Archive for December, 2011

What You Need to Know About First-Time Buyers Before Selling Your Brooklyn Real Estate

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

Should you be marketing to first-time home buyers in order to sell your Brooklyn real estate? The 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers has a wealth of information on first-time home buyers and will help you figure out if you should market to this large and important group of buyers.

Here are the stats (courtesy of AgBeat.com) you need to know about first-time home buyers before selling your Brooklyn real estate:

  • Long-term survey averages show that 4 out of 10 buyers are typically first-time buyers. This segment is critical to a housing recovery because they help existing home owners sell and make a trade.
    • The median age of first-time buyers was 31 and the median income was $62,400, up from $59,900 in the 2010 study.
    • The typical first-time buyer purchased a 1,570 square foot home costing $155,000.
    • First-time buyers who financed their purchase used a variety of resources for the down payment: 79 percent tapped into savings; 26 percent received a gift from a friend or relative, typically from their parents; and 7 percent received a loan from a relative or friend. Nine percent sold stocks or bonds and 8 percent tapped into a 401(k) fund.
    • Ninety-four percent of entry-level buyers chose a fixed-rate mortgage. Fifty-four percent of first-time buyers financed with a low down payment FHA mortgage, and 6 percent used the VA loan program which requires no down payment.

What this Information Means to You

If you’re selling an existing, entry-level home, you’ll most likely be selling to a first-time home buyer with a median age of 31 and a median income of $62,400. First-time home buyers are most likely to get a fixed-rate, FHA mortgage. Gear your marketing toward that buyer to have more success.

If you’re ready to sell your Brooklyn real estate, whether it appeals to first-time buyers or other types of buyers, I’ll market it to get it sold quickly and for as much as possible. Give me a call  Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate for more information. at 718/253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected]

Brooklyn Home for the Holidays

Friday, December 16th, 2011

As a Brooklyn real estate agent, I spend a lot of time rushing in and out of  Brooklyn homes. It’s easy for me to get caught up in the hustle-bustle of real estate transactions, and I forget to slow down to appreciate the pleasures of owning a home. So today, I want to take a moment to reflect on the home aspect of real estate.

My job (one I love) is to help people just like you find a house that suits their lives.  Once you move in, you make that house into a home.

Holiday Traditions

Your Brooklyn home is where you and your loved ones celebrate holidays and where you create and continue family traditions. Whether you deck the halls with layers of tinsel and wreaths or have the whole family over to spin Hanukkah dreidels, the spirit of the season comes from the energy of the people gathering together in your home.

Season of Family Warmth

While you’re making your famous sugar cookies or spiking your secret-recipe punch with extra holiday cheer, pause for a moment to enjoy the warmth and beauty of your Brooklyn home. My wish for you is that you live every day like it’s a holiday, being thankful and spending time with loved ones.

Happy Holidays!

May your home be filled with the joy of family and friends this holiday season. There’s truly no place like home for the holidays!

Are You Considering Selling Your Brooklyn Home for Sale by Owner?

Thursday, December 8th, 2011

Hiring a real estate agent still gives you the best chance of selling your home

Are you Considering Selling Your Brooklyn Home for Sale by Owner ? Should you try to sell your home on your own as a Brooklyn home for sale by owner (FSBO)? The 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers has new information about FSBOs here is the Need to Know If  that can help you decide if you should try to sell your home without the help of a real estate professional.

Here are the top 4 facts you need to know if you’re considering selling your Brooklyn home for sale by owner:

  1. It’s harder to sell your Brooklyn home for sale by owner in today’s market. FSBO transactions accounted for 10 percent of sales. That’s slightly above the record low of 9 percent in the 2010 study, but well below the record high of 20 percent set in 1987. The share of homes sold without professional representation has trended lower since 1997.
  2. If you know someone who wants to buy your home, you’ll be more likely to be able to sell it on your own. Many FSBO properties are not sold on the open market. Factoring out private sales between parties who knew each other in advance, the actual number of homes sold on the open market without professional assistance was 6 percent.
  3. If you’re good at attracting buyers, pricing your home and filling out paperwork, selling your  Brooklyn home for sale by owner may be the way to go. The most difficult tasks reported by unrepresented sellers are attracting potential buyers, getting the right price, and understanding and completing paperwork.
  4. Hiring a real estate agent still gives you the best chance of selling your home. 89 percent of buyers used real estate agents and brokers. 7 percent bought directly from a builder, and 4 percent purchased a FSBO.

Ready to hire a real estate professional to get your home sold? If you’re thinking about selling your Brooklyn real estate and would like more tips on how to get it ready, please call Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate a call at 718/253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected], for more information and discover how I can help you.

Changes in the National and Brooklyn Real Estate Market You Need to Know Before Selling

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

The data from the 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers is now available. Here are the significant changes you need to know that will help you market your Brooklyn real estate and get it sold:

  1. Most buyers are married: 64 percent of all buyers are married couples (up five percent from 2010), 18 percent are single women, 10 percent single men and 7 percent unmarried couples.
  2. Your property is competing against 12 other homes: Buyers searched a median of 12 weeks and visited 12 homes, both unchanged from 2010.
  3. Multiple bedrooms and bathrooms are preferred: The typical home had 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.
  4. Most buyers want single-family homes: 77 percent of respondents purchased a detached single-family home, 9 percent a condo and 8 percent a townhouse or rowhouse.
  5. You need to promote your home to buyer’s agents: 60 percent of buyers working with real estate professionals were represented by a buyer’s agent.
  6. Hire a Brooklyn real estate agent to sell your home: 87 percent of home buyers use real estate agents to find their home. 91 percent of buyers who used the Internet to search for a home purchased through a real estate agent.
  7. Market your home online, with yard signs and at open houses: When buyers were asked where they first learned about the home they purchased, 40 percent said the Internet; 11 percent said a yard sign or open house.

Want to work with a Brooklyn real estate agent who knows how to market your home to get it sold? Let me show you my proven marketing plan. Schedule an appointment with me today by calling me at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or emailing me at [email protected].