Posts Tagged ‘Current’

There is no doubt about it, but now is not the best time to sell! Unless you:-

1. Are looking to sell your home and trade up to a more expensive one
2. Have enough equity in your home to still make money out of your property when you sell
3. You are planning to stay in your new property for five or more years

Your choice as to whether you keep your property on the market or put it up for sale will also depend on what’s happening in your local market as media ‘headlines’ about what’s happening in the property market are often misleading.

For information about how to find out what’s happening in your local market:-

1. Put your postcode into Hometrack.
2. What is the average offer versus asking price? If it’s more than 95% you are in a good market to sell, if it’s less than 95% (and the current national average is 90%) then it’s likely you’ll have to drop the price to make it competitive.
3. Visit our ‘how to spot the bottom of the housing market’ in your area, purchase our Buying a Property eBook or Buying a Home Factsheets.

What to do if you have had your home on the market for more than three months?

No viewings!
If you have had no viewings at all, it’s likely to be because your property is priced too high OR you haven’t chosen the right agent to sell with, so aren’t getting the buyers through the door. Speak to your agent and read our Sellers Problems Articles.

No Offers!
If you have had viewings but no offers, it may be the price is too high, but it also may be that there is something putting buyers off. Properties which are on busy roads, have a pylon next to them, next to a school or pub, don’t tend to sell well in a poor market. Properties which are ‘unbalanced’ eg five bed family home with a postage stamp for a garden are also difficult to sell. Speak to your agent and read our Sellers Problems Articles.

What to do if you haven’t put your home up for sale already

1. Make sure you can achieve the sales price you need to purchase the property you want to buy.

2. Work out the type of market you are operating in and pretend to be a buyer! Read our selling a home article for more information.

3. Find three local estate agents to recommend a valuation – but make sure each has already sold a property like yours, in a similar price bracket. For example, don’t give a £500,000 home to an agent that only lists properties up to £150,000 or a terraced two up two down to an agent that concentrates on country homes.

4. Ensure you price your property competitively. If it’s worth £185,000, put it up for under £175,000 as there is no stamp duty. A property worth £220,000 is more likely to achieve its price if you market it for £199,000 as two buyers may compete, whereas you may get no viewings at £220,000.

5. Make sure there is NOTHING the buyer can object to. Make sure the property is clean and tidy throughout, no clutter, every room does what it says eg: a bedroom is a bedroom, not a junk room and no bikes in the dining room!

What else can you do?
There are other ways of selling your home, some require you to buy another one:

1. Why not consider buying a new build and if you are trading up you may be able to buy the new home while part exchanging your current home. You won’t have to pay estate agents fees if you sell in this way.

2. Sell to a property investor, but be very careful about this. There are some good guys and some very bad ones. Please note if someone offers to ‘buy and rent back the property to you’, sometimes called ‘sale and rent back’ they MUST have applied to be FSA registered by 1st July and be FSA regulated by 30th June 2010.

3. Consider swapping your home for another one – advertise in the local paper, or leaflet locally and even offer an estate agent some commission if they find someone you successfully swap with.

4. Why not ask your company/organizations you have joined/work with if you can advertise on their notice boards/on-line or in their company magazine.

5. If you are trading down to a retirement property, they may be able to organize for a trusted company to purchase your home. 

I am one of the UK’s top property experts being regularly quoted in the press including the Telegraph, Independent, Times, Daily Mail and Express and have appeared on BBC2, featured on BBC Radio 4, Channel 4 and a number of local BBC Radio stations. I have been a consultant to the property sector for a number of years and renovating properties for over 20 years. I have also written a number of books, including four for Which? – Buy, Sell, Move House, Renting and Letting, Develop your Property and the Property Investment Handbook. For answers to all your property questions, contact me at Designs on Property on 0845 838 1763 or visit our website and blog using the links below:

http://www.designsonproperty.co.uk/
http://factsnotheadlines.blogspot.com/

Author: Kate Faulkner
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canadian crossborder shopping

Dealing with financial hardships? If yes, then you must consider the option of selling your home. Although the though of selling your home is quite dreadful but there is no better way to get rid of your financial troubles at one fell swoop.

While selling your home is a good option, it does come with certain problems. The biggest problem for people is to find another home. Not to mention that finding a new home is a long row to hoe especially if you don’t have a lot of money and it is obvious that not much of the money will be left after paying certain debts.

