How To Increase The Number of Showings On Your Property

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Selling your house is a numbers game. The more showings you can attract, the likelier you are to receive an offer. This starts with enhancing your home’s curb appeal. Buyers today begin their search on the web. They know the address, they know the price, and they’ve seen interior photos of the property. If they’re interested, they’re going to want to stop by and see the house from the outside before they determine whether they want to walk through or see the neighborhood.

So, first and foremost, create some curb appeal! Make them want to come inside. Make it warm and inviting. Start with these tips.

1. Landscaping. Add some shrubbery. Plant some trees and flowers and make it colorful!

2. Walkways, patio area, and the driveway. Make sure these spaces are clear, free of debris and look inviting and appealing.

3. The house number. Make it large and legible, either over the garage door, on the mailbox, or both.

4. Landscape lighting. This is especially popular in today’s housing climate. You want landscape lighting to be surrounding the entire home, including the driveway, the walkway, and the patio.

5. Freshen the mulch. Wherever’s there’s mulch, freshen it up. If you don’t have any, consider adding some.

Finally, look at the whole property objectively and see if anything needs to be painted or freshened up. Anything that can be brightened or fixed up to be more appealing will cause a buyer to look more favorably upon your home. We want them to call. We want them to come inside. Look at it through their eyes and make those necessary improvements to get more showings.

With over 100 years of combined real estate experience and over 400 families served in 2015, put The Raines Group to work for you!

 

Who Pays What In A Real Estate Transaction?

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When you are buying or selling a home, people often overlook how much a transaction will actually cost them. Closing costs vary widely based on where you live. 

First, What are closing costs?  

Closing costs are fees associated with the closing of a Real Estate Transaction. The closing is when the title of the property is transferred from Seller to Buyer. Costs are incurred by either the Buyer or Seller; however, the Seller is able to pay part of the closing costs for the Buyer. 

As a Buyer some of the additional costs you will incur to purchase a home may include items such as: credit report fee, loan origination fees, attorney fees, appraisal fees, discount points, survey fee, title insurance, title search, inspection fees which include your full home inspection, pest inspection and in our area of Central Ohio a Radon inspection, you will have underwriting fees on your loan as well and then a recording fee. At the onset of acceptance of your offer you may also have an earnest money deposit due to the Seller. This can be subtracted from the total monies you bring to the closing table or you will receive a check back at the closing table for this. 

At they end of the day a typical home Buyer with pay between 2-5% of the total purchase price of their home in closing fees. 

On another note, the Seller is able to contribute to your closing costs or give you closing concessions. For example a Seller can contribute up to 6% of the price in closing costs for an FHA Buyer, 4% for a VA Buyer and 3% for a Conventional Buyer. 

Please keep in mind though that at the end of the day a Seller does not generally list their home for a specific fair market value and then raise that a percentage with the thought they will contribute to your closing costs as a Buyer. So in a strong sellers’ market you may need to go at or over list price to make your Offer as a Buyer more palatable to a Seller.  

Lenders are required, by law, to give you loan estimate once you complete your intent to proceed with them and make full loan application which you will do within the first week of entering into a Purchase Contract.  

We would be happy to discuss more in depth the investment you make as a Buyer into your new home journey! 

With over 100 years of combined real estate experience and over 400 families served in 2015, put The Raines Group to work for you!

 

How To Buy A Home In Central Ohio

                      

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Selling Your Central Ohio Home? Get A FREE Home Price Evaluation

From the outside looking in, buying a home may seem like a long and complicated process. However, once you have an outline of the process, purchasing a home seems like a much more attainable goal. Here are four easy steps to remember when buying a home in Central Ohio.

Number one. Get approval from a reputable lender. This is the most important part of the buying process. Once you know how much you can afford, it makes the process of searching for a home much easier. You will also become a much more desirable buyer in the eyes of a seller once you have a pre-qualification letter in your hand. The Raines Group works with many reputable and experienced lenders that can help you in your buying process.

Number two. Find a buyer's agent.  It is important to work with one agent and form a relationship with them. This allows the agent to find homes that you want, and it makes the process of communicating much more efficient. 

Number three. Define what is important to you and let your agent know. Is there a specific area that you would like to live in? Do you really want a finished basement or two car garage? Make sure to let your agent know everything that you are looking for in your dream home so that they can help lead you in the right direction.

Number four. Locate the home that you want and put in an offer. Once you have found a home, you will need to place an attractive offer on it and get some inspections done. You will want an inspection in order to tell you what may need to be fixed and what maintenance needs to be kept up. 

By remembering these four easy tips, you should be able to find your dream home in no time.

With over 100 years of combined real estate experience and over 400 families served in 2015, put The Raines Group to work for you!