Lee Morof's Real Estate Blog

There’s a group of individuals constantly overlooked when someone has a Royal Oak Michigan home for sale. It’s not just newlyweds, families and women looking for homes. Men are on the look out, too. So what are they looking for? Here are a few points on the list:

1)  Location, location, location – Most men want a place close to their job. No long commutes, no hours on the highway. In fact, it’s one of their biggest considerations when choosing a home.

2)  The Man Cave – Is your Royal Oak Michigan home for sale set up with a man cave? Many men dream of having an extra room that can be converted into a place for recreation and entertainment. If you already have a man cave, you’re ahead of the competition!

3)  Surrounding area – In a fun survey, Sperling’s BestPlaces examined America’s cities and marketing trends to find the “Top 50 Manliest Cities” in the U.S. Believe it or not, Nashville took the top place as the Mecca of manliness. Why? A few reasons:

o High number of NASCAR fans
o High number of BBQ restaurants
o Popularity of hunting and fishing

What other things did Sperling’s look at to decide “manliness?”

• Major league sports teams in a city, nearby NASCAR events, monster truck events and local drag racing strips, among other sports venues
• Memberships in motorcycle owner groups, bowling, hunting, woodworking, DIY home improvement
• Number of manly retail stores, such as steak houses, sports bars, general hardware stores, sportsman stores, etc.
• Percentage of houses subscribing to manly magazines

So what does all this mean to you? If you have one of the Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale with manly decor as well as surrounding attractions, you have a match made in heaven for the busy bachelor. Okay, so women like monster truck events, motorcycles and DIY, too. And, okay, so the survey is a little silly. However, if you’re trying to sell that house and are having no luck, it’s definitely something to think about.

If you’re trying to sell your home, I can help. Call me for more information at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com.

Lee Morof
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640

Are you thinking about adding your home to the list of Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale?  If you’re looking for the right price to list your home for sale, you may need to call on a real estate professional.  Pricing your home to sell in this buyer’s market is part research and part experience.

You don’t want to overprice your Royal Oak Michigan home for sale because you don’t want it to sit on the market week after week.  A home that is priced too high for the area will not attract as many buyers as a more reasonably priced home.  If you price your home below market value, you’re likely to receive several offers that will drive the sale price up, so you don’t have to worry about getting less money for your home than it’s worth.

A good way to get an idea of the current value of your home is to get the sale prices of homes that have recently sold in your area.  Your real estate agent can gather that information for you. Look for homes similar to yours in size, location and condition. 

When setting the price of your home, you may also want to take a look at the listings that have expired in your area.  You may find that the homes were overpriced for your neighborhood or that some homes remain on the market because the home wasn’t updated or in good condition.  Try to learn what caused the listing to expire and work to avoid the same mistakes.

You should not list your Royal Oak Michigan home for sale at a price that you aren’t comfortable with.  Explain to your agent the concerns that you have about the home’s sale price and ask for his or her professional opinion about the price that you have chosen.  Click to learn FREE Home Pricing Tips.  

Want help pricing your home correctly?  Let me put together an analysis of current home prices in your neighborhood.  It’s free and at absolutely no obligation.  To get your analysis, call me today at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com.

Lee Morof
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640

What is home staging and how will it help you sell your home?  Staging Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale is, quite literally, setting the stage for buyers.  You want the home to look good, you want it to have the right atmosphere to attract buyers, and you want the first impression to blow them away.

Staging a home can mean sprucing up the paint job, eliminating clutter, moving furniture around – practically anything that makes your home look better to the buyer is staging.  Whether you decide to do it yourself or hire a home staging professional, it can, and will, help you sell your home. 

Here are a few pointers on how to stage your home and how each suggestion can help sell your home faster or for more money:

1)  Style – Although the decorating styles of Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale range widely, you want to make sure your home doesn’t have too much of a good thing.  Too much decorating style overwhelms the potential buyers’ senses and doesn’t allow them to imagine adding their own personality to the home.  Try to look at your home from a buyer’s point of view and design it to sell.  

How it helps: Furnished homes with just a hint of style help buyers see possibilities they can bring to the home such as a different wall color, new curtains or hardwood floors versus carpeting.  The easier you make it for the buyers to see themselves living in the home, the better chance it has of selling.

2)  Clutter – In real estate terms, “clutter” is any personal touch that makes it obviously yours.  Remember, you’re trying to sell your home, not show people what a great decorator you are.  Before you start with open houses, pack up all your personal pictures, knick-knacks and bric-a-brac.

How it helps:  Removing your personal clutter lets potential buyers see it as their own.  No matter how much you love the items, leaving personal touches is, invariably, a turnoff to the buyer.  It makes it darn near impossible to see the house as anything but yours. 

3)  Cook – Before an open house, start baking chocolate chip cookies or an apple pie – something that smells good to most people.

How it helps:  Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale should feel, well, homey.  Anything they can see, smell, touch or feel should be set up for maximum selling affect.  Baking smells are an excellent touch. 

Home staging will help get your home ready to sell, and set you well on your way.  If you need help staging and selling your home, I’ll send you a FREE book, “Staging Tips to Prepare Your Home for Market.” If you want more information about how I can market your home to sell for top dollar, contact me at 248-514-2640 today.

Lee Morof
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640

If you’re worried about the condition of the roof on one of  the Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale you want to buy, you may need a roof inspection.  Although some states don’t require that a roof inspection be included in the real estate contract, it’s often better to be on the safe side and get the roof inspected.

Just what is included in a roof inspection?  Here’s a short list:

What Is The Roof on the Royal Oak Michigan Home Made Of?
Roofs are commonly made of composition shingles, wood shake, or clay tiles.  The material the roof is made of can determine the life of the roof.  Tile roofs can last as long as fifty years, while wood shake has an expected “useful” life span of forty years.  Roofs made of composition shingles can last twenty to forty years, and are often under warranty for that amount of time.
 
How Many Repairs Have Been Made?
The roof inspector may also get a count of how many layers are on a roof.  Some states require that the roof be completely removed and replaced at certain levels.  The inspector will verify that previous roof repairs were done correctly and with the right materials.

Is There Any Roof Damage?
When inspecting roofs of Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale, the inspector will look for any slight movements that would indicate loose shingles or tiles.  He’ll look at the ridges of the roof and around the edges to gauge any damage.
 
The added expense of a roof inspection may seem steep, but it’s worth the cost to ensure that your roof is in good condition.

Thinking of buying?  Let me help you find one of the Royal Oak Michigan homes for sale (and roof) that’s in excellent condition.  Give me a call today at 248-514-2640 or email me at info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com.

Lee Morof
RE/MAX Showcase Homes
Birmingham, Michigan
www.NorthWoodwardHomes.com
info@NorthWoodwardHomes.com
Call:  248-514-2640