Tips For Selling Your Home During The Fall Market

 

The real estate market is typically most active at the early stages of spring. However, just because its fall doesn’t mean your home won’t sell. Millennials, empty nesters, relocations and other home buyers aren’t particular about when they move, so you have a good chance of selling your home come fall. To make your home more appealing, you’ll want to take the following tips into consideration.

Move-In Condition   

Before you begin to show your home, have your real estate agent walk through your dwelling first. As a professional, they’ll be able to determine if you need to get rid of any clutter or make repairs. Additional small home improvements like painting the walls a neutral color and cleaning carpets can go a long way.

Tune-Ups and Inspections

As the weather turns colder, you’ll need to ditch your air-condition for heat. Before you set your thermostat to something cozy, you’ll want to have your furnace inspected by a professional. They can help change your filters and determine if your furnace is in need of any additional parts. Homes with older equipment should also be fixed or replaced. Professional companies such as RitzPlumbing.com can replace or service your old water heaters, sump pumps and pipes. If your home has a fireplace, it should also be inspected. A serviceman can check for any blockages such as a squirrel or birds nest. Save the receipts and have handy, so the buyers can see how well-tended your home is.

Clean the Exterior

Your home’s exterior can set the mood for your dwelling. Whether the prospective buyers see the photos of your home on the Internet or by driving around your neighborhood, you want to have the exterior in prime condition. Leaves, branches and other debris can litter your yard as the summer season comes to a close. Try to rake or mow your lawn weekly, so it looks tidy and neat. You’ll also want to clean your gutters to remove leaves and other debris that may be littering it. During rainstorms, this can allow your gutters to overflow and run down onto the sides of your home. Decks, walkways and garages should also be cleaned and treated. Remove your annual flowers in favor of colorful mums. This can brighten up your exterior and give your home added character. If you notice any paint chipping off your home’s trim, shutters or doors, a touch up can make the exterior look brand new. If you live in a warmer climate, you’ll want to leave the patio furniture out and make sure it’s clean for buyers to sit outdoors and take in your view.

Decorate

The fall season is a time for colorful foliage and decorations. While you don’t want to go over-the-top in sprucing up your home for fall, simple adornments can give your outside some charm. Seasonal fall welcome mats are ideal, especially if you have buyers walking through your home. Place pumpkins on your porch or along your walkway and display a festive fall wreath on your front door.

Lighting

As the hours of daylight begin to grow shorter, you’re home’s exterior will need additional lighting. If you have porch lights, this is a great time to change the bulbs. You should also have your garage, walkways and address numbers lit properly. Before a home showing at night, illuminate the home by turning on the lights in every room.

Get Serious About the Price

If you really need to sell your home, the fall market could be slower than the spring. That’s why it’s important to price your dwelling accordingly. Your Realtor will be able to provide the latest comps. This gives you an idea of what the other homes in your neighborhood are currently selling for, the number of days they have been on the market, and the features. A market analysis will also show you what the homes have sold at. While you may think that your home is far superior from the other listings, it pays to listen to the advice from the experts.

By Bethany Mairinger, Realtytimes.com

Courtesy of Lina Arbelaez.

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. Our commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why our goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area experts with knowledge of the communities, our objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739,visit our website, or e-mail info.PREMIERSOUTHFLORIDAHOMES@gmail.com

 

 

8 Yard Flowers We Swear You Won’t Kill

Nothing says, “I don’t have control over my life” like a bunch of dead plants in your front yard.

So what’s the average black-thumb gardener to do?

Turn to one of these eight flowers. We promise they won’t die on you, except under extreme circumstances:

1. Sunflowers

Sunflowers are great plants to have kids help grow, and it’s a lot of fun when they grow 10 feet tall! All you need to do is sow sunflower seeds into a sunny spot in your backyard, and they will take off on their own.

2. Marigolds

The best flower for impatient gardeners is definitely the Marigold. These low-maintenance annuals can start sprouting beautiful blooms in a matter of days and work great as border plants along the edge of your property.

