My Real Estate Tips

You have decided to sell your home and move into one that better suits your needs or that is cheaper.  How do you go about selling your home?  Well, that is the question that is on a lot of people’s mind right now and that is what I am here to help you do.  Make sure that your home gets off the market.

Moving your home off the market, especially in this economy can be hard, however there are ways that you can do it and that is what we are going to talk about here.  First and foremost, you want to decide if you are, in fact going to go with a real estate agent.  You can or you can not – it is all up to you.

The benefit of having a real estate agent though is certainly the fact that they can promote your home to levels which you might not be able to.  Because of the scope that real estate agents have in their market, you might be better off going with one, that way you can ensure that your home moves off the market.

When you are a landlord or even a home owner in general, most of the time, the repairs for the home that you are occupying or even renting out are terrible and the list is long.  This is something that while you can not avoid it, there are some things that you can do in order to make sure that you stay on budget and to ensure that your home stays in tip-top shape.

For example, you might want to make sure that you are constantly checking the home over.  There are some things that you will not be able to avoid and that is faucets/toilets that are leaking, changing the air filter in the furnace and any electrical issues that you might see.

However, flooring, replacing carpet and painting are all things that you can do on your own, you just want to follow some tips and tricks out of a DIY book!

Good tenants are few and far between and I can tell you for sure that when you are looking to rent out a property, there are steps that you are going to want to take to ensure that you find not just the right tenant for you, but that you find a tenant that is going to be extremely trust-worthy.

The first step that you want to make sure that you take is getting a lawyer.  You always want to keep everything legal, that way you can ensure that no one can sue you for anything or that no one can accuse you of anything – renting is a tricky process and you want to make sure that you follow it.

Next, check the references that any potential renter has given you … after all, what can it hurt and it will show you just what kind of person they truly are.

One of the hardest things I think for a real estate agent to do is go through cold calling.  Cold calling a client or a bunch of clients is definitely not easy but it is something that everyone in the sales market or in a sales job has to do.  It might be uncomfortable but that is what we are here for – to make sure that you are comfortable in cold calling.

Firstly, you want to make sure that the daily goals that you set for yourself are something that you can actually meet or exceed, as that alone can make unwanted and needed stress regarding cold calling.  Start small and grow as you gain more experience and get better at cold calling.

Next, list some benefits that your clients will get when they work with you – also make sure to go into detail about your skill set, as that is something that will help you in the long run.

You can tell a lot by the tricks a real estate agent uses. Some of them are extremely tacky and, as a result, these are the agents you may want to avoid at all costs. So, we are going to point them out to you!

First of all, any agent who puts up an ad that includes vehicles in the driveway of the property is just sloppy. It can seriously cheapen the way the property looks, and any agent who would do that may not be so great.

See an ad that touts some neighborhood or community as a “best kept secret,” or some such nonsense? Stay away from the place, it is not a secret at all.

Any property that insists its price just won’t last is a total sham — it tends to actually be too expensive anyway.

As a tenant, you do have rights. Your lease might tend more towards protecting your landlord, but there are rules, laws, codes, and responsibilities specifically designed to protect tenants. However, you have to help protect yourself as well.

Begin by familiarizing yourself with the rental guidelines, laws, and codes in your area. Know what you are responsible for, what your landlord is responsible for, and the rights that both of you have in your area.

Make sure you document any damages in the apartment or rental space right from the onset. If a real estate agent is involved, he or she will usually document these while you are present, but in addition to getting them in writing, you should take pictures of everything.

Do not talk to your landlord alone if you can help it. Make sure there is some kind of witness. If you have to write your landlord, use email so there is always proof.

When you are leaving a rental property – it is going to be rented out again and most likely, you were forced to leave a security deposit on the property.  If you are trying to get your full security deposit back, it is a great idea to ensure that you leave the property not only as clean as when you moved in but overall, in good condition.

For example, if you painted the walls at some point while you were in the apartment, it is a good idea that you actually paint them back to white or even to the color that they were originally.  You want to make sure that you clean up as well.

As you move stuff out of the apartment, make sure that you clean cabinets as well as the floors and bathroom, bedroom and kitchen.  It does make a difference!

Factory built houses sometimes get a bad reputation. It is rather unwarranted and somewhat unfair. There are some advantages to purchasing this kind of home. For one thing, building them is not a seasonal business; they can be built all year round, which can be extremely convenient. As well, typically these houses are built in the most economical way possible.

Sometimes, the houses are even built with materials of a higher quality than those used on site built homes.

Factory built houses can be of enormous help for those of us who may not be able to afford our own custom designed or site built home. They can, in actuality, be something of a lifer. People get a set vision when they think of a prefab house, but given the troubled economical times and the current housing market, it may be time to rethink those opinions.

What most people don’t understand about the real estate market is that if you are renting a home – you have renter’s insurance, if you own the home, you have home insurance but what happens with a  condo?  Well, they actually have Condominium Insurance and that is what you definitely should be looking for if you live in a condo.

Most condominium associations actually insure the buildings structure as well as common areas and each unit’s interior construction but what about … your stuff?  Well, that is what Condominium Insurance is for.

Condominium Insurance is not all that expensive either, which is good because right now everyone is trying to save a little money.

Speaking from experience, finding a pet friendly apartment, house, duplex, town house, or flat can be extremely tough. Naturally, you run into problems finding people who will accept pets, but even after you do, some of them have some very strange conditions.

I ran into one lady who demanded all my pets be spayed or neutered. Fair enough; three of the four are. My male cat is, because male cats spray and that can be a problem, I get that. My female dog and cat are fixed as well. My little male hot dog? Not so much; personal choice there, and his dangly bits do not cause any cleanliness problems, so what’s the big deal, lady?

A lot of the responsibility is going to fall on you. Many landlords are willing to negotiate, but you have to take responsibility for your pets. You have to make sure they are well behaved. You have to make sure they are completely house trained. You have to make sure they do not dig at the walls or the floors. Otherwise, why should anyone trust you to have your pets in what is essentially in their home?