How you get your home sold and knowing you sold it for the highest possible price with the best terms!

Just because a given real estate market has quick moving inventory does not mean you can just list your home and sell it. Well you can try, and most people do but don't you want to maximize your profits and know you sold it with the best terms?

It seems like when the market heats up owners will tend to tell their agent to list the house. Then without providing the proper attention to the property it sells. Yes it sold but did it sell for the highest possible price with the best terms? This is a question you should not be asking yourself when you get that contract in hand.

You still need to stage your home... or simplify it.

I am not telling you to pay a stager. Many homes will have the essentials but may need to eliminate certain pieces of furniture or items. This process may not require you to hire someone and you could tackle it yourself. However most agents now will cover some or all of the cost to have a stager come out and consult with you. It is an important conversation to have. 

You still need to market the property for maximum exposure.
It is still important to market your home the same way you would if the market was slow. Marketing and Photography does help increase the potential number of offers and the final sales figure. Buyers shop with their eyes now more than ever so that first picture counts.

You still need to price it right. 
Do not get greedy it will only hurt your end sales price. If you list high many buyers will just ignore your home and move on to the next and you will find yourself chasing the market as your home sits on the market. Just like staging many real estate agents will also have appraisers provide numbers on the projected value of your home.

You still need to make sure your landscaping is top notch.
Landscaping is important but not the most important tool to selling your home. It is important to consult with a landscape specialist if you have concerns about your outdoor space. However many times most yards can just use a clean up. There is no need to dump exorbitant amounts of money into your homes landscaping just before you list. Do what's necessary!

Make sure your home is getting the proper attention and avoid cutting corners to maximize your profits.

www.PatrickDeLeonibus.com
443.223.8340

Example of twilight photography

A busy spring ahead of us! I'm telling you how to compete with the other buyers and sellers!

From the activity we have seen this winter we are bound to have a busy spring. Recently lower interest rates coupled with easing in lending. It is now easier and more affordable to get into a new home. Whether you are buying or selling it is important to talk about your needs earlier than later in order to position your purchase or sale correctly. 

Selling:

If you plan on selling in the spring you want to start getting your home ready now and talk to me about what needs to be prepared. It will be all about timing this spring. Do not wait around until the Spring inventory hits. You want to be one of the first on the market since there are already a lot of buyers looking. Remember these three points: Photography, Strategic Marketing and Staging. Photography gets people in your home, Marketing gets the correct people in your home, and Staging keeps the correct people coming back to view your home. I am not saying to hire a stager just create a neutral feel and make your home look like a hotel. If you follow these points as well as appropriate pricing your home will sell and sell quick.

Buying:

If you are purchasing you can still find great deals now and when the spring inventory arrives. Just like sellers you will want to be prepared and understand what you are looking for. Right now I am unable to predict if the amount of inventory coming on will exceed the amount of buyers. If this does happen we will not have a frenzy and multiple offer situation. If we do not meet the demand for buyers you can plan on making competitive offers. So how do you make a competitive offer to avoid competing for a home? It is important to be paired with an agent that understands the market. You will also want to make sure you are pre qualified with a letter in hand before you go out to look as well as a neighborhood/area defined. A majority of the buyers throughout this last year have been indecisive(kicking tires) and have no defined area of interest. When you have a defined area you are able to pull the trigger on a house before your competition. Why? Well because you understand what it takes to purchase in the given neighborhood. 

www.ListingDC.com

Spring is Coming Early!

All over the Washington Metro Area the real estate market is heating up earlier than previously expected. Currently we are experiencing high sales and inventory that is dwindling. There are a number of factors driving sales.

A few factors in play...

Transportation system in the DC Metro
Attractive reports on the outlook of the city
New development projects
Foreign investors
Large national investors
Positive outlooks for the Federal Government
Younger population demanding the urban lifestyle
Talk of rising interest rates for the new year

Georgetown Real Estate

If you previously thought about putting your home on the market in the spring time you may want to get it ready early. When buyers are biting they will tend to pay more when the inventory is lower. I expect this surge in demand to carry throughout the year. The undetermined factor is whether the inventory will match the demand and drive us to lower prices. 

As announced last week by major news outlets the Urban Institute predicts a population increase of at least 2,039,594 by 2030. Information like this being released does not slow down the real estate market, it gives it a nice kick in the butt as full steam ahead. 

I'm going to dub last week as "investor week", I heard from every investor I knew, asking me to find them their next project. Its a great time to live and move to DC.

www.PatrickDeLeonibus.com