Home staging creates a beautiful ambiance to make a positive first impression to homebuyers. You never get another chance to make a first impression, which is why taking the time to stage your house for sale in Greensboro, NC is very important. The first step is to get rid of clutter. One of the primary contributors to a cluttered look is having too much furniture. Consider putting larger and less attractive pieces of furniture in storage. This will help your home look more open and spacious. Make sure there is nothing inhibiting buyers’ eyes from key focal points, such as fireplaces and views. There are some economical modifications you can make that will make a huge impact on how prospective buyers see your home. How can you stage your home without spending too much? Smith Marketing has some tips and ideas for getting the right look affordably.

For Home Staging, Begin with Curb Appeal and Your Home Will Look Inviting to Home Buyers

If your home looks untidy on the outside, it is difficult to get potential buyers in the front door to see the inside. With a little TLC to the front yard and walkways, you can boost your home’s curb appeal. Sprucing up your garden with colorful flowers and bushes can go a long way in the overall appearance of the outside of your home which helps bring buyers inside. Here are a few more small DIY tasks that you can do to make your house for sale in Greensboro, NC stand out according to www.money.usnews.com:

“First impressions matter, and that’s why you want to start by making sure your home exudes curb appeal. Go all out with small do-it-yourself projects. Cut the grass, trim the bushes, get rid of dead branches and consider planting some flowers. Replacing the mailbox and house numbers and painting the front door can also make your home more appealing to a prospective buyer driving by. If the house looks dirty, wash the siding or stucco.”

Follow Tips for Interior Home Staging to Organize and Prepare Your Home for Prospective Buyers

When you need to stage your home, and you are not sure where to start, follow these helpful tips for home staging that won’t put a strain on your budget, provided by www.money.usnews.com:

“Remove all clutter, personal photos, knickknacks and other junk. “Cleaning out the clutter just creates so much space, and that’s what people are looking for – space,” Matzke says. “It just really makes your home look bigger and younger.”

Edit your furniture. If your rooms are crowded, consider putting bigger and less attractive pieces of furniture in storage. This will open up space and make your home look larger. Make sure there is nothing obscuring buyers’ eyes from focal points, such as fireplaces and views.

Clean, clean, clean – then clean some more. Wash the windows, clean the cobwebs out of the corner and scrub the grout in the tile floors. Even though you’re not selling the furniture, clean that as well because it adds to the overall impression you’re trying to give.

Spruce up the outside. Add a new doormat, new house numbers and maybe a new mailbox. Paint the front door. The little stuff matters here.

Refresh your landscape. Clean up flower beds, add fresh mulch and plant flowers. Make sure bushes are trimmed and neat.

Paint. In some cases, you’d be wise to paint the entire house inside and out. In other cases, touching up and painting the trim might be enough. Paint over your kids’ purple walls with a neutral color. If your kitchen cabinets look old and dated, paint those. You can never go wrong with white, cream or brown, but you should pick a color that matches the rest of the kitchen decor.

Clean or replace light fixtures and cabinet hardware. “It’s not a really expensive undertaking, but it really makes a difference in how the home is presented,” Matzke says.

Don’t forget the small stuff. Pay attention to details, says Sherry Chris, CEO of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate. “New, matching towel sets in the bathroom, accent pillows on the couch and fresh flowers can be welcoming elements to a homebuyer,” she says.

If you can afford it, replace old carpeting. If your home has hardwood floors underneath, that’s even better. Ideally, you should refinish wood floors but even just exposing them is good, Matzke says.

Make sure each room has a defined purpose. If you’ve turned your dining room into an office, return it to dining room status, Matzke says. But Chris suggests putting up tent cards that say “Dining Room or Office” to point out alternative uses for the space. That would also work in a bedroom you’re using as an office.”

Another suggestion to make your home look warm and inviting is to have great lighting. Boost the wattage in your lamps and fixtures. A good rule of thumb is to have a total of 100 watts for each 50 square feet. Make sure you have a variety of light like ambient lighting and accent lighting on a table or wall.

With these easy and inexpensive projects, you can highlight your home’s strengths, downplay its weaknesses and attract the largest number of prospective buyers. Spruce up your home before prospective buyers find your home during a property search in Greensboro. By taking a few extra steps towards creating warm and inviting atmosphere in your home, you will find that your home’s open houses will be well attended by prospective buyers. Contact Smith Marketing, Inc. for all of your home buying and selling needs, at 336-215-7880.

