As the weather warms up home sellers will start the process (if not already started) of getting their home ready for sale.  A well prepared home will mean eager buyers ready to make offers at the right price.  Certainly homeowners have many options these days for getting a home sold but the best option for getting the most money means fresh paint, cleaned or new carpets, and repairs.  A majority of buyers today are looking for ready to move in homes.  Use the articles in this month’s roundup to get ready for the spring buying/selling season.

What Not To Do When Selling A Home

In order to get the best value of a home when putting it up for sale there are certain steps homeowners should take to make sure home buyers take notice.  This article from Luke Skar looks at ten things home sellers should avoid when listing their home for sale.  Home sellers should be striving to complete all repairs, depersonalize the home, make sure the home is spotless and more.  Buyers these days love a move in ready home and will be ready to put their best offer forward when they find that home.

What To Consider When Buying A Home?

A home is more than just the sum of its parts and home buyers need to be looking beyond just the things seen in pictures or written in the description as this article from Bill Gassett points out.  The size of rooms and whether they will fit your furniture, location of the laundry room, the layout of the house as well as the exterior aspects of the home should be considered when looking a home for purchase.  A home is a long term financial commitment so making sure the home is right for you in will ensure a long time of happy enjoyment.

Great Ideas For The Small Garden

Just because a home has a small yard does not mean it can’t look great.  Homeowners (or home sellers) with small yards are still able to have great curb appeal with the right mix of vegetation as Sharon Paxson points out.  Whether the homeowner wants a vegetable garden or flower garden there are plenty of variety in plantings out there to satisfy those looking to make the small yard garden look great.  Homeowners need to take advantage of the existing ground space as well as the space above the ground get the best garden that neighbors will envy.

Different Real Estate Investing Options To Consider

There are more investing options for real estate than just buying a house and renting it out.  Real estate investors can consider short term rentals, investing in mortgage notes, house hacking, buying land, fix and flip investing and more as this article from Spark Rental points out.  Depending on the ultimate goal the real estate investor is looking for and the amount of time they want to commit different real estate strategies will work better over others and investors should take the time to explore the different options.

Picking The Right Listing Agent

Picking the right professional to help you sell a home is more than just finding the first agent that pops up into your view.  A lot of agents pay to get put on billboards, bus benches, grocery carts, magazines and more but that does not necessarily mean they are the best agent for the job.  In this article by Glenn Shelhammer home sellers should be looking beneath the surface to find the best agent to help sell their home.  Look to personal referrals, online reviews, and an in person interview to get the feel if the particular agent would be the right fit for you.

FICO 10 Credit Scores and Buying A Home

One credit score is not always like another credit score when issued by FICO.  With FICO the credit scores undergo version changes where by different information may be added or dropped for consideration in the overall credit score.  In this article from Petra Norris she explores whether the recent FICO 10 credit score will affect home buyers.  An increase or a decrease in a credit score could mean paying more or less on a mortgage loan and thus changes what a buyer may want to buy based on the price.  But the different credit score versions are not always followed by creditors like mortgage lenders as the article explores.

Repairing Cracked Foundations

Whether you own a home that you want to sell which has a cracked foundation or you want to buy a home but are worried about the foundation, knowing about the repair process can help make a better buyer decision.  Depending on the extent of the cracks the cost to repair can vary and is best performed by a professional who will give a warranty as Kevin Vitali explains. Repairing a cracked foundation will help prevent water, insect and radon gas intrusions into the home.  A professional should be brought in to evaluate the crack to determine what kind of repair may be in order.

Can A Home Help You Build Wealth

Homeownership is often equated with building wealth but that may not happen all the time.  Homeowners do need to make investments in their home on an ongoing basis in order to retain the home’s value.  This article from Karen Highland explores why homeownership is a great way to build wealth.  Homeowners have a more stable platform with which can help with not only feeling financially wealthy but also feeling wealthy in non-financial ways.  Whereas homeowners over time are building equity in a home renters more often than not are helping to build the equity of the building owner.

Major Home Inspection Issues

With a home inspection a home buyer (or home seller) is getting a report on the current condition of a home. The report includes information on common issue areas as well as areas which require prompt attention due to the safety related nature of them as this article from Paul Sian explores. Home buyers need to consider getting additional input on home inspection matters in order to make sure that the home they will be buying is a good investment that will stand the test of time.

Final Thoughts

The process of buying or selling a home requires planning ahead of time to make sure everything is done right.  Feel free to share any articles you have found that you think would be beneficial to others in the comment section below.

The Real Estate Roundup for February 2020 was provided by Greater Cincinnati Area Luxury Realtor Paul Sian of United Real Estate Home Connections. Paul is a licensed real estate agent in the states of Ohio and Kentucky and has over 14 years of experience. Feel free to contact Paul for all your Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky real estate needs.