Archive for June, 2012

Buying or Selling Brooklyn Short Sales Can Be Tricky

Sunday, June 24th, 2012

Call Charles for help with your Brooklyn Short Sale

Whether you own a property in distress or you’re looking to make a good investment. Buying or selling Brooklyn short sales can be tricky ,and a frustrating process. The best-case scenario is that sellers reduce their debt and buyers get a great deal, but that outcome is ultimately up to the bank.

Below are some standard short sale trials that both sellers and buyers should be aware of before getting their hopes up:

Sellers need to prove hardship. As a seller, you should talk with your bank and then gather all of the documents they require to put together a hardship portfolio to apply for a short sale. These usually include tax returns, employment status and other personal and financial information. Be quick about it, because the bank has the final say, and you don’t want to leave them hanging.

  • Everyone needs to get used to the waiting game. This is probably the most frustrating part, so don’t plan your life around a bank’s approval. They could take anywhere from a couple days to a couple years to make a decision.
  • Banks are waiting on banks. Not only are you waiting on the bank that has the mortgage, but there could also be other liens taken out against the short sale. Those third parties also have to sign off on the debt.
  • Buyers should get a thorough home inspection. If you’re considering buying a short sale property, make sure you hire a professional home inspector.
  • The home could go into foreclosure. Sometimes [city] short sales take so long that the owners cannot keep paying their mortgage and the home goes into foreclosure. Then the bank takes it over and starts a new waiting game.

If you’re considering buying or selling short sales, you’ll want to enlist professional help to navigate the tricky waters. As an expert on Brooklyn short sales, I can help. Please call me  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.

 

U.S. and Brooklyn Real Estate Continue to Improve

Tuesday, June 19th, 2012

 

Economists say and statistics show that there are true signs of improvement in the most recent housing figures for U.S. and Brooklyn real estate markets. Here are a few of those stats:

Investors bought 1.23 million homes in 2011, up 64.5 percent over 2010, according to data from the National Association of REALTORS®. 

  • The median investment-home price was $100,000 in 2011, up 6.4 percent from $94,000 in 2010.
  • Single-family home sales rose 3 percent in April.
  • New home sales increased 3.3 percent in April, according to new Commerce Department data.
  • Sales of existing homes rose in April, up 10 percent from April of 2011.
  • The median price of existing homes nationwide also moved up to $177,400 from $164,800. This is the biggest year-to-year gain since January, 2006.

In addition to good news in both nationwide and Brooklyn real estate, there’s also good news about the economy:

Economic growth is now projected to grow by 2.4 percent this year, up from a 2.2 percent forecast in February.

  • The new job creation forecast, which is the most watched economic indicator, has also improved. The data now shows that 188,000 new jobs will be created each month this year, which is up from the 170,000 new jobs per month forecasted earlier this year.

As you can tell from this data, if you want to buy Brooklyn real estate while prices are at their lowest, you shouldn’t wait a minute longer. Give me a call today at 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].. to get started!

 

 

5 Tips for Getting Your Brooklyn Real Estate Ready to Sell

Tuesday, June 12th, 2012

 Most property owners getting ready to sell their Brooklyn real estate understand the importance of cleaning, de-cluttering, updating and staging in order to make a quick sale. However, there are also many other steps you can take to ensure your home appeals to potential buyers, draws them in and seals the deal.

Below are five tips to help you not only get your house in tip-top shape, but also make it extremely marketable:

1.     Find a good Brooklyn real estate agent. While many people think they can sell their home themselves and save money, they’re wrong. Relying on a professional’s expertise and experience has been proven to net you a bigger profit — and definitely reduce your stress and frustration.

  1. 2.      Clean and de-clutter. While this goes without saying, we’re going to reiterate it anyway. Make sure your home is spotless and depersonalized. You also might want to consider hiring a staging professional to make it inviting and memorable.
  2. 3.      Have your home inspected. Many sellers are getting their property pre-inspected so they can head off any potential deal breakers. If an inspector finds a major issue, you might want to hold off putting the home on the market until you get it fixed.
  3. 4.      Offer a home warranty. Especially if you have an older home, you should consider sweetening the deal with this tempting proposition. While you know your water heater works perfectly fine, today’s buyers want everything new and might be wary of used appliances. So, set their minds at ease, even if it’s just for a year.
  4. 5.      Develop a marketing strategy. Utilize your real estate agent and come up with a solid plan for marketing your home. Whether listing just on the web or also in local classifieds, you want to make sure as many eyes as possible see your home.

Don’t jump into the market without doing your homework! Follow these five tips and you’ll be on the way to setting up your Brooklyn real estate for a quick sale.

If you’d like more strategies for getting your home in order before putting it up for sale, 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]..

 

Pricing Your Real Estate Right is Essential

Monday, June 4th, 2012
Pricing your real estate right is essential to a quick sale

Pricing your real estate right is essential to a quick sale

Pricing for your real estate right is  essential it is the most important factor to get it sold quickly and at a price you’re happy with. Why is it so important?

A high price can turn people away. Pricing doesn’t just influence how much money you’ll make off the sale of your Brooklyn real estate, it also dictates whether buyers will even take the time to look at your home. Price your home too high and it could sit on the market for months until you lower your asking price. Identify your home’s true value in today’s market, and set the price slightly under that price if you want to sell your home as quickly as possible.

    • Your home’s appeal drastically decreases after the first two to three weeks of showings. The amount of traffic that a listing gets in its first week is five to seven times higher than it gets in the following weeks. Buyers are wary of a home that’s been on the market for a long time. They suspect that something’s wrong with it.
    • Buyers shop by price brackets. If your home is priced one hundred dollars too high or too low, it can move your home into a different price bracket and exclude an entire set of potential buyers from even seeing that your home is for sale. Being in the wrong price bracket can reduce traffic to your listing by as much as 7%. Price brackets vary by market and by price. An experienced agent will know the best price bracket for your Brooklyn  real estate.
    • There’s a lot of competition. With so many homes for sale, yours has to stand out as a good value immediately or buyers will move on.
    • Dropping your sales price can be the kiss of death. If you need to lower your price, you’d better make it a reduction that counts. Small reductions give buyers the idea that you might drop it again a month from now. Buyers will realize you’ve dropped the price. The best listing sites show how many times a price has been reduced and by how much.

 

Pricing your home right is essential when it first hits the market is the key. Let me help you set the right price and position your home in the best price bracket to get it sold. Call me today  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]..