Nobody wants to list their Brooklyn home in December. I mean, who in their right mind, would add selling a home to their Christmas to-do list, right? You’re already very busy and doing your best to keep up with the chaos of going to parties and family get-togethers, shopping, mailing Christmas cards, wrapping and preparing lots of Christmas goodies through New Year’s Day. Well, life happens, and it usually happens when we least expect it.

Most people do not choose to list their Brooklyn home in December

Most who list their Brooklyn home in December must sell due to a major life change. Death, divorce, a birth or a change in job status, can take someone by surprise and turn them into a “forced seller.”  You’ve seen the signs, “Everything must go,” or “Moving Sale.”

Ideally, a Brooklyn listing should be on the market for only a few days. But it’s quite possible a December listing could remain on the market through spring. If that happens, what pictures will potential buyers see of that December listing as time passes? The pictures they see must look as fresh in May as they did when they were taken in December. That can’t happen if the pictures posting in the spring show a home’s halls decked with boughs of holly.

If a home must list in December, efforts should be put into pre-inspections, repairs, cleaning, staging, photographs and marketing with any time of year in mind. Potential buyers should be moved by the house itself, not by the way a home is decorated for the holidays.

For example, let’s say you love Halloween. A lot of people do. But you wouldn’t go to a job interview dressed in your favorite Halloween costume, right? The human resources person holding your interview will see your costume (or decorations) rather than you and your resume.

People should not list their Brooklyn home in December with pictures of decorations

Selling a home takes skill. Sellers should work to present their listing in such a way that they bring a potential buyer to a decision to buy. Posting pictures of your home in July with fall leaves and fall decorations may cause a potential buyer to think, “What’s wrong with this house? It’s been on the market since last fall.”

If a seller is forced to list their Brooklyn home in December, the house should be prepared to sell at any time of year. Decorations for a specific time, year or holiday will date a home in an unfavorable way.

So, if you must list your Brooklyn home in December and a Christmas tree in the home is a must, put it up on December 24^th and take it down on December 26^th. Decorations can nix a sale faster than you can say “Price Reduction”!

If someone you know must list their Brooklyn home in December, call Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate. at (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 or email, [email protected].

Resource: http://blog.rismedia.com/2015/not-so-happy-holidays/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

Today’s real estate market is competitive. Houses are selling quickly. Some Real Estate Agents or Brokers are even taking offers before a house hits the real estate market! If your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent or Broker isn’t doing all they can for you, you could be losing money on the sale of your Brooklyn home.

The real estate market today is a seller’s market. This means there are more buyers than there are homes to buy. This also means competition, and the competition is fierce! It is imperative that you hire a Real Estate Agent or Broker you can trust to represent you well or risk losing money on the sale of your Brooklyn home.

Let’s put your Real Estate Agent or Broker you’ve hired to a test of quality. Ask yourself these questions:

• Is your Real Estate Agent or Broker skilled, knowledgeable and experienced in the Brooklyn real estate market?
• What do clients to say about your Real Estate Agent or Broker?
• Has your Real Estate Agent or Broker received great testimonials from happy clients?
• Have you read past Buyers’ and Sellers’ reviews about your Real Estate Agent or Broker? What are those reviews saying?
• Does your Real Estate Agent’s or Broker’s track record show they act on behalf of and in their clients’ BEST interest?
• What is your Real Estate Agent or Broker doing?
• Is your Real Estate Agent or Broker marketing your property correctly?
• Are they taking professional photos to market your property well?
• Are they playing nice with others?
• Does your Real Estate Agent or Broker spell out what they are going to do for you and the sale of your Brooklyn home and follow through with those carefully laid out plans?
• Do you understand those strategic plans and the process of selling your Brooklyn home?
• Has your Real Estate Agent or Broker thoroughly explained the changes in the closing process? Do you understand what is going on in the closing process?
• Is your Real Estate Agent or Broker doing EVERYTHING they said they would?
• Are you getting the most you can out of the sale of your house in today’s competitive market?
• Is your Real Estate Agent or Broker proactive?
• Are they doing all they can to get your house the proper exposure for the price you deserve?
• Is your home being exposed to as many Buyers as possible?
• Are other Real Estate Agents or Brokers showing your home?
• Is your home getting lots of exposure before receiving offers?
• Are you being proactive with your Real Estate Agent or Broker?

