Saturday, February 14, 2015

How To Sell Your Woodmen Hills Colorado Springs, CO 80831 Home

Step 1: Get Your House Ready to Sale


How to sell your houseWhen considering how to sell your house, start by identifying and completing any repairs your property may need. When you sell your home, the buyer will most likely hire a professional inspector to inspect your property for damages and potential problems. It’s best to take care of those problems before listing your real estate so that they do not become potential deal breaking issues later on.
how to sell your house - upgradesNext, evaluate whether or not your home needs updating to receive a good offer. Look at other homes in your neighborhood online, or with your REALTOR. If all the current listings, or recently sold listings have granite countertops, solid wood floors, and/or other current updates, it will be in your best interest to add those things to your home as well. If most of the homes around you are offering current upgrades and your property does not, the chances are high that your home will be on the market for a while and eventually receive offers much lower than you prefer. Installing and performing upgrades before listing can be a smart investment. For the best results, meet with your REALTOR to get advice on which upgrades will have the greatest impact.
how to sell your house - home look newFinally, you will want to make your home look new again. The goal is to take all the “wear and tear” out of your home. This usually involves touching up the paint, shampooing carpets, touching up baseboards, adding fresh mulch, trimming bushes, and deep cleaning every room in the house. It’s often that sellers find that they need to completely paint the interior of the house and put new floors in, as even every day wear and tear can turn buyers off . You will also want to take the “you” out of your home. Take all personal pictures and pack them in a box for your next residence. Take any items that are personal to you and pack them as well. Make your home as clean and neutral as possible so that homebuyers can imagine their furniture and items in your house. If possible, hire a professional home stager to help arrange your home for an amazing presentation to homebuyers. Staging is becoming more common ever year and many of the homes that your home will be competing with may be staged.

Step 2: Get Your House Listed for Sale


how to sell your house - hire a realtorStart by hiring a good REALTOR. Don’t just use a family member or someone in your neighborhood. Do your homework and find someone with a good online presence and strong reviews.

Here’s a good list of questions to ask before hiring a REALTOR.

    • Do they hire professional photographers to take pictures?
    • Do they (or their photographers) use HDR imaging software and professional photography with wide angle lens? Ask for examples.
    • Do they use a professional Showing Service, or are they responsible for coordinating all of your showings?
    • Do they use Secure Electronic Lockboxes (SUPRA) or cheap combination lockboxes?
    • How many homes do they sell each year, and how does that average compare for the area?
    • Do they have online reviews and a strong online presence?
    • Do they communicate in ways that you prefer? (email, text, social media, phone call, etc.)
    • How much of their commission are offering the buyer’s agent?
    • Where are they advertising your listing and what do they offer that other agents do not?
    • Do they use electronic signing services for your convenience?
These are just a few questions to ask. Your whole home selling experience will be greatly affected by the competency of the real estate agent that you hire. I can’t stress enough how important it is that you do your research on this one.
How To Sell Your House - Pricing Your House RightNext, you’ll want to think long and hard about the price that you want to list your property at. Get comparable sold properties from your REALTOR and ask their advice. The challenge is to find the right price that will sell your house fast, but not leave any money on the table. Statistically, the longer a home is on the market, the lower the offer the seller(s) will receive. It’s a common scenario for sellers to list their home for too much and then drop the price later, after few or no showings and/or offers.  The problem is that your best chance for a great offer is when you first list the property. Once your house has been on the market for a couple of months, buyers will know that you are worn down and are more desperate to get rid of your home. The offers that you receive will most likely be lower than offers that you would receive in the first week, because buyers know that if they are interested, then so are other competing buyers. It works out great if you can create a bidding war between buyers.
How To Sell Your House - home staging and lightingFinally, make sure you keep your home presentable and ready for showings. I’ve shown many homes to homebuyers over the years and I am always surprised at how many of them are dirty and not ready to be shown when I get there. Home usually look different in person than they do online. Above all, make sure your home smells good and is clean. This is a non-negotiable point. In addition, try to set the home up for the showing by opening blinds and curtains in strategic areas to allow natural light in and highlight the best views. Also, leave some lamps and lights on so that the home buyers don’t see your home in dim light. Make it feel like a home as soon as they walk in the front door.

