Real Estate Information Archive

Millennials (or Generation Y) have emerged as a preeminent force in the housing market.  Per the National Association of Realtors’, “older millennials, buyers aged 30 to 39 years, made up the largest share of home buyers by generation at 25 percent of all home buyers in 2019.” In fact, this group, born between 1980 and 1989 comprised the largest share of buyers for the seventh consecutive year. Older Millennials: Forming Families, Establishing Homes

That being said, when selling your home, it would be wise to think about the wants and needs of millennials as potential buyers.  Here are 10 must-haves for selling a home to millennials:

1. Updated kitchens and baths – Millennial homebuyers seek out updated kitchens and baths because they are on a budget.  Most of their money will go toward down payments and furnishings, and kitchens and baths are the most expensive spaces to update, so millennials will want a home that requires little to no work in these rooms.  As a seller, you want to find ways to update your bathrooms and kitchen as inexpensively as possible. While these updated rooms will attract younger buyers, you want to avoid losing the money that you put into them.
    
2. Big kitchen, open floor plan – There was a time when a formal dining room was on every buyer’s wish list. But this generation of buyers would rather eat and hang out in the kitchen, along with the family room. And because of how this generation of homeowners entertain, they prefer an open floor plan for easier flow throughout the house.
    
3. Home office – per recent US Census data, over 13 million Americans are working from home and it is a trend that is expected to continue.  Even if a room is currently staged as a bedroom, a real estate agent can point it out as a potential office space.  And it’s not just for those who work full-time from home. With ever growing technology making us increasingly mobile, a home office is a dedicated space for making phone calls, skyping or face-timing clients or even just paying bills.
    
4. Good location -  Millennial buyers seek out locations with easy access to public transportation and a good walk score. Montgomery Alabama Walk Score
    
5. Low maintenance – young buyers want low maintenance homes.  Things like wood floors and granite countertops appeal to them because they are both attractive and easy to take care of.  They also like smaller yards. They want to spend their weekends doing activities that don’t include mowing the lawn or doing housework.
    
6. Technology – internet and cell phone service matter a lot to this generation.  Many millennials don’t even use a landline.  You may not be able to control the strength of cell service at your home, but you can be sure that young buyers will be asking about it.
7. Energy efficiency – With a growing interest in protecting the environment, younger buyers look to buy homes that are green.  While energy efficiency is not the top reason to purchase a house, it can certainly be an advantage when dealing with millennial buyers. 8 Simple Ways to Turn Your Home From Toxic to Green
    
8. The reality TV effect – Real estate reality shows on channels such as TLC and HGTV have had an impact on how buyers view homes.   Staging has become a crucial part of the selling process. It is not unusual to hear a younger buyer speak about a room being staged or not staged.
    
9. Low HOA costs – when considering a property, younger buyers sometimes find that while the price is within their budget, homeowners association fees or condo fees make it unaffordable.  They seek homes in neighborhoods with low, or preferably, NO monthly assessments.
    
10. Online photos – Technology strikes again!  If you are serious about attracting young buyers, you need to consider how your home shows online. Millennials start their home searches online and if the photos don’t look good, they will likely scroll on by without ever stepping foot in the house. How to Take the Best Photos to Sell Your Home

If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professionals assist you with all your real estate needs! Call them today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: wsj.com

Life seems to be on hold right now due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), but that doesn’t mean that everything just stops.  While social distancing is vital to our health and well-being, moving to a new home is something that might not be able to wait.  Whether you are relocating for a job, or it was a planned move prior to the start of social distancing, you need to know how to go about moving during a pandemic. Here is a list of tips to help you with your move. Remember that moving can already be stressful under normal circumstances, so take a deep, cleansing breath and arm yourself with information that will keep you safe and make your move as easy as possible.

