Moline homes for Sale – Page 11

Four Things To Tell Your Agent

Posted on April 13, 2014

Selling your home can be a complex process. How will you get the correct paperwork taken care of? Who will handle showings to potential buyers? A professional real estate agent can help ease your burden, and solve the majority of challenges you might face. However, when hiring an agent, it is important that you find a good match, and work with someone who will fit best with your unique situation. As a good rule of thumb, the following are four things you should feel comfortable expressing to your agent.

Negotiations

It is extremely important that your agent be equipped to handle any and all challenges that may come your way. The ability to negotiate is crucial. Let your agent know that you expect he or she to be aggressive and firm when negotiating with potential buyers or their agents.

Relocation

Your agent should be able and willing to help you with the moving process. Being without a roof over your head is not acceptable, and paying two mortgages may not be either. Ensuring that your agent can coordinate the closing of your current home with the closing of your new home simultaneously is key. Mel Foster Co. has an award-winning relocation department that can support your agent and provide you with the tools to make a smooth transition to your new city.

Timetable

Will your move into a new home revolve around the start of a new job or school year? Planning a move this structured can be mentally and emotionally draining. It is imperative your agent understands your time constraints and can work within your needed parameters. Be up front about your timing concerns and share this information with your agent before you agree to go under contract.

Sell My House!

You hired your agent to sell your home so you can focus on the changes you are undergoing, which prompted your move in the first place. It is ok to remind your agent of these motivations. Set your expectations with your agent appropriately and this could be one of the best working relationships you will ever encounter.

What Millennial Buyers Want In A Home

Posted on March 21, 2014

A number of factors come into play when considering a home purchase, especially among millennials, who represent a significant niche in today’s real estate market. The following are a number of considerations a buyer may find important when making their purchase decision. How does your home stack up and how appealing is your home to younger buyers?

The Neighborhood

Although neighborhood choice is strongly dependent on household composition, most buyers take the surrounding neighborhood into strong consideration when deciding on the purchase of a home. Younger buyers like to walk to shops and restaurants, especially in larger urban areas where parking or even owning a car may be prohibitive.

Affordability

With the current unstable job market and rising higher education costs, housing costs need to be kept low, experts suggest no more than one third of a buyers pre-tax income.

Proximity to Work

Homes that are close to places of business or work enhance work-life balance, a growing priority for many. A shortened commute can make a buying decision much easier and can make your home more attractive to buyers. Biking or walking to work is a desire of many millennials.

Schools

In a recent Realtor.com survey, it was shown that almost 45 percent of buyers are willing to spend more to ensure their children live in a quality school district.

An Open Floor Plan

More space for entertaining may mean more quality time with friends and family, which is quite important to the millennials.

Technology

Millennials value technology, in many instances, above all else. Having a home that allows for technological control can make it that much more marketable.

Energy Efficiency

In a recent study by the National Association of Homebuilders, it was found that energy efficiency topped the list of items most important to buyers interested in new home construction. Things like energy-star rated appliances, energy-star rated windows, and ceiling fans topped the list of “must-haves.”

Five Tips For Selecting The Best Contractor

Posted on March 10, 2014

What are you looking for in a Contractor? — Selecting a Contractor

Home improvement projects aren’t cheap. They are even more costly if you choose a bad contractor. These tips will help you discern the quality of the work your prospective contractor provides and protect your interests during the project.

Ask your friends for referrals

Skip the phone book and go right to the friends you trust for their opinions. Even if they tell you about a bad experience or give you the names of contractors to avoid, this is great information to have.

Make a list of the work you need done

You don’t want a contractor that is great at building decks to be doing your major kitchen remodel. Determine the scope of the work you need done, so as you interview prospective contractors, you can line up their expertise with your needs.

Look at the contractor’s past jobs

Every reputable contractor should provide you with a list of references you can call, or even visit, to see the quality of the work done. Take advantage of the opportunity to see the work for yourself.

Get it in writing

Once you’ve selected your contractor, get a contract written up and thoroughly review it with your contractor before signing the agreement for work.

Be money smart

Be weary of a contractor who asks for more than 10% down. If your contractor can’t start work for several weeks, never give more than a $1,000 deposit.

Once work begins, pay your contractor in increments of 10% as project goals are met. Arrange for the final payment 30 days after completion of the job.

