been exclusively visual. In fact, I think most of us think of real estate sales scenarios in exclusively visual terms. That’s not wrong—the majority of what impresses prospective buyers comes to … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Henry County Virtual Tours Prep - Sellers Can Help! - 06/04/18 07:14 AM
They’re a home seller’s dream come true: a miraculous gateway through which the world’s prospective buyers can tour your property 24 hours a day without your having to sweep the front porch, put flowers in vases, turn on all the lamps or light the fireplace. Here your house is always tidy and gleaming, its best foot forward (if your home had feet; well, you know what I mean!).
Of course, we’re talking about Henry County virtual tours—the 21st century’s most far-reaching and transformative of real estate marketing tools. Whether you’re buying or selling a Henry County home, chances are you’re finding yourself spending … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: To Sell Your Henry County House, Seize the Timing Advantage - 06/04/18 07:04 AM
As with any momentous decision, settling on when to sell your Henry County house can take time—and even then, acting on the decision can be slowed by extraneous factors. Who doesn’t have local obligations to deal with and Henry County friends and neighbors who’ll need to be reassured that your relationship isn’t going to be irredeemably severed? Acting on a decision to sell your Henry County house can seem to be the real estate equivalent of moving an ocean liner with a single tugboat: very slow going.
  Even so, there are persuasive reasons why you might want to move the process along more quickly than … (1 comments)

homes in henry county: Real Estate Maxims May Fall by the Wayside - 05/21/18 07:37 AM
Henry County homeowners used to be able to rely on some real estate truisms that have been around forever. One of them was Mark Twain’s, “Buy land; they’re not making it anymore.” Another came from homespun humorist Will Rogers: “I been buying ocean frontage because they aren’t making any more of it!” You might think the old sayings would be around for a while longer, but last week there were two pieces of news that could put that in doubt.
Last Friday came the CNBC report about a pilot program to create communities that are “off the grid and on the ocean.” … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Some Henry County Consumers see Credit Score Bumps - 05/21/18 07:32 AM
It isn’t exactly Christmas-in-May, but for some Henry County consumers, a valuable present they weren’t expecting will show up this month. The surprise gift will arrive in the form of a boost to their all-important credit score. The newly minted credit scores could be improved by as much as 30 points—enough of a jump that some Henry County recipients could find themselves newly eligible for home loans with lower rates. That will happen if the increase promotes them from one credit score “band” to the next.
The windfall comes as a result of a revision in the way the three major credit … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: To Sell Your Henry County Home: Go Boring! - 05/21/18 07:21 AM
It may sound paradoxical, but one proven way to sell your Henry County home is to make it boring…or at least, a little bit more boring.
The principle here stems from buyer psychology—specifically, the difference between a house that would make a great tourist attraction and one whose first impression is more apt to lead to a sale. At first blush, the flashy version might seem to be not only memorable, ­­­but more valuable as well. But that’s not typically true.
A potential buyer can remember your house in two different ways. One memory might be of striking red walls and purple tile that … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Earthships—Not Yet Ready for Stockbridge Liftoffs - 05/14/18 07:15 AM
This Tuesday, the 2018 Earthship Biotecture Conference will be called to order—but I’m not aware whether any Stockbridge delegates will be attending. Since sustainability and minimal use of the planet’s resources are the goals of the Earthship movement, the realities of airline fuel consumption and the fact that the conferees’ meet-up is taking place in Portugal would make attendance hard to justify. 
Earthships, for those who haven’t been paying attention, are the most realized expressions of eco-friendly housing. True Earthships are off-the-grid residences constructed with “biotectural” building materials like soda bottles and used tires rammed with earth. Powered by photovoltaic panels … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: In Multiple Offer Scenarios, Last Step First Wins the Day - 05/14/18 07:11 AM
Particularly when the supply of homes for sale falls well below demand, house hunting can take more determination than usual. Since U.S. residential real estate markets have been long mired in exactly that lean-inventory situation—the accompanying publicity could discourage folks who’d otherwise already be in the hunt for Henry County homes for sale.
While it can take some stick-to-it-ness to locate the ideal Henry County home that’s for sale at a price that fits your budget—the truly frustrating thing would be for your offer to be passed over in favor of a competitor’s. If the other party swoops in with an over-the-top offer … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Answered: the Best Time for Selling Your Henry County House - 05/14/18 05:47 AM
When is the best time for selling your Henry County house? Is there even a best time?
If the change in residence is triggered by some inflexible external factor (like a transfer at work), the answer is foreordained: NOW! That can be right now, or in November, or February—since you will be making the move, to avoid paying for two homes, there really isn’t a choice. The sooner it’s listed, the better.
But if the timing of a move is completely at your discretion, the “when” can be troubling. More than one Henry County homeowner has worried so long and hard about the … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: An Often-Overlooked Key to Choosing an Agent - 05/08/18 06:22 AM
One of the most important yet seldom discussed factors that should rate near the top of your list of requirements for a Henry County agent is how comfortable you feel in conversation with him or her. What might sound like New Age feel-goodery is actually a crucial ingredient in the buying and selling of Henry County homes.
Selecting a real estate agent is more than a personnel decision—it also becomes a pivotal team-building exercise.
 Professional qualifications necessarily come first. In addition to being licensed to carry out the duties and obligations required by the Georgia authorities, the agent you tap should be able to point to … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Henry County Listings Should Always Lead with a Story - 05/08/18 06:14 AM
The text that accompanies your listing as it appears in the Henry County MLS listings is called upon to do more heavy lifting than you might think. If it reads something like:
THREE BEDROOM ranch style Henry County charmer with 2 ½ baths, attractive kitchen, and fully landscaped backyard…
—then it will only be serving half-duty. A blurb like this does succeed in emphasizing basic nuts-and-bolts details, but every Henry County listing already includes the number of bedrooms, bathrooms and the rest. What’s missing is the story part of the story—the human element that strikes a chord with a reader’s own personal experience. … (1 comments)

