Aug
17
Curb Appeal – First Impressions Count When Selling A Condo or Townhouse
Posted By: Ramon Rivas on August 17, 2010 at 6:49 amTownhouses
The same rules that apply to selling a house apply to townhouses except that the scale of things has to fit a smaller space and nothing can go around to the side unless you own an end unit. Townhouses do have some unique challenges. What the neighbors do affects how your home “shows” from the curb.
You can ask for your neighbors’ cooperation if you know and like them. You can explain that you’re selling your home and are going to try hard to get your trash containers and children’s bikes policed up quickly to make a good first impression on potential buyers. You would really appreciate it if they’d be as vigilant as possible. Maybe even ask if they’d mind if you took their trash containers to the back if you get home first (assuming you can do it without going through private space).
If your neighbors aren’t pleasant, just try to keep things picked up the best you can and sweep the public walk in front of the entire building you’re located in. You might even want to cut the grass and edge it along the public walk and curb in front of the building. Anything you can think of to do to make things look tidy and well cared for without starting World War III is good.
Condos and Apartments
All the things already mentioned apply to the extent they can. Apartments and apartment style condos often have a lot of common areas. It’s not typically your job to take care of them. However, if it is not being done well, do it yourself. Vacuum the foyer or hall approaching your unit. Shampoo the carpet if that’s needed. Sweep the walks out front. Windex the glass in the front door. In a perfect world, all those things will be taken care of and you won’t have to bother at all. If your world isn’t perfect, build a fire under the person or committee responsible, or do it yourself.
Good curb appeal can make the difference between a potential buyer’s driving on by or his stopping to come in to look at your home. Make your home the one the buyer is anxious to see.
| Filed Under: Articles Tagged with Apartment Style, Bikes, Carpet, Condos, First Impressions, Good First Impression, Google, Grass, Homeowners Association, Neighbors, Paying Attention, Perfect World, Private Space, Selling Your Home, Shampoo, Townhouse, Townhouses, Trash Containers, Vacuum, Walks, World War Iii |
Auctions play a very important role in the buy of foreclosed homes or property. Thus it is vital to know as much as you can about the auction processes and guidelines. My discussion today will be focused on all the tips, tricks, do’s and dont’s when in attendance at an auction. You need to behave per the policies of the auction so it’s better to learn the protocol before hand.
You need to attend your first auction fully prepared. Don’t expect to be given details and information about the process or about any of the properties or houses being foreclosed. Banks move when they want to liquidate the property. Their goal is to liquidate the property as soon as possible because they have much more pressing work on hand. Banks never provide house details as some regular real estate agent would. Make sure you have all your homework done by the time you reach the auction site.
Information that you likely have to get before you reach the auction place are the tax details, location, conditions and market value of the house at auction. Get as many legal records as you can. It is possible that the owner or the tenant presently living in the house won’t allow you to enter and make a detailed inspection. However a careful observer can notice a lot of important things by just walking by or observing from a distance. Don’t forget the neighbors in this regard. They can help you a lot in your quest. And don’t be surprised if they aren’t more than willing to give you the real “dirt” on the property condition. A foreclosure property is often neglected and the neighbors might rejoice in losing the current occupants.
Another important check is to ensure that there are no liens against the property. You may be liable to pay them off under certain regulations if you win the auction.
Never expect to move into the house the same or the next day if you win an auction. Transfer procedures may take up to a month or maybe more in some conditions.
Be prepared ahead of time as to how much you would be willing to pay for the home in question. Auctions proceed very quickly and usually don’t give you much time to think. Restrain yourself from bidding more than the price you have set as your budget. Auctions may proceed in such a manner that you may feel inclined to bid more and more. Avoid getting caught up in the excitement and competition and stick to your plan.
It is good to reach the auction venue ahead of time. If you intend to bid in the auction then do place a certain amount of money at the clerk table. This amount is refunded if you do not win the auction so you should not worry about placing a guarantee. This actually puts an impression that you are a serious bidder. You can either pay cash, or place a check if you don’t have cash at hand.
