Preparing a home for the market is a lot like trying to get a sip of water from an open fire hydrant. Depending on how well you maintained the home, it can be overwhelming.

In the frenzy to get the big things done, some of the small, but critical tasks remain unattended to.

We see it often. An otherwise well-prepared home with just a few small items that need attending to.

Since bathrooms and kitchens are the rooms most important to most homebuyers, we’ll concentrate on them.

If you’re getting your home ready for the market, put these on your to-do list.

Get the bathroom ready for homebuyers

1. Ring around the toilet bowl? Get rid of it. Even though we always suggest to our sellers that they leave the toilet lid closed, we often find it open.

A ring at the water line or any other part of the bowl that’s visible will be noticed by those viewing your home.

We spoke with a team of professional cleaners who offered up a few tips:

Start with bleach. Pour about 1 cup of bleach into the bowl and walk away. If the stain hasn’t calcified, it should be gone in about 30 minutes to one hour.

If it remains, grab a pumice stone. Let the water drain from the toilet as it’s flushing and use the water turn-off valve (usually behind the toilet) to turn of the water before it starts refilling.

Lightly scrub the stain with the pumice stone.

If all else fails, consider buying a product specific to removing calcium and lime, such as CLR. You can pick it up at Walmart, Home Depot and online at Amazon.com.

Follow the instructions carefully and that ring should be a thing of the past.

2. Nasty grout

The internet is full of helpful and not-so helpful cleaning advice. One of the most common chores we’ve seen is cleaning bathroom grout. The suggestions for the job include everything from toothpaste to the ubiquitous baking-soda-and-water to vinegar.

It turns out that bleach is the best grout cleaner. Use it right out of the bottle and let it sit before scrubbing away the grime. Do wear gloves and a face mask for this job.

Too toxic for you? Try using oxygen bleach powder (sodium percarbonate). A well-known brand is OxiClean but there are others as well. Check out this list at Amazon.com.

Mix the powder with enough water to make a paste and smear it over the grout lines. Leave it there for 15 minutes.

Add more to the areas where the solution has soaked in, ensuring that the grout is always flooded with the paste.

Finally, use a toothbrush or other small scrubbing implement to scrub the grout, adding more if needed to remove the stains.

Get busy in the kitchen

1. Look at listings of homes for sale and you’ll no doubt come across one of our pet peeves: photos, school work, etc. stuck to the front of the refrigerator. Remove them, please.

2. Clean the glass on the oven door. Yup, it sounds like a huge headache of a job, but we promise, it’s not.

Before starting, lay an old rug or towel on the floor in front of the oven to catch any paste or other substances that may fall to the floor.

Wipe the glass surfaces down and then spread a baking soda-water paste over the glass window portion. Lay it on as thick as possible, swirling as you spread it.

Allow the paste to remain for 30 minutes then use a clean, wet rag to remove it. You may need to wring out the rag and wipe several times to remove it.

If any stubborn stains remain, use a sharp razor blade to gently scrape them away.

Repeat the procedure on the front of the glass window in the oven.

Finally, use your favorite window cleaner to shine up the glass.

3. Organize the contents of kitchen cupboards. Yes, potential buyers will open the cupboards and the pantry door.

While it may seem nosy, they’re looking to see how roomy they are and whether they will contain all of their kitchen “stuff.”

If you haven’t yet removed items you rarely use (especially larger items, such as that ice-cream maker or waffle iron), remove them now.

Then, organize what’s left so that when potential buyers peer in they see lots and lots of space.

4. Clean the inside of the dishwasher

Remove and clean the filter. You’ll find it beneath the spray arm on the bottom of the dishwasher’s interior.

Get the water from the faucet as hot as you can tolerate and rinse the filter, using an old toothbrush to scrape away food particles stuck to it. Once it’s clean, replace it in its spot inside the dishwasher.

Use a dishwasher cleaning product to finish the job. Cascade manufactures one but there are others you can find at the supermarket, Walmart or purchase online at Amazon.com. Follow the instructions carefully.

5. Shine up stainless-steel appliances

Buyers are in a long-time love affair with stainless steel appliances.

