Heidelberg Real Estate

Understanding The Market For Apartments For Sale And How To Decide On The Type Of Property You Would Want To Own In Colombo

Popularity Of Apartments For Sale

With the growth of the economy in Sri Lanka, there has been an increased focus on the real estate market within the island as well. Due to the higher concentration of development occurring closer to the capital city Colombo, it has also increased the demand for property either for purchase or rent in the vicinity. But such rapid developments and increased demand has also led to a scarcity of free land available. Since the need to buy home properties has to be provided with a solution, many leading apartment builders have begun several projects to provide potential homeowners with viable solutions to choose from. This sort of developments is supported by statistics that indicate that the entire Western province covers only 6% of the country’s land areas but close to 28% of the population seek to make their homes in the area.

Since this trend has been on the rise during the past few years, now you can find many apartments for sale and also apartments for short term rent that can be chosen according to your requirements. There are also several good houses for sale available in nearby areas but due to the high prices, they are not suitable for many interested homebuyers. In terms of apartments there are broadly two categories, namely, luxury apartment projects and micro apartments available for consideration.

Types Of Apartments For Sale

Popularity of luxury apartment projects

In previous times, real estate agents and property developers focused more on offering stand-alone houses for sale. But now, with the limitations highlighted above, these developers have looked to offer those who want to buy home units the option of choosing from luxury apartments. It has been found that the demand to buy apartment that fall into the luxury category comes from the Sri Lankan community as well as foreigners. Such investments made in relation to own properties in Colombo area have also shown high increase in popularity. As per the statistics gathered up until 2015, there have been close to over 2600 luxury apartment units and it is further estimated that this number could reach close to 6000 units by 2019. Such luxury units are also found to be available for those who wish to rent an apartment, giving rise to more and more apartments for short term rent being offered.

Potential for micro apartments in Sri Lanka

Another alternative to houses for sale is the availability of real estate in the form of micro apartments. Many apartment builders have also invested in such projects that have been in high demand among those who want to buy apartment space in Colombo. The target market for this type of property has actually found appeal among the affluent customers who might even want a luxury apartment as well as middle-income individuals who want to invest in such a home for them. Similar to the above category, this type of housing solutions are also available as apartments for short term rent for those who are unable to buy home units by making an outright purchase and therefore look to rent an apartment instead. This opens up the possibility for more home seekers to get closer to their dream of owning a home in a prime city location.

Choosing Between Apartments And Houses For Sale

When you consider purchasing such properties you should be prepared for making the investment. The main decision you would need to make would be in relation to whether you actually want to buy apartment space or you still would like to look out to buy home in the form of a separate house. As a primary consideration when you invest in real estate you would need to decide on the space or size of home. Normally houses in Sri Lanka tend to cover about 2700 sq ft while an apartment would generally fall in the range of 1000 to 1500 sq ft. In addition apartments tend to offer additional services such as security, cleaning, waste disposal and other recreational facilities that are normally not available with separate housing units. But on the other hand, you might want to consider the following that are normally not available with apartments.

• When you buy apartments you will get a limited parking slot allocation
• Modifications are not possible
• Most apartment complexes have restrictions on owning pets
• Your possibility of engaging in gardening activities is very minimal

Considering When To Rent An Apartment

Due to the various requirements of homeowners there are several other options made available in terms of being able to rent an apartment. Many individuals who would be looking at living in small living spaces for short periods of time can consider finding apartments for short term rent. Since there is a high portion of the population that need to find accommodation to travel to work and for other arrangements in the city limits, this has become more of a financially viable option many prefer. Depending on the requirement you could even arrange to extend the rental period once agreed with the renter. This is also a great way to check whether you can adjust to an apartment style living. If the lifestyle appeals to you, with time, you could also consider owning an apartment of your own.