Step 3: Get Your House Sold


How To Sell Your House - Execute Real Estate ContractOnce your house is listed and you have done the right things to get it sold, you will start receiving offers. It's important to wait for the right offer. Home selling rookies will be tempted to get excited about the first offer that comes along. This can cause problems if you are only concerned with the offer price. The downpayment amount, loan type, and pre-approval letter are very important parts of the offer as well. Any seasoned REALTOR has had deals fall apart. Most of us would agree that FHA loans with 3.5% downpayment from buyers who need closing cost assistance are the most common deals to fall apart. When buyers do not have much cash in the bank and are barely able to qualify for a loan, it can greatly increase the chances of a deal falling apart. If you have the option to wait for a strong contract from a buyer offering a decent down payment and who can pay for their owning closing costs, your chances of closing the deal are much higher. Take these things into consideration when you are receiving contracts on your home.
how to sell your house - real estate communicationOnce you have an executed contract at the title company, you’ll want to keep the communication going between you and your real estate agent. Make sure that they are checking in with the buyer’s agent and lender on a regular basis. Make sure that that they know you are anxious for information and that you are going to be contacting them regularly. I’ve seen too many deals where agents left a deal alone expecting the mortgage lender to be doing their job, only to find out days before closing that deal needs to be extended, or a deal is dead in the water. Unfortunately you can’t just assume that your REALTOR, mortgage lender, title company, appraiser, or anyone else involved in the transaction are all doing their jobs well. Check in often and stay on top of them.
How to sell your house - real estate contractFinally, once the deal has a clear to close from the lender, schedule the closing with the title company. If you want to get your funds on the same day, try to schedule the closing in the morning so that the wire transfer has time to make it to your bank. This is very important for people on the west coast as the wire cut off time is 6:00 pm eastern time. Also, Fridays are usually the most hectic at the title companies because everyone wants to close on Friday. If you can schedule Monday through Thursday, your chance of not having any issues are higher.
Bring your photo ID (driver’s license, passport, etc.) to closing, along with all the keys, garage door openers, appliance documentation (if applicable), repairs receipts, and any other relevant items to the transaction. As the seller, your paperwork will be minimal and you should be finished within minutes. Once the buyers sign their documents, the title company will forward the docs to the lender and if everything was done properly, the loan will fund within a couple of hours and you will receive the funds from the closing.
This is a basic walkthrough of the home selling process as a reference. A good REALTOR will be able to help you navigate the process with confidence, and will get the best price for your home within the least amount of time on the market. Please, let me know if you need help selling your home. I get great satisfaction in helping the homeowners I work with get the highest offer in shortest time possible, using modern technology and years of experience.
Carrie Lukins has years of Colorado Springs Real Estate Experience. Getting homes sold right, for top dollar, to qulified buyers, in the shortest period of time is her goal.
For Free real estate advice and more seller assistance,                                         call/text Carrie at 719-651-2199 or visit www.RunningRealtor.com

Sunday, December 28, 2014

How To Sell Your Woodman Hills 80831 Colorado Springs Home In Winter Season For Top Offers!

How to: Sell your home in winter

Carrie Lukins, SellState Alliance Realty, 719-651-2199
www.YourInstantPropertyValue.com 

Selling your home? Winter is a great time for playing up your home’s cosy, family-friendly charm.
Many people believe it’s harder to sell your home in winter than summer. But there are a number of real advantages to selling during the cooler months, says Kathy Monahan, an agent with Forest Hill Real Estate Inc. in Toronto.

For one thing, removed from the sometimes frenzied action of the spring market, sellers can take a little more time to consider offers, and with fewer homes on the market, there’s less competition. And don’t worry, says Kathy: the things that lead people to make new home purchases -- a new job, a growing family, up- or downsizing -- happen all year round, and there are still plenty of buyers out there. In fact, winter is a great time for playing up your home’s cosy, family-friendly charm. 
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Start with the exterior
As with any time of year, make sure that the house looks well maintained and cared for, with eavestroughs clean and minor repairs taken care of. While you can’t paint in winter, washing paintwork and siding with warm soapy water on a mild day can make a big difference. Make sure the windows are freshly washed as well; winter light has a way of highlighting grime.

