Winning In A Bidding War!

Buying a home alone is an extremely stressful situation but when you get caught up in a bidding war the stress can be overwhelming. No one wants to think about being faced with a multiple offer situation when trying to buy his or her dream home, but the truth of the matter is that it is a good possibility. The good news is that just because you are in a bidding war doesn’t mean that the only important thing is the bottom line. So we have developed a list of the top five tips and tricks to ensure you come out successful if you find yourself in a bidding war. 1.)   Go Into It Prepared: It is very important that you go into this as prepared as possible because there is a good chance you will only get one shot at this. Be sure to use the experience of tried and tested real estate agent to ensure you are as prepared as you possibly can. 2.)   Move As Fast As You Can: When competing against multiple offers for a potential home it is important that you move as fast as your situation allows. You need to be ready and act as fast as you can but not faster. Make sure you are completely ready and then act as fast as you can. 3.)   Be Sure To Sell Yourself: It is important that you try and sell yourself whenever you find yourself facing multiple offers in a bidding war. Experts recommend that you write a personalized note to incorporate in your offer. Be sure to comment on how much you love the home and what you plan for it. 4.)   Reduce Or Eliminate Contingencies: One of the best ways to get your offer noticed and win during a bidding war is to reduce as much as possible or eliminate any contingencies. Be sure to talk with your real estate agent to figure out what contingencies you can get rid of...

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Curb Appeal!

What is curb appeal? While this term encompasses a variety of aspects it is essentially the way a home is seen from the street. A home’s curb appeal will either help or hinder its value, and therefore needs to be handled and cared for carefully and correctly. The right curb appeal embraces everything from your front door to your mailbox and with a little faith these following tips will transform your curb appeal and improve the value of your home. 1.)   Freshen Up Your Front Door: A great place to start when it comes to improving your home’s curb appeal is to freshen up your front door. Your front door will say a lot about your home and you want to be sure that it is making a great impression. However, you don’t necessarily need to go out and buy a new one sometimes a fresh pant job can have a similar effect. 2.)   Decorate Your Entry In Seasonal Style: Another great idea for improving your curb appeal is to decorate and design your entry in seasonal style. This will help you create a very warm and welcoming feeling around your entry which will develop some really desirable curb appeal for your home. 3.)   Try Utilizing Planters And Containers: When your landscaping needs some upgrading consider utilizing a few planters and containers to really deliver a punch. With some strategic placement and the right flowers you can really deliver some fantastic curb appeal to your home. 4.)   Highlight Your Address: Highlight your address and blend utility with personality. Your house numbers can do so much more than just let people know what your address is. With a little imagination they can really add some appeal to your home. There are a variety of ways to spruce up and highlight your address from the place you put them to the materials and colors you use. 5.)   Give Your Mailbox A Makeover: You may not know it but a mailbox is...

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Preventative Home Maintenance Tips!

Most likely owning a home is by far going to be one of the most important and expensive investments you will ever make during your lifetime. Therefore, it is imperative that you protect this investment as much as you possibly can. So we have developed the top five home maintenance tips that will help ensure the investment you have made in your home is preserved. 1.)   Get Your Home Inspected: One of the most effective preventative measures that you can do when it comes to home maintenance is to have your home inspected by a professional every few years. Due to the fact that your home is probably the biggest investment you will ever make you want to be sure and stay on top of any potential issues. 2.)   Be Sure To Maintain Your Gutters: One of the most important things that you can do for the maintenance of your home is to clean out and maintain the gutters of your home. Clogged gutters are bound to progress into moisture build up which will develop mold and rot. Eventually leading to extensive damage to your home and its value. 3.)   Patch Any Cracks In Your Foundation: It is very important that you keep up with and maintain any cracks in the foundation of your home. A minor crack can be okay for a little while, but for any significant crack it is imperative that you patch it up as soon as you possible can. When caught and handled early you can save yourself thousands. 4.)   Maintain Your Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Detectors: Safety in your home is the most important thing when it comes to home maintenance. That is why it is so important that you regularly check out and test the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. The best plan is to schedule a time every so often where you make sure all your detectors are working correctly. 5.)   Check For Any Infestations: It is extremely...

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Should You Hire A Real Estate Attorney?

It doesn’t matter whether you are buying or selling a home it is important to include a real estate attorney in your team of consultants and advisers. Your realtor can do a lot of things when it comes to advising you on market conditions and helping with finding the right home or buyer for your home and will be key during negotiations. But a real estate lawyer can help ensure that your rights are protected through every step of the buying or selling process. When dealing with the sale or purchase of something so big, expensive, and complicated like a home complex legal situations are bound to pop up and it is important to protect your self with a real estate attorney. You are probably wondering at this point how much a real estate attorney’s fee would cost you. Well, typically their legal fees will be a bit higher if you are a buyer rather than a seller due to the fact that as a buyer’s attorney their responsibilities will be much more extensive. However, generally most fees will run you between $500 and $1,500 for a typical transaction whether you are the buyer or the seller. Usually, a real estate attorney can easily provide you with an estimate of their costs related to an average real estate transaction but if things go wrong you can expect their fees to go way up. It is also important to understand that your real estate attorney’s role can be as limited or broad as you require. Now not all real estate transactions are going to necessitate the use of a real estate attorney. But if you are someone who enjoys a little more security in situations like home buying and selling a real estate attorney is an outstanding addition to your team. Just remember even if you don’t close on the deal you will still owe them for their...

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Environmentally Friendly Home Upgrades “Go Green”!

Whether you are looking to sell your home or just cut down on your energy consumption going green is a fabulous option for you. Environmentally friendly upgrades not only improve the value and appeal of your home, they are also the best way to cut down on your energy bills. Saving you money in the long term while also doing your part to help the environment by conserving on energy and water consumption. So we have developed a list of the top environmentally friendly home upgrades to help you go green. 1.)   Get An Energy-Efficiency Audit: It is important that before you go jumping into any energy efficiency project that you consult an expert. Getting an energy efficiency audit by a professional energy inspector will help determine where your homes strengths and weaknesses are. The worst thing you can do is go throw money at an issue that doesn’t exist. Be sure you get an energy efficiency audit to help you build a game plan. 2.)   Programmable Thermostats: One of the simplest and most effective ways to save on energy consumption is by installing programmable thermostats. No matter how energy efficient your home is programmable thermostats will boost it even more. You will be able to program your thermostat so that your heat and A/C only kicks on when the interior of your home gets to certain temperatures. Increasing your home’s energy efficiency and saving you tons on your energy bills. This will increase the appeal of your home to potential buyers. 3.)   Low Flow Plumbing Fixtures: A great way to cut down on water consumption is to install low flow plumbing fixtures. There are a variety of places where you can cut down on water consumption including sinks, showers, and even toilets. Plus low flow plumbing fixtures can save you hundreds per year on water usage while also improving the appeal of your home to potential buyers. 4.)   High Efficiency Water Heaters: Installing a high efficiency water heater...

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