To cater to much of the demand to wanting to buy apartment properties, there have been several investors and developers who have taken interest in developing projects which are in demand for this market. Among these companies there are several reputed apartment builders operating in the island that have produced several leading apartment projects and have several others lined up as future projects.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

With the decline in home values in the past few years, some homeowners who need to sell in the current market find themselves trapped, as they owe more than their home is worth. In this situation, the short sale can become a viable option.

What is a short sale:

A short sale is simply a sale in which the proceeds are not enough to cover all of the outstanding obligations associated with the sale of the home including the mortgage or mortgages, unpaid property taxes, attorney’s fees, title expenses, commissions, etc. This shortage would require the seller to bring money to the closing or to negotiate a „shorted“ payoff with their lender. The lender has no obligation to agree to this, but many will. In most cases, a short sale is attempted by sellers who are facing foreclosure or have fallen behind and no longer have the ability to continue making their payments.

The process:

There are a lot of misconceptions about the short sale process and the lender’s role in it, even among some Realtor®s. The seller’s lender’s role is nothing more than that of a contingency. This can vary by state depending on whether it’s a title theory state or lien theory state. This information applies to Illinois, which is a lien theory state (the owner holds title and the lender holds a lien on the property)

The seller owns the home and ultimately is the one who, with the help of their agent, accepts, rejects or proposes a counter offer once an offer is received. When the offer is accepted by the seller, it is done so contingent on their lender agreeing to accept the net proceeds of the sale as full settlement of the amounts owed. I’ve had more than one occasion where an agent working for a buyer asks when their offer will be submitted to the bank, even before the seller has agreed to accept it. It can add to the confusion if multiple offers are received. Some think that all offers must be presented to the lender. This is not accurate. All offers must be presented to the seller, not to the lender. The goal of the listing agent should be to obtain the best offer possible, thereby giving the transaction the best possible chance of actually closing.

What are the odds of a successful closing?

They’re actually better than they used to be. Nowadays it makes sense for banks to seriously consider accepting a short sale as, in many cases, they net more money overall versus going through the whole foreclosure process, taking the home back and marketing it as an REO (Real Estate Owned). Illinois is a judicial foreclosure state. Some states are non-judicial. Judicial foreclosures take much more time to complete. In Illinois, the process can take a year or more. There are some states which take upwards of 3 years. When you consider that, in most cases, the bank is receiving nothing while the process drags along, you start to see their motivation to consider other options. Add to this the deterioration to the property during that time and the additional carrying costs, and the benefits to the bank become even more clear. The bank in this situation, much like the homeowner, is looking for the best way to limit their losses.

The benefits of a short sale:

Lenders generally don’t allow the seller to receive any of the proceeds of the sale. This is fair when you consider that the whole basis of the short sale is negotiating with the lender to get them to take less than what they’re owed. The only exception I’ve seen to this was years ago when, due to an error, we were out of balance by $.06 The title company actually cut a check to the seller for six cents! As a seller in this situation, one needs to keep in mind that, if the lender agrees to the short sale, they are allowing the seller to avoid having a foreclosure on their record which follows them around for many years. Additionally, most short sales also let the seller out from under the debt without being chased for a deficiency. These two things should be all the motivation you need. there are no guarantees of being successful but it’s certainly worth the effort.

Who should you call?

These transactions are not for beginners. There is no substitute for experience when it comes to navigating through this process. An experienced agent and attorney are crucial. In this situation it makes sense to ask a lot of questions. There are specialized short sale/foreclosure courses available for agents. Some are very worthwhile but these courses alone don’t necessarily make the agent an expert. An agent referred by a seller who’s been through this process is definitely someone worth talking to.

What will it cost?

In most cases, it will cost you nothing unless there’s an upfront fee charged by the agent to list the home. All agents negotiate their own fees. It should cost you nothing to talk to an agent and get information. All commissions and other closing costs a seller would normally pay will be factored in and, if the lender agrees to the short sale, they are agreeing to the net amount of the sale so essentially, it is the lender that is paying your closing costs. For someone facing foreclosure, a short sale can be an excellent solution.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

The tourism industry in Belize is undergoing a huge metamorphosis. The boom is evident everywhere. So it is hardly surprising to find international property investors making a beeline to invest in Belize real estate.

