Archive for the 'Home Seller and Buyer Tips' Category

Have you been sitting on your property and perhaps thought to pull it off the market and wait it out? Try staging first! Here are some tips that will put a slow moving sale into a bidding war. I used a few of these tips to stage a home and it sold in 3 weeks for more than the asking price due to a bidding battle!

#1 Create Balance: Staging should make your home look bigger, brighter, cleaner, and warmer. Most of all it should create a move in friendly environment. Vignette furnishings in small groupings to arrange an open and appealing room. Rooms appear bigger when painted the same color as the adjoining room. A small kitchen and dining space will flow better when painted the same color. This will create a bigger and better flow that is appealing to the eye.

#2 Say No To Over Crowding:  Don’t over power a room with large furniture.  This will make the space look smaller. You also don’t want the room too seem vacant. So, if a space is narrow add shelves with their backs matching the walls creating depth. Highlight a large window with a bold artistic window treatment that frames and show cases the window and light. A small pattern will get lost in a large room. Keep in mind to keep it simple and serene while inviting the buyer in!

# 3 Be Eco Friendly:  Often buyers will pay more for a “Green” home. Cork flooring is cost-effective and eco-friendly, as are plastered walls. Plastered walls are not only a modern and appealing upgrade, they also are fingerprint and dust resistant, as well as natural dehumidifiers.

# 4 Re-Use Resources: The twin beds you had growing up and Grandmas rocker may be priceless to you, however they are a reminder that this space is not the buyers. Give them an upgrade with a coat of paint or take a trip to the barn, or an antique store and find ways to make old new. Always keeping simplicity in mind. Old doors can make beautiful  headboards as can old shutters. Laminate counters can also make great shelving for decorating or storage.

#5 Bedrooms should Be Serene: A relaxing setting is simple and clutter free. Use soft and simple linens, in soft hues, plush comforters, in light colors invite the buyer to come home and relax.

#6 Odd Space Equals Functional Hideaway: Give a slanted ceiling shelves and a purpose. Add a desk or comfortable chair and create a reading or meditation hide away.

#7 Paint:  Set the stage while letting buyers see what they are getting. Fresh paint and light will open a space and showcase its full potential while giving it a clean and crisp feel. A relaxed furniture layout will give buyers an opportunity to “vision” themselves in the space.

#8 Lasting First Impression:  Open stairways and entry ways to invite and draw the buyer in. Clear clutter and add color. Get rid of out dated window treatments and blinds. Paint windows with fresh white or light paint and allow light in. Accent the area around the window with a modern window treatment. Make use of shelves and decorate with 1, 2 or sets of 3. Maintain balance, light, and peace while being attractive and inviting.

#9 Contemporary Kitchen & Appliances: Important not only in the kitchen but the whole property is it should be immaculate, and smell clean and fresh.  New appliances are a great investment if current ones are outdated. Stainless steel is wonderful however make sure it is spotless and fingerprint free. If new cupboards or cupboard fronts are not in the budget, a clean open kitchen with lushly painted shelves can be spectacular! They are an inexpensive & great modern look and feel in a kitchen. Place your best bowls dishes and pottery in an artistic and  appealing balanced fashion. Add flowers or bowls of fruit for added touches.

#10 Bathrooms & Closets: Update an old bathroom with fresh paint. You also can re-glaze old tiles for a brand new look. Have baskets of plush white towels and create a spa feeling. Never have personal items on display when your home is being shown. Buyers WILL open the closets so always have them arranged functionally and not overflowing. This goes for all closets. Create a move in ready space with functional storage areas and closets.

Personal Questions and Answers from Ryan the Realtor

 I am not talking about your bootie, but rather examining the quality of one’s life by the junk in the back of your vehicle that allows you to get outside and do your groove thing. While Ryan the Realtor at 35 years of age still asks big questions of himself, “What is the meaning of life grasshopper? Am I living to my full potential? Am I the type of man my children can admire?”

When dark days of contemplation fall I am reminded of the junk in my trunk, literally. Let me paint a scenario from Thursday of this week about the Man-Van and amazing life in Mt. Washington Valley:

The dog and I stretched our legs at early sun-up, my wife and beautiful babes slumber in the midst of morning dreams. I survey the skies of questionable weather after rain drummed the tin roof all night and filled the rusty wheelbarrow in the yard. My animal responses awake.

