Sellers ... Stay Informed on the Local Market

Having an open house has been a proven marketing tactic for decades now. Giving a lot of buyers the chance to look at your house is a great way to gain exposure and interest among buyers. In this article, we'll discuss in dept how to appeal to buyers in the Salt Lake City Utah market using the open house.

Tip #1 - Meticulous Staging

Stage your house beautifully. Everything should be spotless and clean. The house should be well lit and lightly scented. The overall impression should be that the house is in top notch condition.

Tip #2 - Collect Contact Information

To increase the likelihood that a buyer will make an offer on your house, itís important to collect their contact information so you can follow up. Ideally, you want to get their name, phone number and email addresses.

The best way to do this is to have a sign in sheet.

Tip #3 - Provide Snacks

Remember that the home buying process is an emotional one. By providing snacks, cookies, water and/or fruit juices, youíre associating a feeling of pleasantness to visiting your house.

Tip #4 - Have an Amazing First Impression

As an experienced real estate agent, I can tell you that buyers make their decision on a home within seconds. Itís vitally important that you keep your front yard and the entrance to your home in tip top condition. A plastic bag thatís lying around can literally cost you thousands of dollars.

Tip #5 - Have the Price in Mind

Make sure your agent knows what your price range is. This gives your agent to talk about price to qualified buyers on the spot if theyíre interested.

These tips will take you a long way towards having an amazing open house. As always, make sure that youíre working with a real estate agent that really knows what theyíre doing when youíre selling your house.

There is a lot of free information available to you about selling your home in Salt Lake City Utah. For complete information about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including selling tips and current market values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything [Profile.market2] real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com www.kathyohomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

If you have sold your home this year or are still about to sell it before the end of the year, the IRS has put together a great list of 10 tax tips to help you manage through tax season.

1.    You are eligible to exclude the financial gain from your income if you have used your home as your main residence for 2 years out of the 5 years prior to the date of its sale.

2.    If you have gained from the sale of your home, you may be able to exclude up to $250,000 of the gain from your income ($500,000 on a joint return in most cases).

3.    You are not eligible for this exclusion if you excluded the gain from selling another home during the 2-year period prior to the sale of your home.

4.    If you can exclude all of the gain, you do not need to report the sale on your tax return at all.

5.    If you have a gain that cannot be excluded, it is taxable. You must report it on Form 1040, Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses.

6.    You cannot deduct a loss from the sale of your main home.

7.    Worksheets are included in Publication 523, Selling Your Home, to help you figure the adjusted basis of the home you sold, the gain (or loss) on the sale, and the gain that you can exclude.

8.    If you have more than one home, you can exclude a gain only from the sale of your main home. You must pay tax on the gain from selling any other home. If you have two homes and live in both of them, your main home is ordinarily the one you live in most of the time.

9.    If you received the first-time homebuyer credit and within 36 months of the date of purchase, the property is no longer used as your principal residence, you are required to repay the credit. Repayment of the full credit is due with the income tax return for the year the home ceased to be your principal residence, using Form 5405, First-Time Homebuyer Credit and Repayment of the Credit. The full amount of the credit is reflected as additional tax on that year’s tax return.

10.    When you move, update your address with the IRS and the U.S. Postal Service to ensure you receive correspondence from the IRS. Use Form 8822, Change of Address, to notify the IRS of your address change.

 For more information about selling your home, see IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home. This publication is available at www.irs.gov or by calling 800-TAX-FORM (800-829-3676).

