Here are a few basic tips to stage your home to attract home buyers!
Candice Johnson
www.cjsellsatlanta.com
Office (404) 843-2500
Direct (770) 847-6495
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
How Atlanta's Famous City of Buckhead Got Its Name
In the early 1800's, a settler by the name of Henry Irby paid for a small piece of land near what today is known as Peachtree, Roswell, and West Paces Ferry Roads. He built a tavern and general store there that later became a place for farmers, hunters, and tradesmen to meet. One day while hunting in the thick stretch of wilderness, Irby shot a buck, and posted the deer's head on the door of what he then named The Buck's Head Tavern. Eventually, an entire city would be called Buckhead, and the very popular Irby Avenue would be named after the settler.
Check out these Luxury Buckhead listings!
Source: Schemmel, William. (2009). Off the Beaten Path Georgia A Guide to Unique Places, 10.
Candice Johnson
www.cjsellsatlanta.com
Office (404)843-2500
Direct (770)847-6495
Candice Johnson
www.cjsellsatlanta.com
Office (404)843-2500
Direct (770)847-6495
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Virginia Highlands Homes For Rent
Visit http://www.cjsellsatlanta.com/rental_homes.html to schedule a tour today. Hurry, appointment slots are filling fast!
Sell Your Home Fast, Here's How:
A well-trained listing agent can make the difference between you getting an offer to purchase your home in 1 to 2 weeks, or 6 months. There are times when you need to get your home sold fast, whether it's due to relocation or financial hardship. I am confident that each of you will agree that there is absolutely no time to waste in situations such as these.
Sometimes homeowners decide to sell the home themselves which could be a huge mistake. It is essential to reach the broadest audience urgently, and have the best tools on hand. Realtors have access to resources that the homeowner does not. Utilizing these resources early on is key.
The formula to selling your home fast consists of listing your home at the right price, marketing your home properly, staging your home to impress your market's current buyer, making your home available for showings, and of course hiring the right broker.
List Your Home at the Right Price
This is perhaps the most important factor of all. Price drives traffic, not marketing. Marketing merely enhances the traffic that you will see. One of the biggest myths for this current market is that more homes are successfully sold by initially listing the home above the market value, then driving the price down significantly. Your home will get what is known as a "stale factor." The newest listings get the most attention, and in order to take advantage of this you must price the home fairly in the beginning in order to get more buyer showings. Do not accept an agent showing up to your home with a computer-generated CMA prior to even touring the home. There is an art to pricing accurately. A true professional will tour your home, heavily research your market, and discuss your needs with you prior to offering a suggested price. A homeowner that is looking to sell in 45 days will almost never be offered the same price as a homeowner that needs to sell in 6 months. I explain this in detail in my listing presentations.
Market Your Home Properly
Buyers do the majority of their research online prior to visiting the property. You must have a huge online presence with as much information about your home as possible. Picture quality can make or break even the best listings. Here are a few picture quality tips:
Stage Your Home to Impress Your Market's Buyers
Many people think that staging is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. This is certainly not true! Often, the most important part of staging is de-cluttering. You want to make sure the home is easy to navigate, clean, and free from debris. If you have too many furniture pieces, place them in either a basement or a compact part of the garage. Your floorplan should be as simple as possible. Less is always better.
You want to master 3 of the 5 senses in the home; Sight, hearing, and smell. This is critical! Your home should never smell like food or pets. Liquid potpourri is my favorite air freshner because it's inexpensive and long-lasting. Never choose a fragrance that is overpowering though. Make sure the home is as noise-free as possible. If you live near a busy area, try playing soft music when showings are scheduled to mask some of the sounds and give your home a more serene feel.
If your decor is outdated, it may be worth your while to make a few updates. This can be as simple as changing out bathroom rugs, shower curtains, linen, and artwork. (Please see my blog on strategically placed artwork).
Make Your Home Available For Tours
Remember what you did with listings that had difficult showing schedules and rules when you were once house hunting? You skipped over them, right? Most buyers and agents do! Agents and buyers want to do business according to their availability and not yours. In an occupied home I think it is fair to have your home open for tours from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. with only a courtesy call requirement. Uncooperative sellers rarely sell homes, and when they do it takes much longer. Make sure that your agent utilizes a Supra lockbox that keeps an electronic record of which agent enters the home.
Hire the Right Broker
There are hundreds, quite possibly even thousands of agents licensed in Georgia, many of whom offer the same exact services. How do you choose one? Hire a well-trained innovator who has the flexibility and knowledge to make the best of your personal situation. There are no 2 transactions that are similar, and they should never be treated as such.
Beware of brokers whose claim to fame is their super low commission, rather than the quality of their work. Many of these brokers have tons of listings, but also rank incredibly high in expired listings. Remember the old cliche, "cheaper is not always better?" You need a broker that will dedicate time and resources to you and your family. It is nearly impossible to receive the best possible service when sacrificing price. It all boils down to your needs: Do you need to get your home sold, or do you want to be a buyer lead-generator for a broker, and eventually become expired and forgotten about?
