Proven Strategies to Get Your Home Sold Faster

06.11.16 by

Proven Strategies to Get Your Home Sold Faster

sold

There is no right or wrong time to list your home; it really depends on your timeline. However, when preparing to sell your home there are some strategies to consider and maybe some repairs or updates you’ll need to complete prior to listing.

Seasonal Listing:

If you’re looking for less market time you’ll want to consider seasonal market movement. For example, spring and summer months typically have more activity while fall and winter months are less active; however, the lack of competition gives rise to a more captive audience. Also, consider that most people who are looking to buy in the fall and winter months are typically doing so as a result of job relocation or other factors that make them more motivated to buy.

Here are 3 Strategies for Shorter Market Times: 

  1. Have Your Home Inspected:
    Overcoming a buyer’s objection with a home inspection can eliminate unexpected surprises. It’s far better to consider a listing price after you’ve addressed any necessary repairs and improvements; this allows you to limit potential surprises and market your home with confidence.
  2. Present Your Home in the Best Light:
    While your family photos and the kid’s kindergarten clay flower pots have made your home – well YOUR home – potential buyers need to envision their own home. By using neutral wall hangings and colors – you are helping your potential buyer create their own dream home.  Bottom line, the less personal your home appears the more personal it can be for potential buyers.
  3. Entice Buyers with Low-Threshold Giveaways:
    Adding some low-threshold giveaways to sweeten the sale can attract serious, qualified buyers. Some ideas include offering:
  • Home Warranty. Did you know a home with a warranty sells over 20 percent faster than one without? It’s a small investment and can make your offer more attractive when a buyer is deciding on a home.
  • Closing Cost Credit. The additional funds can help you not only seal the deal, but help your buyers purchase the extras they’ll need after moving.
  • Point to Buy Down the Rate. Offering one percent of the loan amount to help buy down your buyer’s rate can help open up the door to more borrowers. A one percent difference in rate translates into a reduced monthly payment for potential buyers.

At the end of the day, planning and being clear about goals prior to listing your home can give you an edge over others listing in your market.

Reprinted with permission from Partner Exchange

Selling Your Stuart Home? – Think Like a Buyer

05.23.16 by

Selling Your Stuart Home? – Think Like a Buyer

If you are planning to sell your Stuart home anytime in the near future, then you no doubt feel that your residence will make an exemplary addition to today’s flourishing real estate market. And while you are probably absolutely right in this assertion, you may want to take a moment and look at your home from the perspective of a potential Stuart buyer.

As someone who is bound to view and inspect a vast number of homes before they make a final buying decision, a buyer is going to view your home through a very special lens, and from a most unique perspective. As such, you must be willing to surrender your personal and highly sentimental view of your house (one that you hold with good reason, as your residence is beautiful), and investigate your home from the perspective of someone who might consider making it their own.

1. Does your home look buyable?  Your home no doubt holds a great deal of sentimental appeal for you. Yet if you were seeing the house for the first time, would you consider it clean and attractive?

2. Is your home competitive with other homes available in your area’s current real estate market?  Remember that today’s buyers have a rich selection of homes from which to choose; so it might benefit you to peruse current real estate listings advertised online, in the newspaper and in MLS books and real estate magazines. See how your house stacks up in terms of benefits and amenities offered, along with its asking price.

3. Is your home located in a desirable location?  It always helps if your home is located in a community that comes complete with rich and varied occupational, educational, cultural and recreational opportunities. The crime rates, tax rates, environmental landscape, and governmental structure of your community also might play roles in a person’s eventual decision to buy or not to buy your home. The better your community, the better your prospects of selling a home located in this community.

4. Is your home one that you would buy yourself?  If you were visiting your home for the first time, would you consider buying it?  It might sound like a silly question, but it is one you must ask when putting your residence up for sale—and answer to the very best of your ability, to get the optimum price for your beautiful home. Happy selling!

If you’d like my professional opinion on your home’s value, just call me at 772-323-6996.

