The Importance of Staging Your Home When You Put it on the Market

Our home is our castle, and it's where we put our personal style and personal expression.  It's important to know that when a Seller decides to put their house on the market, he/she should stage the property to give the house a better chance of selling as quickly as possible for the most amount of money as possible.  Staging a property will get the Sellers' offers that are closest to the homes' List Price.

According to the Real Estate Staging Association (www.RealEstateStagingAssociation.com), homes that are staged "spend 73% less time on the Market," than other properties that are being sold "as is."  Staged homes move quicker off the market because they're that much more appealing to the masses. 

Staging a property comes with the objective in mind to make the home look even more polished than what it was before it went up for sale.  Homebuyers come in and see the well-maintained look, so they envision themselves living in that space.  The staged home is more appealing to the Home Buyer, than the competition of other properties listed for sale. 

I would recommend Staging your property if you want to sell your home as quickly as possible for the highest amount, closest to the List Price.  It's a great investment that will definitely pay off and bring quicker results from potential buyers. 

CENTURY 21 AMERICAN HOMES

I AM PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT I HAVE JOINED CENTURY 21 AMERICAN HOMES. I JOINED THE FIRM LAST WEEKEND, AND I AM SO EXCITED TO START ANEW, WITH A COMPANY THAT HAS A FRESH ENERGY.

HERE'S TO THE NEXT LEVEL!!!!!

Iva Rowe
Sales Associate
Century 21 American Homes
84-32 164th Street
Jamaica Hills, NY
Agent: 516-884-6928

House for Sale NOT a Short-Sale $299,998 Cape

$8,000 TAX CREDIT ELIGIBLE

HOUSE FOR SALE

ATTENTION FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERS

ATTENTION INVESTORS

Turnkey condition, Cape House, in Uniondale, Long Island, New York

The owner is VERY motivated, and the asking price is $299,998

4 Bedrooms, 2 Full Bathrooms, Hard-wood flooring throughout the house, this property is ideal for the first-time buyer and/or an investor!

Call me if you're interested in viewing the property by appointment!!

Iva: 516-884-6928

FHA Operational Changes Effective Immediately

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) has recently announced some operational changes, that are scheduled to go into effect in the near future (Spring and Summer 2010). One of the more notable changes to discuss is that a borrower whose credit score is less than 580 will soon be required to have a 10% down-payment instead of the traditional 3% for FHA loans. In example, a borrower with a 513 credit score must pay 10% or $25,000 as a down-payment for a house on sale for $250,000, unlike another borrower with a credit score of 600 requiring at least 3% or $7,500 in down-payments for the same house...

The second operational change for FHA loans is the increase in upfront mortgage insurance premiums from the original rate of 1.75 percent to 2.25 percent.

The changes are implemented to keep the FHA entity afloat; it's a response from the government to seek ways that will keep FHA alive and still grant millions of borrowers the opportunity to live the American dream of owning a house.

I'M ON TWITTER

I'm now on Twitter.

Check out my "Tweets" at www.Twitter.com/UdeserveAhome

:)

TAX CREDIT TO BE EXTENDED COMES WITH AN INTERESTING TWIST

I'm so happy to write about the new bill that has passed for the First Time Homebuyer tax credit privilege to be extended to APRIL 30, 2010! And the interesting twist is that, current homeowners can receive up to a $6,500 tax credit! The catch is that the property must be the owner's primary residence, with a minimum occupancy of 5 years, which really isn't too much to ask for, is it?

Pending contracts have a closing deadline of July 1, 2010, for buyers to take advantage of the tax break.

According to www.Realtor.org, the response to the current tax credit law, has generated a lot of money back into the real estate industry and the economy as a whole. Projections are high as $22 Billion. It's also predicted that 2 million people will take advantage of this real estate incentive. It would make sense to extend such a great offer, to get even more people from off the fence about buying now, in these recession times.

Nice incentive, indeed.

Generous Tax Credit Stimulates Real Estate Sales Before November 30

According to www.CNN.com, the deadline of November 30 has galvanized a significant upswing in real estate sales. Great for the economy, (first-time) homebuyers, and agents, it's not known yet whether or not the Tax Credit privilege will be extended to a later date. Homebuyers who purchase real estate prior to November 30, are qualified to recieve an $8000 tax credit. This perk was implemented by the government to push buyers and sellers who were on the fence, because of the worst economy that has hit since the Great Depression.

Mortgage rates and home prices are so favorable at this point, the article mentions that even more renters are most likely qualified for purchasing, without going outside of their financial means. It's encouraging "3 million renters who are now financially well-qualified to buy a median-priced home," without being strapped for cash.

On the flip side, foreclosures and short-sales are still predicted to be on the rise, as many homeowners seek resolution for not paying mortgages. This huge flaw has taught many future and current homebuyers to not go outside of one's budget. With so much inventory available, homebuyers can make sound decisions that won't leave a negative impact in their pocketbooks.