Credit scores, along with your overall income and debt, are big factors in determining whether you’ll qualify for a loan and what your loan terms will be. So, keep your credit score high by doing the following:
1. Check for and correct any errors in your credit report. Mistakes happen, and you could be paying for someone else’s poor financial management.
2. Pay down credit card bills. If possible, pay off the entire balance every month. Transferring credit card debt from one card to another could lower your score.
3. Don’t charge your credit cards to the maximum limit.
4. Wait 12 months after credit difficulties to apply for a mortgage. You’re penalized less for problems after a year.
5. Don’t order items for your new home on credit — such as appliances and furniture — until after the loan is approved. The amounts will add to your debt.
6. Don’t open new credit card accounts before applying for a mortgage. Too much available credit can lower your score.
7. Shop for mortgage rates all at once. Too many credit applications can lower your score, but multiple inquiries from the same type of lender are counted as one inquiry if submitted over a short period of time.
8. Avoid finance companies. Even if you pay the loan on time, the interest is high and it will probably be considered a sign of poor credit management.
This information is copyrighted by the Fannie Mae Foundation and is used with permission of the Fannie Mae Foundation. To obtain a complete copy of the publication, Knowing and Understanding Your Credit, visit www.homebuyingguide.org.
With the scheduled closing deadline for the home buyer tax credits, existing-home sales slowed in June but remained at relatively elevated levels, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.
Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, fell 5.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.37 million units in June from 5.66 million in May, but are 9.8 percent higher than the 4.89 million-unit pace in June 2009.
Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the market shows uncharacteristic yet understandable swings as buyers responded to the tax credits. “June home sales still reflect a tax credit impact with some sales not closed due to delays, which will show up in the next two months,” he said. “Broadly speaking, sales closed after the home buyer tax credit will be significantly lower compared to the credit-induced spring surge. Only when jobs are created at a sufficient pace will home sales return to sustainable healthy levels.”
According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to a record low 4.74 percent in June from 4.89 percent in May; the rate was 5.42 percent in June 2009.
The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $183,700 in June, which is 1.0 percent higher than a year ago. Distressed homes were at 32 percent of sales last month, compared with 31 percent in May; it was also 31 percent in June 2009.
NAR President Vicki Cox Golder said softer home sales expected this summer don’t tell the whole story. “Despite these market swings, total annual home sales are rising above 2009 and we’re looking for overall gains again this year as well as in 2011,” she said. “Conditions have become more balanced in much of the country, which is good for both buyers and sellers. However, consumers find it even more challenging to navigate the transaction process, especially for distressed properties, which only underscores the value REALTORS® bring to buyers and sellers in this market.”
A parallel NAR practitioner survey shows first-time buyers purchased 43 percent of homes in June, down from 46 percent in May. Investors accounted for 13 percent of sales in June, little changed from 14 percent in May; the remaining purchases were by repeat buyers. All-cash sales were at 24 percent in June compared with 25 percent in May.
Total housing inventory at the end of June rose 2.5 percent to 3.99 million existing homes available for sale, which represents an 8.9-month supply at the current sales pace, up from an 8.3-month supply in May.
“The supply of homes on the market is higher than we’d like to see. But home prices are still holding their ground because prices had already overcorrected in many local markets,” Yun said. Raw unsold inventory remains 12.7 percent below the record of 4.58 million in July 2008.
Single-family home sales fell 5.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.70 million in June from a level of 4.98 million in May, but are 8.5 percent above the 4.33 million pace in June 2009. The median existing single-family home price was $184,200 in June, up 1.3 percent from a year ago.
Single-family median existing-home prices were higher in 10 out of 19 metropolitan statistical areas reported in June in comparison with June 2009. In addition, existing single-family home sales rose in 12 of the 19 areas from a year ago while two were unchanged.
Existing condominium and co-op sales slipped 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 670,000 in June from 680,000 in May, but are 20.5 percent higher than the 556,000-unit pace in June 2009. The median existing condo price was $180,100 in June, which is 1.4 percent below a year ago.
Regionally, existing-home sales in the Northeast rose 7.9 percent to an annual level of 960,000 in June and are 17.1 percent above June 2009. The median price in the Northeast was $244,300, down 1.2 percent from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the Midwest dropped 7.5 percent in June to a pace of 1.23 million but are 11.8 percent higher than a year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $155,900, down 0.1 percent from June 2009.