Five Reasons To Buy Now Instead Of Spring

Posted on February 28, 2014

With housing prices and mortgage rates on the decline, now may be the best time to consider purchasing your new home. It may seem like a hassle to consider a major purchase and a move, especially during this year’s exceptionally brutal winter, however there are several reasons why waiting it out might not be in your best interest.

Rising Interest Rates

According to Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the National Association of Realtors, and the Mortgage Bankers Association, 30-year mortgage interest rates are projected to be over 5% by February 2015. This increase brings interest rates almost an entire percentage point higher than current market rates.

Dwindling Supply

Inventory in many regions is on the decline. Buyers in markets nationwide are beginning to find that their choices are becoming ever smaller, as the once large assortment of homes continues to decrease.

An Increase in Prices

Homebuyers will find that they are going to pay both a higher price and incur a higher interest rate if they wait until spring. In the long run, higher sales prices and interest rates could mean hundreds of dollars more in a monthly mortgage payment.

Home Ownership Creates Wealth

In a recent study, it was found that the net worth of an average homeowner was 30 times greater than the net worth of a renter. Whether you rent or own, you pay a mortgage. Would you rather pay down your own mortgage or your landlord’s?

Living The Dream After Foreclosure

Posted on February 20, 2014

Many Americans saw their dream of owning a home shatter, once they had a foreclosure or short sale on their record. But the dream is alive again thanks to changes in Federal Housing Administration guidelines and updates in the Fannie Mae loan approval system.

Homeowners used to have to wait seven years to be cleared of a foreclosure. Now that period has been dramatically reduced to just one year. More homeowners are now eligible for a mortgage sooner, so they can return to living in a home they own.

To be eligible, a borrower must have suffered a specific financial event during the recession that, through no fault of their own, caused them to lose their home. Borrowers must also have a good credit rating with only the foreclosure or short sale affecting the score. People who were upside down on their home and simply walked away won’t qualify for a mortgage.

The best way to find out if you are eligible under these new guidelines is to make an appointment with a lender. Experts also advise buyers to be more cautious with a new mortgage, taking on payments that are comfortable and affordable. Those who have been out of the market for a few years may be surprised at how home prices have risen in some markets. Working closely with an agent from Mel Foster Co. will help you find a home with a mortgage you can afford and get you back to living your American dream.

Mel Foster Co. Nominated for Performance Awards

Posted on February 18, 2014

Lynsey Engels, President, Real Estate Brokerage at Mel Foster Co. Inc. is pleased to announce that their Relocation Division, lead by Deb Boland, has been nominated by Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® for five 2013 Awards. Mel Foster Co. is one of five real estate companies nominated for these awards in their size category. The five Awards of Excellence nominations include:

Equivalent Closing Sales Production – determined by the number of closings with the average sales price for 2013
Outgoing Sales Production – determined by the number of outgoing closings
Outgoing Referral Production – determined by the number of outgoing referrals
Incoming Conversion Rate – determined by the number of incoming closings with the number of incoming referrals
Crown of Excellence – awarded to the member with the highest points total earned from performance ranking within their company-sized categoryThe awards will be presented during the Annual Performance Awards Dinner and Ceremony in Las Vegas later this month. For the past 19 years, Mel Foster Co.’s Relocation Division has been nominated for an award from Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®.

Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® is a global network of over 500 premier real estate firms. Leading RE is comprised of select independent real estate companies who set the standard of quality service, while generating a highest volume of referral, relocation, and real estate business opportunities for its members. Mel Foster Co. has been with the prestigious affiliation for 20 years.

What Buyers Want In A Kitchen

Posted on February 7, 2014

An updated kitchen can help you get top dollar from a buyer. This list tells you where to spend your remodel dollars to get the attention of buyers and your best return on investment.

Professional grade stove

Look for options like a flat griddle or a cooktop for a searing pan or wok. Even if buyers don’t cook, nothing says quality in the kitchen like a beautiful, high-end stove.

Premium countertops

Granite still reigns supreme, but quartz is becoming popular as well. With a quartz product, like Caesarstone, you get the appearance of granite without the upkeep.

Hardwood floors

Hardwood and tile are popular in the kitchen. If you are considering a flooring change, stay away from linoleum and concrete. These products are least popular.

Stainless appliances

Stainless is still the finish of choice. Investing in stainless appliances that will stay with the home when you sell is a better choice than buying less expensive white or colored appliances.

