Vanessa V. Simmons~Realtor

Everyone knows what HUGE pain short salescan be, however; most real estate agents will agree that they are an unavoidable part of the Central Ohio landscape. The more the process is understood the greater likelyhood there is for a smoother transaction. As a buyer's agent it is important have a clear picture, with as much information as possible. This will allow agents to better understand how to effectively work through short sales process minimizing buyer frustration.

Buyers' agents play a large role in the successful competition of short sales. Going into the transaction with the right expectations is a key element to successfully completing a short sale.

I suggest you Don't Make a Short Sale Offer on any Central Ohio home, until you get answers to following 10 questions from the listing agent:

•1. Has the seller completed all the paperwork for the short sale?

•2. Are there currently any offers on the property?

•3. Have there been any offers on this property?

•4. Has the BPO/Appraisal been completed

•5. Do you know if the lender will pay any seller concessions?

•6. How will multiple offers be handled?

•7. How many mortgages are on the property?

•8. Has a negotiator been assigned?

•9. Have you worked with the lender before? If yes are they responsive?

•10. Is there anything else you can share with me that will better insure my client successfully getting this home?

Once armed with the answers to these questions agent and buyer will better be able to determine how to set correct expectations for short sale success... It does no one any good to lose a potential buyer due to frustration or not having an understanding the process.

If you need help with short sales or any other type residential real estate in Central Ohio, please give me a call at 614-273-6406 or email me at Vanessa.simmons@realliving.com

If you are like me, I start thinking spring in mid February, but here in Central Ohio we are still have plenty of winter days left. Any Central Ohio real estate agent will tell you that it's harder to sell your home in the winter. The days are colder and shorter, leaving less time to show your home to potential buyers.

The good news is that most of the buyers who are looking at houses in the winter aren't just killing time. They're serious enough about finding their new home to go house hunting at a time that most people would rather stay inside.

There are a few things you can do to make a good impression on home buyers this winter:

· Make sure all walkways are safe. Spread out ice melt or sand to provide traction during snowy weather. Shoveling the snow on the driveway and sidewalks will make your Central Ohio real estate appear more inviting and well maintained. Be sure to place a mat for visitors to wipe their feet on.
· Warm up the house. Buyers will remember the house that was pleasantly warm on a frigid day. In addition, you will be able to demonstrate to the buyer that your furnace is in good working order.
· For a welcoming scent, bake cookies the day of the showing. Some people are sensitive to the fragrances in air freshener's and perfumes, so skip spraying those when expecting someone to look at your house.
· Serve snacks in the kitchen. Give the buyer a reason to linger in your home by leaving a light snack in the kitchen. If the weather is cold, consider providing chili or soup in a Crockpot to keep it warm with festive disposable bowls. Or, to keep it simple, you can provide coffee or hot chocolate and cookies. Be sure to talk with your Central Ohio real estate agent before leaving these snacks so he or she knows they're for the buyers.
· Make your house appear warm and inviting. Turn all the lights in the house on; place warm-toned throws and decorator pillows around the living room. Put on some soothing classical or jazz music; keep the volume low enough that buyers can talk quietly to each other.

You can make your home seem more inviting this winter by using these proven techniques.

Ready to sell your home? Call me today at 614-273-6406 or email me at Vanessa.simmons@realliving.com

KEYWORD: Pickerington, Central Ohio, Columbus, Gahanna, Canal Winchester, Worthington, Renyldsburg,OHIO real estate

LINKS:
Ice melt: http://www.ecos.com/pages/icemelt.html
Furnace: http://www.buyfurnace.org/
Jazz music: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/

Neglected and abandoned properties are not only an eye sore they can be havens for rodents and vagrants. Properties allowed to go uncared for has a tremendously negative impact on surrounding property values in neighborhoods.

CNN reported about a new website, called Lender Offender, which allows anyone to post pictures along with addresses of the neglected and abandoned, lender owned homes. Several lenders who own these properties have taken care of the problems just to avoid the embarrassment. Please use this site and pass it along.

If we get lucky this could have a side benefit of forcing the lender-offenders to move more quickly to move these properties versus locking the banks into long term maintenance programs.

If you are looking for Central Ohio Real Estate help please give me a call at 614-273-6406 or email me at Vanessa.simmons@realliving.com

REMINDER.... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls.

.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone:

888-382-1222.

It is theNational DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

If I can assist you with any of your Central Ohio real estate needs please call me at 614-273-6406 or vanessa.simmons @ realliving.com

The Wall Street Journal's Market Watch Report recently ranked the top 50 U.S. Metro Areas for Business.

I was please to see that Columbus was listed in the top 10 at #7. Columbus gained that position through a 26 point increase over 2007 which saw the Capital City in the #10 spot. Seattle had the the largest over all gain with a 27 point jump to land the #14 spot.

Check out the complete story by Clicking Here.