In the South, existing-home sales fell 6.5 percent to an annual level of 2.01 million in June but are 11.0 percent above June 2009. The median price in the South was $163,600, unchanged from a year ago.
Existing-home sales in the West dropped 9.3 percent to an annual pace of 1.17 million in June but are 0.9 percent higher than a year ago. The median price in the West was $221,800, up 1.5 percent from June 2009.
Source: NAR
The Franchise Tax Board (FTB) recently announced it will accept applications for the California first-time home buyer tax credit through midnight on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2010. The FTB believes it will have received more than enough applications to cover the $100 million allocated for eligible first-time home buyers. It will continue to accept applications for the new-home portion of the state tax credit.
Due to the high volume of faxes the FTB is receiving, consumers may experience some delays and difficulties in connecting to the fax number during normal business hours. It can take several minutes or possibly up to an hour to connect and transmit the fax. Buyers who receive a busy signal are advised to try again later. The fax number is open 24 hours a day, so consumers may fax applications during non-business hours when the line is not as busy.
For more information about the California state tax credits for first-time buyers and buyers of new homes, including eligibility requirements, please visit http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/new_home_credit.shtml.
The pulse of the local home resale market is growing stronger even with the continued presence of short sales and a tight inventory that restrained sales during June, the Southland Regional Association of Realtors reported.
Active listings increased slightly last month, but not enough to enlarge the supply to meet demand. A total of 649 homes sold during June, down 16.3 percent from a year ago and 4.4 percent below this May’s tally. Even with the decline, the June total was a 101 percent improvement from the 323 sales posted in January 2008, the month the local market hit bottom and started to rebound.
“Buyers are slowly accepting that today’s market may be with us for the foreseeable future,” said Patti Petralia, president of the Southland Regional Association of Realtors. “Instead of only pursuing problem properties in pursuit of the lowest price, a growing number of buyers realize that buying from a traditional seller often offers benefits and an easier, smoother, faster transaction than a foreclosure or short sale.
“Traditional sellers must disclose flaws and make repairs while banks typically sell a property ‘as is,’ which leaves it to buyers to do the repair work,” Petralia said. “Today’s buyers understand that the lowest price is not always the best choice.”
Sales of existing condominiums have rebounded even more dramatically than single-family homes. Condo sales during June hit the highest level since July 2007 with the 262 condo closed escrows up 11.0 percent from a year ago and 23.0 percent higher than this May. Condo sales have increased 150 percent from the record low of 105 sales set in January of 2008.
“Since the market hit bottom, we’ve seen a steady, slow increase in activity,” said Jim Link, the Association’s chief executive officer. “We have a long way to go with short sales still a major factor, but the pulse is getting stronger.”
Link and Petralia said resale prices remain well below the record highs of the recent boom market, yet prices also are gradually climbing. “Prices are keeping up with inflation or maybe a little ahead,” Link said. “Combine attractive prices with interest rates on home loans in the 4 percent range and it’s easy to see why we have more buyers than we have properties to sell.”
Since hitting the record low for this recession of $339,900 in February 2009, the median has increased 13.3 percent. The median price of single-family homes sold during June was $385,000, up 2.7 percent from a year ago.
Likewise, the condo median price of $230,000 was up 1.8 percent from June 2009. While bouncing up and down along the way, condo resale prices have been moving higher - up 21.1 percent - since the low point of $190,000 of January 2009.
“Too often we focus on what was lost to the economic collapse while ignoring the progress made as we recover from that historic downturn,” Link said. “Owners who bought at the height of the boom market fully understand and are still suffering because of the economic collapse. Yet today’s prospective buyers could benefit if they shift their focus to how much the market has recovered since hitting bottom.”
A total of 3,618 properties were listed for sale throughout the San Fernando Valley at the end of June, up 7.7 percent from a year ago. Of that total, the 2,670 single family listings represented a 4.1-month supply at the current pace of sales. The condominium inventory of 948 active listings was a 3.6-month supply. Pending escrows, a measure of future resale activity, continued to fall during June with 1,083 open escrows reported at the end of the month, down 22.6 percent from a year ago.
