Real Estate Articles

No longer is the sprawling luxury home the pinnacle of real estate in the North American market. As baby boomers look to downsize and homeowners trade luxury for function, there is renewed interest in smaller homes. Eighty percent of 1,300-plus real estate agents surveyed in 2011 said that baby- boomer clients aged 54 to 64 [...]

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These days, staging your home involves more than decluttering and inexpensive fix-ups. You can spend big bucks. Or not. The following tips can help you add value to your home: 1. Listen to your real estate agent. He or she views hundreds of houses a year and knows what works. 2. Watch the trends and [...]

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Spring is the time of year when sellers and buyers gird up for what has traditionally been the most important season for buying or selling a home. Following are some ways to prepare: Sellers Sellers should be aware that there’s a lot of competition for buyers in the spring. That means sellers should do everything [...]

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While your real estate agent may be working flat out to sell your home, you – as the seller – also have an important role to play. It’s up to you to prepare your home for sale. While your real estate agent may suggest, recommend and even cajole, selling your home is your job, and [...]

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If you’ve just purchased your dream home and have to sell it because you’ve been transferred to another city or you’re overmortgaged and sinking fast, there are a few things you should not do. First, don’t go it alone. Second, be careful not to overprice your home. Sellers are often tempted to sell their homes [...]

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Just how much should you invest in repairs to sell your home? It comes down to how desperate you are to sell and what changes are needed. Significant structural problems or major electrical or plumbing repairs must be disclosed to potential buyers. If you are unaware of these problems and they are discovered during the [...]

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So, you’re selling your home. To decide on the right selling price, your real estate agent will have used information available through the Real Estate Board’s Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system to compare your home to others that have sold recently in your area. Together you’ve gone through the comparables and opted for a price [...]

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A great master bedroom will help sell your home. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money, time and effort trying to impress buyers. Following are 11 easy ways to spruce up your master for little money: De-clutter and de-personalize. Buyers want to see themselves in the master bedroom. Don’t surround them with [...]

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You often hear about naive buyers and the mistakes they’ve made, but what about the slipups by sellers? Yes, believe it or not, sellers also make mistakes. And sometimes those mistakes mean lost sales and longer days on the market. The most prevalent mistake by sellers is insisting on too high a price. Sellers may [...]

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The properties of natural light are well-known. It expands your space, brightens dark corners and gives your home an airy feel. If you’re selling your home – or even if you’re not – try adopting some designer tricks to increase your home’s natural wattage. Paint is one of the least expensive and most effective ways [...]

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A sexy front yard can ramp up your home’s curb appeal without costing a fortune. If you’re planning to sell – or even if you’re not – it’s a good idea to keep the outside of your home spruced up. Following are five ways to up your yard’s sexiness quotient: 1. Think like a drive-by [...]

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So you’re moving on. Even though you’ve decided to sell, putting a price on years of happy times in your current home can be difficult. However, your first job as a new seller will be to set a sales price that’s just right. If you price your home too high, it may languish on the [...]

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So, you’re planning a renovation. Congratulations. But while you’re checking the Yellow Pages for architects and thinking about digging out the basement, don’t forget about your neighbors. After all, they’re the ones you’ll be competing with when it comes time to sell. Look at it this way. If a major renovation will make yours the [...]

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Installing quality tile flooring can increase the potential resale value of your home. Porcelain tile is a great way to add thousands of dollars in value. Porcelain is a high-quality building material and one of the most versatile and durable tiles on the market. It makes a terrific selling point, even more so than regular [...]

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Dogs might be man’s best friend, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy to stage and show a home with a four-legged gatekeeper on the job. From an overly exuberant personality to downright gruff demeanor, dogs can make it tough to show a home. Following are some ways to minimize distress to Fido and [...]

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If you’re hiring a home inspector prior to signing off on a piece of property, there are a few things you might want to keep in mind. Following are some important questions to ask: Home Long Have You Been Working in the Field? An inspector should be able to provide references and a history of [...]

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Selling a home without the services of a professional real estate agent can be a complex process that requires a lot of time and commitment. It can also leave homeowners with a few more gray hairs. First, home sales require complex legal documentation. There are many templates to use, but they skim only the surface [...]

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When you drive up to your dream home it’s difficult to imagine a substitute residence, especially if you are a first-time buyer. Its curb appeal is unbeatable, you think to yourself. But there are a number of things to consider before you take the plunge. Location is one of the big factors. Even in a [...]

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A comparative market analysis (CMA) is one of the most important considerations in any real estate transaction. It not only benefits both the buyer and seller, but a properly performed CMA is a critical step in establishing price versus value. Here is what you need to know about a CMA before buying or selling a [...]

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Deciding whether to hire a home stager isn’t an easy decision. In tough economic times there’s a tendency for homeowners to cut back on any added fees. However, that could be a big mistake. Research indicates that the need for a home stager is even more important during a buyer’s market as competition is tougher. [...]

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