From its pristine Caribbean shores to its lush jungle, Belize is abundant in amazing natural beauty. As the tourism industry in Belize is awakening to its potential, the property market is struggling to cope with the surge in demand for a piece of Belize real estate from foreign property investors. If recent statistics are any indicator, then Belize is well and on its way to becoming the next hot destination for international property investors.

One of the hottest expatriate destinations in Latin America, Belize offers real advantages, including a lower cost of living, a better quality of life, amazing real property opportunities, lower taxes and prolific business potential. Belize real estate listings are a great source of information for those looking to invest in property here. Prime residential properties, commercial land and business places like hotels and resorts are listed at these sites, so investors can have access to all the information that they need in one place.

Belize real estate offers excellent investment potential in the current market scenario because of several factors that are specific to this Central American country. It is a tax-shelter haven where investors do not have to pay any capital gains or inheritance tax. Property taxes are abysmally low at just one percent of the market value of the undeveloped land. Land titles can be easily transferred without going through complicated legal processes like other countries.

There are countless reasons why property investors are finding investing here as an attractive option. Foreign property investors can buy property without any prequalification or restrictions. Government rules are very flexible and do not act as a deterrent to investors. Belize, the only Central American country with English as its first language, has a stable government and a growing economy. The cost of living is inexpensive and there are retirement advantages. In fact, there is no place in Central America where property is available at such incredible rates.

The best of Belize real estate for sale can be sourced from the well-managed property portals. Property companies help investors go through the buying process with little to no hassle. They work closely with their client right from the point of initial contact until the time of title transfer. All listed Belize real estate properties are researched to ensure that the titles are clear.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Challenging economic conditions means that the real estate market is ideal for buyers but a graveyard for sellers hoping for a good deal. The housing market in the United States is at its lowest ebb in almost three decades. The Mortgage Bankers Association states that in 2011, 8 million Americans were at least one month behind with their mortgage payments with 5 million of these homeowners two months behind. With huge numbers of houses up for the sale, prices are falling rapidly and sellers are caught in a trap. Below are some tips for selling your home in a down economy for a reasonable price.

Find A Great Realtor

Although you can try and sell the property yourself, it is asking an awful lot to list your house and do all the ground work without real knowledge of the industry. Despite the fact that a realtor will cost you from 3-6% of the selling price, their expertise could easily make up that difference. Find a local agency that’s familiar with your neighborhood including knowledge of comparable properties in the area, school systems etc. Check the realtor’s sales history over the last few years. You want a successful realtor that is not too busy to give your property his full attention.

Marketing Plan

Your real estate agent is responsible for producing a marketing plan but it is your duty to familiarize yourself with the plan as it’s an essential element of driving traffic and getting more people to view your home. Your property must be visible on top internet sites such as realtor.com. The best realtors have their own website so make sure your property is on display there too.

Preparation

This is your chance to shine. Walk through the home with your agent and he should be able to point out things that may turn off potential buyers. The good news is that preparation work for your home can be performed on a relatively tight budget. Take care of the property’s exterior first with neatly trimmed hedges and colorful flowers always a plus. Repair any bricks or handrails that are loose and also ensure the roof is in perfect condition.

Ensure all walls are painted and carpets are professionally cleaned. Remove all odors to leave a fresh smell and move around furniture to make the living space look as large as possible. If you can’t make your property look immaculate by the time the first viewers arrive, your home will remain unsold.

Price

Look at the active listings, pending listings and recent sold statistics of homes that can reasonably be compared to yours. However, be wary when looking at selling prices as those sales could have taken place a few months ago. Economic conditions can change very quickly so you may have to adjust prices to suit the existing market. Pay special attention to listed prices as this is your competition.

