Lee Morof's Real Estate Blog

Have you made it your New Year’s resolution to find that perfect home for you and your family? You might have thought that you needed to wait until spring to start house shopping, but the fact is that January is a great time to begin.

Put on your winter jacket and get out there while the leftovers from the New Year’s party are still in the fridge – you’ll have the upper hand.

House hunting in January offers a number of advantages that will work in your favor. Here are some of the main reasons:

Busy Social Calendars

First of all, most other people will be busy with parties, holidays and getting back to work after Christmas and they won’t want to venture out in the cold weather to go look at houses – so there will be less competition when bidding on homes.

This means that you can get in there and put in an offer that the seller can’t refuse.

Determined Seller

Also, if the home is on the market at this time of year, there is a chance that the home sale is somewhat urgent.

If they were not as determined, they might pull their home out of the market and wait until spring to try again. With a motivated seller you are more likely to get a better price.

A Dedicated Real Estate Agent

Your real estate agent will have more time on their hands at this time of the year, because they will be less busy. This means that they will be able to dedicate more attention to you and help you move through the closing and moving process faster.

Cheap Deals On Furniture

Also, during the month of January, retailers will sell off their excess inventory from over Christmas in order to make room for the new models. This means that when you move into your new home you will be able to furnish it at a great discount.

These are just a few of the reasons why you might want to consider getting out this January and searching for your new home. House hunting during this time of year can offer you a number of advantages and you could possibly find that dream home you have been looking for at a great price.

For more helpful tips, contact your trusted real estate professional.

After all of the excitement of the holidays, the sparkle of the lights and the overstimulation of decorations, the rest of winter can seem lackluster. Don’t let your home add to the dreariness of the season.

Spruce up your curb appeal with the tips below and inspire your neighbors to create well-groomed street that will make driver’s passing through smile.

Tend The Plants

If you’re currently located in a winter wonderland, then dig up any dead plants that won’t grow back. Replace them with cold-loving flowers, such as snowberry or lambs ear.

In warmer climates, this is the time for any landscaping changes you’d like to make. It will give your plants a chance to flourish by spring and have solid roots before the harsh heat of summer.

Light The Way

With daylight hours dwindling, well-placed outdoor lighting will help highlight your home’s best features in the evening.

Not only do they make your home look warm and cozy, but they also provide much-needed walkway lighting so that your guests arrive safely.

For a festive New Year’s sparkle, wrap white lights around the porch and in the trees.

Create A Custom Mailbox

Reclaim a vintage mailbox or get creative with paint to let the neighborhood know your family’s favorite sports team. A personalized letterbox says a lot about your household, so make it something special that doesn’t look like every other box on the street.

Also, visitors trying to find your home always appreciate large, easy-to-read address numbers visible from both directions.

Place Pots Strategically

Create focal points with terra cotta or colorful pots. Place them around your door to make a cozy entrance. Use evergreens and holly to give the curb appeal of your home a wintry feeling or brighten up a dark doorstep with cheerful pansies.

Paint Your Front Door

Perk up your curb appeal when the weather is dreary by painting your front door in a color that packs a punch. Try a vibrant red, bright blue or sage green. These colors will make your home feel warm and cheerful. However, don’t apply paint if the weather is below 40 degrees, because it will dry brittle and crack.

Anyone preparing their home for sale can get focused on all the little updates they need to make before it’s ready to be put on the market. However, once the property is listed, they usually just sit back and wait for the offers to roll in — which can be disappointing.

For A Fast Sale

Real estate agents know that the work never stops. Below are insightful tips from property experts to create buzz around your house and get it sold quickly!

Bait Buyers With Visuals

Most buyers do their preliminary searches online, so this will be their first impression of your place. Hire a professional photographer if your photography skills are lacking. Or, take it one step further and have a virtual tour video made — the extra effort might clench the deal.

