What's My Home Worth? Testimonials Free Real Estate Reports Home Improvement 12 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Realtor Simple Tips for Better Home Showings More on Staging Your Home for Sale... Coldwell Banker Concierge

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Welcome to the home sellers' resource section, designed to offer helpful information, advice, and guidance for those who may be planning to enter the market.

Please take some time to read through the information I have listed here, as each piece has been hand-selected to offer sound and practical advice.

Please do not hesitate to contact me for additional information...I am pleased to assist you in any way I can!

Print or download my seller marketing packet and learn why Noah Seidenberg is at the top of technology when it comes to the exceptional marketing of your home! Click to view...

Featured Monthly Article!

Tips for Selling Your Home Before the End of the Year

There are some key factors that may help sell your home, especially during the holidays. Click on the photo to find out more information on how to sell your home before the end of the year.

Just for Sellers - Links, Articles, and Resources



Selling Your Home	8 Quick Fixes...	Coldwell Banker Concierge
Preparing to sell your home? Take a moment to read up on verything you need to know when preparing to enter the market...	To attract buyers, sellers must up the ante to convince them that their property offers what many want most — top value for dollar expended.	Get the real estate help you need before, after, and during your home purchase...put out concierge service to work for you!

Refinance Mistakes to Avoid

Since rates are very low, I do encourage you to try to refinance your home to a lower rate if it’s possible for you and to take advantage of the HARP program if you can. I've listed several mistakes people make when refinancing and how to avoid them.

1. Not getting the best rate. It seems obvious. One lender offers you 5% and another 4.75%. You go with the lowest one. You really have to look at the entire cost of a loan, not just the quoted interest rate. The APR (annual percentage rate) is what matters most. Your house can be worth less than you think, especially after an appraisal. The benefit of the HARP program is that it often doesn’t require an appraisal, which can really affect your refinance. So make sure you do your research.

2. Think of the objective you want with refinancing. Is it a lower monthly payment? Is it that you want your home paid off in 10 years? Know this before you sign any papers. A lot of borrowers don’t realize that if you refinance to another 30-year loan and you’ve been paying yours down for 10 years, you just went to 20 more years on your loan to another 30. So if your plan was to have your home paid off in 20 years, that’s most likely not going to happen anymore. And let’s say you know your job is going to relocate you in a few years. A 5-year or 3-year adjustable rate mortgage could be most beneficial and offer you the lowest monthly payment.

3. Don’t refinance when you shouldn’t. In Number 2 I just talked about the potential of your company relocating you. So let’s say you decide you’re going to keep your home as a rental. You have to be careful about refinancing now because your home would no longer be your principal residence. This could shoot your monthly payments way up. Discuss with your lender any potentials for not staying in the home long-term so they can help choose the best option for you. Refinancing may not be it.

4. Be aware of your responsibilities. Know in advance that lenders will often check your credit again right before closing. So if you refinance, now is not the time to buy a new car on credit or make a major purchase. Know when your interest rate lock expires so you get everything completed before that time so you don’t lose the rate you want.

More great advice can be found in this Bankrate article. And I can be reached via my Web site.

View more great tips and articles on my blog.

Find those Buyers Before Winter is Here!

As the cooler and colder weather is starting to breeze through the midwest, we’ve reached the part of the season that might be the end of regular home showings through the holidays. If you have your home on the market to sell, here are some tips to get it shown and sold prior to wintertime, according to this AOL article.

First of all, the number one tip this article stresses is that, if you don’t have to sell over the winter, don’t. If you’ve ever sold a home before, you know that you’ll get a lot less showings in the winter because of the weather and the holidays. People don’t want to go out traipsing through snow and sleet to look at homes unless they have to. So if you don’t have an urgent need to sell, you might consider taking it off the market until after the holidays or early spring. We always say after the Super Bowl is a good time to get it relisted.

1. Keep your photos updated. Just like it’s important when your home is for sale during June to remove the pictures of the snow-covered driveway, it’s equally important to do the opposite. If you’ve been listed since April with a green lawn and trees in full bloom, you’ll want to switch photos to that showing some snow and the way the interior looks with the light on. You don’t need to make it obvious through your photos how long your home has been on the market. You might also want to consider updating your remarks to reflect upon the new season and the holidays, such as, “You’ll love winter mornings nestled in front of your gas fireplace.”

2. Target your specific buyer. Is your house just a few-minute walk to the local elementary school? Consider advertising in a PTO or PTA bulletin. Located 3 minutes from the commuter train station? Post a flyer there. If you have farmland with horse stables, you might want to advertise in an equestrian magazine. Built a home gym in your basement with a steam shower? Post a flyer at the local gym. You get the idea. Think outside the box.

3. Make your home accessible. Keep driveways and walkways clear of snow, ice, and leaves so that buyers can easily reach the front door. Keep the heat on and turn the lights on. And as I always stress, try not to turn away any showings for any reason. You never know if that buyer will get a chance to come back at another time. And they could be the future buyer of your home!

If you have any more tips, I’d love to hear them. Please leave me a comment or visit me online.