When you’ve done everything to get your home ready to sell and it just isn’t moving, it’s time to think about your next move.  It’s important to know when to adjust the price, especially in declining markets and buyers’ markets. In his Real Estate Blog, LeRoy Houser provides some clues that it’s time to drop your listing price. The house has not been shown in the first 2 weeks of the listing. When more than two potential buyers or realtors tell you or your realtor that the house is overpriced. The property has been shown four times without an offer. You... [more...]

Many companies offer relocating employees a bonus for selling their home quickly, as part of the benefit package.  The Amy B Sells Team will ensure your house sells as fast as possible to help you get your relocation pre-buyout bonus.  Our team has an average of 35 days on market for our listings and sells those listings at an average of 97% of the list price.  Nearly every time we sell a home, we beat the area’s average list to sale rate.  Let us help you sell fast and for the most money!  Amy focuses 100% of her time on the listing side of the business, and with a focus like that you... [more...]

Chiquita Moves Headquarters from Cincinnati to Charlotte Chiquita Brands International, Inc. announced their plan today to move their corporate headquarters from Cincinnati, Ohio to Charlotte, North Carolina.  North Carolina’s economic development panel approved more than $22 million in incentive deals to lure the company out of Cincinnati.  Ohio was only able to offer $6 to $7 million.  In addition to benefits from the incentive deal, Chiquita expects the move to reduce their long-term operating costs by more than $4 million annually during the next decade, including lower rental rates... [more...]

Many of us have switched to compact flourescent lightbulbs, or CFLs, in order to save money on our energy bills. You may notice that the light produced by these bulbs is a little different — and it’s not ideal when you put your home on the market. Feel free to love the money saving CFLs, just protect your investment by packing them away to take to your new home with you. Replace them with regular incandescent bulbs when you prepare your home for showings. I always say “more light!” — you want your home to be as bright as possible when you show it. Open curtains,... [more...]

According to the most recent Cost vs. Value report, nine of the 10 most cost-effective home projects are completed outside the home. Kitchen and bath remodels may still be on the top of many buyers’s lists, but they may not give you the same return on your investment as upgrades you make to your exterior. Many of these upgrades can actually lower your energy costs — sellers can find a lot of value in making some of these upgrades. This continual value may explain why the return on investment is so high. The top ten return-on-investment projects and percentage returned: Entry Door Replacement... [more...]

Putting your house on the market, but hoping for a little holiday cheer? Wondering if it would be okay to put up a few holiday decorations? Yes, it can be a really good thing BUT you must be subtle. It’s nice to have some holiday cheer in your home if you are selling this time of year. Anything you can do to make your home look attractive and homey is good. You don’t want your house to look cold next to other listings. But you also do not want it to look tacky, overdone, crowded or too religious. Here are a few good guidelines: Go for class: Pull out only decorations that are very... [more...]

My Recipe for Selling Success and Why it’s Really Just a Piece of Cake I am a big believer in receiving training from the experts. I seek out training in Real Estate, as well as opportunities to gain expertise in my other interests. My love for making cakes and cupcakes led me to earn my diploma in the Wilton Method of Cake Decorating from the Fantasy in Frosting School in Newport, Kentucky. I know it sounds odd, but I have drawn many Real Estate analogies from the lessons I learned in this class. In baking and icing a cake, there are many ingredients and applications for those ingredients.... [more...]

Everyone always thinks they can go it alone. You can, but it if you think it will be easier or cheaper, you will be disappointed. There’s always some new website or service that says it will substitute for an agent, but you’re never going to get the same protection. For both buyers and sellers this is true — it can cost you money! Investopia has outlined five reasons you still need a Realtor in this market. Better access/more convenience. Being Realtor is my full time job! I have access to all the databases, information, and qualified professionals you need to buy or sell a... [more...]

I can’t stress enough to my clients how important it is not to overprice their home. Many people think, “why not? Price it higher and see if anyone will pay it!” We’re going to discuss some of the reasons why this does not work. OVERPRICING WILL BRING FEWER BUYERS TO YOUR LISTING. Internet Searches When you list your home too high, you prevent some buyers from even finding you. Many buyers start looking for their new home before they even call an agent. These buyers are searching online, and will pick a price range in which to look. If your house is appropriate for them,... [more...]

The National Association of Realtors has reported a rise in existing home sales nationally in April. (Existing home sales means transaction closings on single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops.) This is on top of a rise in March as well. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist said the gain was not surprising. “The upswing in April existing-home sales was expected because of the tax credit inducement, and no doubt there will be some temporary fallback in the months immediately after it expires, but other factors also are supporting the market,” he said. “For people who were on the... [more...]

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