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Grace Hughes
REALTOR®
    Years of Experience: 6

    GRI: Graduate REALTOR® Institute
    e-Pro Certified
    Loss Mitigation Specialist

Direct: (904) 233-1341

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Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners
Jacksonville, FL

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Archive for January 2010

Ten Tips For Selling Your Home In The Spring in Jacksonville & Jax Beach, Florida

Saturday, January 30th, 2010

Ten Rules to Follow When Selling a Home

  1. Hire a good agent. A professional who knows your neighborhood and has a good track record in your community will go a long way in helping you sell your home.
  2. Clean out the clutter. Open spaces look best. Clean, and clean some more to make a good first impression.
  3. Spiff up the property in Jacksinville. Make any improvements that will improve the show of your home. When possible, stick with the simpler (and less expensive) options to be sure the buying price covers your investment and will sell your home.
  4. Determine the worth in the Jax Florida market. Know the fair market value of your home. Your REALTOR® can help you assess the cost. You may also want to have the home appraised in order to get the home sold.
  5. Price it right. A REALTOR® can help you objectively set the price so that it reflects the value of your home and the trends of the surrounding community.
  6. Come up with a plan to sell your home. Are you set on your price, or eager to move? How low are you willing to go to settle?
  7. Get pre-approved for your next move.  If you’re looking to buy another house, make sure you know your financial situation.
  8. Figure out your selling costs. Commission, ad costs, attorney fees, taxes and prorated costs may all come into play. Real estate agents deal with transactions every day and can give you a very close estimate of seller closing costs.
  9. Set the stage. Clean the windows, open the curtains, turn on the lights, display fresh flowers. A bright house is a welcoming house and the brighter, the greater the chance of selling it.
  10. It’s show time.  Be ready and willing to have your home shown any day, even with short notice. Making it difficult to see will also make it difficult to sell.

If you need some ideas about getting your home ready for the market in Jacksonville in the spring, call me Direct 904-233-1341 or send a quick email.   I’ll respond as quickly as possible.

My web site where you can find any home listed in the Northeast Florida MLS is located at the following link: www.FindaPlaceWithStyleNgrace.com.  Go to the Property Search page.  email:gracehughesjax@gmail.com.

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Posted in Selling Your Home | 2 Comments »

HOME SELLERS – Renovations Are Holding Value Better Than Home Prices in the Jacksonville Florida area

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Why Renovation Pays “When housing slows down, people stay put and renovate their house to make it more livable,” says Paul Zuch, president of Capital Improvements, a designing, building, and remodeling company in Dallas in a Realtor.org report about ways to improve the chances of selling your home.   By renovating before they sell, home owners get to enjoy the new space themselves, not just make the home more appealing to buyers.”

When it comes to the return vs dollars spent…Realtor magazine stated replacement projects that boost curb appeal—siding, windows, and decks—give you the greatest chance of recouping your money when you sell your home.

Inside the home, kitchen and bathroom remodeling offer the greatest value.   Other good ways to improve the value of your home are:   1. Tidy up kitchen cabinets  2. Add or replace tile in kitchen  3. Add a breakfast bar  4. Install granite tile, instead of slab 5. Freshen up the bathroom without re-tiling  6. Freshen a basement  7. Add a room  8. Spruce up cabinet fronts  9. Replace light fixtures  10. Tech up the garage

I’d love to offer suggestions if you need to list and sell your home in greater Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach or Jacksonville Beach or Ponte Vedra Beach or surrounding areas.  My  email: gracehughesjax@gmail.com or Call me at Direct 904-233-1341 for some ideas.

My web site where you can find any home listed in the Northeast Florida MLS which includes all the above communities at the following link: www.FindaPlaceWithStyleNgrace.com.  Go to the Property Search Page.