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

Real estate prices in Salt Lake City Utah have shifted drastically in the last few years. However, there are certain techniques that one can use to ensure a fast sale no matter what the market looks like. In this article, we’ll cover how you can sell your house in Salt Lake City Utah quickly, no matter what the market looks like.
Focus
First of all, remember to focus on things you can control. Focusing on what the market looks like won’t help you sell your house any faster.
Focus on the things you can control, such as your strategy, the staging of your house and so on.
Flexibility
Speed can sometimes come at the cost of your selling price. Make a decision as to how important it is to sell your house quickly.
It’s often possible to sell your house in a matter of weeks if you’re willing to sell your house to investors for a low enough price. On the other hand, the tradeoff may not be worth the speed to you.
The speed vs. price decision is an important one to make if you’re thinking about selling your house quickly.
Staging
Staging your house is the process of making it as appealing to your buyers as possible. When a buyer steps into your house, you want them to have an instantaneous “Yes!” reaction.
To do this, make sure your house is in tip top condition. Your carpets, walls, appliances, bathroom and kitchen tiles all look crystal clean. The air is well ventilated or lightly scented. The rooms are well lit.
Working With a Real Estate Agent
Work diligently with a real estate agent to ensure that you can sell your house as quickly as possible. Talk to your real estate agent about possible venues of marketing and come up with as many ways to get your house in and off the market as possible.
Remember that in the long run, working with a real estate agent will generally save you money. According to Consumer Reports, homes sold through a real estate agent sell for higher prices and stay on the market for less time.
If you don’t already have an agent you’re working with who can help you sell your house quickly, feel free to give me a call at 801-518-4599 or send me an email at kathyo@kathyohomes.com to discuss how we can help get your house sold as quickly as possible.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

It seems that no matter where you look in the real estate investment game someone is saying it’s time to sell. The bubble is going to burst! The market is falling! With these doomsayers hitting every major magazine and newspaper across the country, what’s an investor supposed to think? Well, it depends on why you own your investment property in the first place.

Those who bought a house with the intent to own it for quite a while have little to fear. The housing market is similar to the stock market in that while there may be dips or flattening of the market, the long-term goal will continue to rise. Since housing prices have grown so quickly and the interest rate has risen of late, the rental market has increased as well, so even those who aren’t looking to live in their property are likely to find that their investment is secure. And as those renters work toward securing their own home, one can be pretty sure that they’ll be paying on time to keep their credit report sparkling clean. It’s best to work with cash when it comes to buying rental properties, though, so that when the right property comes up at the right price you can act fast without having to worry about where your money is going to come from.

If, on the other hand, you’re one of those investors who was hoping to make a quick cash turn around, you may be in for a bit of a shock. The real estate market is moving toward a buyer’s market, leaving those trying to sell a rehabbed house at a decent price for profit hanging. With the market flattening across the country, there’s little chance at a quick anything when it comes to home buying and selling. Those looking to unload a home in order to cash out their equity will be looking for the best deal they can get, and most likely will take their time in doing so. Buyers, on the other hand, will be hard-pressed to find a good investment opportunity that can be easily turned into cash in hand.

Of course, there’s the added concern of high-risk, adjustable rate mortgages. Now is definitely the time to look into getting rid of those dark horses, either by refinancing or selling the home outright. The trend is moving away from no-money down lending to the more secure loans available, and with Alan Greenspan jumping the interest rates, those caught in the ARM struggle will find considerably higher mortgage payments as the loan shifts. The money is better suited in other areas of investment, rather than lining the bank’s pockets. If refinancing into a fixed rate loan isn’t possible, at least look into refinancing into another ARM that will give you a little more time to figure out exactly what you want to do.

None of this really matters if you’re in a market that’s showing growth despite what the economists are saying. Every city has its own growth-slow down rate, and looking into where the growth is and investing there may well buy you a little more time with your money. Know the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market before listening to any talking heads about how you should handle your investments.

Overall, those who are into the real estate market for the long haul have little to fear. So long as they’re not looking into the mouth of a large balloon payment or significant rate hike at the end of an ARM, sitting still will be your best bet. Those who are looking for quick turn-arounds with minimal effort on their part are best making sure the market they’re involved in can support it. Otherwise, leave the speculating alone until the real estate market turns back around.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything [Profile.market2] real estate. So please feel free to contact me with any of your mortgage questions and I will me more than glad to answer you queries. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