“If the rain cometh in dark skies after my day in the office, and my son’s Little League game is postponed relieving me of coaching duties, I will have a window of time to dance upon the rising and angry waters in my kayak, king of the waves who will surf to freedom until the sun shall bow for the evening. I must act now, for he who hesitates is lost. To the Man-Van I say!”

(My Trunk: Maya’s kite, football aka pigskin, Eli’s baseball bat, bag of gloves and batting practice balls, paddling bag with cold water gear, helmet, PFD, bag of running gear to get in my Dean Karnazes two miles per day).

While the rain did not cancel my son’s baseball game, I was prepared and will remain forever vigilant to leap at waves, climb tall mountains, drop a line for the Lake Trout of the season — breathe deeply and selfishly at my treasured surroundings.  In Mt. Washington Valley adventure awaits and can provide the penitent with all the riches one can dream.

Call Ryan today for real estate or outdoor guidance (207) 462-3874.

Specializing in lakeside and mountainside homes for sale not only as a career but also a lifestyle. A former raft guide and mountain climber, Mt. Washington Valley has provided a brilliant setting to work, play, and raise a family since 2000. This New Hampshire land provides quiet pockets of wilderness while Conway, North Conway, Bartlett, and Jackson real estate provide comfort as well as convenience. Healthy retirement in New Hampshire is too important for casual approaches — contact  Ryan@JtRealty.com

For the second weekend in a row, I’ve been outside in my yard trying to spruce up the house and get rid of any traces of the winter. After a trip to the grocery store yesterday, I pulled in to the driveway and was pleasantly surprised about how great the house looked. The cost? FREE. Here’s a list of things I did, that you can do this weekend to quickly improve the curb appeal of your home. This could attract drive by buyers!

-          Rake. This was probably the biggest bang for my buck. While it took a few hours, my lawn is now free of several hundred pinecones, leaves and small branches that fell off this winter. It looks kept up and tidy. All of that debris kind of made the house look like no one lived there!

-          Give it a rinse. I changed the nozzle setting on the hose and went around the house spraying down any spiderwebs, pine needles and excess dirt that had collected.

-          Add in a little elbow grease. I took an old sponge and scrubbed the porch railings and the doors of the house, since it was looking a little dingy. The result was a bright and clean entrance to the house. You could also do this to your garage doors.

-          Stir it up. Rather than buy MORE mulch this year, I decided to get my hands dirty! I cleaned out any debris that had accumulated, and then used a metal rake to stir up the existing mulch, making it look fresh and new, instead of flattened and unkempt.

-          Sweep. This one wasn’t entirely done by me. (Okay, fine, I didn’t do it at all, thanks Dad!) My father came down with a leaf blower and blew all of the sand off the driveway from the winter. This could have been done with an outdoor broom as well. If your driveway isn’t paved, you can spend some time sweeping any dirt that found its way into your grass back where it belongs.

If your house is on the market, be sure to call your Realtor when you are finished to get some new and improved exterior photos! If it isn’t the market, but you’ve been thinking that you might be ready to make a change, we have tons more tips that can help you get prepared to put your house on the market, just ask! Happy Spring!

-Emily

P.S. Are you thinking, wait Emily don’t you have two kids? How did you get all of that work done? Simple. A project with Daddy for one, and a highchair and Cheerios for the other!

You’ve heard it a thousand times. It is a buyer’s market. But what exactly does that mean for sellers right now? Well it means that your house may no longer speak for itself. The market is flooded with inventory, which means that buyers can be pickier than ever when it comes to spending their hard earned money on a home. Gone are the days when buyers overlook small negatives they see in a house because they like it overall. Chances are there are three more houses on the same street on the market, and maybe one of those will be more appealing. Something about your house has to be special, and special enough to stand out to not just you, but to prospective buyers looking at it.

