How To Prep Your House This Fall

                          How To Prep Your House for Sale This Fall Today’s housing market is different than it was just a few months ago. And if you’re thinking about selling your house, that may leave you wondering what you need to do differently as a result. The answer is simple. Taking the time upfront to prep your house appropriately and create a solid plan can help bring in the greatest return on your investment. Here are a few simple tips to make sure you maximize the sale of your house this fall. 1. Price It Right One of the first things buyers will notice is the price of your house. That’s because the price sends a message to home shoppers. Pricing your house too high to begin with could put you at a disadvantage by discouraging buyers from making an offer. On the flip side, pricing your house too low may make buyers worry there’s some underlying issue or something wrong with the home. Your goal in pricing your house is to gain the attention of prospective buyers and get them to make an offer. And with price growth and buyer demand moderating, as well as a greater supply of homes available for sale, pricing your home appropriately for where the market is today has become more important than ever before. But how do you know that perfect number? Pricing your house isn’t a guessing game. It takes skill and expertise. Work with a trusted real estate advisor to determine the current market value for your home. 2. Keep It Clean It may sound simple but keeping your house clean is another key to making sure it gets the attention it deserves. As realtor.com says in the Home Selling Checklist: “When selling your home, it’s important to keep everything tidy for buyers, and you never know when a buyer is going to want to schedule a last-minute tour.” Before each buyer visits, assess your space and determine what needs your attention. Wash the dishes, make the beds, and put away any clutter. Doing these simple things can reduce potential distractions for buyers. For more tips, check out this checklist for preparing your house for sale. Ultimately an agent is your best resource for tailored advice, but this list can help get you started. 3. Help Buyers Feel at Home Finally, it’s important for buyers to see all the possible ways they can make your house their next home. An easy first step to create this blank canvas is removing personal items, like pictures, awards, and sentimental belongings. It’s also a good idea to remove any excess furniture to help the rooms feel bigger and make sure there’s ample space for touring buyers to stand and look at the layout. If you’re unsure what should be packed away and what can stay, consult your trusted real estate advisor. Spending the time on this step can pay off in the long run. As a recent article from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) explains: “Staging is the art of preparing a home to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers in your market. The right arrangements can move you into a higher price-point and help buyers fall in love the moment they walk through the door.” Bottom Line Selling a house requires prep work and expertise. If you’re looking to sell your house this season, let’s connect so you have advice on how to get it ready to list, how to help it stand out in today’s shifting market, and more.

What a $1M Home Looks Like In All 32 Pro Football Cities

What a $1M Home Looks Like In All 32 Pro Football Cities   Football season is upon us and to kick off the fall, we're sharing what a $1 million dollar listing looks like in each of the 32 pro football cities. From Green Bay to L.A (and everywhere between), there are some spectacular homes close to each stadium! 📍 Glendale, Arizona Listed at $1,000,000 Take a Look 📍 Atlanta, Georgia Listed at $1,195,000 Take a Look 📍 Charlotte, North Carolina Listed at $1,179,000 Take a Look 📍 Chicago, Illinois Listed at $1,069,000 Take a Look 📍 Arlington, Texas Listed at $1,100,001 Take a Look 📍 Detroit, Michigan Listed at $1,200,000 Take a Look 📍 Green Bay, Wisconsin Listed at $1,140,000 Take a Look 📍 Inglewood, California Listed at $1,099,000 Take a Look 📍 Minneapolis, Minnesota Listed at $1,050,000 Take a Look 📍 New Orleans, Louisiana Listed at $1,025,000 Take a Look 📍 East Rutherford, New Jersey Listed at $999.990 Take a Look 📍 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Listed at $1,095,000 Take a Look 📍 Santa Clara, California Listed at $1,098,000 Take a Look 📍 Seattle, Washington Listed at $1,050,000 Take a Look 📍 Tampa Bay, Florida Listed at $1,095,000 Take a Look 📍 Landover, Maryland Listed at $950,000 Take a Look 📍 Baltimore, Maryland Listed at $1,195,000 Take a Look 📍 Orchard Park, New York Listed at $1,075,000 Take a Look 📍 Cincinnati, Ohio Listed at $1,100,000 Take a Look 📍 Cleveland, Ohio Listed at $1,134,000 Take a Look 📍 Denver, Colorado Listed at $1,000,000 Take a Look 📍 Houston, Texas Listed at $1,100,000 Take a Look 📍 Indianapolis, Indiana  Listed at $1,050,000 Take a Look 📍 Jacksonville, Florida Listed at $1,200,000 Take a Look 📍 Kansas City, Missouri Listed at $1,085,000 Take a Look 📍 Paradise, Nevada Listed at $1,184,000 Take a Look 📍 Inglewood, California Listed at $1,099,000 Take a Look 📍 Miami Gardens, Florida Listed at $1,050,000 Take a Look 📍 Foxborough, Massachusetts Listed at $979,995 Take a Look 📍 East Rutherford, New Jersey Listed at $1,300,000 Take a Look 📍 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Listed at $1,175,000 Take a Look 📍 Nashville, Tennessee Listed at $1,099,000 Take a Look   Looking For Your Own Place to Watch the Games? Let's Keep in Touch Tatyana Grigoryan Realtor® 8505911433  

