Real Estate Information Archive

If you’re a seller of a Montgomery home you need to understand the complexities of negotiating. This is particularly true if you are attempting to sell your home by yourself. This is known as a “for sale by owner” or FSBO.

Most people understand that selling a home is complicated. But just about the least understood component of being a seller is the need to do a lot of negotiating. Even if you are working with a Realtor it is good to know what is going on, often behind the scenes. Why? So you have an appreciation of what the Realtor is doing for you.

Here are just a few of the types of negotiations you need to be ready to deal with…

• The buyer’s agent whose sole responsibility it is to protect the best interest of the buyer, not yours.
• The buyer who wants the best deal possible from you.
• The home inspection company which is working for the buyer and almost always finds problems with the property for sale.
• The termite company if there are challenges by the buyer.
• The buyer’s lender if the structure of the financing requires the seller’s participation.
• The appraiser if there is a question of value.
• The title company if there are any challenges with permits, certificates of occupancy, or the survey.
• The municipal government if there a problems with permits or certificate of occupancy.
• The survey company if there any discrepancies or challenges.

Every one of the above participants in a real estate transaction has special interests and specialized knowledge about a different component in the sales process. Each one has to be negotiated with on some level to make sure the sale gets to closing smoothly.

It takes a lot of skill to understand everyone’s interests and how those interests fit into the bigger picture. Some of their interests and intertwined, and some are very specific to a given specialty. Some of the interests are very objective and others are very subjective and emotional.

In addition to all of that, your emotions as the seller tend to run high. It is extremely difficult to remain calm and objective when dealing with other people over the sale of your Montgomery home. That is because you are not just selling a house and a property…you are selling the home you and your family have lived in. It’s personal.

The primary message is to be very careful about making a decision to go the FSBO route and be very selective when deciding on a Realtor to be your agent of negotiation.

Ready to sell? Click here for the 7 Essential Steps to Selling Success!

Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Coffee should be hot. Beer should be cold. Mexican food should be spicy.  However, if these things are less than the standard that you expect, there are not any lasting consequences.

As the value of the object in question rises, either in price or gravity, the expectations usually increase and decisions become progressively more important.  Marriage, children, health and careers are certainly a few of the more important items that bear careful consideration.

The sale of the largest asset that most people own, their home, also merits having reasonable expectations.  A homeowner should expect to get the market value for their home in a reasonable period of time with as few inconveniences as possible.

According to the latest Home Buyers and Sellers Survey, more homeowners are entrusting the sale of their home to real estate professionals.  Owners can increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome by sharing their expectations with agents prior to listing their home for sale.

Challenge your agent to explain what they intend to do to:

• Price the home correctly
• Prepare the home to make a good impression
• Position the home in the marketplace

It is reasonable for a seller to expect the agent will work hard to sell the home; will tell the truth and represent the client’s interests to the best of their ability.  Agents exemplify remarkable service when they exceed the seller’s expectations.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Contrary to popular belief there are actually some advantages to selling your home during the holidays. And many home owners really don’t have a choice because of a necessity to relocate. Most of us do tend to want to have our time free to enjoy all the activities that surround the year-end holidays. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the best of the opportunity to market your Montgomery, AL home.

There are some definite advantages to consider if you either chose to sell or you find that you have no choice but to sell. Here are just a few advantages that you can find out more about here:

• Business moves are very common in the month of January. Remember, it is a big work transfer time of the year…and that goes both ways.
• Buyers generally have more motivation to buy if they are looking during the holidays. They probably wouldn’t be looking if they don’t really intend to buy.
• Competition tends to be lower due to other potential sellers not wanting to market during the holidays if they have the choice. Less inventory for sale means your chances are better of getting buyers’ attention.
• Decorating and staging your home for sale is easier if you are decorating for the holidays anyway. Staging your home for sale any other time of year can be a chore. But, decorating for the holidays can actually turn staging into fun.
• A warm and cozy feeling of a home in the winter can contribute to a positive experience for the potential buyers touring your home.

In addition to advantages of selling during the holidays, here are just some of the 13 tips for selling in the winter offered by bankrate.com:

• Take advantage of natural light. Encourage your Realtor to push for daylight times for showings and get your windows washed so they sparkle in the lower winter sunlight angle.

• Give your Montgomery, AL home a nice holiday aroma. The No. 1 favorite is chocolate chip cookies. Especially if you enjoy baking, make the effort to leave cookies for the showings when you can. This is especially important for open house tours.

No matter what your motivation for selling your Montgomery, AL home, don’t shy away from marketing it during the holidays. Turn your holiday decorating into a fun staging activity for marketing your home.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Are you looking for ways to make your older Montgomery AL home edge out the competition?  Want to wow the modern buyer with clever, but practical, innovations which will set your property apart from all the rest?