As a seller in the Salt Lake City Utah area, it can be tough to make all the right choices when selling your home. In this article, we’ll go over five common mistakes sellers make so you can ensure that you avoid these mistakes. By the end of this article, you’ll have a good idea of what to do and what not to do when you’re selling your home.
Mistake #1 – Bad Pricing Strategy
Most sellers are aware they shouldn’t price their house too low. However, it’s all too common that sellers overestimate what their house can sell for and price too high.
The logic they often go by is that they can always “accept a lower offer” if the price they’re suggesting doesn’t work. However, what usually happens is buyers are just scared off by the higher price and don’t even come to look at your property.
Mistake #2 – House is Cluttered
This may seem like common sense, but it’s an all too common mistake. The buyer comes to look at the house and it’s still cluttered with belongings from the seller’s family.
A cluttered house is unappealing to buyers. Make sure you move all your stuff out of your house, even if it means renting a storage unit for a few months.
Mistake #3 - Garden is not well kept
The front and back yards are often the first impression your buyer gets of your house. Beyond just physical looks, this tells the buyer how well your house is kept. Make sure your front yard and back yard are in tip top condition.
Mistake #4 - House is not Staged
Staging is the process of making your house as appealing as it can possibly get.
Clean the house thoroughly inside and out. Make sure the lighting is great and that there’s either fresh air or a light scent throughout the house. Make any repairs that are necessary.
Have furniture that showcases the house and have empty rooms when appropriate.
Mistake #5 - Not Hiring a Real Estate Agent
Hiring a real estate agent will almost always save you time and money. Statistics have repeatedly shown that working with a real estate agent results in higher sale prices and faster sales. Many owners who list FSBOs end up wishing they had listed with a real estate agent instead.
A real estate agent can help you sell your house quickly and for the best price. They’ve spent hundreds of hours training to do so and a great real estate agent will already have tons of experience selling homes just like yours.
To speak with an experienced real estate agent who can help you sell your home, please give me a call at 801-518-4599 or send me an email at kathyo@kathyohomes.com

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate Professional Kathy Opolski Offers Solid Advice for UT Home Sellers

When it comes to putting your Salt Lake City Utahhome up for sale, it can be a very tricky experience. On the one hand, you desperately want buyers to like your home and think that you have done a good job keeping it maintained, decorating it and so forth. However, in the end you are not trying to make the buyers impressed with your decorating skills. You are attempting to get them to see that your home is the right one for their needs and wants.

One big mistake that many Salt Lake City Utah home sellers make is getting emotionally involved in the process of selling real estate. They take things personally that the buyer says about their choice of draperies, for instance. An experienced real estate agent must instruct his or her sellers that they cannot take comments and opinions that buyers make personally. Everyone has different tastes when it comes to home décor.

It is best that home sellers try to be as objective as possible during contract negotiations. Sometimes buyers will make an initial offer that seems way low. Unfortunately, some sellers will take this personally and either not respond to the offer at all or they will come back at full price out of spite. Again, an experienced agent will stand in that gap and try to forge a pathway for all parties to be happy with the final result.

Buyers will often take advice from well meaning friends and family members who tell them to “come in low because you can always increase your offer.” This is bad advice as it often irritates and frustrates the seller to the point that they no longer want to negotiate with that particular buyer. It’s important that all parties treat contract negotiations in a professional and business-like manner so that everyone can be satisfied in the end.

No matter what, selling a home will always be a stressful process for any home seller. After all, if you have lived in the home for a long time or raised kids there, your home is full of memories. You must always remember that the end goal is to find a buyer who can make new memories there too. For more information on finding that perfect buyer for your home, call Kathy Opolski with RE/MAX Associates at 801-518-4599 today.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

It's only natural to want to sell your house for as much as it possibly can go for. As an experienced agent in the Salt Lake City Utah area, I've seen many houses go for both low and high prices. What makes the difference? In this article, we'll go over several steps you can take to ensure your house goes for the highest price possible.

Tip #1 - Have Amazing Curb Appeal

Pay a disproportionate amount of time to your buyer's first impression. Your front lawn and the front of your house will make a big impact on your buyer's impression of the house.

