Dearborn Michigan Area Real Estate Blog

Everyone who sells a Dearborn area home wants the highest possible price. Sometimes, the only way to get the highest price is to reduce your present asking price. Most Dearborn area homeowners who have placed their homes on the market are hesitant to reduce the asking price prior to receiving an offer. This is understandable. There are, however, certain circumstances that dictate a price reduction may be necessary to get the house sold. Let’s look at some of the important considerations:

THE ORIGINAL PRICE: Was the original asking price for your home correct? Who set the original asking price? If you, the owner, set the price, were you realistic in your expectations? If the Realtor® set the price, was it based on a careful study of comparable properties? It has been my experience that the homeowner usually plays a major role in setting the price. Once the asking price is set,

Is it time to reduce your asking price?

the owner may become very rigid when asked to consider a price reduction in order to make the home more competitive with surrounding homes. In order to sell your home at the highest possible price, it may be necessary for you to reevaluate your asking price from time to time.

SHOWINGS: If there are not many showings on your home, pricing may be the problem. When buyers are considering which homes to see, they may feel that your home does not offer enough features when compared with other homes in your price range. If there are many showings but no offers, price may be the problem. Your home may include the features and location that attract showings, but, upon closer inspection, buyers may feel the price is not justified.

MARKETPLACE: Perhaps the local Dearborn Michigan market has changed since your home was first put on the market. Although the original asking price may have been correct at the time of listing, it may no longer be adequate to attract buyers away from competing homes that have been priced to reflect the currant market. Real estate values do fluctuate. They respond to changes in the economy, interest rates, local taxing and zoning decisions etc.

ADVICE: Consider your Realtor’s advice regarding a possible price reduction.

If you are in the market to Buy a home or if you are in the market to Sell a home or real estate in Dearborn Michigan, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Westland, Redford, Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Novi, Farmington, Allen Park, Taylor or any one of the other Detroit Michigan west side suburbs, Contact Steve Hatfield today.

For complete and in-depth information about Buying or Selling a home or real estate in the Dearborn Michigan area or any one of the other Detroit Michigan west side suburbs, visit my web site at: www.DearbornHomes.com

Today’s Dearborn area real estate market is still very competitive. That said, you’ll need every advantage possible if you are going to get your home sold for the highest price and in the least amount of time.

By focusing on each of the 5 specific areas below, you will have an advantage over competing homes for sale in your Dearborn / Dearborn Heights area neighborhood…

1.  Pick the BEST real estate agent to list your home
2.  Make sure your home gets GREAT Internet exposure
3.  Make your home attractive, inside and out
4.  Make your home easily accessible for showings
5.  Be realistic / flexible regarding price

Pick the BEST agent
The level of service you receive, the quality of the marketing services used to give your home exposure and quite possibly your eventual outcome, meaning if you successfully sell your home or not, it all hinges on the real estate agent you select!

In fact, if you select the wrong real estate agent you might be stuck with bad service or even horrid photos of your home posted online that actually scare buyers away…big mistake!

Selecting the “Best” real estate agent means hiring a Realtor ® that has a minimum of 10 years experience as a full-time Realtor, can give your home GREAT Internet exposure, takes the time to post many high quality photos of your home online, has a comprehensive marketing plan (always ask for a printed copy), is very knowledgeable, is CRS certified and returns emails/phone calls promptly. If you settle for anything less, you may be jeopardizing the sale of your home. Read more…

(ARA) - Living on a budget is the norm, rather than the exception, in the current economy. Whether you’re trying to entice potential homebuyers to preview your Dearborn area home or just want to give your living space a quick spruce up, here are a few tips for making a big impact in the look of your Dearborn home without breaking the bank:

* Start small.  Small improvements – like a fresh coat of paint or an attractive new floor – truly update a home because people’s eyes tend to notice surface areas first. Experts agree that these upgrades make all the difference to prospective buyers as well. According to the International Association of Home Stagers, investing in small upgrades can increase a home’s value as much as 7 percent – and a new floor has been proven to return nearly twice the value for every dollar spent.

* Shop around.  From mattresses and dining room sets to LCD televisions and sofas, you might be surprised to find the home decor items on your shopping list at budget-friendly spots like thrift stores, boutiques and warehouse clubs.

For example, quality flooring is available at Sam’s Club. Traditional Living laminate flooring combines low-maintenance and authentic good looks with the outstanding value pricing for which Sam’s Club is known. Its glueless click installation makes Traditional Living flooring an ideal weekend do-it-yourself project – saving additional money on installation. The superior protective surface provides durability and scratch-resistance to stand up to years of heavy foot traffic from kids and pets.