Once you have followed the above steps, you need to be quick to follow-up on inquiries. Your realtor generally handles follow-up activity including emails or phone calls from interested parties. Hopefully, you will receive plenty of interest thus enhancing the possibility of receiving a fair price for your home.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Get Started Making Cash Now on eBay

Clothing is a great item to sell on eBay. Every day, regular people make quick cash by sourcing and selling top clothing brands on eBay. Start with brands you are already familiar with. Let’s take American Eagle for our listing example. You have a pair of their Skinny jeans in great condition that you want to sell. First, begin with some quick research. Go to eBay.com and type American Eagle Skinny Jeans Size 6 into the search bar. Next, refine your search by selecting only Completed and Sold items. The items listed in green (for the price) are the sold items. Items listed in red did not sell. You want to ignore the Unsold Listings. Focus on the items that are most similar to yours and have sold recently. Check out the condition of those items. Is there visible wear? Any flaws? Worn cuffs? Also, write down relevant keywords the successful seller used in their title and description. If you are selling jeans, you need to know which style you’re selling. Are the jeans boot cut or skinny? Is the size Juniors or Women’s? Juniors sizes will be 00, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9,11. Women’s sizes are listed in even numbers. A size 6 is a Women’s size.

Familiarize yourself with popular clothing keywords such as Rise and Inseam. You also need to be able to accurately describe the color of the wash of the jeans. Light or dark? Some brands have the wash color written on the care label. Other brands use codes with numbers and dates. Buyers will be on the lookout for particular washes. Expect to get questions from buyers asking you to describe and name the wash.

Buyers may be trying to find a discontinued favorite style. Help them out and provide as many Item Specifics as you can.

Get Accurate Measurements for Your Items

Rise is the measurement from the crotch seam (4 way seam at the seat) to the top of the waistband above the zipper. Front rise is a critical measurement. Most listings do not include a back rise measurement. The inseam is measured along the inside of the leg going from the 4-way center seam intersection to the bottom of the cuff. A regular inseam is 32 inches long. Be sure to list the size on the item’s tag as well as your measurements. Always include your own measurements because between brands and within brands, sizes vary. A 30 waist from one brand may be only 28 inches. Give your buyers enough information to help them make a good decision as to whether the jeans will fit properly. Better to include lots of measurements than to leave out important details. The buyer cannot try items on before purchasing.

Using Terapeak and Auctiva for eBay Sales

Terapeak is an online tool which shows you the best time to start your listing, which keywords to use, and how much completed listings sold for. Try a free trial of Terapeak to check it out risk-free. The cost is relatively low, about ten dollars per month, and you will definitely boost your item sales and profits by using the information provided. Terapeak is just one online resource for eBay sales.

Auctiva gives you professional-looking templates for your items. There are a wide variety of themes and backgrounds to choose from. Templates are listing in categories and you can save your favorite templates, change item description and information and quickly list hundreds of items for sale. Auctiva offers a scrolling gallery of your featured items to appear at the bottom of your listing. This allows you to sell more items through cross-promotion. It’s a great way to boost your eBay sales.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Greed: This one is a biggie. It was easy in a seller’s market to get in touch with your greedy side. Feeling like Midas, anything you asked for from a buyer turned to gold in your hands. Drunk with that kind of power, buyers were often left feeling helpless to comply if they wanted your home. In a balanced market, or even in a buyer’s market, many sellers have not kicked the greed habit. Ironically, greed is costing those sellers money. Ask any real estate agent and they will tell you stories of deals that were blown because of a $300.00 item that could not be agreed upon. No longer with the advantage, many sellers are refusing to make any concessions if it means less money in their pockets, but now the buyer’s are free to move along to the next house on their list. A seller may balk at fixing a $500.00 item in the house, or providing an inexpensive home warranty, but when the buyer moves along to an accommodating seller, the greedy seller is left to wait for another buyer – all the while making mortgage payments on the house they can’t sell. Bad move.