Source: Ten Keys to Home Staging on a Budget, money.usnews.com, April 11, 2014

Are you ready to start looking for your dream home, but can’t seem to begin the first step because you don’t know what that “dream” looks like? Visiting open houses in Greensboro is one way to view and compare features and options to help narrow your search. To help clarify your search for your dream home even further, before you visit another open house in Greensboro, make a list of your needs and wants. Understand that this list will likely evolve and change as you discover more about your housing options. What are some features or amenities that are a top priority for you? You may want a swimming pool in your backyard, but it may be an amenity you could live without. Do you like nature? Walking trails? Some of these determinations will help narrow down the location of your new home. Then move to the interior features, like number of bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchen size, storage space and the like. Smith Marketing, Inc., will work with you to find the home of your dreams by using your specific requirements to search for homes that fit your criteria and your budget.

Open Houses Are A Source of Information

Getting pre-approved is a great first step for finding out just how much home you can afford. The next step is, of course, finding that house that has all the details and features you desire. Not sure of all the options available to you? Visiting open houses is a great way to start gathering ideas about floor plans, kitchen designs, and other features. Zillow.com has some useful questions to take along with you as you visit open houses in Greensboro:

“Use these questions to help make your very own list of housing requirements:

• Where do you want to live? What city? Neighborhood?
• What price range will you consider?
• Do you want to live within the boundaries of a specific school system?
• Do you want to live near public transit?
• Do you want easy access to highways?
• Is neighborhood walkability important to you?
• Do you want to live in a gated community?
• Do you want to live in an area with community amenities such as a swimming pool or sports courts?
• In what kind of house would you like to live? One-story? Two-story? Townhouse? Condo?
• Is there an architectural style to which you’re drawn? Colonial? Craftsman? Contemporary?
• Is there an architectural style you strongly dislike?
• Do you want a new home (less than 5 years old)?
• Do you want an older home?
• Do you want a historic home (at least 50 years old)?
• Are you willing to do a little renovation? A lot of renovation? No renovation?
• How many bedrooms do you want?
• How many bathrooms do you want?
• What is the minimum square footage you’ll consider?
• What is the maximum square footage you’ll consider?
• Are there physical needs that need to be met (wheelchair access or limited stairs)
• Do you have pets with special requirements?”

Look at specific home qualities and rank them in importance

As you are narrowing in on your desired dream home, it is helpful to make a list of home qualities and rank them according to your style, functionality and design needs. This prioritized list will come in handy as you navigate the process of finding your dream home. To get even more specific about the details you want in your new home, below is a list of questions to answer to help create a more fine-tuned vision on what you are looking for. Identifying your preferences will help you find the perfect property:

• Would you like the master bedroom to be on the first floor?

• Do you want two sinks in the master bath?

• Is it essential to have a fireplace or a 2+ car garage?

• Do you prefer hardwood flooring or tile floors?

• Would you like to have a gourmet kitchen with an island?

• Do you need a formal dining room?

• Should the home have a downstairs home office?

• Would you like a fenced in yard?

• Do you need to have a deck or patio for outdoor dining?

• Do you require a lot of closet or storage space?

You don’t have to walk this journey alone. Smith Marketing, Inc., will listen and help clarify your specific needs and guide you to the perfect open houses in Greensboro that have the requirements you are looking for. Our team at Smith Marketing can assist you with useful neighborhood information, a comprehensive analysis of the home and valuable comp data so you can be fully prepared and educated on the home prior to stepping inside for the open house. We use a team approach at Smith Marketing with excellent service to help you find and purchase the home of your dreams as soon as possible. Contact us today to learn more about our real estate services: 336-215-7880.

Source: Zillow.com: How to Find Your Dream Home, zillow.com, March 31, 2014

The Greensboro real estate market is strong, with houses for sale in wonderful neighborhoods with convenient amenities. According to www.livability.com, Greensboro, North Carolina is one of the top 100 Best places to live, which is also in the top 5% of livable communities in the U.S. for 2015. Greensboro is included in this top 100 list because of the great amenities in our region, the diversity and accessibility of our city, our growing economy, excellent schools, top health care facilities and affordable housing market. Smith Marketing, Inc. is happy to help homebuyers and sellers with their real estate needs in this growing and wonderful city. area. Here are some of the reasons at why Greensboro is one of the top cities on the list:

“Greensboro is one of those cities where it’s hard to choose which is best: being a resident or a visitor?