Take a look at an example of a recently sold condo at Nordic Village. One of our agents was taking a buyer to Nordic Village to look at several options. At the time, there were 7 Nordic Village condos on the market, 6 of which were the exact same “spiral up” two bedroom floor plan. By the end of the day, the buyer went with a condo that we had listed, B16. It was one of the 6 spiral up condos at Nordic Village. So what made the buyer choose B16? What made it stand out? Price wise, it was in line with the other condos on the market, not much higher or lower than any of them. What we think truly sold this condo was the updating. Although the condo wasn’t boasting stainless steel appliances or granite countertops, it did have trendy paint throughout, and contemporary furniture. Because of these updates, the condo had consistent rental income and was one of the few “Excellent” rated condos in Nordic Village. A little bit can go a long way. It doesn’t have to cost a fortune to stand out in this buyer’s market. It can be as simple and inexpensive as a can of paint, or a new couch.

A great exercise for sellers to do is to “play the buyer” for an hour. Go online and search for the neighborhood and price range that your property is listed. Then just click around and look at these homes, because these are your competition. You have to somehow stand out to all of these other properties in order to snag the buyer. Will it be the price? The paint colors? The awesome bay window with views to Mount Washington? Then be honest with yourself. Does your house compete with the other homes in that price range, or is it time to make a change?

The exercise might be a tough wake up call, but it might be what you need to see to make a small change that could make a big difference, and bring in the offer you have been waiting for. And as always, we are always available to help you every step of the way, be it a price suggestion, or a tip on what paint color is hot this season. Happy Selling!

Have you ever had to call a service company to come to your home to repair something only to find out that it really wasn’t “broken”? Although you were probably happy that it wasn’t something serious (and expensive to fix!) you were probably also frustrated that you had to pay someone for something so simple.

Before you call the repairman next time, keep these things in mind to see if it is something simple:

• Disposer not working – check to see if the reset button has been thrown. It is usually on the bottom of the disposer. If the disposer is making a humming sound, the blades may be stuck. While the disposer is turned off, use a wooden broom handle as a lever to gently rotate the blades. Remove the broom handle and turn on the disposer to see if it works properly.
• Air conditioner not working – check to see if a breaker has thrown on your electric panel. You might need to flip the breaker completely off and flip it back on.
• Electrical outlets not working – Electrical plugs in bathrooms or outside, especially on a porch or patio, are many times connected to a ground fault interrupter. The GFI will be a wall outlet and it may be located in the garage. Locate the outlet and reset the button that may have tripped.
• Clogged drain – a simple way to correct a slow or clogged drain is to use the water pressure from a garden hose. You’ll need a helper to turn on the water full-blast once you have safely placed the hose in the drain and are holding a hand-towel around the hose to direct the water to the drain. Be prepared to tell your helper to turn off the water when needed.

Whether it’s preparing a home to market or arranging repairs required by the sale, we here at JtRealty Lakefront to Mountainside know reputable, reasonable and reliable service contractors. We’re here to share our contacts with you to help make home ownership better. Please check out our preferred vendors page for a list of service providers that we have used with great success in the past. Take the guesswork out of choosing a service contractor!

Happy New Year! With 2012 right around the corner (just a few hours away)! I thought it time to think about some of the best ways to engage with the real estate market this coming year.  I came up with 8 great ideas to inspire you to action!

Buy your first home

If you are ready to buy your first home now is the time.  I would even go so far as to say that if you are ready stop reading this article right now and start searching or contact us.  Great prices and record low interest rates combine to make this the very best time to get started on home ownership.  The Buyers section of our website has some great resources.  And searching on JtRealty.com is simple and easy.  Don’t forget to register so you can save your searches and receive the notifications you choose with no obligation.

Become a real estate agent

For the go-getter, there is always money to be made in real estate!  Start now building your contacts and be in position to capitalize on any market changes. For more information on how to start your real estate career head over to the Careers section of JtRealty.com.

Take advantage of a 1031 Tax-deferred exchange

If you have been maintaining your rental property for some time now you may be losing margin.  Put the tax advantages of a 1031 exchange to work for you to acquire a more valuable rental property. Interested?  Check out these NH multifamily units for sale right now.  If you want to learn more about the advantages of a 1031 exchange you can connect with one of our preferred 1031 exchange vendors.

