Why You Need an Expert To Determine the Right Price for Your House

If your lifestyle has changed recently and you’re ready to make a move, taking advantage of today’s sellers’ market might be just the answer for your summer plans. With homes continuing to get multiple offers, this could be your moment to get the contract you’re looking for on your house if you’re ready to sell.

And here’s the thing – you need an expert on your side to ensure you make all the right moves when you do, especially when it comes to pricing your house. Even in this competitive market, you can’t stick just any price tag on your home and get the deal you want. A key piece of the puzzle is setting the right asking price so you can help buyers notice your home (and get excited about it) from the very first time they view the listing. That’s where a real estate professional comes in.

Why Pricing Your House Right Is Important

The price you set for your house sends a message to potential buyers. Price it too low and you might raise questions about your home’s condition or lead buyers to assume something is wrong with the property. Not to mention, if you undervalue your house, you could leave money on the table which decreases your future buying power.

On the other hand, price it too high, and you run the risk of deterring buyers. When that happens, you may have to do a price drop to try to re-ignite interest in your house when it sits on the market for a while. But be aware that a price drop can be seen as a red flag for some buyers who will wonder why the price was reduced and what that means about the home.

In other words, think of pricing your home as a target. Your goal is to aim directly for the center – not too high, not too low, but right at market value. Pricing your house fairly based on market conditions increases the chance you’ll have more buyers who are interested in purchasing it. That makes it more likely you’ll see multiple offers, too. And if a bidding war happens, you’ll likely get an even higher final sale price. Plus, when homes are priced right, they tend to sell quickly.

To get a look into the potential downsides of over or underpricing your house and the perks that come with pricing it at market value, see the chart below:

Lean on a Professional’s Expertise

There are several factors that go into pricing your house, and balancing them is the key. That’s why it’s important to lean on an expert real estate advisor when you’re ready to move. A local real estate advisor is knowledgeable about:

The value of homes in your neighborhood
The current demand for houses in today’s market
The condition of your house and how it affects the value

A real estate professional will balance these factors to make sure the price of your house makes the best first impression and gives you the greatest return on your investment in the end.

Bottom Line

If you’re thinking about selling, pricing your house appropriately is key. Let’s connect to make sure your house is priced right for the local market, for your home’s condition, and to stand out from the competition.

Sellers: Make Today’s Home Price Appreciation Work for You

Home prices continue to rise as we move through the summer, and that’s good news for sellers who are looking to maximize their home’s potential. If you’re on the fence about whether to list your house now or later, the question you should really ask is: will this price appreciation last?

Here’s what three leading industry experts have to say about what lies ahead:

Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist, National Association of Realtors (NAR):

“At a broad level, home prices are in no danger of a decline due to tight inventory conditions, but I do expect prices to appreciate at a slower pace by the end of the year.”

Selma Hepp, Deputy Chief Economist, CoreLogic:

“The imbalance between robust demand and dismal availability of for-sale homes has led to a continual bidding over asking prices, which reached record levels in recent months . . . . Nevertheless, with more new listings and new home construction, home price acceleration that has built momentum, and continues to reach new highs, will likely slow later this summer but remain in double digits.”

George Ratiu, Chief Economist, realtor.com:

“Many sellers are going to take advantage of higher prices. This summer is going to signal the move to the next chapter, and this will very much be the year they’re going to put their home on the market.”

What It Means for You:

The experts agree that the summer months give sellers a great opportunity to capitalize on today’s home prices. And while prices aren’t expected to depreciate, the rise in prices is forecast to moderate over the next few years. That means selling your house today could set you up for a bigger win.

Bottom Line:

Listen to the experts. If you’re ready to make a move, let’s connect to discuss selling your house sooner rather than later so you can take advantage of today’s home price appreciation before it moderates.

5 Female Trailblazers in Real Estate History

According to the National Association of Realtors, the U.S. residential real estate industry is dominated by women with 63 percent of all Realtors are female. In 2011, Trulia found “that there are more women real estate professionals in every state than male real estate professionals.”

‘But women weren’t always dominant in selling homes. According to NAR’s history of women in Real Estate, when the association first started in 1908, its membership was entirely male, despite 3,000 women working as brokers nationally. Their first female member, Corrine Simpson, a broker from Seattle, Washington, wouldn’t join until 1910. And though organizations like NAR didn’t explicitly ban women from joining, organizations did require local real estate board membership, and these boards did explicitly ban women. So, just like so many times in history, women decided to create their own professional organizations.’