Unrealistic Expectations: Anyone who has sold a home in a seller’s market is going to have a hard time grasping a buyer’s market. If you want to sell your house, you have to forget everything you remember about selling your house in the past. Odds are that your home will not sell in a week, nor will you receive multiple offers. Unrealistic expectations are the foundation of blame and resentment, and they keep you from selling your home. The first few weeks of having your home on the market is filled with hope, anxiety, and irrational exuberance. It’s completely normal to believe that your home is somehow more special than the others on the market, and yours will be the exception to the tough market. Once it becomes clear that the bidding war has not materialized, and your home still sits along with the others, a home seller with unrealistic expectations is crushed. Stay positive about your home, but don’t blind yourself to what selling it will entail. A home seller with a realistic view of what it takes to sell a house in a balanced or buyer’s market, can easily adapt to changing market conditions, use constructive feedback to improve their home, and in return sell their home faster.

Pride: If you really want to sell your home, make the promise right now that you will never utter the following phrase: „I’m going to send that buyer a message.“ If you enjoy sending messages, then perhaps you could raise carrier pigeons. If you want to sell your home, drop that phrase from your vocabulary. The message that sellers send, when they respond to buyers that way is „I don’t want to sell my house to you. You have insulted me.“ In the end, all you are left with is your pride, and that house that just will not sell. As an active Ebayer, I have never witnessed a transaction in which the seller of an item got indignant at the lowest bidder. It’s all business. Divorce your emotions from the home selling process, and you have an advantage over the angry sellers in your area, because the buyers that they turn way with their „messages“, are going to buy a home – just not theirs! The message to send to a buyer should be in the form of a counter-offer. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Impatience: You want this home sold. Now! The impatient seller can’t understand why their home hasn’t sold in the first week. By the third week on the market, the impatient home seller is fuming, and wondering how to get out of the listing agreement. Are you an impatient home seller? If you’ve chosen your real estate agent carefully, and believed when you signed the listing agreement that they are up to the job, then sit back and let the market work. The impatient seller calls their agent more than once a day for updates, even if there has been no activity on the house. The question, „why isn’t it selling?“ is regularly pleaded over the phone. Are you, the impatient seller, doing everything you need to do to get your home sold? Have you done the things your agent suggested to get your home in selling condition? Did you really listen to the comparable pricing data your agent provided you? Or did you have a set price in your mind and refused to move from it when listing the home? The impatient seller can create an enormous amount of stress for everyone involved in selling the home, and it’s totally avoidable. In the end, the timing of the sale of your home will be a combination of price, condition, and luck. No amount of impatience is going to change that.

Ignoring the market: Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is disaster for a home seller. Yes, we know that your neighbor sold their home for the same price you want for your home, but that was four months ago. The residential real estate market is more fluid than ever now. Educate yourself about current market conditions, not last year’s market, not even last month’s market. A home seller who ignores the market will interview a few real estate agents, read the data provided by the agent, then ignore the data and list with the agent that gives them the least argument about pricing their home unrealistically. Real estate agents do not price homes, sellers do. The agents will provide valuable information and input to help a seller choose a price. Some agents will refuse to take a listing if they feel the seller is unrealistic about pricing, but many others will take the listing with the caveat that the seller be open to reducing the price later. With so many other properties on the market, an overpriced home will sit there like a deli tray at a gathering of vegetarians. Then, the seller will be chasing the market by lowering the price after watching the prices around them fall. Eventually, the house may sell, but the price will be determined by the market, as it always is. If you are guilty of ignoring the market, you can save yourself a lot of time and headache by scheduling a meeting with your real estate agent to go over the current sales data for your home, and setting a realistic price, now.

Stubbornness: When selling your home it’s best to imagine yourself as a supple tree gently swaying with the wind, instead of a donkey with its heels dug solidly into the dirt resisting all attempts to be budged. Stubbornness can show up in many situations. When you are contacted to schedule a showing, do you leave the house? Though it’s a fact that your home has a better chance of selling if you are not there for the showing, do you refuse to be inconvenienced by having to leave? You may tell yourself that the buyers can work around your schedule. They won’t. The chance for a sale often vanishes because a buyer feels uncomfortable with the homeowner in the house, and cannot freely assess the house. Expect to be inconvenienced when you sell your home. It’s part of the process.

