HELLO OUT THERE... BUYERS!!!

We’re looking for you and eager to help! Get acquainted with a real estate agent to help you go in search of your new home in 2010. Below are some tips that just might be helpful to you as your hunt begins.

1. You’ve heard this one before… and it’s so true! Interest rates are great. You might wait a long time before the rates you’re being quoted now ever improve. If you’re serious about buying a home, check out the rates!

2. Speaking of interest rates, have you been pre-qualified? This is really critical! A good lender will take time to educate you about the loan process & make certain an appropriate price range is established for your search. We have suggestions that can be helpful – and we’ll offer names of several lenders so you can make the final decision.

3. Have you been reading the papers? What about the housing inventory out there! Wonderful selections in all areas of the city are being offered by very motivated home owners. Any eager home buyer should be able to find a great home at a great price – it’s all about looking.

4. Not enough to get you motivated to purchase your first/next home? Well then… how about a tax credit? The federal government has extended the first time buyer credit of $8000 & introduced an incentive of $6500 for other eligible homeowners.

5. OK! Now you’re ready to take home buying seriously, and you’ve selected the Realtor with whom you’re comfortable working. Give your agent a list of features you’re looking for in your new home. She/he might not be able to find every feature you want in each house, but this will help both of you focus on important characteristics.

6. Let your agent do some of the foot work for you. It’s really not necessary to try to see every house being offered on the real estate market. Expect your agent to preview homes for you, report back with findings, and show only the homes which meet your requirements.

7. Once you begin the active search process, pack up a notebook. You’ll be surprised how quickly features of homes start to scramble. Your notes will be valuable to you when you begin your review of properties.

8. Let your Realtor know if you have some “handyman” talents. Maybe you should look at the “ugly duckling” that has wonderful potential. Remember the one thing that can’t be changed: location, location, location!

9. Are you expecting to eventually find the “perfect” house? Probably need to rethink this one. The goal should be to find a great house… for YOU! Not perfect! Houses could very well be like husbands – there probably isn’t a PERFECT one!

10. Expect to negotiate – but not steal! The goal should be a “fair deal” to both buyer and seller. Buyers expecting to steal a house from a seller usually are disappointed with the outcome. A house should sell for a fair market price in any market. Of course, there are always the “short sales” and the “repossessed” homes. Talk with your Realtor about this option, if you’re looking for this kind of opportunity!

GETTING IT RIGHT IN 2010

If you’re planning to sell your home this year, take a minute to review some of our best recommendations; AND if you had your home on the market this past year (or maybe longer??), don’t repeat mistakes from the past. These few suggestions are sure to be useful before you launch your next home selling attempt.

1. Buyers start mentally buying (or rejecting) a home from the minute they drive up. Make a good impression by having the outside ready to impress; attend to deferred exterior maintenance.

2. Once the outside is clean and fresh, focus attention inside. Don’t expect buyers to ignore dated wall coverings and dull paint. One of the least expensive fixes to a dated interior is fresh paint. If you have a steady hand, go ahead and do this work yourself, but don’t be forgiving of an amateur attempt – buyers won’t!

3. Look at your home’s interior spaces; really look! It’s critical to remove clutter & get organized. Don’t let your home tell buyers you’ve outgrown the space! This sends an immediate message that they will too. First, purge all the excess “stuff” you’ve collected. Next, rent a storage facility for all the little treasures you want to move into your next larger home. Believe me, it’s worth the expense.

4. Give your home the smell test! Don’t be forgiving of pet odors or any unpleasant odors for that matter – buyers won’t! A bad smell stays with a buyer, and it’s a very hard objection to remove from a buyers mind (and nose). Be sure to correct the problem and not simply mask it! Once your home is fresh as clean folded laundry (as my mother would say), you can find a nice fragrance to spray just before showings.

5. Bathrooms and Kitchens! I really can’t say enough about these spaces. If your home has dated baths and kitchen, and you’ve priced the home with that condition in mind, then please follow this rule: Clean! Clean! Clean! Buyers DO look inside your refrigerator and oven. Be sure these appliances, all appliances actually, are as clean as can be. Kitchen counter tops should have no clutter, refrigerators should be free from family pictures and art work and the table or eating surface should look inviting for a company meal.