Yet, if you’ve look at listings of homes for sale recently, you’ll notice that many homeowners neglect to clean off the handprints and spilled food and drink.

The best way to clean these appliance fronts is with WD-40 (available at auto parts stores, big-box home improvement stores and many supermarkets).

Spray the product on a rag and wipe down the appliance. With a clean rag, wipe the surface again. Finally, use a microfiber cloth to buff the finish.

Don’t forget to replace dead lightbulbs, clean their fixtures and wash the windows in both rooms.

Now, you’re one step ahead of the competition.

Happy selling!

Let’s get this out of the way upfront: Not everyone that shows up at an open house or requests a viewing of your home is honest.

Sure, most folks are, but some may be tempted to steal anything that catches their eye. And some of them may just act on the urge.

One of the most important steps in readying your home for the market is to protect your valuables and your information from the strangers that will be passing through.

Here’s a checklist of the most commonly “lifted” items.

Artwork

While valuable artwork isn’t exactly easy to pocket, thieves have been known to look at MLS listing pictures of luxury homes online. They aren’t in the market for a luxury home, but they do want to see what’s inside.

Before the photographer comes to the home to snap the pictures, take down anything that may catch the eye of a bad guy.

Prescription drugs

It’s not difficult to slip a bottle of pills into a pocket or purse. Plus, since most people keep their prescriptions in the bathroom, the perp has all the privacy he or she needs to rifle through the medicine cabinet.

Remove all prescription medications from the home. Keep them in your car, lock them in a safe or ask a friend to hold on to them for you.

Weapons

Most gun owners are responsible and keep their firearms under lock and key. If you don’t have a gun safe, take the weapon out of the home. The same holds true for other weapons

Technology

Laptops, iPads, smart phones, smart speakers, smart watches and earbuds are quite popular with thieves. Again, take them out of the home or lock them up.

Any tech items that are too large to remove from the home, such as a desktop computer, should be password protected and turned off.

Cash and Jewelry

Every thief’s favorite find is jewelry. In fact, the experts at The AA Home Insurance claim that jewelry is the most commonly stolen item from homes.

They are especially fond of diamonds, pearls and gold but will take anything they can pawn. Almost $1.4 billion worth of jewelry and precious metals was stolen in 2016,” according to Cannon Safe Company’s Angela Avila-McDonald, quoting FBI statistics.

Keeping cash and jewelry in a secure safe is the ideal way to foil a thief while your home is on the market.

Sensitive documents

Lock up bills, letters and anything else that may have identity information, such as social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, bank account numbers, dates of birth, Wi-Fi or computer passwords.

The following documents should be locked away or removed from the home:

• Bank statements
• Blank or cancelled checks
• Mortgage statements
• Passports
• Social Security cards and records
• Credit card information

Anything that can help someone steal your identity should be considered sensitive.

Car keys, house keys and garage door openers

Easy to pocket, keys and remotes allow the perp to come back at another time and gain access to your home and/or car. Don’t leave spare keys, etc. sitting in a drawer.

Pets

If your pets will remain in the home, keep them kenneled. Consider investing in a lock for the kennel, especially if you have a dog breed that is popular, rare or expensive.

Thankfully, most open houses and showings go off without a hitch. In fact, thefts are rare. But it’s always better to be proactive, especially with strangers coming into your home.

In that moment when you fall in love with a home, it’s almost impossible to let logic rule. Emotions run rampant, resulting in cosmetic aspects winning over financial aspects. We see it all the time in our real estate practice.

And, we sympathize. Especially when you’re tiring of looking at home after home; when you finally find “the one,” it’s hard not to get excited. But, it’s dangerous.

Far too often we see buyers neglect getting the valuable answers to questions that may seem routine but aren’t.

How old is the . . .?

If in doubt about the age of any of the home’s components and the home inspector isn’t able to help you figure it out, let me know; I’m happy to ask the homeowner for you.

This is especially important for appliances, such as the water heater (which has a life expectancy of 8 to 20 years, according to Lowe’s), the roof (the average life span of a roof from 20 to 50 years, depending on material) and the gas furnace, which gives up the ghost after about within 15 to 20 years.