You trust that the Real Estate Agent or Broker you hired is proactively working for you and the sale of your Brooklyn home. This is the reason you are paying a higher commission. You deserve to get the most out of the sale of your home.

Take a look at your listing once it is up on the Brooklyn real estate market to see what Buyers are seeing. Don’t be timid. If you think your home isn’t represented correctly, make changes. If your Real Estate Agent or Broker isn’t doing all they can for you and the sale of your home for the price you deserve, you are at risk for losing money on the sale of your Brooklyn home.

Wake up. Pay attention. Be proactive. Don’t sell yourself short. Get the well-deserved value of your home, the most “bang for your buck”!  You don’t deserve to lose any money on the sale of your Brooklyn home.

There are a lot of knowledgeable and well-educated Real Estate Agents and Brokers out there who can get top dollar for your home. Charles D’Alessandro is one of those real estate agents. Contact Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate. Call (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email [email protected] today. With over 27 years of experience and expertise in Brooklyn, you can be confident about your best representation on the sale of your Brooklyn home.

The sale of your Brooklyn home does NOT need to be stressful. Brooklyn attorney Michael S. Reinhardt, Esq. wrote the book “Selling Your Home Does Not Have To Be Stressful” to help sellers with the sale of their home. Contact me for your free copy!

You’ve decided. It’s a great time to sell, and you’re going to list your Brooklyn home. You know your home could use a few upgrades, but which home improvement projects will add value to your Brooklyn home? Which home improvement projects will make your home appealing to buyers? Be a smart seller. Use one or all 10 of these home improvement projects to add value and appeal to your home. Best Home Improvements

Home Improvement Projects #1 – Create Open Space In Your Home

Create spaciousness and a sense of flow in your home. Homebuyers respond well to open floor plans. So go ahead. Take down that non-structural wall between the kitchen and the living room. Create a big space that allows people to be together.

Links to help you get it done

• Open Up a Wall
• Three Rooms Become One
• Before You Tear Down That Wall

Home Improvement Projects #2 – Landscape Your Yard

Landscaping could make a significant difference in the price of your home. It is one of the top three smart home improvements that bring the biggest return on investment. It could very well be the most important home improvement investment a seller can make. According to a survey conducted by HomeGain, an investment in landscaping can bring a return of four times what you investment in it originally.

Links to help you get it done

• Working With A Tree Removal Pro
• Prune Small Trees and Shrubs
• Make Hedge Trimming Easier

Home Improvement Projects #3 – Let The Sun Shine Into Your Home

Enhance your home’s appeal to buyers with light and lots of it.

• Create moods with dimmer switches
• Add warmth to empty spaces with soft lighting
• Make small spaces appear larger with high wattage bulbs
• Fix broken panes
• Make certain each window opens and closes
• Add motion-sensor lights that turn themselves off

Links to help you get it done

• Solar Tubes Beat Skylights
• Unsticking A Double-Hung Window
• Converting To LED Lighting

Home Improvement Projects #4 – Address Home Repairs and Maintenance Now

• How’s the insulation in the attic?
• Does your home need plumbing leaks repaired?
• Are the rain gutters rusty and bent?
• Have you had the furnace and septic system inspected lately?
• Do your windows need to be replaced or repaired for leaks?
• What kind of shape are your storm doors in? Do you even have storm doors?
• Has the flower garden been weeded?

Investing in home repairs and maintenance is smart, because it could be crucial to the sale of your home. Homes that get buyer attention are in tip top shape. Address basic home repairs and maintenance now before investing in that kitchen upgrade. These simple home improvement projects don’t cost much, but they add a lot of value. Two or three hundred dollars invested here could add a few thousand dollars’ worth of value to your home.

