STAGE IT, SELL IT, THEN SMILE!

Turn on any popular home network onTV and you’ll find a program on the benefits of staging even though the home may have just been completely rehabbed and everything is new. Rearrange your furniture, pick a soothing color palette, clear out the family photos & your home will sell faster & for more money. Sound too frou-frou to be true? It’s not!The soft and decorative side of staging is backed by hard facts. Ask any experienced REALTOR!

Need a little help in making your home show better? List with aYour Realty Link agent and we will give you valuable tips on the best ways to make your home more sellable!

Did you know:

● Abuyer searching online is attracted to beautifully staged homes.

● Both a buyer and an agent are excited when their first impression is good and they want to see more when they walk through the front door.

● Agents talk to other agents who are also directing their buyers to the best homes on the market. An attractive listing will be shown more often, meaning more market exposure–critical for a quick and profitable house sale.

Staging is non-negotiable in many parts of the country. Staging a listing for sale attracts buyers. Don’t confuse staging with your own personal style of decorating. Staging’s first task is decluttering and depersonalizing. Your YRLagent will give you some handy tips to make your home feel more inviting to buyers.

Like everything in real estate, price range does play a part in how much staging to actually do to prepare for buyers.

If you are still occupying the home while it is being shown clearing out as much as possible makes the home seem larger. It can be difficult with children and pets but important to listen to your agent’s advice.

In higher end properties where the homeowner has vacated, you may find that staging sells the home faster and makes the home feel warmer. Staging an entire home could cost up to $3000 and we can always direct you to those stagers that give that full service, but if you just need suggestions of what to clear out to make your home feel more open by moving some of your furniture around to make your home more cozy…that is free with several of our experienced, accredited agents. Even a new picture over the fireplace and new towels and rug in a bathroom can make a huge difference. Stage and/or declutter before taking any pictures!

Rising interest rates can be a major concern if you’re shopping for a new home.Ahigher rate reduces your buying power and increases the home cost thousands of dollars over the course of the loan. One option to avoid this is to “buy down” your loan rate.This allows you to purchase your home at a more attractive rate.Arate buydown is when you pay an upfront fee in exchange for a lower interest rate.This increases your closing costs and for every 1% of the purchase price you pay in points, your mortgage interest rate is reduced. Buying a lower interest rate may be a good strategy for a home you intend to keep for a long time, thus making up the difference over the life of the loan.There are a couple of options for a rate buydown.

The first is a simple payment of increased closing costs up front in exchange for a lower interest rate.The buydown lasts for as long as you have the loan and is requested by the buyer.The second is a temporary buydown often initiated by a homebuilder or lender to incentivize a purchase. In this case, the buydown is for a set period, two or three years, and then the rate will return to the higher rate if the borrower does not refinance. This strategy is a good one for a starter home or if one believes the interest rates will be lower in a few years. Utilizing a buydown as part of your loan origination can be a smart way to save money and maximize your purchasing power. It’s important to recognize the breakeven point, however, so that you know when you have started gaining money on the plan.

Although yourYRLagent is not a mortgage expert, he or she will have an opinion on whether this is practical or not for you based on the current interest rates. Your agent will also recommend a lender that will be able to show you the different costs using different financing plans when thinking about closing costs and buying the rate down.

WHATISEARNESTMONEY?

Earnestmoneyisadepositonthehome purchase.Itmeans‘sinceritymoney’andapplies towardtheamountdueattheclosingtableonce thedownpaymentandclosingcostsare determinedforthebuyer.Theamountofearnest moneyistypicallyaround1%ofthepurchase priceandispaidimmediatelywhentheofferona homeisaccepted.Theamountofearnestmoney iswrittenintothepurchaseagreementbythe buyer’sagentanddeliveredtothelisting brokerage(orinmanycasesthetitlecompany) typicallywithintwodaysoftheacceptanceofan offer. Oncethelistingbrokerageortitle companyreceivestheearnestmoney,thecheckis depositedinaproperescrowaccountwherethe moneyishelduntiltheclosingoruntilthesale hasbeenterminated.

Thereturnoftheearnestmoneytothebuyermay beinjeopardyshouldthebuyernotcloseonthe homeforavalidreason. WhenaMutualRelease onthesaleisfiled,itmustbesignedbyall partiesbeforethemoneycanbereturnedtoeither thebuyerortheseller.TheStateofIndianadoes haveseverallegalwaysofreleasingtheearnest moneyshouldtherebeaterminationofthe purchaseandthereisnomutualagreementon whogetsthemoney. Therearealsoverystrict rulesforabrokeragetofollowinholdingthe earnestmoney.