Being Uncooperative: Are you a partner with your real estate agent when it comes to getting your home sold? Do you resist all suggestions by your real estate agent to make changes to your home that will help it sell faster? I’ve had this conversation with home sellers many times. Is it fair that people judge your home based on the things that are not going to be in it when you move out? No, probably not. Do buyers judge your home based on those things? Absolutely. I’ve seen buyers lose their enthusiasm for a home based on a decorating theme that didn’t suit them. No matter how many times their real estate agent might remind them that they can decorate in their own style, it’s too late. The home is now referred to as the „duck home“, or the „doll home“, or the „pink home.“ Every house gets a nickname when buyers are shopping. Don’t let your refusal to cooperate stop your home from being the „perfect home.“

The sale of your home requires the cooperation of countless people, many of whom you’ll never meet. The key word here is „cooperation.“ We, as home sellers, expect those that are working to complete our sales transaction to be cooperative. What about you, the home seller? Are you willing to meet the buyer halfway in negations? Are you willing to work within someone else’s schedule to get something signed? Remember, you may be selling a property, but in the end, real estate is about humans. Be a good one.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Are you looking for the ways to sell house fast? Going by traditional method of approaching a real estate agent and listing your property in the market may take several months to sell your property. Moreover, it also means additional costs. If you are looking for guaranteed sale of your house, there are number of companies who act as the cash house buyers and offer guaranteed home purchase schemes.

How Do these Cash House Buyers Work?

These cash house buyer companies buy houses and properties by making private deals. The biggest advantage of selling house to these companies is they pay cash quickly. Though several companies buy your property without inspecting it, a few other companies may pick and choose the houses they will buy. Most of the times, the cash house buyers offer a quick purchase to the house seller and they offer to complete the buying process in a week or so. In addition, some property buyers may offer sell and rent back scheme. In this scheme, the company purchases the house and allows the home owner to continue living in it as a tenant.

Main Advantages of Using Cash Property Buyers

Selling home in the open market can take longer which can be problem to many people who have immediate cash requirement. The most important advantage of selling home to a cash house buyer company is the speed. These companies apply a sympathetic approach to your requirement and push the house sale really quickly. The purchase is made on cash payment basis and there is no chain.

Several house buyer companies also offer good incentive as part of the cash house purchase deal. For instance, they may offer free legal fees involved in the process. In addition, the home sellers can also save more money as they do not have to pay for a Home Information pack. As this will be a private sale, they need not market their property in the open market. Sometimes, home sellers may opt to live back in their homes even after the sale as these companies may allow them to stay there for a period as the tenants.

Calling cash house buyers can be a good option if you want to sell house fast. There are no hassles involved in selling your house using cash house buyers.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

The need for an efficient and experienced appraiser is imperative, whenever you purchase or sell some property. The prime purpose of hiring a property appraiser is to find out the accurate and fair market value of the concerned property. An efficient property appraiser is skilled in evaluating any kind of property. Many banks, mortgage companies, and similar loan lending institutions require proficient appraisers to find out the real worth of a home their clients are buying in order to ensure that they are not sanctioning more money than they can recover.

An expert real estate appraiser will be skilled in considering all the aspects while evaluating a fair value of the property. Generally, they will consider local real estate sales data, property features information, and current prices of the homes in the same area. The property features may include unique architectural characteristics, or special home improvements. By considering all these aspects, the appraiser will offer a fair value of the concerned house.

Reputed property appraisers will offer a proper and justified opinion on the value of a real estate property, no matter whether it is a residential or commercial property. Their opinion is based on the highest possible value and the best possible use of a real estate property.

A proficient residential real estate appraisal service will consider each property individually, thoroughly evaluating the interior and exterior of the home, and even consider the surrounding environment and neighborhood and the crime statistics of the particular area when appraising a residential property. They will consider both the improvements as well as faults when determining the appropriate value of a property.