It’s important to know how much life is left in the home’s components so you aren’t face with a large financial outlay when you least expect it.

What are the average monthly utility bills?

Americans pay, on average, $117.65 a month for electricity. Naturally, this varies depending on geography and other factors.

As a buyer, you may get a range of monthly prices from different sellers. This is because there are ways of mitigating high utility bills. Some homes are constructed more efficiently, others have lowers bills because the homeowners made upgrades and then there are those that seem to bleed electricity because of cheap construction techniques.

Water, electricity, gas, sewage, garbage and electric bills can take a major bite out of your housing budget each month, so get the answers to this important question before you agree to purchase the home.

Buying a condo?

If it’s a condo that’s snagged your heart, there are a number of very important questions to ask. Chief among them is ascertaining the amount of condo maintenance fees you’ll be responsible for each month.

But, that’s just the beginning. How healthy is the community’s reserve fund? What percentage of the units are tenant occupied?

Reading the rules and regulations will answer many other miscellaneous questions, such as whether or not pets, and how many, are allowed in the community, whether you will be allowed to run your business out of your home, noise rules and more.

The HOA meeting minutes are full of useful information as well. One of the first things to look for are complaints from homeowners – look even more carefully to see if these complaints are voiced repeatedly, over the course of several meetings. If so, it may be an indication of an unresponsive board of directors.

Feel free to ask all the real estate-related questions you have – we’re happy to answer them all.

Your neighbor Joe just listed his home at $435,000. It’s quite similar to yours so, naturally, you assume your home is worth the same amount.

Do you know what the list price of a home is known as in the real estate world?

“Fantasyland”

Even though his real estate agent most likely provided him with her most educated guess, based on research (remember, we’re assuming here), the seller has the final word on how much to list the home for. Therefore, the list price of any home represents what the seller is hoping to get for the home.

Whatever amount Joe decides to take for the home, it becomes a comparable that will be used in determining your home’s market value.

Confused?

Just remember that a home’s value is based on what a willing buyer will pay for it and a lender will lend on. And, we only have that information when the home sells.

No two homes are identical

Let’s imagine that Joe’s home sold for the full list price of $435,000, which isn’t at all far-fetched in the current real estate market.

Both yours and Joe’s house were built by the same builder and you both chose the same model. Therefore, your home is worth the same amount that Joe’s is, right?

Nope. You have faithfully maintained your home throughout the years you’ve lived in it.

Joe? Not so much.

Your neighbor did, however, add some improvements to his home, such as the addition of another bathroom. He also chose his lot strategically, for the value it would add to the home.

Then, there’s your home’s amazing landscaping, which Joe’s house is sorely lacking.

Your home may be worth that $435,000 that Joe got for his home. Then again, it may not. With the addition of the bathroom to Joe’s place came more square footage—a value adding feature, according to appraisers.

What else adds value to a home in the eyes of appraisers?

The general condition of the home. Since you’ve maintained your home better than Joe has, it’s a plus $ to the appraiser.

• Amenities, upgrades, additions and other home improvements.
• Location of the home.
• Age of the home.
• Square footage
• Floor plan
• Current market conditions and trends
• Neighborhood characteristics (according to fanniemae.com).

An appraiser for a lender considering a loan for an FHA borrower has a number of other items on her checklist, such as those on this list at sacramentoappraisalblog.com.

If your buyer is obtaining a loan backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (V.A.), the appraiser must not only determine reasonable market value, but also ensure that the home meets V.A. Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs).

These requirements include ensuring that the home is:

• Sanitary
• Safe
• Structurally sound

In the end

Regardless of how much you think your home is worth and how much the buyer is willing to pay, it is the appraiser who has the last word.

This doesn’t mean you are powerless, however. You have the right to point out improvements or anything else that you and your agent think might raise the home’s value over that of your neighbors.

The buyer has a right to challenge a low appraisal.

“There is nothing sacred about appraisals,” according to the late Robert Bruss, real estate attorney and syndicated columnist.