Links to help you get it done

• Insulate Your Attic
• Repair A Corrosive Copper Pipe
• Maintain A Furnace

Home Improvement Projects #5 – Go Green To Save Green

Buyers ask about the cost of utilities. If you’ve invested in and taken care of the home repairs and maintenance in #4, it’s time to think about investing in green efficiency. It’s been reported that energy savings add twenty times their yearly savings to the value of your home. For example, investing in new heating or air conditioning systems can save up to 30 and 40% of what your old systems are costing each month. You could invest around $7,000 in a solar-powered water heater, get back $2,100 in green tax credits and save as much as 80% on your water-heating bills!

Links to help you get it done

• Solar Water Heaters
• Pellet and Woodstoves
• 10 Ways To Shrink Your Energy Bills

Home Improvement Projects #6 – Welcome People To Your Home With Impressive Curb Appeal

There’s power in your front door, and you have eight seconds to use it. You’ve got eight seconds to impress potential buyers with the curb appeal of your front door or porch. Make sure your porch has an awning or overhang to protect you from the weather while you’re fumbling for the key to your front door. Then, step back onto the sidewalk in front of your house and look at your front door through a buyer’s eyes. Or take a picture of the front of your house. See anything that needs to be repaired or enhanced? What would it look like with a flower box or two?

But don’t forget about the curb appeal of your back yard. A deck, even a small one, will add value to your home in the buyer’s eyes. You’ll get back dollar for dollar with the deck you put in as long as the right material is used.

Links to help you get it done

• Upgrade Your Front Door On A Budget
• Improve Your Home’s Curb Appeal
• Build An Inexpensive Wood Deck

Home Improvement Projects #7 – Spend Some Money On Your Floors

It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, but 94% of real estate pros recommend spending some money on flooring. To give you an idea, investing an average of $600 to $900 on flooring could bring an estimated $2,000 in value to your home.

Fix those creaking boards, too. Well-placed nails, repairing broken tile, patching damaged floor boards and getting rid of wall-to-wall carpeting doesn’t cost much for the huge impact it can make on potential buyers.

FYI, homes with a mixture of flooring – carpet, tile and hardwood, are appealing to today’s home buyer. Waterproof flooring at each entrance is smart flooring upgrade.

Links to help you get it done

• Fix Squeaky Floors
• Replace A Broken Floor Tile
• Install Floor Tile

Home Improvement Projects #8 – Spiffy Up The Kitchen And The Bathroom

Adding value to your home is a sure bet when you spiffy up the kitchen and bath. Ask any broker. They’ll tell you the condition of the kitchen is tops with buyers. The condition of the bathroom is a close second.

Most kitchen and bath upgrades are costly. You may not want to invest as much as an upgrade could take since you want to list your home right away. However, some bathroom upgrades may only cost about $500 to take a bathroom from “ugh” to “AWESOME!” Consider these spiffy upgrades:

• Replace clear glass with frosted glass
• Clean the grout
• Remove rust stains
• Apply fresh caulk
• Update doorknobs and cabinet pulls
• Replace faucets
• Install a low-flush toilet
• Buy a new toilet seat

Links to help you get it done

• Caulk Around A Tub
• Replace A Bathroom Faucet
• Install A Low-Flush Toilet

Home Improvement Projects #9 – Paint Neutral Colors On Your Walls

Since you’re listing your home, walk through your home and look for chipped paint. If you find any chips, pull out the plaster and paint and take care of it now. If more than touch ups are needed, go with neutral paint colors on your walls. Potential buyers want to see themselves in your home. Neutral paint on those walls will help them be able to do this a little easier.

Links to help you get it done

• 6 Simple Steps To Painting A Room
• Paint Doors, Windows And Walls
• Pro Painting Tips

Home Improvement Projects #10 – Fix It Or Remove It From Your Home

If anything causes a potential buyer to ask, “What’s that,” fix it or remove it, and do so before they ask. Things like 1980’s wallpaper, a broken front step, a cracked threshold, pink and grey vinyl flooring are huge deterrents to potential home buyers. If you need help, ask a friend for their impartial advice on what needs to be fixed or removed. Then, get it fixed or removed pronto.