At the recent International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, exciting new products and technology for the home were featured, some of which would certainly appeal to a wide variety of buyers and most likely hasten the sale of your Montgomery AL home.

• Want hot water for your morning tea in only 10 seconds?  Check out GE”s new Café French-door refrigerator. Price? About $3200. 
   
• The Solar Powered "Fresh Air" Skylight features a solar panel that captures any available daylight and uses it to recharge a highly efficient, fully concealed, battery powered operator and control system that opens and closes the skylight, especially when it senses rain.  Eligible for a 30% federal tax credit.
   
• Need a double oven in the kitchen of your Montgomery AL home?  Frigidaire’s Gallery Double Oven Range gives you two in the size of one and even includes a convention-bake setting.  Sells for about $1700.
   
• The use of glass for stairs and flooring has become fashionable in today’s contemporary architecture and is ideal for both commercial and residential construction.  Dependable Glass Works produces and installs custom-made glass stairs and flooring.
   
• For a high-tech twist on singing in the shower, Kohler Co.’s Moxie shower head and wireless speaker system plays up to seven hours and has wireless range of 32 feet. Magnets secure the speaker to the shower head, making it easy to pop out when it’s time to recharge the lithium ion battery.   Plus, you can take your music with you anywhere. The Moxie speaker plays wirelessly in or out of the shower, so you can charge it up to use in the kitchen or take to the beach.
   
• Kohler also offers kitchen sinks in fabulous new colors that are guaranteed to appeal to buyers. Visit Kohler.com to catch a glimpse of  Piccadilly Yellow, Greenwich Green, Palermo Blue, and Annapolis Navy.
   
• Ever wished for a little more light on the subject? Under-cabinet task lighting can be moved around with Halo’s track system and magnetic LED pucks from Cooper Lighting.
   
• Responding to consumer demand for better-organized homes and storage, ClosetMaid moved out of the bedroom closet. On display were systems for specialized craft rooms, the laundry room, and the garage.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Perhaps your Montgomery AL home has been on the market all summer or personal circumstances require you to list it now.  In either case, selling during the fall season requires that your property has ultimate appeal and stands out from the competition.  Although the pool of potential buyers diminishes once summer is over, those who do continue look more often than not have a goal of finding a place before the holidays.  It makes sense, then, that with mindful staging strategies, continued landscape maintenance, and seasonal awareness, your home could be just what they have been looking for.

As you’ve read numerous times, a buyer’s first impression is paramount in importance.  Play up any lovely foliage in your yard by patching brown spots in the lawn, mowing whenever needed, and raking leaves frequently (both front and back).  Keep in mind that as leaves fall, the exterior of your Montgomery AL home becomes more exposed, so consider power washing dirty siding, touching up chipped paint, cleaning gutters and downspouts, repainting faded shutters, railings, and doors, and pruning overgrown trees and bushes.  Keep walkways clear of debris and outdoor lights clean and in good working order.  Make your entrance way inviting by adding autumn potted plants, a seasonal door wreath, and a pumpkin or two.

And don’t forget the garage—inside and out.  You may consider the garage just an add-on, but prospective purchasers react quite well to one that is clean, organized, and useful for storage.  You can get online help in removing unsightly grease/oil stains from the concrete floor and for tips on garage organization.

“Staging” is the process of arranging your Montgomery AL home so that it appeals to all buyers and allows them to imagine themselves living there.  Three C’s —clean, cozy, and clutter-free--work well here in making both physical and emotional impressions on buyers.  Highlight fall colors with pillows, towels, rugs, flowers, or bedding.  Enhance brightness by using higher wattage bulbs and keeping curtains open.  Display a bowl of apples or bake a pie or cookies just before an open house.   If you have a fireplace, make it the focus of a room.  Want more ideas?  Several sites, including Rismedia, and Realtor.com offer valuable do-it-yourself staging tips that will enhance the “sell-ability” of your home.

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

If you’ve ever been involved in a theatrical production, you are well aware of the many hours of planning, practice, and preparation that precede the actual performance.  You hope to gain rave reviews from your audience and will thus be sure to put forth much energy and effort in order to do so.to be successful. 

In much the same way, you, as the seller of your Montgomery AL home, have aspirations of wowing potential buyers with your stellar presentation and being rewarded by appreciative applause in the form of a quick sale.  Just practice the following script and stage directions for dramatic results…

The curtain opens on a tastefully furnished room with adequate, but not overcrowded, furniture.  There is ample room to walk between the moderately-sized pieces, and doors and windows are not blocked.  Flowers and bowls of fresh fruit add color and a pleasant scent.  Personal photos and memorabilia are not present, and the few paintings that adorn the walls contribute to the overall light and airy atmosphere.

