Ralph E. Fisher III

If your St. Louis home for sale isn't selling, you're probably wondering if you're missing something. Well, here's a list of things you might not know that could make all the difference:

If the location of your St. Louis home for sale isn't great, the price and terms are the only thing that will sell it. Make them outstanding!

Attractive, competitive terms may help you get a higher price. For instance, if you're allowing the option of owner financing, and also allow a smaller down payment (say, $20,000 - $30,000), you may be able to sell your house for a higher overall amount.

Because of the current high competition, your home has to be in the best condition at a competitive price. Check out the competition, accept that yours might need work, and get to it.

You can't set a limit for home improvement. If your home needs something done to beat the competition and you can do it, do it! You aren't just spending money; you're investing in the sale of your home. Although you may not get all your money back, you just might get a quick sale at full value.

Staging - you've heard of it; tons of agents are talking about it. If you want to get your house sold, either invest in staging services or do your homework and stage the home yourself. It's all about presentation.

Remember that you are no longer the host/hostess of the house. You are a business person, and your business is getting that house sold. Don't let your emotions get in the way of a solid business deal.

Putting up your St. Louis home for sale is a daunting prospect. If it's been up for a while, it can be an exercise in frustration. However, keep the above points in mind, listen to the experts and put what you learn to work for you.

If you'd like to get your home sold, I can help. Call me at 314-630-4227 or email me at rfisher@sellshomesfast.com for more information.

Links:

Owner financing http://homebuying.about.com/od/financingadvice/qt/091007_OwnFinan.htm

Home improvement: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=home

Stage the home http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/real-estate/home-staging2.htm

The last vestiges of summer have faded away, the leaves are turning into a brilliant array of color and the temperatures are dropping. All this glorious change means the holidays are coming, but it also means it's time, once again, to look over your St. Louis home.

With temperatures dropping and leaves falling, there are plenty of things to add to your "to do" list. Just in case your list is empty, here are a few "to do's" to get you started on your fall St. Louis home care:

• Sealing Your Driveway - If you have a blacktop driveway, you probably already know it isn't going to be smooth forever. The asphalt cracks, the color fades and the asphalt sags to create potholes. As winter rolls around and snow begins to fall, you'll probably be putting down salt, which will further break down your driveway. Sealing it now, either by hiring a company to do it or sealing it yourself, can help keep your driveway smooth and beautiful.
• Winterizing Your Sprinklers - Sprinkler systems do wonders in keeping your lawn green. However, leaving water in the system over the winter can cause a big, expensive mess, especially if the pipes aren't buried below frost level. If you don't feel comfortable winterizing the sprinkler system yourself, you can hire a professional for under $500.
• Cleaning Gutters and Roofs - Everybody knows that fall brings leaves that fill your gutters and cover your roof. If you haven't been on the roof of your house lately, now's the time to do it. You want to make sure all the debris is gone before the snow hits, so the strength of your roof isn't tested further. For that matter, now is a great time to install gutter guards; you'll never have to clean your gutters again!

Preparing your St. Louis home for the winter can be a tedious process, but the money you'll save with proper maintenance will put a smile on your face.

If you're looking for a home to call your own, I can help. Call me at 314-630-4227 or email me at rfisher@sellshomesfast.com for more information.

Links:

Sealing it yourself http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=LawnGarden/SealDvWay.html#term

Winterizing the sprinkler system http://www.housekeepingchannel.com/a_603-Tips_for_Winterizing_Your_Sprinkler_System

If you're looking at one of the many St. Louis homes for sale (and especially when reading about buying a home), you've probably already read articles that ask, "How much house can you afford?" and "Can you really afford the mortgage for a new home?" From beginning to end, to get a good estimate, you'll need to figure monthly payments, loan qualification guidelines, closing costs and much more. Frankly, all those calculations can set your head to reeling.

To cut down on some of the frustration, save a few trees from the paper you'd use up and help give you a better guesstimate, I've decided to go looking for the best real estate calculators I could find on the Net. Here are my top 3 picks I've come across:

#3. Real Estate Calculator Suite - This product seems to be an excellent choice for anyone, whether you're a homebuyer, seller or even, yes, a real estate agent like me. Sixteen different real estate and mortgage calculators can help you figure out refinancing costs, amortization schedules - even whether it's better to rent or buy one the [city] homes for sale. Although it's $40.00, which might seem rather expensive to many, it could more than make up for the time you'd spend staring at a sheet of paper and numbers. To top it all off, it even includes a home inspection form and to do list for movers, tying your buying or selling experience up nicely.

#2. Yahoo! Real Estate Calculators - You can't beat a search engine for information, and the Yahoo! Real Estate really does a thorough job in collecting a fantastic amount of calculators. Budgeting and finance, mortgage refinancing, deciding fixed or adjustable rate mortgages and more are all available on this one page. The major upside as compared to the Real Estate Calculator Suite is that it's free.

