Monday, January 19, 2009

Tips for Sellers: How Can I Attract Buyers?

You're ready to buy your dream home, but you can't seem to attract interested buyers to your present house. (It's a familiar story these days.) Here are some great tips that I saw recently on CNNMoney.com, and I wanted to pass them along to Sweet Home Alpharetta readers!

1) Helping with the Down Payment: Financing is the biggest road block for buyers these days. Even though interest rates are good, buyers do need a down payment now. Financial incentives from the seller are very helpful- and attractive to buyers.

2) Helping with Closing Costs: Closing Costs can amount to as much as 2-3% of the loan amount, so assistance here from seller to buyer can go a long way to sealing the deal for you.

3) Paying Points: Paying the cost of a point to get the buyer's interest rate from 6.5 to 5.5%, for instance, might be just the deal-maker that brings about a win-win for everybody. (You get to move on to your new home!)

4) Home Warranty: A home warranty is like an insurance policy on your home, covering major mechanical systems. Paying for a home warranty, especially on an older home, gives your buyer piece of mind. A good plan costs in the range of $400-$500/year.

5) Gimmicks: Some sellers are resorting to big screen tvs, cars, and exotic vacations to entice buyers, but most experts recommend spending your money on doing repairs on your home, so that potential buyers aren't scared away before they even think about making an offer.

If you have any questions about getting your home ready for sale, I would love to give you a hand. Our present market is challenging for sellers, so you want to have everything covered before entering the competition! Hiring an experienced realtor doesn't cost, it pays!

Have a great week, everybody. I hope you all have a little time to watch some of the Inaugaration Events! It's so exciting, isn't it?

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