Long-Range Strategy for Selling a Home in Palm City

06.12.15 by

Long-Range Strategy for Selling a Home in Palm City

 Lake Grove in Palm City

This is actually a situation that’s very common, but not much remarked upon: you know you are going to be selling your Palm City home—only not for a while…and perhaps not for a very long while! Is there anything you should be doing now, long before actual preparations are called for?

There sure is! Let’s call these low-intensity preparations. They may be low-intensity in the immediacy department, but when the distant day arrives when you are selling your home, they can be very fortuitous. Here are some of the elements you can benefit from putting into action long before you expect to need them—

LANDSCAPING:

Number One (the most obvious and perhaps most important) is landscaping. Trees and bushes are part of the backdrop of our everyday living, and something many people—even gardeners—may tend to accept without envisioning large-scale changes. That’s because they grow so slowly it doesn’t seem realistic to worry about what might be possible. But when you think long-range, landscaping should be at the forefront. When the time comes for selling your home, a vision first initiated five or 10 years earlier can become a colorful and shady reality, worth a very great deal in terms of the overall impression your Palm City home makes.

THE MECHANICALS:

It’s human nature to just put up with heating, plumbing, air conditioning and other systems that could operate much more conveniently and economically, but which are expensive to overhaul. But think realistically: if you know that later on you will be selling your Palm City home—and realistically will certainly have to upgrade those vexing mechanicals when that happens—give serious thought to taking action earlier…even NOW! Not only will you be able to enjoy the improvement­, it’s entirely possible that savings realized from the gains in efficiency will materially offset your initial outlay. Why let the future owners get all the benefit?

PHOTOGRAPHY:

When you are selling a home, photography is one of the most impactful marketing tools you’ll have at your disposal. A couple of years before you plan to join the Palm City listings, keep a camera ready to snap those fleeting moments when the season and light combine to make some detail of garden or home magically illuminated. Even a professional photographer can’t ‘make’ such moments happen. As Ansel Adams’ outdoor masterpieces confirmed: the perfect light at the perfect season is worth more than money can buy.

INFORMATION:

It doesn’t hurt to keep abreast of happenings in the national and Martin County real estate market, so that you’re informed about what to expect when you ultimately join the fray. One of the best ways to do that (other than to keep reading my blog) is to check out the neighborhood listings from time to time: they’re here on my site. And one of the best ways to proceed when the moment does arrive when you will be selling your home in Palm City is (of course) to give me a call!

Goal of a Thorough Treasure Coast Home Inspection: Future Peace of Mind

05.23.15 by

 Goal of a Thorough Treasure Coast Home Inspection: Future Peace of Mind

Home-InspectorWhenever we think of how our Treasure Coast home staging professionals approach their craft, it’s all the positives that come to mind—how they transform a ho-hum living room into a welcoming showplace; a run-of-the-mill front porch into a curb appeal magnet, etc. That is true, but equally important are the negatives they address. Stagers locate and eliminate elements that detract.

This is all by way of pointing out that another element of the Martin County real estate industry—the home inspection part—provides an extremely positive contribution by zeroing in on negatives. It’s pretty darned important that a Jensen Beach home inspection do just that!

Picture this: it’s just under a year since you bought your home, but what started out as a dream home is beginning to take on aspects of a nightmare. Cracks have appeared in the foundation (were they there all along?); asphalt tiles are raining down onto the driveway (am I seeing gaps up on the garage roof?); and puddles are springing up underneath the network of pipes that (now that I’m looking closely) do seem to show a bit more rust than they probably should…

This is the kind of evolving nightmare no Treasure Coast home buyer should have to deal with. A thorough home inspection unearths problems before you close on the home—so while it may require an investment of a few hundred dollars, it’s the most sensible way to prevent expensive (but foreseeable) maintenance surprises down the road. Going about tapping a professional whose home inspection credentials measure up won’t take an undue chunk of your time:

·         Survey the ratings

This is an area where the Better Business Bureau is truly invaluable. Likewise, customer feedback sites like Angie’s List offer reviews of Treasure Coast home inspection services that are full of useful information. The only detail that’s less attention-worthy is cost. When you’re in the process of investing hundreds of thousands of dollars, paying a bit extra for a superior home inspection is “pound-wise.”

