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Sellers

What’s My Home Worth?

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One of the first steps in deciding to sell is determining what your home is worth. Take advantage of today’s great conditions and find out what your home could be worth.

You can do research yourself, but just be sure you are comparing apples to apples.  Homes that sold more than six months ago, and homes that are different sizes and configurations than your own are going to be viewed differently.  Just start searching for homes in your town by using our Listing Search to the right.

You can also request a free, no obligation Comparative Market Analysis of your home’s value.  This free market analysis is powered by real-time home sale prices and up-to-the-minute data so that you can receive the most accurate estimate.

Our custom evaluation for your home, includes comparisons to other homes that have recently sold or are on the market. This guarantees you receive the most accurate information available. Use our Seller Tools to find out what your home is worth in today’s market.

Click here to find out what your home is worth.

Danbury Seeing Strong Interest from Buyers

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Connecticut’s housing market is healing and Danbury home buyers express strong interest as they look for houses for sale. There are more buyers than sellers, but we expect the housing inventory to increase as Spring approaches. Now is the best time to list in order to take advantage of the buyers searching for their dream home.

More positive trends were evident that the market is healing with 19 of the top 20 metro regions showing price increases in December, 2012. Also, foreclosure rates in the Stamford-Bridgeport market (which includes Danbury) dropped 0.25 percent compared to a year ago.

We are seeing housing prices rise in Fairfield County and the Greater Danbury Area with the median sale price rising 2.4 percent. The number of house sales saw a 14 percent jump compared to January, 2012. These are all very positive indicators that the marketing is definitely turning. Consumers are more confident in the economy and are feeling more secure with their jobs.

Rents for apartments are on the rise and this may be one reason there are more buyers looking to buy rather than rent. Mortgage payments can be about the same or even less than monthly rent. Many people have been building up their money and now see this as a buying opportunity with interest rates still so low.

Must Dos for Sellers

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There are a few things I’ve noticed that are a must dos for anyone selling their home. The market is picking up and I’ve been previewing a number of homes lately. As a realtor, if you are selling your home please follow these few tips to help ensure that you have a good experience.

  1. Don’t leave jewelry or other valuables lying around. Close the jewelry box and keep the dressers clear. Above all, don’t leave cash out in the open.
  2. If you have a pet, please keep them clean. Make sure the litter box is cleaned out and the doggy beds have been washed. Try to keep odors to a minimum. As a pet owner myself, you may not realize that your home has that “pet odor.” I suggest asking a good friend if they notice any odor.
  3. If you have personal collections and collectibles, please pack and put them away. Not everyone’s personal collections appeal to others. I recently saw a house full of clowns, paintings, statues, you name it. Another had dolls, but they just moved the collection to the basement instead of packing away. Quite a surprise when I walked down the stairs. This is true for your photos too. Any way to help neutralize and un-personalize a home, the better. You want the potential buyers to picture themselves living in your house.

For additional tips for Sellers, please see my previous post here: 10 Must-Do’s to SELL Your House Quicker

Spring is Here and Now is the Time to List

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Spring
New England Spring

Spring is here and the snow has melted. After this year, I’m sure everyone in the Greater Danbury Area is glad that meltdown has happened. Showing property over the last month or two has been a challenge, but I’m looking forward to a great Spring.

If you are thinking about listing your house, now is the time to begin that process. Spring is the best time to list a house and the peak selling months are April and May. There are a number of things you can do to get your house ready. Begin by reading the “10 Must-Do’s to Sell Your House Quicker!” for ideas on what needs to get done.

If you are contemplating selling, but you’re not sure, then start with a home valuation and market analysis from your local realtor. You should consider a company that offers extensive marketing, advertising, relocation services, and full real estate services like those available through me at Coldwell Banker.

Our Advantages:

  • Personalized 10 Point Marketing Plan
  • Strong National & International Ties
  • Total Exposure for Your Home
  • Communication the Way You Deserve It
Spring Tulips
Spring Tulips

If Spring is your target, you want to be listed by March in order to get maximum exposure in the Spring Market. Presentation and staging is very important for getting top dollar and a quick sale. In order to make the best of your listing, start today.

Resale Advice: 10 Must-Do’s to SELL Your House Quicker!

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By Lori K. Tate

Fix Leaky Sinks

Whether you have a leaky faucet or a dining room with orange walls that needs to be painted real estate beige, here are 10 smart resale suggestions that can put your house under contract quicker!

