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Friday, August 31, 2018
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Displaying blog entries 1-8 of 8
3000 Pinehill Road: Custom-built One Owner Home in Pinehaardt Estates
Thursday, August 30, 2018
3000 Pinehill Road, Montgomery, AL 36109
MLS# 439125
4 Bedrooms | 3.5 Bathrooms | 2,434 sqft | Pinehaardt Estates
Wonderful custom-built one owner home in Pinehaardt Estates. This large family home includes a formal living/dining room, kitchen with breakfast area, huge family room with gas log fireplace, four spacious bedrooms and three full bathrooms (one is a Jack and Jill, one is handicap accessible). There is a covered back porch and deck with access from family room and main bedroom, and an unusually tall attached double carport. Don't miss the extremely large daylight basement that has dry wall and plumbing that could be finished out for a home office, media room or just additional living space. Plentiful storage and workshop space is already set up, access is available from inside and outside the house. Conveniently located to Gunter and Downtown. Check it out today!
3230 Wellington Road: Awesome Cloverdale Idlewild Home Boasting 5 Bedrooms
Thursday, August 30, 2018
3230 Wellington Road, Montgomery, AL 36106
MLS# 439478
5 Bedrooms | 3 Bathrooms | 2,507 sqft | Cloverdale Idlewild
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Wonderful large family home in popular Cloverdale Idlewild. This 5 bedroom 3 full bath home, has a lot to offer with great living spaces including a formal living room/dining room, a family room with vaulted ceiling and space off the kitchen for a breakfast room. And you can't beat the awesome front porch and shaded by mature trees. A lot of house for the neighborhood, check it out today.
Selling in the Fall is a Great Idea - Here’s Why!
Thursday, August 23, 2018
While summer is considered by many to be the hottest time for selling a house (both literally and figuratively), sometimes circumstances require you to sell during a different time of the year. This fall might be exactly the right time to sell. Homes are still in demand and there is a good chance you will find a buyer before the end of the year. Here are some perks to selling in the fall:
- Buyers are seriously looking in the Fall. They want to get settled into a new house before the holiday season begins. The pressure is on for them to find their new home quickly and this puts you (the seller) in the driver’s seat when it comes to negotiations.
- There is less competition in the fall. Many sellers need to close and move before school starts, so fewer houses are for sale. With less to choose from, buyers can’t afford to be quite as picky.
- You will be dealing with different types of buyers. Families often move in the summer to accommodate school schedules. Empty Nesters and Millennial Home Buyers are more likely to be looking in the fall. In addition, employers who need to relocate their workers often wait for fall to avoid the hot market during spring and summer. A speedy closing is the goal of most of these buyers, which means you are more likely to get the best price possible for your house.
- Fall is pretty. The weather is cooler; the leaves are changing colors and fall décor can make homes look and feel warm and cozy. This is a great time of year to dress up your house to entice buyers.
So, if you have been thinking about putting your house on the market, don’t wait until spring.
Contact Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professional Realtors at 334-834-1500 and get your house listed and sold this Fall!
Happiness is: A Back-to-School Routine
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
With kids heading back to school, it can be challenging to transition from a summer schedule to a more demanding school year schedule. Establishing a morning routine will help keep everyone organized. Here are some tips for creating an effective routine for your family:
Set a time for waking up on school mornings and stick to it. Consistency is key. By waking up at the same time every day you will develop a pattern of wakefulness and sleepiness each day. It’s equally important to go to bed the same time every night, especially for young children who need 10 to 11 hours of sleep. Once you have determined what time your kids need to get up to get ready for school, you can then easily determine what time they need to go to bed. Child Sleep - Recommended Hours for Every Age
Prepare for each day the evening before. Make sure that school bags are packed up and placed in a designated spot to be picked up the next morning. Have your children choose their outfits the night before as well. Plan for lunches if your children will be bringing them from home. Have them ready to grab and go. Get the day off to a good start by having everything organized and ready to go.
Create a “to do” list for your children that includes everything they need to do before leaving for school. Brushing teeth, getting dressed, putting on shoes, eating breakfast etc. You can find Free Printable Charts or you can have your children make their own. Place it where you know they will see it first thing every day.
Make sure you leave enough time for a healthy breakfast. Any breakfast is better than none, but try to avoid having sugary sweets for breakfast every day. Your kids need fuel for their bodies and minds to be successful at school. Ten Best Breakfasts to Feed Your Kids
Leave the house with plenty of time to get to the bus stop (or school, if you are driving). Arriving to school calmly and with time to spare sets a positive tone for the day.
Setting a consistent routine will make mornings more pleasant and the school day more successful!
If you are in the market to sell or buy a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of professionals assist you with all your real estate needs. Call them at 334-834-1500 today!
Photo Credit: thebabysleepsite.com
Retirement - A Time to Sell
Wednesday, August 8, 2018
With more and more Baby Boomers reaching retirement age, they will be asking themselves if they should sell their homes. This is a time in their lives to finally enjoy the fruits of their labor and the last thing many want is to have to take care of a large home or be tied down to a big mortgage. Today’s housing market has low inventory of starter and trade-up properties, meaning there are a lot of buyers out there competing for homes. So, the question retirees need to ask themselves is, “should we sell now?”. Consider these questions to find your answer:
- Will you be able to afford your home once you have retired? It’s important to think long term about the monthly costs of staying in your home. Even if you have paid off your mortgage, you will still be responsible for Property Taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and utilities. Then there are home repair costs. If you are living on a limited monthly income, an unexpected, costly home repair can be devastating.