·         Note ties to the Martin County community

Home inspectors who have maintained strong ties to the Treasure Coast business community have their reputation riding on the line with every inspection. Their incentives are perfectly aligned with yours for providing a thorough inspection with written findings that will hold up over time.

·         Consider a structural engineer or another specialist

If there’s a question about the structural integrity of the home, look for an inspector with engineering credentials. Likewise, if there are questions about other areas of the house (like the electrical system), be open to calling in an appropriate specialist to take a look. It’s really your peace of mind that will benefit.

When you choose me as your Realtor®, I will also be happy to recommend several Treasure Coast home inspectors who have demonstrated their skill and reliability for my clients over the years. I hope you won’t hesitate to give me a call!

Hidden River Waterfront Home in Palm City Sold

04.04.13 by

Hidden River Waterfront Home in Palm City Sold

Just sold in Palm City, FL by the Gabe Sanders real estate team, to a very happy family making a move to the warm Florida weather after a cold and snowy Maryland winter.Hidden River Waterfront HomeBOATER’S DREAM – Only minutes to the St. Lucie River, this Hidden River waterfront home in Palm City is a boater’s dream come true.

Hidden River Waterfront Home

Where else in Martin County can you find a custom home on a large, elevated waterfront lot with such a scenic view and privacy.Not only is there a dock to accommodate you 40-plus foot boat, there is also a 3-plus-car garage for cars and a workshop.

Hidden River Waterfront Home

The orientation of the home allows scenic views and natural light through the windows and French doors. Inside, the home has many upgrades including its open floor plan, chef’s kitchen, high volume ceilings, wood-burning fireplace and French doors.

Hidden River Waterfront Home

The screened pool and spa is computer controlled for comfort and cleanliness. This home answers your champagne tastes.

Hidden River Waterfront Home

 Search for Waterfront Homes in Palm City, FL

View Our Featured Listings!

Palm City Florida Real Estate presented by:

the Gabe Sanders real estate team


Hidden River Waterfront Home in Palm City Sold

Search for Martin County Homes By Middle School Districts

03.12.13 by

Search for Martin County Homes By Middle School Districts

Listed below are the various Martin County Middle Schools along with a search of homes covering that particular school district.  Please double check with the Martin County School System as to the accuracy of the information provided on this page.

Martin County Middle Schools

Search for homes in the David L Anderson Middle School District

Search for homes in the Hidden Oaks Middle School District

 Search for homes in the Murray Middle School District

Search for homes in the Stuart Middle School District 

 

Search for Martin County Homes By Middle School Districts

 

Open House Westwood Country Estates Custom Home in Palm City Florida

08.02.12 by

Open House Westwood Country Estates Custom Home in Palm City Florida

Please come visit our open house Westwood Country Estates custom home in Palm City Florida on Sunday, August 5 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Custom energy efficient home, built by the current owner in 2003, this is an immaculate CBS split plan, 3/2/3 that is designed for easy living. Nestled on a half acre and backing up to a pristine preserve, this home offers privacy with all that nature has to offer. Tiled living area, fabulous custom kitchen with breakfast area just off family room, formal dining room, and screened patio allows for plenty of room for entertaining. All rooms are over-sized, and the master closets are huge! 3 car garage with built in work bench. Plenty of room to add a pool and/or spa in the back yard. Located in Westwood Country Estates, one of Palm City’s hidden gems where you are close to A-Rated schools, I-95, and Florida’s Turnpike.

About Westwood Country Estates:

Westwood Country Estates is a wide open, gorgeous community that features statuesque homes that are beautifully places on oversized lots that will give you and your family plenty of room to grow! The landscaping throughout Westwood Country Estates is very eye pleasing and adding just another feature that you will feel proud coming home to. Each home is a gorgeous piece of art that you will be sure to fall in love with! Palm City is a great place to raise a family with its “A” rated schools and closeness to I-95 and Florida’s turnpike which opens you to all the opportunities of both Martin County and Palm Beach County! The city has plenty of recreational areas to spend a day outdoors with your family!

