Selling on Your Own? Read This First

HOMES SELL FOR TWO REASONS:  PRICE and EXPOSURE.

PRICE:
If you are selling on your own, without using an agent,  you are doing so in order to save on PRICE.   Time is of less concern and the exposure will not be there.

The question is - will you save on price when you lack exposure? 

The answer is NO, in 90% of the cases, according to the National Association of Realtors.  "FSBOs accounted for 10% of home sales in 2011. The typical FSBO home sold for $150,000 compared to $215,000 for agent-assisted home sales." 

Now, let's do the math.  The commission on a $215,000 house (if listed at 5%) is $10,750.    The average home seller actually walks away with MORE money by using a real estate agent.

Further, homes that are priced accurately draw more buyers.  This spring; RIGHT NOW, is a time of multiple bids on homes that are priced correctly.  Multiple bids actually drive the final sales price up, not down.  


EXPOSURE:
Internet
The current stats tell us that 88% of potential home buyers use the Internet for their home search, and 86% also use a real estate agent (according to the National Association of Realtors).   The Internet and use of social media can make your listing viral, but only licensed agents have access to the MLS.  Sites that are available to buyers are not updated, often inaccurate and reach a far smaller audience.   IDX is an option only agents can use.  An Internet Data Exchange (IDX) is a real estate property search site which allows the public to conduct searches of approved Multiple Listing Service properties in a certain area.   It means that, if listed, your home is available for the world to see by cooperating brokers.

Accessibility
Exposure, however, is not limited to the Internet.  Exposure also means your ability, as a seller, to actually show your own home.  Are you home all day, every night and weekend?   How many buyers do you lose because you don't have an agent to expose your home?   If you are limiting your showings   (for example) to Saturday mornings only, from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM, you are missing out on a very large buyer pool.  Further, the potential buyer does not want you around while they are looking through the house.    To the buyer, the house is not yours - it's potentially theirs.

Here is the reality and conclusion.  Your home is a commodity,  and it is being sold along side other commodities within your neighborhood.  PRICE and EXPOSURE sell commodities.  When you start to think of your home in this way, you begin to see why a real estate agent can help you get more for this asset.

If you are looking to sell or buy in northern NJ, give me a holler.  I'd be happy to help.

Annmarie Cristiani
Sales Associate
RE/MAX Traditions Real Estate
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Dear current home owners,

 
Contratulations if you wanted to sell your house last year but were not able to because there weren't enough buyers.  You made a smart move by waiting.   The market has changed and it is literally smokin hot.

In Paramus, NJ, homes are being listed and sold within hours in  the $450-$550k average price range.  Why?  Paramus has low taxes and a desirable school system.   

Why is the market over all so hot RIGHT NOW?  Because the buyers who were waiting a few years ago are now out looking for homes - and they are serious.  They have waited, they have saved and they are qualified.  The rates are very low.  Inventory is low, too.  This is why housing starts for builders has been on a progressive rise.  Buyers want more homes to see.

I have qualified buyers, with a mortgage waiting for them, who are renting (which means they can move pretty much whenever), and who seek a home in Paramus NJ.   They are looking for something under $600k.  

If you own such a home, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CALL ME.  I will preview the home, with your permission, and with no obligation.  My handy dandy IPAD is great for taking pictures or video on the spot.  My buyers can preview your home without walking in the door.   If they like what they see, we take it from there.

I am not looking to list your house.  I am looking to sell it.    
Real estate agents have an agreement we use with FSBOs that gives me the ability to show your house to my one specific buyer,  and that's all.  If the buyer wants to purchase the house, the seller pays the agent a negotiated fee for bringing the buyer.  If no deal is made, the agreement is invalid.  I can send you a copy for your review.  You do want to sell your home, don't you?  You have nothing to lose but potentially more to gain.

DO YOU WANT TO WAIT ANOTHER YEAR, HOPING FOR MORE DOLLARS, WHEN THERE ARE BUYERS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW WHO WANT TO PAY YOU NOW?   

Please, send me an email or call me,  or shoot me over a  few pics of your house.  Let's see if I can get you even more than you asked for last year, or the year before; when your home did not sell.  You made a smart move by waiting.  Now is the time to try again.

Annmarie Cristiani
Sales Associate
RE/MAX Traditions Real Estate
www.househunter99.com  website
annmarie.cristiani@gmail.com  email
201-815-7861 cell phone

I recommend +Cianci House  for home staging and interior design.

Exterior Renovation: the most bang for your buck!

Did you know that replacing siding, windows and doors can recoup up to 70% of their cost at resale?

According to the 2013 Remodeling Cost Vs. Value Report, spending money on exterior improvements will give you the biggest bang for your buck when you go to sell.  Why?  Exterior improvements can help with energy efficiency.  In addition, don't neglect the importance of curb appeal to potential buyers. Remember, the outside of your house is the first thing a buyer will see.  

You don't have to go crazy.  Take a look below.  This house desperately NEEDED new siding, replacement windows, a new front window and a new front door.  Making this improvement did not necessarily raise the value of this home in a market of decreasing value (as we had last year). However, it certainly helped the house maintain its value and would make it far easier to sell.  In this market, it could make it move very quickly!  Attracting more buyers means getting more offers on the table.  

In this case, the homeowner did the following, for the cost of about $20,000.00, through a licensed home improvement contractor.

