Sometimes, thought provoking questions come in from readers with national or Brooklyn homes for sale. I thought I’d answer a few of the questions I’ve received recently. Maybe you have some of the same questions.

Is a mural considered a personal touch or a selling point?

This is a hard question to answer. It really depends on the mural, the room it’s in, and if it could be considered part of the décor. For instance, would a rooster painted on the wall of a country-style kitchen add or detract?

If you have a real estate agent, ask his or her opinion. If you don’t have an agent, I strongly suggest you hire one to walk through and give you suggestions.  For most Brooklyn homes for sale, the answer will be “paint over it.” However, you never really know when an image might be that extra touch that makes the room special.  So, get a professional opinion from someone who can actually go to your home and see it.

Some murals can add to the room, such as whimsical rabbit murals in a child’s bedroom. Others can severely detract from a room, such as a large mural of Elvis on the bathroom wall. Tons of people like Elvis, but I’m not so sure they’d all like an image of him in the bathroom.

On a side note, one of the good things about having an agent is that he or she just might know a really big Elvis fan who would love the home as is.

My budget is really tight. I read about home staging, but I can’t afford it. Is it absolutely necessary to sell a home?

No. Real estate agents often talk about that “extra touch.” Home staging is one of those extra touches. If your budget is severely limited, don’t break the bank to have a professional stage your home. Although I do suggest staging your home, a cheaper alternative is to borrow a book on home staging from your local library (free), or buying a book on home staging ($40 at the most). Much can be done by you once you have the right information.  Or, hire a real estate agent, like me, who is a professional stager.

I’m getting ready to put my house on the market and am trying to make sure all the repairs are done. Should I hire a home inspector before or after I do the repairs?

Hire the home inspector first. The inspection report will include an overview of needed repairs, as well as an estimate of what those repairs will cost. This way, you can better prioritize the repairs rather than using a “hit and miss” approach.

Thank you all for your questions.  I hope my answers are helpful. With Brooklyn homes for sale, the most important advice I can give is to remember that no home is exactly alike. Everything has a unique selling point and unique selling detractor. Finding out which is which can make all the difference.

Have questions of your own?  You can add them as a comment here, email them to me at [email protected] or call me at (718) 253-9600 ext.206.  I promise to answer promptly!

Selling your Brooklyn Home

It’s a war out there. If you’re still sitting in your robe and slippers, sipping a cup o’ joe while you casually read the Sunday comics – with the absolute knowledge that your house is going to sell – you haven’t been paying attention. The percentage of Brooklyn homes for sale versus qualified potential buyers has made this an extreme buyer’s market.

It’s time for some tough love, sellers – some straight talk.

If you’re not ready to do more than spruce up your lawn a little, you won’t win the battle. You won’t even win a skirmish. In short, if you’re not doing everything you can (or pushing your agent about him doing everything he can) to get your home taken off the list of Brooklyn homes for sale, you’re not a motivated seller.

Motivated sellers use all the knowledge they can squeeze from their agent. Unless it’s a matter of money (they don’t have any), they don’t argue when the agent mentions things like home staging. They ask, “What are my options?”

Motivated sellers don’t think “negotiation” is a bad word. They consider it common business sense. For example, if a home inspector looks your home over and notices a few issues, offer to fix those issues immediately. If a potential buyer offers you $5,000 less than your listed price, actually think about it. You may not get another buyer anytime soon.

Motivated sellers don’t consider taking photos of the house “a waste of time,” or posting them online as “useless.” They listen to real estate agents (their own or in posts like these) and do what they can to implement what’s been learned.

If you aren’t a motivated seller, why is your home listed? Now isn’t the time to test the waters, because the waters are full of sharks, barracudas and other dangerous things with big teeth. Before you wonder why that house of yours is still one of the Brooklyn homes for sale, think about it. Are you a motivated seller?

If you’re a motivated seller looking for a real estate agent who can help you win this war, call Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 or email me at [email protected] today for a free market price evaluation.

Charles D’Alessandro

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

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog Brooklyn Real Estate For Sale by Charles D’Alessandro At Fillmore Real Estate

The point of having your home for sale in Brooklyn is to… well, sell it, isn’t it? I mean, it makes logical sense, right? Yet, too often, home sellers seem to think that selling is as easy as “hire agent, put sign in front, sold.”

This attitude, especially in a slow real estate market, has left many a seller empty-handed. They say “no” when they should have said “yes.” They have all these reasons why they won’t “A, B or C,” rather than just doing “A, B or C” for their home for sale in Brooklyn.

What am I talking about? Well, here are just a few of those “don’t say no” things:

Buyer Incentives

Listen – a slow market or not, you do have competition. What does this mean? You may have the best house on the block, but if your neighbor’s house has higher perceived value, yours will be left sitting there.

By offering buyer incentives such as a home warranty plan, pre-paid homeowner association fees or credit toward the closing costs, you’re giving the buyer more perceived value. Let’s face it; buyers want the best bang for their buck.

Home Showings

When an agent calls and asks if they can show your home, say YES!  It doesn’t matter if they want to show it in five minutes or five hours, your answer should be yes.  If your home doesn’t get seen, it won’t get sold.  That person you said “no” to might have been your ideal buyer.

Virtual Tours

Buyers like to be able to view a potential home online first. The best way for them to do this is with a virtual real estate tour, looking at the home with a 360-degree view. Because this is such a quickly growing trend (some buyers ignore listings without them), you can’t afford to pass it up.

If you have a home for sale in Brooklyn and it’s been on the market for a while, you may have said “no” to too many things. Take some time to look at what you can do to market your home better. These pointers may very well make all the difference!

If you’re trying to market your home and need a professional, 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 How to Set the Right Price for Brooklyn Homes for Sale

Setting the asking price for their Brooklyn homes for sale is one of the most important decisions homeowners have to make in the selling process.  Why is it so important?

• You only get one chance to make a good first impression. With so many competing Brooklyn homes for sale, yours has to pop out immediately as a good value or buyers will move on, unlikely to return. You get one stab at your home’s debut, and it’s easy to blow it.

• Set the price too high and you could hurt your chances of selling your home. The amount of traffic a home gets in the first week on the market is about 5 times what it gets the following weeks.  The traffic continues to decrease every week. You might say, “Well, I’ll just lower my price.”  This hurts almost as much as it helps.  It conveys to buyers (the few who are still considering your home) that your home was overpriced and may still be.

• Setting the price too low can be almost as harmful. Buyers who are looking in a specific price range may not consider your home because of the low price tag.  They assume it will not fulfill their needs or worry that there’s something wrong with it.

How do you know what that magic number should be for your home?  Here are 3 factors to take into consideration when setting your asking price:

1.Neighborhood sales prices: Recent closed sales in your immediate neighborhood offer the most pertinent data for predicting the sale price of your home.  List prices of homes still on the market should be taken into consideration also, because they show the current pricing trend.  A professional real estate agent will do all this research for you as part of their services.

2.Condition of your home: If your home has been better maintained, is more up to date and shows better than the other Brooklyn homes for sale, it will sell faster and for more money. Updates, even those as minor as having current paint colors, impact pricing.  Updated kitchens and baths are especially important to buyers.

3. Appraisal value: As the seller, you can get an appraisal on your home before putting it on the market.  You’ll have to pay for it, but it may be worth it to get access to this pricing tool.

Ready to sell your home?  Let me do the research for you and help you set the best price to get your home sold.  Call Charles D’Alessandro of Fillmore Real Estate 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 3 Tips to Protect Yourself from National and Brooklyn Real Estate Fraud

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

Have you ever seen a child right after a huge chewing gum bubble pops on his face? A mess everywhere, eyes wide, mouth in an “O” – rather reminiscent of the real estate industry when its own bubble popped. Homeowners panicked and began trying to sell their Brooklyn homes.

As more pushed to unload the instantly unwanted “step child” of homeownership, the real estate market became glutted, resulting in lower sales prices. Two years later, some owners are still trying to sell their Brooklyn homes, still panicking, and still worried about what the future will bring. However, you might be like some homeowners, who are indecisive about selling their homes or who realize they don’t really want to sell.

Stop.

Take a deep breath.

Quit worrying for a moment and ask yourself… Why am I selling?

There are good reasons to sell:

• Your house has become hard to afford.
• You’re getting older and need to move somewhere that doesn’t take as much maintenance.
• You need to relocate for your job.

But there are a lot of not-so-good reasons to sell:

• You’ve read so much about people who have been unable to sell their homes that you became alarmed and put yours on the market “just in case” you want to sell it later.
• You’re simply tired of your home.  If that’s the case, all you actually need to do is update or redecorate your home to make it sparkle again.
• You’d just like to see what you can get for your home.

It may seem strange for a real estate agent to speak against selling Brooklyn homes. However, my first motivation is always doing what’s best for my client, including giving them the best advice I can. So, I urge you to take a moment and think about it:  do you really need to sell your home now?

Even if your home has lost some of its value, there are many ways that your home is still very valuable:

• Building credit – Home ownership is still a good way to build credit. With good credit you can borrow for other major expenses, such as a new car.

• Building equity – The average home equity for the U.S. is approximately $38,000. When you consider how much your home costs, that may not seem like much. However, when you are ready to sell, that equity will be there to put toward your next home purchase or your retirement savings.

• Saving money on taxes – Owning a home offers several tax benefits.  For most Americans, the biggest benefit is deducting the annual interest paid on a mortgage.

• Living well – There’s a reason why homeownership is still called the American Dream.  It simply feels good to live in a home you love.  That you can decorate any way you want.  A home that’s your very own.

Now think about why you bought your home in the first place. Do the things still exist that made you value the home enough to buy it?  If yes, maybe you should stay.

If you do need (or want) to sell your home, I can help. Call me today 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 Remodeling Your Brooklyn Home for Sale: Cost vs. Value

When considering a remodeling job for your Brooklyn home for sale in an effort to increase value, it’s hard to decide what should be done. Well, this isn’t exactly true.  If your carpet is old, matted and outdated, for instance, you might want to start there. Grungy wooden kitchen cabinets? That’s another starting place.

However, if your Brooklyn home for sale is in darn good condition (if you do say so yourself) and you’re not being noticed by buyers, you just might be asking, “What can I do to improve?”

Well, for frustrated, confused homeowners, there is good news. You don’t have to guess. Twenty-two years ago, Remodeling magazine, with cooperation from REALTOR® Magazine, began publishing an annual “Cost vs. Value Report.” This report covers 33 possible home remodeling projects over 80 cities.

The recouped cost for many of these projects has been slowly declining since 2006 or, in some cases, rapidly dropping. However, the recently released 2009-10 Cost vs. Value Report for home remodeling shows some surprising increases.

If you just look at the trends from 2008-09 to 2009-10, you might think any type of addition or change would be a waste of money. When looking over the report, though, pay attention to the recouped cost. For instance, a little red arrow says a wooden deck addition is dropping in resale value, while the recouped cost is still 80.6%. Not bad in a hard buyer’s market.

If you don’t want to look at the report, I understand – it’s a lot of numbers. So, I’ve summarized some of the important bits for you:

Recouped cost of 75% or above

• Attic bedroom – 83% (up from 2008)
• Basement remodel – 75.4% (up)
• Wooden deck addition – 80.6% (up)
• Steel entry door replacement – 128.9% (up)
• Minor kitchen remodel – 78.3% (down)
• Vinyl siding replacement – 79.9% (down)
• Vinyl window replacement – 76.6% (down)
• Foam-backed vinyl siding replacement – 79.0% (down)
• Fiber-cement siding replacement – 83.6% (down)
• Vinyl window replacement – 76.5% (down)

Rising Trends from 2008 – 2009/10

• Fiberglass grand entrance
• Roofing replacement
• Steel entry door replacement
• Fiberglass entry door replacement
• Basement remodel
• Backup power generator
• Attic bedroom

So, where will you get the best bang for your buck for home remodeling? The trends say replacements. Buyers want security (steel doors), shelter (roofing) and energy savers (windows). They want the exterior to look good for less work (siding) and maybe an extra guest or child bedroom (attic). The great thing for you is:  they’re willing to pay for it.

If you’re still wondering whether you’re remodeling the right area of your Brooklyn home for sale, read the report.

If you’d like to sell your home or are looking for a new home that’s already been remodeled (or that you can remodel), I can help. Call me today 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 I’ll Sell My Own Brooklyn Real Estate, Thanks

We, meaning the real estate industry, say, “It’s a buyer’s market!”  Buyers think that means that deals are available out in the big wide world of Brooklyn homes for sale. Although that’s true, it’s not the whole truth. The whole truth is that money pits, bad deals and half-hearted sellers still exist. Without careful consideration, you may not get the deal you expected.

If you’re in the market for one of the Brooklyn homes for sale, follow these tips to help you get a great deal:

1. Go back to school. In other words, do your homework. Yes, due to the buyer’s market, you have an advantage, but you still need to do your research.  Talk with a real estate agent who specializes in the area and look at the prices of homes sold within the past year. The main point of the research is to find out how much homes are actually selling for in the area in which you want to live, and to determine if you can afford to buy there.

1. Line up the home team. Be prepared to jump on a deal as soon as you find it. Get pre-approved for a mortgage. Gather your real estate agent, home inspector and insurance agent. By having this team of real estate professionals on hand, the transaction will be smoother and faster.

1. Look for motivation. There are motivated sellers and not-so-motivated sellers who just “think” they “might” want to sell if “the right buyer” comes along (quotes are so handy, aren’t they?). You don’t have to guess which is which, however. Has the price been reduced? Is the home vacant? These clues lead to a motivated seller, willing to genuinely negotiate to get the home sold.

1. Don’t buy angry. One of the worst mistakes a buyer can do is to get into a war with the home seller. Emotions grab hold and you find yourself in a fierce competition based on who’s going to WIN WIN WIN! If you find yourself in this situation, learn how to negotiate and listen to your real estate agent’s advice. If you don’t, your great deal can turn into a big mess.

There are plenty of Brooklyn homes for sale out there and great deals to be had, but being cautious is the best way to get the best deal.

Are you a motivated seller or a buyer looking for a great deal? I can help. Call me now at (718) 253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected] to get started!

Charles D’Alessandro

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

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog I’ll Sell My Own Brooklyn Real Estate, Thanks

— @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

The Federal Government envisions a secure and stable marketplace for national and Brooklyn homes for sale, thus their involvement. We may or may not like the politics, but the fact remains that the marketplace has stabilized somewhat, and prices are leveling in anticipation of an upward turn.

No matter the actual state of the market, the simple fact is that motivated buyers and sellers for Brooklyn homes for sale do still exist. If not, a lot less people would visit this site.

If you market your home correctly, the opportunity to sell is still promising. After all, interest rates are favorable, prices are realistic and the government has thrown some interesting incentives to buyers, sellers and lenders alike.

You and your real estate agent have the ability to induce buyers to act.  If your agent is experienced, he or she will work with you to develop incentives and add appeal to the transaction.

Step 1:  Provide Factual Information

Facts outweigh rumor, and having provable information helps get rid of the buyer’s reservations.  Here are some of the main facts you and your agent need to have at your fingertips in order to induce buyers to act:

• Knowledge of all local, state and federal tax incentives available to residents of your area
• Knowledge of all projected closing costs
• An understanding of the buyer’s financial and domestic qualifications
• Complete knowledge of the school system and all community services and costs
• Expertise concerning the history and composition of the home
• Knowledge of any planned growth in the area

Step 2:  Provide Incentives

The “incentivizing” (no, that’s not a real word) of your home involves several factors. Some incentives may be more creative than others.  Here are a few ideas:

• Offer a one-year home warranty program through a third party provider. This is a popular way to relieve buyers of some of their reservations. The idea is based on getting rid of unexpected expenses and the possibility of hidden costs.
• Have the seller pay part of the closing costs.
• Combine the above two incentives with a flexible closing date to make Brooklyn homes for sale that much more attractive.

Want help “incentivizing” your home to get it sold?  Give me a call today at (718)253-9600 ext.206 or email me at [email protected] to find out how I can help sell your home.

Charles D’Alessandro

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

Brooklyn Real Estate Blog 6 Things to Consider When Looking at Condos in Brooklyn

If you have a home for sale in Brooklyn or anywhere else in the U.S., you may have heard of the term “disclosure.”  What is it, why is it important, and what does it entail?

What is disclosure?

First, disclosure is the act of informing a buyer about any issues that your home for sale in Brooklyn may have. For instance, if the home has water damage in the basement, you may have to tell the potential buyer about it. I say, “may have to,” because in some states disclosure is a legal issue. In some states, not disclosing issues may be illegal, while in other states, non-disclosure is perfectly legal.

Why is disclosure important?

Real estate transactions are fraught with pitfalls, many of which can end with a lawsuit. Non-disclosure is one of the pitfalls. Several sales throughout the years have ended in non-disclosure lawsuits, where the homebuyer believes, basically, that the homeowner knew a problem existed. The seller didn’t let the buyer know about the issue, which left the buyer feeling as if they’d been scammed – thus, the lawsuit.

What should I disclose to the buyer?

Many real estate agents (including myself), follow a simple rule when it comes to disclosure. “If you wonder whether you should tell the buyer about something, you probably should.” While disclosing problems may mean a lower sales price, not sharing may have you paying more than you ever wanted to in legal fees.

Some things, such as a violent death in the house, have a statute of limitations in most states. For instance, with few exceptions, California Civil Code 1710.2 requires that you tell the potential buyer if the death happened less than three years prior.

Certain disclosures are required, such as lead based paint, the presence of asbestos, or if there’s ever been toxic mold or termites. The rest of the requirements vary from state to state.

As you can see, disclosure isn’t a minor issue. What you have to share versus what you should share, however, all depends on whether you have a home for sale in Brooklyn or elsewhere in the U.S. If you’re up front, you’ll have a much better chance of keeping the money you made off the sale, versus spending it in legal fees.

If you’re trying to sell your home, 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 The Emotional Aspects of Buying a Brooklyn Home