In this situation, the best option is available in the form of sell and rent back schemes. These increasingly popular schemes allow you to live in your home after selling it to a property investor. But, this particular option comes with certain variations. The two options available at your disposal are;

* Sell and rent back: This is the basic option where you sell your home to an investor and get money to deal with your financial predicaments. Here, you can live in your home according to the terms defined in the legal documents being prepared by the company or property investor. This is the most common option used by majority of people.

* Part ownership sell and rent back: This is another scheme that can be considered by you. In this particular option you don’t have to sell your entire home to a company but you just sell a part of it. There are several benefits of doing so. The biggest advantage is that you can live in one part of your home after getting a good deal of money for rest of the home. This option is extremely beneficial for those who need money quick but don’t need a lot.

These are the two common options available for you to choose from. But, before going for any of the options you must determine your needs. Researching is the key to success in this situation. You must check the market value of your home and compare it to your current financial needs. If you think sell part of your home is good enough to deal with your needs, you must not consider the other option. It is so because if value of your home appreciates in future, your share in your home will also go up.

The bottom line is that there are different schemes available for you to make a choice at the time of selling your home. But, you must make sure that you have all technical details about a particular sell and rent back scheme. Taking professional legal advice is the best thing to do in this particular situation. So, always consult with a professional as only he will help you to understand the right way of using sell and rent back schemes.

croftpropertyholdings.co.uk offers help to homeowners facing problems like sell and rent back schemes, mounting debts or repossession. It doesn’t only help you to sell your home but allows you to rent it back at affordable rent with renewable agreements.

Author: Richart Rick
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Netbook, Tablets and Mobile Computing

With the current buying and selling market operating at it’s lowest ever levels, securing a quick sale is a really tough challenge. If you are desperate to sell your home quickly, you need someone who has the cash to buy your home and nothing to sell. This could be a cash buyer who has already organised a mortgage, or literally has the cash available to buy your property outright.

To find someone that can do this, you need to speak to all the estate agents locally to find out if they have anyone in this position who is looking for a property like yours. If your property is already up for sale with an estate agent, check your contract and approach them first to say you are desperate to sell and ask if they can liaise or mind you liaising with other agents to find out if the buyer you need is out there. Bear in mind however that to secure a quick sale you are likely to have to offer buyers a better price than other similar properties on the market.

Another way to secure a sale on your own property if you are buying too, is to consider buying a new build from a company that will offer to buy yours in return. In some cases you may have to ‘trade up’ by 30% or more, so for example if you are selling a property for £150,000 you’ll need to buy a new build for around £195,000. However, as developers are desperate to sell at the moment, it’s always worth checking what their current policy is. The only problem with buying a new build currently, is the lack of support from lenders as new builds are typically priced higher than a second hand home, so lenders are requiring anything between 15% and 40% deposit, which is not always in everyone’s reach.

You can also look at selling to a property investor or a company that buys property ‘for cash’. However be warned, you are likely to have to discount your property by at least 15% and in some cases more to secure a deal. The difficulty at the moment is that trying to work out how much a property is worth isn’t easy as so few properties are selling, it’s hard to find accurate comparables. If you are looking to find a company to purchase your property at a discount, but fast, then it’s important you follow our ‘check the buyer out’ guide:-

Independent guide to a ‘Quick Sale’

1. Always secure an independent valuation from a surveyor that you pay, it will cost around £150. If you can’t afford to pay for one, find a local estate agent that is also a surveying practice. But the £150 you pay could mean you get thousands more for your property, so it’s a worthwhile investment.

2. Check out the company/person that you are looking to sell to. Go on-line, check with local agents. They might be able to sell your property for more than you are being offered.

3. If you are looking at a ‘sale and leaseback’ where you sell your home and rent it back, then make sure you can rent it for as long as you like. Look out for clauses that say how the landlord can terminate the agreement and how they can increase the rent. Ideally get this checked by a lettings legal expert.

4. Check how much similar properties have sold for yourself, go on-line to house price data and pop in your postcode and you’ll see what other properties have sold for locally.

5. Always check if there is an alternative option to selling your home.  Could you take in a lodger and earn £4,250 or reduce your mortgage payments?

Can Designs on Property help? Why not consider joining as a member so we can support and help you through your difficult selling time and more importantly let us do an independent ‘desktop’ valuation for you if you haven’t had a survey done, to check out any valuation that a cash buyer/investor has given you. It costs just £65 or if you join, you’ll get a special price which will save your membership fee.

Desperate to sell? For more information visit our selling a home section where you can download our Selling a Property eBook and refer to our Property Valuation Services.

http://www.designsonproperty.co.uk/

Author: Kate Faulkner
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Smiling shark

During this credit crunch time, “I want to sell my house” is the cry of many a householder for various reasons. Whether your wanting to move to a bigger, or smaller house, if you’re relocating, or if you have mortgage arrears that are spiraling our of control, selling your house is going to be a major part of seeing your goal realized.

