by Bill Ness on January 2, 2012
During the winter months, many concerned home sellers opt to pull their homes off the market with plans to try again in the spring. There are many reasons behind this decision. Perhaps the sellers have been told that no one is house-hunting this time of year, winter won’t bring a good sale price, it’s too hard to sell a home during the holidays, or that their homes simply won’t show well in the winter. However, all of these well-intentioned bits of advice could make you miss out on a potential sale and unnecessarily push your plans back by several months.
by Bill Ness on December 9, 2011
Whether you are buying a new construction or resale home, a REALTOR will protect your interests and help you make the best possible investment. But how do you go about choosing a REALTOR? And should you look for special skills when you plan to buy a home in an active adult community?
by Bill Ness on November 18, 2011
Anyone involved in real estate knows that we are currently in a buyers’ market. There are many homes for sale, and, while they are selling, they aren’t selling quickly. This makes it a great time for those looking to buy, but a frustrating experience if you have a home that just won’t sell. If you want to generate interest, it’s time to give staging a try.
by Susan Quilty on February 14, 2011
For most homeowners, moving into a new home is dependent on selling their current home. This means that those who have contingency contracts may lose a chance to buy their new home if they can’t sell their current home quickly enough. Fortunately, there are several steps you can take to sell your home fast.
by Susan Quilty on November 29, 2010
When selling your home, the For Sale By Owner route may seem like an attractive way to save money. By cutting out the middleman, you tcould keep the entire profit of the sale for yourself. However, choosing to sell your home yourself comes with certain risks, and it may not be the most effective approach in today’s challenging market.
by Susan Quilty on October 16, 2009
It’s been said that home is where the heart is. Your home has seen holiday dinners and birthday parties, playdates and science projects, arguments and reconciliations. Moving out of the house where you raised your family may feel like leaving a piece of your heart behind.
For many empty nesters, a decision will come to move out of the family home. Perhaps you are embarking on your long awaited beach retirement or realizing your dream of a smaller, low-maintenance home. Although you are happy about your future plans, you may feel sadness when the time comes to move out. While this is to be expected, there are some things you can do to help with this transition.
by Bill Ness on March 25, 2008
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported a 2.9 percent increase in the number of homes sold in February over January’s total. The total brings the seasonally adjusted pace of sales to 5.03 million, up from January’s rate of 4.89 million. The news marks the first month-over-month rise since July 2007. “These are signs that housing’s problems are being addressed, but I wouldn’t break out the champagne yet,” said Northern Trust chief economist Paul Kasriel. “We still have a ways to go.”
by Bill Ness on January 29, 2008
“Prices shot up like rockets and are coming down like feathers.” According to Orlando-based economist Hank Fishkind. “It takes a while for prices to fall as far as they should because sellers are often unwilling to lower their price to market levels.” This phenomenon seems to be dragging out the slump in the housing market longer than most expected. As a result, many homeowners have found themselves unable to make payments on a home that is worth less than what they originally paid for it. For many, the only likely outcome is foreclosure. Recently, however, some homeowners have been given the option of selling their home short and avoiding foreclosure.
by Bill Ness on January 2, 2008
As the number of baby boomers aged 55+ continues to grow, so does their desire to move to an active retirement community. However, due to the challenging housing market that we have faced over the last couple years, many of those age-qualified to live in an active retirement community are unable to do so because they cannot sell their current home.
I have worked with hundreds of people over the last couple of years looking for a home in an active adult community and many tell me the same thing, “We want to live in this type of community, but due to the slow housing market, we won’t buy until our home sells.”