If the outside is dirty, at the very least have the house power washed. If the paint is old to the point where it's noticable, it'll pay off to have the exterior repainted.

Tip #2 - Stage the Interior Like a Pro

Staging a house well is essential to a top dollar sale. You wouldn't pay top dollar for damaged goods, any more than a buyer wouldn't pay top dollar for a house that isn't in tip top condition.

Make sure the walls, carpets, floors, tiles and even the ceiling are in great condition. Steam wash the carpets and repaint the walls if necessary.

Make any necessary repairs before showing the house. Scrape the tiles, grease up sqeaking hinges, replace rusted fixtures. Appliances such and refridgerators and microwaves should be cleaned inside and out.

Pay particular attention to the lighting and the scent. These both have a powerful subliminal impact on the buyer. The lighting in your house could be the difference between getting the sale and losing the sale.

Tip #3 - Have Great Marketing

One of the top reasons to work with an experienced real estate agent is because they bring great marketing skills to the table. They've sold dozens of homes already and know how to bring in buyers consistently.

There are many different ways to market a house. Often times they're not exclusive. The more places you market your house, the quicker you'll sell your house and the more you'll get for your house.

Remember that none of the repairs or aesthetics matter at all if you don't get buyers in to your house. Working with a qualified real estate agent will help you do just that.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com www.kathyohomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

Can a Realtor really help you sell your house in Salt Lake City Utah more quickly?  Is it worth paying the commission to have a Realtor sell your home in Salt Lake City Utah?  If you decide to use a Realtor how do you decide on the best one for you?  Find out in this special report.

SPECIAL REPORT:

Kathy Opolski Discuses Whether it is Necessary to Use a Realtor to Sell Your Home Salt Lake City Utah?

Selling your home in Salt Lake City Utah can be one of the most profitable sales you ever make in your life.  But one of the most important decisions can be deciding whether to sell the house yourself or to use a Realtors service in Salt Lake City Utah to help sell it for you.

First let’s take a look the main benefit of selling your house in Salt Lake City Utah yourself.  The main benefit is that you don’t have to pay a Realtor’s commission which is usually between 6-8% of the sale price. 

This can be a huge chunk of money.  On a $200,000 sale that comes out to $14,000 that will come out of your sale to the Realtor(s) in a sale with a 7% commission rate.  

In most home transactions with a Realtor you are actually splitting the commission between two Realtors.  Seller’s agents actually list the property and get a little more than half the commission for being the listing agent on the sale.

Buyer’s agents are Realtors that work directly with the home buyer in helping them to find a property in Salt Lake City Utah and they will get a little less than half of the Realtor commission for finding the buyer for the property and helping them through the purchase process.

The thing is that the seller of the property is actually paying both of these commissions out of the proceeds of the sale.

Now keep in mind that most home buyers in Salt Lake City Utah are working with a buyers agent, so in a lot of cases you can still end up paying 3-4% of the sale price to a Buyer’s Realtor even if you are selling the house yourself without a listing agent.

Decide how much free time you have to show the property, market the property and answer phone calls.  You may enjoy the home selling process and want to take care of the sale yourself, but if you don’t have the time and energy to put into the sale of your home in Salt Lake City Utah and you aren’t particularly knowledgeable about selling houses you may want to consider listing the house with a Realtor.

So while you are weighing your decision look over the pros and cons of selling the house yourself.

The main benefit that you get from listing your house with a Realtor is that it goes straight into the multiple listing service.  The “multiple” is the resource that every Realtor in the nation uses to look at properties for sale that are listed.  You can see how the listings work online for the consumer at www.Realtor.com.

Once a property is listed in the multiple, every buyers agent in your town has access to it.  Most Buyers agents with clients are going to the multiple listings at least once a day or more to keep current on the latest properties that may fit their client’s needs.

Any Realtor can look up whatever specifics they want on a property search.  If they are looking for a 3 bedroom 2 bathroom house  with a fireplace in Central neighborhood the computer will bring up every property that is for sale that fit those criteria.

