Ronald Stead

Often, sellers are not familiar with a little trick to the trade of selling your home called "Staging". Staging your home for sale creates many unique advantages. Most noteable of these advantages is shortening the time your home is on the market as well as increasing the potential sales price of your home.

When your home is stages it affords the potential buyer a better opportunity of envisioning themselves living in your home. This is the key to selling your home, if the buyer has too difficult of a time imagining themselves in your home then they will not even dream of making you an offer "At any Price"! Staging your home can be done by a professional stager for a fee, and your home will show like a model. But you as a homeowner, with the guidance of a professional Realtor such as myself, can employee a few artful techniques to make your home be the best that it can be.

• Fresh Paint is always a huge bang for your buck and will pay for itself many times over. Pick light and neutral colors that brighten all your rooms and add a depth to your rooms making them appear larger than they really are. Also pick colors that compliment the flooring.
• Spring for some new luxury towels and matching rugs for your bathrooms.
• Put out your best linens in your bedrooms. Clean, fresh, and simple patterns are your best choice.
• Shampoo all your carpets and scrub up all your vinyl and hardwood flooring and make them shine.
• Put worn furniture in storage and get rid of excess furniture as well to "Open" up the rooms.
• Remove personal effects that clutter counter tops, dresser tops, refrigerator doors, etc. Again, if a potential buyers sees to much of YOU in the home it is difficult for them to see THEMSELVES in the home.
• Put out / display simple arrangements including plants, flowers, etc.
• DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER, DECLUTTER. If you are really serious about selling your home, why would you wait till the last minute to start packing? Start getting ready for the sell NOW and start packing and cleaning. This has the added benefit of getting you in the right mindset of expecting and wanting the sell and this will be obvious to the potential buyers.

Bottom Line, staging your home for success puts a successful sell in motion. It will reduce your market time and yiled you a higher price for your home.

Call me for advice on selling your home. I WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Just take a look, they are literally everywhere, even in wealthy enclaves. What sets them apart is price. They have lower market value than other houses in the immediate area because they have either been poorly maintained or abandoned.

To determine if a property that interests you is a wise investment will require a lot of work. You will need to figure out what the average home in the area sells for, as well as the cost of the most desirable ones. Call me and let me do a comparative market analysis for you to determine the market price of the property.

Experts suggest that novices avoid run-down properties needing extensive work. Instead, they recommend starting with a property that only needs minor cosmetic work - one that can be completely refurbished with paint, wallpaper, new floor and window coverings, landscaping, and new appliances.

Also, keep in mind that a home price that looks too good to be true probably is. Find out why before pouring your hard-earned money into it.

When looking for a fixer-upper, some experts suggest you follow this basis strategy: find the least desirable home in the most desirable neighborhood. Then decide if the expense that is needed to repair the property is within your budget.

As with any property, call me and I can help you find what type of home is best suited to your needs and budget.

It depends and it really is a matter of choice and personal opinion. So-called "bad" areas-oftern referring to residentially unstable or poor area - have offered an affordable means of homeownership for many-particularly young, first-time buyers and low- to moderate-income families interested in a home they can call their own. Whether it is right for you to buy a fixer-upper will depend on your personal threshold for risk and your level of tolerance. With that being said, however, many run-down neighborhoods, particularly those close to downtown, are benefiting from a residential resurgence as an influx of newcomers jump-start what were once staid, unsafe, or depressed areas.

Call me and let's discuss your options.

One of the best ways to determine pricing on distressed or any other real estate property is talk to a professional agent who is familiar with the local market and available properties and have them put together for you a comparable market analyses. See what price similar properties have sold for in the past and find out the listing price of others currently on the market.

It is important to examine the fixer-upper carefully and figure out how much it will cost to fix any defects or repairs. If you are unable to get in, talk with nearby neighbors about the home's condition.

You can also do your own cost comparison by researching comparable properties recorded at the local county recorder's and assessor's offices, or at Internet sites specializing in property records. If the property is in foreclosure, you should get as much information as possible from the lender.

Call me and let's discuss your options on buying fixer upper or other distressed properties. As well as being a Professional Realtor I am also a Licensed class "A" contractor in the state of VA. I know the ins and out of selling, buying, and renovating properties.

In real estate, and especially in the current buyers market condition, almost everything is negotiable, so it is certainly worth a try. Now, this does not mean the builder will fall down and roll over. It is very common for builders to claim that their prices are based on fixed construction costs. Perhaps, but timing is everything.

A builder is more likely to be flexible on price at the very beginning and end of a project. Early on, most developers want to move people in quickly so the project builds momentum. In the end, they may be more inclined to accept lower offers when only a few units are left.

If you are unable to negotiate on price, negotiate for a better lot location or amenities, such as a carpet upgrade or light fixtures. A developer will rarely pass up a deal over a few hundred dollars' worth of carpeting.

Call me an lets discuss your options in purchasing a new or existing home construction.