Search for All Westwood Country Estates Homes for Sale

Open House Westwood Country Estates Custom Home in Palm City Florida

For more information, visit our website or call us at (772) 888-2885.
Our market reports are here!

Palm City Real Estate presented by
the Gabe Sanders real estate team

Westwood Country Estates Home for Sale in Palm City – Open House

11.10.11 by

Westwood Country Estates Home for Sale in Palm City – Open House

Please come visit our open house in Westwood Country Estates in Palm City Florida

on Sunday, November 13 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Custom energy efficient home, built by the current owner in 2003, this is an immaculate CBS split plan, 3/2/3 that is designed for easy living. Nestled on a half acre and backing up to a pristine preserve, this home offers privacy with all that nature has to offer. Tiled living area, fabulous custom kitchen with breakfast area just off the family room, formal dining room, and screened patio allows for plenty of room for entertaining. All rooms are oversized, and the master closets are huge! 3 car garage with built-in workbench. Plenty of room to add a pool and/or spa in the backyard. Located in Westwood Country Estates, one of Palm City’s hidden gems where you are close to A-Rated schools, I-95, and Florida’s Turnpike.

About Westwood Country Estates:

Westwood Country Estates is a wide-open, gorgeous community that features statuesque homes that are beautifully placed on oversized lots that will give you and your family plenty of room to grow! The landscaping throughout Westwood Country Estates is very eye-pleasing and adds just another feature that you will feel proud coming home to. Each home is a gorgeous piece of art that you will be sure to fall in love with! Palm City is a great place to raise a family with its “A” rated schools and closeness to I-95 and Florida’s turnpike which opens you to all the opportunities of both Martin County and Palm Beach County! The city has plenty of recreational areas to spend a day outdoors with your family!

Search for All Westwood Country Estates Homes for Sale

Westwood Country Estates Home for Sale in Palm City – Open House

For more information, visit our website or call us at (772) 888-2885.
Our market reports are here!

Palm City Real Estate presented by
the Gabe Sanders real estate team

SOLD – Yacht and Country Club of Stuart Homes for Sale in Stuart, Florida

08.21.11 by

SOLD – Yacht and Country Club of Stuart Homes for Sale in Stuart, Florida

2972 SE Fairway W

Exquisitely upgraded home in the wonderful Yacht and Country Club of Stuart. This charming Mediterranean home boasts great curb appeal with a side entry garage, curved walkways, Spanish arches, and Bahama shutters in an upscale guard gated community with both golf, social and yachting facilities. Totally re-done on the inside featuring an updated kitchen, wood floors and newer bathrooms and fixtures. Open concept with built-ins makes for a wonderful casual atmosphere. There’s a large yard that’s perfect for entertaining. Currently set up as a two bedroom, with a huge dressing room or office, but easily converted to a 3 bedroom with the addition of only one door. All in a great location, close to shopping, restaurants and the beaches. The Yacht and Country Club real estate and homes for sale provide an exceptional opportunity in Stuart, Florida.

Search the MLS for Yacht and Country Club of Stuart Homes for Sale

For more information, visit our website or call us at (772) 888-2885.
Our market reports are here!

SOLD – Yacht and Country Club of Stuart Homes for Sale in Stuart, Florida

Stuart Florida Real Estate presented by:
the Gabe Sanders real estate team

Open House: Westwood Country Estates Homes for Sale in Palm City

08.17.11 by

Open House: Westwood Country Estates Homes for Sale in Palm City

Please come visit our open house in Westwood Country Estates in Palm City Florida

on Sunday, August 21 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Custom energy efficient home, built by the current owner in 2003, this is an immaculate CBS split plan, 3/2/3 that is designed for easy living. Nestled on a half acre and backing up to a pristine preserve, this home offers privacy with all that nature has to offer. Tiled living area, fabulous custom kitchen with breakfast area just off the family room, formal dining room, and screened patio allows for plenty of room for entertaining. All rooms are oversized, and the master closets are huge! 3 car garage with built-in workbench. Plenty of room to add a pool and/or spa in the backyard. Located in Westwood Country Estates, one of Palm City’s hidden gems where you are close to A-Rated schools, I-95, and Florida’s Turnpike.

