Brandi Wells

WESTCHESTER LAKES

Active Listings Summary - 13 available

165 average days on market $241,446 average sale price

Expired Listings Summary - 15 expired

203 average days on market $288,593 average sale price

Under Contract Listings Summary - 7 pending

90 average days on market $192,643 average sale price

Sold Listings Summary -11 sold

75 average days on market $195,991 average sale price

Click here for additional interior/exterior photos, property descriptions and maps

data source GAMLS 03/28/09-09/28/09

Only for the rare few sellers, simply placing a "For Sale" yard sign on the front lawn creates a line of traffic filled with potential buyers. If you want buyers to see your home, you've got to find them. The key is marketing. To get the most exposure for your home, you should have a marketing plan with clear objectives and specifically outlines the resources that will be used to reach potential buyers.

Each marketing plan should be designed around your property and capitalize on its most desirable features. Therefore, you need to be honest with your real estate professional about the condition of your home, and the final price you are willing to accept for your home.

Next, you need to determine what marketing options work best to reach your desired audience. Generally there are two audiences you are trying to reach-home buyers and other real estate professionals. Make sure the plan includes action steps on how each audience will be marketed to.

Seldom is the successful marketing of a property the result of a single activity. Your strategy should include a variety of marketing activities. Using only conventional marketing strategies such as Open Houses, newspaper ads and direct mail can limit your outreach. Most homebuyers now begin their home search online. Having a presence on your real estate professional's Web site and other portals such as Yahoo! Real Estate gives you worldwide exposure. Besides the increased exposure, online listings also allow buyers to get a sneak peek of your home. Therefore, you may want to complement the listings with plenty of photos and a virtual tour, which allows viewers to get a 360-degree preview of your home without leaving their computer.

Also, don't forget the power of email. Sending email flyers or electronic postcard are easy and cost efficient. During your planning, your real estate professional may recommend other marketing tools such as company/broker tours and an Open House. Work with your real estate professional to determine the best options for your market.

Besides identifying marketing tools, an effective marketing plan will also spell out specific dates for the marketing activities. It should leave room for unscheduled events such as following up with sales professionals or brokers who preview or show the home.

Make sure the marketing plan includes checkpoints, possibly at the 15-, 30- and 45-day marks, to review activity on the home and determine if changes need to be made to the marketing plan.

As the home seller, you should be kept in the loop on activity of your home. The marketing plan should state how you will be communicated with (mail, phone, email, in person) and the frequency (daily, weekly, etc.).

Of course these are just guidelines, but can give you an idea if the marketing plan your real estate professional has proposed to you has to be refined. You need to be comfortable with the marketing strategy for your home. An effective plan will not only put you at ease, but also give your home maximum exposure to increase your chances of a quick sell.

Should you be telling your landlord goodbye and saying hello to your dream home? Not so fast. Certainly, owning your own home has its benefits. But, is the dream of homeownership really one you should pursue? It all depends on your circumstance and needs.

Buying a home is such a large investment, possibly the largest purchase you'll make. So, careful deliberation should be made when deciding which is better for you: rent or buy.

The advantages to being a renter is that your monthly costs are fixed. There's little to no responsibility for maintenance of the property. And, it's easier to pick up and move to another location. However, the disadvantages are your rent typically increases each year and there is no guarantee that your lease will be renewed. In addition, you don't earn any equity nor will you reap the tax advantages of owning.

As a homeowner, you have the benefit of security and stability, as well as the freedom to decorate and remodel. Your property also builds equity and you get the tax benefit. However, when the central heating unit breaks or the roof needs replacing, the repairs are your financial responsibility. And, there is always the possibility of losing on your investment if property values go down.

One tool you can use in your analysis is a Rent -vs- Buy calculator. These calculators allow you to compare the costs of renting and buying. In some cases the amount you spend in rent may be about the same or less than you would pay on a mortgage. However, the tax benefit from owning the home may provide significant savings.

You also need to decide if can you really afford homeownership. If you are on a tight budget it may not be wise to have the added pressure of maintenance costs, property taxes, and insurance. If your credit rating is in need of repair, or you have a high debt to earnings ratio, now may not be the time to purchase a home. Although you may find a lender, your loan may be at a much higher interest rate using a sub-prime lender. You might be better off taking another year to build your credit score and decrease your debt.