#1. CNNMoney.com - CNN isn't a worldwide news network for nothing, and they've taken their complete coverage to calculators. On one page, you have over thirty calculators to figure out everything. Compare costs of living for any area, figure out how much house you can afford, calculate the gain or loss on your home and more. As a bonus, it's all free, too.

I ranked CNNMoney.com as the top due to the amazing amount of information you can gain in one place. However, that doesn't mean you can't try one of the others, or even all three. If you want one of the St. Louis homes for sale, get to calculating, get informed and see what you can accomplish.

Or, you can contact me, and I'll do the figuring for you. Call me at 314-630-4227 or email me at rfisher@sellshomesfast.com for more information.

Links:

Real Estate Calculator Suite http://www.realestatecalculatorsuite.com/index.htm

Yahoo! Real Estate Calculators http://realestate.yahoo.com/calculators

CNNMoney.com http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/

If you think St. Louis homes are in style, you just might want to look around. The building trends for 2009 range from green to efficient and more. Here's a quick peek at the new trends - many of which look like they're here to stay.

Smaller homes - Mansions are out and, believe it or not, matchbox houses are in. Some buyers want downright tiny homes, and are even willing to build their own to get it. If you own one of the St. Louis homes with a lot of square footage and want to sell, you might start counting. How many of those rooms do you really need? Can you knock out a wall to create larger, more open spaces?

More storage - Flat walls are out, closets are in. Homebuyers are demanding storage spaces, from walking closets to built-in storage systems. If you're looking to sell and have issues, it might be due to the lack of storage space. Look around; see if you have areas that can be maximized for storage. Consider turning that small fourth or fifth bedroom into a walk-in closet.

Living outdoors - Over the years, the rise in individuals that want an extended outdoor space has gone up. If you have a porch or patio but it's exposed to the elements, look into screening it in. Outdoor spaces that can be used year-round (or close to it) are big sellers.

Home office space - The need for a home office is rising as well. Windows and space are essential for working in a relaxed environment. If you have a room that can be converted into a comfortable office space with ease, don't forget to add it to your sales pitch.

Green and healthy - Green homes are no longer a trend; they're more the norm now. Buyers want efficient homes and features that reduce utility costs. Better insulation, recycled materials, carpets with no/low gas emissions and paints with low VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are all the rage. This is one trend that doesn't seem likely to go away.

If you own one of the St. Louis homes, pay attention to the building trends. They aren't just what buyers say they want; these trends are what they're buying.

If you're thinking of selling your home but aren't sure whether you to update it first, I can help. Call me at 314-630-4227 or email me at rfisher@sellshomesfast.com for more information.

Links:

Tiny homes: http://www.tumbleweedhouses.com/

Screening it in http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/screening-in-a-porch/index.html

Green homes http://www.greenhomeguide.org/what_makes_a_green_home/green_homes_101.html

Purchasing a St. Louis home for sale, especially as a first-time buyer, is incredibly exciting. However, just because your offer is accepted doesn't mean the deal is done. Lots of things can still cause the deal to fall through. Here are just a few things that might slow or stop your purchase:

Termites - Most lenders will insist on having a pest inspection to make sure termites or carpenter ants haven't seriously damaged the home. Even if your particular lender doesn't require an inspection, it's best that you get one done anyway. If the pest inspection shows there is a severe problem, you can either ask the seller to pay to have the problem fixed or walk away if your purchase agreement allows it. At less than $100, a pest inspection is definitely worth the cost.

Bad Title - During the escrow process, have a title search done by a title company and purchase title insurance. The search makes sure that there isn't a lien or claim against the property, while the title insurance guarantees that there aren't any issues with the title. If there are issues, they have to be taken care of before you can receive the keys to the St. Louis home for sale.

House Defects - Make sure that your purchase offer has a home inspection contingency. If the inspection reveals big issues, you can back out without any penalties. Otherwise, you might lose your earnest money. If you don't want to back out, you'll have to negotiate the cost of the repairs with the seller. This can delay closing.

Uninsurable Home - Sometimes previous homeowners will have made a major insurance claim, which shows up on insurance records. In this case, insurance companies may claim the house to be uninsurable, which means you won't be able to get a loan for the home.

Before looking at a St. Louis home for sale, make sure you're acquainted with the closing and escrow processes, and be prepared for any problems that may arise. The more equipped you are for any eventuality, the better your chances of moving into the home you want.

If you're in the market to buy a home, let me help you negotiate a contract that protects you from potential problems. Call me at 314-630-4227 or email me at rfisher@sellshomesfast.com for more information.

Links:

Pest inspection: Link to a page on your website about this or to your preferred pest inspection company. Or, link to http://www.pestinspection.net/

Title search: Link to a page on your website about this or to your preferred title company. Or, link to http://www.titlesearch.com/

Home inspection: Link to a page on your website about this or to your preferred home inspection company. Or, link to http://www.ashi.org/