- How much Equity do you have in your current home? If you have a lot of equity built up in your current home, you can use that to purchase a retirement home and have little or no mortgage, freeing up your monthly income for other things.
- Can you keep up with home maintenance? Maybe you are someone who enjoys yard work and other home maintenance tasks, but depending on your age and health, these chores can become more challenging with time. A condo with an HOA fee might be the way to go so that you can enjoy your golden years with the peace of mind in knowing that you don’t have to do maintenance work yourself.
- Do you feel secure in your home? Criminals prey on the elderly. It’s a sad, but true fact. Elderly homeowners are often targets for scams and break-ins. Home security systems are helpful, but living somewhere that has 24-hour security, such as a manned gate-house and resident only access can provide you the security you need to be able to relax and enjoy retirement.
- Is your current home set up property for limited mobility? As people age, getting around can get more challenging. People are living longer, more active lives these days, but that doesn’t mean that you will always want to climb the stairs to your bedroom. And what if you must use a wheel chair at some point? Are your doorways and hallways wide enough? Will you have easy access to a bathroom and shower? Homes in retirement communities are built with these things in mind and often offer the best of both worlds…activities to keep you busy and entertained and accommodations for any physical needs you might have in the future.
- Is your current home in a convenient location? There are many things to consider about location. Are you close to a hospital and drug store? Can you easily get to shopping and entertainment venues? Are your grandchildren close by? Maybe you are living in a fantastic school district, which was great when your kids were growing up, but doesn’t really serve you now. If that’s the case, take advantage of the resale value that will give you and sell so that you can find a home that is more conveniently located for you.
If you are considering selling so that you can find your perfect forever home, contact Sandra Nickel, a Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), and her Hat Team of professional Realtors and let them help you get your house on the market and sold for the best possible price. Call them today at 334-834-1500!
Photo Credit: forbes.com
1827 Ridge Ave. #6: Urban Style Condo in the Heart of Historic Old Cloverdale
Sunday, August 5, 2018
1827 Ridge Ave. #6, Montgomery, AL 36106
MLS#438580
2 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | 1,282 sqft | Historic Old Colverdale
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Here is the perfect opportunity to own a true urban style condo right in the heart of Historic Old Cloverdale, just a short walk from dining and entertainment districts! With sleek lines and wide-open spaces, this low maintenance unit allows you to spend all your free time enjoying life. Relax on your very own private New-Orleans-style balcony, or enjoy the beautiful private inner courtyard from the huge picture window in your living room. Kitchen updated within last 10 yrs with granite and new appliances. Large main bedroom has great closet space. Loft area has guest bedroom/bath and a niche area for desk/home office. And, never worry about yardwork or grounds maintenance because that is included in the monthly condo fee!
The Price is Right - How to Price Your Home to Sell
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
When preparing to put your home on the market, there are a lot of things you need to think about: deciding if you should make home repairs and improvements, staging your home to impress potential buyers, keeping your lawn and house in prime condition for viewings and prepping to move. But one of the most important decisions you must make is how much you should ask for your house. Determining the asking price for your home cannot be taken lightly. There needs to be some psychology and strategy used to decide the price that will sell your home in a timely manner and for the most profit. You and your Realtor should identify and agree upon the approximate value of your property. You can use Comparable Sales of similar properties sold in your neighborhood to help you make this decision.
Next, you need to understand the price range for your list price. Depending on market conditions, competing properties, time of year or inventory, the price range can fluctuate. For example, a house with the asking price of $500 K can have a price range of $480 K to $520 K. Once you have determined your home’s value and have a price range in mind, it’s time to conclude what your asking price will be. This is where pricing strategies come into play.
- Appeal to multiple buyers - It may be tempting to ask for the highest price you think you can possibly get for your home. But if you price your property on the lower end of the value range, you will likely appeal to more than one buyer and you might even have a bidding war amongst buyers who want your home. Chances are you will get more than your asking price if this happens.
- Utilize psychology when choosing your asking price - Be careful of too many zeros. For example, it is easier for a buyer to process $250 thousand than it is $250,000 - and $250,000.00 is even worse on the eyes. Buyers feel like they are being asked to pay more when there are more zeroes included in the price. It doesn’t change the actual price, but the perception of the price changes.
- Make sure it’s visible in real estate searches - If buyers are looking for three-bedroom homes under $400 K and you have your property priced at $405 K, an automated buyer search for properties under $400 K will exclude your home, meaning you will miss out on a lot of potential buyers. Experienced Realtors will set up search parameters for buyers that include properties listed a little bit more above their price ceiling. Keeping in mind that home prices are flexible, buyers could find the perfect match on a home above their limit, but with the possibility that it is in within a reasonable range of price or that it will be reduced.
- Have a price contingency plan before listing your home - You may have very high expectations regarding the worth and appeal of your home. If you insist on asking top dollar for it, you may get lucky (depending on the current market) and get it, or you may not get any full price offers at all. In that case, it’s important to have a contingency plan lined up before you list your home. That way, if you must lower your asking price, you will already be prepared for it and it won’t catch you off guard.
- Be flexible - Setting an initial asking price is just the beginning of your home selling process. A lot of different factors may come into play when selling your house, and you won’t be able to anticipate all of them. Being flexible will allow you to react quickly to changing Market Conditions or new information and you will be more likely to get the best price for your home.
If you are planning to sell your house, contact Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of professional Realtors and let them assist you in pricing it right for the current market. Call them today at 334-834-1500.
Displaying blog entries 1-8 of 8
