Tag: Mel Foster Co. agent

Downside Of Selling Without An Agent

Posted on

When you’re getting ready to sell your home, you have a lot of choices to make. Selling is one of the most significant financial decisions you’ll face in your lifetime. There are downsides to selling your home without an experienced agent to guide you. A Mel Foster Co. agent can help you answer these questions.

How Do I Know The Right Listing Price?

Pricing your home correctly from the start is critical to a successful sale. Will I have the tools and market analysis to calculate and set an accurate home value? What happens if the price I set exceeds the value after appraisal? Work with a Mel Foster Co. agent from the start, and they can provide you with a free competitive market analysis to help you price your home in line with market activity.

Who Markets The Property?

Some sellers choose to get the word out about their property independently, without the help of an agent. But is word-of-mouth enough to find a buyer? For sale by owner is one option for selling, but the responsibility to market the home falls solely on the owner. A  Mel Foster Co. agent, with their extensive marketing resources and understanding of how to drive buyers to your home, can give you the confidence that your property will be marketed effectively.

What Projects Should I Do First?

Small improvement projects to get your home ready to sell can make a big difference in how it shows to buyers. But how do you know which projects will make the best impressions to buyers and yield the largest return on your investment? With their expertise and guidance, an agent will help you assess and make the right decisions, providing the support you need during this crucial stage of preparing to sell.

Why Does Negotiating Feel Overwhelming?

Most homebuyers believe it will be stressful to negotiate a home sale. Will I know the legal terms and regulations? Will I remain stern with my evaluations of fair pricing and practices? Know that a Mel Foster Co. agent is professionally trained and has negotiation expertise. They offer advice and are your advocate during the selling process.

Find more selling tips for homeowners.

Downsizing When You Retire

Posted on

As you approach retirement, it’s a perfect opportunity to consider downsizing. This decision can bring about a range of benefits, from financial savings to a more manageable lifestyle. To help you make an informed choice, here are some key questions to consider. 

How Has My Lifestyle Changed?

If you purchased a larger home when your family was growing, you might now find yourself an empty nester that no longer needs four bedrooms. Or maybe you wish you had a single-level home with no stairs and where the laundry room was closer to access. The upkeep, both inside and outside the house, is feeling cumbersome, and you can think of so many other things you’d rather be doing. If you find yourself agreeing with these statements, it’s time to consider downsizing.

Can A Mel Foster Co. Agent Help Me Prepare?

Connect with a Mel Foster Co. agent to discuss your moving goals. An agent can help you weigh your options, advise you on market trends and list your home on multiple listing services. Your agent can also provide you with a Competitive Market Analysis (CMA) to help you determine the most effective price for listing your home. Knowing your approximate sale proceeds will help create an accurate budget for buying your next home.

You can rely on your agent for advice on enhancing your home’s appeal to potential buyers and for finding a reputable staging source if needed. Agents can also connect you with reliable contractors if work needs to be done or photographers to capture images that best reflect your space. Agents can help you minimize your stress as you sell your home.

Why Could A Smaller Home Be Right For Me?

Downsizing can be a good way to cut down on expenses as you ease into retirement. Opting for a smaller home usually means a lower mortgage, less square footage to heat and cool, and may have lower maintenance costs. It means less yard to mow, leaves to bag, and weeds to pull. A smaller home often means fewer projects to complete giving you more time to spend doing things you really enjoy.

Plus, choosing to move on your terms has its merits. Move when you’re younger and healthier before life changes make it more difficult. Pass down family heirlooms you won’t need in a smaller home and enjoy watching the next generation appreciate these sentimental or functional items. Plan your next move now so you make the decisions and are able to choose your next home.

Find more selling tips for homeowners.

How Credit Score Information is Calculated

Posted on

Calculating your credit

Your credit score affects your ability to borrow money and influences the interest you’ll pay on that loan. Most people don’t know how these scores are calculated. Here’s what you need to know.

All Credit Scores are Not the Same

People often assume their credit score is a single three-digit number. In truth each of the three major credit bureaus, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, score you differently since they don’t have the exact same data. Be clear where your ratings come from when sharing your scores. 

Closing Accounts Won’t Always Boost Scores

Closing old or inactive accounts may inadvertently lower your credit score because your credit history appears shorter. If you want to simplify, close newer credit accounts first.

Paying Off a Debt Doesn’t Remove it from Your History 

Once a debt goes to collection, or you’ve established a history of late payments, your credit score is impacted even if you pay off what you owe. While your score will get a boost if you pay off an old debt, it may not be by as much as you think. The best way to increase your credit score is to make payments on time every month.

Co-signing a Loan Impacts Your Scores

When you co-sign for someone else’s loan, you are ultimately responsible for the debt. If the person you’re co-signed with does not pay, your credit score will be impacted. Determine ahead of time if the person you’re co-signing with can afford the loan and if it’s worth the risk to your own credit score.

Not sure who to trust when making decisions that could affect your credit score? Refer to a Mel Foster Co. agent for guidance.

Preparing to Buy in the Competitive Summer Housing Market

Posted on

Home Buying Tips

This summer will be a competitive season in the housing market where demand will be higher than supply. If you’re planning on buying a home, here are some tips to help you prepare.

Get Your Finances in Order Ahead of Time

Before you begin looking for houses, make sure you’re financially prepared to be a homeowner. This includes doing a credit check, gathering your employment and salary history, getting a current bank statement that shows savings and checking balances, making a list of your debts and anything else that could contribute to your net worth.

Be Prepared for High Prices

If you see a house you love, chances are someone else loves it too. Many sellers are receiving multiple offers and will often receive offers close to their asking price. Be prepared for firm prices and difficult negotiations. Determine your needs vs. wants when it comes to selecting a home and be willing to compromise so you can act and make an offer quickly.

Work with a Professional Real Estate Agent

Having a real estate agent on your team can make a big difference. An experienced agent can recognize what might make or break a deal. Your agent will offer the sellers your whole package and not just an offer number, making your offer more appealing to the seller. Your agent’s ability to negotiate on your behalf gives you peace of mind that you’re getting the most out of the deal.

To contact a Mel Foster Co. agent today visit our website.

Go In As A Winner

Posted on

Making an offer is a huge commitment and you need an agent on your side to come up with terms and an offer price. You might know how much house you can afford, based on your loan pre-approval, but knowing how much you should pay is a different story.

Your agent is an expert in local market conditions and has data to help you settle on a fair offer price. Reviewing comparable properties that have sold in the neighborhood is a solid tool to determine your offer price. This information is readily available to your agent.

Sellers have a reason for wanting, or needing, to sell their home. By asking the right questions during an open house, you can get a good feel for what will motivate the seller to accept your offer. Your Mel Foster Co. agent can help you prepare questions in advance to determine if price, timing or contract terms are most important to the sellers. This knowledge will give you leverage when negotiating.

Once you make the offer, it is customary to leave earnest money with the seller or seller’s agent. In a seller’s market, the buyer should put down a solid deposit to entice the seller to accept their offer. On the other hand, if it’s a buyer’s market, a larger earnest money deposit may prompt the seller to accept a lower purchase price.
Your agent is your advocate, looking out for your best interest to make sure you don’t overpay for a property or agree to terms out of fear of losing the house of your dreams. Rely on your agent to make sure you come to the table with a winning offer the sellers will accept.


,
Office:




© 2024