One important aspect of making your home attractive to buyers is to make is so that the buyer can picture himself living in the home. This home staging I soften done by professionals that your real estate agent will help you hire. Staging a home can bring you a much higher selling price. A home staging professional can be hired to tour your home and direct you to make the changes that will increase your homes marketability. If you do hire a stager, always make sure the stager you hire is accredited.

Now, you may be thinking that you just redecorated so your house must be perfect, but staging a home is not redecorating it. Redecorating a home focuses on the seller and their personality. Staging focuses on the buyer. It provides the current home owner with the knowledge to rearrange the furnishings, pictures, accessories, etc. in the best possible manner to enhance the rooms function, appearance and balance.

Sellers are attached to their homes and may not realize how their treasured mementos might look like clutter to someone outside the family. Many times, sellers don’t want to pack away their family things foer viewings, and this can really affect the sale of your house. Real Estate agents will often hire a stager as part of the selling package because they may be uncomfortable disclosing to the seller that their home needs work and avoid upsetting them.

A staging professional works things from the buyers perspective in order to help the buyer see themselves and their belongings fit into the home they are viewing. They do this by rearranging the home to appeal to a broad base of purchasers. Stagers can be expensive, so if you want to go it alone please follow the tips below.

The first thing you must do is unclutter your house. You will have to try to look at your house with new eyes – many times we are so used to the clutter that we block it out! Go through each room and remove any clutter you see. Organize toys in decorative boxes that are hidden away in a storage room (perhaps a room for storage in the basement). You can always take them out again when you don’t have any booked showings. Bookcases should be neat and attractive interspersed with a few ornaments. Closets should be cleaned out so that only clothes are visible. Remove storage at top and bottom of closets. Place clothes out of season in storage.In fact, place any clutter you have found in storage as well. You have to move anyway and you will have to pack less later when you do move!

Lighting is important so make sure the rooms are well lit, provide some nice ambient lighting with lamps and avoid bright glaring fluorescent overhead lights. The foyer provides the buyer with the first impression. It should be clean, uncluttered, bright and inviting. If any rooms are dull brighten them up with higher wattage bulbs in lamps.

You want the buyer to picture themselves living in the home so you should remove all your personal photos and replace them with prints or other decorations. You want the buyer to focus on your home, not your personal life. This can be distracting.

A fresh coat of paint is mandatory. Paint your home in a neutral color but don’t make it too dull. Tans, sages, and beige are good colors. You can add some interest with colored accessories, pillows, throw rugs, candles, etc.

Bathrooms should be sparkling! Counters should be clear with no personal items visible. Tub tile grout should be clean and shower curtains and glass shower doors should be free of mildew. Hang fluffy, colorful towels on the towel rods. Put out decorative soaps in cute containers. Buy a new shower curtain and rug for the floor.

The kitchen is a key selling point in your home and must be spotless. Remove all notes, magnets, etc.off the front of the fridge. Keep counter space clean and clear of all items. Clean out under the sinks and organize the pantry and cupboards. Paint outdated cupboards with a neutral color and put new modern knobs on doors for a fresh look. Dishes on the floor for pet food should be eliminated during a showing.

Make your furniture look cozy, but don’t put too much in one room. Leave space between pieces and remove nick knacks. Your most attractive piece of furniture should be placed on the wall you see when you enter a room if possible. Put all your CD’s and videos away out of sight. Hang pictures at eye level or in geometric shaped groupings. Group accessories in odd numbers (one, three or five).Fireplace mantles should be depersonalized by removing pictures. A flower arrangement, mantle clock or piece of art would be appropriate here.

Curb appeal is important and the buyers first impression of your house will be from the outside. Garages and front and back yards should be cleaned and well trimmed. Put away any toys that are laying around in the yard. Plant flowers or shrubs in the yard for a welcoming effect. Prune any shrubs you may already have. Clean the pool if you have one. The lawn should be cut and watered to give the home a well cared for look. A coat of paint on the outside of the house may also be in order.

When someone is coming over for a showing make sure the house is spotless. Turn on the table lamps for ambient lighting. Play some soft music for ambiance. Spray a little bit of air freshener before hand to give the house a nice smell – not too much or it might look like you are covering up an odor! Try putting some vases of fresh flowers on the tables for added appeal.

1. Buyers work with agents. Most look at MLS listings. Sell it yourself, and they won’t see or hear about your home. How do you find that “right” buyer or get top dollar when you’re invisible to most of the market?

2. Your FSBO will get lower offers. Naturally, the buyer thinks you’ll take less because you’re saving the commission! Save a $10,000 commission, get $10,000 less – where’s the advantage in that?

3. Advertising is expensive. The costs the real estate office normally pays are yours if you sell it yourself. How much could you spend on ads if it takes a a year to sell?

4. They have the resources. And you don’t. Agents have books of sold properties to look at, for example, to determine the best price for your home. You can dig through county records, but you do have to value your time too, right?

