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Monthly archives for June, 2010

User-Friendly Search Engine

Jun08
2010
Leave a Comment Written by Alicia

buying with buy owner

Do you ever visit an online search engine and immediately become flustered by all the homes for sale? It can be overwhelming, especially now, with so many homes available and few sales. In order to help your search become calmer and organized, you need a search engine that is easy to browse and quick to give you what you want.

That is what BuyOwner.com strives to provide you with. By clicking “Homes For Sale” from the tabs across the top of the homepage, you can search for specifics that will eliminate any type of house that doesn’t interest you. Your price range is obviously key, so you must type in the minimum and maximum amount you’re willing to pay. If you’re looking for a single-family home or an apartment, you can choose exactly that type of house. If you want a garage or a swimming pool, check the box next to that feature. If you just want a broad search of homes within a 30-mile radius of a certain town, you can do that too!

Once you finish marking your criteria and you click “Submit Search Criteria” at the bottom of the page, you can then sort the results by price, placement, list date and number of bedrooms. If you’re looking for a budget buy, one tip that others might not consider is to search the oldest listing dates first. By doing so, you can view the houses that have been advertised with Buy Owner the longest. These home sellers are most likely exhausted of the home-selling business, and you might be able to score a stellar price from a homeowner eager to sell. On the other hand, if you search the newest listings, you might find sellers who just found out they need to move as soon as possible and are eager as ever to sell. Play around with the listing dates and see what you can find.

You can always go back and alter your search criteria until you find exactly what you’re looking for. If you have any questions, leave us a comment, and we’ll help you out! With the multitude of houses for sale right now, there’s nothing more pleasing than a search engine that provides you with the exact search tools you need.

Posted in Buying Tips, Tips and Ideas - Tagged buying a home, house shopping, how to buy a home, looking for a home, user-friendly search engine
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How to Be Realistic about Price

Jun07
2010
Leave a Comment Written by Shanna

pricing realistically

As a home seller eager to make a profit on your sale, it can be easy to lose sight of an important truth: Your house is worth what a buyer is willing to pay.

Not what it sold for.

Not what you invested.

Not what you want a buyer to pay.

Your house is worth what a buyer is willing to pay.

So when you’re trying to price your home realistically, it’s helpful to think in terms of that fact, asking yourself what price a buyer would realistically be willing to pay for your home.

How can you best estimate what price that would be?

Ask yourself some questions:

  • What do other sellers of similar homes think buyers will pay?
  • What have other buyers paid for similar homes recently?
  • How will my home compare to the competition?
  • How fast are homes selling in my area?

These questions will help you gather valuable information that can lead to an estimated range for pricing your property. Ideally, you want to price just a little higher (around 2 to 5 %) than what you think a buyer will pay, in order to leave room for negotiation.

Of course it’s always tempting to price higher, in hopes that someone will come along who wants your place. But the only person who loses in that situation is you, while you wait longer on the market.

So price carefully, and you’ll price right.

Posted in Selling Tips, Tips and Ideas - Tagged how to sell, pricing realistically, pricing your home, real estate, Selling Tips
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Embrace Outdoor Living!

Jun04
2010
Leave a Comment Written by Alicia

outdoor living

If you live in an area of the country with four pronounced seasons, you might think that spending money on your backyard is a waste. If you can only spend time in an outdoor oasis for half the year or less, why not stick to updating the inside of your house instead? However, right now, when the warm summer sun graces you with its presence more often than not, you might really regret not having a place to soak up the rays and breathe in the fresh air. How do you solve this dilemma?

Embrace the outdoors. Nowadays, there are so many options for updating your backyard so you can enjoy an outdoor oasis year-round! Instead of viewing your backyard as separate from your house, landscape supply companies recommend that you view your backyard as an extension of your house.

For example, instead of setting up a portable grill that you can bring outside in the summer and store away in the winter, incorporate a permanent outdoor kitchen in your backyard. Not only will the appliances be more sturdy and weatherproof, but you will also have no excuse not to use them in the winter! You can brush the snow off your patio and fire up the grill. Heat your hands over the stove while you cook up a pot of chili or some juicy steaks. On a chilly autumn night, fire up the grill and roast some marshmallows or warm up some milk for hot chocolate. It is easier to bear the cold temperatures when you have warm kitchen appliances to make the atmosphere toastier!

Not willing to spend the money for a full outdoor kitchen? Opt to build a permanent fire pit instead, which will still be readily available year-round, and which will add more rustic qualities to your outdoor experience! If you stick with a traditional grill, clear a special area for the grill and add lots of outdoor furniture around it so you have no excuse not to cook outside. Loads of manufacturing companies are coming out with new weather-resistant furniture fabrics to keep up with the outdoor furniture trend.