1. Contact moving companies to determine if they are open.  If you had already scheduled movers you should contact them to make sure they are still available.  Most moving companies appear to be open right now, but that could change in the weeks and months to come.  When you schedule movers, ask questions about precautions they are taking to keep themselves, and you safe. The 10 Most Popular Movers in Montgomery, Alabama
    
2. Research storage options.  You may need to put things in storage prior to moving.  Major storage companies continue to stay open, but they may have limited hours of accessibility or rules about how many people can access their units at one time.  Make sure the storage company you use is following proper safety practices such as sanitizing access pads between customers and maintain six feet or more of space between customers/customers and employees. Montgomery, AL Storage Units
    
3. If anyone in your family is experiencing coronavirus symptoms, let your mover know.  Transparency is vital in order to keep everyone safe.  Your movers may still be willing to work with you, but will be prepared to put protocols in place to protect their workers. Even if nobody in your family is symptomatic, if someone has been exposed to the virus, you should still let your mover know that you are isolating due to exposure.
    
4.  Have hygiene products on hand for your movers.  Provide soap and paper towels by the sink, and hand sanitizer by the door that they are using.  If you don’t have those supplies available, let the mover know so they can be sure to bring them along for the move.
    
5. Avoid using free or recycled moving boxes.  Because the coronavirus can live on cardboard for as long as 24 hours, picking up free/recycled boxes could possibly put you at risk.  Either use boxes you already have at home or go to the store to buy new ones (and use self-checkout if it’s available!).
    
6. If you are part of a high-risk group for coronavirus, you may want to consider cancelling your move if possible.  If you are over 60 or you have a pre-existing respiratory or cardio-vascular condition, you should reconsider moving right now.  It’s not worth risking your life!  So, if there is any flexibility, put your move on hold until you can relocate more safely.
    
7. If you have to travel for your move, only work with hotels and airlines that offer free cancellation.  Everything is so uncertain right now and the last thing you need is to lose money on a reservation should your move get postponed. 
    
8. Keep your distance.  Be smart and practice all the standard rules that apply for this pandemic.  Don’t get close to the movers, use sanitizers, and WASH,WASH,WASH your hands!!  Mark your boxes to let movers know what rooms they go in so that you don’t even need to be nearby to direct them.

As stated above, moving is already stressful enough. Don’t let our current situation overwhelm you.  The best way to do this is to arm yourself with information and use common sense precautions to keep everyone involved as safe as possible!

If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professionals assist you with all your real estate needs!  Call them today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: moving.com

Whether you are buying, selling, or refinancing a home and a mortgage is involved, a home appraisal is going to be an important aspect of the process.  Therefore, it’s crucial that you understand how the appraisal process works and how an appraiser determines a home’s value.

A home appraisal is an unbiased, professional opinion of a home’s value.  Conducted by a licensed home appraiser with the knowledge and experience to determine the fair current value of the home, it takes place in almost every home purchase/sale transaction and is commonly used in refinance situations as well. Within a purchase/sale transaction, it is used to establish if the home’s contract price is appropriate, based on the home’s location, condition, and features.  For a refinance, the appraisal makes sure that the lender isn’t giving the borrower more money than the home is worth.  Because the home serves as collateral for the loan, lenders want to make sure that the homeowner is not over-borrowing. With a purchase/sale transaction, the home appraisal is typically paid for by the buyer and the fee is included in the closing costs.

The reason the home appraisal is so important is because it lets the lender know that they are lending the appropriate amount of money for the value of the home.  Sometimes the appraisal will come in for a lower amount than the agreed upon price and when that happens, the lender might deny a loan for that amount. If the appraisal comes in at or above the contract price, the transaction can proceed.  However, chances are the seller doesn’t want the deal to fall through, so if the appraisal comes in low, the buyer may be able to use it to negotiate a lower selling price.  Knowing that the bank won’t lend any buyer more than what the home is worth, the seller may be willing to lower their selling price so that they can proceed with the sale.  A low appraisal can also derail a homeowner’s attempt at refinancing their home. The home needs to appraise at or above the amount the homeowner wants to refinance.  One exception is if you have an FHA mortgage.  With an FHA mortgage, you can refinance without an appraisal through the Streamline Your FHA Mortgage

