Sandra Nickel

If you have a home that only you can love, you will benefit for these 8 low cost fixes to getting your Montgomery home sold quickly. We don't live in a house the way we sell a house. Buyers aren't interested in seeing dirty socks lying around or dirty dishes in the sink. Below are a list inexpensive things, from Realtor Magazine, that you can do to make buyers fall in love with your Montgomery home.

1. Move it. Simply rearranging the furniture can reenergize a room. Add and remove furniture, lamps, rugs, and accessories from other parts of the house to create a whole new look. Mirrors are particularly useful when it comes to updating a room. Try one out in different rooms to see where it fits best. Even just moving a mirror to a different wall can create a more welcoming feel.

2. Plant it. Houseplants are a generally undervalued design component that can add texture, warmth, and color to any room. Just drop plants in their store containers into decorative planters. Small plants can be moved easily and regrouped to change a room's look, while larger ones make a statement on their own.

Group plants together of differing heights, fullness, and color for the most dramatic effect. It's important to have plants that are well maintained and in tip-top condition.

3. Paint it. Paint is one of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to make a substantial change. Use dramatic colors in powder rooms and dining rooms, and more neutral colors in living spaces. When selecting colors, "be sure to ask, 'What am I trying to do? How do I want this to feel?'" And always, always do a test before you paint the whole room.

4. Organize it. Clutter just happens. So neaten up! A variety of organizing tools can make a space feel polished while maintaining utility. Hooks and shelves inside the door give people a place to hang coats and keys, while canvas bins or natural baskets help contain magazines and mail. Just a row of hooks pre-attached on a board is so easy to install. And shelves are a great way to neatly display collectibles.

5. Hide it. Have a banged-up wall? It may be easy to camouflage. Paintable wallpaper will smooth out an uneven wall or hide minor dents and dings. Adventurous home owners can even try a simple two-step painting process for a more complex finish. A apply a solid base coat, then a glaze.

Your intent should never be to mislead buyers; be sure to disclose flaws that would affect home value.

6. Replace it. Cabinet handles, switch plates, and other small pieces of housing hardware can update a home for just a few dollars a piece. Scan each room to see what looks worn or outdated and then replacing it. Inexpensive quick-connect faucets can make upgrading the look of your bathroom a snap. Just be sure to measure before you go to the hardware store. Some sinks are drilled for an eight-inch spread. Others require just four inches.

And don't forget the toilet seat. Fresh towels and a new toilet seat go a long way toward making a bathroom feel clean and new.

7. Light it. Lighting can have a major impact on a home's look and feel. Whether a room seems dark or too bright and harsh, try "layering" the lighting by adding accent pendants and lamps. Make sure they have independent controls, so that you can turn them on and off at will. Light is such a mood setter. You can create a cozy feel just by turning down the lights. Add dimmers in the dining room, bathrooms, kitchen, and even the hallways for less than $4 each. Then adjust the lighting to create the mood you want.

8. Clean it. Turn a critical eye to the flooring to make sure it's up to snuff. Scrub grout and seal natural stone. Rub out scratches and nicks on wood floors with scratch cover. Get down on your hands and knees and detail the floors. It takes a little elbow grease, but the results are well worth it. Vinyl flooring is a bit harder to spruce up but usually can be replaced easily and inexpensively.

Interested in selling your Montgomery home? Give me a call, I'm glad to help!

What's my Montgomery home worth?

Montgomery just keeps getting better! In Forbes Magazine's 11th annual ranking of the Best Places for Business and Careers, Montgomery ranked 49, up from 102 last year and 120 in 2007. Fueling Montgomery's rise in the rankings is the "Projected Job Growth" for the Montgomery Metro - rising from 57 in 2008 to 17 this year. In fact all of Alabama's metros are in the top 20 metros, out of 200 metros.

The rankings are determined by a series of metrics established by Forbes ranking factors including local colleges, educational attainment of residents, and quality of life offerings.

With 651,000 jobs in February and 4.4 million since the recession began in December 2007, this is quite an accomplishment for Montgomery. Kudos to all!!