About Westwood Country Estates:

Westwood Country Estates is a wide-open, gorgeous community that features statuesque homes that are beautifully placed on oversized lots that will give you and your family plenty of room to grow!  The landscaping throughout Westwood Country Estates is very eye-pleasing and adds just another feature that you will feel proud coming home to.  Each home is a gorgeous piece of art that you will be sure to fall in love with!  Palm City is a great place to raise a family with its “A” rated schools and closeness to I-95 and Florida’s turnpike which opens you to all the opportunities of both Martin County and Palm Beach County!  The city has plenty of recreational areas to spend a day outdoors with your family!

Search for All Westwood Country Estates Homes for Sale

Open House: Westwood Country Estates Homes for Sale in Palm City

For more information, visit our website or call us at (772) 888-2885.
Our market reports are here!

Palm City Real Estate presented by
the Gabe Sanders real estate team

Tips for Applying for a Mortgage

12.10.10 by

Tips for Applying for a Mortgage

How To Apply

In recent years the loan application process has been greatly simplified, however, proper information from borrowers is still required. Most lenders today are looking for fully-documented loan applications. This may sound intimidating, however, it’s not a big deal. Just take these steps:

  • At least three months BEFORE you finance or refinance real estate get a copy of your credit report. The reason to do this is to check and see if there’s any information on your credit report which is factually incorrect or out-of-date (most negative items can stay on a credit report for seven years, 10 years for a bankruptcy). If you start looking at your credit report three months ahead you should have some time to correct errors. You can get a free credit report with no strings attached by going to AnnualCreditReport.com.
  • Get your paperwork in order. Have in hand your last three pay stubs, your last three tax returns, and statements for all savings and checking accounts, mutual funds, retirement accounts, credit cards, student loans, car loans, etc. Make a file and stick the paperwork in it. You want to show ALL income and you must show ALL debts. When in doubt add it to the file.
  • Ask some questions: Do you expect to receive “bonus” income now or in the future? Do you expect to receive “overtime” income now or in the future Will “other” income in addition to your salary continue at current levels? If you own your home and use it as a prime residence, what’s the estimated fair market value? What’s the value of all financing now secured by your current home if you’re refinancing?

Treasure Coast Florida Real Estate presented by
the Gabe Sanders real estate team

For more information, visit our website or call us at (772) 888-2885.
Our market reports are here!

Most owners still think a home is their best investment!

10.01.10 by

The idea of “home, sweet home,” is generally the same as it used to be.

A survey of homeowners by Bankrate.com shows that an amazing 90 percent of homeowners have no regrets about the purchase of their current home.

One reason: They like their homes. Though there may be lower values in many areas, and bargains on mortgage interest rates they didn’t get, they are still satisfied with their own place. home, sweet, home

The second reason: They like the fact that they add equity to their homes every month. In years to come, they will have saved enough through monthly payments to have their big investment free and clear.

Some financial experts say paying off a mortgage is like having an annuity. That is, instead of getting maybe $750 a month from the annuity, you don’t have to pay $750 a month on a mortgage.

Another survey, this one by lender Fannie Mae, indicates that 70 percent of consumers still see a home as one of the best investments to make.

Their survey shows that 64 percent of those interviewed also think this is a good time to buy a home.

Buyers today are also more knowledgeable about mortgages, according to Fannie Mae. According to their survey, only 8 percent didn’t know what type of mortgage they have, compared with 26 percent of mortgage holders surveyed just two years ago.

In her new book: Buy, Close, Move In! How to Navigate the New World of Real Estate, Safely and Profitably, and End Up with the Home of Your Dreams, author Ilyce Glink answers questions about how much home buyers can afford, how to buy an investment property and how to buy a foreclosed property from a bank.

Your real estate agent has the answers to these questions and many more, but sometimes it’s fun to sit down with a book and dream about a new home.

Glink claims that almost anybody today can make money by flipping, selling or refinancing a home even after a short period of ownership.

We won’t guarantee that but it’s worth thinking about, especially if you’re handy with a paint brush.

