Hopefully, 2011 is off to a great start for you and your family and you’re coping with the snow and sub zero temperatures.  As the cold weather and after holiday downtime sets in, it may be tempting to stay at home and not visit area open houses.

The internet and virtual tours provide a great “sneak peek” at homes for sale with photos and helpful property information.  I’d like to suggest a few reasons why walking through realtor open houses and seeing a home first hand may be beneficial for you:

1)     You can “try on” the home and see how if fells and fits for you and your needs.  Stand / sit in the kitchen and see how it would work for you when preparing a meal or sit in the living room and see if it’s the right room for reading the newspaper or watching the TV news.

2)     You are able to see the actual sizes of rooms and how they will fit with your furnishings.  Measuring tapes come in very handy to as you can measure a room that may be in question size wise.

3)     You’ll be able to see what appeals to you whether it’s the floor coverings, paint or cabinetry, what you would want / need to change, or what you could get by with for awhile.

4)     “Real” visuals provide great comparisons between several properties that are of interest.

Another subject I’d like to touch on is it seems we can get caught up in negative news.  We continue to hear that jobs, along with the economy is slow to come back, and the real estate interest rate is starting to rise a little.  While these facts are true (at the time of writing this blog), don’t let what you’re hearing or reading deter you from looking into purchasing a home if it’s the right time for you. 

Some of us remember the 1980’s and interest rates of 11-13%.  An interest rate around 4.5 – 5% is not bad.  What’s important is timing for you and your family.  Talk with a reputable lender who can help you determine if now is the right time for you to buy or sell your home.

Your realtor can be a tremendous asset whether you are a buyer or seller.  Your realtor can provide market analysis on the properties you’re interested in buying or selling and also, as a good listener and resource provider, help you make good decisions.  If you don’t currently have a realtor you’re working with, please give me a call.  I’d be happy to visit with you. 

Some final thoughts:  1) Buyers – get busy.  If you’re ready to buy, now is the time.  2) Sellers – be realistic.  Make sure your home is in the best condition possible – both physically and in presentation.  Also sellers, recognize updates you’ve made to your home may not mean increased profit, but that your home may sell faster than the competition.

Don’t forget to check out my listings.  I have great variety to choose from whether you’re a first time home buyer or an investor.

Catch you on my next blog.  Until then, take care.

Posted on Tuesday, February 15th, 2011 at 4:45 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.