Raynham, MA

PRICE is most important- price must represent value in location, condition and style.. and please don't be offended by my direct approach- Today's buyer needs a home where value exceeds price. Buyers do not care what you paid, they don't care about your sweat equity, and they do not care what you think it's worth, they don't care that you and/or your agents thinks your house is "UNIQUE"..they do not carewhat you neigbhor says it's worth, or what is would cost to rebuild. period.

With all this said, Homes ARE selling! 20% of homes on the market sell fast and for top dollar in the market.

Here's some other things to consider when sellling and some pre-listing tips....

Buyers may look at your home if the price is low, but they will also consider the fix-ups and "shop up" instead of investing 20k. They will spend more on a home that's move in ready.

Curb appeal: Buyers do judge a book by its cover. Your front yard should be nicely landscaped and eye-appealing. Fresh paint or siding outside. Mulch, gardens. Make it look really nice

Be sure you keep your home clean, neat and tidy. Hire a stager if it's in your budget. Staging alone can net you thousands more for your home.

Hardwoods are in! If you got 'em flaunt them. Remove ugly, stained or dated carpet and replace with hardwoods or new carpeting. The best choice is hardwood floors. Ceramic flooring in the kitchens and baths.

Granite or Corian countertops, maple or cherry cabinets, White cabinets have also made a comeback ( not the 80's builders grade). If you have dark oak, dingy or old looking cabinets, you may want to consider painting them white. Orange countertops- OUT!

By the way, buyers hate dark rooms. Brighten up all of your rooms with light neutral wall colors. Paneling is OUT!

Leave your appliances if they are in good working order.. Not leaving them gives buyers the impression that "this seller is like the grinch".. takes the last light bulb. and the buyer may wonder if you'll strip the trim or take the front door.

If you don't want to do any work before placing on the market you may as well just take it off the price.

Small fixes can save you from having to sell below market.

Turn offs:

Pet odors, dirty laundry hanging around, yard debris, cigarette or cigar smoke-s freshen it up and deep clean

Unpopular walls or wall colors, holes in walls, shag carpet, dirty carpets, clutter ( especially around where the mechanical systems and electrical systems are located). Broken windows, torn screens.. welll now you're probably getting the picture.

My name is Lori Lincoln, I am a Realtor with Keller Williams Realty. I help buyers and sellers in Taunton, Rehoboth, Swansea, Somerset, Raynham, Assonet, Freetown, Middleboro, Lakeville, Berkley, Dighton and surrounding towns in RI and Mass.

For more help and pointers on selling your home in today's market, go to my website at

LoriLincolnTeam.com

Mortgage Rate Forecast for September 20, 2010 - Improving, or...?

Here are some of the events affecting mortgage rates today:

What Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) Are Doing Today:

• The price of the FNMA 30-Year 4.0% MBS coupon opened at 102.22 this morning - the same as Friday's close.
  
  
• At 9:30 AM, the 4.0% MBS coupon was trading at 102.25 - up 1/32 from its opening.

Remember, on mortgage backed securities (MBSs), as the price goes up, the yield comes down - and so do mortgage rates. I expect that mortgage rates will about the same in price this morning as compared to Friday afternoon.

Price Trend in Mortgage Backed Securities:

The chart below shows the price trend of the FNMA 30-Year 4.0% coupon over the past 30 days from 8-21-2010 to 9-20-2010:

Economic Reports, News, and Events Affecting Mortgage Rates Today:

• There are no economic reports scheduled for release today.

Trend in Mortgage Rates:

The chart below shows the trend in mortgage rates over the past 3 years:

Mortgage Rate Forecast:

Mortgage rates are coming off their historic lows as the overall economic outlook is beginning to improve. Given the most recent economic and job reports, it now appears that mortgage rates are as low as they will ever go.

If you're thinking about refinancing your mortgage and if these low mortgage rates make sense to you, then take advantage of them while you can. If you're happy with the mortgage rate being offered to you today and if you don't want to risk mortgage rates moving higher, then you should apply and lock in now. It's better to have locked when you should have floated than it is to float when you should have locked.

Are you in need of a mortgage to purchase a home? Or want to refinance an existing mortgage into a lower permanent fixed rate? Or want to take cash out of the equity of your home? Or consolidate debt and reduce the monthly bills? Then be sure to request a mortgage rate quote today!

The Trend in Home Sales in Raynham MA - Improving, or...?

Home prices in Raynham on average are falling! Home prices are down 19.5% since August of 2009.

The current average listing price of homes for sale in Raynham MA is $317,262, down 3.6% from a month ago. Compare this to the current median sales price of $233,411 - where half of sales are above this amount and half below it.

3 and 4 bedroom homes are selling for less. Prices of 2 bedroom homes are down 20.7% from year ago levels while prices of 3 bedroom homes are down 25.4%. Below is a chart of the trend of median prices of homes for sale in Raynham MA over the past year through August 2010:

Raynham Recently Sold Homes

The number of sales for all homes for sale in Raynham is down 40% from year ago levels:

Raynham Recently Sold Homes

So what does all this mean? Well, if you're looking for a 3 or 4 bedroom home in Raynham, you can probably find a bargain in 3 and 4 bedroom homes as prices and sales are down. Still, lowball offers won't cut it in a market like this. Sellers aren't in control of the market either, so both buyers & sellers should be reasonable when negotiating.

You can still buy a home with no money down with a VA Loan or with a USDA Rural Development Home Loan. With the FHA Mortgage program, you can purchase a home with as little as 3.5% down. With a MassHousing loan, you can purchase a home with as little as 3.0% down. When you're ready to buy a home, find out how much house you can afford to buy in Raynham or in the surrounding area.

Be sure to contact me, Lew Corcoran, toll free at 1-800-941-5616, when you're looking to get pre-approved for a purchase of your next home in Raynham or in the surrounding area. Otherwise you may end up frustrated, disappointed and, unfortunately, perhaps misled.

Raynham Ma Townhouse Staged to Sell

This newly listed townhouse in the Village at Wildflower Green has all the privacy of single family living with all the benefits of condominium life. The open floor plan, quality construction, high ceilings,granite counter in kitchen and hardwood floors are just some of the benefits of owning this lovely home.

In order to show off the value added architectural details that these townhouses are known for, Ruth DiPietrantonio of Monarch Realty Group,LLC (774)254-1174 hired Interiors by Marianne Cherico to stage this home before presenting it to the market.

Now this Raynham Ma Townhouse staged to sell is ready for the most discriminating Buyers!

Before this condo had a very taste specific Nantucket /very feminine vibe. When staging for the Real Estate market,it is important to neutralize the rooms to make sure that they are not too taste or gender specific. Here is a before picture of the great room.

After staging by Interiors by Marianne Cherico the room is more pared down. Now the Byers can see the beautiful hardwood floors and grand space.

The Master bedroom and bath were really lovely but extremely feminine in style.

After staging this Raynham Ma townhouse staged to sell the Master bedroom and bath are more inviting for male and female Buyers. The seller de- pinked by removing the pink balloon window treatments and painting the pink walls in the master bath "Hot Spring Stones" by Benjamin Moore for a more neutral look. Now the Buyers can focus on the gorgeous tray ceiling in the Master bedroom.

The asking price of this Raynham Ma townhouse staged to sell is $349,900. This home has it all and is easily accessible to 495. Call Ruth DiPietrantonio for a private showing (774)254-1174. Tell her that you saw this on Marianne's Blog!