The spring selling season is an interesting one.  With mortgage rates back in the low 7% range and some buyers still ready to buy, depending on where the home is located sellers are seeing multiple offers.  New construction home sales have increased due to the ability of home builders to drop their price and to offer rate buy downs on mortgages.  Regardless of mortgage rates there will always be buyers and sellers of real estate.  Be sure to brush up on your real estate knowledge if you plan on buying/selling anytime soon with the articles in this month’s roundup.

Real Estate Agent vs. Realtor vs. Broker

While they all can help you with buying and selling of real estate there are differences between a real estate agent, Realtor and a Broker as this article from Bill Gassett explains.  Bill explores the duties of each and talks about why you may want to work with one over the other.  Also explored is the concept of dual agency where a real estate agent can represent both the buyer and seller in the same transaction.  Dual agency is usually not recommended as there could be a conflict of interest for the agent.

What is Home Staging?

Home staging does not have to mean decorating a home to the maximum extent possible.  Instead home staging is something the home seller does to help improve the flow and look of a home.  A cluttered home that has oversized furniture that blocks paths, makes rooms look small are things that professional home stagers can help improve as Kevin Vitali explains.  Kevin looks at some of the statistics with regards to home staging to explain whether it is beneficial for home sellers or not.

Credit Boosting Tips

A higher credit score can mean big savings in terms of lower interest rates on mortgages, car loans, credit card interest rates and more.  In this article by Michelle Gibson she provides six tips for boosting ones credit score.  The tips are straightforward and easy to use which means anyone can use the tips to increase their credit score and save money.  Improving one’s credit score takes time and is not done overnight.

Rejecting an Offer

Any written offer is an expression of interest by a buyer.  Even if the offer is lower than the seller is expecting properly rejecting that offer leaves room for the buyer to come back and change their offer to meet the seller’s expectation.  On the other hand rejecting the offer in a rude way may preclude the buyer from ever coming back in which case the seller might have turned away the only buyer currently interested.  Alex Capozzolo provides some tips on how to respectfully reject an offer on a house.

Common Home Seller Mistakes

When selling a home in this challenging market sellers should not take for granted certain activities.  Some buyers have stepped back from buying due to higher mortgage rates and higher pricing which means fewer buyers are ready to make an offer.  Even in hot locations buyers will only make an offer if the home is priced properly and that means everything else is in order if asking premium pricing as explained by Paul Sian.  By avoiding these common home sellers mistakes the seller can make sure they get strong offers and even multiple offers depending on their location. 

2023 Outdoor Living Trends

Looking to improve your outdoor living space for your home, then this article is for you.  Whether you want to improve the outdoor living space for your own use or there is a plan to sell the home soon a great outdoor space is highly desirable.  In this article by Karen Highland she provides some input on what some of the hot trends for outdoor spaces for 2023 are.  Things like gardens, sheds, plunge pools, play areas for kids, outdoor kitchens and more can really create an inviting outdoor space.

Tips For Moving Out of Your Parents House

Moving is usually not easy, whether the move is a short one or a long one the actual packing part of moving is what can cause the most pain and strain.  Doing the move wrong can make things even worse, but the tips by Luke Skar in this article providing tips for moving out of your parents’ home can help make it easier.  Moving can be made easier when using the right tools and materials as this article explores.

Bully Offer?

Making an offer that is compelling enough for the seller to take their home off of the market now is called an early offer, pre-emptive offer or sometimes called a bully offer.  During the heated multiple offer bidding wars it is every buyer for themselves.  Some buyers upon seeing a home they like will want to get ahead of the competition and make an offer the sellers take now as Conor MacEvilly explores.  Not just any offer will do and the buyer must really make sure their offer is something that will impress the seller.

What real estate articles did you find helpful in May 2023?  Feel free to share real estate articles in the comments below that you enjoyed.

Real Estate Roundup for May 2023 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 16 years of experience. Do you have a home you are ready to sell now in Greater Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky? Be sure to contact me now!