Pam & Charlie Wineinger - REALTORS Selling Real Estate in Southwestern IL

The most important thing you need to remember in selling your home is CLEAN. Your home must be clean, clean, clean and then clean it again. Ceiling fans, light switches, baseboards.... things you don't normally clean on a weekly (or even yearly) basis must be cleaned. Clean off your counters, your mantel, your dresser top, your closet, the kids toy chest...... Reduce your stuff by about 75% of what you normally have. Remember, your goal is to have the buyer looking at your house, not your stuff and how much work they will need to do before they move in. Make your home sparkle and free of clutter, price it correctly and it will sell. Wouldn't you agree that living with only 25% of your stuff for a short time is better than living with all of your stuff forever in the same house that just won't sell.

Get your home sold quickly and for a fair price by making it the cleanest home within your price range!!! It REALLY does make a huge difference. Take it from a Realtor that works with buyers on a daily basis. We know what they are saying when they are walking through your home.

Remember, CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN. Look at your home through a buyers eyes, not the place where you live.

The $790 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Obama in February gives first-time home buyers an amazing incentive to buy their first home-an $8,000 tax credit. In 2008, the home buyer tax credit of $7,500 required repayment over a 15-year period. Under the new provisions however there is no repayment requirement as long as the buyer remains in the home for three years. For many first time home buyers, the new guidelines will mean more money in their pockets at tax time.

Combine these new criteria with the great low prices and interest rates, and buyers will see the value of entering the market once they know all the details.

Detail #1 - Pay particular attention to the timeline: All purchases must take place between Jan. 1, 2009 and Dec. 1, 2009. For the most comprehensive details and perspective, visit realtor.org regularly.

Detail #2 - Buyers who’ve previously owned a home are not excluded as long as they haven’t owned during the three years prior to this year’s home purchase.

Detail #3 - Lending is NOT frozen and down payment requirements have not skyrocketed. As a buyer, you are not better off waiting until the market bottoms out. There are loans available with manageable down payment options for qualified buyers. You will only know that we have hit the bottom after we have already begun to climb up - so why not get into the market now.

Detail #4 - Buying a home is good for the economy. Stimulate your own growth and move forward with getting the American Dream

NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY