Category Archives: Seller

Housing, Interesting Facts, Real Estate, Realtor, Seller

Consider a LeadingRE Firm When Selling

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a network of over 500 of the very best real estate firms that are located in over 40 countries. These firms have 4,000 offices with 120,000 sales associates. In 2012 these firms had sales of $272 billion dollars representing over one million transactions, which placed Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® #1 in sales volume in the United States.

Firms affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® can offer sellers global exposure of their home in addition to strong marketing expertise at the local level. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has the resources to market your property to the highest possible number of potential buyers. With 120,000 talented associates around the world, they expose your property to buyers on six continents ensuring more eyes are on your property. In addition they receive inbound clients from other affiliates around the globe who are interested in purchasing a home.

If you are looking for the best real estate firm to sell your home, then you need to consider a firm that’s affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.

Ferguson Realtors is a proud member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. Go to www.KnoxSold.com to find out more about us.

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Housing, Real Estate, Real Estate Investing, Seller, Video

Farragut – Custom Built / All Brick

Don’t miss out on this beauty. Master on the main, gourmet kitchen with custom made cabinets, walk-out basement, surround sound throughout. Enjoy the outdoors from the screened porch that overlooks wooded common space. The subdivision offers both a pool and tennis courts for added enjoyment. For additional information or to schedule your private showing, contact Lori Douthat at (800) 747-0713.

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Home Staging, Housing, Real Estate, Seller

Enhanced Landscaping Will Add Value to Your Home

Making improvements to your home’s landscaping will enhance its marketability and increase the value. Stand in the road and take an objective look at your home so that you can develop a plan for improvements. Below you will find some helpful tips: 

Clutter
Remove any items from your yard that look out of place, such as, bikes, balls, unused lawn furniture, trash cans and the like. 

Lawn Care
Take a look at your lawn. How does it look? Is it well groomed and green? A great looking yard is the key to increasing your curb appeal. Don’t cut your yard too high. Most yards do best when cut at a height of at least three inches. If your yard is in poor shape it may need to some seeding and fertilizing.

Plants
How do your planting look? Do you have the right balance? Are they too large for the space? If so; you may want to remove them and start over. Do you have enough color? If not; set out some flowers that are appropriate for the time of year. If trees are overgrown and hiding the house, then give them a good trimming or have them removed altogether.

Focal Point
Figure out what is the focal point of your yard, and work extra hard to make this area stand out

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Housing, Interesting Facts, Real Estate, Real Estate Market, Realtor, Seller

The Six Elements that Determine if a Home Sells

Price – This is probably the most important element of the six items listed. A property needs to be properly priced to attract buyers in the first place. Pricing a home too high will most often lead to a lower sales price and longer market time than if priced right in the beginning.

Property Condition – Properties that are in tip top shape will usually sell much quicker than a property that’s in disrepair or needing updating. Properties that are in substandard condition will often draw low ball offers from investors and those folks looking for fixer uppers. Additionally a property that’s not up to certain minimum standards will not be considered for government backed loan programs, which significantly reduces the pool of available buyers if your limited to cash or conventional buyers.

Terms – This item rates high on the list of elements because if a buyer is unable to locate the needed financing, then they will not be in a position to purchase your property in the first place. If interest rates are at an attractive level and lending standards are reasonable, then terms should not be an issue. If you have a hard to sell property, then you might consider offering seller financing. This would open up your property to those buyers that are unable to secure traditional financing.

Agent Marketing – Selecting an agent and firm that has your best interest in mind is most important. You want someone that will provide you the necessary information, so that you can make informed decisions throughout the process of buying and selling. Visit www.KnoxSold.com to find out more about agent marketing.

Market Conditions – This is one of the elements that you have little to no control over. Market conditions will determine a property’s value at any given time based upon the law of supply and demand. The market is ever changing as the supply of available properties for sale rises and falls. Values will rise as the supply of available properties dwindles, and values will fall if the supply of properties exceeds buyer demands.

Property Location – Location greatly affects the value of a property. Property values are mostly influenced by neighboring property values. Usually you will find like valued properties in company with with one another. When pricing property you will usually need to be priced in relationship to other properties in the immediate area.

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Home Buying, Housing, Interesting Facts, Real Estate, Realtor, Seller

Advantages of Using a REALTOR®

All real estate licenses are not the same. Only real estate licenses who are members of the National Association of REALTORS® are properly called REALTORS®. They proudly display the REALTOR “®” logo on their business cards or other marketing and sales literature. REALTORS® are committed to treat all parties to a transaction honestly. REALTORS® subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are expected to maintain a higher level of knowledge of the process of buying and selling real estate.
 
Here are some reasons why you should consider using a REALTOR®:

1. Your REALTOR® can help you determine your buying power.

2. Your REALTOR® has many resources to assist you in your home search.

3. Your REALTOR® can assist you in the selection process by providing objective information about each property. Agents who are REALTORS® have access to a variety of informational resources.

4. Your REALTOR® can help you negotiate. There are a number of negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession and often the inclusion or exclusion of repairs.

5. Your REALTOR® provides due diligence during the evaluation of the property.

6. Your REALTOR® can help you in understanding the different financing options and identifying qualified lenders.

When buying or selling real estate, look for an agent who proudly displays the REALTOR “®” logo.

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Housing, Interesting Facts, Real Estate, Real Estate Market, Realtor, Seller

The Best Day to List Your House

Turns out the best day of the week to list your house is on a Friday. Homes listed on Fridays tend to bring the seller a higher percent of their asking price than on any other day of the week, according to research done by the real estate brokerage Redfin. Homes listed on Fridays usually sell the quickest as well. The majority of the property showings occur Friday through Sunday, so it makes perfectly good sense that Fridays would rate high.