The appraiser will look at many things to determine the home’s fair current value. The property’s value will be influenced by recent sale prices of similar properties and by current market trends.  The home’s amenities, floor plan, functionality, square footage, and number of bedrooms/bathrooms will also play a part in coming up with a fair price for the lender.  A thorough visual inspection of the interior and exterior of the property will allow the appraiser to note any issues that might have an adverse effect on the property’s value.  You may confuse a home appraisal with a home inspection, but they are not the same thing, A home inspection is a much more detailed evaluation of the home and does not involve the lender.

Usually the home appraisal will just be a box checked off on your home closing checklist. But if the appraisal comes in lower than expected, the purchase/sale transaction can be delayed or canceled.  Understanding the process and being aware of potential problems will help you be better prepared to handle whatever circumstances come your way. Your Mortgage Closing Checklist

If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professionals assist you with all your real estate needs!  Call them today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: totalmortgage.com

Once you have decided to sell your house, there are a lot of steps to take to get it ready and listed on the market.  The goal should be to get the best possible price for your home with the least amount of stress and disruption.  Manage possible financial dangers by avoiding these home selling risks:

• Selling your current home before closing on a new one.  This is a risk many people take because they need the money from the sale to make the down payment on the new home. But it can be a big mistake. It could mean that you have to move not once, but twice. Once to your temporary abode and then again to your new place once you buy. The financial burden of having to move twice along with the emotional toll it takes (because moving is no fun) can make the whole process very stressful.  If you have not found a new home when it’s time to close on the one you’re selling, at the very least make sure you are pre-qualified for a mortgage.
   
• Moving out in the hope that it will make your house sell more quickly.  Some people think that a house will sell faster if it is vacant. But what if it doesn’t?  What if you have spent the money to move out, and you are paying rent and a mortgage?  That is a huge risk that may add to your financial burden along with the whole moving twice thing mentioned above.  The truth is that a staged home that is lightly furnished attracts more buyers than an empty house. So, be sure to consider the pros and cons of moving out when selling before you start to pack up your house. Reasons Empty Rooms Are a Bad Idea When Selling Your Home
   
• Asking too much for your home.  It may seem like a good strategy to ask for a high price so that there is room for it to come down to an acceptable amount.  But by doing this you may scare off buyers. It can cause a home to sit on the market for too long which can be very detrimental to its selling potential.  When a house sits on the market too long, people start to think there is something wrong with it and they avoid looking at it at all, even if the price comes down. How to Price Your Home For Sale
   
• Skimping on home improvements.  Just don’t do it. Remember that you are trying to sell your home and make a profit. While you may not want to invest a ton of money into improvements, you will want to be sure that what improvements you do make are well done.  Shoddy work will be noticed and will scare off potential buyers.  The right improvements, if done well, can increase the value of your home and enable you to sell it for a higher price. The Best (and Worst) Projects to Improve Your Home Resale Value

While it may be challenging to avoid all risks when selling a house, you can certainly minimize the financial peril you may find yourself in if you take steps to avoid the risks above.

If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professionals assist you with all your real estate needs!  Call them today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: ericbrown.com

Selling your home is a huge decision and one that should not be made impulsively.  If you are thinking about selling, but you’re not sure if you should, here are some signs to look for that will indicate that now is a good time to sell:

• Space is an issue.  Has your family grown since you bought your current home?  Do you have multiple people sharing bedrooms and bathrooms?  If your house is bursting at the seams, it might be time to let it go and find something a little bigger.  Alternatively, perhaps you have too much space.  If you bought the home when your family was large and now you are an empty nester, you may be ready to downsize.
   
• Neighbors are selling homes successfully.  If houses are selling like hotcakes in your neighborhood and your neighbors are making tidy profits on their sales, then that’s a cue that you should contact a Realtor to find out what your home is worth on the current market.
   