Buy your first investment property

So the 1031 exchange doesn’t apply to you because you don’t own a rental property? Make 2012 the year to change that.  With great prices and a selection of available income properties you can get started letting someone else pay for your investment!

Buy that lakefront property you have always dreamed of

Living in a lakefront home is a goal for many.  Start early and you could be enjoying the lake by summer, just dive in!  Or if you prefer rivers you might try a riverfront property.  With much to choose from you are sure to satisfy that dream.

Buy a ski condo

We just added four Attitash Mountain condos to our best buy page!  There are so many good deals on ski condos right now you have an amazing selection.  Make this the year you can simply ski home at the end of the day! On top of the great real estate available at the local ski areas Trip Advisor just ranked the North Conway as the most affordable ski destination in the Northeast and second in the US overall! Search for Attitash Condos or Mount Cranmore condos right here.

Trade up

With so many properties on the market right now, many people feel it is the wrong time to sell their home.  This may not be true at all.  While many properties are available, the right property at the right price will always move quickly.  If you have been in your home for a few years you may be able to take advantage of all that is available on the market right now.  At the very least it can’t hurt to look! Start your search today.

Renovate

This is the approach I often take.  Renovations add not only financial value to your home, they also add enjoyment value.  No matter how long you have been in your home, there is always something on the wish list.  In my house right now the wish is new countertops.  Whatever your wish, if you put a plan together now, you can start sooner.  Winter is a great time for many renovations as contractors can be less busy, giving you more attention and possibly a better price.  If you are the handy sort then break out the tools while the weather is cold. You can check our preferred contractors for a start on your project or look into other JtRealty preferred vendors under the About Us section above.

Quiet anonymity is a life path some choose and fully embrace. I suppose that suit has never fit me just right and is perhaps why real estate and teaching have been my first career instincts. You know, for brief moments in my work I have a captive audience. And it’s not feeding the ego but rather the interaction that is rewarding. Figuring out what motivates a student, a buyer, a seller is all very fascinating in a world of social animals and a  smile at the end of a day keeps me on the return when this market is full of lumps, bruises, and near misses.

Do I dare say this is my art? Do I dare suggest business can be something more than the passing of paper and documents? Ryan me dear fellow I think you’ve got something here!

Because this business is gently informing a Manahatten client we lost the purchase to someone with more cash — his retirment home would have to wait.  Or sharing deep emapthy with a client who lost his wife to cancer and never sat at the table when we closed. Or connecting a client with dependable contractors after a purchase meant necessary home improvements. This is all a part of what I do and service Ryan Mahan provides. I provide service; please do not confuse what I do with sales.

A house is a house is a house but the real match making is fitting personalities with a house. A house has no spirit without people, laughter, or the natural song and pace of a human day. Being able to see a family or a couple mesh with a house is important — no worries, I don’t practice tarot cards. I recently visited this house for a client (not my listing) and felt a cabin-like quality with the full space and comfort a modern house provides, a unique combination. The home is located between Attitash and Cranmore skiing. Email Ryan@JtRealty.com with any questions and remember, we are more than the motions we go through.

Cheers

Creating Transactions and Friendships that Stick

Duncan & Diane wanted a weekend home in Mt. Washington Valley badly — a situation real estate consultants live for.  And Diane was not short on stamina as we scoured the web, drove through neighborhoods, and viewed homes with potential.  Not only that, Diane was quick with a tape measure to make certain room dimensions would accommodate her furnishing tastes.

We were having fun but several items thwarted initial purchases: a soured inspection and a lakeside cottage that needed considerable monies to winterize. The emotional roller coaster was deflating for Duncan & Diane and I reminded even myself at times, “A home purchase is a process and our timing will meet opportunity soon enough.” However, the summer screamed ahead and the possibilities felt like they were shrinking.

Alas, we found a three bedroom cottage close to Conway Lake that is ultra efficient and extremely well cared for. Duncan and Diane moved forward but more tense moments played out as we found ourselves in a multiple offer situation. After successful negotiations and counter offers, Duncan & Diane purchased the home.