Create An Online Social Life

Just posting your home online might not be enough to attract buyers. However, if you give it a persona on Facebook or tweet about its beautifully refinished hardwood floors, you’ll reach more potential buyers and establish an emotional connection before they ever set foot inside.

Be Flexible

If the market isn’t cooperating with your current strategy, then be prepared to change it. This could mean dropping the price, hosting impromptu open houses or even taking the property off the market for a couple of months. Be sure to stay abreast of local selling trends by speaking with real estate agents and tracking area comparable.

Spread It Through Word Of Mouth

Enlist the help of all your friends and family to help spread the word. Put flyers out front and pass them around to all of your neighbors — they might want their friends to move in down the street. Also, let local real estate agents know your house is available.

To get your home sold quickly, take the advice above from successful professionals who know that no effort is too small when it comes to the real estate game. If you’re getting ready to put your house on the market and would like more selling strategies, please call your trusted real estate professional.

When you sell your home, you want it look as good as possible. To do this, your real estate agent will help you stage your home or, if needed, help you find a professional to stage your home.

This means de-cluttering your home, re-arranging furniture, and de-personalizing each room.

A staged home is more appealing to buyers and helps to highlight your home’s positive features. However, staging is not meant to cover major flaws in your home. Some things just have to be repaired.

Roof Problems

It doesn’t matter how pretty your home is, your buyer is going to expect you to fix roof problems or adjust your price to cover them. Your roof is one of the most important parts of your home.

Cracked Tile

Of course, you can use throw rugs to cover cracks in your tile, but chances are your buyers are going to look under them. Then they may think you are trying to hide a serious problem like a shifting foundation. Save yourself the headache and have your floors fixed.

Broken Windows

You have to expect your buyers to walk around your home checking out the views from the windows. They’re going to notice any cracks. If you have the budget, consider upgrading your windows and making your home more marketable. At the very least, you should have the glass replaced.

Torn Screens

If you have torn screens, your buyers may think you don’t take care of your property. Yet, screens are fairly easy to fix on your own. With the right supplies from your local hardware store, you can have new, sleek screens in less than a day.

As your agent, I will make sure your home is ready to sell fast. Call your trusted real estate professional today.

Home inspections are a tense time for everyone. Sellers are fervently hoping that nothing major is wrong with their home that could hold up the transaction.

Buyers are eager to hear that their new house is in prime condition. Whatever the wishes, one thing is for sure; any news from an inspector is usually bad news.

Home inspectors have a tough job. They have to be trained to spot hundreds of potential issues with a home and be knowledgeable of local codes, community restrictions and residential permit parameters.

Stay one step ahead of your home inspector by reading the list of common home inspection issues below. Then hopefully your inspection won’t reveal any unwelcome surprises.

Electrical Wiring

This is a common bubble-busting issue, especially in older homes. Wiring might have been up to code when the home was built, but it now violates code and is a fire hazard.

Look for ungrounded outlets, shoddy wiring or a mass of confusing connections in the electrical panel. Replacing an entire electrical system can be expensive, but it’s worth it not to risk a fire.

Plumbing

Look for signs of water damage in the ceilings. This could be a sign that something above, like a bathtub or sink is leaking into the floor or walls. Look around toilets and inside kitchen cabinets for traces of wet flooring or wood.

While external leaks are easy enough to fix, interior pipes might require you to rip up flooring.

Foundation And Framing

Examine the foundation and framing of your home for any structural issues. You’ll want to keep an eye out for cracking in the foundation due to water runoff or settling. Also, look for signs of wood rot or termite damage.

These issues affect the framing of your home and could cause scary structural problems if left unattended.

Roofing

While it’s probably too difficult for you to inspect the roof yourself, just stand back in the yard and see if you can notice any bare spots. Also, check for water damage around the roofline from rain leaking in. Don’t get too discouraged about roof issues. It might not call for a complete replacement, but just a repair on one section.

These common home inspection issues affect both sellers and buyers. As a buyer, you’ll want to keep a eye out for these problems so that you know what you’d be getting for your hard-earned money.

