page
1
There’s good news for buyers and sellers of Lakewood Ranch real estate: The U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook that came out the end of February is encouraging. According to this research done by Freddie Mac, both the economy and the housing market are showing cautious signs of recovery.
Here are some of the changes stimulating these improvements in both nationwide and Lakewood Ranch real estate markets:
• Loans that were seriously delinquent or going into foreclosure declined to the lowest quarterly share since the start of 2009, according to the latest Mortgage Bankers Association Mortgage Delinquency Survey.
• In January, existing home sales were at their highest since May 2010, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
• Job gains have exceeded expectations for the past three months.
• In January, the unemployment rate fell to its lowest since 2009. In December, jobless claims were at their lowest level since 2008.
• Applications for weekly unemployment benefits decreased for the third consecutive week, to 348,000; the fewest since the first week of March 2008.
• Home builder confidence continues to grow.
• Households are paying off their debts and accessing credit more easily.
• Historically low mortgage rates continue. According to Freddie Mac, the national average rate for...
...read full post
In honor of Valentine’s Day, sellers should take this month to highlight what they love best about their homes for sale. Instead of just focusing on the square footage, buyers will get the chance to see what makes your Lakewood Ranch real estate surprisingly special.
As a seller, you constantly hear tips about de-cluttering and depersonalizing a home that’s on the market. However, when you’re taking pictures to post online, be sure you capture the details you love most about your home, because buyers are likely to love them too. Below are a few photography tips to get you started:
• Capture the heart of your home. Ensure that you get pictures of all the living spaces, from the kitchen and living room to the backyard. Any place that a family will spend most of its time together should be highlighted.
• Make sure you have good lighting. Photograph on a day when there is a lot of natural light coming through the windows. Also be sure to turn on all inside lights and lamps — this gives your home that cheery, glowing feeling.
• Highlight your home’s best features. Be sure to showcase each of those unique features in...
...read full post
Many people are downsizing these days, either because they're empty nesters and no longer need the room, they’re getting older and want a smaller space to maintain, or they’re reducing their financial burdens or environmental impact.
If you’ve made the decision to downsize to a smaller Lakewood Ranch home, here are five tips to help you make the transition:
1. Start early: Downsizing to a smaller home is much less stressful if you have plenty of time to sort through your belongings to figure out what you’re getting rid of and what you’re keeping. Plan to do this at least a month before you put your home up for sale. (Bonus benefit: it makes your house less cluttered and more desirable to buyers.)
2. Evaluate your needs: Take an honest look at your lifestyle and what you truly enjoy. Are you really going to learn to play that piano? If you haven’t used it or thought about it in over a year, the answer is probably no. Advertise it in your local newspaper and sell it! With anything you’re having a hard time letting go of, put it in storage for six months. If you don’t think...
...read full post
To sell Lakewood Ranch homes, you have to get buyers to want them. So, what do they want? Based on the data just in from the 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, here are what buyers want in a neighborhood in order of importance:
1. 67 percent favor a quality neighborhood
2. 49 percent of buyers said they want convenience to jobs
3. 45 percent look at the overall affordability of homes in the neighborhood
4. 39 percent prefer to live close to family and friends
5. 28 percent of buyers are interested in having shopping close by
6. 27 percent want a quality school district
7. 22 percent ask for a neighborhood that is convenient to schools
8. 21 percent like to live close to entertainment or leisure activities
Assess your neighborhood. Which of the attributes most desired by buyers does your neighborhood have? Showcase those features in the marketing materials for your home:
• Mention the schools, shopping, entertainment and leisure activities that are close to your home.
• Give statistics on the quality of your school district.
Need help marketing your home? We specialize in selling Lakewood Ranch homes. If you’re ready to sell your home, let us market...
...read full post
You may have a few DIY renovation projects planned for your Lakewood Ranch home. Instead of plunging right into costly home renovations, you might want to take time to consider the following tips to gain insight before getting down to work.
• Talk to your parents. Give your elders a call to see what they think about your renovation plans. Those of the older generation have usually lived in many houses and did a lot more fixing up than most property owners do today.
• Consult a professional. Talk with a professional who specializes in the type of renovation that you’re planning, such as a carpenter, plumber or electrician. They might charge you for an hour of their time, but you’ll gain valuable insight and maybe even tips on which building materials to use and where you should purchase them.