Also, you should incorporate as much color and variety into your backyard as possible. Choose trees that burst with flower buds in the spring and bright colors in the fall. Plant evergreens that block wind in the winter. Grow perennial flowers that will reappear each year, a little more impressive than the last year. By having foliage to look forward to year-round, it will make you more apt to spend time outdoors so that you don’t miss any particular moment in nature’s transformation!

If you keep up with current trends, this will make you more apt to enjoy time in your backyard now. Why not invite all your guests over to awe over your contemporary, chic outdoor oasis? According to flower nurseries, current trends include raised gardens or flower beds that are easier to view than flat gardens. Vegetable gardens are increasingly popular because they are everything in one: visually appealing, tasty and environmentally and economically smart! While some plants and gardens become more popular, others lose their admiration, such as ash trees and yews.

Still not convinced that you can bear the Northern or Midwest weather without some sort of shelter? No problem. Gazebos can be added to your yard within hours, and most gazebos offer window options that keep the enclosure protected from winter temperatures. Another popular option is to build a patio or deck, and then to cover half of that terrace with a screened or glass enclosure. This allows you the ability to feel like you’re enjoying time outside while remaining protected from rain and wind. Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves are popular features to add to these enclosures.

As you can see, outdoor options are seemingly endless, and the possibilities continue to increase as the popularity of spending time outdoors increases! Now is definitely the time to embrace the outdoors.

Posted in Home Improvement, Tips and Ideas - Tagged home decorating, Home Improvement, outdoor living
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Green Real Estate Roundup

Jun03
2010
Leave a Comment Written by Shanna

think green!

Wondering how the Internet has been buzzing with green information over the last month? Check out this roundup of great articles, filled with information and stories about green living as it relates to real estate and home building!

  • USA Today, “My green house project sparks debate, criticism,“ by Wendy Koch. This is an interesting read. Not only does it provide a real-life example of someone who chose to build a green home, but also it addresses some of the criticisms lobbied in response.
  • KAALtv.com, “Riverland House Goes Green” by Kristin Martin. Carpentry/electrician students at Riverland Community College in Austin, Minnesota, built a Green Star home to sell. According to the article, this residence showcases “innovative concepts” that should continue to grow in popularity.
  • Newsday.com, “Montauk house to tell owner when being ‘green’ pays off” by Cathy Mahon.
Posted in Green Living, Tips and Ideas - Tagged eco-friendly tips, Green Living, home ownership, real estate news
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What They Wish They’d Known

Jun01
2010
Leave a Comment Written by Shanna

buying a house

or, before you buy a house: beware!

Buying your first home is an exciting time. You’ve saved money, you’ve decided where you want to live and you’re ready to take the plunge into a big commitment that will give you rewards for years to come!

But buying your first home is also a scary time, filled with new experiences and unknowns. To help take some of the guess work out of the equation, welcome to a post filled with information new home owners wish they’d known!

If you’re planning to buy a home in the near future, here’s what you want to know!

1. Go into it with good finances. If you do the hard work of improving your credit score, reducing/eliminating debt and preparing for a home purchase beforehand, you set yourself up to reap the benefits.

2. Think long-term. Buying a property really is a commitment. If you’re not ready to stay put in the area for five years or more, you’re not ready to buy. Why? When you add up all the extra costs of ownership and don’t have the long amount of time to gain value, you may actually lose money by buying instead of renting. So if you’re going to buy, buy to stay. At least for a little while.

3. Think realistically. It’s not as easy to get a mortgage these days as it was at the height of the real estate boom, but that doesn’t mean you should always jump at a mortgage you’re approved for. Look at your income, cost of living, long-term plans, debts, etc. Assess whether or not you can afford to buy.

4. Think about selling points. Sure, it sounds strange to think about resale value when you’re just about to purchase a home, but that’s exactly what savvy buyers do.

The most important thing to remember when you’re buying a home is to be informed! That way, you can buy your first place and enjoy it, without worrying about what you wish you’d known.

Posted in Buying Tips, Tips and Ideas - Tagged buying a house, buying fsbo, home ownership, real estate investment
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Welcome to the BuyOwner.com Blog, your source for regularly updated market information!

Founded in 1984, BuyOwner.com® is the leading provider of real estate marketing services. We pioneered the "For Sale by Owner" (FSBO) market, which today represents over 20 percent of all residential real estate transactions.

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