Tips for Marketing Your Tulsa Home
September 15, 2008
In today’s market there are many Tulsa homes out there for sale and on average a potential buyer looks at least 19 homes prior to putting in an offer. The competition is tough and you have to know how to market your home in this type of housing market. There are a few tips to follow to help you sell your house no matter how many homes are for sale in your Tulsa neighborhood.
The first thing you must do is learn about curb appeal. Before a potential buyer walks into your home, they will drive up and park out front. The outside of the home must look inviting. Be sure the windows are clean, the yard is nice, the walkway is free of clutter, and any flower or garden areas that can be seen are kept nice. The lawn should be mowed and all bushes should be trimmed. The outside of the house must not need a fresh coat of paint and the gutters should be clean.
Fix any big repairs that you know of such as painting, torn screens, water leaks, and other problems that might have the buyer look at your home as a disaster area instead of a cozy home. The minor repairs can be left to do before closing. Remember, a buyer wants to find a home that looks like it is in good shape and has been taken care of throughout the years.
Clean the house from top to bottom. Clean the windows, carpet, remove all cobwebs, clean out closets and pantries. Potential buyers like to look into closets, basements, attics, and every nook and cranny to see just how much space they have to store all their belongings.
Rid your home of clutter. If you have several items all over the counter tops, tables, or stuffed in the closest it makes the area seem smaller. You want your home to look well organized, clean, and above all spacious.
If you have children and have painted their rooms in bright colors, you should paint the walls again in a neutral color. Remember, potential buyers want to see the home as their home and these bright colors can turn them off and away from purchasing your home.
Check all the lamps and light bulbs in the home. Buyers like light and open homes be sure you have lights turned on and curtains or blinds open.
If you have an indoor pet such as a cat, take the litter box to the garage and ensure the pet smell is gone. You should also clean the carpets, if buyers do not have pets they are sure to smell that one lives in your home. The same goes for non-smokers.
Look around the inside and outside of your home with the eyes of a non-smoker, non-pet owner, and childless buyer. Now, you should be able to see all the items that will put them off and be able to prepare for a marketable home.
We will work hard to be YOUR Tulsa Real Estate Agent! We are the Tulsa Homes experts and will work hard to find the home of your dreams. Call Toll Free Direct at 1 (877) 738-8572 today.
Mistakes Made by Tulsa Home Sellers
September 15, 2008
The best way to sell your Tulsa home is to look at the mistakes of others and learn to do things a bit differently. Below are the most common mistakes made by individuals trying to sell their homes, be sure not to fall in the trap?
- Leaving clutter around the home – All those family photos spread out all over the tables, walls, and fireplace look wonderful to family and friends; however, to the potential buyer it looks like a cluttered mess. Potential buyers want to come into the home and envision the home with their belongings and imagine themselves living in the home. This does not mean you have to put away all the photos, but it should be neat and tidy. The same goes for your kitchen. Remove as much as you can from the counter tops so the potential buyer can actually see how much room they have for their own things to sit on the counter top.
- Dirty or cluttered bathrooms – Ensure that the entire bathroom is clean including the counter tops, bathtub, shower walls, toilet, and floor. If a potential buyer sees that, the bathroom is not clean then they will expect the rest of the home to be dirty. If you have makeup sitting out all over the counter in disarray they will expect that the rest of the home will be just as disorganized and may be in need of repair.
- Leaving out pest control items – Even if you have had a few roaches and you used roach hotels and left them there just in case, you should throw them out. Do not leave out bug spray of any type even if you only have it in your home just in case. Potential buyers will think that you have a pest problem.
- Ignoring odors that may be there – If you have pets or are a smoker, these odors are in your home. You may not notice them, however, for individuals that do not smoke or own pets notice these odors the minute they walk in the door. You need to use something that will neutralize these odors, without being overpowering such as strong smelling sprays. This will only make the odor worse. You can talk with your Tulsa Real Estate Agent form RE/MAX to learn ways to neutralize the odors such as potpourri and open the doors to air out the house.
- Leaving closets stuffed with clutter – Once again, we are talking about clutter. If you just stuff everything you own into closets or in the attic, how will potential buyers see how roomy these areas are for holding their belongings? If you must put items in the attic or garage, be sure they are in boxes and organized. If the area looks filled to the top, they will believe the closets are small and will not hold as much.
- Children running around the house – Of course, you cannot tie the kids up in the basement, however, you can have them quietly sitting watching their favorite movie or enjoy a snack at the table. They should not be running under the feet of the potentials buyers. The same goes with pets. If you have a cat or dog, be sure, they are not jumping all over the guests in your home. No one will be able to look through your home while a dog is nipping at their heels.
