But you never know what potential hombuyers will want to use the space for. And you cannot assume they will use it for anything but a dining room. So when showing your home to potential buyers, be sure you stage the dining room appropriately.

Cody O’Neal blogs about the importance of staging a dining the room the way a buyer wants to see it.

“If your home has a formal dining room, you need to present the space as it was originally intended: for meals.

Buyers need to be able to see what they are paying for, and if you’re selling a dining room, show them where it is, don’t make them guess.”

Staging has become very important when it comes to selling your home. You want the look and feel of your home to be generic enough to appeal to just about any buyer.

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Robin Jones blogs about what you really need to know when it comes to appraisals.

“Appraising is the science of determining the value of a home. Your real estate appraiser must be state-licensed and certified.

Don’t confuse a comparative market analysis with an appraisal. REALTORS® use CMAs to determine a realistic asking price. Your appraiser’s report will be much more detailed.”

Between a comparitive market analysis, a home inspection, and a property appraisal, the onslaught of information can definitely get confusing. It is important to have a Realtor who will work with you, and for you, and they will guide you through the process.

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Everyone out there wants to assist you. It may be a buyer’s market, but when it comes to selecting an agent to help you list your home, you have the power. So of all the agents out there, how do you choose whom you should go with to represent you and your property?

Keith Bliss shares his top 20 questions you should ask before deciding who will help you list your home on the market.

“Selling your home can sometimes be a challenging and frustrating experience. But with the support and guidance of an experienced professional, it can be a smooth and enjoyable process.

When you decide to sell your home, it is important to choose a real estate agent who is not only knowledgeable about the market and experienced in handling the complexities of a real estate transaction, but it is also important to choose an agent who listens to your needs, shows professionalism, and whose personality is complimentary to yours.”

Be sure to do your homework. There are hundreds of agents out there, ready, willing and eager to get your business. Selling your home is an extremely personal transaction, so make sure you are working with someone who understands your needs, and whom you can trust.

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How does it smell? That’s right. Blunt as it may seem, a scent is one of the most powerful senses that just may sway a potential buyer one way or another. Even if they don’t consciously realize it. You want your home to have a warm, inviting scent. Something that may subconsciously make the buyer feel “at home.”

Kathy Novak blogs about some do’s and don’ts you should keep in mind when it comes to using scents when you decide to sell your house.

“Too many houses, on and off the market, have an ‘other-person’ smell, whether it’s lingering cooking odors, smoke, pet, dirty diapers…or just not ‘home.’

Ask a good friend with a good nose if your house smells of your pet, or anything else for that matter. Make them be honest, and don’t ‘punish’ them when they are!”

So open those windows, put a tray of cookies in the oven, and invite those potential homebuyers into the best-smelling house on the block! You’ll be surprised at how far a sweet-smelling home can go when it comes to selling your property.

Click through now to read Kathy Novak’s blog.

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Kathy Novak indicates in her blog that the first and most important project that you should probably consider taking on when trying to sell your home is also one that is probably so simple, it’s often overlooked.

“As any seasoned agent already knows, it’s cleaning and de-cluttering. It’s the first and best piece of advice. (A) study suggests that a $200 investment will increase the eventual sales price of a house by $1700, which equates to a 872 percent return on investment.

That old saying, ‘A place for everything and everything in its place,’ works here. Nothing screams ‘not enough storage’ to a buyer like the electric frying pan stored at the top of a bedroom closet or racks of clothes hanging in the basement.”

Kathy’s number one tip for getting your home ready for potential buyers is to simply de-clutter. Nobody wants to see a messy, cluttered home. Clean off those counters, pack up your collectibles, and simply get as much “stuff” out of sight as possible.

Click through now to read Natascha Tello’s blog.

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Kathy Novak indicates in her blog that the first and most important project that you should probably consider taking on when trying to sell your home is also one that is probably so simple, it’s often overlooked.

“As any seasoned agent already knows, it’s cleaning and de-cluttering. It’s the first and best piece of advice. (A) study suggests that a $200 investment will increase the eventual sales price of a house by $1700, which equates to a 872 percent return on investment.