• Interest rates are low. When interest rates are low it is an advantage to sellers because a larger pool of eligible buyers can be expected.  Add to that the fact that the current inventory of homes for sale is low, and you have a seller’s market that will make your home even more desirable to prospective buyers.
   
• Remodeling won’t be worth it.  Maybe you want to stay in your current home and you think that remodeling is the answer.  But will the expense of remodeling to fulfill your wants and needs be worth it in the long run?  Will it add value to your home?  While you might have to do some updates to prepare your home for sale, if the market favors sellers, you might be better of selling and finding a new home to suit your needs.
   
• You’re confident the market is strong.  It’s important to educate yourself about what’s going on in the current real estate market before you decide to put your house on the market.  An experienced Realtor can help you understand the market and determine if now is the time to sell your house. 2020 Real Estate Trends: What You Need to Know

If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professionals assist you with all your real estate needs! Call them today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: goldencircleadvisors.com

Selling a home during the winter months presents challenges that you don’t have other times of the year. But they are easy to overcome.  Here are some tips to help you sell your house this winter:

• Light it Up You want your home to feel light and bright when potential buyers are checking it out.  Pull up the blinds, open the shutters and pull back the curtains at every window.  Turn on all the lights in the house, including the ones in bathrooms and closets.  If you have dark areas in rooms, consider placing spotlights behind furniture to brighten them up.
   
• Warm it Up Before a showing, pump up the thermostat a couple of degrees higher than you normally would and then turn it down right before the buyers arrive.  That way the heat won’t kick on while they are there. Some HVACS can be loud and that is a distraction you want to avoid. When the temperature is comfortable, the buyer will stay longer, especially on a cold day.  If you have a fireplace, a roaring fire on a cold day lends a lot of charm that will entice buyers.
   
• Create an Irresistible Ambiance Showcase your home with some lovely touches that will give potential buyers that warm and fuzzy feeling.  Toss some soft throws across the arms of your sofa, have fresh flowers in vases throughout the house, and have pretty place settings on your dining room table. You can even give your bathroom a spa-like atmosphere with some simple touches. 7 Simple Tricks to Make Your Bathroom Feel Like a Spa
   
• Turn on Some Music Soft music in the background creates a pleasant atmosphere in your home.  Instrumental jazz and classical music is soothing.  But don’t put on a radio station where music is interrupted by commercials.  Set up a play-list that will continuously play without ads.
   
• Be Careful with Scents It’s only natural that you want your house to smell nice at all times, but especially when potential buyers will be visiting.  But be careful not to overdo it.  Many people are allergic to certain scents and deodorizers, so avoid plug-in or spray air fresheners.  Same thing with burning candles.  A great way to give your house an enticing smell is to bake before a showing.  Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh-baked sweets?  But if you do that, make sure you have some sweets to share with visitors so they aren’t disappointed when the smell is not followed up with the goodies!
   
• Serve Winter Drinks Provide some yummy winter drinks for your visitors.  Hot chocolate or warm apple cider will not only warm them up, it will add to the warm, cozy feeling in the home. 9 Hot Drinks for Winter
   
• Display Photos of Yard in Spring Outdoor areas aren’t at their best in the dead of winter, so display some photographs of your patio and yard during the spring and summer months so buyers will be able to imagine what it will be like to entertain and play outdoors during the warmer months.