How Do You Know If You're Ready To Buy a Home?

      How Do You Know If You're Ready To Buy a Home?       Jun 27 5 minutes read The Wild Wild West housing market had many people in panic mode — worrying that if they didn't act now, they may never be able to buy a house amid record-high housing prices and increasing interest rates. With the changing market conditions of today, hopeful homebuyers may be in a better position to act. It’s important to remember, though, that no matter what the market is doing, buying a home is something you shouldn't rush into.  A mortgage is one of the biggest — and most important — responsibilities you’ll have in your life. Entering into home ownership before you’re ready could have negative impacts on your financial wellbeing. In this post, we’ll take you through some steps to help you decide whether or not you’re actually ready to purchase a home. Ready or Not? How To Determine if You’re Ready To Buy a Home In today’s changing market conditions, homebuyers must ensure they are in a good financial position before buying a home. Here are a few top things to consider. You Have Little to No Debt While there’s no hard rule that you have to be out of debt to buy a house, the lower your debt, the higher your pre-approval and the lower your interest rate — a homebuyer’s dream formula. In addition to these perks of having little to no debt, you should have more dispensable income to spend on your mortgage payment, repairs, furnishings, and anything else your heart desires. Your Savings Account Is Robust When buying a home and going into owning a home, expenses are a plenty and seem to pop out of nowhere — any homeowner knows this. From the down payment to closing costs to real estate taxes — and that’s before you even move in! Then, you have to be prepared for furnishing your home, replacing appliances, the AC going out, and any other emergencies that come up.  It’s imperative — especially amid today’s changing market conditions and potential looming recession — to give yourself a healthy safety net when it comes to all of the bills and expenses that come with home ownership. Some experts recommend having six months of expenses set aside in your savings account, while others recommend having up to a year’s worth.  One thing’s for sure, the more money you have in your savings account, the less stressful all of the expenses that come with homeownership will be. So, make sure your savings account is up to par before you sign on the dotted line for your new home. You Have a Steady Job Of course, no job comes with a 100% guarantee of permanent employment. But, the longer you’ve held a position, the more likely your job will be viewed as steady enough to get your mortgage approved. One big no-no during the home buying process is switching jobs, or, God forbid, up and quitting your job. Changing jobs can impact your loan approval, which means you may lose the approval on your dream, or your monthly payment could increase to something that’s out of your ability to pay comfortably. Also, having a steady job will ease the burden of making your mortgage payment because you’ll have an idea of what you can expect on each paycheck and whether you can realistically afford your mortgage. You Can Realistically Afford the Monthly Payment We’ve all been there, scrolling through Zillow, and we find the perfect house — and it even has a pool! We use the website’s payment calculator, and much to our surprise, the monthly payment seems completely manageable! Not so fast. It’s important to remember these online payment calculators often don’t consider all of the expenses associated with a mortgage payment. They also default to you providing a full 20% down payment. In reality, there are many more factors that will go into your house payment, including: Property taxes — which can increase each year (sometimes pretty significantly). Homeowner’s insurance. Homeowner’s association fees. City taxes and fees. Water, sewage, and garbage. Private mortgage insurance (PMI) if you’re unable to provide the full down payment. These added charges will likely add hundreds of dollars to your monthly payment, so it’s critically important that you don’t forget to factor these in to get a full picture of what you’ll be paying each month. Then you can ask yourself whether or not you can realistically afford it.    