“They often are wrong, especially if the appraiser is not very experienced or familiar with the neighborhood.”

Good riddance 2020!

As we ease into what will hopefully be a far better year for all of us, we notice that questions about what to expect from the 2021 housing market are increasing.

As in everything else we’ve experienced of late, there’s no simple answer to what the “new normal” real estate market will look like.

We like to get an overview of both the national and local economies before offering up our best guestimate. We also enjoy reading the various predictions doled out by economists near the end of one year and the beginning of the next.

In a nutshell, there are three forces currently at work in the real estate market:

• Strong demand for homes
• Not enough homes for sale
• Low interest rates

Will these remain in 2021? Let’s take a look at what the experts say.

Demand for homes

Demand is driven by affordability. If interest rates remain low in the new year, strong demand from home buyers will most likely continue.

The unknown in the equation is whether and by how much home prices will rise in response to the strong demand.

“Realtor.com®’s 2021 housing forecast predicts record-high prices will continue rising in 2021,” notes Clare Trapasso. This may just knock first-time home buyers and others on a budget out of the market.

She goes on to say that the forecasters say that price growth will slow because the tight inventory of homes for sale will ease. “…the double-digit price hikes seen this year aren’t expected to carry over into the new year,” she concludes.

Not enough homes for sale

Every month, the gap between the number of homes sold and the number of new listings widens. Unless more homeowners decide to sell, the experts at Homesnap, a real estate tech company, expect the available housing inventory to remain low.

For example, when compared to 2019, 2020 saw a 0.22% increase in new listings, “…while total sales increased 19.29%.” (housingwire.com)

It may sound trite, but now truly is the best time to sell your home.

Low interest rates

Will mortgage interest rates remain low? There isn’t a lot of agreement from the experts.

“Rates are going to stay low. Demand is going to stay high. And President-elect Joe Biden will offer a tax credit for first-time home buyers,” according to Jeff Lazerson, contributing columnist at the East Bay Times.

Trapasso, citing the realtor.com forecast, claims that “… mortgage rates will begin slowly going up toward the last half of 2021.” She goes on to say that although the hike is predicted to be small, it “… has the potential to price out some buyers or force others to purchase cheaper abodes in less desirable locations.”

Mark Fleming, at housingwire.com, notes that “… consensus forecasts estimate the 30-year, fixed mortgage rate will likely be 3% – with forecasts ranging from 2.8% to 3.3%.”

Getting ready to sell

As you can see, and as is typical, there is not a broad agreement on what we can expect from the real estate market in 2021.

Even if you’re merely considering selling your home, start getting it ready for the market. Do some basic repairs, start de-cluttering and storing items that you don’t routinely use. Consider painting the interior.

We’re happy to give you some tips on where to start, at no cost or obligation to use our services. Feel free to reach out to us. We’re happy to help.

Like any process, buying a home involves a series of steps. When the steps are taken in a logical order, the process moves quicker and it’s less confusing.

Take these steps out of order and you may run into trouble. It’s a bit like algebra: follow the PEMDAS formula and you’ll get the right answer. Mess with the formula and who knows what you’ll come up with?

1. Find out how much you can afford to spend on a home

It astounds me how many folks start looking at houses before they know how much they can spend on a home.

This involves more than the amount the lender has pre-approved. Find a mortgage payment that fits your budget and use that as a ceiling on price when you’re shopping for a home.

Finding a lender to help you determine how much you can afford every month getting you pre-approved for a mortgage is the first and most important step in the process.

2. Decide which features you want vs need

Once you’ve seen a lender and know for certain how much you can afford to spend on a home, it’s a good idea to make a list of items that you just can’t live without.

Add to the list the features that you can live without but it sure would be nice to have them. And, naturally, which features would be an absolute deal-breaker.

This list is important to share with your real estate agent and to keep with you when you house hunt.

3. Find a real estate agent

House hunting is just so much easier with a good real estate agent in your corner.

Not only does it save you time you would otherwise spend poring over websites full of listings, we typically know of homes that will be coming available long before the general public does.

Best of all, our services are free to you. Please add us to your list of agents to interview.