• Plan for a permit. Check with your city, county and HOA before you do any major renovations or make additions to your
Lakewood Ranch home. You’ll want to get a permit if one’s needed; otherwise you might be required to undo your hard work and the repercussions could be severe when you eventually try to sell. They’re not out...
...read full post
Buying a Lakewood Ranch home is both easier and harder these days. Yes, it’s a buyer’s market, which implies that prices are lower, but there are a few things to do to before buying your home. Purchasing a home is a lot easier when you know how to be a savvy home buyer.
Follow these five tips to get the Lakewood Ranch home of your dreams with less hassle and at a great price:
1. List your home before looking for another home. Contracts contingent on selling your existing home complicate the buying process and reduce your chance of getting a great bargain. Sellers are often unwilling to give any concessions if they have to wait for you to sell your home.
2. Get pre-approved for a loan. Sellers prefer to negotiate with buyers who are pre-approved for a loan large enough to purchase their home. The pre-approval may save you money because you’ll have more leverage to negotiate a lower price. Additionally, you’ll save time by looking exclusively at homes within your price range.
3. Ignore easy-to-change design issues. If the shag carpeting isn’t your style, you can easily change it...
...read full post
As real estate agents, we spend a lot of time rushing in and out of Lakewood Ranch homes. It's easy for us to get caught up in the hustle-bustle of real estate transactions, and we forget to slow down to appreciate the pleasures of owning a home. So today, we want to take a moment to reflect on the home aspect of real estate.
Our job (one we love) is to help people just like you find a house that suits their lives. Once you move in, you make that house into a home.
Holiday Traditions
Your Lakewood Ranch home is where you and your loved ones celebrate holidays and where you create and continue family traditions. Whether you deck the halls with layers of tinsel and wreaths or have the whole family over to spin Hanukkah dreidels, the spirit of the season comes from the energy of the people gathering together in your home.
Season of Family Warmth
While you're making your famous sugar cookies or spiking your secret-recipe punch with extra holiday cheer, pause for a moment to enjoy the warmth and beauty of your Lakewood Ranch home....
...read full post
Today’s home buyers have a big advantage over buyers from a decade ago: the internet. You can search for homes for sale online as well as find pricing data and instructions on how to buy a home. So, why would you possibly want to hire a Lakewood Ranch real estate agent to help you buy a home?
Here are four surprising and not-so-surprising reasons why hiring a Lakewood Ranch real estate agent will save you time and money when buying a home:
1. Paperwork - Today's real estate contracts run more than 10 pages, and will take you hours to read, comprehend, process and file. Experienced agents handle the paperwork and legal issues for you, minimizing your hassles, headaches and anxiety.
2. House Hunting – It’s a jungle out there! Navigating through the short sales, foreclosures and thousands of homes for sale can be overwhelming. Your agent can streamline that process for you by sorting through many homes and finding the gem that meets all your needs and fits your budget.
3. Goal Achievement – When you have an expert working on your team and looking out for your best interests, you...
...read full post
You want a new home in Lakewood Ranch, but you’re not sure whether it’s best to build a new one or buy an existing home. The first thing you should do is identify your priorities. Do you dream of a customized house built from the ground up or living in a house already built in an established neighborhood?
Before you make up your mind or put in an offer, take the time to prioritize the following:
• Location - Can you find a lot to build on in your desired location? If not, are you willing to consider a different area if it means you’ll get a house tailored to your specifications? If you’re extremely location focused, you might have to give up the idea of building your perfect house and concentrate on available homes in the area.
• Timeline - How flexible is your timeline? If you absolutely need to be moved into your new home in Lakewood Ranch on a certain date, don’t even think about building. Building a house sometimes extends past the estimated completion date. If your timeline isn’t flexible, it might be time to start...
...read full post
Buying a home is one of the few occasions in which some form of negotiation is the rule rather than the exception. Just because it is the norm, however, does not mean that most people are good at it.
Here are a few tips to help you negotiate the best deal when buying your next Lakewood Ranch home:
1. Know your bottom line. Determine your bottom line and stick to it. This sometimes means you have to be willing to walk away from a deal. It also means being realistic about what you’re asking from the seller. Many sellers are faced with the fact that their home may not be worth what they paid for it. This puts limits on the concessions a seller can offer.