Reaching the venue earlier may give you a chance of getting into a conversation with the representative at the auction and you may learn some useful points about the property at auction. You can also get the value for the percentage of down payment required by the winner and make sure you have the required funds available at that particular time if you win the bid.
Be mentally prepared for quick legal procedures if you win a bid and always keep the necessary documents with you. You may expect to sign a contract if you are the winner of the bid. A down payment will also be required, which under normal conditions is 10% of the bid value, and failing to do so may cancel your deposit and your bid as well.
After you place the deposit, you will be given a time-line to make the complete payment. Failing to do so will make you lose your deposit as well.
Do keep in mind that it is not mandatory that the final price be the same or even near to the minimum bid given. Auctions are mostly closed at higher prices. Whatever the price, even if it is higher than the minimum bid, will still be much lower than the market value of the property.
Placing a bid at any auction needs wise decisions up front. Happy bidding!
When buying anything, you need to make sure that what you’ve just purchased is OK and fits all of your current needs and requirements. Homes are no exception. Whether you buy homes to resell for a profit, or for yourself, you need to close a good deal. If you decide to earn some money by investing in an estate, you really need to make sure whether that estate will or can be made good for your future client(s).
Since we talk about homes, we need everything into consideration. Where is the property located? When was it built? What is the actual condition of the home? How many rooms does it have? Is it in a good, bad or borderline neighborhood in regard to safety? Though discrimination is verboten, what is the ethnic diversity of the neighborhood?
The above mentioned are essential things to consider. You cannot overlook any of these and buy blindly. Think first, than decide.
Location, location, location
This issue is two-sided. If you are buying a property to turn it over for profit, it is advantageous for it to be in a central location, however, if the property is in a run down section and you can see drunks on the streets, stay away, unless you are looking to just rent it out.
What if a house just seems to be in a nice neighborhood, nothing uncommon, neighbors seem nice and friendly? You never know. Maybe a thief or a sex offender lives on the block. You should ask discreetly before buying.
Date of the Building
The year of building is essential, since building styles vary. You may have a certain preference for the kind of house you’d enjoy living in, or what kind of properties you’d like to sell, maybe to build a niche market in restoring and renovating.
Anyway, don’t just look on the outside. Check the interior too. What if walls have holes and rodents or roaches are present? Do you need that kind of problems? Exterminators can help, but rats can do a number on electrical wiring. If buying a house to live in, best to skip over clear infestations. Even if there are no mice and the walls are in good shape… what if the building’s structure isn’t at all stable? Have the house inspected by a qualified engineer.
Partitioning
Do you need the house for yourself? Very good, then you need to know how many rooms, kitchens, bathrooms it has. You also have to know how big those rooms are, and whether or not you would be able to comfortably live in them.
Or, are you an investor? No exception for you. You also have to find out the number of rooms, baths, etc… in that house. After knowing this information, you can start building your plan, and calculating your future monthly or daily income.
After considering everything related to the house itself, you have to start evaluating your budget and maybe family into account. Are you even ON a budget? Can you afford the mortgage payment. Do you have kids, a partner? If so, would they accept to move in there, with you? Could they be as happy in the new surroundings as in your current apartment or house?
If you’re an investor, it’s a different case. You should first of all think about what the market is like, what sort of individuals or families are your potential buyers. Is the school district good? That’s always a big plus. Is it the worst house on the block in an otherwise nice neighborhood? Some fresh paint and a new roof can work wonders.
I received this story today by email and decided I wanted to share it with you. I hope it helps you in any way…
Moral of the story, – Are you like the donkey?
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well.The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw.
With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up.
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!
MORAL:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt.
The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone.
We can get out of the deepest wells just by not stopping, never giving up! Shake it off and take a step up.
Remember the five simple rules to be happy:
1. Free your heart from hatred – Forgive.
2. Free your mind from worries – Most never happens.
3. Live simply and appreciate what you have.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less from people but more from God
You have two choices…smile and close this page,
or share the lesson
……. I did!!
| Filed Under: Articles Tagged with Amazement, Dirt, Donkey, Email, Free Your Mind, God, Hatred, Heart, Moral Life, Moral Of The Story, Neighbors, Shovel, Smile, Stepping Stone, Two Choices, Worries |