Another benefit that you may want to consider in whether to list your property or sell it yourself is that a good real estate agent may have much better negotiating skills when it comes to selling your house in Salt Lake City Utah for you.

They can bring up points that you may not think up your self that will help to increase the desirability of your house in Salt Lake City Utah or some easy ways to increase the value before you actually list it.

Now if you decide to use a Salt Lake City Utah Realtor there are some important questions to ask when interviewing them for the job.  Remember that although they are the real estate professional, you are still the one hiring them for the job.  So make sure you get all your questions answered to your satisfaction before signing on the dotted line.

Ask how many houses in Salt Lake City Utah they have sold in the past 12 months.  Right off the bat you will know how serious they are about their business.

Find out how long they have been an agent.  There are many agents that come in and out of the business.  Turn over can be pretty great in the real estate business.  You want to make sure you are working with a total professional, if you are going to sell your house in a timely manner.

Find out what they generally charge for commission.  Some agents go for a lower listing commission to try and get your business selling the fact that you will save money using them.  The fact is that a higher commission will many times gain the interest of other buyers agents and they will be more inclined to show these houses first to their prospective clients.

In weighing the decision to sell your home in Salt Lake City Utah you may want to consider putting the property up on the market by yourself for awhile.  You can always list it later if it does not sell initially.

Take into account that you could drop your price 3-8% for a quicker sale if you need to sell quickly.  Then you raise the price later if you list the property with a Realtor.  Many times the reason a house will not sell for sale by owner in Salt Lake City Utah is simply because they don’t have the marketing available that Realtors do.

The decision is up to you.  Weigh the pros and cons.  Decide on what outcome is most important to you in selling your property in Salt Lake City Utah and how much time you have to devote to selling your house yourself as opposed to having a Realtor do the work for you.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. For complete information about the Salt Lake City Utah real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate. So please feel free to contact me with any of your mortgage questions and I will me more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

A sale will often depend upon the way it looks. Buying a home is often an emotional decision. Aesthetics have a powerful ability to affect emotions. This article covers a few of the biggest errors in terms of appearance that sellers in the Salt Lake City Utah Use this so you can avoid making these mistakes and get a higher price when you sell your house.

Mistake #1 - Poor Lighting

Lighting is crucial when showing your house to a buyer. A house that has a lot of natural light and is bright seems welcoming. A dark house seems dark and gloomy.

Make sure the windows are open and the curtains are pulled back. Adding some extra lighting to a house will help if it has poor natural light.

The subtle taste of how your house smells has a big impact on the buyer.

Mistake #2 - Lack of Attention to Scent Although it's pleasant to subtly lend fragrance to the home, at all costs avoid strong overpowering smells.

No buyer will want to have to deal with any type of bad smells that exist in your house when they tour it. Before showing the house,it could go a long way to use some soft air fresheners.

It is also important to remember to pay attention to your home's exterior as well as its interior. The outside, including the paint-job as well as the lawn, has a big role in the homebuyer's decision to make the purchase.

The exterior gives the buyer a first impression of the house.

Mistake #4 - Strange Colors

Perhaps you have a teenager who's painted his walls orange. Pink may be your forte and it may look good with the paintings you own. However, for the buyer the colors may or may not suit them.

Why take the risk? Before showing your house, make sure all the walls are painted a neutral color.

Spray WD-40 on any squeaking hinges.

Mistake #5 - Not Making Obvious Repairs If you are having issues with major utilities be sure to have those problems resolved first. In the event that kitchen cupboards or counters are marred or outdated, replacing them is likely to be needed.

Tiles must be scraped of all grime. Often times it could even pay to replace old windows.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. You can always contact me if you have any questions regarding real estate or mortgage questions and I would be happy to answer all of them. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or feel free to send me an email at Profile.email_link.

Aesthetics play a huge part in a successful sale. A large part of a buyer's decision to buy a house is based on emotions. Aesthetics have a powerful ability to affect emotions. In this article, we'll go over some of the top aesthetic mistakes sellers in the Salt Lake City Utah area make, so you can avoid these mistakes and fetch a higher price for your house.

Mistake #1 - Poor Lighting

Lighting is crucial when showing your house to a buyer. A brightly lit house with natural light seems bright and inviting. A dark house seems dark and gloomy.

Open all the windows and pull back all the curtains. If the house is naturally poorly lit, get some extra lights in the house to help with the lighting.

Mistake #2 - Lack of Attention to Scent

The subtle taste of how your house smells has a big impact on the buyer. While it's nice to have a faint, clean scent to the house, what should absolutely be avoided are any noticeable strange smells or odors.

The last thing a buyer wants is to inherit the seller's odors. It could go a long way to use some soft air fresheners before showing the house.

Mistake #3 - Poor Exterior First Impression

The inside of your house is not the only place you should pay attention to. The exterior, including the paint and the front yard, both play an important factor in the buyer's decision making process.

Remember, the exterior gives the buyer a first impression of the house.

Mistake #4 - Strange Colors

Perhaps you have a teenager who's painted his walls orange. Perhaps pink appeals to you or matches with your paintings. However, for the buyer the colors may or may not suit them.

Why take the risk? Before showing your house, make sure all the walls are painted a neutral color.

Mistake #5 - Not Making Obvious Repairs

Spray WD-40 on any squeaking hinges. If any major utilities equipment isn't working, have it fixed beforehand. If any of the kitchen cabinets or counter tops are chipped or look old, they should probably be replaced.

Tiles must be scraped of all grime. Often times it could even pay to replace old windows.

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Salt Lake City Utah real estate. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate Agent [Kathy Opolski Explains What Home Sellers Need to Ask Any Real Estate Agent Before Listing Their Home

Choosing the right real estate agent to help you with the sale of your home  in Salt Lake City Utah can seem like a very challenging task. There are thousands of real estate agents in Salt Lake City Utah, so finding the perfect one that will do the job right for you might seem impossible. However, there are some questions that you should ask any local real estate agent before signing on the dotted line to list your property.

First of all, you want to know what the agent's experience level is. However, you should not take this to mean that a new agent wouldn't do a fabulous job for you. What you are looking for is someone who will be honest with you and tell you exactly what level of experience they have. In the end, however, what really matters is how motivated they are to get your home sold. This leads us to the second thing you need to ask.

An agent needs to provide you with a documented, detailed marketing plan that they will use to sell your property. As the market has been quite challenging recently, it is important that an agent is not flying by the seat of their pants when it comes to marketing your home. They need to have a set plan of action that will give your house the greatest chance of selling quickly and for the most money. A good agent will have no problem going over with you the details of their marketing plan.

Something else that you need to ask your agent is what your home is truly worth in the current condition, in the current market. Sometimes homeowners get a little bit offended if an agent prices their home lower than what they would believe it to be. However, you must sometimes defer to the experience of the real estate agent because they are out in the market place each day. Of course, if you think that their numbers are way off base, you should certainly ask them to show proof of why they believe your home is worth what they are saying.

For more free information on the Salt Lake City Utah real estate conditions, visit my site at www.BuySaltLakeHomes.com www.kathyohomes.com or call me directly at 801-518-4599 anytime. I can provide you with current market details as well as recently sold homes in the area.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

