Miami Real Estate

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I OFTEN HEAR REALTORS SAY:  ”RE-PAINT THE HOUSE TO MAKE IT MORE  ”NEUTRAL” and  MORE APPEALING TO BUYERS.” 

THERE’S A CERTAIN DEGREE OF VALIDITY TO THAT ” BLANK CANVAS”  THEORY …  BUT   … WILL  BUYERS  ACTUALLY REMEMBER YOUR  HOUSE … OR WILL IT BLEND INTO  UNMEMORABLE SAMENESS?  Here are Five ways to Make  Buyers Remember Your House! Read the rest of this entry »

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Not again!   Pricing your house for sale at $763,247.00?  

WHY?   What did you have for breakfast ?  

Who thought up that bit of nonsense?  Who on earth suggested  listing your home for a price NO ONE CAN REMEMBER?  They should be hung out to dry!   Seriously, what market segment  were you afraid of “missing out” on?  Read the rest of this entry »

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Sellers undertaking the ”FOR-SALE -BY OWNER”  challenge (FSBO)  …thinking it can’t be all that hard… are in good company.

How many times have  I heard:   “WITH THE INTERNET NOW, I CAN LIST IT ONLINE and I DO OPEN HOUSES… so… Read the rest of this entry »

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SELLING YOUR HOUSE?  DON’T GET OVERWHELMED BY  ‘WHERE TO START”.   START BY REMOVING THE CLUTTER:  BOX UP  PHOTOS, TRINKETS, COLLECTIONS… ANYTHING THAT COLLECTS DUST.  YOU DON’T WANT BUYERS DISTRACTED, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHO LIVES THERE . 

EMPTY OUT THE CLOSETS, AND RE-ORGANIZE. YOU ARE MOVING ANYWAY!  WHATEVER YOU DO NOW, YOU WON’T HAVE TO DO LATER. GET RID OF WHATEVER YOU DON’T USE AND DON’T WEAR.  THERE SHOULD BE SIGNIFICANT EMPTY SPACE EN EVERY CLOSET (AND THAT GOES FOR THE LINEN CLOSETS AND PANTRIES AS WELL).  ARRANGE HANGING ITEMS  BY COLORS, OR ALTERNATE PRINTS WITH SOLIDS … LEAVING SPACE BETWEEN THE HANGERS.  BASKETS.

CREATE  A “MODEL HOME” OR A ”HOTEL” FEEL  (YOU DON’T WANT HOME BUYERS  WONDERING ABOUT WHO IS/WAS THERE. YOU WANT TO CREAT A ’”THIS COULD BE MINE!’” FEEL SO THEY CAN IMAGINE THEMSELVES LIVING THERE.  

PLACE THE FURNITURE SO AS TO CREATE FLOW AND DEFINE SPACE.  GIVE EACH ROOM A PURPOSE. REMOVE ANY FURNITURE THAT BLOCKS THE DOORS OR WINDOWS.  REMOVE EXCESS FURNITURE TO MAKE THE ROOMS SEEM BIGGER.  THE MORE FURNITURE, THE SMALLER THE ROOM WILL ‘FEEL’.

EMPTY BEDROOMS?   I TELL MY SELLER CLIENTS  TO STACK  THOSE BOXES ( EMPTY … OR THE ONES  FULL OF PHOTOS/BOOKS/PERSONAL NICKNACKS) AND CREATE A ‘BED’.  DRESS IT WITH LUXURIOUS LINENS AND PILLOWS AND YOU’LL HAVE AN ‘INSTANT’ ROOM.  BELIEVE ME, A ROOM WITH MINIMAL FURNITURE OUTSHINES AN EMPTY ONE.

MOST BUYERS DON’T MIND SEEING STACKS OF BOXES IN THE GARAGE. IT’S  AN SOLID INDICATOR THAT THE SELLERS ARE SERIOUS ABOUT MOVING.  ALTERNATIVELY… PORTABLE STORAGE UNITS WORK WELL, AND CAN BE FILLED, AND CARTED AWAY.

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Most  buyers and sellers don’t grasp the level of  artistry that goes into negotiating a contract to buy or sell a home.

“Highest and best offer”  implies one thing  (but can  mean something entirely different).   Google anyone? Definition?   ”Highest and Best”  IMPLIES  giving one’s  best shot…  but often  it’s  idle chatter… at least in Miami.   As a seller,  whether you  take an offer like that at face value or challenge it depends on Read the rest of this entry »

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Cleaning your home can be a daunting task, but home economist Deborah-Taylor-Hough says it can all be done in 10 minutes…here’s how:

-Make a game out of it-Set a timer for 10 minutes and have the kids race to pick up all they can before the alarm goes off.

-Use the dishwasher to clean non-dishes. Clean things like candlesticks, vases, even children’s toys.

-Prevent bathroom mirrors from fogging up by rubbing dish soap into the mirrors and letting it dry. Rub the soap in vigorously, but it should prevent foggy mirrors for up to two weeks.

-If more than one child uses the bathroom, use old shoeboxes with labels to seperate the toiletries.

-Remove dust from stuffed animals by placing them in the dryer on fluff cycle with a dryer sheet.

-Take 5 minutes a day to clean up each room. It is not in place of a deep cleaning, but it will keep the clutter to a minimum in the mean time.

-Vacuum and then dust, so the vacuum doesn’t kick back dust into the air and onto furniture.

-Refrigerator odors can be absorbed by placing an open bowl filled with two or three charcoal brickettes on a back shelf.

These simple steps can keep your house looking fresh and clean…and it only takes 10 minutes!

If I can help you with any of your real estate needs, please contact me.

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We all want the latest and greatest in kitchens and bathrooms, but it turns out that spending money on these kind of improvements might not be helping SELL your home. Think of it this way: Your kitchen may look fabulous – but if the roof is leaking, most buyers won’t look beyond that factor.

Remodeling Magazine  says that you are less likely to recoup your investment on a major bathroom or kitchen remodel than you are on a basic home improvement project, like new siding. According to their study, siding replacement recovered 92.8 % of it’s cost, while 80% or more was receovered on replacing windows or roofs. The only home renovation that showed a likelihood of a good return was a minor kitchen renovation (approximately $15,000). Read the rest of this entry »

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Foreclosures comprise a major portion of the current pool of homes for sale in Miami… over half  the current inventory (and a substantial chunk  of what sold in Miami in 2009).   60% of what we are selling now are actually short sales and foreclosures.   That’s a trend that is  likely to continue.  For the most part – if you are selling in this market – it is because you are relocating, downsizing,  curbing expenditures,  or are upside down.  Read the rest of this entry »

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 If you’ve had renovations, additions or alterations  done to  your house,   you may want to make a few phone calls … before you put your house up for sale. Read the rest of this entry »

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