ACT I:

• Clean, clean, clean and de-clutter even more!  Create an impressive stage set by buffing floors and washing walls. This is the time to donate, throw away, and organize the many items that take up too much room, distract from positive features, make your Montgomery AL home appear smaller, and create a feeling of chaos.  Let your granite countertops, roomy closets, and ample cabinet space take center stage for potential buyers.

Intermission:

Audience members will now be milling about the area

outside your theatre, so be sure that you have taken steps to

make it attractive and appealing.

ACT II:

• Concentrate on stage lighting.  Wash windows, open curtains and drapes, illuminate darker spaces. Put away winter bedding, accessories, and area rugs. Bring in spring with soft colors. Consider investing in inexpensive staging items like towels, throw pillows, candles and table settings in lavender, yellow, sage green and pale blue.   

Final curtain:

Time to take a bow, accept the flowers, bask in the applause, and enjoy

the accolades. Your presentation has been a complete success, and you

 will soon be entertaining offers for your Montgomery AL home.

Search all Montgomery AL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

Every article, video, and home-themed television show which deals with selling your Montgomery AL home will contain oodles of information/suggestions/tips/hints/advice on how best to achieve your goal in a short period of time.  You already know that in a buyer’s market, potential purchasers can afford to be picky and that sometimes even a small “defect” can become a deal breaker, so you dutifully heed instructions to de-clutter, de-personalize, and de-emphasize anything that could be perceived as a negative.  You even bake cookies before an open house to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere!

But….are you aware of the importance of eliminating, not just masking, all interior odors?  No, the answer is not to spray tropical-scented commercial products all around your Montgomery AL home, for that is only a temporary fix and may even provoke an allergic reaction from a potential buyer.  There are, however, natural solutions to persistent smells of all types.  Making your house smell spring-fresh is a great way to invoke the buying mood this year.

Besides opening windows and letting fresh air flow freely throughout your Montgomery AL home, there are many steps you can take to identify odor-prone areas and do away with the stench.  Read on:

• Use fabric softener sheets in linen closets, vacuum bags, and pillowcases.
• Take advantage of the fact that baking soda, unused coffee grounds, imitation vanilla, houseplants, tea tree oil, vinegar, cat litter, and a boiling of cinnamon and cloves absorb odors.
• Understand that potential buyers will open drawers and closets, inspect the freezer and refrigerator, tour the basement, look carefully at bathroom and kitchen fixtures and appliances, and check out washers and dryers.
• Treat your garbage disposal to rinds of citrus fruits every so often.
• Fight the smell of tobacco smoke smell with gusto!   Place small bowls of pine-sol or baking soda in the affected areas to absorb the odor. Often a heavy duty cleaning and wall washing will be required to stop the odor once and for all.
• Recognize the fact that erasing all pet odors is mandatory.  These are stubborn smells resulting from dander, bedding, and accidents, and they require diligence and sometimes even detective skills to find the source.  Click here for an effective (and eco-friendly) homemade urine stain and odor removal solution and procedure.

Rest assured that your fresh-smelling interior will appeal to potential buyers and hasten the sale of your Montgomery AL home!

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

There is a growing segment of potential buyers looking for houses which incorporate the principles of feng shui. An ancient Chinese practice, feng shui is believed to improve one’s life through the use of color, location and positioning, and specific materials and objects, all of which combine to produce a positive energy, or chi, in your home.

The primary focus of feng shui is the positive flow of energy, which contributes to the creation of harmony in life. Integral components of the philosophy are the five elements of fire, earth, water, metal, and wood, and each of these is enhanced by color selection and use in your Montgomery AL home as follows:

Other feng shui principles to follow include:

1. Avoidance of unnecessary furnishings and objects:

In feng shui, less is more. Proponents of the practice suggest avoiding big pieces of furniture and removing most plants, photographs, and personalize items in order to facilitate the flow of energy.

2. Abundance of light:

Ample lighting is conducive to good energy and should be generously provided in your Montgomery AL home to provide a sense of spaciousness. Natural light is best, but warm, soft artificial lighting is acceptable. Dimmer switches are strongly suggested

3. Outside appearance:

A solid, strong front door is essential, as is an attractive and clutter-free entranceway. Your landscaping should be well-maintained, your house numbers need to be clean and easily visible, and a well-lit entrance is a must! 

4. The feng shui “trinity”:

The bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom are of vital importance in your home since there is a powerful connection among the three areas which promotes health and well-being.

• Bathroom: Try to create a spa-like, relaxing atmosphere through the use of lighting and mirrors, which give the room a sense of space
• Kitchen:  Incorporate unadorned countertops, fire and wood tones, and lighting under the cabinets to invite a good chi.   Add a basket of fresh fruit or flowers.
• Bedroom:  You should have a solid headboard and a bed that is approachable from both sides and flanked by two end tables. The walls should be in earth colors, and televisions, computers, and exercise equipment should not be present.