Buying a home should be fun, not stressful. As you look for your dream home, keep in mind these tips for making the process as peaceful as possible.
1. Find a real estate agent who you connect with. Home buying is not only a big financial commitment, but also an emotional one. It’s critical that the REALTOR® you chose is both highly skilled and a good fit with your personality.
2. Remember, there’s no “right” time to buy, just as there’s no perfect time to sell. If you find a home now, don’t try to second-guess interest rates or the housing market by waiting longer — you risk losing out on the home of your dreams. The housing market usually doesn’t change fast enough to make that much difference in price, and a good home won’t stay on the market long.
3. Don’t ask for too many opinions. It’s natural to want reassurance for such a big decision, but too many ideas from too many people will make it much harder to make a decision. Focus on the wants and needs of your immediate family — the people who will be living in the home.
4. Accept that no house is ever perfect. If it’s in the right location, the yard may be a bit smaller than you had hoped. The kitchen may be perfect, but the roof needs repair. Make a list of your top priorities and focus in on things that are most important to you. Let the minor ones go.
5. Don’t try to be a killer negotiator. Negotiation is definitely a part of the real estate process, but trying to “win” by getting an extra-low price or by refusing to budge on your offer may cost you the home you love. Negotiation is give and take.
6. Remember your home doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Don’t get so caught up in the physical aspects of the house itself — room size, kitchen, etc. — that you forget about important issues as noise level, location to amenities, and other aspects that also have a big impact on your quality of life.
7. Plan ahead. Don’t wait until you’ve found a home and made an offer to get approved for a mortgage, investigate home insurance, and consider a schedule for moving. Presenting an offer contingent on a lot of unresolved issues will make your bid much less attractive to sellers.
8. Factor in maintenance and repair costs in your post-home buying budget. Even if you buy a new home, there will be costs. Don’t leave yourself short and let your home deteriorate.
9. Accept that a little buyer’s remorse is inevitable and will probably pass. Buying a home, especially for the first time, is a big financial commitment. But it also yields big benefits. Don’t lose sight of why you wanted to buy a home and what made you fall in love with the property you purchased.
10. Choose a home first because you love it; then think about appreciation. While U.S. homes have appreciated an average of 5.4 percent annually over from 1998 to 2002, a home’s most important role is to serve as a comfortable, safe place to live.
If you're thinking of selling your home, and you expect that the total amount you owe on your mortgage will be greater than the selling price of your home, you may be facing a short sale. A short sale is one where the net proceeds from the sale won't cover your total mortgage obligation and closing costs, and you don't have other sources of money to cover the deficiency. A short sale is different from a foreclosure, which is when your lender takes title of your home through a lengthy legal process and then sells it.
1. Consider loan modification first. If you are thinking of selling your home because of financial difficulties and you anticipate a short sale, first contact your lender to see if it has any programs to help you stay in your home. Your lender may agree to a modification such as: Refinancing your loan at a lower interest rate; providing a different payment plan to help you get caught up; or providing a forbearance period if your situation is temporary. When a loan modification still isn’t enough to relieve your financial problems, a short sale could be your best option if:
- Your property is worth less than the total mortgage you owe on it.
- You have a financial hardship, such as a job loss or major medical bills.
- You have contacted your lender and it is willing to entertain a short sale.
2. Hire a qualified team. The first step to a short sale is to hire a qualified real estate professional and a real estate attorney who specialize in short sales. Interview at least three candidates for each and look for prior short-sale experience. Short sales have proliferated only in the last few years, so it may be hard to find practitioners who have closed a lot of short sales. You want to work with those who demonstrate a thorough working knowledge of the short-sale process and who won't try to take advantage of your situation or pressure you to do something that isn't in your best interest. A qualified real estate professional can:
- Provide you with a comparative market analysis (CMA) or broker price opinion (BPO).
- Help you set an appropriate listing price for your home, market the home, and get it sold.
- Put special language in the MLS that indicates your home is a short sale and that lender approval is needed (all MLSs permit, and some now require, that the short-sale status be disclosed to potential buyers).
- Ease the process of working with your lender or lenders.
- Negotiate the contract with the buyers.
