Colorado Springs Realty Patricia Beck

Do you live in the Colorado Springs area and have a lot of clutter that you don't need? Are you getting your home ready to sell and throwing all the junk away that you have collected over the years? Maybe, you are even bold enough to do some Spring cleaning and getting started with your closets. Well, most people donate their items to Goodwill and there is nothing wrong with that but, they do charge people for the items you donate. Why not donate your items to a non-profit organization that gives them away for free? There are so many places in Colorado Springs that desperately need donations from people in the community in order to give to poor and needy families. In fact, I have been to many of these places and have much respect for the organizations and their staff. I have listed some places below to call if you have donations; most of them will come pick them up from your home. So go ahead, clean your closets and get rid of the stuff you haven't used or worn in a while because you know what? Someone else will!

Springs Rescue Mission- 632-1822

Catholic Charities/Life Support- 578-1222/636-2345

Ecumenical Social Ministries- 636-1916

Manna Ministries- 635-1057

Seventh Day Adventist Church- 634-1682

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For more information on Colorado Springs Real Estate or the Colorado Springs Area contact me or visit my website.

Many sellers are asking:  Will I be able to sell my home if I put it on the market right now, should I wait? 

Although there is currently a large inventory of homes for sale that does not mean you cannot sell your home.  People are always going to need to buy and sell homes.  Listed below, are some of the factors that impact how long it will take for your home to sell or if it will even sell at all.

1.  Pricing it correctly- If the home is overpriced, it often will not sell or not appraise for the loan amount.   If you were a buyer and found two homes that were similar in the same area and the price of one of them was considerably lower, which home would you put an offer on?   When deciding how much to list your home for, have your Realtor complete a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of other homes in the area that have sold in the past six months or less; the more recent, the better.  Take a look at what other homes for sale in your neighborhood are priced at as well.  Although, they have not sold yet, it gives you a good idea of what other people are pricing their homes for in the area. If you do not want to lower your price to the market then maybe you should wait to sell.

2. Marketing and advertising your home- Listing your home in the MLS is a must and the more pictures the better.  If you have numerous pictures of your home, buyers are more likely to come see your home opposed to another that only has one picture of the front of the house.  Make sure your realtor takes high quality pictures of each room in your home.  Placing a box with colorful flyers in your front yard is another way to market your home to potential buyers, make sure it stays full!  Advertising in the newspaper, holding open houses, listing the home on Craigslist.com, YouTube.com, and Zillow.com are just some of the other websites that potential buyers frequent. If you market the home properly, it will increase the likeliness that it sells.

3. Home Staging- Staging your home to sell has become popular in recent years.  There are many professional stagers that can assist you with preparing your home to sell by giving you tips on removing clutter, staging the home with furniture if you have already moved, how to decorate it etc...  Did you know a vacant home often takes longer to sell then one that is furnished?  Potential buyers like to get an idea of how to set up the furniture, window treatments, and decorations.  Seeing the space furnished and decorated during a showing makes a huge difference!  If you go see a model home it is always staged nicely to show well.  So go ahead, make yours stand out and look like a model!

Spring weather is finally here in Colorado Springs and it's time to pull out those paint brushes. Take a glance at any home design magazine and you will see that color is in and stark white walls are out. Painting the interior of your home is an inexpensive and easy way to give it personality, brighten up rooms, and make it feel like new. Just remember when selecting a color at the paint store to hold the swatch under natural light (they usually have one by the front desk) so you can see what the color would resemble in your home. Hardware stores usually have fluorescent lighting which in turn, make the swatches look different. Too scared to try out color in your home? Many brands offer paint samples that you can purchase in order to test a color. So go ahead, give it a try and you will be surprised with the results!

Tip: Not finished painting? Put your paintbrush in a plastic Ziploc bag and place it in the freezer until you are ready to use it again, no rinsing necessary!

Search for homes in Colorado Springs

For more information on Colorado Springs Real Estate or the Colorado Springs Area contact me or visit my website.

Selling your home is one of the biggest financial decisions you will make in your lifetime.  When considering the price to list your home, many factors are taken into consideration such as:  the condition of the home, the results of a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of recent sales for similar homes in your neighborhood, and market conditions.  In order to save on paying a Realtor a commission, many homeowners consider For Sale by Owner.  I recently had someone ask me advice on the pros and cons of selling their home independently of using a Realtor.  I thought others might find this information beneficial and have included some of the many pros and cons to consider below.  Regardless what decision you make, it is important to do your research when it comes to the sale of such an expensive possession, your home. 

Here are some questions to consider:

1. Are you going to put a lock box on the door so buyers' agents can show your home when your not there?  Most people look at homes during the day or on weekends.
2. Are you willing to pay the buyer's agent a commission?  If you are not, then that could limit the amount of potential buyers for your home because buyers do not usually pay their agent, the seller does. If you do not, then it could fall back on them to pay their agent so it is usually a good idea to offer the buyer's agent a commission.
3. When a buyer looks at your home, where do you plan to be during the showing?  It is often uncomfortable for buyers to have the owner present during a showing; they may feel rushed or awkward.

PROS of FSBO:

1. You do not have to pay commissions which could save you thousands of dollars on the sale of your home 
2. You can learn the process of how to sell homes and do it again with your next home
3. You can still list it on the MLS for a flat fee and have an agent put it on there with the pictures of your home.  Many people and buyers' agents look for homes on the MLS so it is a good idea to have it listed there.  
4. You can hire an attorney to complete the paperwork and assist you at closing; making mistakes on a contract can have legal consequences.  Depending on the attorney, they usually charge a few hundred dollars for the service. 

CONS of FSBO:

1. How do you plan on scheduling showings if you are working?  If you are working with a Colorado Springs Realtor, buyers' agents will call the brokerage to schedule a showing (usually for that same day) to see the house thus, it is crucial someone is available to answer telephone calls for prospective buyers).  If they cannot get a hold of you, they may move on to other homes. 
2. It may be difficult screening through all of the callers, how will you know if they are a serious buyer, are they pre-qualified, can you trust them in your home?  When a Realtor shows a buyer a home, the Realtor's fingerprints are on file; they have passed a thorough background check, and abide by the strict Code of Ethics. 
3. The Commission-Approved contracts did change in January 2007, so it is pertinent to understand the paperwork and how to complete it, contracts are legally binding
4. Make sure you know what offer you will or will not accept for your home when the buyer or buyer's agent negotiates with you.  It is important you know how to negotiate because your home is on the line.  If you are working with a Realtor they have more experience in negotiating with the buyer's agent.
5. You will need to be home when the inspection takes place so you can let the buyer and inspector inside and you may also need to be home for showings.

Any other Pros or Cons you can think of?  I would love to hear them!