Here are 5 women who took a first step that paved the way for many of the women in residential real estate today:

Ebby Halliday

Any woman who started and owned a business in the late 1930’s was almost by definition a trailblazer, but Ebby was not satisfied with owning her own hat boutique. She easily transitioned to residential real estate and dominated the Dallas market for decades. She credited her success to simple hard work and caring about the needs of others.

Ebby died in September 2015, but her real estate firm continues to sell homes. At the time of her death, the firm was the largest independently owned residential real estate services company in Texas and the 10th-largest in the nation. The firm closed 19,200 transactions in North Texas that year with a sales volume of $6.64 billion. Ebby Halliday in 1968 from a retrospective on her life that appeared in the Dallas News.

Dorcas Helfant

Dorcas was the first female president of the National Association of Realtors. She elected to the office in 1992 and was also the first woman to serve as the president of her state association. Her service to others in her profession included a key merger of her own real estate firm with other Caldwell Banker firms that provided “an effective career track for our associates.”

In addition to her leadership in the real estate field, Dorcas is a past chair of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. She served as president of the Virginia Aquarium Foundation and was named Hampton Roads Woman of the Year in 1990. Dorcas currently is vice-chair of the Foundation Board of Virginia’s Community Colleges. Dorcas Helfant

Abby Hamlin

As the founder and president of Hamlin Ventures, Abby has blazed trails where most women and many men fear to go. Her stated goal is to use real estate and urban design to enhance people’s lives. She has won recognition for her development in Brooklyn for formerly homeless and low-income individual. Her firm remains one of the few successful female-owned development firms.

Abby is a civic leader as well as a noted developer. She has served as a board member of the Van Alen Institute for Public Architecture from 2001-2010 and as the chair for the last 4 years of her tenure. She is currently a Trustee of Art Omi, a board member of Trainor Dance and of the Downtown Brooklyn Partnership. Abby Hamlin

Tracy Dodson

While women have been very successful in residential real estate, commercial real estate has been a much more difficult market. Only 35% of professionals in this sector are women, and virtually all of them work in property management. As vice president of brokerage and development at Lincoln Harris in Charlotte, N.C. Tracy is one of the pioneers in commercial real estate development.

“In this industry, it’s hard in a lot of ways. You have to have a lot of success to work your way up,” Dodson told Bizjournals.“It’s not just the hours. You’ve got to have successful projects and you’ve got to have successful deals.” Tracy Dodson

Debra Cafaro

Debra has blazed a trail of success. She took over the helm at Ventas, a publicly traded Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) in 1999, the firm was facing collapse. The sole tenant of the properties was bankrupt and had stopped paying rent. The firm had a market cap of $200 million and $1 billion in debt. In addition, there were claims of Medicare fraud.

Now, Debra is recognized for returning shareholder 3,981.3 % for the 16 years ended December 31, 2015. She is one of only 23 CEOs named by Harvard Business Review for four consecutive years and one of only two women on the 2017 list. This same year Forbes Magazine recognized her as among the 100 most powerful women in the world.

A portion of this article was written by Christian Miller for www.sharestate.com on December 2017.

Other sources: apartmenttherapy.com

Sandy Springs: A Picturesque Community Designed to Bring People Together

Sandy Springs is popular with residents and visitors alike due to an abundance of local eateries, access to premier shopping venues and family-friendly activities. Its many outdoor recreation spaces make it the perfect destination for family fun. And, all that southern charm isn’t lost on the movie industry – Sandy Springs is a popular film production destination.

Premiere Parks & Green Space

Sandy Springs has over 950 acres of park and nature areas with one of the most popular being the Morgan Falls Overlook Park. Built in 2010, Morgan Falls Overlook Park was the first new park built by the city after its incorporation. It features several picnic areas, an expansive playground, walking trails, a boat dock and gorgeous views of the lake.

Chastain Park is a 260-acre park nestled in south Sandy Springs and known for its outdoor amphitheater. In addition to hosting a popular summer concert series, Chastain offers state-of-the-art recreational facilities like a walking trail, horse park, swimming pool, golf course, baseball complex and tennis center, in addition to a traditional park and playground areas.

The Abernathy Greenway Park was recently named by Atlanta Magazine as an attraction on the ‘Best of Atlanta 2014’ list. The playable art park is a playground for kids of all ages – one filled with real art to play on, play with, or inspire imagination. The art was curated from more than 100 submissions from artists all over the world.

