When you first set out to sell your home, you are probably excited by all the possibilities, maybe a little scared, and often thinking about the best ways to save money. Many times saving money when selling Brooklyn real estate means trying to sell it as a FSBO (For Sale By Owner). If you have the conviction, the salesmanship, and the know how you might be able to sell your home yourself and keep the commission in your pocket. There are, however, a few key elements you should be aware of when attempting to sell your own home.

Your House—Not Your Home

The first trick of selling your own home is to immediately stop thinking about it as your home. It may seem like an insignificant change and purely a matter of semantics but as your ‘home’ you will have far less ability to coldly asses its value than simply as a piece of  Brooklyn real estate—a house.

As a ‘home’ it will be harder to handle rejection, off-handed comments by viewers, and a feeling of general violation as strangers traipse through your rooms at all hours of the day interrupting your home life. As a house it is simply a piece of property you have to move. Thinking about your property as just a house, a structure you need to get rid of, will help you detach emotionally enough to have realistic expectations and the ability to handle the stress of selling.

Be Realistic

Carefully assess the value of your Brooklyn real estate. Check out the competition. Know what others have to offer in your same neighborhood and what their prices are.

Prepare and Market

Get rid of personal items. Put them in storage. Eliminate all the clutter of everyday living and make your home sparkle. Also remember that no one will be viewing your house if they don’t know it’s for sale. Get the word out in as many ways as possible.

If you would like help selling your Brooklyn home, give me a call at (718)253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected].

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog Economy Bringing Families Closer Together in Brooklyn Homes

Owe More than Your Brooklyn Home is Worth?

If you’re a homeowner who is unable to refinance to a lower interest rate because your Brooklyn home’s value has decreased, there’s hope.

If you have questions about HARP or any other  questions,I’m happy to help. Give me Charles D’Alessandro your Brooklyn Realtor® with Fillmore Real Estate a call at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected]

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog 10 Things to Do While Waiting for Your Brooklyn Home to Sell

Selling a home is sometimes a long process. You can sit around worrying and wondering when you’ll have a buyer, or you can get busy to help the time fly.  Here are 10 things to do while waiting for your Brooklyn home to sell:

1. Clean. I’m sure you’ve already cleaned every part of your Brooklyn home to prepare it for sale. Make a game of it this time.  Time yourself to see how fast you can clean one room or one drawer.  Or, take out every type of cleaner you have and use it in each room.
2. Plant a container garden. The best part of a container garden is that you can take it with you. Plant some herbs or easy to grow vegetable plants, like tomatoes or cucumbers.
3. Sort through your magazines. Now you have the time to read all those magazine articles you’ve been saving.  Cut out coupons and recipes.  Send articles to your friends to let them know you’re thinking of them.  Throw out the magazines when you’re finished.
4. Clear the pantry and freezer. You don’t want to take all your excess food with you when you move. Clean out the pantry, and donate supplies to your local homeless shelter or food pantry.  Eat something from your freezer every day until it’s all gone.
5. De-clutter and eliminate. Clean out your makeup stash. Weed through the kids’ toy box. Do any small task that will lighten your moving load.  Ask yourself, do I really want to pack this item, move it and then unpack it?  If the answer is no, pitch it or give it away.
6. Finish crafts. Go ahead and finish the quilt or scrapbook you’ve been working on. This will help clean out your craft closet and will make packing your craft supplies that much easier.
7. Empty your medicine cabinet. Do you really need that bottle of medication from your surgery 12 years ago? Toss anything that’s out of date or that you no longer need to keep.
8. Save your digital photos to a disk. Choose only the photos you want to keep and save them to a CD or flash drive. You never know when your computer is going to crash.
9. Have a yard sale. You need to clean out your closets anyway. You might as well make some money off the items.

10.  Throw a barbeque. Take the proceeds of your yard sale and have a barbeque for you and your neighbors. Think of this as a going away party.

Take advantage of the time you have while waiting for your Brooklyn home to sell.

Need help selling your home?  Call me today at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected].

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog How to Buy Brooklyn Real Estate after a Previous Bankruptcy

For homeowners getting ready to put their Brooklyn homes on the market, here are a few stunningly-easy tips to help get your home sold faster and maybe even for more money.

Keep in mind that your prospective buyers will most likely be viewing several Brooklyn homes on the same day as your showing. The emotional elements you include will have a profound impact on their memory, and will make your home standout when they review what they’ve seen with their agents at day’s end.