4. Look into neighborhoods

Before you look at even one home, decide on several neighborhoods in which you’d like to shop.

If you need help choosing, we’re happy to help. Home prices in each neighborhood, for instance, will help us whittle down the list.

If commute is a concern, choose neighborhoods close to public transportation or near highways.

Think about amenities you want in a neighborhood, such as parks, recreational facilities, walkability and proximity to schools.

Give us a copy of your “wants” list and we’ll help you determine which neighborhoods you can afford to live in and which meet your needs and desires.

5. Consider the buddy system

It’s always good to have two sets of eyes when shopping for the biggest purchase of your life.

If you’re married you have an automatic “buddy” to accompany you on home viewings. If you are single, find a buddy who is willing to house hunt with you.

Give your shopping buddy a copy of your wants and needs list so he or she can help keep you from becoming starry-eyed over a house that doesn’t fit your criteria.

Which brings us to step 6.

6. Plan to leave your emotions in the car

Buying a home can be an emotional process. After all, you’re spending a lot of money on it.

In the end, however, it’s a business transaction and if you approach it as such, the process will be much easier.

Remember as well that cosmetic issues are easy to fix. Don’t let them keep you from buying a home that is otherwise perfect for you.

7. Take notes

Note the address of each home you viewed that you were even slightly interested in and their good and bad features.

This will help jog your memory when you sit down later to weigh the pros and cons of each.

8. Do or don’t “sleep on it” before you decide on a home

While sleeping on a major decision is always a good idea, in a fast-moving real estate market you simply do not have that luxury.

In multiple offer situations, by the time you wake up from sleeping on the decision the home will be under contract with another buyer.

9. Don’t spend money

Many first-time homebuyers are so excited when their offer is accepted and the closing date is approaching that they decide to splurge on items for the home.

That’s a huge mistake

Lenders perform what is called a “soft pull” of your credit report shortly before closing. They do this to ensure that your financial picture is the same as when they agreed to lend you the money.

If you purchase big-ticket items on credit (such as new furniture or appliances), your debt-to-income ratio will change and you may find out, days before closing, that you no longer qualify for the mortgage.

Don’t switch jobs, don’t buy any expensive items on credit and pay your bills on time. Save the splurge for after closing.

I’m happy to answer any questions you have about the home buying process Feel free to contact me.

Like the girl and her three bears in the 19^th-century fairy tale, some real estate agents are too hot or too big, some too cold or too small, but there is one who is “just right” for you.

Your job, if you hope to be successful in your home purchase or sale, is to find that agent.

Now, determining the right “fit” with a real estate agent is highly subjective. What works for you may not work for your next-door neighbor.

Sure, asking friends, family and colleagues for a referral to an agent they’ve worked with successfully is still a good idea, but, again, their agent may not be the one for you.

Which is why you should interview more than one real estate agent

A California Association of Realtors Home Buyer’s Survey finds that 64 percent of homebuyers didn’t search for real estate agent rankings.

Shocking, isn’t it?

When you consider that big chunk of money you are about to invest or earn, wouldn’t it be wise to learn about others’ experiences with the agent you’re considering?

The truth is, too many real estate consumers spend more time reading amazon.com reviews for portable chargers for their smartphones than they do checking real estate agent reviews.

Of course one shouldn’t rely solely on online reviews. Too many agents game the system and too many of those review sites are happy to award five stars as long as the agent pays them what they’re asking.

Checking reviews is just one of the tasks involved in finding the right real estate agent.

Querying folks you know, performing a Google or Bing search of the agent’s name and reading agent reviews online are all important steps.

What is critical, however, is that you give yourself a “pool” of agents to narrow down until you’ve found the perfect fit. This means interviewing more than one real estate agent to help you buy a home.

Pre-interview

Before you call even one agent, get clear on the type of person you want to work with. Think about personality, experience and professionalism because they all matter when you’ll be working so closely with a person to represent you during this life-altering purchase or sale.

The agent’s personality may not seem important, but consider that you’ll be spending a lot of time, possibly in the same car, with the agent.