Good feng shui means positive energy, sure to help with the sale of your Montgomery AL home. Who doesn’t want the hope of good health, happiness, and prosperity?

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Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomeryAL.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

By now you have probably completed (or perhaps just planned) cleaning, de-odorizing, de-cluttering, and de-personalizing the Montgomery AL real  estate you want to sell this spring, so you’re well on your way to success.   Now it’s time to think about staging your property, both inside and out, to appeal to potential buyers.

• Painting:  It’s always best to have neutral walls as a basis for effective staging.  Note:  Neutral doesn’t have to mean tan or beige!  Check out colors such as a muted green, smoky grey, ivory, or a soft buttery yellow.  You can also use paint to create a flow between two rooms or areas and to create the allusion of light in a normally dark room.  While an accent wall can be effective in the right location, generally think of the walls in your Montgomery AL real estate as a backdrop for a setting of you creation.
   
• Accessories:  Simple, colorful, and inexpensive accent pieces will make a big impression on the senses of potential buyers viewing your home.  Think about a grouping of unusual pillows for the family, living, and bed rooms, bright towel sets for the bath, soft throws or afghans on sofas and chairs, fresh flowers in the kitchen, or place settings of colorful dishes on the dining room table.  Lisa LaPorta of HGTV offers 30 easy and inexpensive suggestions for Montgomery AL real estate, as does Frontdor.com in a slideshow or video format.

Exterior curb appeal:  The first thing potential buyers will see is the exterior of your home. Some will even drive by on their own before agreeing to a showing, so you’ll want to make sure your yard, porch, garage, and façade are well taken care of at all times. Clean out all of the leaves and debris that may have piled up over the winter, make sure your hedges are neatly trimmed, and that nothing is covering the exterior of your home. You want buyers to be able to see it clearly from the street.  Keep gutters clear and shutters, windows, doors, and screens clean and in good repair.  Make your home’s entrance colorful, well-lighted, and inviting, trim trees and hedges, and show off a clean, well-maintained driveway and sidewalk area.  Be sure to check out Better Homes and Gardens for many more great ideas—and pics!

Search all Montgomery AL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.

As 2013 emerges with positive signs for the real estate industry, homeowners who have been sitting on the sidelines may finally be ready to put their homes on the market.  If you are one of those preparing your Montgomery AL home for sale, there are some tried and true tips to help you gain the most from your efforts. In fact, some of the most important fix-up projects a homeowner can perform may be accomplished with little more than elbow-grease, and they can definitely help to speed up the sale of your property.

A thorough cleaning, a fresh coat of a neutral colored paint, simple staging, and attentive grooming of your yard are the basics of prepping for a successful sale.  First impressions are important, and a neat, clean, and roomy look certainly appeals to potential buyers of your Montgomery AL home.

First steps:

• Cleaning: When you clean, pay attention to small details. Wash windows, dust blinds, launder curtains, dust/scrub baseboards, scour appliances, and straighten up the contents of your closets.  Clean all door knobs, phones, entertainment equipment (remote controls), switch plates, banisters, and other things that are repeatedly touched. Click here for an organized check list and schedule.
   
• De-Odorizing: (especially if you have pets).  Vacuum and wash potentially smelly surfaces (don’t forget dog beds and littler boxes!), steam clean your carpets, and rid your home of pet hair as much as possible. Also, be wary of using scented candles or oils to mask unpleasant smells as some people may be bothered by synthetic fragrances. Gizmodo.com offers sage advice for naturally eliminating unwelcome household odors.
   
• De-cluttering: Get rid of piles of magazines and stacks of mail.  Too many books for the bookcase?  Pack them up and store them.  Organize kitchen and bathroom drawers. Use attractive storage bins to keep things out of sight but still easily accessible.  Remove large or bulky furniture and decorative accessories to  allow for ample walk-through room.  For more on effective use of space, click here.
   
• De-personalizing: As important as they may be to you, knick-knacks, personal photos, and keepsakes add to an overall cluttered feeling that can make your Montgomery AL home appear smaller and more difficult for potential buyers to envision as their own. Personal collections, be they butterflies, trophies, or decorative masks, need to be kept out of sight until you move.

Next?  Interior and exterior staging.  Coming soon.

Search all Montgomery AL Real Estate And Homes For Sale.

Sandra Nickel and the Hat Team have distinguished themselves as leaders in the Montgomery AL real estate market. Sandra assists buyers looking for Montgomery real estate for sale and aggressively markets Montgomery AL homes for sale. Sandra is also an expert in helping families avoid foreclosure through short sales and is committed to helping families in financial hardship find options. For more information you can visit AvoidForeclosureMontgomery.com.

Interested in buying a bank-owned home? Get bank-owned listings alerts FREE!

You can reach Sandra by filling out the online contact form below or give her a call anytime.