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.

Karen Cannon, Realtors Welcomes Polly Frederick to Our Team

Part of the successful formula that makes the Karen Cannon, Realtors team so dynamic is the expertise and corporate approach our team takes towards real estate, along with our team’s incredible knowledge of our surrounding communities.

Polly Frederick is an intricate part of the Dunwoody and Sandy Springs communities. She embodies what we look for in team members. Polly has lived in Dunwoody for 25 years, but more importantly, she’s been an active member of the community.

Anyone can live in a neighborhood and know the street names and available properties. As a Realtor, Polly far exceeds that. She is connected with the people of Dunwoody. She has raised her kids among other families and has been active in schools, charities, and her church. Polly and her husband have three children together: their oldest daughter is 19 and is a freshman at UGA, their middle child is a junior at Dunwoody High School, and their son is 13. He is in the 8^th grade and attends Peachtree Charter Middle School. In her spare time, Polly enjoys exercising, traveling, going to the beach, and she roots for Alabama and Georgia football.

Aside from have a keen eye and the knowledge of the Dunwoody area, she is also familiar with the surrounding areas of Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, and Chamblee.

We asked her a few questions so that you could get to know her a little more.

KCR: What would you tell someone who is considering living in your area?

Polly: You can’t beat the location! Dunwoody is like a small town in a big city. It is close enough to Atlanta to take advantage of what a big city has to offer, but has a tight-knit community. I love that it’s conveniently located close to all major highways, which makes it very accessible. We pretty much have everything you need: great schools, parks, shopping, and restaurants. What more could you want in a city?

KCR: Tell us about your connection with the Dunwoody community?

Polly: I have lived in the Dunwoody area for 25 years, and I am very familiar with the area and the market. This personal connection will make for a very special experience when working with buyers and sellers in this area.

KCR: Why do you find real estate so rewarding?

Polly: I think for me, successfully finding the perfect home for my buyers and negotiating to make sure I am able to get the best price possible for them is the most rewarding aspect. I take great pride in is successfully marketing my seller’s home and bringing them qualified buyers who will pay top dollar.

KCR: What can someone expect when they meet you/work with you?

Polly: I am a hard worker, dedicated and professional. I am organized and provide excellent customer service to my clients. I provide the information my clients need to make one of the most important decisions in their life- buying the perfect home.

Karen Cannon, Realtors is excited to welcome Polly Frederick to the team. Ready to buy your perfect home in the Dunwoody area? We encourage you to give Polly or anyone else on our team a call at (770) 352-9658. Are you interested in joining our team? Click HERE.

3 Benefits of Joining a Real Estate Team

Let’s be honest. When it comes to starting your real estate career, it can take some time to sell your first home and make any money. Just remember, if you work hard and stay consistent, you can become successful with your new real estate career. However, when starting out, you might find that your circle is not wide enough and your Realtor expenses are not so affordable. This is where joining a team can be the best option. The team at Karen Cannon, Realtors offer three major benefits to joining a real estate team:

Training and Support Provided

Congratulations! You studied for and passed your real estate license exam. Now, the real education begins. Real estate is very much a hands-on learning experience. Education is only half the battle. New agents truly benefit from training and support from experienced agents. Joining a team helps you learn the daily activity and best practices that veteran agents benefit from. Plus, you have someone there to answer your questions and advise you in difficult situations. As a new agent, it is tremendously beneficial to have a knowledgeable team as a resource for the many questions you will have. The right team can offer you the support and hands on training to help jump start your career….for example, our team approach offers agents an environment where they can learn and share and collaborate because they don’t compete with each other.

Cost Effective

In real estate, you have to spend money to make money. A real estate career is an investment. Being a Realtor comes with its fair share of expenses, and a lot of them are upfront. Brokerages and your local board will charge you a wide range of fees that may include board dues, MLS fees, office space, marketing, and broker fees. However, joining a team will provide you with the opportunity to share these fees, if not eliminate some of them all together. This is not the case with many teams – they have to pay these fees but they are on a team. Our model is VERY unique. Working with a seasoned agent will also provide you with leads (this is not the case for many) that are incredibly expensive and hard to come by as a new agent. Also, not having to pay Zillow or Realtor.com for leads will definitely keep some extra money in your bank account.

Expands Your Sphere of Influence

Networking is a huge part of having a successful real estate career. Your sphere of influence will expand once you join a team. If you find the right fit, you will have consistent opportunities to network and meet more clients. As a new agent, you might be assigned to handle the lease clients at first. This will help you build your database and give you the repeat clients that you so desire. Your renters will turn into buyers, and hopefully those buyers will be listing with you.