Have you ever been forced into the same room with someone who you couldn’t wait to get away from? For whatever reason – a dour Dave or chatty Caroline, for instance – even a few minutes spent with them are far too many.

Once you’re clear on a good personality fit for your needs, consider if you want a solo agent or one who has a team. There are advantages and disadvantages to both.

Ask yourself how much time is too long to wait for the agent to return your emails, texts and phone calls.

Speaking of which, what is your preferred method of contact? There is a sad chart, published by a Realtor association, that illustrates the preferred versus actual contact method of homebuyers.

Agents actually did well using email to contact the nearly-half of buyers who prefer that method.

Only 17 percent of buyers surveyed wanted their agent to contact them by telephone, yet 53 percent of agents chose this method to keep in touch with the client – completely disregarding their clients’ wishes.

The statistics are nearly as bad for the 30 percent of clients who chose to be contacted by text message – only 6 percent of agents indulged them.

Responding quickly to your communications is an asset for an agent, but so is using your preferred method of contact. Consider asking agents during the interview process how they typically communicate with their home-buying clients.

The interview

Choosing which agents to interview is a snap when you have a list of questions to ask during your agent interviews.

Then, test each agent.

For instance, determine how long you are willing to wait for a call-back (or email or text) from an agent. Consider this scenario: It’s a fiery real estate market where homes in your price range are being snatched up just about as soon as they hit the market.

You see your dream home online and call your agent to get an appointment to view the home. Time is of the essence.

How long are you willing to wait for a response?

So long that you lose the home? Think in terms of minutes, not hours.

Call, text or email each agent you are considering hiring.  How quickly does she or he respond? If an agent takes a long time to respond when courting you, imagine how much worse it will be once you are already committed.

Your real estate agent will be at the helm of the purchase or sale of a huge investment. Keep your vetting standards high, strategically sift the wheat from the chaff and you’ll find the perfect one.

We hope to be among those you interview. Feel free to reach out to us.

Although it bears an ominous-sounding name, the final walk-through is actually a blessing for homebuyers. It typically occurs in the days leading up to closing.

This is your final chance to inspect the home to ensure that it is in the same condition as when you agreed to purchase it, that the seller has completed all requested repairs, that all personal items included in the sale are, indeed, in place and that there is no new damage to the home.

This is not an opportunity to discover issues that you hadn’t seen during past visits.

Two tips to make sure the inspection goes off without a hitch:

• Your real estate agent should remind the buyers’ agent to ensure that all the utilities remain on. Feel free to call your agent to determine if this was done.
• Bring along a smart phone or camera to document any issues.

Check Repairs

• Have all requested repairs been made according to the purchase agreement? Tip: Bring along a professional to inspect the repairs.
• Did the seller leave all permits, warranties and receipts for you?

Check Appliances and Major Systems

• Start the dishwasher and allow it to complete the cycle while you check the rest of the home.
• Switch on the driveway heater and allow it to warm up during your inspection.
• Turn on the air conditioner and set the thermostat. Does the unit shut off when the room reaches that temperature?
• Is the air conditioning unit pumping out cool air?
• Turn on the heater and check the thermostat as you did with the air conditioning system.
• Turn on ceiling fans and test the various speeds.
• Turn on the hot water on all faucets. Does the water get hot?
• Test the doorbell.
• Test the alarm system.
• Open and close the garage door using both the remote and the button on the wall in the garage.
• Turn on all burners on the stove and check that the oven is functioning.
• Test the microwave.
• Does the gas fireplace work?
• Flick the switch on the garbage disposer to ensure that it works.
• Check all electric outlets to ensure they are getting power. Tip: Bring a small electrical appliance or desk lamp with you to test the home’s power outlets.
• In California, check to make sure the water heater is properly strapped.

Is personal property included in the sale present and functioning?

• Is the refrigerator cold? Does the freezer work?
• Start the washing machine and allow it to cycle
• Turn on the dryer and allow it to work long enough to determine that it gets warm
• Check all lighting
• Test window coverings
• Check furnishings
• Turn on the jets and the heater in the hot tub/spa.
• Ensure that the play equipment or structures were left (if agreed to in the contract) and that they are in the same condition as when you made the offer to purchase the home.
• Ensure that the seller left all the owner’s manuals for appliances and home systems (air conditioning, heating, fireplace units, alarm systems, etc.)