Mel Foster Co. Launches New & Enhanced Mobile Application

Posted on January 24, 2014

Mel Foster Co. launched a new, enhanced property search app for iPad, iPhone^®, and Android smartphones. The app is free and available from the Apple App Store and Google Play Market.

The new app offers a premium user experience with best-in-class mapping and augmented reality. See large photos, detailed property information on the map and search faster with auto refresh when you select a new location. Users can share properties via text message and email.

The Mel Foster Co. app is the first in the area to feature a homespotter function that Mel Foster Co. calls “Foster Finder.” Foster Finder shows results for Mel Foster and all listing companies.

Foster Finder uses a technology called augmented reality that is coupled with a smartphone or tablet’s GPS and compass to overlay property information on a device’s live camera feed. Simply use your smartphone or tablet to find all homes for sale on the street where you are standing. With a quick tap, a view of the entire street and all homes for sale pop up. There is also a radar display that shows the direction and proximity of nearby properties for sale.

The new app is integrated with the recently redesigned www.melfosterco.com. Saved properties from the smartphone app, tablet app and website are automatically synced so users always have access to their most recently saved properties.

Mel Foster Co. partnered with Mobile Realty Apps, a Minneapolis based company that specializes in real estate applications.

About Mel Foster Co.

Founded in 1921, Mel Foster Co. is a Real Estate Leader of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois serving Davenport, Bettendorf, Moline, Rock Island and the surrounding Quad City area, and it is one of Iowa’s largest independently owned real estate companies. The company specializes in residential and commercial sales and offers services in insurance, farm and land sales, land development, relocation, career development, and new construction. Visit their website at www.melfosterco.com for more information.

About Mobile Realty Apps

Founded in 2009 and based in Minneapolis, Mobile Realty Apps specializes in custom mobile apps for the nation’s top real estate brokers and MLSs, featuring apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, and Blackberry, QR codes, text and voice response solutions. Mobile Realty Apps is perhaps best known for its industry-leading HomeSpotter, an augmented reality technology that is a feature of its white-labeled smartphone and tablet apps.

Find homes with the Foster Finder — Mel Foster App

Wanted: Your Home

Posted on June 27, 2013

Now is an ideal time to list your home for sale because there are many buyers, but not enough homes for sale. This means you can get a higher selling price now that the market is in the seller’s favor.

Interest rates are still low which encourages homeowners to move. More competition is always good for sellers who may be in a position to review multiple offers. Sometimes a bidding war can break out, driving the final sales price up higher than the listing price.

According to James D. Shilling from DePaul University’s Institute for Housing Studies, the seller’s market is driving home prices up higher. This helps homeowners with negative or low equity to make more money from a sale and eases the burden of being upside down on their home. This gives the seller a chance to enter the market as a buyer when interest rates are near record lows.

Shilling predicts rates will stay low through 2013 and most likely into 2014. But the interest rates won’t stay low forever. When rates do rise, homeowners won’t want to sell their homes and lock into a new, higher interest rate. This shift means fewer buyers and lower offer prices for your home.

It’s a sweet time to be a seller. Contact a Mel Foster Co. agent about listing your home and take advantage of the market conditions.

The Pitfalls Of For Sale By Owner

Posted on May 16, 2013

Selling a house sounds easy. Take some pictures, get them on a for sale by owner website and watch the offers come in. The reality is, your home may sit on the market longer and you may price it below market value. These mistakes could cost you thousands of dollars.

Get an agent on your side when you decide to list your house. Agents and FSBO companies have different motivations. Your agent is working hard to sell your home for you and is only compensated once your home is sold. An FSBO website makes money when your home doesn’t sell and you pay for another month of listing.

Only your agent can help you determine a fair selling price based on comparable listings and sales in your neighborhood. This competitive market analysis can give you a realistic sales price. A home that is priced right will sell quickly in most situations. An FSBO site won’t offer specific information to determine how to price your home.

With an FSBO listing, you are responsible for scheduling and facilitating the open houses. It can be frustrating to watch potential buyers enter, then exit, your home in less than five minutes. They won’t stick around long enough to tell you honestly what’s keeping them from choosing your house. But an agent knows how to engage potential buyers in a meaningful dialogue that can reveal buyer concerns that might be keeping your home from selling.

Your agent also has the necessary paperwork for a buyer to make an offer. Selling you house is a transaction of many thousands of dollars. This is not the time to play agent and lawyer for yourself. Be smart when you list your home and use an agent.