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NAHB The Voice of the Housing Industry. Remodelers and builders who do renovation or remodeling projects in homes built before 1978 must soon comply with new lead paint safety requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Any company doing work in these homes must be certified, follow specific work practices and keep detailed records. At least one employee in these companies must be trained in these new requirements by April 2010. Check the website NAHB for more resources to help its members comply with the new lead paint rule.
NAHB is the premier source for information on the home building industry. On the Resources link, you can gain access to a collection of home building information. Browse by clicking through the various topics or narrow in on the article, subject, or publication that best suits your needs. NAHB regularly adds new information, so check NAHB regularly!
Important NABA Links
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Marketing" a home means different things to different people. There are many real estate agents that believe all that's needed to market a home is to put it into the MLS. In a ridiculously strong seller's market that may have been true. But the market has slowed, and marketing a home is becoming a critical factor to successful selling.
Any agent can put SOMETHING into the MLS. But more and more buyers are accessing the MLS via Internet, 77% of home buyers use the Internet to search for a Home. That means an agent needs to put the RIGHT information and pictures into the MLS and use that information to help market the property. Too many real estate agents miss the opportunity to market to savvy buyers viewing listings on the Internet. Remember your listings competes with other homes for sale in that community, since buyers will be looking at many homes Online, make your listing stand out from the competition in order to help generate greater demand.
The Internet is an incredibly powerful marketing tool. The number of agents out there that understand how to fully utilize Internet marketing is very limited, we should educate ourselves and be the true proffessional that we should be. Just look at the typical agents web site. The vast majority of agents with web sites do nothing with them. They simply don't understand the technology and terminology. They know nothing about Search Engine Optimization, think about this if the agent isn't web-savvy enough to market THEMSELVES on the internet, how are they going to market the listing, we also must keep in mind that each home is unique, and any marketing plan should be customized to that unique home. Stand out from the competition in order to generate greater demand. Make every listing a showcase with multiple photos and detailed property description to help stimulate greater potential demand and possible a higher sale price.
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Pricing -- it's the single most important factor in selling your listing. And let's be blunt here; it doesn't matter what they (client) think the home is worth. What matters is what the BUYER thinks the home is worth! With the Internet most buyers are educated buyers, and a dedicated buyers agent would do a CMA for their buyers, buyers could go online and get the value of the home they are interested in.
Doing a professionally prepared Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is the critical step in pricing the home. A CMA is what professional appraisers and real estate agents develop in order to determine the MARKET VALUE of the home. Because home values appreciate over time, the CMA maximizes listing prices by looking at Past Sales (TT) / Under Contract (UC) / Present Listing (Active) and Future.
But not all CMAs are created equal. Many agents and appraisers look only at recent MLS (Multiple Listing Service) sales for similar homes near you. A good CMA however, will include much more. To properly prepare a CMA an agent MUST also do a tax record search for non-MLS sales. This takes a lot of time and effort, and let's face it; not everyone is willing or able to put in the time and effort it requires. WE SHOULD BE WILLING, AND ABLE!
Why is it critical to investigate tax records and deed filings? Simple. Not every house that is sold is listed in the MLS. Some people successfully sell their homes themselves. Some relocation companies don't list homes in the MLS, and some homes are sold under exclusive listing agreements--"inside" or "pocket" sales within a particular real estate agency. A simple MLS search may be leaving out many comparable home sales.
You (The Agents) should be the local experts and should be happy to sit down with your clients and answer all questions, and prepare a unique Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) which goes beyond just looking at comparable neighborhood sales, with hard work you can arrive at a selling price representative of your client home's true Market Value. GOOD LUCK!
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You can significantly influence the selling price of your house by preparing it and your property before putting it on the market! Here are suggestions to improve a buyer's first impression of your home. Review the checklist now, before every open house showing, and before photos are taken. Check to see exactly what the camera will see. By all means, look carefully at walls, floors and ceilings for signs or wear, marks or need for repainting or wallpapering. And, don't forget to look at trim, including doors and windows.
GENERAL:
o Remove clutter, papers, unnecessary items
o Replace burned-out bulbs throughout the house
o Remove cobwebs from ceilings, corners
o Remove paint splash on tile, floor, cabinets
o Wash, polish all door hardware, handrails
o Reorganize, clean out all closets
o Replace switches, outlets that don't work
o Add colorful plants, flowers to several rooms
o Replace or rejuvenate pillows, accessories
o Clean out, sweep, organize garage
o Organize, make neat basement and attic storage
CURB APPEAL - Property seen from the street:
o Healthy, weed-free, neatly cut, trimmed lawn
o Shrubs trimmed neatly
o Trees, shrubs trimmed to not touch the house
o Sealed black-top driveway
o Weed-free driveway, front walk, shrub areas
o Toys, garden tools, clutter removed from yard
HOUSE EXTERIOR - Front view from the street:
o Recently painted siding
o Recently painted, touched-up trim
o Repair, repaint fences, gates
o Clean, align gutters, downspouts
o Wash, align shutters
o Wash all windows, storms, screens
LIVING-FAMILY-DINING ROOMS:
o Repaint or touch up walls, ceiling and trim
o Repair or replace damaged molding, trim
o Remove electric plates, clean and replace
o Refinish, clean, wax hardwood and vinyl floors
o Shampoo carpeting
BEDROOMS:
o Repaint, repaper, touch up walls, trim, ceiling
o Replace or clean drapes, bedspread, accessories
o Shampoo carpet or clean, polish floors
o Organize, clean out, neaten all closets
o Clear off top surfaces of all bedroom furniture
o Put all clothing away, out-of-sight
BATHS:
o Paint or wallpaper using light colors
o Scrub tile, bleach, repair grout
o Check to see that drawers/doors open easily
o Clean, polish floor as appropriate
o Clean out medicine cabinet, wash inside and out
o Seal around tubs and showers
o Check for evidence of water at toilet base
o Replace old toilet seats
o Replace shower window curtains
o Buy a set of new, color coordinated bath linens
KITCHEN:
o Paint walls, ceiling, trim white or light color, or
o Wallpaper with small pattern and light colors
o Remove wax, scrub, re-polish floors
o Wash, wipe down, wax cabinets/appliances
o Thoroughly clean range, ovens
o Clean out refrigerator and wash interior
o Empty dishwasher, clean around controls
o Check operation of all appliances
o Neatly arrange and clean food storage areas
o Reorganize and clean out cabinets and drawers
o Neatly arrange and display dishes in cabinets
o Clear all clutter from countertops
o Check to see that drawers/doors open easily
o Wash or replace curtains
o Clean or put away pet feeding, watering dishes
LAUNDRY:
o Check operation of appliances and clean them
o Clean, organize laundry area, remove clothes
o Provide adequate (bright) light to area
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| For homeowners aiming to sell their home and buy another, it's the classic real estate question - buy or sell first?
If you sell first, you may find yourself under a tight deadline to find another house, or be forced in temporary quarters. If you buy first, you may be saddled with two mortgage payments for at least a couple months. You may need the money from the sale of your original home in order to pre-qualify for a loan for your new home. You may be facing a job relocation and need to sell quickly. |
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