- Help you put together the short-sale package to send to your lender (or lenders, if you have more than one mortgage) for approval. You can’t sell your home without your lender and any other lien holders agreeing to the sale and releasing the lien so that the buyers can get clear title.
3. Begin gathering documentation before any offers come in. Your lender will give you a list of documents it requires to consider a short sale. The short-sale “package” that accompanies any offer typically must include:
- A hardship letter detailing your financial situation and why you need the short sale
- A copy of the purchase contract and listing agreement
- Proof of your income and assets
- Copies of your federal income tax returns for the past two years
4. Prepare buyers for a lengthy waiting period. Even if you're well organized and have all the documents in place, be prepared for a long process. Waiting for your lender’s review of the short-sale package can take several weeks to months. Some experts say:
- If you have only one mortgage, the review can take about two months.
- With a first and second mortgage with the same lender, the review can take about three months.
- With two or more mortgages with different lenders, it can take four months or longer.
When the bank does respond, it can approve the short sale, make a counteroffer, or deny the short sale. The last two actions can lengthen the process or put you back at square one. (Your real estate attorney and real estate professional, with your authorization, can work your lender’s loss mitigation department on your behalf to prepare the proper documentation and speed the process along.)
5. Don't expect a short sale to solve your financial problems. Even if your lender does approve the short sale, it may not be the end of all your financial woes. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- You may be asked by your lender to sign a promissory note agreeing to pay back the amount of your loan not paid off by the short sale. If your financial hardship is permanent and you can’t pay back the balance, talk with your real estate attorney about your options.
- Any amount of your mortgage that is forgiven by your lender is typically considered income, and you may have to pay taxes on that amount. Under a temporary measure passed in 2007, the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act and Debt Cancellation Act, homeowners can exclude debt forgiveness on their federal tax returns from income for loans discharged in calendar years 2007 through 2012. Be sure to consult your real estate attorney and your accountant to see whether you qualify.
- Having a portion of your debt forgiven may have an adverse effect on your credit score. However, a short sale will impact your credit score less than foreclosure and bankruptcy
Make sure you choose a REALTOR® who will provide top-notch service and meet your unique needs.
1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is it your full-time job? While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate — like many other professions — is mostly learned on the job.
2. What designations do you hold? Designations such as GRI and CRS® — which require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training — are held by only about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.
3. How many homes did you and your real estate brokerage sell last year? By asking this question, you’ll get a good idea of how much experience the practitioner has.
4. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to the overall market?
The REALTOR® you interview should have these facts on hand, and be able to present market statistics from the local MLS to provide a comparison.
5. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices? This is one indication of how skilled the REALTOR® is at pricing homes and marketing to suitable buyers. Of course, other factors also may be at play, including an exceptionally hot or cool real estate market.
6. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home? You don’t want someone who’s going to put a For Sale sign in the yard and hope for the best. Look for someone who has aggressive and innovative approaches, and knows how to market your property competitively on the Internet. Buyers today want information fast, so it’s important that your REALTOR® is responsive.
7. Will you represent me exclusively, or will you represent both the buyer and the seller in the transaction? While it’s usually legal to represent both parties in a transaction, it’s important to understand where the practitioner’s obligations lie. Your REALTOR® should explain his or her agency relationship to you and describe the rights of each party.
8. Can you recommend service providers who can help me obtain a mortgage, make home repairs, and help with other things I need done? Because REALTORS® are immersed in the industry, they’re wonderful resources as you seek lenders, home improvement companies, and other home service providers. Practitioners should generally recommend more than one provider and let you know if they have any special relationship with or receive compensation from any of the providers.
9. What type of support and supervision does your brokerage office provide to you? Having resources such as in-house support staff, access to a real estate attorney, and assistance with technology can help an agent sell your home.
10. What’s your business philosophy? While there’s no right answer to this question, the response will help you assess what’s important to the agent and determine how closely the agent’s goals and business match yours
Not all real estate practitioners are REALTORS®. The term REALTOR® is a registered trademark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Here are five reasons why it pays to work with a REALTOR®.
1. You’ll have an expert to guide you through the process. Buying or selling a home usually requires disclosure forms, inspection reports, mortgage documents, insurance policies, deeds, and multi-page settlement statements. A knowledgeable expert will help you prepare the best deal, and avoid delays or costly mistakes.
