Home Buyers

Summer is a busy time for home sellers in Las Vegas. Well, for that matter, given our amazing lifestyle, climate, and all the other great things about our city – pretty much most times of year are busy for both home buyers and home sellers.

As a seller, though, you need to remember that you are always in competition with other homes that are for sale. To make sure your home is at the head of the line for receiving the best (and most) purchase offers, we’d like to remind you that no matter when home buyers are shopping for a home, there are some things they ALL hate to see. Make sure they don’t see them at your home!

Bad Listing Photos.

Most home buyers begin their search online. If your photos aren’t appealing on the internet, there’s a good chance they won’t even bother to see your home in person. Make sure whoever is listing your home gets the best photos possible of both inside and outside your home. They matter more than you know.

Dirty Homes.

And yes really, we do need to say this. Because it seems not everyone instinctively knows that a clean, neat, and appealing presentation of your home is critical to the interest of the buyer. It’s true what they say: You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. And that means both inside and outside. You may not even think twice about your unkempt yard – because you know the landscape maintenance guys will be there tomorrow. Or to you, a messy patio or play area might just look normal and ‘lived in.’ The problem is, you’re not trying to make you comfortable by picturing yourself living in this home…you’re trying to impress home buyers you don’t know anything about. They may actually think just like you, but you have no way of knowing that. So always use the “Best Foot Forward” rule for any part of your property that a potential buyer sees.

Sellers Being Home During the Showing.

Yeah, it’s true. Even if you’re immensely proud of your home and would like to be there to “point out all the little things they might not notice, but are so important and add value to this home!” But all your being there will do is make everyone feel awkward, make visitors shy about asking their Realtor® questions that you may overhear, and encourage potential buyers to want to rush through the home and get out; which is, ironically the very thing you were trying to avoid. The longer a shopper takes to explore your home, and the more comfortable they feel, the more it sticks in their mind, compared to all the other homes they’ve seen. We’d even suggest doing something out-of-the-norm – like leaving cold bottles of water and freshly baked cookies out, with a note that it’s just for them. (A welcome idea in Las Vegas during the summer, for sure!) Anything that makes their visit to your home stand out (in a good way, we mean!) – is going to be to your benefit.

There are other words of wisdom that our experienced team of Realtors® at New Home Resource would be happy to share with you about how you can help show your home in the best possible way – and maximize your chances to sell rapidly and at the best price. Just get in touch with us and we’ll be happy to share those ‘inside tips’!

New Home Resource helps current and future homeowners with all of their Las Vegas real estate needs. Whether your preference is for property management, a newly built home from a local builder, or a resale property in just the right location, a New Home Resource Realtor® is here to provide the service you’re looking for. Please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000 or visit www.newhomeresource.com. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

It comes as a surprise to many people that selling a home can actually be hard work. Not just for your Realtor®, either. Because if you hired an experienced professional to sell your home, they will have a huge list of tasks to undertake on your behalf, too. (And in case you were thinking it’s just a matter of putting up a sign and collecting a check, take a look at this article, What Happens Behind the Scenes of Your Real Estate Listing.)

No – it actually requires a real commitment on the Seller’s part to follow through on many things that will optimize their opportunity to grab the attention of buyers and sell quickly. When it comes to real estate, the motto that ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression’ is doubly true. Buyers have a lot of options when they’re shopping for a home, and a Seller needs to put their best foot forward from Day One.

That’s why we want to share a few of the mistakes that Sellers have made in the past that worked out to their detriment. While their homes may still have sold eventually – it probably wasn’t at top dollar, or as quickly as they would have liked. Instead, we recommend that you hedge your bets, because doing these things up-front may be precisely what gets you to your next home destination (whatever that may be) faster, and with more money in your bank account.

Mistake #1: List as a FSBO Seller.

We’d like to ask you to take note of one very important (and proven) statistic: You will not make more money as a For Sale By Owner seller. Real estate agents are proven to sell for more money than sellers who try to go it alone – and that is taking into account the typical 6% agent commission you’re thinking you can pocket. According to the National Association of Realtors, on average FSBO sellers sell a home for $210,000. In comparison, real estate agent assisted sellers can make $249,000 on the same sale. If we subtract the 6% fee, that means a real estate assisted seller made almost $25,000 more than a FSBO seller made on the same house. ‘Nuff said on this one.

Mistake #2: Pricing Your Home Too High.

Over-pricing or under-pricing is a huge money-losing mistake. We get it, you want to make the most off of your home sale and you feel that the home you put work, time, and memories into is worth more than the other houses in your area. It may be tempting to argue with your real estate agent and push the list price higher. But it’s also critical to know your market and get familiar with comps of similar homes currently for sale (and those that have recently sold) to understand exactly what price tag your home needs. If the comparable house down the block is listed for $15,000 less than yours and has the same features, buyers will definitely be more interested in theirs over yours. That means you’ll risk sitting on the market longer (which gives buyers a negative impression to begin with), it will put you in a position of having to let buyers negotiate, and in the end, you can end up selling for less than a lower (and more accurate) listing price would have gotten you from the start. Timing is everything in real estate. Learn the impact that the phrase “Days on market” can have on your home sale.

Mistake #3: Not Making Necessary Repairs & Presenting a Cluttered House to Potential Buyers.

First, keep in mind that it’s always going to cost you less out of pocket to fix things ahead of time. When potential buyers see your home in disrepair, their first inclination is going to be “Let’s negotiate.” You’re starting out in the hole by not putting your best face forward, and that’s just an unnecessary mistake to make. Second, remember this: clutter eats equity and kills deals. One of the least expensive improvements you can make to your home is to declutter and create a sense of spaciousness. From the kitchen countertops to the overstuffed closets to the trophy-lined shelves in the den, it costs you nothing to get rid of all that ‘stuff,’ but it will make a positive impression and reap big rewards. (Besides, less to pack when it’s time to move!)