Tend to foliage
Make sure that shrubs and tree-branches bent down with snow don’t obstruct walkways or entrances; brush the snow off or prune if necessary. (It won’t hurt them.) Ensure that the walkway is shovelled and ice-free before every showing; not only is this a courtesy and crucial to making the home look well maintained, but if a visitor slips and is hurt, you could be liable for damages. 
www.RunningRealtor.net

Adorn the entryway
A wreath on the front door, Christmas lights and a garland hung on the doorframe or front porch present a welcoming entry. Plant urns with festive greenery, the fuller the better: along with cedar or pine boughs, tuck in sprigs of holy, dried berries, magnolia leaves, corkscrew hazel or red osier branches, with silver ball ornaments and perhaps gold wire ribbon woven through the arrangement.

Make a good first impression
Once a prospective buyer comes inside, remember that you may have only 10 to 15 minutes to make a lasting impression. (A small but crucial point for unoccupied homes: make sure the heat is turned on several hours before the showing. All the window-dressing and staging in the world won’t entice buyers to linger inside a home that’s freezing.)

Light candles
Romance visitors’ sense of smell by lighting fragrant candles or placing bowls of potpourri in main rooms. A time-honoured but still effective trick, especially on a cold winter’s day, is to have a pot of cider simmering on the stove, or cookies or fresh bread baking.

Protect the floors
To protect your floors, put down rubber mats by the door for snowy boots; buy a few pairs of comfy one-size-fits-all slippers from a department or discount store for visitors to wear while they view your home.

Light a fire
If you have a wood-burning fireplace, light a fire and let it glow during the showing. Put big, colourful poinsettias in each main room, including the kitchen; consider more modest winter flower arrangements or amaryllis blooms in other rooms, such as the bath and master bedroom. Decorate banisters and mantels with pine garlands (natural ones impart a delicious, nostalgic fragrance); a decorated and lit Christmas tree or menorah enhances an image of home and family.

After the holidays, seasonal decorations can be taken down, but urn arrangements and even the front door wreath can stay up for the rest of the winter, if it isn’t too Christmasy in design. Make sure you continue to maintain walkways clear of ice and snow, and think warm thoughts!
Call Carrie Lukins, Realtor, SellState Alliance Realty for all your Real Estate needs.
Call 719-651-2199 or visit www.RunningRealtor.net


Saturday, November 1, 2014

Woodmen Hills Colorado Real Estate Homes & Neighborhoods

WOODMEN HILLS NEIGHBORHOOD

Set upon rolling grasslands dotted with native cottonwood and aspen, Woodmen Hills is a relatively new development to the northeast of Colorado Springs easily accessed by Woodmen Road and provides sweeping views of the Front Range. The area is generally bordered by Highway 24 to the south, Stapleton Drive to the north, Eastonville Road to the east and Meridian Road bisecting the western edge. Woodmen Hills is one of the largest developments in the Colorado Springs area and is nestled near two of the oldest surviving rail towns serviced by the Colorado & Southern Railroad, Peyton and Falcon and has a rich history of pioneer and community involvement.
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Daily life is convenient and modern in this neighborhood which is just far enough away from the city. The Falcon school district has its humble roots in the late 1800’s growing into a well respected district which serves the residents of Woodmen Hills with a relatively low teacher to student ratio and impressive ACT/SAT scores. Daily shopping needs are only moments away at the Falcon Town Center located near the intersection of Woodmen Road and Highway 24. Upscale shopping at The Shoppes at Briargate or the Chapel Hills Mall is only 15 minutes away. The local Meadow Lake Airport serves smaller planes with two runways; over 255 planes call this busy airport home.
Convenient to the many businesses and military installations along or near the Powers Corridor, Woodmen Hills is a great place to find a newer home on a larger ½ to full acre lot. For more information, check out the official website of the Woodmen Hills community.
What Type of Home Are You Looking For?

Carrie Lukins
Your Running Realtor
SellState aliance Realty
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
719-651-2199
www.RunningRealtor.net