2. Get objective information and opinions. REALTORS® can provide local community information on utilities, zoning, schools, and more. They’ll also be able to provide objective information about each property. A professional will be able to help you answer these two important questions: Will the property provide the environment I want for a home or investment? Second, will the property have resale value when I am ready to sell?
3. Find the best property out there. Sometimes the property you are seeking is available but not actively advertised in the market, and it will take some investigation by your REALTOR® to find all available properties.
4. Benefit from their negotiating experience. There are many negotiating factors, including but not limited to price, financing, terms, date of possession, and inclusion or exclusion of repairs, furnishings, or equipment. In addition, the purchase agreement should provide a period of time for you to complete appropriate inspections and investigations of the property before you are bound to complete the purchase. Your agent can advise you as to which investigations and inspections are recommended or required.
5. Property marketing power. Real estate doesn’t sell due to advertising alone. In fact, a large share of real estate sales comes as the result of a practitioner’s contacts through previous clients, referrals, friends, and family. When a property is marketed with the help of a REALTOR®, you do not have to allow strangers into your home. Your REALTOR® will generally prescreen and accompany qualified prospects through your property.
6. Real estate has its own language. If you don’t know a CMA from a PUD, you can understand why it’s important to work with a professional who is immersed in the industry and knows the real estate language.
7. REALTORS® have done it before. Most people buy and sell only a few homes in a lifetime, usually with quite a few years in between each purchase. And even if you’ve done it before, laws and regulations change. REALTORS®, on the other hand, handle hundreds of real estate transactions over the course of their career. Having an expert on your side is critical.
8. Buying and selling is emotional. A home often symbolizes family, rest, and security — it’s not just four walls and a roof. Because of this, home buying and selling can be an emotional undertaking. And for most people, a home is the biggest purchase they’ll ever make. Having a concerned, but objective, third party helps you stay focused on both the emotional and financial issues most important to you.
9. Ethical treatment. Every member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION of REALTORS® makes a commitment to adhere to a strict Code of Ethics, which is based on professionalism and protection of the public. As a customer of a REALTOR®, you can expect honest and ethical treatment in all transaction-related matters. It is mandatory for REALTORS® to take the Code of Ethics orientation and they are also required to complete a refresher course every four years.
If you’re looking at a relatively easy way of making your home more attractive to today’s buyer, consider sprucing up that scraggly vegetable garden. With today’s rising food prices, concerns about the quality of imported produce and the desire for fresh-picked, ripe fruits and vegetables, a vegetable garden can be a real selling point in a down market, even for luxury homes.
Gardens are coming back in vogue as people try to cut back on food costs. Food prices can be significantly offset by a well-stocked garden, allowing the home owner to spend their food budget on more expensive/higher quality items that they could not afford otherwise. A vegetable garden can be dug and planted for pennies. Surplus produce can be sold or traded at local farmer’s markets. An already-dug and planted garden can make your potential buyers see your property as a money savings.
Imported produce comes with the problems of ripeness, freshness and cost. It’s likely to have been picked while green so that it can survive the trip to the supermarket. A home garden offers fresh fruits and vegetables that have been picked ripe off the plant. Some home buyers may even be concerned about the safety of imported produce, so you can play up the healthful lifestyle benefits of a garden.
Vegetable gardens are becoming a hot item for people with money to spend. Today, professionally planned vegetable gardens are becoming a selling point for well-to-do families. They are often referred to by the French term “potager”, meaning kitchen garden. Potagers are an exercise in beauty as well as utility. Paths, careful positioning of plants and decorative accents make these vegetable gardens into an ornamental retreat with the added charm of providing food for the dinner table.
More and more upscale homes are featuring potagers as out-of-door entertaining venues. These “edible showpieces” are becoming a new status symbol as homeowners invite their guests to tour elegant beds of various in-season vegetables and fruits and relax in arbors draped with grape vines. These gardens are also a selling point, as buyers are ever on the lookout for appealing “extras” when they are touring properties.
While many homeowners can’t afford the thousands of dollars that some people spend on their vegetable gardens, a garden that has been freshly weeded and planted with in-season plants can be a definite plus to the home’s sellability. For those with a little more money to spend, perhaps a certain sum can improve the aesthetics of the boring old kitchen garden and transform it into something a buyer will look twice at.