Presented for your consideration by

the Gabe Sanders real estate team

Auditioning For the Stage

09.07.10 by


A “staged” home always makes an impression on buyers, and it’s a marketing tool you should consider, particularly if you’ll be moved out of your Treasure Coast Florida Home while it’s listed for sale.  Your real estate agent may already have connections to staging professionals, but if you’re going to conduct your own interviews, here are some points to cover.

First, it’s an absolute must to meet in person and to see their portfolio.  Many stagers often have specialties, so you’ll want to know what experience they have preparing your type of home, and working with listings that are in your selling price range.  You want to be sure that the furnishings and decor that they provide are appropriate for your setting.

Next, focus on the stager’s training and background.  Since this realty-related industry is largely unregulated, you’ll need to ask if they have been trained, and if they have any certifications.  If the stager you’re interviewing also has some background in real estate, that’s a bonus, because there’s more to marketing your home than interior appeal, and any other ideas they can bring to the table won’t hurt.

Ultimately, it may be simpler for you to just ask your real estate agent for recommendations because it’s likely that the agent has already screened stagers for skill and professionalism, and can make a perfect match for your needs.

the Gabe Sanders real estate team

Residential Homes, Condos and Land
Waterfront and Golf Course Communities in Martin and Saint Lucie Counties

For more information about Florida’s Treasure Coast Real Estate, visit us at:

Search the MLS for Free

Stuart Florida Real Estate

Now you can access the MLS using similar tools as Realtors. You are in control of what you want to search for, and you can search the MLS at your leisure. The information you submit in the form below can also be used to put you on an automated system where you’ll be emailed all homes that meet your search criteria. You’ll get internet access to a website that includes pictures, prices, and addresses to real estate that’s listed in the MLS!

For more information, visit our website or call us at (772) 888-2885.

Price Reduced over $300,000 on Palm City Estate Home on 5 Acres

03.22.10 by

Fall in love with this gorgeous 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath paradise, privately located in the Palm City Farm area. 5 fenced acres of beautifully manicured land surround your spacious castle in excess of 7,200 square feet. Entertain family and friends with your large screened pool and patio, dual built-in outdoor grills, commercial gourmet kitchen, dance, entertainment, and home theatre rooms. Then retire in your luxurious master suite, with endless walk-in closets, a steam room, and a full-size hot tub. Further amenities include a 3 car a/c garage, metal roof, 2-500 gallon propane tanks, 650 bottle wine room, 45,000 KW generator, 72 in. Samsung w/ surround sound, Wi-Fi, golf cart garage, and much more!

For more info visit our website or call us at (772) 888-2885.

Are You Ready to Own a Home?

12.19.09 by

As I’m sure you’ve already heard, conditions are ripe to become a homeowner, and if you may be interested in buying a home on the Treasure Coast of Florida, here is some help to determine if you’re ready. The price of a home is by far the largest factor, but don’t make the mistake of forgetting about loan fees and closing costs, which will add to your total financed amount and your monthly cost.

All lenders are much stricter in their current lending practices. Your first step will be to polish up your credit report. A higher score gives you more power when it comes to negotiating terms and interest rates.

Similarly, a larger down payment will positively affect your mortgage terms and reduce the amount you have to finance. If you can’t manage 20% down, you will likely have to pay a monthly mortgage insurance premium.

Upon preapproval from a lender, you’ll know how much loan you qualify for, and how much is required for the down payment. It’s best to secure preapproval before you begin looking at homes, especially since sellers will see your offer as a solid one worthy of consideration.

In addition to newer fees being assessed on loans to less than stellar applicants, there are standard closing costs associated with the purchase, including appraisals, legal fees, credit reports and more. All are included upfront on your settlement statement and some may be negotiable. If you’re ready, give us a call today and we’ll get you on the road to homeownership. Prices and interest rates are very attractive now and home ownership is more affordable now.

the Gabe Sanders real estate team

Stuart Florida Real Estate

Residential Homes, Condos and Land
Waterfront and Golf Course Communities in Martin and Saint Lucie Counties

Search the Martin County MLS