Size Up the Competition to Sell Effectively

 

There are many great St. Cloud area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (320) 240-3363 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Lately I have been fielding a very common question. Everyone wants to know how to determine the amount of competition they will face when putting their home on the market. The answer is never simple, but I can clear it up for you in a few different ways.

1. You must first determine the top dollar for your home without overpricing your property. You want to avoid overpricing because this can help the competition sell their homes when buyers see that they are priced correctly and in accordance with their real values.
2. Support the value of your home with comparable sales. This requires preparation, but it can prevent an unpleasant surprise when an appraiser comes to look at your home.
3. How does your home compare to others in the market? You need to know what features your home offers compared to others in your local market because buyers will see around 8-10 different properties before making a decision. 

Some exciting news about homes in the St. Cloud market is that we're currently experiencing an 8-year low in inventory, as there are only 989 properties for sale. This presents a wonderful opportunity if you are looking to sell, because the market will become saturated during the spring and summer. Competition will increase, and your property will be competing against many, many others. 

Overall, we've had a very strong start to 2014. Sales are up, buyers are excited, and interest rates have actually plunged a little bit. 

If you'd like to meet and discuss your property with me, call me at (320) 240-3363 or email at hauck@saintcloudrealestate.com

St. Cloud Real Estate - buy now while home prices and interest rates are so low!

There are many great St. Cloud area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (320) 240-3363 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.
 
I get the question all the time: How do you save money in this real estate market? Moreover, what's the best way to get the best value on the house you're buying? Today I'm here to answer these questions and give you the good news about the current real estate market.

First off, home prices have really bottomed out. Most likely, 6 months to a year from now the market will pick up more speed; the construction industry will start thriving and prices of building materials and labor will climb fast. Given this forecast, you can expect the average home price to rise soon, so the sooner you get out there and buy the better.

Secondly, interest rates are still at a rock-bottom percentage. We are averaging a 4.5% rate but forecasters expect that rate to increase a pull percentage in 2014. Sounds pretty minor right? Well, that one percent increase to 5.5% will mean you're paying roughly $125 extra a month for the same house. That's $1,500 a year, and a whooping $45,000 extra paid over the lifetime of a standard 30 year fixed mortgage rate.

If you're thinking of buying today, don't wait! Call me  at (320) 240-3363 or email me at hauck@saintcloudrealestate.com. I hope to hear from you soon, have a great day!

What to expect from 2014

Welcome back to my video blog. The New Year is here and what a great year it's going to be. We finished 2013 with a whopping total of 220 pending sales. This number practically doubled from last year, so clearly 2013 was a great year for the real estate market. Looking ahead, the good times should keep on coming, and I expect a fast start in 2014.

You may not know, but the first quarter is one of our best quarters of the year. In fact, about 60-65% of our sales occur from Jan. 1st - Jun. 1st, and it's an especially good time for sellers.

If you are thinking about selling, now is the time; beat your competition. There are tons of qualified and motivated buyers out there and they don't have much of a selection. Homes have been on the market an average of 4-8 weeks, and this time period may shrink if the market starts rolling early in 2014.

If you have any questions about getting your home ready to sell, give me a call today. It's a great time to put your house on the market; don't let this opportunity pass you by! Thanks for watching!