Links to help you get it done

• Replace A Rotten Entry Door Sill
• Remove Wallpaper
• Remove Vinyl Flooring

Bonus – Get The Help Of A Trusted Professional

Get the help of real estate agent Charles D’Alessandro. It’s a sellers’ market, but you need his experience to get your home sold quickly. He is active in the Brooklyn real estate market and has handled many transactions. He is familiar with terms and conditions of individual home sales beyond the prices published for those home sales. He knows how to market Brooklyn homes, negotiate and close transactions. He can provide all the assistance you need in listing your home and for the best price. Call him today.

Links to help you get your home sold

• Contact Charles Through His Website
• Call Him At The Office: (718) 253-9700 ext. 206
• Email Him At: [email protected]

Source:

http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/photos/0,,20247552,00.html

I’m just getting back from relocating my sons in South Carolina, and now I’m thinking, “Is it time to move?” “Should we simplify our life and downsize?” “Do we need to move up to a bigger home?” “Is now the best time to sell, or will it be best to sell 5 years from now?” “Will the market be as strong then as it is now?” “Is it time to leave Brooklyn?” We need to start planning now.

Choosing to move is a big decision. There are many lifestyle and financial factors to consider and a lot of questions that must be answered. Here are 5 factors that indicate it could be time to move:

1. Life events call for a move up to bigger or different. Company comes to visit. Some stay overnight and there just isn’t anywhere for them to sleep. An aging parent is moving in with the family because they can no longer care for themselves. Closet space is limited or overcrowded. The little kids are now big kids outgrowing shared bedrooms or the number of children in your family has increased. You’ve started an at-home business and need a home office. The space in your home just isn’t cutting it any longer. It could be time to move.
2. Your life has changed, really changed. Baby Boomers, folks in their 50’s and 60’s, are becoming empty nesters. This is an important life change that trumps all other reasons to sell a home. For example, our sons wanted to establish their independence but realized Brooklyn was too expensive for them to live on their own. They chose to move to South Carolina for affordability and even bought their first home. Now my wife and I need to move into a home that sync’s with our empty nesting phase in life, a home that makes more sense for our life as we now know it. Becoming an empty nester, taking on a new job that comes with a new, long commute, retiring, divorcing, etc., are all significant reasons that can indicate it is time to move.
3. Home improvements and landscaping are being neglected. Is it time to move on to a maintenance-free way of life? Are home improvement projects and landscaping no longer fun to do? Do you have time to keep up with it all? Maybe you are now physically challenged and are unable to paint, plant or hammer. If your home and yard are being neglected, it will take more money to get it ready to sell. What’s even worse is you may have to ask for a lower price to get your home sold. It may be time to move to a smaller and simpler home that you can take good care of.
4. The market is strong. The shortage of houses for sale in Brooklyn is an extra incentive causing bidding wars. The backlog of homebuyers means multiple offers on new listings and higher home prices are normal. The value of a house in Brooklyn is soaring! According to the National Association of REALTORS®, total existing-home sales increased 6.1 percent in March – the highest annual rate since September 2013. The number of houses for sale, however, has experienced a fairly small increase of 2 percent above a year ago making it a seller’s market!
5. You have equity in your home. Many homeowners have positive equity in their homes and don’t realize it. According to Corelogic’s Third Quarter 2014 Equity Report, 94 percent of homes priced at $200,000 and above have positive equity. You may have lost your home’s equity during the housing crash, but don’t stay there in that mindset. Have your home reappraised to find out how much equity you have built in your home. Selling may be an option once again, and it could be time to move.

Now just might be the time to move, to finally put your home on the market. The seller’s market may switch to a buyer’s market as more homes come on the market. Mortgage rates are predicted to stay low because of geopolitical unrest and lower oil prices keeping inflation in check. Take a look at all your opportunities. How long will they be as good as they are today? Staying in Brooklyn doesn’t get easier, and market where you are considering moving to is getting stronger.

Call your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, Charles D’Alessandro at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email [email protected]. If you’ve been wondering about moving for a while, now might be the best time to move.

Sources:

http://www.inman.com/2015/04/29/boomerang-buyers-recovery-or-bubble-repeat/

http://www.inman.com/2015/04/29/pending-home-sales-rise-for-3rd-straight-month/

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/five-real-estate-trends-to-watch-in-2015-2014-12-29

 Homebuyers are different in Brooklyn . There are basically two categories of homebuyers: Baby Boomers and those mysterious Millenials.