5. They know the market. What’s the target market for your house? Young couples, retirees? What features do they want? You should know these things before you write your ads. An experienced real estate salesperson will know.

6. They know the laws. What about written disclosures, and who pays for the real estate transfer tax? When you sell it yourself you don’t get to ignore the laws.

7. Are you a good salesperson? Can you develop rapport and properly answer objections? Could your defensiveness scare off a buyer who criticizes your home? Think back on your own purchases, and you’ll realize that a good salesperson makes a difference.

8. Paperwork. Will you help the buyer properly fill out an offer to purchase? An agent would. Do you have the other closing documents ready?

9. Agents negotiate for you. When did you last learn a new negotiating technique? Can you counter-offer without scaring off a buyer? A good salesperson is trained in these skills.

10. You may not save anything. The documents, newspaper advertising, signs for the yard – it’s all your expense when you sell it yourself. After your hard work, you may get low offers and negotiate poorly. Honestly, sellers often net less money from the sale when they try to save the commission.

Here’s how it works:

A home is made available via a standard lease with one important addition. Included is an option to purchase that home at a specified price over a specified time period (usually one or two years). In order to acquire that option, the renter/buyer must pay a one time, NON REFUNDABLE, fee called the option consideration. The exact amount is negotiable, but it is usually ranges from 2.5 to 7% of the purchase price. A fair contract will credit the buyer 100% of that option consideration upon closing of the sale. Furthermore a negotiated percentage of all rent payments should be applied toward the purchase price of the home. Some typical terms and conditions one might expect to find in a contract follows:

1. In order to receive a rent credit of 50%, time is of the essence. You MUST pay your rent on or BEFORE the due date of your lease (typically the 1st of the month). This means it must be received by the lessor (landlord) on or before the due date. Any payment received after the due date will result in a 0% rent credit for that month, a late fee may apply and you will not be building any equity.

2. Maintenance is the responsibility of the Tenant Buyer. You are now renting to own and homeownership requires maintenance. This includes things like broken windows from stones or baseballs, clogged drains, peeling paint, broken appliances, burnt out bulbs, lawn work/snow removal, etc. If any major repairs are required to ensure habitability, the owner remains responsible.

3. You need to have Option Consideration. Option Consideration is typically 2.5% to 7% of the purchase price of the home. It is a non-refundable payment, of which 100% is credited toward the purchase price, which binds the lease purchase contract.

Who wouldn’t love to live in a luxurious home with all the newest gadgets and high tech inventions? Well, I would venture to guess that most of us have thought of it. But, what’s really important when you consider buying a home?

If you’re a seasoned home shopper you may already have learned from experience what type, location, and price of home is good for your family. Setting some guidelines and priorities is a good way to start the hunt. First, make a wish list. This is a great starting point for anyone and will help get your priorities in order! Knowing what you want or need is half the battle.

This will include some essential questions you need to ask yourself also like, what you can afford?, are you willing to do renovations and how much?, and lists specific needs for your family.

Location, Location, Location…

Location can be flexible for some families, but must be specific for other families. Work, disabilities, and children are just a few factors that can influence location necessities or desires. For instance, if you don’t want to commute long distance to work you will need to consider travel time to work. If you or a family member have disabilities that require special treatments or services, you will need to consider travel time to current providers, or consider availability of services in the new location. Local schools, and their reputations, will play an important role in location for those families with children, as well as neighborhood safety.

Affordability

There’s no satisfaction in qualifying for a loan that you can’t afford! Consider your other obligations and how the new payment will affect your budget.

Sometimes, scrupulous mortgage brokers and lenders don’t really consider if you can actually “afford” the loan for your home. They boast that they can get “anybody” a loan. That’s easy when you don’t really care about the final results. Besides, it’s a secured loan, which means, your commitment is secured by your property. They’ll simply take your home if you don’t meet your commitment. So, be careful. Always use a reputable company for your mortgage needs. They may not tell you what you want to hear, but they’ll look out for your best interests.

GinnieMae.gov has a calculator to help give you some idea how much you can afford. Always live within your means to prevent self-created financial disasters.

When you know what you can afford, shop and compare. Hud offers a great home buying booklet at http://www.hud.gov/buying/booklet.pdf, Looking for the Best Mortgage, that answers questions and prepares homeowners for the mortgage shopping experience. There is even a form for you to keep track of home loan comparisons.

Don’t be a Victim of Loan Fraud

The Federal Citizen Information Center warns consumers to protect themselves from predatory lenders! Before you make a final decision, take the time to review the 11 Tips on Being a Smart Consumer at http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/housing/loanfraud/loanfraud.htm

When looking for a mortgage, don’t forget to ask about specialty loans. You may qualify for specialty loans if:

* You’re a Teacher
* You are purchasing a home that needs remodeling.
* You are a first time buyer