With its quality of health care and education, and its continuously improving downtown, Greensboro is certainly ideal for settling in and raising a family. But it’s also a welcoming city for visitors, especially in its role as regular host for the Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament and a popular stop each year on the PGA Tour.

“We have great positive energy in this city, and we’ve always been a great city to host events of all types,” says Greensboro Mayor Robbie Perkins. “We pride ourselves in making a good impression on those on the outside.”

Its reputation of being a wonderful host is just part of what makes Greensboro one of the country’s top places to live. It’s a city with plenty of cultural and recreation attractions, whether you’re looking for museums and performing arts centers or mountain bike trails and golf courses.

The city has an emerging downtown, Perkins says, anchored by a $24 million renovation to the Greensboro Performing Arts Center. “We’re trying to make our town cool,” Perkins says. “We have 47,000 college students at seven colleges and universities that are here. We want to leverage off of that and keep some of that talent here after they graduate. And the way to do that is to make your city cool.”

In addition to its obvious designation as a college town, Greensboro is known for its top-notch education system in general. Guilford County Schools is the third-largest school system in North Carolina, and the area has an abundance of private schools.

Residents also have access to impressive health care, which employs around 10,000 in the region. There are two hospital systems serving the immediate area, and many other facilities within an hour’s drive.”

Search for a House for Sale in Greensboro, with Top Notch Education and Healthcare

Find a home near an excellent school, in a gorgeous neighborhood with access to convenient and high-quality healthcare and amenities. The Greensboro real estate market offers a plenty of excellent selections for your next home so you can experience all the reaosns why this city is one of the top places to live. Whether you need a small condo or a larger single family home, you can search on the Smith Marketing website for the exact amenities, features and location that you need with our easy to use Property Search page.

Enjoy with Downtown Greensboro Culture by Living in a Nearby Neighborhood

In the Greensboro area, you can live on a peaceful golf course and still be just minutes away from the cultural events offered in the city. Whether you are looking for a location with easy access to I-85 and I-40, or want to find a home in a more quiet rural area, Smith Marketing can help you find the home that meets all of your lifestyle needs. Call us today to find a spectacular house for sale in Greensboro, in one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live: 336-215-7880.

Source: Top 100 Best Places to Live, livability.com, 2015

By: Betty Smith

If you’re tired of mowing that expansive lawn or find cobwebs have taken over unused rooms, it may be time to consider downsizing.

There are more options than ever for people who are pondering a move from big to small. From snazzy, uptown condominiums to a cozy suburban bungalow to townhouses on the lake, there are ample options for those who have a “less is more” outlook.

If you’re like most people, however, you’ve probably got a lot of stuff. So, what do you do?

Whatever the motivation for downsizing, if you do a little homework, you can pare down without too much pain. Downsizing can be good for the soul, clearing out clutter and creating room for new opportunity.

Start by deciding what you really need. Examine how you live your life and keep the items that you actually use, not those you want to be part of your life. You might think you will one day jump on that dust-covered treadmill and train for a marathon. But consider this: Maybe you’d be better off junking the machine and getting a good pair of running shoes?

And what about those novels you fancy you’ll read while sipping tea one night? It might be time to toss those, too. (If you’re digitally inclined, there are a ton of e-books to occupy your time that take up no room.)

Most of us keep items we intend to use but never do. If you can’t bring yourself to get rid of it, put it in storage for six months. If you haven’t used it by then, say goodbye. Be brutal with yourself. When you’re done you may reap a bonus: If you decide to sell some stuff, you’ll end up with extra cash!

To keep the “less-is-more” momentum going forward, organize as you unpack. You’ll start out using your space efficiently and hopefully set a precedent for the days ahead.

Getting rid of objects we’ve collected over time is hard. But the end result is worth the work: You won’t be burdened by clutter you don’t need, and you’ll be surrounded by objects you love and actually use.

Phyllis Brookshire (Senior Vice President)

blog courtesy of Allen Tate Realtors

By: Betty Smith

Condominiums and townhouses are popular – and it’s easy to see why. They offer many advantages in a variety of price ranges, from starter homes for first-time buyers to luxury models catering to empty nesters.