Besides costs, another factor to consider is how long you plan to reside in the home. When you purchase a home, there is a substantial initial investment including the down payment, closing costs, and renovations. It typically takes between five and seven years to recover your initial costs. And depending on your loan payments, it may take a few years before you begin to see a return on your investment.

Your lifestyle also makes a difference for whether you should rent or buy. Will you be able to afford the type of property you want and continue to enjoy the lifestyle you have? Are you starting or changing careers or perhaps you are in a job that requires you to move frequently?

Although homeownership has its benefits, make sure it's the right fit for you depending on your financial and personal situations.

It never ceases to amaze me at how quickly water can become so destructive. Water shows no mercy, evades capture and is somewhat hard to prepare for in a pinch.

The weather in the Atlanta area has been wet to say the least for the past several days. With saturated grounds and overflowing run-off areas, the water had no prepared route to travel.

The photo to the left is the Canoe Restaurant in Vinings located at 4199 Paces Ferry Road N.W., Atlanta. The spectacular gardens, lodged on the banks of the Chattahoochee, bring throngs of diners to this Atlanta favorite night after night, brunch after brunch. Unfortunately, these banks also brought tremendous amounts of water right to the door.

Reminding homeowners that water can be damaging to their property is important. Regular inspections of the foundation, crawl space if applicable and the attic or roof structure is vital to find and prevent possible water penetration. They can perform these inspections and a friendly reminder from you will be well appreciated.

Should a buyer get a home inspection for a home they are buying? Should a seller order a home inspection prior to putting the property on the market? There are advantages for both.

Simply put, a home inspection is a visual examination of both the physical structure and major systems of the entire home including: walls, ceilings, floors, decks, exterior covering, the roof, foundation, insulation and ventilation, plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning. It is not an appraisal to validate the value of a home, nor a pass/fail exam. A third-party inspector will give a report on the physical condition and suggest repairs.

Buyers

For buyers, a home inspection clause in the written offer that makes the purchase contingent upon the findings can provide peace of mind. If a serious problem is found, it allows room to renegotiate the purchase price or "opt-out" of buying the home altogether. However, this is usually uncommon. Typically, the seller will already have told the buyer about any major problems. As the foreclosure inventory has increased and the fact that the lender/bank does not necessairly know what issues there are or have been with the home, it is even more important to seek professional assistance.

More often, inspections reveal less serious defects that aren't enough to warrant backing out of the transition. However, knowing about these minor problems can prevent major disasters down the road. In addition, if specified in the inspection clause, the cost of the repairs can be at the seller's expense.

Another advantage to having a home inspection is it offers buyers an opportunity to become familiar with their new home and learn about maintenance to help in its upkeep. Although not required, it's recommended that buyers be present during the inspection. This allows them to observe the inspection; ask questions about the condition of the home; and receive an objective opinion.

Some home inspections can take several hours. It isn't necessary that you take a day off to attend. Typically the inspector will reserve 30-45 minutes after he/she has completed the inspection to review the items that were discovered and answer any questions.

Sellers

For sellers, conducting a home inspection (or pre-inspection) before listing their homes puts the control back into their hands.

When the buyer inspection finds problems, it can impede negotiations and cost the seller more in repairs. By having a pre-inspection, the seller can help eliminate any surprise findings after an offer has been made. The seller can make repairs before placing the home on the market and possibly even increase the value of the home.

A pre-inspection can also serve as a great marketing tool. Sellers are required by law to disclose any known defects in the home. Having a pre-inspection report available for buyers tells them that the seller has nothing to hide. It also gives them a clearer picture of the condition of the home.

If there are major problems found during the pre-inspection, it gives the seller an opportunity to disclose the condition up-front, making it less likely for the buyer to pull out of the deal or try to renegotiate the price.

Knowing the true condition of a home can bring peace of mind to buyers and sellers; and be one less hurdle in the home buying and selling process. Ask your real estate sales professional for a list of certified independent home inspectors in your area.