Windows, walls and doors

• Are any windows cracked or broken?
• Do the windows operate properly?
• Do all windows have screens?
• Are there rips, tears or other damage to the screens?
• Do the doors open and close properly?
• Are there any missing storm windows?
• Check the walls from ceiling to floor for gouges, scrapes and other defects that weren’t there when you made the offer to purchase.

Mold

• Do the windows have signs of mold?
• Are there signs of mold or water damage under the kitchen sink?
• Are there signs of mold or water damage in the bathroom?
• Are there signs of mold or water damage around appliances, such as the refrigerator, washer/dryer and water heater?
• Check the basement thoroughly for any signs of mold

Check the Home’s Exterior Features

• Visually inspect the roof, shutters and siding on the home’s exterior. Are there any changes since you agreed to purchase the home?
• Turn on the irrigation system and follow it around the yard to ensure there are no leaks.
• Do all exterior lights function?
• Did the driveway heater turn on and remain warm?
• Test the lights and electrical outlets in the garage.
• Shake the railings on decks, porches and stairs to make sure they don’t wobble.
• Is all the landscaping intact?

Miscellaneous

• Did the seller leave the remote-control devices for pool heater, ceiling fans, alarms, and garage doors?
• Is the home clean? In most regions, homes should be left in “broom swept” condition and sellers must remove all garbage and personal property.
• Before you leave the house: did you turn off the irrigation system, HVAC system and driveway, pool and spa heaters?
• Has the seller left all the keys to every lock in the house, basement, garage and shed, as well as mailbox, pool, clubhouse and other miscellaneous keys if you purchased a condo.

Happy closing!

Maybe it’s Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday that leads shoppers to believe that winter, in its entirety, is bargain-shopping time.

It certainly opens the door to a season of frenzied buying and that penny-pinching spills over into the housing market as well.

The media doesn’t help, when every year we read stories of how much more money a homebuyer saves when buying in winter than any other time of the year.

The winter advantage for home sellers

If you’re like many homeowners thinking of selling in winter you’ve no doubt read the gloom and doom from the media and from real estate amateurs.

It’s true that fewer homes sell in winter than in spring. This makes sense when we consider that fewer homeowners list their homes in winter.

The brave homeowners who do decide to sell find less competition from other sellers and their home is more likely to sell than at any other time of the year.

Best of all?

Winter-sold homes sell for more money and they sell quicker

How can this be?

Homebuyers are more motivated in winter

Think about it: what would motivate someone to buy a house in the dead of winter, especially in areas with wicked weather?

Job transfers are high on the list of reasons, so if you live in an area that receives large influxes of transferees, winter is a brilliant time to sell.

Back to dealing with bargain hunters

So, how should you react when you, as a home seller, receive a ridiculously low offer on your home? First, be prepared that it probably will happen.

Your response to the offer, however, depends on several things, chief among them is the type of market we’re in at the time.

Right now, we’re still in a seller’s market. This means, regardless of the amount of snow on the ground and ice on the driveway, you’re in the driver’s seat. Here are some of your options:

• Entertain the low-ball offer by remaining firm on the price. In other words, counter the buyer’s offer stating that you want full price.
• If you really need to sell the home sooner rather than later, counter the offer by lowering your price by a small amount.
• Ignore the offer. We are in a seller’s market after all and there is still competition for homes in good shape and in desirable areas. If your home is in good condition and in an in-demand area, hang tight for a better offer.
• If the buyer is requesting concessions, grant them but demand full price.
• Accept the offer.

There are other ways to counter an offer to purchase as well, including countering the contract terms.

But, before you choose any of the responses, and depending on how long your home has been on the market, we may want to run a new check of the comparables to ensure that the market value hasn’t changed since you listed the home.

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about selling your home in winter.

Need to get your home ready for a last-minute showing? Here are some quick and easy tips to do just that!