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Posted in Selling Your Home | No Comments »

Waiver of Hud 90-day Rule Should Help Speed up Resales of Foreclosed Properties in Jacksonville Beach

Tuesday, January 19th, 2010

Acquiring, rehabilitating and reselling foreclosed properties to prospective homeowners often takes less than 90 days in today’s market.   In the past, FHA restrictions did not allow financing of foreclosed properties less than 90-days owned by investors.  Consequently some buyers have often been shut out from buying affordable properties.   FHA Commissioner,  David H. Stevens says, “this action will enable our borrowers, especially first-time buyers, to take advantage of this opportunity.”

The waiver will take effect on Feb. 1, 2010, and be effective for one year, unless otherwise extended or withdrawn by the FHA Commissioner. To protect FHA borrowers against predatory practices of “flipping,” the waiver is limited to those sales meeting certain guidelines.

Access these guidelines at HUD’s web site:  http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/waivpropflip2010.pdf.

For Jacksonville Beach and Jacksonville Florida Foreclosed Or Short Sale Properties go to my web site at www.FindaPlaceWithStyleNgrace.com.   Go to the Property Search Page at this link and click on Foreclosures.  For immediate assistance call 904-233-1341.  Email is: gracehughesjax@gmail.com.

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Posted in Foreclosures | No Comments »

Advantages of Using A Real Estate Agent to Help You Buy A Home?

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Buying a home is certainly one of the most rewarding experiences most of us ever have;  it’s also one of the most challenging.

1. One clear advantage of enlisting the help of an agent is simply that you don’t have to “go it alone.”  A good agent has the training, the know-how, and the experience to help you through each step of the process and to make the process of finding, buying, and moving into your new home as smooth, quick, and enjoyable as it can be.

2. Another advantage is that real estate agents are a valuable source of information about market trends, neighborhoods and especially information about homes for sale throughout the areas in which you’re interested.   The agent may know about a home for sale that is not listed.

3. Another advantage is that, in general, all of these services come to you free of any charge or obligation.  It used to be thought that, legally, all real estate agents involved in a given transaction worked for the seller.  Now, with proper disclosure, the agent, salesperson or broker works for the buyer that they choose to represent.   The buyer’s agent is then paid at closing by the seller.

In order get the process moving you need to have a Buyer Consultation Interview.   Why?  Simple – because no one likes to waste time,  but that’s what many purchasers do.  They don’t take the time to sit down with their Realtor to let the Realtor know, in great detail, what their house needs are.  That’s what a Buyer Consultation is all about.

Through the experience of working with many buyers over several years, I have become skilled in (and enjoy) teaching you about the whole process and listening to your needs.  Even if you have purchased a property in the recent past, a quick review might be in order to refresh everything in your mind!

All of my services come with a satisfaction guarantee – and are completely free of charge  – so take full advantage of my FREE BUYER CONSULTATION today by calling at 904-233-1341 or email me at: gracehughesjax@gmail.com with a specific time and date.

Find your dream home on my web site which is linked to the MLS at: www:FindaPlaceWithStyleNgrace.com.

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Posted in Buy a House, Buying a Home, Homes, Real Estate Agent | 1 Comment »

Why is the number of Short Sales rising?

Thursday, January 7th, 2010

Why is the number of short sales rising?

Due to the recent economic crisis, including rising unemployment, and drops in home prices in communities across the nation, the number of short sales is increasing. Since a short sale generally costs the lender less than a foreclosure, it can be a viable way for a lender to minimize its losses.  This information from the National Association of Realtor’s web site.

If you are underwater with your mortgage or think you may be facing a financial crisis and will not be able to keep making your house payments, give me a call.  I’ll be glad to explain how the Short Sale process works.  Direct 904-233-1341 or send me an email at gracehughesjax@gmail.com.

I’d love to offer suggestions if you need to list and sell your home in greater Jacksonville, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach or Jacksonville Beach or Ponte Vedra Beach or surrounding areas.  My  email: gracehughesjax@gmail.com or Call me at Direct 904-233-1341 for some ideas.

My web site where you can find any home listed in the Northeast Florida Multi Listing Service in the Jacksonville area including the Beaches,  go to the following link: www.FindaPlaceWithStyleNgrace.com.  Then go to the Property Search Page.  Click on Foreclosures to see what else is on the market.

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Posted in Short Sales | No Comments »

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