As a seller, it’s good to stay one step ahead of the home inspector so that whatever price is agreed upon goes through.

When it comes to selling your home, curb appeal refers to the “first impression” that your house gives when a buyer approaches it from the driveway or the street.

Does your house look attractive and inviting, or does it appear rundown?

First impressions are important and even if the inside of the home is perfect, the outer appearance can really affect a buyer’s perception.

If you are trying to sell your property, you have probably mowed the front lawn and even planted flowers in order to improve your curb appeal. However, could you have over looked one of these common curb appeal mistakes?

Cheesy Garden Gnomes

You might think that your decorative lawn ornaments are cute, but your potential buyers don’t necessarily have the same taste. If you have a few gnomes living in your garden, you might want to hide them away for a while when your home goes on the market.

Dark Pathways

Your potential buyers might want to visit your home in the evening, so make sure you invest in some outdoor lighting to guide their way to your front door. A poorly lit front walkway will not make a good first impression.

Dying Flowers

Adding flowers to your front yard can improve your curb appeal, until the seasons change and they begin to go brown and whither. Do your best to keep up with the garden maintenance throughout the year so that everything still looks fresh.

Children’s Toys

If you have little ones, your yard is probably filled with discarded Frisbees, tricycles, skipping ropes, sidewalk chalk and other toys. Before showing your home, make sure that all of these are tidied away.

Your potential buyers might not have children and might not be fond of them, so they want to be able to see what the lawn and the garden will look like when it is not covered in brightly coloured plastic.

These are just a few of the curb appeal mistakes to avoid, so that your home looks as appealing as possible. For more home real estate tips, feel free to contact your real estate professional. 

Words are powerful and when you are selling your home, the words that you use in your real estate listing can really impact the first impression that the property makes on potential buyers.

Whether you are writing the real estate listing, or the house is being promoted by a real estate professional, it is important to use the right words to convey the meaning that you intend.

This is especially true when you only have room for a short description, as every word counts.

Here are a few words to use in your description that will really bring positive attention to your real estate listing:

“Within Walking Distance Of…”

Can you walk from your home to the supermarket, the local pub, the shopping mall, the elementary school or the dog park? If so, make sure you advertise this on your real estate listing!

Buyers are looking for homes that are accessible to the major amenities that they use in their everyday lives, because this saves them time and money on fuel and is more convenient.

“Plenty of Storage Space”

Let’s face it, as a nation we tend to be hoarders. Many people have an incredible amount of stuff and they need a house that has enough room to store it all.

A home with plenty of well organized closets and storage space will be desirable, because it will suggest a comfortable and well organized living environment rather than a cramped and cluttered existence.

“Move Right In”

If your home is fully finished and doesn’t require any renovations, make sure that potential buyers know this. A home that is in “move in condition” will be very desirable to some people who don’t want to take on the headache and hard work of a fixer-upper.

“Light and Spacious”

We are attracted to bright open spaces and floor plans that have a comfortable flow, rather than small and dark compartmentalized hallways and rooms. If your home has a lot of natural light and an open floor plan, this is a great attribute that you should highlight in the listing.

To find out more about listing your home and generating interest in your property, contact trusted real estate professional today.

Does the time of year when you put your home on the market affect how well it will sell?  What about the final sales price?

According to many studies in housing trends, the answer is yes. The time of year when you sell your home can have an effect on how many people are interested and how much the home will sell for.

Of course, if you need to move and sell your home at any point of the year, you will still be able to find buyers and negotiate a price that works for you. In some areas of the country, the currently swift moving housing market can help overcome poor timing.

However, if you have the ability to plan for a more advantageous time, it makes sense to make the most of your flexibility.

The Best Times Of The Year To Sell A Home

One of the best times of the year to sell your house is in the late spring and early summer — like right now.

The school year is over for most families, and many people will be looking to purchase a home that they can move into over the summer and get settled before school begins again in the fall.

