Rising real estate inventories are presenting buyers with more options and sellers with more competition.  In the center of it all, you’ll find the guidance and expertise of real estate agents and brokers.  If you price a home reasonably, buyers will buy.  If buyers make a reasonable offer, sellers will sell.  It really is that simple.

For sellers, pricing is still the biggest factor in a listing’s success or failure.  Sellers, buyers and real estate agents all stand to lose from an overpriced property.

Likewise, buyers also need to be aware that negotiating skills are more critical now than ever.  Contrary to widespread media reports of sellers panicking under the weight of foreclosure, most sellers are in fact in good enough shape to wait for a fair offer.

Buyers and sellers are still coming together in record numbers that would have been unthinkable just ten years ago.  What everyone needs now is a big dose of perspective, since most home sales are still taking place for the most traditional of reasons: job relocation, growing families, retirement, or even simply downsizing.

Whether buying or selling, your best insurance for a satisfactory sale or purchase is with the knowledge and skills of a REALTOR®.  If you’re unsure about our local market, schedule a cost-free, no obligation consultation with an Associate Broker from Don Kingsley Real Estate.  Then move with confidence!

Call me if you need assistance with your real estate decisions.  If you prefer, email me at donkingsley@kingsleyrealestate.com.  I will be happy to share my knowledge with you at no cost or obligation.

While the pundits determine whether the real estate market is plunging or recovering, buyers are in the unique position of looking at a glass that is half full, not half empty.  When sales are slow, that’s actually a good thing for qualified buyers, and there has not been a better time to consider finally purchasing that vacation home.

Your second home is not a short-term investment, like those that have been “flipped” in recent years.  Your vacation home is meant to be a long-term investment that pays big dividends not only in appreciation, but also in recreation and great family memories.

Today’s market allows you to take more time to do your research and make your decision.  Start by connecting with a real estate agent in the area you’re interested in, and have them watch that market like a hawk to alert you to possible buying opportunities.

Don’t focus on what the market is doing now… look ahead and consider the value of your purchase several years from now.  Because real estate nearly always appreciates, you can buy more home now than you could further down the line.

Property is still a terrific long-term investment, regardless of current market conditions.  Knowing that you can always rent your second home might just prove to be a great strategy for making second home ownership a real possibility!

Call me if you need assistance with your real estate decisions.  If you prefer, email me at donkingsley@kingsleyrealestate.com.  I will be happy to share my knowledge with you at no cost or obligation.

There are a number of things that buyers see as red flags when they preview a home.  These consist of obvious things that have not been taken care of by the present owner.

To name a few:

• Unkempt yard
  
• Unpainted front porch
  
• Other inside and outside painting left neglected
  
• A stain on a ceiling after the roof has been repaired
  
• Fingerprints and stains left on the walls
  
• Dirty or worn flooring
  
• Wallpaper peeling away
  
• Stains and odor left from pets on rugs or in the basement
  
• Stained or moldy bathroom tile or dingy tub area
  
• Dirty kitchen stove

There are many more that can be added to the above list and each and every one makes a potential buyer wonder about the state of repair of the “not-so-obvious” items such as the furnace, hot water heater, septic system, plumbing leaks, etc.

There is a reason to take care of conspicuous repair work.  This is not the time to be “penny-wise and pound-foolish”!  For each obvious problem in a home there is a red flag waving and warning — “Don’t get involved with this headache.”

The moral is obvious.  The fewer apologies you have to make for your property, the easier it is to sell.  If you have any obvious red flags waving  — remove them!

Our Associate Brokers are trained to advise you where best to spend a little money in repairing a deferred maintenance item that will, in most cases, return $3 to $4 when you sell, for every $1 spent and your sale will be expedited.

Call me if you need assistance with your real estate decisions.  If you prefer, email me at donkingsley@kingsleyrealestate.com   I will be happy to share my knowledge with you at no cost or obligation.