As a seller in the Salt Lake City Utah area, it can be tough to make all the right choices when selling your home. In this article, we’ll go over five common mistakes sellers make so you can ensure that you avoid these mistakes. By the end of this article, you’ll have a good idea of what to do and what not to do when you’re selling your home.
Mistake #1 – Bad Pricing Strategy
Most sellers are aware they shouldn’t price their house too low. However, it’s all too common that sellers overestimate what their house can sell for and price too high.
The logic they often go by is that they can always “accept a lower offer” if the price they’re suggesting doesn’t work. However, what usually happens is buyers are just scared off by the higher price and don’t even come to look at your property.
Mistake #2 – House is Cluttered
This may seem like common sense, but it’s an all too common mistake. The buyer comes to look at the house and it’s still cluttered with belongings from the seller’s family.
A cluttered house is unappealing to buyers. Make sure you move all your stuff out of your house, even if it means renting a storage unit for a few months.
Mistake #3 - Garden is not well kept
The front and back yards are often the first impression your buyer gets of your house. Beyond just physical looks, this tells the buyer how well your house is kept. Make sure your front yard and back yard are in tip top condition.
Mistake #4 - House is not Staged
Staging is the process of making your house as appealing as it can possibly get.
Clean the house thoroughly inside and out. Make sure the lighting is great and that there’s either fresh air or a light scent throughout the house. Make any repairs that are necessary.
Have furniture that showcases the house and have empty rooms when appropriate.
Mistake #5 - Not Hiring a Real Estate Agent
Hiring a real estate agent will almost always save you time and money. Statistics have repeatedly shown that working with a real estate agent results in higher sale prices and faster sales. Many owners who list FSBOs end up wishing they had listed with a real estate agent instead.
A real estate agent can help you sell your house quickly and for the best price. They’ve spent hundreds of hours training to do so and a great real estate agent will already have tons of experience selling homes just like yours.
To speak with an experienced real estate agent who can help you sell your home, please give me a call at 801-518-4599 or send me an email at kathyo@kathyohomes.com

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

Why Selling Your Own Home Is So Hard-Tips from Salt Lake City Utah Real Estate Expert Kathy Opolski

When it comes time to sell many homeowners think they can do all of the work themselves without an agent. The main reason they do this is to prevent having to pay a commission. But in the end, are they really saving anything?

A for sale by owner (FSBO) will always want to be there for all of the showings. This is because they have to be there to let them in. They have no way to screen potential buyers so they are, in essence, letting strangers roam through their house. This means that they have to be available all of the time, even if it is a last minute notice. If they aren't available, are at work, or on vacation they miss a buyer.

Buyers are reluctant to see these homes without representation. The owners always want to guide them through the home and this makes buyers nervous. Plus, buyers like to have a representative to ask questions to and get advice from.

FSBOs generally overprice their house at least a little because they aren't paying a commission. They do not have the up-to-date information on sales, the history of the neighborhood or the current market. They generally price based on what they need or want to get for their home.

Many buyers are relocated by their companies or move to Salt Lake City Utah from another area. This means they have a buyer’s agent working for them in another state. These agents are looking at listed homes, and not FSBOs. These buyers do not have the time or desire to look for unlisted homes when there are so many listed ones available. FSBOs are missing out on this entire group of buyers.

Real estate professionals will probably not show these homes because the sellers are not willing to pay a commission. Even if they do agree to pay one, realtors know that they will end up doing almost all of the work since there isn't another agent involved.  

A FSBO does not have the marketing resources available that realtors do. An agent listing a home allows every other agent in the nation to gain access to their listing, They are available to answer questions, fax, call and even show your home and negotiate everything from contract to closing.

To learn how to avoid becoming a FSBO, contact Salt Lake City Utah real estate expert Kathy Opolski at 801-518-4599.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599

How can you immediately make your house more appealing and more sellable to buyers? In this article, we’ll go over 3 steps to quickly make your house the most attractive house possible to get the highest offer. By the end of this article, you’ll have a great idea of how to increase the perceived value of your home, so you can get the fastest sale for the highest price.
Step #1 – The Landscaping
The landscaping is an often overlooked part of creating an appealing look for your house. The front yard is the first impression a buyer gets of your home.
Imagine what the buyer would think if your garden were poorly kept or in shambles? It’s likely the buyer would assume the house itself was equally uncared for.
On the other hand, imagine if your garden was in pristine condition. Again, the buyer would assume the house has been kept very well and is in tip top shape.
Step #2 – Make Moderate Repairs
Everything that needs to be repaired should be repaired. Heating, electricity and water should all be in working condition.
Furthermore, it’s important to fix, replace or clean the following areas:
Any grime on tiles
Appliances that don’t look new or clean
Windows or blinds that don’t look new or clean
Have your carpet steam cleaned
Paint your walls or door frames if they look old
If the counter tops or cabinets are old, consider replacing them before listing
Although it’s common for sellers to under-repair their homes prior to listing, it’s also common to over repair. One of the best ways to know just what to do and what not to do is to …
Step #3 – Work with a Real Estate Agent
Working with a real estate agent will do two things to help make your house more sellable.
1)Your real estate agent will have a great idea of how to make your house more appealing to buyers. They’ll know exactly how to stage your house, exactly what repairs to make and how to present the house in a way that makes buyers instantly want that house.
2)Your real estate agent will know how to market your house. They’ll know how to get more interested buyers to your house and how to “sell” the house to them.
It’s important to have a real estate agent who’s both local and that you know you can trust. If you don’t already have a real estate agent in the Salt Lake City Utah area, feel free to give me a call at 801-518-4599 or send me an email at kathyo@kathyohomes.com to discuss how we can sell your house for the best possible price.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.