homes in henry county: The Actual Cost of a Home Today: Surprising Facts - 05/01/18 07:19 AM
With home prices and interest rates on the rise, you’re likely to assume that the cost of that next Henry County home you’re thinking about buying has made it a financial stretch—especially compared with “the good old days.” But news stories tend to omit the effect of rising incomes and actual inflation on the real cost of a home in today’s market—which turns out to be something of a bargain!
A recent calculation may not hold true for everyone, of course—nor does it apply to the cost of every Henry County home—but the details make sense when you think about them. The … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Tips to Make the Most of Stockbridge Open House Visits - 05/01/18 07:16 AM
Spring is Stockbridge’s prime selling season, which means that, in addition to the welcome appearance of springtime flowers, we can look forward to the seasonal crop of Stockbridge “Open House” signs that will be sprouting up around town. The Open House events they announce will draw a wide audience of visitors, from the inevitable looky-loos to the serious house hunters who are the target audience.
If you are among the latter group, you should know that the casual attitude most open house attendees adopt isn’t for you. As in all other life pursuits, the choicest rewards tend to end up with … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Mcdonough Homeowners and “The Home of the Future” - 05/01/18 07:13 AM
Whenever a sign announces “The Home of the Future”—whether it’s in front of an exhibit at a science museum, a ride at Disneyland, or an exposition at some World’s Fair—it’s sure to draw a crowd. Of course! What Mcdonough homeowner wouldn’t be willing to fantasize about a future with housekeeping robots, self-cooking meals, houses with walls that change color whenever you want, etc.?
For a couple of reasons, Mcdonough homeowners have learned to take such imaginative projections with several grains of salt. For one, many predictions have proved unrealistic. The flying cars that have been promised for a century haven’t yet … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Short Real Estate Quiz Would Expose Kids to Fundamentals - 04/23/18 08:37 AM
Even though the average adult homeowner spends about a quarter of his/her or their hard-earned income on real estate-related expenses, there’s no Mcdonough high school course that teaches real estate fundamentals. We may have all grown up accepting that fact, but when you think about it, it really is astonishing. Especially because most of us don’t discuss the very fundamental details of homeownership with our parents, either (at least not until we need a little help coming up with that first down payment).
If there were a high school class on real estate, I think a good first order of business would … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Two Numbers Guide First-Time Henry County Homebuyers - 04/23/18 08:34 AM
When it comes to figuring out how to begin up the path to homeownership, Henry County renters are left pretty much to their own devices. For the majority of first-time buyers who will use home loan financing to get there, getting started is simple enough: you begin by knowing two basic numbers.
The first is the amount of money you will be comfortable spending for housing each month. This is a figure that will cover your mortgage payment, upkeep, insurance, and property taxes—everything your Henry County house will cost on a month-to-month basis. But you don’t have to worry about calculating those … (0 comments)

homes in henry county: Widespread Home Price Surge Encourages Stockbridge Sellers - 04/23/18 05:49 AM
The experts seem to have gotten it slightly wrong.
Stockbridge real estate observers always expect a surge in activity when the spring buying season gets underway—an annual phenomenon that’s frequently accompanied by an uptick in prices paid. Because of optimism about the national economy and the ongoing nationwide shortage of homes for sale, a continuation of last year’s gradual rise in residential prices had been what the experts expected.
Last week, if CNBC’s Realty Check has it right, those predicted “gradual” price rises took an abrupt lurch upward. “Home prices just took the biggest jump in four years” was the headline, backed … (0 comments)