“More consumers are on the hunt for retail locations that offer premium home products at bargain prices,” says Sherrie Towne, assistant marketing manager of SimpleSolutions, LLC, which distributes Traditional Living. “For example, the cost of a Sam’s Club membership plus the cost of Traditional Living laminate floors is approximately 30 percent less than the price of premium laminate purchased at another retailer.”

* Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. If a new sofa or coffee table isn’t in the budget, infuse a room with energy and color by adding simple finishing touches like pillows, artwork and rugs. Flea markets, estate auctions and garage sales are unexpected sources of one-of-a-kind – and often inexpensive – accessories that add color and personality. In the bathroom or kitchen, swap out existing hardware on cabinets and drawers to quickly create a more up-to-date look.

* Clear the clutter.  Piles of papers, toys and books can detract attention from the unique items that make a house a home. If your space – and your budget – is tight, organize everyday items with furniture that pulls double duty such as a storage ottoman or a bookshelf with built-in compartments. And if you’re putting your home on the market, professional home stagers suggest removing one-third of furniture from public areas like living and family rooms to create the illusion of extra space.

For more information on the Traditional Living collection, visit www.traditionalliving.com or www.samsclub.com

Visit my web site at: www.DearbornHomes.com for in-depth information about Buying or Selling a home or Real Estate in the Dearborn area or any other Detroit west side suburb including: Allen Park, Livonia, Canton, Plymouth, Northville, Novi, Farmington Hills, Westland, Redford and Garden City.

 
If you are planing to sell your Dearborn area home or if you are in the market to Buy a home or real estate in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Westland, Redford, Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Novi, Farmington, Allen Park, Taylor or any other Detroit Michigan west side suburb, Contact Steve Hatfield today.

To preview my home listing presentation on YouTube visit: www.YouTube.com

(ARA) - Only on TV would a redecorating budget of a couple thousand dollars be considered “shoestring.” In the real world, most of us have a lot less than that to spend on redoing a room.

Fortunately, it’s possible to completely change the look of any room in the house for as little as $100. All you need to do is focus on the design elements that will deliver the most impact for the least cost. Here’s a room-by-room guide for redo’s that cost $100 – or even less.

Every room

A fresh coat of paint is an essential foundation for virtually any room makeover. One gallon will cover most rooms, meaning you can get a good start on your redesign for around $25 – even less if you luck out and find a deal.

De-cluttering is also another way to give a room a fresh look. Whether it’s your living room, kitchen or a child’s room, removing excess items like papers and toys can make the room feel open and orderly.

Living room

Accessories are the way to achieve a big impact for not much money in the living room. Replace old throw pillows with new, brightly patterned ones. Switch out wall decor with new pieces. Cover up worn wooden floors or shabby carpeting with an elegant area rug. It’s possible to change several accessories and still bring your costs in under the $100 mark.

Dining room

Your table and chairs are the centerpiece of your dining room. While a new set might not be in the budget, you can easily dress up your old one. Replacing old fabric on dining chair seat cushions can give the set a whole new look. Depending on the fabric color and style you choose, you can create looks that range from modern to traditional. Top off the table with a decorative runner in a complimentary pattern and you’ve redone your dining room for less than $100.

Kitchen

It’s easy to spend a bundle on a kitchen rehab, but it’s just as easy to make small changes that have a big impact. Rather than sinking a lot of money into changing countertops or cabinets, consider simple upgrades like new cabinet hardware, a new kitchen faucet and a new light fixture. You can also use a wall mural in the kitchen to dress it up. Whether you’re looking for a rustic theme that would fit with Italian murals or a nature scape that turns a blank wall into a view on another world, you can find a wall mural to fit virtually every decorating theme for as little as $60.

Bathroom

Get rid of that old, moldy shower curtain. To create a designer look for not much dough, hang a simple, functional vinyl curtain on existing shower rod, then place a pressure rod just outside it. Add attractive, floor-length curtains from the local discount store; they’ll cost a lot less than comparable versions made for bathroom use.

Ditch worn, ratty old towels with a matching set of new ones in an appealing pattern or color. Finish up by adding a decorative frame around the existing vanity mirror.

Kids room

If your youngster is ready for a new look in his room, rip down that teddy bear border, let him pick a paint color and consider dressing up one wall of the room with a mural. You can find plenty of kids murals for less than $100 online at websites like DecorPlace.com. Whether he likes a solar system theme or she wants a princess canopy, a wall mural can make redoing a children’s room fast and easy.

You don’t need the budget of a TV home improvement show to make high-impact, appealing changes to your home. You just need $100 and some ingenuity.

If you are planing to sell your Dearborn Michigan area home and real estate or if you are in the market to Buy a home or real estate in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Westland, Redford, Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Novi, Farmington, Allen Park, Taylor or any other Detroit Michigan west side suburb, Contact Steve Hatfield today.