That old saying, ‘A place for everything and everything in its place,’ works here. Nothing screams ‘not enough storage’ to a buyer like the electric frying pan stored at the top of a bedroom closet or racks of clothes hanging in the basement.”

Kathy’s number one tip for getting your home ready for potential buyers is to simply de-clutter. Nobody wants to see a messy, cluttered home. Clean off those counters, pack up your collectibles, and simply get as much “stuff” out of sight as possible.

Click through now to read Natascha Tello’s blog.

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So what’s going on here? Pete Goodman blogs about what many see as the “social experiment” of real estate.

“The government and big banks have performed and are still performing a social experiment on a grand scale with housing. They are busy taking care of each other while making the rules and seeing how consumers react.

If you put 10 cigarettes in a rat cage what do you think will happen? Odds are, the rat will take the bait and chew on a cigarette. The government and banks change the rules of the housing market in a similar way to see if we take the bait and do what is expected.”

The end result appears to be to assist in getting potential homebuyers into a home. However, we also know that the goal of bankers, lenders, the government, etc. is to make money, so we must be careful and take everything into consideration.

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Click here to view the embedded video.

How can a REALTOR® increase foot traffic to their listings?

By having listings on your website, on Realtor.com, on other websites like Homes and Land Magazine, brochures in the brochure box at all times, advertising in the Homes and Land. Send out brochures to everybody in the neighborhood. The best medium for me has been the Internet. I have information on 43 different sites, and that gets lots of traffic.

Ken Anderson is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX in Fort Collins, CO.

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If I am renting a home that is also on the market, how often do I have to let the owners show it? There was no specific language in the general lease agreement we signed.

-Bill

  The Massachusetts General Laws on Landlord Rights & Responsibilities state that:
A landlord may generally enter the apartment at reasonable times and upon reasonable notice for these reasons:

• To show the apartment to prospective tenants, purchasers, lenders or their agents
• To inspect the premises
• To make repairs
• To inspect within 30 days of the end of the tenancy to determine damages to be deducted from the security deposit
• If the premises appear to be abandoned
• Pursuant to Court order

Of course, what is reasonable is subject to interpretation. It would be safe to say that if they were to give you 24 hours notice and were to show between the hours of, say 9am and 7pm, that would safely constitute reasonable times and reasonable notice. There are no stipulations about how often you have to let them show it. I would say as many times as they ask, assuming they give you reasonable notice and do it at reasonable times.

You should also be aware that they cannot evict if you have a lease. The new owner would have to honor your lease through its expiration.

Michelle Lane is a REALTOR® with Century 21 Commonwealth in Massachusetts.

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I am interested in buying a house from a friend that is about to go into foreclosure. The bank told my friend just to bring someone in if they are interested, and that they don’t need to involve any REALTORS®. Is that even possible? Also, I don’t know whether I can get approved for a loan since I have a mortgage now that I am paying on. I do have pretty good credit though. Will I have to sell mine first?

-Annie

First, I would suggest speaking with a lender and get pre-approved to see if you can carry the two mortgages. I would discuss my options on your current home with the lender. Are you able to carry two mortgages? If you are able to carry both mortgages, and you meet the debt-to-income ratio, are you planning on using one of the homes for an investment property, or are you planning on selling your current home down the road?

After speaking with a lender, and deciding what your plan is for your current home and the one you are considering purchasing, I would then contact a Realtor that is knowledgeable in short sales and foreclosures.

I would highly recommend using a Realtor to represent at least you, and maybe the seller of the home you are looking at purchasing. The asking price that the seller’s give you might not be the amount the bank will accept. Also, the amount the seller’s are given might be what is needed to pay off all of the debt on the house. With today’s market, the price for the home might be above what the market is bringing right now, and you don’t want to overpay for a property.

I would not cross this bridge alone. I would find an agent you can trust and who has knowledge in the foreclosure and short sale industry. I would interview a few agents to get a feel for their knowledge and experience in this area. If you are ok with dual agency, that agent can represent you and your friend (the seller) through this transaction. They will be able to help make sure the offering price is fair in today’s market, and they can help you get all of the proper documentation filled in correctly in addition to doing the leg work and follow up with the bank .

Mabel Davis is a REALTOR® with Keller Williams Elite in Pennsylvania.

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