Dani Hallsell | Real Estate Blog

  Selling your home can be a rewarding yet challenging process. Proper preparation can make all the difference in attracting potential buyers and securing a good offer. Here are the key steps to prepare your home for sale: 1. Prepare the property for marketing and showing. Begin by making your home clean, open, and neutral. Declutter each room, remove personal items, and consider minor repairs and touch-ups to make your home more appealing. A well-presented home helps buyers envision living there, increasing the likelihood of a sale. 2.Pre-listing inspection, if needed. Although not mandatory, a pre-listing inspection can be beneficial. It allows you to identify and address any issues before potential buyers discover them. This proactive approach can prevent surprises during the buyer's inspection and make your home more attractive. 3. Professional photographs and video preparation and scheduling. Investing in high-quality photographs and videos is a smart move for your online list...

  Selling your home is a significant milestone, and a well-thought-out strategic listing plan is essential to ensure a smooth and successful process. Here are the first crucial steps to get you started: Review market conditions Understanding the current real estate market conditions is vital. Analyze recent sales, inventory levels, and market trends in your area. This will help you set realistic expectations and plan your next steps accordingly. Create a Buyer Profile Analysis Identify your potential buyers. Segment your target audience by demographics, lifestyle, and preferences. This analysis will guide your marketing efforts to reach and appeal to the right buyers. Create a custom marketing plan Develop a tailored marketing strategy that highlights your home's unique features. Utilize channels like online listings, social media, and open houses to maximize exposure. An effective marketing plan attracts more potential buyers and can lead to a quicker sale. Determine pricing strat...

  Is finding the perfect home the most important step in the home-buying process? Not even close! The financial aspects of the process will determine how dreamy a home you can buy and how comfortably you can afford to pay for it every month. The bedrock of these aspects is your credit score. Sadly, many Americans do not understand how vital this score is to their success when buying a home, an auto, or even insurance. If you’re trying to raise your credit score, it’s important to understand what factors affect it negatively and positively. Late payments show up on credit reports so quickly that it’s as if the bureaus are standing over our shoulders when we write the check or go online to pay a bill. In all fairness, the experts at Equifax.com say that the average time period from late payment of a bill to this information being reported to the credit bureaus is 30 days. This is scary because even one late payment can cause credit scores to drop. To top it off, each time you make a ...

  There is a huge misconception among homebuyers that the best lender is the one who offers a product with the lowest interest rate. Here is why this may not be the case: The rates advertised may not apply to the loan product you want. The actual Annual Percentage Rate (APR) may be much higher. Bait & Switch is still alive and well in the mortgage industry. Although I’m not a finance expert, my best advice is to shop by comparing each company’s APR. This figure reflects the annual percentage rate with points and fees included. We’ll get deeper into this in a moment. When shopping for a mortgage lender, the best place to start is to get a recommendation from your real estate agent. Two Types of Lenders Bank & Credit Union: Find out what rates and products your bank or credit union offers and compare them to other lenders. Mortgage Broker:   These mortgage professionals shop for you from various loan products with various lenders. When you call or visit lenders, look in...

  Over the past few years, the real estate market has been a “seller's market,” meaning there are more buyers than homes for sale.  Unfortunately, many buyers enter into contracts to purchase a home before doing their due diligence. This has led to buyer remorse for more than a few people.  A recent report found that fifteen percent of Millennial homebuyers were disappointed by the location of their new homes. Before you commit, remember that a home extends far beyond the walls of the physical house. When you purchase a home, you buy into an entire neighborhood and the surrounding community. Gathering neighborhood information goes a long way toward ensuring many years of happiness in your new home. Getting around While home may be where the heart is, we must go to work, school, shopping, and other activities. Step number one, then, is to ensure the homes you like are in areas with convenient roads, access to highways and freeways (if you commute), and good public transpor...