Mistake #4: Ignoring Curb Appeal.

This one falls a bit in line with #3 above, actually. But it’s important enough to merit a place of its own on this list. Because of your familiarity with your own home, you actually may not be the best judge of its ‘curb appeal.’ But if you think back to the times you’ve pulled up to someone else’s home, or an office building or shopping center – the first thing you see sets the tone, doesn’t it? (And when the tone is set negatively, things usually just go downhill from there.) So look at the exterior of your home and your landscaping with a fresh eye – or enlist someone else’s opinion – and come up with a plan to increase your home’s desirability before people even set foot inside.

Mistake #5: Bad Photos Can Stop Buyers Before They Even See Your Home.

As we’ve said many times before, people begin their home searches online, and that is more than likely where they will get the first views and impression of your home. We can’t stress strongly enough that bad, amateurish-looking photos has killed more deals before they could even get started. This is one place where it’s worth the expense to make sure you get it right. Think about it: the professionally photographed hotel wins the booking every time. The same goes for your home, but the stakes are even higher. Why would a buyer put the biggest investment of their life into a blurry vertical shot? (With 51% of buyers ultimately buying a house they found online, your house has to be in top shape for it to compete with the others they’re seeing at the same time.

Those five points are among the most important that Sellers should be aware of so they can take steps to address them before that “For Sale” sign even goes up in the yard. A knowledgeable and experienced Realtor® can help you navigate the process, and also discuss a myriad of other ways that you can ‘get a leg up on the competition’ – perhaps even helping your home be the one that buyers get into a bidding war over. Win-Win.

New Home Resource helps current and future homeowners with all of their Las Vegas real estate needs. Whether your preference is for property management, a newly built home from a local builder, or a resale property in just the right location, a New Home Resource Realtor® is here to provide the service you’re looking for. Please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000 or visit www.newhomeresource.com. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

If there’s one common mistake people make when putting their home on the market, it’s not preparing the house first. There are a number of small things you can do to not only prepare your house for the market but also ensure you get the best price possible.

We at New Home Resource thought we would give you the run down of what you can do to prepare your home for the real estate market.

1) Curb Appeal: First impressions mean everything in real estate. In fact many people won’t even step through the front door if they don’t like what they see from the outside. Spruce up the house with a fresh coat of paint, trim those hedges and jet wash the path.

2) Value vs Cost: Walk around the exterior and check for cracks, holes and crumbling. Repair and replace as necessary. The cost of repair will often be inexpensive in comparison to how much value will be added to your home with the repairs made. 

3) The Colors Of The Rainbow: The last thing a buyer wants to see when they walk into a prospective home is a rainbow of colors throughout the house. Keep the house painted in neutral colors and use accessories and furniture to add color to each room.

4) Show Home: One thing we all want to do when buying a new home is put our own personal touch on it. While you might have the vision of an interior designer, most people cannot see beyond existing furniture and personal touches. So take down those family pictures and posters of your favorite sports team and replace them with neutral paintings and wall coverings.

5) Minimalistic Future: We are all guilty of having too much of something, but your prospective buyers don’t need to know what. So rent a storage unit and de-clutter your home. Remove all additional pieces of furniture and appliances leaving clear counter tops to create a cleaner, bigger and sleeker look in every room. Now would be the perfect time to hold a garage sale to get rid of some of your unwanted possessions.

6) What’s Mine Is Yours. If there are fixtures and appliances that you want to take with you, replace them now. When buying a house, people take into consideration all the fittings and fixtures. If they love that chandelier hanging in the living room that you’re not willing to part with, then you may find yourself losing out on a sale. So save yourself any issues by removing all fittings and fixtures that you will be taking with you and replacing them with neutral fixtures.

7) Fix It: The last thing you want to do is put off a buyer because of a leaky faucet that would have taken you minutes to fix. So get out the toolbox and fix all the minor problems throughout the house. Even oiling hinges to stop squeaking can make a difference.

8) As Clean As A Whistle: Invest in using a professional cleaning company to give your home the spring cleaning it needs. Shampooing carpets and washing windows can make such a difference to the overall appearance of the home. If it looks immaculate then the buyer will believe you have taken good care of the home.

9) Flower Power: Adding flower pots to the patio and front door can make such a difference in making a house look like a home. Educate yourself on the power of color psychology to ensure you are giving off the right moods and energy. For example, yellow has the power of evoking a buying emotion.

10) Love It: Finally, forget all of your personal issues with the house and view it from a new perspective. Learn to love the house and all of its features. When a buyer comes to view the house tell them why you LOVE the house and what you will miss. The power of positive word of mouth is priceless. 

And we don’t know about you but nothing beats the smell of freshly baked cookies when you walk into a home.

The Las Vegas housing market is finally on the way up after being labeled the “Foreclosure Capital”.

With rock bottom prices, Las Vegas is seeing an influx of cash buyers as investors are grasping the opportunity for rental properties.

With over 59% of homes sold in February purchased by cash buyers, the market made a new record for Southern Nevada.

How should you play this fast-paced market to ensure the best price?

1. Cash offers are more likely to be accepted by home sellers, due to quick closings and no appraisal valuation issues.
2. Those with financing should not be discouraged, however, overbidding and guaranteeing the seller your offered price (regardless of appraisal) seems to be the way offers from financed buyers are being considered.
3. The answer is not to be the ‘first’ offer, but the ‘best’ offer.
4. Get aligned with a New Home Resource agent who is at the pulse of the market and knows how to get in the game!

To read more from the original article click here.