6 Crucial Tips for Sellers Who Plan to List This Fall

When listing in the fall, there are six critical tips all sellers should follow.

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Given the high level of buyer demand still left over from the market’s summer months, fall is actually a great time to sell. And with interest rates on the rise, buyers and sellers alike can benefit from striking a deal as soon as possible.

Even so, it’s important to realize that today’s average interest rate (5%) is still historically low compared to the previous average of 7%.

With all of this in mind, here are six key tips sellers should follow when listing in the fall:

1. Don’t over-improve your home. Making your home look its best is great, but don’t invest too much money on projects that won’t bring a high return.


2. Declutter and depersonalize your home. Buyers want to be able to imagine themselves living in your home. Family photos or other highly personal touches, therefore, may make it difficult for them to do so. A messy environment, too, can be off-putting for buyers.


3. Freshen up your curb appeal. Your home’s curb appeal will serve as a buyer’s first impression, so it’s essential that your property’s exterior looks its best. Even just mowing your lawn and adding fresh mulch can go a long way.

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Selling without the guidance of a real estate professional would be a major mistake.

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4. Don’t limit the number of showings. The more people who view your home, the better chance you’ll have of earning top dollar. Your property should always be in show-ready condition while it’s on the market.


5. Don’t overprice your home. Even though we’ve been in a seller’s market for several months now, market conditions have begun to shift. Smart sellers today know that listing at fair market value is the best way to generate buyer interest and earn the best possible price. An overpriced home will earn far less money than one that was priced correctly from the start.


6. Don’t sell your property on your own. Working with an agent will not only help you secure superior results for your listing, but it will also help you avoid potential legal issues. Real estate agents are trained to understand all of the ins and outs of the listing process. Selling without the guidance of such a professional would be a major mistake.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Is It Worth It to Stage Your Eugene Home This Summer?

If you're thinking of selling your home this summer, I highly encourage you to try some form of staging. It can create an invaluable connection between buyers and your home.

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Summer is officially here and I know many of you are thinking about taking advantage of this hot Eugene market by selling your home.

Should you stage your home to sell it? Is it really worth it?

You may have heard from the pros that using a stager is advantageous to your sale, and they're absolutely right. It's even documented that staging your home can help you sell for about 5% higher.

Staging allows your home to make an emotional connection with buyers.

I believe that staging is really important because it allows you to truly make your home look like one that a buyer would want to move into. So what's the best way to do it? You have a couple good options.

First, you can hire a professional stager, who will undoubtedly do a great job making your home look its best. You can also hop online and find tons of great information on staging and do it yourself. There are many low-cost ways to improve your home's looks. 

Remember, staging adds an emotional effect to your home. When buyers come through, emotion is the first thing they'll base their decisions on. Logical decisions almost always come after. 

We want to grab buyers' attention as quickly as we can with our emotional senses when selling. That's why I think staging is such a high priority. If you'd like, I'd be happy to send you our booklet with staging tips and tricks. 

If you'd like a copy or you have any questions about the Eugene market, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'd be honored to serve you.

The Top 5 Upgrades That Don't Add Value to Your Home

When updating your home, avoid these five renovations that won't bring you much value.

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Whether you want to get your home ready for the market or just to enjoy it a little bit more, there are five upgrades that won't add any value.

Spend your renovation money in the kitchen and bathrooms for the best return.

1. Extensive landscaping: It simply won't give you a good return on your dollar.
2. A new roof: The bottom line is that people who buy a new home typically expect a roof that works already. 
3. Swimming pools and hot tubs: Chances are good that new buyers won't want a hot tub, and in some cases, it can even bring down the value of your home. 
4. New paint: This will help the house look better, but like the roof, buyers expect houses to be painted already. Adding a fresh coat won't really add value unless you do the labor aspect yourself. 
5. Solar panels: This is a big one up here in the Northwest. Even though they might cut down on your electricity costs and a small number of buyers really love solar panels, most buyers don't really think much of it or attribute any value to it.

If you have any questions about upgrades that will add value to your specific home, just give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to advise on some updates or renovations that will bring you a good return on your money.

Avoid These 5 Mistakes When Selling Your House

If you want to sell your house in the Eugene market, avoid these five mistakes at all costs.

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When the time comes to sell your house, there are some big mistakes that you need to be sure to avoid:

Don't just hire the Realtor who says they can get the highest price for your house.

1. Overpricing it: People hear about how good the market is and try to add an extra cost. The problem is that if it's competing against comparable homes that are priced lower, it will sit on the market. Once buyers see that it has been on the market for a long time, they start to think something is wrong with it and shy away. Then, you'll have to lower the price until it sells, and many times you'll end up having to sell for less money than you could have sold for by pricing it correctly in the first place. 
2. Not decluttering the home: The more you do, the better it will look to prospective buyers. Box up everything you haven't used in the last few months and either put it in the garage or a storage unit. From there, you can stage your home any way you want.
3. Not making simple repairs: This is the easy stuff like a ripped screen door or scratched linoleum. They're very noticeable to a buyer and can cause the price to drop. The good part is that it doesn't cost much to make these repairs ahead of time.
4. Staying emotional about your home: You love your home. It's why you bought it in the first place. You've made a ton of good memories there, too. However, you want to avoid getting emotional when selling it. Buyers may try to lowball you, which might offend you, but just counter their offer like you should. They might also talk about remodeling the home or tearing out things you've worked on over the years, but remember that your goal is simply to get a particular price for the home.
5. Not hiring the right Realtor: Don't just hire the Realtor who says they can get the highest price for your house because some Realtors will inflate that number just to get your business. You want someone who is straightforward and honest and tells you what you need to know, not what you want to know.