There are many reasons to sell your house quickly. It’s less stress for you, as not knowing if your home will sell while it’s on the market can be a very stressful experience. The longer your property is on the market, the lower it’s perceived value will be. In the end, a fast sale is always better than a slow one. In this article, we’ll go over how to get your house sold quickly and profitably.
Increase Your House’s Perceived Value
Make sure your house is in tip top condition. In order to fetch a top price as well as create that instant “I want this house” reaction in potential buyers, it’s crucial that your house is in the best condition possible.
The two key rooms to perfect are the kitchen and bathrooms. Make sure all the floors are sparkle clean. Absolutely no dirt or grime. There should be no rusted metal. Any damaged fixtures should be replaced.
Appliances, shower heads or toilets should be thoroughly cleaned. If they can’t be properly cleaned for one reason or another, it’s far cheaper to get them replaced than to leave them there and affect your purchase price.
If there’s any hinges that squeak on your cabinets, spray some WD-40 on them. Fix any holes in the walls or floors.
Have something that stands out.
Having a focal point while selling your house can go a long way. The focal point can be a great fireplace, mahogany set of cabinets or an amazing backyard. Buyers fall in love emotionally and rationalize logically. Having one amazing thing that stands out about your house will help them fall in love.
A realtor I used to know had been trying for months to sell a very bland property. After several months of no action, she decided to purchase a very high end big screen TV and placed it right in the middle of the living room.
She then advertised the open house anywhere she could and told every potential buyer that the TV came with the house. Although the house was otherwise bland, she got three offers on that house because the buyers emotionally fell in love.
Work with a Competent Professional
This brings us to the final point: Work with a competent professional.
Real estate agents have spent literally hundreds of hours learning how to best manage the selling process and get you’re the fastest sale possible at the highest price.
Although 6% can seem like a steep cost to pay for a real estate agent, statistically speaking working with a real estate agent will get you both a higher price and a faster sale. In other words, it’s actually cheaper to work with a real estate agent in the long run.
If you’d like to learn more about how to sell your house quickly in the Salt Lake City Utah market, one great way to
One great way to learn more about how to sell your house quickly in the Salt Lake City Utah market is to talk to an experienced professional. For a free consultation, please give me a call at 801-518-4599 or send me an email at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

There is a lot of free information available about buying, selling or investing in Holladay and Salt Lake City, Utah real estate.  For complete information about the Salt Lake City real estate market including foreclosures, short sales and more, visit the website dedicated to everything Salt Lake City Utah real estate.

For a FREE Weekly List of Foreclosed Homes with 4-5 Bedrooms in Salt Lake City, UT under $150,000 fill in the form below and you will receive home listings as they hit the market.  You will get all the hot listings as they come up even before most agents see them!

Just fill in the form below with your correct name and e-mail address and we will set it up to have the list automatically e-mailed to you.  Just add it in the comments if you have an interest in Short Sales and HUD homes too!

If you or someone you know are in need of a competent and caring real estate professional in or near Salt Lake City, Utah, I will be happy to help, just call me at 801-518-4599.