Every appraiser has his own process and techniques for gathering data, analyzing it, and giving an expert opinion on a particular real estate property. If you hire four different appraisers to evaluate a property, you will get four different opinions on market rate of a particular property but all of them will fall within a similar range of value.

If you run a business in a commercial real estate area, or if you are planning to set up a business on a specific property, the commercial real estate business valuation services can help you to know an accurate and fair market value of your business or prospective business.

Real estate appraisers can give you a sound opinion with regard to the property you are interested in within a minimal time span. They can even play an active role in identifying and informing you about the property seller’s misrepresentations. Their advice is worthy not only for buying property at a fair rate but also for protecting yourself from falling prey to the seller’s deceptions.

In this way, the expert appraisers prevent you from paying unreasonable prices, getting a home with several hidden faults in it, buying a home in an unfavorable and inaccessible location, and being a victim of home seller’s misrepresentations. With the sound advice of the appraisers, you won’t repent on your decisions concerned with property sale and purchase. This is why property appraisers are an imperative need for anyone handling any kind of property transactions. Make sure that you hire some renowned real estate appraiser when buying or selling a desired property in order to secure a safe and fair property deal.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Not so long ago, it is usual for investors to make fortunes in real estate. It was nothing to buy a home, wait a short while, and then sell it at a tidy profit, and then do it over and over again.

As you are no doubt aware, times have changed. As good as the market may be at any given moment, home prices remain below what they were at their peak.

And buyers are far more discriminating: a large percentage of the homes listed for sale never sell. So it’s more important than ever to learn what you need to do to avoid costly seller mistakes and sell your home quickly and for the best possible price.

The 9 Step System to Get Your Home Sold Fast and For Top Dollar

Selling your home is one of the most important undertakings in your life. This nine-step system gives you the tools you need to maximize your profits, maintain control of the process, and reduce the stress that is always part of the home selling process.

1. Know why you’re selling, and keep it to yourself.

   The reasons behind your decision to sell can affect everything from setting the price to how much time and money to invest in preparing your home for sale. Which is more important to you: the amount of money you walk away with, or how long your property is on the market before it sells? These different goals require different strategies.

   However, once you’ve determined your motivation, don’t reveal it to anyone except your realtor because they may use it against you at the negotiating table. When asked, simply respond that your housing needs have changed.

2. Do your homework before you set a price.

   Do not take the job of setting the listing price lightly. Once you set a price, you’re telling buyers the absolute maximum they’ll have to pay for your home, but pricing too high is as dangerous as pricing too low. Remember that the average buyer is looking at 15-20 homes at the same time they are considering yours.

   This means that they have a basis for comparison, and if your home doesn’t compare favourably with others in the price range you set, you won’t be taken seriously by prospects or agents. As a result, your home could sit on the market for a long time and, new buyers in the market may think there is something wrong with your home that has kept it from selling.

3. Do your homework.

   In fact, your agent should do this for you. Find out what homes in your own and similar neighbourhoods have sold for in the past 6-12 months, and research what currently listed homes are listed for. That’s exactly how prospective buyers will assess the value of your home.

4. Find a good real estate agent to represent your needs.

   Almost three-quarters of homeowners say they wouldn’t use the same realtor who sold their last home. Dissatisfaction is frequently due to poor communication, which results in not enough feedback, lower pricing and strained relations. Request your free copy of our report, „10 Questions to Ask Before You Hire an Agent“ to learn about the questions you should always ask when you interview agents who want to list your home.

5. Maximize your home’s sales potential.

   Corporate North America spends billions on product and packaging design every year. Appearance is critical, and it is foolish to ignore it when you sell your home.

   While you cannot change your home’s location or floor plan, you can do a lot to improve its appearance. The look and feel of your home triggers an automatic emotional response in potential buyers.

   Clean like you’ve never cleaned before. Pick up, straighten up, remove clutter, scrub, scour, and dust. Fix everything, no matter how insignificant it seems. Present your home to get a „Wow!“ response from prospective buyers.