If you're thinking about selling your house, give me a call or send me an email. I'd be glad to help!

Is Now the Right Time to Sell Your Home?

Is now the right time to sell your home? I would say yes, and there are a few reasons why.

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Is now the right time to sell your home?

As you know, inventory in our market has been very low the past few months. In December, we only had 1.7 months of inventory. Now we’re up to 2.1 months of inventory, but that is still extremely low. If no new listings came onto the market, there would be no homes left for buyers to purchase in two months.

If you want to sell your home, now is a good time to be on the market. It is a seller’s market and there is a lot of demand from buyers who want to make their move before interest rates go up again.

Now is a great time to sell your home.

I also want to mention that if you have a mortgage on your home, as most of us do, you should consider making one extra payment a year. Doing so will take seven years off of a 30-year mortgage and three years off a 20-year mortgage.

Finally, I also want to offer you a free copy of my book, “Moving Forward: 25 Essential Rules for Buying and Selling Real Estate Without Going Crazy.” Go to  www.movingforwardfreegift.com or send me an email to get your free copy.

As always, if you have any real estate questions, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

How to Properly Sell Your Eugene Home

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There are some simple and easy steps you can take to help sell your home in Eugene,. By taking care of these things while you're going through the process, you have a much better shot at selling for top dollar.

The first thing to think about is the price list price. Look at the selling prices of similar homes in your neighborhood to get an idea of what your home is worth. You can also look at your tax assessment on the property, but that won't give a great idea of your home's worth.

Make sure that when you do set your price, you set it at a level where you still have room for negotiation. The chance of you getting a full-price offer is below 100%, so you want to be able to have a little wiggle room in order to get a deal done.

Next, decide on your Realtor. Make sure the person you hire has a plan, and can answer questions like how many homes they’ve sold and how many clients they have had. Make sure they will be able to communicate with you in a timely manner.

Curb appeal is also very important. You want the yard, front porch, and front door to all look pristine when the buyers first pull up to your home. Allow prospective buyers to visualize themselves in your home. Take away personal items so they don’t feel like they’re intruding in your home. You want to have as many things out of the home as possible, so purchasing a storage locker for some of your stuff while you show the home is not a bad idea.

Finally, you need to disclose everything that you know about the property on the disclosures. Every repair you’ve had to make, and every problem you’ve experienced. If you disclose it, you are liable-free and in the clear.

 
When it comes to the offer itself, be wary of emotional attachment. Don't be offended by a lowball offer, simply counter with a strong rebuttal. The buyer is trying to test you.

If you have any questions for me, don’t hesitate to reach out by giving me a call or sending me an email. I can’t wait to hear from you!

How Can Professional Photography Help You Sell Your Eugene Home?

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Just about everyone begins their home search online nowadays (95% of consumers), which makes high-grade photography more important than ever. While browsing photos of homes online, it is obvious which ones were taken by professionals and which ones were taken by the agent listing the property. The biggest difference is how bright and well-lit homes look when a professional takes pictures of them.

A smartphone isn't able to capture the beauty of a home due to the size of the lens and the quality of the camera itself. Professional-grade cameras and lenses make it possible to fit more in the frame and make homes look their absolute best for online viewing. It makes people feel like they're actually in the room you're photographing, so you need to hire a professional who knows how to make it happen.

It's not all about photos, we can also shoot walk-through videos of listings and even bring in drones to take aerial videos of them. There is obviously no way for you to do this on your own, unless you want to invest a huge sum of time and money into it. A professional photographer will give online home searchers the chance to see the home from every conceivable perspective. If you want the details of your home to really stand out, a professional photographer knows how to make that happen!

If you have any questions about getting the most money possible for your home, or about real estate in general, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

What's the Secret to Getting Your Eugene Home Ready to Sell?

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If you plan on selling this spring, you need to begin the process now! If you want to get the best results, there are a few things you need to consider.

Look over all major systems and appliances. Look at the roof, air conditioning unit, furnace, water heater, and even the gutters. A professional should clean and inspect your air conditioning unit to ensure it's adequate for the buyer. Also, depending on the condition of your hot water heater, you may want to have it replaced. These major items are crucial when buyers are looking at your home!

Look for common problem spots throughout your home that a buyer may look for. Leaks under the sink or bulges in the carpet are only a few of the little things you need to fix before buyers show up. It's also not a bad idea to have your Realtor bring in a home inspector to find things only a professional can identify. This will eliminate selling problems or negotiating issues that might otherwise arise.

Certain renovation projects are well worth your time before listing your home. In fact, several upgrades have proven to be a very safe investment. For one, replacing hardwood floors is a great way to impress buyers. Attention to details like that pay huge dividends when placing your home on the market!
 
If you have any questions about selling this spring, we would love to give you a hand! Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at any time!

Four Reasons Eugene Homes Sit on the Market

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Some homes sell quickly, but others sit on the market for a long time. How come? Here's why.

1. Curb appeal. When you list your home, it's like entering a beauty contest. If the home doesn't attract buyers immediately with a good first impression, it will most likely get passed over.
2. Poor marketing. Maybe the photos online aren't high quality or the house isn't being marketed aggressively enough.
3. Condition of the home. If you didn't prepare the home for market ahead of time by fixing repairs, that will certainly impact the buyer. Your home needs to be in tip-top condition in order to sell quickly.
4. Accurate pricing. Price trumps all. If you haven't priced the home to appear as a reasonable purchase for the buyer, the home will sit for months.

The longer a home sits on the market, the less appealing it becomes to buyers. Buyers may think something is wrong with your home, and that it's not a good purchase. If you want to sell quickly, make sure you avoid these four mistakes.

If you have any questions for me, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!