How to Navigate the Shifting Housing Market

               How to Navigate the Shifting Housing Market     It's undeniable that the real estate market has been hot over the last couple of years, with low inventory across the boards and high competition among buyers. However, the market now seems to be making a shift. After three years, the inventory of homes for sale has finally increased for the first time since June 2019, with newly listed homes up 6.3% nationally compared to a year ago.  While sellers are still listing at rates 6.4% lower than the pre-pandemic years from 2017 to 2019, the market is in the process of making major shifts. It's still a seller's market right now, but for how much longer? As a first-time homebuyer or even a seasoned homebuyer, it's important to keep up with the shifting market trends in order to secure a successful transaction. Read on to learn more about the shifting real estate market and discover how to better navigate these changes.  What Does the Shifting Market Look Like? In May 2022, Realtor.com released some housing data that revealed some major turning points in the market. In terms of inventory, the data shows that the number of active home listings entering the market is higher than it's been since 2019. Nationally, the inventory of active home listings has increased by 8% over the past year, amounting to 38,000 more active home listings compared to May 2021.  While having more homes on the market is good for buyers, homes are still spending less time on the market compared to last year, and home prices are still rising. The market is definitely shifting, but not necessarily in a buyer's favor just yet. Interest rates are continuing to rise. These rising interest rates coupled with all-time high listing prices have increased the cost of financing 80% of the typical home by 48% compared to a year ago.  In addition to rising prices, newly listed homes are larger. In May 2022, the share of newly listed homes less than 1,750 square feet declined from around 47% to around 45%. In comparison, the share of newly listed homes more than 1,750 square feet increased from around 52% to around 54%. This may cause frustration for first-time homebuyers because while more homes are being listed on the market, many are larger and more expensive. For example, the national median listing price for active listings in May 2022 was $447,000. This is up 17.6% compared to May 2021 and up 35.4% compared to May 2020.  Tips for Navigating Market Shifts as a Buyer In addition to partnering with a local, expert real estate agent, utilizing the following tips can help first-time homebuyers better navigate continued market shifts.  Know Your Budget With rising mortgage rates and increased home prices, it's essential to do your homework and plan what you can truly afford in advance. In a seller's market, you should be prepared to pay the asking price. However, it is essential that you make buying decisions based on your finances and not on your emotions. Just because you can financially afford to pay over the market value of a home doesn't mean that you should or that it's in your best interest over the long term.  Get Preapproval From a Trusted Lender Along with having a thorough understanding of your budget before buying a home, you should obtain a preapproved loan with a trusted lender. Getting a preapproved loan signals sellers that you are a serious buyer, and it may even gain you access to earlier showings ahead of other buyers.  Be Flexible and Patient  A final tip for first-time homebuyers navigating today's market shifts is to be flexible and patient. There will undoubtedly be ups and down on your homebuying journey, especially with today's market and continued market shifts. While there will be ups and downs, just remember that buying a home is still within reach, and when in doubt, always reach out to a local, expert real estate agent for help.  Tips for Navigating Market Shifts as a Seller While the market is shifting, it's still an ideal time for sellers. The following tips will help you get the most out of your home selling experience. Work With a Trusted Local Real Estate Agent  Even during a seller's market, it's important to work with a local expert real estate agent when listing your house. A local real estate agent will be able to give you the most up-to-date information on the market, navigate stressful contracts, and help you get the best price for your property.   Have a Pre-Inspection Before Putting Your Home on the Market  In addition to working closely with a local real estate agent, it would be to your benefit to have a pre-inspection completed on your home before you list it on the market. Having a pre-inspection can save you a ton of time, headaches, or delays down the road.    The market has favored sellers over the last couple of years. While shifts in the market are occurring, the market still resides in favor of sellers for now. However, the good news is that there are more active listings in the market today than last year. So, whether you're a seller or a buyer, the best way to navigate and stay on top of these market shifts is to work with a local real estate agent who you can trust.   Tatyana Grigoryan Realtor®   850 591 1433