Take the family out for an educational outdoor experience with a trip to the Big Tree Forest Preserve. The preserve was once a threatened urban forest. Now 20 acres is owned by the city, with the remaining 10 acres owned by the state of Georgia. The area features beautiful trails and scenic views, and a sanctuary for plant and wildlife. Visitors are encouraged to enjoy the peaceful habitat as they walk the trails designed to protect the surrounding natural resources.

Hop in a kayak or canoe and spend the day paddling the legendary Chattahoochee River, or take a hike on the trails of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. The river and recreational area bring families from all over the world to enjoy All About: Sandy Springs 12 the outdoors. Island Ford Park at Chattahoochee River is a hiking trail providing amazing views of the river and a chance to explore the park’s forest and caves. It’s a kid-friendly and beginner-friendly two-mile trail that everyone can enjoy. You can also get an up-close look at the wildlife as this trail has more deer, turtles and geese than any other area in the Chattahoochee River Recreational Area.

The City Springs District is Sandy Spring’s newest mixed-use development featuring a performing arts center, green space, retail and residential area. You will be able to plan an evening filled with shopping, delicious foods, and entertainment. The development contains more 20,000 square feet of space dedicated to shops and restaurants. The City Springs Performing Arts Center will bring Broadway-like entertainment with shows like Hairspray and Elf the Musical. And the City Green features picnic space and interactive water features for kids to play.

Diverse Artists on Display

Sandy Springs showcases local talent with several art galleries that show off local artistry that you can admire and take home. One of the oldest arts center in Fulton County, the Abernathy Arts Center, is an educational center that hosts monthly exhibits to display the work of its students and faculty. It also offers a variety of classes, summer camps and an annual artists market. The center’s events calendar is always filled with something new and exciting for art lovers of all ages to enjoy.

The Chai Gallery of Fine Arts specializes in unique art ranging from mixed media to lithographs. The gallery began after founder Mark Jaffe and his wife started purchasing art from the cruises they took. The art they purchased began as a way to preserve vacation memories, but Jaffe soon discovered an opportunity to buy one of-a-kind work and sell it below retail prices to art lovers. Art can be purchased in the gallery or in the online store offering more than 300 pieces.

Twin Brother African Art & Jewelry is a quaint boutique located in central Sandy Springs that offers a unique shopping experience inspired by the unique culture of the African content. The shop has antique pieces of ceremonial value, including figurines, masks, beaded work, and large sculptures. Its founders, the Biteye brothers, opened the store as a way to help educate and expose others to the colorful culture Africa has to offer.

Six Simple Steps to Increase Your Home’s Value

Thinking of selling your home? Buyer demand is high while inventory is at an all-time low, so you want to make sure you take advantage of market conditions and get the most for your home. Before placing your house on the market, there are simple steps you can take to increase the value of your home – ranging from quick, affordable changes to small renovations.

1. Make the outside of your home look as good as you can. You don’t have to hire a professional landscaper. Instead, look for any areas where the landscaping is overgrown. Some simple pruning and trimming can go a long way. Remember, the outside of your home is the first thing that potential buyers and the appraiser will see. We also recommend fresh pine straw or mulch, pressure washing your walkway and driveway and adding some annual plants for color.
2. Enhance the lighting in your home. You can add things such as brighter light bulbs, removing heavy drapes that do not let in natural sunlight, and keeping your blinds open. To make a small room seem brighter, use a high wattage light.
3. Complete the maintenance that you may have neglected. Check the insulation levels in the attic; repair plumbing leaks; fix a rotted stair or rail on the porch; make sure that windows open, or replace broken screens. Buyers will notice these as detractors, and it may lower their bid.
4. Examine your front door. Is it welcoming? Does the doorbell work? An inviting entrance will make a great first impression. In fact, many buyers will decide on their interest level in the home within the first seven seconds.
5. Paint your walls a neutral color. Buyers want to imagine a blank slate. At the very least, touch up areas of the walls the have marks or chipping paint.
6. Spruce up your bathroom and kitchen. While you can add new fixtures, there are smaller changes that will resonate with buyers. Deep cleaning helps. Remove stains, clean any mold, mildew or soap stains. Replacing peeling or stained caulking can help the bathroom look cleaner and brighter.

Contact An Agent Today
When you’re ready to list your home, let us help you find ways to boost the value. We’ll guide you through the home selling process, working to protect your interests every step of the way.

At Karen Cannon, Realtors, we are local real estate experts for Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, and North Atlanta. We live, work and play here, and our agents are hand-picked for their connections in the community. Our highly effective marketing program allows us to shorten the number of days on the market for the homes we list. We’ve even put homes under contract sight unseen!

If you are thinking about selling your home, call us at 770-352-9658.