If you plan to sell your home this winter, contact Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professionals and let him help you with all your real estate needs! Call them today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: primetitle.net

We are in the thick of Autumn, and you may think that you should wait until next spring or summer to sell your house.  While it is true that the warmer months are popular for home sales, that doesn’t mean autumn is a bad time to sell.  Some buyers, such as empty nesters and millennials, prefer shopping for a home when there is less competition from people trying to move before the beginning of the school year.  So, if you would like to sell your house before winter, here are some pointers for making it attractive to buyers during autumn:

1. Keep the exterior of your home neat and clean.  Curb appeal matters…a lot. It doesn’t matter how pristine the interior is if prospective buyers never walk through the front door.  The first impression is made when they first see the property and if it doesn’t look good on the outside, they may not want to look inside.  There are unique challenges to keeping your yard looking nice when the weather is cooler and the days shorter. If you have a lot of trees dropping leaves, raking will be a full-time job.  You want buyers to see your grass!  Any dead or dying plants and flowers need to be removed or cut back.  Use a fall maintenance checklist to make sure you have your property in the best shape possible.  And if you really want to impress, plant some fall flowers in bold hues to add pops of color to your yard. Fall Home Maintenance Checklist
    
2. Stage your house for the season, but don’t go overboard.  There are holidays to look forward to during the autumn season.  Potential buyers will enjoy seeing your home decorated accordingly. It will help them picture celebrating the holidays with their own families there. Keep it simple though, because you don’t want to take the focus away from the home itself.  You risk having your house look cluttered if you have too many decorations.  Embrace autumn and the warmth and coziness it exudes.  The smell of a freshly baked apple pie, the crackle of a fire in the fireplace and tasteful autumn décor might be all it takes to seal the deal on a sale! 16 Simple Home Staging Tips for Fall
    
3. Make sure lighting is sufficient.  There will be prospective buyers who want to see your house after work and with the days being shorter, it might be dark outside when they get there.  You are not going to want them walking into a dark, unlit home.  Turn on the lights inside and out. Exterior walkways and entertainment areas, such as patios and decks, should be well lit.  If you know your house is going to be shown, leave lights on in every room.
    
4. Price your house appropriately.  It’s important to know what homes are selling for in your area and to price yours accordingly.  Utilize the current marketing analysis to determine the value of your home.  A professional Realtor can help you set the right price for your home taking into account the season and market in which you are selling.  You don’t want to scare buyers away by overpricing your house. How to Price Your Home to Get the Highest Offer

If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professionals assist you with all your real estate needs!  Call them today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: homesrulz.com

Selling a home can be stressful, especially if you need to update it to sell.  But there is a way you can give your home a new look that will attract buyers without breaking the bank.  All it takes is a few cans of the right colors of paint!  By using Color Psychology you can quietly influence potential buyers’ emotions.  Think about how different colors make you feel. Using the right color combinations can make all the difference in how a room feels. For some buyers, a blank canvas is attractive.  By painting rooms neutral colors like cream or beige, people can envision the room decorated in a way that suits them.  However, you don’t want the home to look so plain that it becomes forgettable.  So, it is important to choose the right colors to sell your home. 

• White - White seems plain, but it also represents purity and cleanliness which is certainly appealing to home buyers. Be careful though, because it can also make a room feel cold and bare.  Consider using it in rooms that have a lot going on; like your kitchen or bathrooms.  It will make them feel bigger and brighter.
   
• Red - This color represents excitement and can give a room a “wow” factor if used properly. It is associated with energy, passion, and warmth.  But keep in mind that a little bit of red goes a long way!  A huge wall of red might be overwhelming.  Think about using it as an accent color to bring warmth to a room.
   
• Green - Bring nature indoors for a calming effect using shades of green.  Combined with natural light, green creates a comforting, beautiful aesthetic.
   
• Blue - Think quiet serenity.  Shades of light blue are perfect for a bedroom to create a tranquil oasis that will make house hunters want to stay!
   
• Yellow - The friendly color.  Cheerful yellow creates a positive vibe that will influence buyers by making them feel happy in the home.  But you don’t want to overdo it.  Save it for rooms where your family gathers like the kitchen or family room.