- No curb appeal – The last thing on the list may be the most important. You want the outside of the home to look inviting. Hanging baskets with dead plants, un-kept gardens, toys in the driveway, and dirty windows are turn offs. Be sure the exterior is nice and pretty.
For more useful tips about how to sell your home contact one of the professional RE/MAX Agents at RE/MAX Executives today at (877) 738-8572. You will discover why we have earned the reputation as “the” Tulsa Homes experts!
First Time Homebuyers Questions Answered Part 3
September 15, 2008
Finding a mortgage loan that is best
There are several different types of Tulsa Real Estate mortgages and you should do your homework before you apply for a mortgage just so you know what you are getting into beforehand.
Fixed Rate Mortgages – The interest rate you pay will be the same amount over the life of the loan whether you have a 15-year mortgage or a 30-year mortgage. The benefit of a fixed rate loan is that you will always know the amount you will have to pay each month on the mortgage loan. This way you can plan your budget without any surprises.
Adjustable Rate Mortgages – The monthly payment with an adjustable rate mortgage normally starts lower than a fixed rate mortgage loan, however, the payment can go up or down sometimes quarterly or twice per year. The adjustment in interest is joined to the financial index like the US Treasury Securities Index. The benefit with an adjustable rate mortgage is that you may be able to purchase a more expensive property due to the fact that your beginning interest rate will be lower.
Other mortgage loans that you should also investigate include FHA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and Veteran’s Administrations. All of these have various mortgage loans available with different criteria’s in order to receive a mortgage loan.
If you are unsure about the various mortgage loans available for you in your situation, you can talk with a real estate agent. They can help guide you in the correct direction and in many cases to the perfect lending company or real estate broker.
How much to Offer
When you find the perfect home, you may be wondering how much to offer. The best way to decide how much to offer is by talking with your real estate agent. You should talk with your realtor and find the answers to these questions prior to making an offer.
- Is the asking price in the range with other homes in the area?
- What is the condition of the home?
- How long has the home been on the market?
- How much do you want this home?
If the home has been on the market for a long time, you must look at the reason. Are there several homes for sale in the area? Why are there so many on the market? If the asking price way over other homes in the area? Is the home in good condition? Could there be underlying problems? Do you want the home so much that you do not care about a few cosmetic problems?
The closer you are to the asking price with your offer the more likely it will be that that seller will accept your offer. If your offer is rejected, you can still negotiate. This does not mean you out of the bidding process. You can always raise your offer and ask the seller to pay more closing costs or repair things that might be wrong with the home.
First Time Homebuyers Questions Answered Part 1
September 14, 2008
Buy or Rent?
While you are renting you are giving your hard-earned money to a landlord. If you are paying a mortgage, you are actually investing in a home. You can even deduct the interest you pay on your loan from your federal income taxes and in some states your state taxes. As a homeowner, even your property tax can be deducted from your taxes. The value of your home go up each year and you will be investing in your future.
Can I purchase a home with bad credit?
The answer to this is more than likely yes, however, you will normally have to pay a much higher down payment and interest than a person with good credit. In most cases, lending companies will tell you how to improve your credit rating so you can find a better loan with a lower interest rate. Paying off bad debt or even applying for credit cards can help with bad credit as long you as make regular monthly payments and do not have more the credit cards over half of the credit limit.
How Much Money Do I need Upfront to Buy a Home?
The answers to this question can be a huge amount to very little according to the price of the home you wish to buy and the type of mortgage loan you receive.
The three major money amounts you will need include earnest money, down payment, and the portion of the closing costs you will pay.
Earnest money is the money that you submit when you submit an offer to purchase the home. The money is given to the seller or his agent to show that you are really serious about purchasing the home.
The down payment various according to your mortgage loan but can be as much as 10% to 20% of the price of the home.
Closing costs are the costs that are included as part of the processing to buy the home such as all the paperwork. Closing costs on average are around 3% to 4% of the price of your home.
At the beginning of the loan process while you are talking with your lending company they can give you a ball park figure that you will need, however, remember this price can go up should you should be prepared to have at least $2,000 more than their estimate.
Can I find a loan?
The best way in which to learn if you can get a loan is by using a mortgage calculator. You should be sure that your house payment is affordable after you add such things as taxes and insurance to the monthly payment of the loan. The best place to start is with a Tulsa real estate agent. They can guide you in the right direction for finding a lending company that will work with you and your finances to ensure you can find a home that will be affordable.
We will work hard to be YOUR Tulsa Real Estate Agent! We are the Tulsa Homes experts and will work hard to find the home of your dreams. Call Toll Free Direct at 1 (877) 738-8572 today.