6. Stairways to the second floor and basement must be free of items, and a hand rail should be in place for these stairways. Realtors hate to pick up broken bodies at the bottom of stairways!

7. It goes without saying, doesn’t it, that all closets are tidy. Fold towels in the linen closet, hang coats without crowding in the closet and contain hats and mittens in some way so they are not falling off a shelf.

8. Be honest with yourself and ask “Who priced the house”. Did you really get a professional Market Analysis from a real estate agent that did her homework? No amount of advertising, open houses and showings will ever sell an over priced listing. We in the real estate industry know this – for a fact! Price your home correctly, follow the above tips and your home will attract a new buyer.

9. Work with a real estate agent you like and trust. It’s not easy to sell homes, sometimes it’s down right hard, and it helps a lot to have an agent you feel comfortable with and know you’re with someone who “feels your pain”!

The “4forU” team wishes you a Happy New Year and a successful home selling experience in 2010.

Tasty Thanksgiving

Thankful for family, friends & those who have trusted the "4forU" Team this year to help with their real estate needs! BTW... Bandit enjoyed every morsel of his feast!

REAL-LY EXCITING NEWS FOR REAL LIVING HER

What great news for Real Living HER agents & our clients. Thanks to the innovation & brand of our company, Brookfield RPS and Real Living are merging. This creates one of America's leading residential real estate franchises with more than $20 billion in annual home sales. The "4forU" team has over 30 years of combined experience with Real Living, and we are thrilled to share in the success of our company. Harley & Kaira Rouda have been recognized nationally for their innovation & fresh energetic approach to real estate. Their emphasis has always been on the success of their agents through superior training & technology. This focus allows us to go out & better serve our clients!

How lucky to have Real Living based in Columbus, where we have an opportunity to train & learn with the best!

TIME IS TICKING!

The $8000 tax credit has provided an incentive for many first-time buyers to enter the housing market. Personally, I've had an opportunity to assist five couples with the purchase of their first home this year! Should the tax credit be extended??? I'm curious what readers think!

clipped from rebac.net ECONOMISTS ENCOURAGE TAX CREDIT EXTENSION When Congress passed an $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers last winter, it was intended as a dose of shock therapy during a crisis. Now the question is becoming whether the housing market can function without it. As many as 40 percent of all home buyers this year will qualify for the credit. It is on track to cost the government $15 billion, more than twice the amount that was projected when Congress passed the stimulus bill in February. In the view of the real estate industry and some economists, all that money is well spent. They contend the credit is doing what it was meant to do, encouraging a recovery in the housing market that is gathering steam. Analysts say the credit is directly responsible for several hundred thousand home sales. Skeptics argue that most of the money is going to people who would have bought a home anyway.

Watching for signs!

clipped from www.dispatch.com Home price index shows first quarterly gain in 3 years Tuesday,  August 25, 2009 9:22 AM ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK -- A closely watched index shows home prices posted their first quarterly increase in three years, signaling the housing market has turned a corner. The Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller's U.S. National Home Price Index released today rose nearly 3 percent from the first quarter, though was still down almost 15 percent from the second quarter last year. Home prices are at levels not seen since early 2003. The monthly index of 20 major cities increased 1.4 percent from May to June, the second straight month the index registered a gain. It was still 15 percent below June a year ago.

Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival

Great fun for everyone with over 300 artists. Most popular item each year are the Amish made brooms... always a sell out. In addition you'll see beautiful ceramics, painting, photography & much more!

clipped from www.ua-ohio.net Date: Monday, September 7, 2009 Place: Northam Park, Upper Arlington Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Admission: Free Welcome to the premier one-day arts festival in Ohio, the Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival! Located in the 22 acres of Northam Park and presented by the City of Upper Arlington’s href="http://www.ua-ohio.net/parksrec/arts/default.asp">Cultural Arts Division, the Festival showcases the exceptional works of nearly 200 local, regional and national artists. Throughout the day, you can peruse a variety of art media including ceramics, glass, painting, photography, sculpture, wood and more. All artwork on display is available for purchase and we encourage you to take this opportunity to purchase a new piece of art for your home, or gifts for friends and family, to show your support for our participating artists.