Another good day to list your home is on a Tuesday. Tuesdays generate the most interest for home tours. Tuesday is often a big planning day for many people as they make plans for properties to view over the upcoming weekend.

Wondering what’s the worst day of the week is to list a house? Well; it’s on Sunday.

You can sign the listing paperwork with your REALTOR® on any day of the week, but ask your REALTOR® to time the marketing of your home so that you get maximum exposure. You only get one chance to make a good first impression, so why not make the best of it.

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Home Buying, Home Inspections, Housing, Interesting Facts, Real Estate, Seller

Should I Get a Home Inspection?

There are many good reasons why both a buyer and a seller should get a home inspection. The buyer wants to know if there are any problems with the property that might prevent them from purchasing it. The seller needs to find out if there are any issues that should be fixed prior to placing their home on the market.

Here are some of the more common problems discovered by home inspectors:

Roofing – Many roofs are found to be beyond there normal life expectancy. Most lenders require that a roof have at least three to five years of life remaining, so many times a new roof will be required in order to meet this standard. More minor issues could be popped nail heads or flashing issues around a chimney or in a valley.

Ceiling damage – Most ceiling damage is caused by water. Either rain water that’s leaked through the roof, or a plumbing leak. The source of the leak will need to be determined and fixed prior to repairing and/or painting the ceiling.

Electrical – The most dangerous problems discovered at home inspections can be attributed to electrical issues. Many of the problems found are overloaded circuits, connections not in junction boxes, improper grounding, and no GFI’s to name a few.

Drainage – Improper drainage around a house often leads to water intrusion into the basement area, which can cause wood rot, mold, mildew, fungi and the like.

Wood rot – This is caused by wood being exposed to water for extended periods of time. The wood will eventually loose its supporting strength, and it will need to be replaced.

Fireplaces – Many of the issues with fireplaces and chimneys have to do with firebox deterioration, damper doors not opening and closing properly, improper venting, and masonry cracks. 

Plumbing – The majority of the plumbing issues are usually fairly minor in nature. Many times it’s leaking faucets, toilets, and drain lines. Another common problem is too much water pressure, which is caused by a faulty pressure reducing valve.

Water heaters – Most water heater problems found are improper electrical connections, pop off valve lines not properly routed, and the water temperature set too high.

Mold & Radon – These can be two of the biggest deal killers. You’ll need to hire a professional to test for these items to determine if there is a problem. Once you have the results you can then decide if any action is needed, and what the costs would be to correct it.

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Home Buying, Housing, Interesting Facts, Real Estate, Realtor, Seller

Why Choose a LeadingRE Firm?

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a network of over 500 of the very best real estate firms that are located in over 40 countries. These firms have 4,000 offices with 120,000 sales associates. In 2012 these firms had sales of $272 billion dollars representing over one million transactions, which placed Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® #1 in sales volume in the United States.

Sales volume numbers for 2012 were as follows:
Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® – $272 billion
Coldwell Banker – $200 billion
Re/Max – $188 billion
Prudential – $126 billion
Keller Williams – $119 billion
Century 21 – $107 billion
Sotheby’s $53 billion
Real Living – $37 billion
ERA – $23 billion
Realty Executives – $17 billion
Better Homes & Gardens – $11 billion

Firms affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® can offer sellers global exposure of their home in addition to strong marketing expertise at the local level. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® has the resources to market your property to the highest possible number of potential buyers. With 120,000 talented associates around the world, they expose your property to buyers on six continents ensuring more eyes are on your property. In addition they receive inbound clients from other affiliates around the globe who are interested in purchasing a home.

If you are looking for the best real estate firm to sell your home, then you need to consider a firm that’s affiliated with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.

Source: Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®

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Home Staging, Housing, Interesting Facts, Real Estate, Real Estate Market, Realtor, Seller

Make Your Home Stand-out When Selling

When selling your home you need to highlight its strengths and focus on its features. Here’s a list of places to start:

1. Make a lasting first impression – Curb appeal is extremely important. Make sure your lawn and shrubbery are neatly trimmed. The front door should be clean and dust free. If it needs a fresh coat of paint, then paint it.

2. Don’t hesitate to decorate – Faded walls and worn woodwork won’t sell your home. A small investment in paint will do wonders.

3.  Let the sun shine in – Open drapes and curtains. Clean the windows. Home buyers are drawn to bright, cheery interiors.

4. Bathrooms are big sellers – Make bathrooms shine. Clean the sinks and toilets thoroughly. Re-caulk vanity tops and tile as needed. Make sure that you are displaying fresh neatly folded towels.

5. Wake up your bedrooms – Remove excess furniture. Use colorful sheets and bed spreads. Open the drapes and let the light in.

6. Pay close attention to the details – Loose door knobs, sticking drawers, wobbly hinges and stuck windows can all cost you the sale.

7. Call the plumber – Have those leaky faucets fixed. Make sure the drains are running free and clear. Clean those rust stains from the tub and bowls.

8. Buyers love big closets – They look even bigger when they are clean, neat and well organized. Remove as much as possible. Either give it away or place it in storage.

9. Lighten up – By day let the sun shine in. By night turn on all lighting in advance of  showings. Make sure that you replace any bulbs that are not working. Add accent lighting to wall hangings, fireplaces and other unique features of the home.

10. Leave it to the professionals – Let your REALTOR® handle the showings and negotiations. They’ve been carefully trained and will look out for your best interest.

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