2. Stay flexible. For example, what if the Lakewood Ranch home you'd like to buy needs a new heating system. The seller is unwilling to replace the unit but is willing to put $3,000 toward your closing costs. The $3,000 you're saving in closing costs...
...read full post
The Internet has made researching real estate easy for anyone who knows how to surf online. Whether researching real estate to sell homes or to find a property for their next big investment, many property owners and home buyers think they’ll save a lot of money by doing all the work themselves.
However, statistics show that you’re more likely to sell your property quicker or find your dream house faster when you work with a professional Realtor® or real estate agent. Working with a Realtor provides you with an expanded housing database, years of property-purchasing knowledge and valuable contacts for everything from inspections to loans.
The trick is to find the right Lakewood Ranch real estate agent or Realtor to fit your needs. Here are 5 tips to help you find your perfect fit:
Knowledgeable – You’ll want to find an agent who is experienced and doesn’t always agree with you. If they’re constantly telling you yes, then they may not be working in your best interest.
Hard working – Agents who’ve been in the real estate business for decades could be burned out and new recruits might not be...
...read full post
While some people are hesitant to buy into a real estate market that seems to still be bottoming out, many studies have shown that owning a house is an investment in your future and that of your community. From tax breaks to property taxes, being a Lakewood Ranch home owner can put money in the bank. It also gives you a sense of pride in contributing to community institutions such as the police force, local government offices, fire stations and free medical services.
Did you know that statistically you and your neighbors are more likely to properly maintain and update your Lakewood Ranch homes when you own them rather than rent them? Maintaining and updating your home boosts the real estate market around you, giving you the chance to increase the value of your property, your neighbors’ property and eventually your entire community.
4 more reasons why you should buy instead of rent:
Building financial security – While it may take many years for you to actually make a...
...read full post
Choosing a professional real estate agent can be a very imposing task. This person is responsible for finding your new home or selling your home, guiding you through the home inspection process and negotiating a good price and terms. These are important tasks that should be taken seriously. That’s why finding a skilled real estate agent is key to a successful real estate transaction.
Here are several tips for interviewing Lakewood Ranch real estate agents:
· Interview at least three agents. Even if you love the first or second agent you interview, promise yourself you’ll interview all three. You learn more from each interview, and you never know when that third agent is going to be the perfect match for you.
· Ask all three agents the same questions so you can compare their answers and ability to communicate. Write out your questions so you don’t forget any, and take notes during the interviews. You think you’ll remember what they say, but the specifics will begin to blur as you interview the second and third agent.
· Ask the Lakewood Ranch real estate agents how long they've been...
...read full post
Picking up the phone book and letting it fall open to the real estate agency page is not the best way to find a great Lakewood Ranch real estate agent.
Here are several other pitfalls to avoid when looking for a real estate agent:
· Impulse: Just because you walk into a busy, bright, and productive looking office doesn't mean all the agents who work there are also busy, bright and productive. Take the time to get to know the agents you’re considering. Interview them, like you would any other professional you hire, to determine their abilities and knowledge of the community in which you want to live.
· Easy Agreement: If you finally find an agent who instantly agrees with everything you have to say about the selling price of your home without question, beware. This is especially true if you've been to others who disagreed with your price. Consider why this one agent is so agreeable. As in any industry, there are people out there who will tell you anything you want to hear to get your business.
· Lowest Commission: Don't go with a real...
...read full post
According to a recent study, buyers prefer to work with real estate agents who live in the neighborhood in which they want to buy a home, such as Lakewood Ranch. Buyers are happier when they work with local agents because they believe the agents are:
1. Familiar with the neighborhood. They know the schools and zoning laws.They can tell you the best places to shop and give you referrals to the best mechanics and home contractors.
2. Knowledgeable about the Lakewood Ranch real estate market. Local agents know all the neighborhoods, the homes and the amenities.
3. Involved in the community. Agents who are involved in community projects are doing much more than just selling houses. They’re contributing to their community. Wouldn’t you prefer to work with an agent like that?
4. More attentive. When an agent knows they’re going to bump into you in the supermarket or hardware store, he or she is going to give you the very best service possible. He or she wants to ensure that you have no complaints and will give neighbors a glowing review about ...
...read full post
page
1