• New premium vinyl siding (go to a reputable manufacturer- don't get the cheap stuff)
• Replacement vinyl windows and front Anderson Window
• New front fiberglass, maintenance free door
• Seamless, capped gutters
• New garage door
• New shutters

Voila!!!!     See below.

If you are a buyer, these are the types of improvements you can make with an FHA 203K renovation loan!  This is ONE mortgage loan which covers the cost of the purchase price plus improvements.  So, a buyer could purchase the 'before' house at a discount, transfer title to their name, and then have money left over after closing to make the improvements themselves.  

Take the time to select a buyers agent or a listing agent who is aware of these options.  Doing so can open up possibilities if you are buying and attract more buyers if you are selling!
Annmarie Cristiani, Sales Associate
REMAX Traditions Real Estate, NJ
www.househunter99.com                          or  Google me
https://www.facebook.com/nothernnjrealestate

Add a level to a level....

Can you add a level to a split level?  Of course you can!  When you can't go 'out', go 'up'.
Find a licensed contractor to get an estimate.  If you are buying the house, see if you can get an FHA 203K loan for the purchase price plus cost of improvements.   Ask me how.

Annmarie Cristiani
Sales Associate
REMAX Traditions Real Estate
www. househunter99.com

Attract More Buyers and Sell Your Home Faster!

I had to run to the Borough Hall in Ringwood, NJ today for my customers who are buying a home there.   On the way back I took a few minutes to stop and take these pictures of  Monksville Reservoir (scroll down)     I love this area of Ringwood and it looked particularly inviting this afternoon.    It reminds me that spring is around the corner and it makes me long for a kayak.     There really is so much to do in Ringwood- boating, fishing, swimming, camping, bike riding, site seeing and more.     I am looking forward to hiking and kayaking very soon!

Ringwood made it into the list of Money Magazine’s Best Places to Live in 2011.  Check it out!
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2011/snapshots/PL3463150.html




For places to visit in Ringwood, go to:
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/ringwood.html

Shop for Ringwood homes now!  www.househunter99.com

Annmarie Cristiani
Sales Associate
RE/MAX Traditions
201-815-7861 cell
201-815-6600 office
Don't make a MOVE without Annmarie!

 

Just a 'stones throw' away- nature is in your back yard.  Ramapo Reservation  is just a few minutes from Oakland, NJ and within 30 minutes of most towns in Bergen County.  It is also a hop away from New York State with easy access from route 17 to route 202.

My children and I have hiked Ramapo Reservation's trails for years.  There are numerous paths to take.  Head to the summit for a great view of Ramapo college along with  some beautiful homes nestled along the river.  You may see a horse or two along adjoining private road ways.  Don't miss it in the fall.
So,  go 'take a hike' and bring Fido with you.  Dogs are welcome.
http://www.njhiking.com/nj-hikes-ramapo-valley-county.php


Annmarie Cristiani
Sales Associate
RE/MAX Traditions Real Estate
201-815-7861
201-337-6600
www.househunter99.com 
annmarie.cristiani@gmail.com

Don't make a MOVE without me!   

 

What is a condominium?

Did you know that a condo is a type of ownership and not a style of a home?

With a condo, you own the interior wall and airspace but not the exterior wall or the land. The exterior is considered common areas/elements which are assigned to your unit.  If you have a balcony, it is assigned to you but typically is maintained by the condo association. 

Common areas like walkways and pool houses are part of the Master Deed, not the unit deed, and everyone has a right to shared access of these common areas.
The home owners association dues pay to maintain these areas. 

Condominiums can look like townhouses, detached houses on land, garden apartments, mid rise or high rise buildings.    The term condominium is misunderstood by most people.  In fact, if you were to perform a Google.com search for the image of a condo, you would see high rise pictures dominate the page.  This is misleading and confusing for purchases.  The fact is, a condo is a form of ownership and can look like a single family detached house, a town house or apartment complex. 

If you are looking for a condominium, be sure you are with a buyer's agent who understands what this from of ownership truly means.   Many lenders won't provide financing for condos or will require at least a 20% down payment, so you will want to be sure you are conducting your home search with the right agent.

Annmarie Cristiani
Sales Associate
RE/MAX Traditions Real Estate
(201) 815-7861 cell
(201) 337-6600
www.househunter99.com 

Don't make a MOVE without Annmarie!


This is a condominium located in Lakewood, NJ.  Would you know it was a condo just by looking at it?

Sellers with Septics: Don't Pump your Dump!

SELLERS WITH SEPTIC SYSTEMS: Do not pump your septic before you put your home on the market.  The buyer's septic inspector WILL NOT be able to get accurate readings of the tank because the water levels will be too low.

A LAST MINUTE SEPTIC PUMP BY A SELLER  IS A RED FLAG TO THE BUYER.  If you have maintained the system properly, there is no need to take this last minute measure.

This is the one time my advise to anyone selling a home will be to "Hold onto your c**p! Let the inspector do his job (and God bless him for doing it).

If you are a buyer of a home with a septic system, you will want to get it inspected.   Your agent should have experience working with a few different and very well qualified inspectors.  Up here, in northern NJ, there are several very reputable companies who really know their.......

Just give me a shout out and I will be happy to provide those references.
Annmarie Cristiani
Sales Associate
RE/MAX Traditions Real Estate
201-815-7861 cell
201-337-6600 office
 www.househunter99.com
annmarie.cristiani@gmail.com

Don't make a MOVE without Annmarie!