Some home selling tips

Yes, it's a buyer's market.

Sellers, want to know how to make your house more of a "hit" on the market? In a survey conducted by HouseHunt, Inc., the North Carolina Realtor's Association reported that:

3 out of 4 buyers found "closing costs paid" as an incentive to purchase

A distant second was "free upgrades"

Third: "free property inspection"

Fourth: "free appliances" or "flooring credits"

Artists unite!

Floridarealtors.org had an interesting article on it's website the other day. In determining where to invest in real estate in the next 5 or 10 years, look at where the artists are living now.

It seems that artists are the advance of what's cool, and due to their lower incomes, they have to seek out less expensive neighborhoods. One of the most significant reasons? An economist noted, "businesses don't often understand the extent to which art affects them. [Artists] are just as important as science and technology companies."

Designing women

Women make 83% of consumer spending decisions in the US. What does that mean in home design?

Architect Ann Olson and Designer Paul Foresman offered these suggestions:

• pay attention to de-stressing areas, like the master bath
• rear foyers are important--include lots of storage
• people now gather in the kitchen---size matters
• busy women demand closet organization systems
• natural light makes her happy
• women crave kitchen storage
• outdoor maintenance is a burden, so use things like maintenance-free decking
• always include a home office
• consider the needs of blended families who don't want to share bathrooms
• women like change, so incorporate flexibility in the designs

Save money with CFL bulbs

With all the talk of global warming (did you see the Oscars?) many are touting ways to slow the process. One suggestion is using compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). It's benefits? One bulb should last 5 years, and could lower your electric bill 50 cents to 75 cents each month. If every American home replaced just one light bulb with the CFL, the US could save enough energy to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse emissions of nearly 80,000 cars.

Study says home prices are stabilizing

The U.F. Bergstrom Center for Real Estate Studies reported on March 9th that single family home prices have leveled out. They conducted a survey of 318 industry experts, including market analysts, attorneys, financial advisors and industry executives. Wayne Archer, Director of the center is quoted as saying: "If you're thinking of buying a house, there's probably not much to be gained by holding out at this point. It doesn't look like prices are going to fall anymore."

Seems that buyers are agreeing with him. In February 2007, there were 2,387 new contracts in Orange and Seminole County. The lowest dip in the last year was December 2006, with 2,012 contracts.

The average mortgage rate for February 2006 was 5.92% for our area, compared to 6.07% for the same time last year.

Let the RE/MAX brand work for you

Before I became a real estate agent, I used to wonder why RE/MAX touted it's brand strength.

In questions about real estate companies, 91% of respondents say RE/MAX, making us #1 in brand awareness.

For the month of January, RE/MAX 200 Realty was the number one RE/MAX company in Florida, based on closed transactions.

That doesn't mean a hill of beans unless it has meaning for you, the client. Having worked for RE/MAX now and seen the inside of the company, here's what I've learned:

1. Top brand awareness draws top, professional people. Therefore, you're working with excellent agents who are well-trained and experienced.

2. As a seller, the RE/MAX name will transfer its goodwill to your property. As potential clients see the sign in your yard or view your property on the web, it will provide more confidence during the home selling process.

3. The name draws millions to the website, which has led to 1,991,228 unique site visits. Impressive potential viewings for any property.

4. In drawing the best agents to RE/MAX, the office is incredibly productive. Higher productivity means that greater resources are provided to support the agent's needs. Working with our office means you have the benefit of those additional resources.

Brits: new company for your Florida property?

Jack Snyder with the Orlando Sentinel wrote yesterday about a new business debuting here---a London based firm, Global Property Audit Agency. For $600 a year, British owners of property in the Orlando area will receive home inspections and property reports so they will be aware of how their vacation /investment properties are maintained.

Interesting.....I'd love to hear how it goes!