Having spoken with a number of estate agents and property buyers, including estate agents in London, here are the main points you want to consider when its time to sell your house:

1. Determine where you want to go. What’s you’re ultimate goal in selling the house? What will you achieve by selling the house? It always helps to write this down and have it in a prominent position in your home, so you are reminded of your goal. Determining what this goal is will also help you decide how much you need from the house sale to achieve your goal. “Sell my house for the highest price I can get ” is not really a goal because even if you get the highest price for the property, will that help you achieve your goal? How much do you really need from the sale of the house?

2. Get your house valued. This will help you determine How much you can reasonably expect from the sale of your house in the current climate. In this current “credit crunch” environment get 4 maybe even 5 estate agent valuations. This is because house values can fluctuate with each agent, so you want to get a good idea of the average price you can expect to sell at. Do your own research by talking to your neighours, either those who are selling, or those who have moved into your immediate area, and ask them what value was placed on their house.

3. Determine the right estate agent to work with. You need to work with an estate agent who is going to be proactive in selling your house. He or she will need to be looking for people who want to buy houses like yours, and this will mean you discussing your requirements with them. If the estate agent knows what you need to achieve, he can try to find buyers that meet that criteria.

4. Make your house presentable! First impressions are key to a succesful house sale. You may need to spend some money in making your house “look nice” for a potential buyer, but you should certainly make the effort in terms of “elbow grease”. This will include giving some areas a lick of paint to make areas more clean looking, decluttering flat surfaces like shelves and cupboards, and ensuring that each room has an air of spaciousness about it. Give high priority to your front garden or balcony, if you have one. Even before a prospective buyer sets foot over the threshold of you door, they will have made a buying decision based on the impression given at the front of your property. Probably the best way to prepare is to go around the house, making a list of all the things that would turn you off buying the house. Then plan for a seven to ten day clean up, dealing with all the areas that you can manage. This will make a significant improvement on your ability to sell your house, and the price that you will get for it.

5. No Offer is a silly Offer! Even if the offer is below market value, once it actually meets your own criteria in terms of what you need, then you’re a winner! Unfortunately, the market is shrinking all the time, and so are property prices with it. This means, If you know what you need from the sale of your house, and you achieve it, then you are in a better position than some who are holding out for as much as they can get, yet seeing that amount dwindle away on a daily basis.

Colin Baptiste has a keen interest in property investment in the UK. Many people in todays credit crunch are asking how do I sell my house in this current market? Visit his site and get a Free Report on selling your house

Author: Colin Baptiste
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Benefits of electric pressure cooker

Home is an asset and all of us know, real estate seldom witnesses a dip in value. At times, situations arises when you are left with no choice but to sell your home. Estate agents sometimes take months to get you suitable buyers whereas cash property buyers help you sell your home for cash within a month, albeit for a slightly lesser than your market price. Read on to find out more on how you can quickly sell your house, if need be.

Sell Your House-A Quick Solution To Meet Financial Crisis!

Are you in urgent need of fast cash and thinking of selling your home fast? Are you finding the traditional home sale process too complicated? Is the lengthy procedure of waiting for estate agents to find you good buyers wearing your patience thin? If your answers to these questions are positive, then you can consider another much quicker option to sell your house – approach cash property buyers.

People are sometimes forced by circumstances to sell their house fast. Most often, the reasons are none too happy. The most common reasons for people willing to go in for a quick sale are:

- Divorce

- Separation

- Immigration

- Financial difficulty

- Repossession or

- Relocation.

During such situations, there is nothing more frustrating than to find yourself in a deeper mess while trying to sell your house in the conventional manner. While you keep waiting for the elusive good buyer, your mortgage keeps adding up, and your current crisis may worsen. That’s where cash property buyers can solve the problem.

Who are cash property buyers?

Cash property buyers close the sale within 28 days. For instance, if you are looking for cash property buyers in the UK, they will most probably buy properties anywhere in the UK. They understand your urgency and give a cash payment which comes in very handy in times of crisis.

Why it is better than the traditional methods?

Selling your home through the real estate agents at the time of emergency is something that you can’t rely upon. Moreover doing it through third parties is something where the level of uncertainty is very high.

In the traditional sale method, quick completion time and quick cash are most often not possible. During a sudden financial need, you won’t have the time to wait for the best buyer and the most reasonable offer for your property. Besides, there is always a risk of a deal collapsing due to a broken sales chain even after weeks of negotiations.. So selling your home via estate agents is probably not a good idea if you are looking for a quick sale.