It can be difficult, however, to know whether a unit is a condo or a townhouse.  The names are often used interchangeably. Adding to the confusion, there are even townhouse condominiums to choose from.

But there are important differences.

First, a little history: A “townhouse” was once the city residence of a noble or wealthy family that would own one or more country houses. The family and their servants would move to the townhouse during the social season, when major balls and other events took place to be closer to the city.

These days, townhouse refers to a style of housing where a row of identical houses share walls. A townhouse typically starts on the ground floor and may be built as a single- or multi-story unit. Townhouses often have at least one separate outside entrance. Basically, if you’re buying a townhouse, you’re buying a home from top to bottom.

Condominiums, on the other hand, describe the style of ownership. Condominiums can include most every housing style from highrise to midrise to patio homes, even townhouses. But it’s quite common for condominiums to be part of a bigger, often multi-story building, with at least one entrance to a common hall or entry area.

Perhaps the biggest difference between a townhouse and a condominium is the condo owner owns the interior of his or her unit – essentially the space they are using. They also jointly share common areas, such as hallways, exercise rooms or pools.  They do not own the land.

Townhouse owners own the interior of their unit, plus the land the unit sits on.

One similarity: Both condominiums and townhouses are usually maintained by a homeowners’ association, which manages and cares for the exterior of the building and common areas.

For more information about condos, townhomes and other properties, contact your Allen Tate Realtor®.

Written Phyllis Brookshire (Senior Vice President)

Courtesy of Allen Tate’s Blog

By: Betty Smith

Now that the home building industry can officially say that it is coming out of the housing recession, it would be a good time to assess current housing needs. The elephant in the room is and has been the 76 million baby boomers that are between the ages of 49 and 67 and looking for the perfect “nest” for their golden years. You would think with that many people either in the market or soon to be, that developers and builders would be designing and building homes and communities to attract this segment of the market.

There are a myriad of reasons why the building and development community is lagging so far behind on addressing this demographic –  the most recent being the great recession that we just experienced. However that light at the end of the tunnel is not another train coming but a bona-fide demand for houses and communities that will cater to the needs of this active, affluent and eager group looking to have fun and enjoy their senior years.

With this last economic scare, we don’t know when the boomers will be able to retire. We do know that more will be working and have income, equity in their homes again and some money in their 401(k)s that will allow them to qualify for a mortgage or buy their new mini-castles for cash. C’mon builders and developers – wake up; this should be music to your ears!  We have qualified buyers with money who all want new homes … but there is no place for them to go!

Of course, this is an exaggeration. There are a smattering of “Active Adult” or “Age Restricted” communities dotting our metro areas but not nearly enough to satisfy the demand that currently exists and will continue over the next 20 years. These communities have mega amenities, are the size of a small city and are built by large corporations. These are great destination offerings but the real demand is for small manageable communities located “near” all the amenities that these active boomers want. The good news for builders and developers is that mega amenities are not requirements; thus, the community becomes easier to finance and is more affordable for the buyer.

This is a win-win for both sides … affordably developed communities, in desired locations, with homes designed for the needs of this tidal wave of  existing and future buyers. So let’s go, builders and developers. You’ve got some catching up to do. While the great recession was happening, there were several million more boomers getting closer to that ultimate move-down. Now, they are just waiting for you to build them their perfect community and “nest”.

By Mike LaRuffa (President, Builders Services, Inc.)

**Courtesy of Allen Tate’s Blog

By: Betty Smith

So you are hearing the good news that real estate markets across NC are improving and you are thinking is this the time to sell or buy? The answer is a resounding yes!

It is true the real estate markets in most, if not all, communities has greatly improved. But no matter how good the real estate market is, you need to take steps to insure the greatest likelihood of success whether you are buying a home or if you are selling your house. Here are 3 easy steps to help guide you to success:

1. Get Pre-Approved for your mortgage loan

Today’s financing is complex so why take a chance finding your dream home and then realize you cannot get the loan? Many buyers get pre-qualified for the loan, which has no substantive verifications – it’s a snap-shot into the big picture of the buyer’s ability to get the loan based on what is said. A pre-approval takes more steps to verify all your income documentation and your debt-ratios qualify you for the loan in order to buy that dream home. With a pre-approval your offer is solid with only the appraisal of the property being the contingency – it’s like having a green light in a busy traffic intersection!