Housing sales peak during this time, as studies show that 60% of people tend to move during the summer.

If you can sell your home during the spring or early summer period, it will typically be on the market for a shorter amount of time and you may have many more offers to choose from.

The Worst Times Of The Year To Sell A Home

One of the worst months of the year to sell a home is December. There are a number of reasons why trying to sell a home during the Christmas holidays can be difficult.

Most people aren’t thinking of moving this time of year. Their energies are focused on decorating their houses, preparing for the holidays, visiting friends and family and enjoying their time off work.

Another difficult time is the beginning of the school year, typically in September.

Children will have just started school and most families will not be considering moving at this point. If you attempt to sell your home during this time of year, you will be much less likely to get the the same pool of buyers that you might see in a more “move friendly” time of year.

Of course, these are just guidelines to help you plan your next home sale. No matter what time of year it is, if you need advice on selling your Birmingham home, call your trusted real estate professional right away. 

Want to sell your home this summer?

With the help of a real estate professional, you could be signing a closing agreement and on your way to a whole new housing world before winter sets in.

So, get inspired this Fourth of July to liberate yourself from your current home.

A local real estate agent who is an expert in his or her field might be the spark needed to get you motivated, strategically market your home and have potential buyers seeing fireworks at your first open house.

To help with your quest for the perfect home-selling expert, here are three questions you should ask during initial interviews:

What do you know about the local market?

Make sure your agent is up to date on the area’s current listings. He or she needs to know what’s happening in your neighborhood in order to market it and ensure it beats out the competition.

How will you market my home?  

Make sure you’re on the same page when it comes to spreading the word about your property. You’ll want to confirm that your agent is Internet savvy and has fresh ideas on how to make your home stand out. It’s always a good idea to ask agents you’re interviewing to provide examples of how they’ve marketed other homes.

What will you do to help me prepare my home for sale?

Successful agents should do a walk-through with you and use their past experience and buyer feedback to give advice on how to stage your home. It benefits both of you to have your home looking its best, so that it sells fast!

In honor of the Fourth of July, take a cue from our forefathers and enlist the services of a good real estate agent to help emancipate you from your current home.

If you’re looking for a Bloomfield Hills real estate professional, I’d appreciate the opportunity help you.  Give me a call today or email me to get all of your questions answered.

It can be very difficult to determine what your property is worth in the current marketplace, because you are biased by what the property is worth to you. These emotions can get in the way of impartially evaluating a property and often cause sellers to overprice their home.

When pricing your property, you need to be objective and reasonable so you can come up with a selling price that will capture the interest of buyers.

Here are a few examples of common mistakes people make when pricing their house for sale.

Reading Too Much Into Online Comparable Properties

Avoid relying too much on online pricing information of sold houses. They can be a perfect place to start for getting a general idea of how much real estate is worth, but they are not always accurate. 

Overestimating The Market

Don’t assume that you can sell your house for the same price at which you purchased it. Unless you bought your house a few weeks ago, the real estate market may have changed — sometimes significantly — and the purchase price will not reflect the appropriate pricing for today.

Overpricing To Pad For Future Negotiation

Don’t overprice your Bloomfield Hills home in order to be able to negotiate to the price you want to settle on. Of course, you want to get an appropriate value from it, but many first-time buyers are on tight budgets and will rule out higher-priced houses. Your over-priced property may sit on the market longer and then the price will have to be reduced anyway.

Factoring In The Cost Of Your New Home

Don’t factor in the cost of your next house. Your listing price should not reflect how much money you’d need to purchase your next property. The price of the house should be the same whether you are wealthy or broke. Your financial situation is irrelevant to the potential buyer of the property.

These are just a few common mistakes you should avoid when determining the price of your home. Listed at the right price, you will get a fair amount from the sale of the house and the buyer will be getting a reasonable price too.

As always, your local real estate professional will have the best advice on getting your home ready for the market and selling for the best price.  Call them today to find out the details!