  1. Look at your house from a buyer’s point of view. Forget about how cute your 1-year-old looked when she learned to crawl on the living room floor and start thinking about your home as a commodity. This will help you to assess the condition of your home more objectively.  Once you see your house from a potential buyer’s perspective, you can make the changes needed to allow your house to stand out.
  2. Have a home inspection. Marti Hampton, broker and co-owner of Remax One Realty in Raleigh, NC, highly recommends a home inspection if your home is older than 10 years old. “Why not spend 300 or 400 bucks to clearly define what’s wrong or what’s right?” she asks. “You’ll avoid surprises when the buyer conducts their inspection of your home.” With this done, you can be proactive and fix all of the house’s problems beforeit goes on the market, saving buyers time and making their decision to buy your house even easier!
  3. Don’t be the worst house on the block! If the standard in your neighborhood is to have granite countertops and state-of-the-art appliances, then your house should include those features. “If you have a home that is second-rate for the neighborhood you live in and you bring it up to the neighborhood norm, you’re going to get a good return on your investment when it is time to sell. There is so much inventory on the market today, your house will not get a serious consideration if it’s substandard,” says Molony.
  4. De-personalized and de-clutter your home’s décor. Let potential buyers imagine their own possessions and décor choices more easily in the home. This means removing clutter such as toys, exercise equipment, family pictures and mementos. It is hard for a potential buyer to notice the beautiful mantel if it is covered with distracting personal photos. Light and airy is inviting, so you should repaint any colored rooms in neutral beiges or whites. Enlist the help of a staging professional or get advice from your real estate agent if you have trouble making these choices.
  5. Make a good first impression at floor-level. Install fresh carpet or have your carpet professionally cleaned. If you have hardwoods, refinish them if necessary. This will prevent buyers from making a lower priced offer on your home because they feel the floors aren’t move-in ready. Conrad Kuiken, owner of House Hunter Realty in San Diego County and co-author of the “Fast Action Home Sales System”, suggests touching up the trim around windows and baseboards. “It’s like wearing a new tie if you have an older shirt.”
  6. Choose an experienced ‘online’ agent. Choose an agent that will market your home online to reach more buyers 24/7. “Having the correct online exposure is like having a billboard on the interstate showing your house is for sale,” says Hampton.
  7. Avoid being involved in the showing process. Make buyers feel comfortable in your house and allow them to imagine themselves owning it. When your home is being shown to a potential buyer you should not be at home so that they can feel comfortable to look around the house in detail. “I was showing a property recently and the owner and his wife were basically showing my clients around like they were the ushers in a museum,” explains Kuiken. “That’s a big turnoff for most buyers.”
  8. Offer a home warranty as an incentive to buyers. A home warranty is a service contract that covers such things as the air conditioner, furnace, plumbing and appliances. By offering a warranty, you will give potential buyers piece of mind during one of the most important decisions they will make. Home warranties are quite affordable, with annual premiums costing $300 to $600, depending on what is covered.
  9. Make sure your home sparkles inside and out! Show potential buyers what your home looks like at its best! “Sometimes just power washing your house and your driveway can make all the difference,” says Kuiken. “Try to get it as light and bright looking as possible. Just washing the windows is a huge thing for some people.”
  10. Keep your landscaping trimmed or replace it if it’s out of date. If the outside of your home looks like it hasn’t been well-cared for then buyers will assume that the inside hasn’t been either. One thing you can do to improve your curb appeal is to keep the lawn mowed and get rid of those overgrowing shrubs. “If you’ve got large, overgrowing shrubs that look kind of shotty and unkept, that can affect some of that curb psychological impact,” says Molony. You want potential buyers to drive up to your home and think “this is a place I could live in!”

Staging

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Staging is very important when selling a home. In this case, less is more. De-clutter, clean and make the rooms simple so they appear larger. Pack extra items and store offsite in a rental self-storage unit. Make sure to remove personalized items like family photos so the potential buyer can picture themselves in the house.

 

(Check out HGTV’s 15 Secrets of Home Staging so you can get a real insider opinion on what to do!)

15 Secrets of Home Staging

Highlight your home’s strengths, downplay its weaknesses and appeal to the greatest possible pool of prospective buyers with these home-staging tips. (click here to view…)