For sellers in the market, if you have priced your house right and have it in great condition, you could get multiple offers. If so, you want to look at those offers that have buyers with solid financing options, and in writing. In this improving market, you don’t want to take a chance on a buyer who hasn’t confirmed their financial ability to buy your house because you risk losing that buyer who does have good financing!

2. Give yourself time

The average time on the market for a property to get an offer has become shorter as the markets improve; however, the time to get your loan from application to closing has increased in time.

For buyers, there are more questions, more documentation, and there is due-diligence for the property review. Prior real estate markets had closings between 15 to 30 days on average, but in today’s market we are seeing buyers look for 45 to 60 days to get the entire process from sale to closing.

For sellers, the average can be between 90 to 120 days in most markets to sell a house, and we are seeing this averages decline this year. But please note this success rate is for those houses that are priced right and in great condition. What the buyer sees when touring is important so staging your house for the best showing experience will get you quicker results.

3. It’s Not Just The Price – Condition Matters

Appraisers don’t just analyze the price of the property, they also review the condition of the property. Appraisers have the ability to “red-flag” items around condition and often they will do so as the loan underwriter is looking on behalf of the investor – this is especially true of any government-backed loan such as VA or FHA.

For the sellers, a pre-inspection of the property can be a great exercise before placing the house on the market. Fixing those roof leaks, that standing water under the crawl-space, and replacing that rotting wood siding are just a few examples to address prior to placing for sale. A house that has been staged and repairs addressed prior to going for sale can bring offers quickly, along with making the due diligence inspections/repairs go much more smoothly. In NC, due diligence money is provided to the seller for a buyer to review the condition of the property. In return for that due diligence money, the buyer can walk away from the contract for any reason whatsoever, as long as it is prior to the due diligence date expiring. So why let a buyer walk over a small repair you can make prior to placing the house on the market?

For the buyers, placing more due diligence money down to take your time during inspections can be a very valuable return on your time and investment. We are seeing more and more multiple offers in the market so being able to take your time and inspect thoroughly is really important. It could also be important as another buyer maybe waiting right behind you to scoop up your new home!

These are 3 fairly simple steps to help you insure success in today’s real estate market. Your Allen Tate agent can walk you through and analyze your best strategy for your success. You will be glad you called us!!

By Tony Jarrett (Regional Vice President, Triad)

Post courtesy of Allen Tate Realtors

By: Betty Smith

The recovery of the American economy is the load residential real estate must carry. For the economy to return to normal, residential real estate needs to be healthy.

What does healthy mean? Simply put, real estate must appreciate once again. The good news is that it is doing just that in most parts of the country. Consumer confidence is tied to both home values and the condition of the stock market. One or the other can somewhat rule the day; but a healthy economy is predicated on both being stable.

Home prices nationally could rise by 7.2 percent, according to JP Morgan.  Cash-sale transactions are approaching 30 percent nationally; but for the most part, that activity is limited to the major markets on the east and west coasts.

But one more factor comes into play. Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey for May showed record confidence in both price gains and real estate activity. A record 55 percent of respondents believe prices will go up in the next year, with the average 12-month home price change expectation increasing to 3.9 percent in May from 2.7 percent in April.

Additionally, 40 percent of survey respondents say now is a good time to sell a home (up 10 percent) and 76 say now is a good time to buy (up 5 percent).

The confidence factor is always a hard one to measure, but we do know it is huge in a residential real estate transaction – the largest financial decision one makes in their lifetime. Whether moving up, downsizing, or purchasing a second home – confidence in the economy and job security play a major part in the decision, and the stock market also rolls into the equation.

With confidence, you can reach amazing heights; without confidence, even the simplest accomplishments are beyond your grasp. This summer, we look forward to strong gains in sales and price on the back of increased confidence.

By Pat Riley (President and Chief Operating Officer)

Courtesy of Allen Tate’s Blog (blog.allentate.com)

By: Betty Smith
Click the link below to read this great article!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/06/10/americans-home-selling-fannie-mae-survey/2409835/

By: Betty Smith

For anyone that has been in housing market lately have you noticed the electricity and excitement surrounding the new homes market? It was all the rage prior to the “Great Recession” and then dwindled down to a topic no one wanted to talk about. Well it’s BACK!

Click the link below to read more!

http://blog.allentate.com/2013/06/05/a-shortage-of-building-lotsno-way/