   Create an atmosphere that will encourage buyers to imagine them living in your home. The decision to buy a home is based on emotion, not logic. Prospective buyers want to „try your home on“ just like they would a new garment. If you follow them and point out every improvement, or if your decor is so unusual that buyers can’t push it out of their minds, you’re making it difficult for them to feel comfortable enough to imagine the home.

6. Make it easy for prospects to get information on your home.

   It may surprise you to know that some of the most frequently used home marketing strategies (traditional open houses, for example) really are not very effective. In fact, only 1% of homes are sold at an open house.

   And prospective buyers calling for information about your home value their time as much as you value yours. They do not want to be subjected to a game of telephone tag with an agent, or an unwanted sales pitch. Make sure the ads your agent places refer inquiries to a 24 hour, pre-recorded hotline with a specific ID number for your home. It should provide detailed information about your property day or night, seven days a week, without having to talk to anyone. Three times as many buyers call for information about homes under this system. And the more buyers that are competing for your home, the better, because it can create up auction-like atmosphere that puts you in the driver’s seat.

7. Know your buyer.

   During negotiations, your objective is to control the pace and set the duration. Determine your buyer’s motivation. Find out if the buyers need to move quickly. Will they be able to pay your asking price? Having this information gives you the upper hand in negotiations, because you know how far you can push to get what you want.

8. Make sure the contract is complete.

   As a seller, be certain to disclose everything. Smart sellers proactively go above and beyond the legal requirement to disclose all known defects, in writing, to buyers. If you tell buyers in advance about known problems, they can’t come back with a lawsuit later on.

   Make sure all terms, costs, and responsibilities are spelled out in the sales contract, and resist the temptation to override the contract. For example, if the buyer asks to move in prior to closing, just say no. Now is not the time to take a chance on the sale falling through!

9. Don’t move out of your home until it’s sold.

   Studies show that it is more difficult to sell a vacant home because it looks forlorn, forgotten, and simply not appealing. It could even cost you thousands. And if you move, you’re telling buyers that you have a new home and are probably motivated to sell fast. This gives the buyer the advantage at the negotiating table.

If you follow the nine suggestions in this article, you’re much more likely to be able to sell your home quickly and for top dollar.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Flatbed trucking is a practical option to transport the large, bulky goods that need the open space of a truck trailer or need to be lifted by a forklift or crane. Some of the common items to transport include plumbing supplies, machinery, airplane wings, lumber and cars. Here are a few pros and cons related to flatbed transportation:

Ease of loading

The open nature of the flatbed trailer is appreciated for the complete ease in loading. The enclose trailer has a confined space and this can make it very difficult to load large items, such as a prefabricated roof. However, the flatbed has the ability to give complete freedom on what can be loaded and will accept the largest pieces of plumbing supplies or lumber. Also, on arriving at the intended destination, the unloading process is much easier and completed in a relatively short time.

Variety of materials

The flatbed trailer is a useful option if planning to transport a high volume of different materials on a single trip. This makes it possible to easily move materials for interior work, basic framing lumber and other essential supplies for a housing project. A great benefit of this is the ability to cut shipping costs for faster project completion and higher profit margin.

No loading dock

While the dry vans are the most popular option for transporting goods of all types, they do have certain limitations. A major issue with this type of van is the need to have easy access to a loading dock to quickly load and unload its contents.

However, the flatbed trailer does not have this type of restriction. It has the ability to deliver loads to virtually any location. This can include a residential neighborhood or a large construction site. The greater flexibility in use makes them more appealing to the contractors and lumber shippers.

Are there any negatives?

In addition to the positives of using the flatbed trailer, there are also a few negatives that are worth mentioning. A trucker in control of a conventional trailer only has to be concerned with damage goods in the event of a load falling over. But, with the open nature of the flatbed, there is the potential to cause significant damage to not only the load, but also those nearby if anything should fall off. For this reason, it is essential that the flatbed trucker is a skilled, detail-oriented, and organized person.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg