Register Real Estate Advisors

Below are some interesting seller facts from 2010…I found these in the Brian Buffini Real Estate Report and thought you would enjoy them.

The median age of a home seller is 49

The typical seller has owned their home for 8 years

The median time for a home on the market was 8 weeks (that’s fast ya’ll!)

Of sellers, 50% traded up while 28% purchased a comparable home

21% of home sellers traded down when they sold in 2010

The typical home sold for 96% of the final listing price

The main motivation for sellers to move in 2010 was the size of their home

15% of moves in 2010 were due to job relocation

As a Texas Realtor, I can assist you with this important decision. There are many reasons people consider selling a home. Whether you’re thinking of upgrading, downsizing, or simply making a change, you may be wondering if the timing is right. Here are several reasons why this may be a good time to put your home on the market.
• Housing prices in Texas have been steadily rising at a moderate pace for many years, even while other states have experienced wild price fluctuations.
• Record-low interest rates motivate buyers to act on their desire to purchase a home and give them more purchasing power.
• Unlike other states that experienced wild price fluctuations and skyrocketing foreclosure rates, Texas does not have a glut of unsold homes. According to the Texas Real Estate Center at Texas A&M, the statewide supply of homes is at a level that leads to a fairly balanced market.
• Individuals and businesses continue to move to Texas, and this ongoing population growth feeds a strong demand for housing.
• Summer is always the best time to sell since the landscape looks nice and school is out, allowing families to transition to new areas.
As a Texas Realtor, I can show you how our current housing market conditions factor in to your goal of selling your home. You can count on me to put your interests first while I assist you during this exciting process.

This information is part of the Ask a Texas Realtor Campaign from the Texas Association of Realtors.

The right landscape design can make all the difference to a prospective buyer, especially when it’s beautifully and carefully executed. In fact, Realtors and landscape professionals estimate that a well-landscaped yard can add 5% to 15% to the selling value of a house. Houses that look good from the road carry higher price tags – a fact that turns landscape investments into money in the bank when selling a house. Here are a few ideas on how to improve your landscape:

TREES
• One of the best investments you can make is a glorious stand of healthy trees as part of a well-landscaped yard. Realtors across Texas and the rest of the country know that healthy trees can increase the property value of a home, as well as provide years of aesthetic benefits to owners. Trees also cut down on energy costs. When Kiplinger published the 25 best ways to invest $1,000, buying a big tree was at the top of the list. If your selling timetable doesn’t allow for planting and nurturing a tree to maturity, remember this advice for your next home.
• Since a tree is a long-term investment, it’s important to start with a high-quality plant. In the case of trees, money definitely buyer quality. Trees that are 8-10 feet tall-either balled or wrapped in burlap or established and growing in containers-are usually the best buy. Homeowners can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $1,000 for a quality tree.

PLANTS
• Add a few plants around the foundation of the house and in “curb appeal” areas such as near the front door. Or, consider using more permanent bushes, especially those that flower in the summer and have colorful buds in the winter.
• Gardeners on a budget can buy a few plants, then, add more as your budget allows.
• For an especially inexpensive jolt for your yard, flowers are a homeowner’s best friend. Bright splashes of color add visual appea. Though they’re usually temporary. For this reason, they’re great if you suddenly need to put your house on the market and need a quick landscaping fix. At that point, it’s best to stick to the basics, leaving more costly and permanent landscaping to the new owners.

Copyright 2004 Texas Association of Realtors. All rights reserved.

Below are a few helpful tips for selling your home and how to make it more attractive to a potential buyer;
Reduce Clutter
• Clean out closets, pick up clutter, and pare down what’s inside. That does for those treasured family phtos and mementos, too. The reason? Besides adding a spacious feel to the home, pared-down surroundings can help potential buyers better envision themselves and their family photos in the house.
• Pack away items and special collections usually displayed in cabinets and hutches, and move a few peives of furniture out of the house. This will help buyers to better see where their furniture might go in the house.
• Don’t forget to keep the house clean every minute it’s on the market. This takes great effort, but the buyer may need to see it in the next five minutes, and you’ll need to be prepared.
Tone down your creativity
• So, you like your house to “say something” about your personality. Well, it’s time to tone it down. Go buy some plain-vanilla paint to cover those red-and-purple walls in your boudoir-it’ll make a difference when you’re trying to sell your home. Many uyers can’t see your Picasso genius (and just can’t get past the splatter-paint wall in the living room) to visualize colors they’re more comfortable with.
• If you’ve got an Italian fresco on a living room wall that stops people in their tracks, they may lose sight of the rest of the home’s wonderful features. If you’re resistant to do anything about it, ask someone you trust to give you an independent view of your home. Better uet, ask your Realtor or an appraiser if the house looks cluttered or if any colors are too bright. Some may see bright colors as gaudy. Listen to their answers and take their advice.
By “paring down,” organizing, and carefully sorting your possessions, you’re ensuring that your home will appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers. Remember to remove about half of the items stored in closets and cabinets and toss or give away things you odn’t use. Not only will de-cluttering and cleaning help you sell your house quickly, you’ll be ahead of the game when it comes to packing up and moving to your new location.

Copyright 2004 by the Texas Association of Realtors. All rights reserved.