Dean Graziosi

Some sellers may feel that the prospect of remodeling the kitchen in a home that they are about to list is unnecessary; but in many cases the kitchen is one room that many buyers base their decision on. By remodeling your existing kitchen you may be increasing the chances of your home selling quickly rather than sitting on the market for months. Remodeling your kitchen can also help your home stand out among all of the other choices available on the market today. Buyers will likely choose a home with a freshly designed kitchen over homes that feature kitchens that are in need of work.

If your home has been listed for months and there has been little interest in it, you may want to consider remodeling your kitchen. Buyers tend to be put off if a kitchen seems too dated or features appliances and cabinets that aren’t modern. Remodeling your kitchen doesn’t have to cost a lot, simply making a few changes such as paint or floors can be accomplished relative inexpensively. The larger remodeling costs come in when you decide to replace existing floors, cabinets and countertops. Depending on the styles you choose these upgrades can become costly.

If you do decide to make some changes to your existing kitchen it is best to make changes that will increase its appeal and not make it look like it was done quick and cheap. It is also best to when remodeling to increase your home desirability among buyers that you choose colors that are more neutral and not too loud. Simply making a few upgrades may be enough to change the entire look and feel of your kitchen. Paint color can be changed relatively easy and it isn’t one of the more expensive upgrades that can be done. Appliances, if you are including them in sale should also be upgraded. Buyers are more likely to purchase a home that features newer more modern appliances than a home that has dated and unappealing appliances. Buyers will see replacing all of the appliances as another out of pocket expense, this is likely to push them towards a home that features all new, modern appliances.

The real estate market is highly competitive today, and anything you can do to help your home stand apart from others listed is a great way to get your home sold quickly. The longer your home sits, the less likely it is going to sell for the asking price. Providing buyers with a remodeled kitchen is one way to ensure that your home sells for the price you’re asking. Remodeling may seem like an unnecessary expense, but it is well worth it when trying to sell your home.

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Everyone wants to get the best deal possible on their house, but in a buyers market it can be difficult to know when to stand your ground and when to give in. Especially if your house has been on the market for a long time, it can be tempting to take any offer that is put on the table. However, you don’t want to give too much, or you will come out of the deal smelling like a rotten egg instead of roses. Take these tips into consideration when examining and negotiating real estate deals in a buyers market.

1.      Be willing to give on the little things. If you were planning on taking your appliances with you or selling them separately and the buyer wants to keep them in as part of the deal, go with it. Appliances don’t cost enough to make it worth arguing over, and it certainly should not be a deal breaker.

2.      Be willing to give a little on the asking price. Your asking price is just that, a starting point that you are asking for. It should not be set in stone. If someone makes an offer within five thousand dollars of your asking price, take it. Even within ten thousand can be a good deal if your house has been sitting for a long time.

3.      Be willing to work with the buyer on down payment and closing costs. You can get a much better offer in many cases if you stick to your asking price but make a “seller’s contribution” to the down payment and agree pay the closing costs. This way the buyer has to give up less money to get into the property, which makes them more likely to buy from you.

4.      If your house has been sitting vacant for a long time, you will have a harder time selling it if you don’t budge in negotiations. The longer a house sits, the less it is worth. This is what makes today a buyers market in the first place. Keep in mind this fact, and be willing to give in on negotiations when necessary to get the house sold.

5.      Don’t think you have to give in on everything. If someone wants to pay ten grand less than your asking price, have all appliances included, go with a lower down payment and still have you pay the closing costs, they are going too far. While you should be willing to be flexible, don’t let buyers walk all over you either. Other wise you will find quickly that you have made a deal that leaves you in the hole, all in the name of selling quickly.

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A few short years ago experts were predicting that by 2012 the housing market and foreclosure rates would return to normal. Now that 2012 is almost here, it seems that the predictions were not as accurate as everyone hoped. The down economy is certainly a factor, but this time, there is another culprit in the situation.

The primary reason 2012 is likely to be heavy on foreclosures is due to recent irregularities in the mortgage industry. Specifically, the paperwork was not being handled properly. Low-level employees were rubber stamping documents at an alarming rate.

It would have been impossible for the workers to review the paperwork and get the correct information and signatures in the flash of time they spent on each document. Perhaps they were under pressure to get a certain amount of work done. Maybe they were just poorly trained. For whatever reason, the foreclosure documents were signed thoughtlessly and mistakes were made. Eventually, legal action was taken to halt these foreclosures.

Now the mortgage companies have begun to revamp their processes and clear up these bad practices. They are now meeting with government approval and are getting back in the business of handing out foreclosure notices. By 2012, the big players should be in full swing, working on reclaiming properties from non-paying owners.

The bottleneck could have been avoided with proper training and supervision of all employees at these mortgage lenders companies. Yet, the number of foreclosures overall may not be much different. Instead of coming spaced out evenly over the months, there was a time when the process slowed down, and now there will be a time when the mortgage companies make up for lost time with their foreclosures.

The good news for homeowners is that it gives them a longer period of time to come up with the money to catch up their mortgages. If they have a chance of saving their home at all, they are more likely to do it with this extra time they have been given.

The good news for people who want to buy a home is that there will likely be a glut of REO homes on the market after awhile. Because of this, there will be inexpensive houses for them to choose.

Real estate investors will also see benefits, as they snap up the foreclosed properties, rehab them, and sell them again at a profit. They may have opportunities to buy homes to rent if they prefer. Investors can make the most of this bad situation if they have enough contacts and are good at reselling or renting homes.

It is a good time to raise capital to be ready for the 2012 housing situation. It is the best way for homeowners to keep their homes, potential owners to be ready to buy, and investors to be ready to make the best deals. There is no need to fear what will happen in 2012. Instead, look it as an opportunity, and get your ducks in a row.

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