Anderson and Karen Cannon, started Karen Cannon Realtors with a simple vision in mind – to build a team and provide for their agents. At KCR, our Realtors concentrate on providing the best service to our clients because they have the support of a team behind them. Learn more about joining our team today! https://karencannon.com/contact-us/

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 clients know about homes coming on the market before anyone else. And our highly effective marketing program allows us to shorten the number of days on the market. We’ve even put homes under contract sight unseen!

If you are thinking about selling your home, or are interested in moving into Dunwoody, Sandy Springs or the surrounding areas, call us at 770-352-9658.

How To Be Proactive During National Radon Action Month

Home safety is an important topic for buyers, sellers and Realtors. Since January is National Radon Action Month, we would like to help you eliminate radon out of your home so that you and your family can have safer, healthier air to breathe. It’s important to us that all current and future homeowners know the dangers of radon as well as the preventative measures to take.

Educate Yourself and Others

Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers in America and claims the lives of about 21,000 Americans each year. The EPA highly recommends that all Americans test their homes, schools, and other buildings for radon. Exposure to radon can be a highly dangerous health risk. Testing the levels of radon in your home, school, or workplace can go a long way to preventing exposure. If a high radon level is detected in your home, there are measurable steps to you can take to fix the problem to protect yourself and your family. Encourage family and friends to test their homes as well.

Test Your Home

Radon cannot be tasted, smelled or seen; but it could still be present in your home. EPA and the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that all homes in the U.S. be tested for radon. Testing is easy and inexpensive. To further educate yourself on testing your home as well as how to obtain a user-friendly Radon test kit, we encourage you to visit www.Epa.gov.

Find a Radon-Resistant Home

If you are considering buying a new home, speak with your Realtor about looking for homes where the builders used radon-resistant new construction. Also, building radon-resistant new homes is an option. Using the necessary techniques to prevent radon from entering a home is practical and straightforward for any builder. It’s a highly effective and inexpensive way to offer families a benefit that could reduce their risk of lung cancer. One of the best things you can do to prevent you and your families’ exposure is to get radon gas out of our homes right away. It would be considered an environmentally responsible plan of action that will help reduce the chances of lung cancer. Making sure your home is as green as possible is the best way to combat radon. Especially, since it enters the home from under the ground.

If you are thinking about selling your home, or are interested in moving into Dunwoody, Sandy Springs or the surrounding areas, call us at 770-352-9658.

4 Things Home Buyers Need to Consider Before a Home Search

Have you started searching for a home? The home buying process is an exciting step that can also seem overwhelming at times. Finding a knowledgeable agent goes a long way and you’ve come to the right place with Karen Cannon Realtors.

However, there are some initial things you can do to better prepare for the process.

Do the Research

The average consumer today is savvier than ever before. The Internet provides a wealth of information. This can definitely be utilized by searching online to find the areas you want to live in. Narrow your search to a few neighborhoods/communities that you would find to be the most ideal for you to live in. Finding the right home and having a savvy agent help you win the deal in a competitive situation will make the home buying process a lot easier.

Have Clarity

Having a clear understanding of what you’re looking for in a home is crucial. This is the most important part of your preparation. There is a lot of time and money invested in a home purchase, so prepare accordingly. This will make your home shopping experience much more efficient and will give you a goal setting strategy for you and your Realtor to work together on. It will also help avoid a situation where you fall in love with a home that doesn’t delete your needs. Preparation before getting started will always increase your odds of having a smooth transaction.

Consider the Future

What are your long-term goals with regards to this purchase? Perhaps, you are looking for a starter home. Or maybe you are downsizing due to your newly acquired empty nester status. The bottom line is your long-term plans will help dictate your purchasing choices. One of the most common oversights in buying a home is failing to consider how it fits into your long-term plans.

Know your Financial situation

Another consideration that some homebuyers tend to underestimate is the financial responsibility of owning a home. Perhaps, the only consideration buyers will think about is their mortgage payments. If you have been renting, or even living at home, you might lose sight of the additional expenses of owning a home. HOA dues, appliances, furniture, taxes and insurance will have to be factored in. These are all important things to consider when putting together your home buying budget.

After you consider these 4 factors, make a list of pros and cons to take to your Realtor. Keep in mind that at the end of the day it comes down to doing what is best for you and your family when deciding where to live. Making sure to convey that to your Realtor upfront will pay dividends.

Contact Karen Cannon Realtors today to get the process started. We have great lenders and others to help our clients, people we consistently use and trust – we will guide you through this process to ensure that you have the best possible home buying experience.