You will be amazed by how different your house feels when you simply paint a few walls with the right colors.  Your new decorative scheme can help you sell your home faster without a lot of out-of-pocket expense. Estimated Cost to Paint Home Interior

If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professionals assist you with all your real estate needs!  Call them today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: simple.com

Let’s face it - moving is overwhelming no matter how well you prepare.  There are what seem like a million little pieces that all must fall into place to make a move go smoothly. And even then, it is stressful.  You are upending your life; putting everything you own into boxes and bags, and making big changes.  So, it’s easy to understand how some tasks fall through the cracks and are forgotten.  Here are some important things that many people forget to do (or don’t even realize need to be done) when moving:

• Cancel recurring charges for local memberships. During the chaos of moving, the last thing you are likely to think about are membership fees for things that may not transfer to your new place of residence, like a gym membership.  And if those fees are automatically charged to your credit or debit card you need to cancel those memberships at least a month before you move so that you don’t continue to get charged even when you’re not there to use them any longer.
   
• Call your car insurance company. Per the Department of Motor Vehicles,  it is vital to check on your car insurance when moving, as states have varying levels of required coverage.  In fact, insurance rates can even vary from neighborhood to neighborhood in the same city.  So, make sure you call your insurer before you move to see if you need to update or change your coverage at your new address.
   
• Change your address early.  Changing your address is easy using the Online Form provided by the U.S. Postal Service, but don’t wait until the last minute to do it! If you want to be sure that your mail arrives at your new home in a timely manner, complete the form about two weeks before you move. 
   
• Take care of your finances.  During the whirlwind of moving, it’s easy to forget the everyday tasks that are a normal part of your routine…like paying bills.  It’s also easy to lose track of paper bills among all the boxes you’ve packed.  Take the time to set up auto pay for things at your new home like mortgage/rent, phone, utilities etc.  This can help assure an on-time payment during a hectic time.  Designate a spot for mail both in the home you’re packing up and in your new home so that paper bills aren’t lost in the shuffle.
   
• Change your billing address on credit cards.  Don’t get caught by surprise when your billing address doesn’t match the address on your credit card because you forgot to change it when you moved.  Some transactions now require that you put in your billing zip code when using your card, so if that has changed, then you need to change it on your credit cards as well.  The last thing you want is to deal with a transaction being denied and then finding out it was simply because you hadn’t changed the address on your card.

Yes, moving is stressful. But taking care of these often overlooked tasks will make it a little bit easier!

If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, let Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team of Professionals assist you with all your real estate needs!  Call them today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: braybray.co.uk

Have you recently become an empty nester with a home spacious enough for a large family?  Maybe it’s time to consider downsizing.  There are numerous perks to downsizing to a smaller home:

1. SAVING MONEY. You will not only save on your monthly mortgage payment in a smaller home, you will also save money on frivolous living.  One of the advantages of downsizing your home is that you can stop wasting money on furniture and home décor that are used to fill space rather than to fulfill a function.  Filling a smaller space will allow you to prioritize what items are important and necessary for you.
    
2. LESS STRESS. After working hard all week to pay the bills, it’s no fun to have to spend your weekend doing chores.  A smaller home equals fewer chores and less upkeep. This will free up time to enjoy leisure activities and relaxation.
    
3. SAVE ENERGY. If you live in a large home, you know that energy costs can be expensive.  Smaller homes will not only save you money on heating, cooling and water costs, it will also allow you to reduce your carbon footprint.
    
4. FREE TIME FOR TRAVEL. With additional disposable income and less upkeep needed, a smaller home will afford you the time and cash for travel and adventure.  Weekend getaways or even long trips are less of a hassle now that you don’t have to worry about being house-poor.
    
5. A NEW BEGINNING. Downsizing can be the beginning of a new chapter in your life.  If being an empty nester has you feeling down, a lifestyle change might be just what you need to start focusing on how you want to spend your time, money and energy. 

If you are ready to downsize, let professional Realtor Sandra Nickel and her Hat Team help you sell the house you’re in and find a new home to better suit your needs!  Contact us today at 334-834-1500!

Photo Credit: aarp.org