Tamaqua Homebuyers – don’t be dazzled by the staging!

Smart home sellers here in Tamaqua, and across the country, get their homes ready for market by making sure every inch is spotless, every minor repair is done, and every light bulb works. Then they get rid of their accumulated clutter. If necessary, they repaint the walls.

And, if they’re really wise, they hire a stager.

Why? Because a good stager will show prospective buyers the home’s potential. A stager will also de-personalize the house, so buyers aren’t distracted by family photos or the occupant’s lifestyle choices. Then they’ll use color and placement to show the home to its best advantage. That’s a good thing, because often people can’t visualize how they’d use the space, or how their own furnishings would fit.

Their goal is to give the house appeal to the largest number of home buyers.

As a buyer, take care not to be dazzled by the accessories – because they aren’t staying with the house!

Instead, look at the house itself. Look at the quality of construction and the quality of the fixtures, the flooring, the cabinetry, and the counter-tops.

And do look closely at homes that haven’t been staged. They might need a new coat of paint, you might have to look past a bit of clutter, or you might have to visualize your furnishings in an empty house.

The advantage is that most buyers can’t look past those things, so you’ll have little to no competition, and the selling price could be considerably lower. In fact, a new saying in real estate is “If you want to avoid bidding wars, look at un-staged homes.”

A second advantage: If you avoid bidding wars, chances are you’ll be able to purchase the first house you choose. You won’t have to keep looking, and looking, and looking.

Whether you want to see only staged houses or will consider un-staged houses here in Tamaqua, I’ll be glad to help.

Call any time – if you just have questions or if you’re ready to begin the search.

A $5,000 toilet and a $1,000 switch plate?

That sounds pretty wild, doesn’t it? And yet, some Tamaqua sellers “pay” that much for such items when selling their homes.

 

We could include $10,000 cat litter boxes and $200 light bulbs, because they’re all the same.

 

Today’s Tamaqua home buyers seem to see homes in one of two categories:

• Move-in ready
• Fixer-upper

They’re willing to pay top prices for a house that’s move-in ready, and they want a bargain on a fixer.

 

As they tour, they begin mentally deducting for items that aren’t up to par – like a cracked or discolored switch-plate, a dirty toilet, a smelly cat litter box, or a burned-out light bulb. They’re thinking about what it might cost them to deal with those problems, and of course they’re multiplying that cost.

 

They’re also thinking things like “If these sellers don’t clean the toilet, what other dirt or fungus might be lurking in hidden spots?” And… “That litter box smells awful – will the smell leave when it does, or is it in the walls and carpets?” As for burned out light bulbs – they’re apt to wonder: “Is that a faulty light fixture?”

 

And it’s not just buyers who are affected. Some appraisers openly admit that they knock down the appraised value if a house is dirty.

 

This is why agents stress the importance of getting a house sparkling clean and handling repair and maintenance issues before it goes on the market. Start in one room and look at everything with a critical eye. Look up and look down. You might be amazed at how many people clean everything at eye level and forget about removing the dead bugs from a light fixture and cleaning the ceiling fan that’s decorated with hanging dust-bunnies.

 

When you’ve finished with all the rooms in the house, go outside and use the same critical eye. Remember that your yard and your front door are the first things visitors see – so they form the first impression.

 

Getting top dollar for your Tamaqua home takes a little effort – but isn’t it worth it to avoid spending thousands on the things you didn’t do?

Can you sell a Tamaqua house in probate?

Can you sell a Tamaqua house before probate is finished? Yes, you can. And sometimes, especially when the house is a financial drain on the heirs, it’s the best idea.

When should you consider it?

• When the house is vacant.
• When none of the heirs wish to occupy the house.
• When the house has a mortgage and the estate doesn’t have funds to make the payments.
• When the executor and/or heirs live far away, so maintenance is an issue.
• When heirs are at odds and apt to disagree over the selling price later on.
• When heirs are scattered in several locations, so contract approvals, closing, etc. will present a logistics problem later on.

If the house has maintenance and/or repair issues, and if heirs are too far away or lack the funds to make it “show-ready,” pricing it to sell to an investor might also be wise.

 

Investors who specialize in homes in probate are generally willing to purchase as-is, meaning that the heirs don’t have to do a thing to get the house ready for sale.  They can remove family heirlooms and items of sentimental or monetary value, then leave the rest for the purchaser to handle.

 

If you are dealing with a Tamaqua house in probate, call me. I’ll be glad to prepare a detailed market analysis to let you (and your attorney) know the value of that home in today’s market.

 

Then, talk with your attorney about the pros and cons of selling before probate is closed.

Home ownership – another casualty of divorce

If you’re facing divorce or have just been through a divorce, disposition of your house here in Tamaqua is just one of the major decisions you must consider. Deciding what to do about it isn’t always easy, but it is necessary.

 

Setting aside any emotional disputes over “who gets the house,” there’s the issue of financial liability.

 

I don’t know if attorneys forget to inform their clients, or if clients in a highly emotional state fail to listen, but we’ve seen many individuals whose credit was ruined because their ex-spouse defaulted on the mortgage loan. They didn’t think the payments were their concern because the judge gave the house to their ex-spouse.

 

The fact is, banks don’t care if parties divorce. They only care about the signatures on the loan. So even if a judge grants possession of the house to one party, if you both signed the mortgage loan, you’ll both remain liable until that loan is paid in full. Late payments, missed payments, or a foreclosure will appear on both of your credit reports.

 

If the person in possession can refinance in his or her own name, the problem will be solved. If not, it’s probably wisest to simply sell the house.  

 

If yours was a friendly divorce, the decisions you’ll have to make won’t be any more difficult than they are for anyone else. If it wasn’t, getting together to decide on the price, negotiate with buyers, and make the house available for inspections and the appraisal can be difficult.

 

That’s where I come in. I’ll be happy to prepare a detailed market analysis that shows you just what that house is worth in today’s market. Then I’ll be happy to meet with each of you separately. I’ll do the same when it comes time to consider offers and negotiate with sellers. And… I can be there to admit inspectors and the appraiser.

 

Divorce can be emotionally devastating. Don’t let your mortgage loan make it financially devastating.