Preparing your home for the perfect showing is essential and comprises three basic elements that will make your home sparkle.

Atmosphere

• Soft classical music
• Simmering potpourri
• Bake an apple pie in the oven.  Or, if you have a bread machine, bake bread.
• Well-lit rooms and inviting indirect lighting
• Air conditioning or heating set at a comfortable temperature

Decorations

• Garden-fresh bouquet of flowers near the entrance or on the kitchen table
• Fresh neutral-colored paint and cleaned or new carpet
• Remove family photos or personal items (allows buyer to imagine it is their home)

Cleanliness

• Meticulously spotless kitchen and bath
• Walls washed and spackled as needed
• No clutter whatsoever (uncluttered rooms look larger)
• No pets – kennel them if needed (buyer may be allergic)
• Clean closets (yes, people peek in your closets)

Remember it’s the little things in life that matter, and the same is absolutely true when it comes to a buyer looking for a place to call home-sweet-home.

For more ideas on how to sell fast and make the most from the sale of your Brooklyn home, call me today at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected]

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog Brooklyn Real Estate Seller Strategies 101: Common Sense Curb Appeal

As I’m sure you know, the real estate industry is in a down market, and the last thing you want to do is pay commission to a Brooklyn real estate agent. Not to mention that you’re almost positive you can sell your home just fine on your own. Before sticking a “For Sale by Owner” sign up, however, make sure you’re ready for the work and headaches.

• Time. Yes, you can sell your Brooklyn real estate on your own without the help of an agent, but it takes a lot of preparation and time. How much is your time worth and how much time do you have? Before you step out on your own, make sure you can afford the time and energy investment.

• Extra services for better value. You’ll lose out on a wide variety of services offered by real estate agents.  For example, many agents now provide home staging services as well as extensive advertising and marketing services both online and off.

• Dealing with the legalities. Selling a home involves contracts, closings and a multitude of legal issues that can make or break a sale. Real estate transactions have occasionally led to outcomes that were unexpected, including lawsuits. A professional helps ensure that the contracts are legally sound and binding.

• Knowing the market. Real estate agents have instant access to current market information. We can find an accurate selling range within minutes. Since the real estate market constantly fluctuates, it’s important to know what area homes sell for before pricing your own. Otherwise, your risk underselling or overpricing your home.

These are just a few points. You also need exposure to buyers, experience with legal contracts and excellent negotiating skills.  Can you sell your own Brooklyn real estate? Yes, but can you really afford to?

If you’re trying to sell your home and need professional expertise, I can help. Call me at (718)253-9600 ext 206 or email me at [email protected] for more information.

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog Need Extra Time to Finalize Your Brooklyn Home Purchase to Qualify for Tax Credits?

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

Sometimes sellers want to try to sell their Brooklyn homes on their own.  That’s called selling your home “For Sale by Owner” or FSBO for short.

If you’d like to give FSBO a try, here are some tips:

1. Prepare your home for sale. Go through your Brooklyn home and make a list of repairs that need to be done. Clean your carpets. Repair the grout in the bathroom. Remove dead plants from your yard. Paint the interior. Wash the windows. Make sure you home looks as good as possible.

2. Choose a fair selling price. Look at what the houses in your area are selling for to get an idea. You should hire a professional appraiser to assess your home. Of course you want to make as much money as possible, but you also have to have a reasonable asking price if you want anyone to look at your home.

3. Advertise your home. Put a sign in your front yard. Create a flyer.  Place your home in MLS (Multiple Listing Service) through a realty service. Post information online. Spread the word to everyone you know. People need to know your home is for sale.

4. Get help with the legal issues. Selling a house involves several legal documents. You need someone to help make sure everything is complete and correct.  If you don’t want to work with a real estate agent, consider hiring a real estate lawyer to handle the paperwork.

5. Know when to ask for help. At some point selling your home on your own may not be a good idea. When you feel like you’re in over your head or just frustration, call a professional.  A good rule of thumb is to try selling your home as a FSBO for 30 days, then reassess.

If you’re ready to get some professional help selling your home, give me a call at (718)253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected]

Charles D’Alessandro

[email protected]
tel 718 253-9600
fax 718 253-9573

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog Getting Help for Moving Day after Buying Your Brooklyn Home