Lisa Coates ABR,CBR,GRI - Realtor

1. Remove all personal pictures

2. Make sue your prospective buyers have at least 4 feet on all sides of furniture to navigate around

3. Hire a professional cleaning company

4. Declutter all closets, pantries, cabinets and countertops

5. Caulk and declutter the bathroom pay attention to under the sink and any cabinets

6. Dress your windows

7. Remove vines, trim scrubs and rake leaves around the house

8. Clean the yard, driveway, patio/deck and shed -toys, tools and misc are not attracive to buyers

9. Hire a portable storage unit or rent a storage unit to store extra furniture and personal items

10. Paint or refinish interior and exterior areas that show wear and tear.

For more tips feel free to visit my site or add to this list.

Everyone is aware of the Government Stimulus Program for 1st Time Home Buyers. And I've helped and meet these buyers. They are young and enthusiastic but also well schooled and cautious. Today, I ran a search in the following towns: Burlington, Melrose, North Reading, Reading, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Wakefield, Wilmington, Winchester, Woburn, Billerica and I found 41 Condos priced under $175,000 average days on Market 100.

What does that say to the market.. it says some of these condos are OVER Priced. I could be wrong...but when a property is on the market more than 14 days without offers all the trainers, mentors, brokers and buyers say the same thing. Why??? Does this person know their competition? Did they not get the memo that properties have depreciated?

If your currently considering selling your home, please interview at min 3 Local Agents. The reason I suggest this is if they all come back with the same price or within a few dollars either way. Then that's the price. Remember not only does the buyer have to find value in your property but the banks appraiser does too. And regretfully, if you had a apprasial yesterday for a re-finance that price is now nil and void. If you read the fine print on the apprasial you paid for it say's it's the price we thnk your home is worth TODAY.

Another Tip, I would like to share is be careful when selecting a real estate agent, and don't choose your agent because you went to school with the person and they were recently laid off and were just licensed. This may sound harsh but, think of it this way. Would you trust the most expensive purchase of your life to a person who isn't skilled in friendly negotiations?

Anyway, in closing I wuld just like to add that there are only 80 days left to the program so, if your seeking or selling. Take Action

Best of Luck

Lisa Coates

1. Lower Taxes in comparison to NJ, NY and California
2. Redsox Nation / Fenway Park
3. Cape Anne to Cape Cod, and all the great beaches in between
4. No sales tax on Cloths, Grocery's or Rx.
5. There's always a good college (no matter how dumb you are).
6. You learn to drive in rotary;s (count to 3 and push gas peddle)
7. Amazing Seafood
8. Outstanding School System
9. Great Arts and Cultural Entertainment
10. World Class Hospitals
11. World Class Universities - Harvard and MIT
12. Biotechnology and medical research hub
    
13. History surrounds you
14. 4th of July with the Boston Pops on the Charles
15. The T
16. Filenes Basement
17. The Berkshires
18. Full Marriage Equality
19. Lowest home prices since 2003
20. Predicted to be the First City to recover from the Housing Surplus

So often I speak with people that ask "How is the market?" Well that's a great question and if you listen to the media they say it's a national crisis. People are upside down and are facing foreclosure. I'm not here to say ' not true. But instead to remind you that it all depends on the supply and demand. In my coverage area the market goes from extremely active to extremely depressed. For instance if you want to purchase a condo in Middlesex county the selection is vast and prices range from $41,000 to $1,940,000 there are over 9000 units for sale. With so much selection the question isn't "How's the market?" which my reply would be"Great if you want to buy" Instead the question should be " Where should I buy?" As many of my colleagues have said it's a great time to buy. Prices are low, selection is fabulous and interest rates are low. The government is working tediously to build consumer confidence and the banks are eager to lend for the rebuilding of the "American Dream of Home Ownership"

No one has a crystal ball to know if we've hit the Bottom of the Market or if the Bubble has Burst. But there are allot of home owners that are eager to sell for a variety of reasons. And if your tired of renting or relocating to Massachusetts this is a Great Market. Working with a experienced agent that understands your goal will make achieving it easy and seamless. However, if you think the bubble hasn't burst and it will in fall of 2009 or Spring 2010 you may or may not be right. In my opinion the market prices can only remain constant or go up. Why? Well, that's easy let's go back to supply and demand. Most developers have ceased building or planning new projects until they sell off the current inventory. They are offering free upgrades and extremely motivated to negotiate with serious buyers. With the decline of inventory in high demand towns and areas the prices will have no choice but to increase. Hence, the condo available for $1,940,000.

People choose where they will live on variety of reasons. The school system, commute time to work, area amenities or lifestyle. If you'd like to be a community that has horse stables or paddocks and there are only a hand full of homes that have the living space, school system, commute to the office and updates you like then the prices may be close to or over the current tax assessment. This situation is not uncommon, especially here in Massachusetts. However, if your a first time buyer and attracted to just the price and would like to just own your first place in any town for the lowest price. Then a condo in a up and coming neighborhood for $50,000 may work for you.

Do you remember the saying" If you think your can or can't - your Right! According to the January 27, 2009 Wall Street Journal article Boston's Metro area Inventory is down 17% from this time last year. So in my opinion we have had the bubble burst and it will only get tougher to find bargains. Because remember you're not the only person looking for the "Great Buy"