For many homeowners, selling their house can be stressful and somewhat confusing. Whether you use a real estate salesperson or sell it yourself, you have to be objective. As a former real estate broker in South Florida, I sold many beautiful homes and some that weren’t so beautiful. But, there are ways to make your home more appealing to buyers.
1. Set a fair selling price.
You have to be objective and take into consideration what the market is for similar homes in your area. If you are considering having a real estate salesperson handle it for you, they will provide you with a market analysis and explain how they arrived at a fair selling price. They do this by checking the recent sales of homes similar to yours within your area, using steadfast parameters, such as square footage, number of rooms and bathrooms, lot size and view, as well as interior home improvements.
Keep in mind that the appraised value of your home (also called assessed value) is based on the steadfast values mentioned above and the sales of similar homes in your area. The Property Appraiser assesses your property yearly, based on aerial photography (which is usually done every three years) and permits that were pulled. If you added a new roof, extra room, porch, patio or a pool after the assessment, you should include it when you set your selling price. There are other things you can do to improve your home (such as modernizing your kitchen with new cabinets and appliances or modernizing your bathroom) that do not require pulling a permit. These types of home improvements won’t be included in the appraised value, but should be included when arriving at a fair selling price.
2. Be objective.
Most sellers find it difficult to be objective. You have lived in your house for years and have formed an emotional bond. You think that the cost for the new wallpaper in the kitchen or the new carpet in the living room should be included when setting a price. Unfortunately, that new carpet you just installed may not impress a buyer who wants tile or wood floors in their house and they absolutely hate the wallpaper that you chose. Don’t incur the extra cost unless you have to.
3. Thoroughly clean your house.
Bathrooms and kitchens, including appliances, should be clean. If there is rust in your sinks or tubs, have the porcelain repaired, and clean the sliding doors in your shower. Make sure your oven is clean and organize the inside of your cabinets. Buyers will always look at these things.
4. Have your carpets professionally cleaned.
Even if your carpet is a little worn, a good cleaning will help. If you feel that it needs to be replaced, you can always offer a reduced sale price equal to what you would have paid to replace the carpet. That way, a buyer who wanted a different color carpet or tile or wood flooring doesn’t have to rip up the brand new carpet you just installed.
5. Touch up your walls with new paint.
If you are repainting an entire room, use neutral shades. Also, pay attention to the paint on the outside of your house. Touch up if you can. Clean the brown stains from the walls left by your sprinkler. If not, paint the house in a neutral shade or a shade accepted by your homeowner’s association.
6. Light some candles.
Fragrance candles are good if they all have the same scent. Vanilla scent is always pleasing. Place one in each room of the house.
7. Outside maintenance is important for a good first impression.
Clean your pool and remove all leaves. Mow your lawn and weed a little too. Buyers love nicely maintained lawns and clean pool areas.
8. Store clutter away.
Put everything that is on top of your dressers into drawers, including your jewelry. Put all of your bathroom toiletries inside drawers or cabinets and hang some nice guest towels on the rack. If you are in the middle of moving to another home prior to selling your home, please be sure to store boxes in the garage. A buyer would rather see a totally empty house than one with boxes stacked everywhere.
9. Pets and litter boxes should be out of sight.
Pets should be kept outside or in the garage while showing your house. Some buyers do not like animals, regardless of how well-behaved they may be, and some may have pet allergies. If you have cats, make sure the litter box is not in the house.
10. Try to schedule appointments with buyers.
It might not always be possible to schedule a showing and invariably, walk-ins will show up just when you’re in the middle of cleaning or cooking. If you can, try to schedule the viewing time around dusk and turn on some low lighting. If it’s cold outside, light a fire in your fireplace. Homes always look better when the bright sun isn’t shining on all your windows (in case you haven’t had a chance to thoroughly clean all the windows). This way, the buyer can still see the outside area of your home, and the inside will be clean and cozy.
Buying a home is the single largest investment a family will make. Buyers will be finicky and their designing tastes will be different from yours. Keep in mind, you were a buyer once, so try to remember what you looked for when buying your house. Good luck