Pending homes sales continued their decline as potential buyers waited for clarity on the housing stimulus bill and the weakening economy according to the National Association of Realtors^®. The Pending Home Sales Index, a forward-looking indicator based on contracts signed in January, fell 7.7 percent to 80.4 from a downwardly revised reading of 87.1 in December, and is 6.4 percent below January 2008 when it was 85.9. The index is at the lowest level since tracking began in 2001, when the index value was set at 100.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the downturn in the economy also weighed heavily on the data. "Even with many serious potential home buyers on the sidelines waiting for passage of the stimulus bill, job losses and weak consumer confidence were a natural drag on home sales," he said. "We expect similarly soft home sales in the near term, but buyers are expected to respond to much improved affordability conditions and from the $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit."

Let's take a look at the Midtown Montgomery real estate sales statistics for February to see how the market looks:

Montgomery AL real estate sales statistics for February show pending sales decreased by 36% in 2009 compared to February 2008, the average sales price increased by 31% to $190,729 while sold listings were down 4% from 2008. Market times showed an increase of 2 days or 2% from 2008.

While February pending sales this year were down 36% compared to 2008, the average sale price of closed sales in the same month was up 31% to $190,729. This is a clear indicator that last year's statistics were heavily affected by foreclosure sale activity in Montgomerys' least expensive market areas. Unit sales held steady with only a decrease of one homesale February 2009 vs 2008. Active inventory continues to decline, with the number of homes on the market for sale down over 10% in February 2009 vs 2008. Declining inventories are one of the earliest signs of a market recovery. And we expect a big spike in first-time buyer sales this spring as Montgomerians realize they can acquire a home with very little cash outlay and get back as much as $8,000-10,000 at tax time.

For the latest Montgomery AL real estate market conditions in your area, please call me at 800-HAT-LADY or visit HomesForSaleInMontgomeryAlabama.com.

Information is provided by the Montgomery Area Association of Realtors and is deemed accurate but not guaranteed.

If you are thinking of selling your Montgomery home this spring, now is the time to start getting ready to sell. Below are 5 things to do before putting the ‘For Sale' sign in the yard:

1. Have a presale home inspection. Be proactive by arranging for a pre-sale home inspection. An inspector will be able to give you a good indication of the trouble areas that will stand out to potential buyers, and you'll be able to make repairs before open houses begin.

2. Organize and clean. Pare down clutter and pack up your least-used items, such as large blenders and other kitchen tools, out-of-season clothes, toys, and exercise equipment. Store items off-site or in boxes neatly arranged in the garage or basement. Clean the windows, carpets, walls, lighting fixtures, and baseboards to make the house shine.

3. Get replacement estimates. Do you have big-ticket items that are worn our or will need to be replaced soon, such your roof or carpeting? Get estimates on how much it would cost to replace them, even if you don't plan to do it yourself. The figures will help buyers determine if they can afford the home, and will be handy when negotiations begin.

4. Find your warranties. Gather up the warranties, guarantees, and user manuals for the furnace, washer and dryer, dishwasher, and any other items that will remain with the house.

5. Spruce up the curb appeal. Pretend you're a buyer and stand outside of your home. As you approach the front door, what is your impression of the property? Do the lawn and bushes look neatly manicured? Is the address clearly visible? Are pretty flowers or plants framing the entrance? Is the walkway free from cracks and impediments?

Learn more about selling your Montgomery home at HatTeam.com.

What is my Montgomery home worth?

www.REALTOR.org/realtormag Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine Online by permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® . Copyright 2003. All rights reserved.

The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight has ranked Montgomery among the top ten cities for median home price appreciation when compare to 300 metropolitan areas in a fourth-quarter home price appreciation index. Montgomery ranks 8th with 4.06 percent appreciation for the year, 3.25 percent appreciation for the quarter and 29.01 percent appreciation over the past 5 years.

Montgomery real estate is definitely holding its own compared to other parts of the country. These statistics along with the $8000 first time home buyer tax credit, an abundance of inventory and record low interest rates, make NOW a great time to buy Montgomery real estate. You can learn more at HatTeam.com.

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