Brand is also important. There are a few good real estate brands out there that will offer you various benefits. Do your research and weigh the pros and cons of each one.
Sometimes homeowners decide to sell the home themselves which could be a huge mistake. It is essential to reach the broadest audience urgently, and have the best tools on hand. Realtors have access to resources that the homeowner does not. Utilizing these resources early on is key.
The formula to selling your home fast consists of listing your home at the right price, marketing your home properly, staging your home to impress your market's current buyer, making your home available for showings, and of course hiring the right broker.
List Your Home at the Right Price
This is perhaps the most important factor of all. Price drives traffic, not marketing. Marketing merely enhances the traffic that you will see. One of the biggest myths for this current market is that more homes are successfully sold by initially listing the home above the market value, then driving the price down significantly. Your home will get what is known as a "stale factor." The newest listings get the most attention, and in order to take advantage of this you must price the home fairly in the beginning in order to get more buyer showings. Do not accept an agent showing up to your home with a computer-generated CMA prior to even touring the home. There is an art to pricing accurately. A true professional will tour your home, heavily research your market, and discuss your needs with you prior to offering a suggested price. A homeowner that is looking to sell in 45 days will almost never be offered the same price as a homeowner that needs to sell in 6 months. I explain this in detail in my listing presentations.
Market Your Home Properly
Buyers do the majority of their research online prior to visiting the property. You must have a huge online presence with as much information about your home as possible. Picture quality can make or break even the best listings. Here are a few picture quality tips:
- Take photos when the sun is facing the front of the home. Depending on where your home is situated, this could be in either morning or afternoon. Utilizing natural light will give your pictures the perfect touch. Never take pictures on a rainy or cloudy day.
- Make sure the lawn is freshly manicured when taking exterior pictures.
- The main photo should always be an exterior shot of the house. Center the house in the photo and be sure the roof line is perfectly horizontal.
- When taking interior photos, turn on all the lights and open all blinds in order to have the best possible lighting effect. Take pictures from several different angles.
Stage Your Home to Impress Your Market's Buyers
Many people think that staging is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. This is certainly not true! Often, the most important part of staging is de-cluttering. You want to make sure the home is easy to navigate, clean, and free from debris. If you have too many furniture pieces, place them in either a basement or a compact part of the garage. Your floorplan should be as simple as possible. Less is always better.
You want to master 3 of the 5 senses in the home; Sight, hearing, and smell. This is critical! Your home should never smell like food or pets. Liquid potpourri is my favorite air freshner because it's inexpensive and long-lasting. Never choose a fragrance that is overpowering though. Make sure the home is as noise-free as possible. If you live near a busy area, try playing soft music when showings are scheduled to mask some of the sounds and give your home a more serene feel.
If your decor is outdated, it may be worth your while to make a few updates. This can be as simple as changing out bathroom rugs, shower curtains, linen, and artwork. (Please see my blog on strategically placed artwork).
Make Your Home Available For Tours
Remember what you did with listings that had difficult showing schedules and rules when you were once house hunting? You skipped over them, right? Most buyers and agents do! Agents and buyers want to do business according to their availability and not yours. In an occupied home I think it is fair to have your home open for tours from 8:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. with only a courtesy call requirement. Uncooperative sellers rarely sell homes, and when they do it takes much longer. Make sure that your agent utilizes a Supra lockbox that keeps an electronic record of which agent enters the home.
Hire the Right Broker
There are hundreds, quite possibly even thousands of agents licensed in Georgia, many of whom offer the same exact services. How do you choose one? Hire a well-trained innovator who has the flexibility and knowledge to make the best of your personal situation. There are no 2 transactions that are similar, and they should never be treated as such.
Beware of brokers whose claim to fame is their super low commission, rather than the quality of their work. Many of these brokers have tons of listings, but also rank incredibly high in expired listings. Remember the old cliche, "cheaper is not always better?" You need a broker that will dedicate time and resources to you and your family. It is nearly impossible to receive the best possible service when sacrificing price. It all boils down to your needs: Do you need to get your home sold, or do you want to be a buyer lead-generator for a broker, and eventually become expired and forgotten about?
Brand is also important. There are a few good real estate brands out there that will offer you various benefits. Do your research and weigh the pros and cons of each one.
Visit my Sell Your Home page to learn about the phenomenal resources that I have through the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand, and my personal marketing plan to get your home sold fast.
Candice Johnson
Direct: 770-847-6495
Office: 404-843-2500
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Homes For Rent in Midtown Atlanta
Visit http://www.cjsellsatlanta.com/rental_homes.html to schedule a tour today. Hurry, appointment slots are filling fast!
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