River Valley Real Estate
&HOME November 2020
Beautiful Getaway Retreat!
River Valley Real Estate
&HOME November 2020
FEATURES
CONTENTS
FORT SMITH BOARD OF REALTORS.............................................................................................3 GREATER FORT SMITH HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION .............................................4 READY TO SELL? ...............................................................................................................................12-13 STAGING WITH STYLE...........................................................................................................................7 TRENDS IN BATHROOM REMODELING...................................................................................20
Beautiful Getaway Retreat!
Cover design by Christy Morrison
Multi Media Sales Executive
Bethanie Starr
Design Coordinator
Christy Morrison
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The opinions and observations expressed in River Valley Real Estate & Home are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Times Record. Volume 13, Number 7 River Valley Real Estate & Home, a magazine of the TImes Record published 12 times a year.
River Valley Real Estate
&HOME INDEX OF ADVERTISERS
Arvest Bank .....................................................................18 McGraw Realtors.............................................................9
Chuck Fawcett Realty...........................................14-15
Medlock & West Realty.................................................5
Citizens Bank..................................................................24 Ronald Ragon Realty ...................................................21 Cobblestone ......................................................................6 Stoneshire .......................................................................19 First Financial Bank .......................................................8
© Copyright 2020 Times Record
Advertising information is available from Bethanie Starr at (479) 353-3995 or bstarr@localiq.com
Greater Fort Smith Home Builders Assn ............23
Weichert Realtors - The Griffin Company...16-17
Keller Williams Platinum Realty ...........10-11 & 22 Western Arkansas Title ..............................................22 2 | NOVEMBER 2020 - RIVER VALLEY REAL ESTATE & HOME
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Specializing in Federal Housing Administration (FHA) Financing Since 1935 Conventional, VA, FHA, and Rural Development Loans available.
Looking For The Perfect Home? We’re Here To Help. Give me a call or visit ffb1.com to learn more about your home loan options. I’ve helped many families finance their home purchase - how can I help you?
ETHAN ADAMSON NMLS #924274 479-459-3719
3401 Rogers Ave., Suite A | Fort Smith, AR 72903 | (479) 782-9300 | www.ffb1.com 8 | NOVEMBER 2020 - RIVER VALLEY REAL ESTATE & HOME
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Clear the clutter
Set your expectations The process of selling your home can be subject to the whims of the market. It’s important to mentally prepare yourself for potential hardships. If you choose to sell when the market is slow, it can affect the time it takes to sell your home. Additionally, pricing your home at a more competitive rate will help you sell faster – but you may not get your desired home listing price. Indeed, you may not get the amount you paid for the house initially. Consult with your Realtor to discuss the current status of the housing market, decide if this is the best time to sell, and set your expectations on what price you may ultimately receive for your home. Assignment: Use a free online tool, such as Pricing Scout, to get an estimated value of your home. Extra credit: Reach out to your Realtor to get a competitive market analysis (CMA), which will help you correctly price your home.
An important part of selling a home is allowing potential buyers to imagine their own life within its walls, and it’s much easier to to appeal to a buyer’s daydreams when the rooms are clutter-free. According to the 2012 National Home Improvement Survey via HomeGain.com, sellers can see a $2,024 benefit in sales price simply by clearing their home of excess possessions before showing it. And remember, prospective buyers will be eager to check closets and cupboards for spaciousness, so don’t just stuff all your nonessential items there and call it a day. Assignment: Go through your home carefully and collect any unnecessary items. Reduce clutter in your closets and cabinets. Store your things in an out-of-the- way area, such as a garage or crawl space, or rent a storage unit until you accept an offer. Extra credit: It may seem somewhat callous, but removing specific personal items, such as framed pictures of your family, can make it easier for buyers to envision living your home. Pack away your treasured family mementos for a faster sale.
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Be available for showings It’s important to make your home as available as possible to potential buyers. There’s no telling when an interested party will spot your home, and chances are good that they’ll want to schedule a showing immediately. The longer you make them wait, the more likely they are to move on to other available properties. Assignment: Create a showing availability schedule and share it with your Realtor. Try to keep the home open for showings during the evenings on weeknights and during daylight hours on weekends. Extra credit: Have a dedicated plan in place for last-minute showings. This plan should include where you and family members will go, how your pets should be handled during the showing, and any items that need to be removed or cleaned before prospective buyers cross the threshold.
BOGSTOCK.COM
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Make it move-in ready Now that you’ve removed all the clutter, it’s time to get down to the real improvements. Most buyers would prefer a home that’s movein ready to a home requiring a lot of repairs. Fix that broken door knob, re-stain the deck, and call an electrician to rewire that weird light in the bathroom. A coat of fresh paint and new carpeting also make great bait for buyers. You want to wow visitors – not bog them down with a list of things to fix before they even have a chance to fall in love with your home. Assignment: Take stock of any noticeable issues with your home. Enlist your real estate agent to point out items in need of repair, since they will have a better idea of what issues buyers will notice. Then make a to-do list to tackle everything in a timely manner. Extra credit: Have your home inspected before putting it on the market. Most buyers who make an offer will also order an inspection. It’s better to know about any major issues upfront so you can address them accordingly or be prepared for the negotiation that might follow.
HomeFinder.com
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Prep for your own purchase Planning for the sale of your home can be an all-encompassing project, but have you given any thought to what will happen once you move out? Are you looking to buy another home, or will you be renting a property? Are you staying in your current area, or moving to a completely new city? Having a framework in place will remove the element of surprise and keep you from rushing into a home purchase or bad renting situation immediately after the sale of your current property. Assignment: Make a decision on whether you will rent or buy your next property. Extra credit: Reassess your financial situation and determine what kind of property you will be able to rent or buy. Figure out how much house you’ll be able to afford.
The process of selling your home can be subject to the whims of the market. It’s important to mentally prepare yourself for potential hardships. If you choose to sell when the market is slow, it can affect the time it takes to sell your home. RIVER VALLEY REAL ESTATE & HOME - NOVEMBER 2020 | 13
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