Benefits of Cash Property Buyers:

- Sellers can get an offer within forty-eight hours and the whole process can be completed in less than five weeks. In other words, a time saving process.

- There is total guarantee that you would get hard cash.

- You don’t have to bother about buyers backing out, as the concept of broken chains does not exist. You directly deal with the cash buyers.

- Cash property buyers can be easily contacted through the Internet.

- You don’t have to pay cash property buyers any legal fees, agent’s fees or any hidden charges.

If you are in a crisis where you need to release the equity in your house to raise some quick cash in good amount, contact cash property buyers and sell your house fast You will get a fair price with immediate cash payment.

Andrew is a well-known writer for website http://www.sellhousefastcash.co.uk with deep knowledge in this field of buying and selling property. His articles have already been published in various well-known magazines and websites.

Author: Andrew M Taylor
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Beading Necklace

Are you frustrated by how difficult it is to sell you house in this current economic climate? With increasing number of homes due for foreclosure; these changing times have forced many owners to sell their properties and downsize to a cheaper option in order to save on resources for the future.

Don’t let these facts worry you too much, there are still a number of people looking for a new home and most know that the present housing market condition is going to present them with a number of very good deals. If you are looking to sell your house quickly, there are a few things that you can do in order to make it seem more appealing to certain buyer groups.

(1) Lower the selling price – If you are in a tight situation and need to sell your house as fast as possible then this is going to be the quickest and most effective way to do it. Though, you’ll want to spend a good amount of time considering exactly what price to sell it at; one way to do it is to get a property evaluation and work from there. Also look through the listings in your area and find the average asking price; you may then need to take off between 10% – 15% in order to increase its likelihood of being sold faster.

(2) Sell through real estate investors – Again, if you are in a rush and want to avoid months of waiting and the long documentation process times you might want to consider selling directly to real estate investors. Most of these agencies will offer you the option of receiving payment in cash allowing them to close the sale in a matter of a few days, the drawback to this is a substantially lower sale price. Buying from investors will definitely cut out a lot of the messiness of dealing with your average buyer, who will more than likely be paying via a loan that you will end up having to wait more time for the approval and processing of the application. The other benefit of directly selling to investors is that they tend to buy properties ‘as is’, you will be given a quote for the current condition of your home and will not be asked to make any further repairs before the sale.

(3) Get it looking good – This should go without saying. It might be time to finish those DIY jobs that you’ve been meaning to do and clean the inside to a show able level. You’ll want to focus on the exterior first as most will judge whether they want to view the inside by how the exterior looks; add a few potted plants, an extra coat of fresh paint, keep the lawn in order and windows clean. Keep the interior uncluttered, you may want to aim for depersonalized or neutral appearance, potential buyers will want to imagine the home filled with their own belongings. If you have a lot of furniture in your home then you might want to rent a storage unit and keep a few things in there during the viewing period, it will definitely make your house more appealing. Remember buyers tend to make their decision 30 seconds after walking through the door, so you’ll need that ‘wow’ factor going for you; one tip is to over do the first room that the buyer walks into, repaint the walls, clean and wax the floors, plus make sure that all the windows are sparkling.

(4) Sell yourself – Selling your house on your own is a good way to save a substantial amount of money you are possibly saving about 6% – 7% of the sales cost by selling your property on your own rather than hiring the help of a property agent. Also some buyers prefer houses being listed as sold directly through the owner, as they are aware that it will be slightly cheaper and that they may avoid extra complications. Though, going this route will add extra effort on your part, as you’ll need learn about the selling process to ensure a fair sale, answer all the enquires and take prospective buyers on a tour of your property. Don’t forget the internet is a huge classified ads space with many websites offering free advertising space to just about anyone.

(5) Identify your buyers – Do your own research and find that certain market that you think will snap up your property the fastest. One particular group that you may want to focus on is the first time home buyers; the federal tax credit is up and set to expire pretty soon, which is pushing young hopefuls to purchase their first home. This group doesn’t have the worry of selling a previous home, so are ready and willing to close the deal as fast as possible. As new buyers they won’t be looking for a place that needs a huge amount of refurbishment, so will be put at ease when they walk into your fully furnished house and be able to imagine it filled with their own possessions.

Andrew owns a website that provides comprehensive Home Selling Guide. You can visit his website at: http://www.buy-and-sell-house-fast.com/home-selling-guide.shtml.

Author: Andrew Webber
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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