Millenials are today’s first-time homebuyers. They dominate today’s housing market. Baby Boomers are your trade-up homebuyers, down-sizers and empty nesters. Gaining an understanding of these two groups and the different types of buyers represented, will help you market the unique and special features of your home to appeal to buyer’s needs and help you sell your Brooklyn home.

Millenials know how to turn a profit on everything they touch. They are known for their research, assessments and decisions during the homebuying process. In the next 10-15 years we will see more for-sale-by-owner properties (FSBOs). Millenials will be selling their own homes, and they’ll be good at it. Millenials will be better at listing a property than most real estate agents will be. And because there will be such a great demand to accommodate FSBO sales, we will see technologies surface, helping Millenials do what real estate agents do for their clients.

So, what value does a real estate agent bring to the table now or in the future?

1. A valuable real estate agent will not sell Brooklyn, just a specific neighborhood in Brooklyn. He won’t be a one-size-fits-all real estate professional. He’ll go deep into the neighborhood you’re interested in, not broadly into Brooklyn.
2. A valuable real estate agent is completely transparent, all the time. What you see is what you get, no surprises. He draws no lines between himself personally or as a real estate professional. His values, work ethic and interests don’t change with the crowd. His honesty and transparency make him refined and successful.
3. A valuable real estate agent hustles on your behalf, and then hustles some more. His skills as a buyer’s agent are sharp. This means he puts in the smart work for custom, automated property searches. He’ll find coming soon listings before they hit the market or before they even become coming soon listings (think neighborhood FB pages, etc).

It is for these valuable reasons more and more of today’s homebuyers choose to work with professional real estate agents. Selling a home without a real estate agent puts you at a great disadvantage.

As with all types of buyers, earning your trust is important. Everyone wants to work with  someone they trust, someone who will match them with the perfect home or sell their home. Charles D’Alessandro provides his clients with outstanding care by crunching the data, running reports, walking you through a contract, negotiating inspection repairs, etc. He hustles on your behalf exceeding your expectations. If you’re ready to list your home or buy the perfect home for the type of buyer you are, Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, is your agent. Contact Charles D’Alessandro at (718) 253-9600 ext 206 or email [email protected]. You can trust him for your home buying and selling needs.

Resource:

http://www.inman.com/2015/04/13/why-for-sale-by-millennial-is-the-future-of-the-industry/

 

Selling a home is a stressful experience for most people. And selling your home during the holidays doesn’t make it any less stressful. But with a little creativity offered only in December, it can be done.

6 Tips to Sell Your Brooklyn Home During the Holidays

Decorate Tastefully

Holiday decorations are beautiful and make your home look and feel inviting. Traditional decorations, when displayed tastefully throughout your home, appeal to home buyers especially. Just keep the decorations simple and uncluttered.

Bake Holiday Goodies

Go ahead! Bake your own pies this year. You’ll get your Christmas goodies ready and fill your house with the welcoming scents of Christmas to entice potential buyers with, too.

Create Warmth

Keep the thermostat set at a comfortable temperature, not too warm, not too cool. Buyers won’t stay long to really look at your home if it’s cold.

Brighten It Up

Winter days are dark and gray for most of the season. Allow lots of available natural light into your home. Keep curtains open for showings during the day. Turn on lamps and other lights in your home or use automatic timers.

Share Some Holiday Spirit

It never fails. Buyers want to see your home at times that are inconvenient to you. But keep in mind, everyone is busy at this time of the year. Buying a home in December is any easier than selling a home in December, so be gracious and accommodating.

Don’t Neglect Holiday Happenings

Keep the holidays as stress-free as possible. Don’t neglect your family or obligations during the holidays. This only adds to your stress. Continue doing what comes with the holidays. Entertain, be entertained, buy and give gifts, and go to Christmas concerts and Grandmother’s house.

Selling your Brooklyn home during the holidays is possible. It can be done. Follow these tips and use this time of the year to your greatest advantage.

Are you ready to sell your home during the holidays? I’m ready to help! Call Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email [email protected].

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 Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]