In the end everything felt right: a place Diane thoroughly enjoyed and a home that wouldn’t require Duncan’s tools.  My daughter Maya, who joined us for several showings, grew quite fond of Diane who had even given her a tape measure of her own, “A girl’s best friend when house hunting.” Photo of Maya and Diane during morning coffee — sweet.

Buddies: Diane & Maya End of the Fall Season

"Is the show going on?" End of the Fall Season

End of the Fall Season

 

 

 

 

 

Conway Cottages Under $175,000 Click Here:

Unsure of How to Start Your Home Search? Contact Ryan@JtRealty.com

October & November Sales Under $175,000 Click Here:

 

 

October is here, which means that our busiest season is wrapping up and we have a better handle on how the market is going so far in 2011. The good news is that properties are selling! This year so far in Carroll County, there have been 774 housing sales, compared to 754 by this time in 2010, almost a 3% increase. The residential home market has said goodbye to 541 homes this year, compared to 508 sold homes by this time last year, a 6.5% increase! Condo sales are up, but not by very much. There have been 96 condo sales this year, a small 2% increase from 94 sales last year.

The not so good news? The properties that are selling are priced pretty aggressively. The average sale price so far this year has been $238,981. At this time last year the average sale price was $240,505. So while properties are selling, they are selling for less money.

For more details about the current market statistics, see the chart and please, as always, contact us with any questions you may have about specific property in your neighborhood!

Whether you are buying or selling a house today, green can make a difference.  And by green I don’t mean money, or do I?  Greening up your home can add value to your house, not to mention your overall life, the lives of those around you and the lives of future generations.  So yes, there are a variety of reasons to go green. Some have to do with  supply and demand,  limited amount of resources available and more and more people using them up. But some also have to do with the value of your home.   If we want our future generations to enjoy the same standard of living we do, we need to take action now! Today let’s look at some simple things you can do, that cost $0 to begin greening your home and life.  While these may not make an immediate impact on your actual home by changing your habits you will more easily see other opportunities.

You can make the world a better place one step at a time, just start walking!

7 Ways to Green the Not –So-New House with low or no upfront cost with modest benefits

1. Lint Hint – Saving energy doesn’t get any easier than this: Lower your energy bill by cleaning your clothes dryer’s lint trap before every load to improve air circulation, therefore cutting down on energy-wasting drying time. As an added bonus, you reduce the fire risk with a clean dryer vent.  Another step to do occasionally is to clean out the length of vent pipe.  Lint filters catch a lot but not everything.  For very little money you can buy a special brush that will make the job quick and easy, saving you money and giving you piece of mind.
2. Good day sunshine – On cold sunny days, open window coverings to let the sun warm your home. On hot days, close window coverings on the south and west sides to keep your home cooler. If you are looking for a little more improvement you can try using insulating window coverings.  These provide better thermal protection than standard curtains or blinds. Be sure to pull these at night in the winter to prevent radiant heat loss.
3. Washing day – Save $30 to $40 per year in water heating cost by washing and rinsing in cold. You can save more than 3,400 gallons of water per year , according to Energy Star, by washing full loads instead of partial loads. And the full load partial load savings can go even farther if you apply the rule to the dishwasher.  Not only will you save on the water and heating costs but by running less water through a septic system you can get better performance, reducing costly maintenance.
4. Rock-a-bye computer – Enabling your computer and monitor’s power management features so they go into sleep mode when idle can save from $25 to $75 each year in energy costs, according to Energy Star. Also, turn off computers and peripherals at night.
5. Think globally, buy locally – Choosing a product that’s harvested or made locally reduces transportation energy use and helps sustain your community’s economy. Here in the Mount Washington Valley there are many opportunities to buy local.  Keep your eyes out for farmers markets and locally made products.
6. Nix the night lights – Install motion sensors, photocell controls or timers so outdoor lights are only on when needed. Reduce light pollution and keep the night sky darker by using light fixtures that direct light downward instead of toward the sky.
7. Fridge shui – Refrigerators blasted by the sun’s rays or subjected to heat from an adjacent oven or heating vent have to work harder to chill your food. If possible relocate the fridge to a cooler spot, or close the window coverings to keep the sun off.

- U.S. Green Building Council_

For more information about Going Green contact Brenda today