3. Coneflowers

Coneflower is actually the common name for five types of plants from the Asteraceae and Proteaceae families. These prairie flowers can thrive in both full sun and partial shade. Birds love them and – best of all – they come in a bunch of different colors, such as yellow, purple and red.

4. Zinnias

These easy plants are great for landscaped yards or container gardens. Just water them when the soil feels dry and they’ll handle the rest themselves. You don’t even need to prune dead leaves from them if you don’t feel like it!

5. Cosmos

This plant is one of the easiest to grow from seed. Buy a pack at the local garden store, plant them according to the packet’s directions and in just a few weeks you’ll have a spectacular show of bright flowers in your yard. Cosmos are annuals, but they actually tend to reseed on their own!

6. Pansies

Don't be fooled by the name, pansies are stronger than most flowers! (They’re actually tough enough to grow in the winter.) Simply plant pansies where they can get the most sun and they’ll usually thrive.

7. Petunias

If you’re a bit on the forgetful side, this plant is perfect for you. Petunias only need to be watered once a week or so because they’re resistant to heat. Plus, they can be planted in both full sun and partial shade.

8. Californian Poppy

If poor soil quality is to blame for lackluster plants in your garden, try the Californian Poppy! These flowers love low-quality, dry soil and full sun. Scatter poppy seeds where you want them to flower and you’re done. Talk about low-maintenance!

Article on Brightnest.com

 

Courtesy of The Lina Arbelaez Real Estate Group.

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. Our commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why our goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area experts with knowledge of the communities, The Lina Arbelaez Real Estate Group’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739,visit our website, or e-mail info.premiersouthfloridahomes@gmail.com

 

What Really Goes Into Your Monthly Mortgage Payment?

We all know that buying a home is a big financial decision — likely among the largest you will make your life. So what is all your money going toward, really? It goes far beyond just principal and interest on the actual home. Check out this list of monthly expenses you will likely encounter as a homeowner.

Mortgage

If you aren't paying for your home upfront in cash, you will have to finance it somehow. Your monthly mortgage payment goes toward the amount you originally borrowed (principal) and the interest on that principal. The amount is calculated based on how much you borrowed, the interest rate you and your lender agreed upon and the length of the loan. Your credit standing has a big influence on what your interest rate will be and thus the size of your payments; checking your credit before you shop for a home is wise. (You can check a free credit report summary, updated every 30 days, at Credit.com.)

Property Tax

Taxes can add hundreds of dollars to your monthly bills, but they help cover valuable public expenses, like community safety, schools, infrastructure and more. Depending on where you live, you will incur different tax rates. Property taxes are calculated by local government and are usually based on your home's assessed value.

Insurance

Between basic homeowner's insurance that offers protection against fire and theft and private mortgage insurance that protects your lender against you defaulting on the loan if your down payment was less than 20% of the mortgage value, insurance can be a big item in your monthly budget. And don't forget that you may need additional coverage against things like floods or earthquakes depending on where your home is located.

Maintenance

Owning a home means you are responsible for repairs and upkeep, unlike when you rent. It's important to have money set aside in your budget to cover everything from small do-it-yourself jobs to the serious issues that inevitably come up from time to time. Hopefully your home inspection can help prepare you for the life expectancy for the major components like the roof, plumbing and electrical systems.

Utilities

Every month, you have to pay your utility bills, from heating and cooling to electricity, natural gas and water. These can fluctuate throughout the year based on outside conditions like temperature and humidity. It's a good idea to budget for this variable expense by looking at last year's usage.

HOA Fees

If you purchase property into a condominium or townhome-type community covered by a homeowners association, you will have to pay yearly or monthly fees to upkeep common areas and other shared expenses.

The bottom line here is to prepare yourself. It's important to understand the full costs of homeownership. Do your best to know what is coming and create a comprehensive budget that accounts for the whole package.

Article on Credit.com

Courtesy of Lina Arbelaez-Premier South Florida Homes.

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. The Real Estate International Group’s commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why The Real Estate International Group’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area experts with knowledge of the communities, The Real Estate International Group’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739, visit our website, or e-mail info.premiersouthfloridahomes@gmail.com