Found 73 blog entries tagged as selling your home.

How long have we been hearing that the Santa Cruz real estate market is either stagnant or in decline? Well, many economic experts are predicting that things might be looking up this year and we may see an increase in both home prices and sales.

These changes will affect both buyers and sellers in the months to come. It is essential that both parties are aware of how they may be affected. We’ve outlined some of the ramifications below.

Buyers:

• Interest rates could remain low. Interest rates are lower now than they have been in years, which can make purchasing a home more affordable.
• More buyers will be competing for homes. More buyers looking for property could mean bidding wars on homes with more than one interested party. Be sure to take…

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From deciding on the sale price to closing the final deal, the role of your Santa Cruz real estate agent is to make sure every aspect of the sale process goes smoothly. In order to accomplish this goal, you and your property expert need to be on the same page. Below are a few questions to ask your Realtor before putting your home on the market.

Is my home ready to be sold?

Ask your Realtor their professional opinion as to whether your home is ready to be sold in its current condition or if it would be advantageous to make improvements first. In some cases, a simple renovation can ensure that you get a much better sale price on the home.

How much have other comparable homes sold for in my area?

The answer to this question will help you to get…

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There is a lot of misleading and incorrect information out there when it comes to Santa Cruz real estate short sales. Most people don’t have a clear understanding of the purpose of short sales or how they actually work.

Essentially, a short sale is when you sell your home for less than the balance remaining on your mortgage. The proceeds from the sale are used to repay a portion of the balance. A short sale can be a solution for homeowners who really need to sell their home but owe more on the mortgage than the home is worth.

Understanding the short sale process can help you to get the most out of your Santa Cruz real estate sale. Below are some common myths and why they are false.

A short sale damages your credit record as much as foreclosure
A…

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When making one of the largest investments of your life, it’s important to take the task of finding a Santa Cruz real estate agent very seriously. It may be easy to find enthusiastic professionals, but when they’re advising you on such a huge financial deal, you’ll want a successful expert you can completely trust. Below are 5 steps to finding the right Realtor for you!

1. Discover a Santa Cruz real estate agent.
Make sure to get referrals from family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. It might also be a good idea to visit open houses in your area in order to meet Realtors in person and see them in action.

2. Research their work.
Once you’ve narrowed down the list, then it’s time to do a little online stalking. Check the listings they have posted…

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Whether it’s to a completely new city or just an upgrade into more square footage, for one reason or another, you’ve decided to make the move. Before you can begin the search for your future house, you need to get your Santa Cruz home on the market.

Besides hiring a real estate agent and pricing it right, the next best thing you can do to get it sold quickly is to stage.

The purpose of staging is to get rid of the clutter in your house and arrange it so that it appeals to as many buyers as possible. So, before you take photographs to post online, read over the tips below on how to show your house in its best light.

• Spruce up your curb appeal. The outside of your Santa Cruz home is the first impression buyers are going to take in — so make sure…

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If you're putting up your Santa Cruz home for sale, you're probably thinking about what you need to do to get it sold.  Here is a list of do's and don'ts to help you along your way:

Do's

• DO take pictures of every room of your house.  Look each picture over with a fresh eye; see what needs to be done to the rooms.
• DO clean, clean, clean.  What may look like "family clutter" to you may also turn the buyer off.
• DO replace hinges that are broken or worn, tighten doorknobs, etc.  Buyers going through the house will open doors and cabinets.  Having a doorknob come off in your hand is a definite deterrent to buying.
• DO fix cracks and watermarks.  You don't want to give potential buyers the idea that you still have plumbing problems.
• DO take the time…

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You’ve decided to put your Santa Cruz home up for sale.  Now, how are you going to make the most money selling it and get it sold the fastest?  Perhaps you should consider providing owner financing, also known as seller financing. 

Why Isn’t The Buyer Getting Bank Financing?
Usually a buyer gets bank financing when buying a home.  If the buyer approaches you with a deal that involves you doing the financing, you’ll want to ask why.  It could be that they can’t afford a big down payment, and can’t be approved for a loan without it.  Or, they may not be able to get financing at all, due to no credit or bad credit.

In that case, you’ll want to evaluate if you can afford the risk.  Can you make the monthly mortgage payment in the event they default? If…

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As the temperature continues to drop, you might see a decrease in the number of showings for your Santa Cruz home. Don’t get downhearted. Just because the weather is keeping more people indoors, doesn’t mean that they aren’t still looking — the really serious ones are.

There are usually fewer properties on the market this time of year, so this is when you need to make your online presence perfect and make every showing count.

Below are success tips sellers use to warm up their homes and draw buyers in.

• Show your house in different seasons. In your online listing, make sure your real estate agent includes photographs of your house in different seasons, especially if you have a fantastic spring garden or beautiful fall trees.

• Sweep the…

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If you’ve resolved to start the New Year in a new home, then your first order of business should be to find a fantastic Santa Cruz real estate agent. Purchasing a home is a huge investment, and while there are no guarantees for finding the perfect Realtor, there are definitely certain qualifications you should add to your interview checklist.

• A current license – You’ll want to know if your potential Realtors have a current license to ensure they have Errors and Omissions Insurance, which compensates you if they make a mistake. Also, you’ll want to inquire with the state board to make sure they’re in good standing or if they have any cases of misconduct filed against them.

• Applicable experience – Ask to see a list of the homes your potential…

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In a booming market, a house, which does not sell in a month, is considered to have a problem.  However, in a slow market, selling a Santa Cruz home may take as much as 6 months to one year.  Slowing that we have witnessed in recent times has shaped a lot of uncertainty in the real estate market.  The rates of properties are dropping drastically and a majority of individuals is looking for a quick sale for their property.  If you are also one of them, then here are a few tips that can help you in selling your property quickly even in a slow market:

• Make a video of your Santa Cruz home, both inside and outside, and watch it as if you are a potential buyer.  Make sure that your lawn is not bare or weedy, and your house is spotlessly scrubbed and…

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