Benefits Of Working With An Agent

    The vast majority of people hire a real estate agent to help them sell their homes. In fact, 92% of homes sold in the U.S.in 2021 were sold using an agent or a broker. Of course, most people know how invaluable and helpful a real estate agent is during the selling process. But most people don't realize that real estate agents are extremely helpful to you before, during, and after the sale goes through. Want to learn how to maximize the benefits of working with an agent? Check out these often-forgotten ways we can help throughout the entire home-selling process — from point A to point Z. Before the Sale of a Home Before selling your home, your real estate agent can help you determine a listing price. Based on an assessment of the market and competition, your agent can help you find a reasonable and competitive price to offer your home at. Correctly pricing a home is one of the most critical things in producing promising results for the sale of your home — getting it to sell fast and for a price that makes you as much money as possible.  In addition to pricing your home correctly, an agent can help you stage your home for prospective buyers looking at the house. Staging is important for buyers to visualize the property as their future home. Research has consistently shown that well-staged homes sell faster. Ask your real estate agent for suggestions to help stage your home well. They often have connections to other helpful resources, including professional stagers. During the Sale of a Home Once you’ve listed your home for sale, your real estate agent's talent gets the chance to shine by marketing your home and attracting as many potential buyers as possible. Your agent's role is vital in promoting the house on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). In addition, they can list it on their website. Your agent should help promote the property for sale through personal connections, blogs, social media sites, and many other avenues and relationships they've made through the years. An essential component of effective marketing of your home is photos. Photos often attract a buyer to want to learn more or run the other way! Bad pictures can seriously hurt your chances of selling your home. Be sure to select an agent experienced in many avenues of helping you market your home, including one who has connections with top-notch photographers who specialize in real estate listings. An experienced real estate agent can also help you find a qualified buyer. With years of experience comes the ability to vet candidates properly. Your agent should be helping you look through prospects and offers, answer any questions you may have throughout the process, and choose the best candidate and offer. After the Sale of a Home Congrats! Your home has sold! If you’re asking yourself, “now what?” you’re not alone. Your real estate agent still has a job to do, even after you’ve identified a buyer and accepted an offer. Your agent can help you negotiate any terms with the buyer. For example, if the buyer asks for an allowance to replace the roof, your real estate agent will help you negotiate a price that doesn't drain your wallet. Other things can get complicated when selling a home, such as closing dates or contingencies. Many sellers often think that the agent's job is done once a buyer has been found. However, this is simply not true! An agent has an important role right up until the sale is finalized. Other things they should help you with after the offer has been accepted are scheduling the inspection along with any necessary repairs and scheduling the appraisal.         We'd Love to Help Are you listing or planning to sell your home soon? From start to finish, a good agent has many roles throughout the process. Consider these important tips for selecting a qualified agent. Before the sale of your home, they should help you determine a fair asking price and aid in preparing the house for listing. During the home sale, their role is to market your home well to attract buyers. Lastly, once a buyer has been identified, they should help you throughout the closing process. We'd love to tell you more about our team of experienced and helpful real estate agents.     Century 21 First Story Real Estate Realtor® 850 591 1433 Website ⎸ Instagram  

Market Forecast for second half of 2022

What's on the Horizon for the Housing Market in the Second Half of 2022? If you're thinking of buying or selling a home this year, it's important to know where the market is headed and what that means for you. Let's connect so you have the latest expert insights to help plan your next move. Watch Now

Housing Market Predictions

What Does the Rest of the Year Hold for the Housing Market? If you’re thinking of buying or selling a house, you’re at an exciting decision point. And anytime you make a big decision like that, one thing you should always consider is timing. So, what does the rest of the year hold for the housing market? Here’s what experts have to say. The Number of Homes Available for Sale Is Likely To Grow There are early signs housing inventory is starting to grow and experts say that should continue in the months ahead. According to Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at realtor.com: “The gap between this year’s homes for sale and last year’s is one-fifth the size that it was at the beginning of the year. The catch up is likely to continue, . . . This growth will mean more options for shoppers than they’ve had in a while, even though inventory continues to lag pre-pandemic normal.” As a buyer, having more options is welcome news. Just remember, housing supply is still low, so be ready to act fast and put in your best offer up front. As a seller, your house may soon face more competition when other sellers list their homes. But the good news is, if you’re also buying your next home, having more options to choose from should make that move-up process easier. Mortgage Rates Will Likely Continue To Respond to Inflationary Pressures Experts also agree inflation should continue to drive up mortgage rates, albeit more moderately. Odeta Kushi, Deputy Chief Economist at First American, says: “… ongoing inflationary pressure remains likely to push mortgage rates even higher in the months to come.”   As a buyer, work with trusted real estate professionals, including your lender, so you can learn how rising mortgage rate environments impact your purchasing power. It may make sense to buy now before it costs more to do so, if you’re ready. As a seller, rising mortgage rates are motivating some homeowners to make a move up sooner rather than later. If you’re planning to buy your next home, talk to a trusted real estate advisor to decide how to time your move. Home Prices Are Projected To Continue To Climb Home prices are forecast to keep appreciating because there are still fewer homes for sale than there are buyers in the market. That said, experts agree the pace of that appreciation should moderate – but home prices won’t fall. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), explains: “Prices throughout the country have surged for the better part of two years, including in the first quarter of 2022. . . Given the extremely low inventory, we're unlikely to see price declines, but appreciation should slow in the coming months.”  As a buyer, continued home price appreciation means it’ll cost you more to buy the longer you wait. But it also gives you peace of mind that, once you do buy a home, it will likely grow in value. That makes it historically a good investment and a strong hedge against inflation. As a seller, price appreciation is great news for the value of your home. Again, lean on a professional to strike the right balance of the best conditions possible for both selling your house and buying your next one. Bottom Line Whether you’re a homebuyer or seller, you need to know what’s happening in the housing market, so you can make the most informed decision possible. Let’s connect to discuss your goals and what lies ahead, so you can pick your best time to make a move.

Easy Summer Projects To Increase Your Home Value

It’s almost officially summer which is the perfect time to enjoy some time outside.    If your space could use a bit of work, summertime is also the perfect time to cross some of those projects off your list!    Keep in mind, not all improvements are expensive or require a ton of effort, so here are a few ideas for every budget –    Power wash the walkways  Spruce up your kitchen                          Restain outdoor furniture Restain your deck Give your home a fresh coat of paint Reseal your asphalt driveway Work on landscape Replace gatters Update Garage doors Small outdoor kitchen   If you’ve been busy making improvements to your home, chances are they have changed your home’s value. Reply to this email and we can give you an updated report of your home’s value!