…continued from blog post on July 6th

Why your Dearborn area home must have great Web Appeal to sell in today’s real estate market!

In the past having great Curb Appeal was important when selling your home. Today it’s all about having great Web Appeal. Potential home buyers are searching for homes on the Internet on web sites like Realtor.com, Century21.com, Trulia and DearbornHomes.com instead of driving around neighborhoods or going to open houses on Sunday afternoons. Think about it,  at nearly $4.00 a gallon for gas who wants to be driving around looking for houses for sale anyway.

The majority of potential home buyers today simply turn on their  laptop computer, ipad or smartphone and go online to preview hundreds of homes for sale. This can be done while relaxing on a comfortable chair at home or at their local Dearborn area Starbucks coffee shop.

Recent surveys indicate that today’s home buyers want to see multiple photos and/or virtual tours when they search online for homes for sale. If a potential buyer is searching for homes and comes across a home listing with “Bad Web Appeal” (only 1 photo or multiple photos that are of poor quality) the majority of todays buyers will just skip over that listing and go onto the next one. See examples of Bad Web Appeal here

It’s imperative that your home be presented and showcased on the Internet in such a way as to create the “Web Appeal” necessary to entice today’s Internet empowered home buyers into previewing all of the photos of your home and to take the virtual tour of your home. This is the first step in turning this casual online shopper into a potential buyer that wants to come to your home to take an in-person look .

Creating great Web Appeal for your home is actually pretty easy. It all starts with the real estate agent you hire to market your home and the agent’s ability and/or willingness to take professional looking photos of your home. Unfortunately for many of today’s home sellers, this is still an area where their real estate agents falls short.

It amazes me that with the next to nothing prices for a decent digital camera and all of the free photo enhancing software available online, why so many real estate agents still can’t seem to take decent photos of the homes they have been hired to sell.  Also, I really don’t know why there are so many houses featured on web sites with only 1 exterior photo. Most of the time this one exterior photo is old or so bad that the seller would be better off if there were no photos at all.

What I really find to be amazing is why any home seller that is paying a 5% to 8% commission to a real estate agent would put up with such unprofessional and mediocre home marketing. If these real estate agents had a job with a company that paid them an hourly wage or salary and they did this kind of work they would have been fired from their job immediately. I really don’t know why so many home sellers put up with this poor level of service from their real estate agent.  Is the expectation level that low for real estate agents? I certainly hope not.

If you have a home to sell in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, Allen Park or any other Detroit Michigan west side suburb, and are interested in having your home Professionally Marketed by a real estate professional who is an expert when it comes to creating Great Web Appeal Contact Steve Hatfield today.

Article and graphics are © Copyright Steve Hatfield 2011

Web Appeal!

So… what is Web Appeal and why is it so important that your Dearborn and Dearborn Heights area home have it when you are selling?

Remember the old phrase “Curb Appeal Sells?” Well, “Web Appeal” is kind of like curb appeal only now it applys to the Internet. If you are selling your Dearborn area home in todays real estate market, chances are that the first showing of your Dearborn area home to any potential buyer is going to be on the Internet.

In the old days, real estate agents would often instruct their home sellers on the various things they could do to help their home have more Curb Appeal. Having nice Curb appeal was  important because you wanted to catch the eye of potential buyers that might be driving by throughout the week and on the occasional Sunday afternoon when open houses were held. It was really important for sellers to keep their front yard mowed, edged and looking nice so their home would have the curb appeal necessary to entice potential buyers into wanting to see the inside of their home.

 Before the Internet came along there were no inside photos to look at and no virtual tours available for potential buyers to preview. After looking at a single black and white photo in the MLS book or MLS printout, home buyers would most often do a drive-by of a house that they were interested in before making an appointment to see the inside. If a buyer did a drive-by and the house had nice outside curb appeal the potential buyer would usually make an appointment to preview the inside of the house.

Well, times have certainly changed! While physical curb appeal is still important, it has given way to Web Appeal.    Most buyers today rely soley on a homes Web Appeal.  A homes web appeal is created and based on the photos and virtual tours that are available for home buyers to preview online. Today, very few buyers will do an actual drive-by to decide if they want to preview a property in person. Instead, buyers use a homes web appeal to determine if they want to see the actual house in person.

This is part 1 of a 2 part blog post. To be continued on July 14th.

If you are planning to sell your home and want to find out how proper web appeal can help sell your home or if you are in the market to Buy a home or real estate in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Garden City, Westland, Redford, Livonia, Plymouth, Canton, Northville, Novi, Farmington, Allen Park, Taylor or any other Detroit Michigan west side suburb, Contact Steve Hatfield today.