A Home Buying Checklist to Keep You From Buying the Wrong Home

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Here is a list of things you shouldn’t overlook when in the process of buying a new home:

1. Bedroom count and general floor plan. You may be tempted by a house because it’s staged nicely, but you have to look beyond the furnishings and see if it has what you really need.
2. What direction the house faces. Facing West is great if you like to watch the sunset every day, but not so great when your electric bill is skyrocketing because your air conditioning is running non-stop.
3. The status of the structural walls. If you’re contemplating a future renovation, you want to make sure the walls you want to remove aren’t load-bearing walls. In this instance it would be a good idea to bring a structural engineer along with you to take a look at it.
4. Is there enough pantry space? Though this can be easily remedied with a quick renovation, it can often be a deal-breaker for many people.
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   The better the school system, the better the value of your home.

   
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5. What shape is the floor in? Replacing floors can be an expensive undertaking.
6. Is there an HOA? This is important to know if you’re looking to paint the home purple or display your collection of flamingoes on the front lawn.
7. Schools in the area. Even in you don’t have kids and don’t plan to, a good school district is important to a home’s value. In fact, a lot of home values are primarily driven by the school system in closest proximity. The better the school system, the better the value of your home.
8. Acoustics. If there is an echo coming from the upstairs bonus room, think of how bad it will be once you have two kids playing in it.

Remember, even though these things don’t seem relevant, they are just as important in conducting a successful new home search. If you have any questions or topics we haven’t dealt with, don’t hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email.

5 Ways to Impress Buyers with Your Front Landscape

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How can you wow buyers with your front landscape? I have five easy tips for catching the wandering eye:

1. Cut the grass. The last thing a buyer wants is to feel like they’re on safari while walking up to your house. This means that the lawnmower needs to come out at least every other week, even in dry climates such as ours.
2. Plant more shade trees. This one is especially important here in Southern California. Shade trees not only appeal to the buyer’s aesthetic, but they also help you with your cooling costs during the summer months.
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   Keeping the outside clean implies
   that you take care of the inside, too.

   
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3. Install outdoor lighting. This is one of the most beneficial ways to allow people to see what your property looks like at night when they’re doing drive-bys to check out the neighborhood. Include a design concept that accentuates your plants and your front walkway.
4. Add more color. Don’t be afraid to use flowers. Perennials are the best choice because they are low maintenance and year-round. Color attracts the eyes in a positive way and demonstrates that you’ve been taking care of the property.
5. Keep everything clean. Regardless of whatever landscape you have, keeping the outside clean implies to the buyer that you know how to keep the inside clean, too.

If there is a point or topic I haven’t yet discussed that you would like me to talk about, give me a call or shoot me an email and I’d be happy to discuss it with you at our next session.

What a Seller Should Never Talk About When Showing Their Home

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When you’re showing a home, there are some things you should never talk about with a buyer, regardless of how innocent the topic may be. These things are:

1. The sale price.
2. The length of time the home has been for sale.
3. Why you’ve decided to sell.
4. Any price reduction considerations.
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   Anything a seller says can and will be
   used against them during negotiations.

   
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5. The comparable sale price of other homes.
6. The number of other offers you’ve received.
7. How quickly you’d like to close.

Asking how many offers you’ve received or wanting to know how quickly you’d like to close are a buyer’s way of gauging how motivated you are to sell. Anything a seller says can and will be used against them when negotiations for the home commence. If you say, for example, that you’d like to move quickly because you’ve got another home in escrow, you can expect to get a low-ball offer.

The best thing a seller can say are these magic words: “You’ll have to ask my agent that question.” It doesn’t matter what they’re asking about the house. This is one of the reasons a seller hires a real estate agent - to sell your home. You hire us to be a buffer between the buyer and the buyer’s agent. Let us earn our commission and protect your investment.

Thanks again, and if you have any questions feel free to call or send an email.