Maximize Your Homes Appeal

Sometimes a real estate agent will walk into a home that is basically attractive, yet communicates the feeling that something is lacking. Then the agent notices that all of the drapes are closed, interior lights are off and there is a lot of overgrown shrubbery blocking the sunlight that might otherwise pour through the windows.

A dark house is not as appealing to most buyers as one that is flooded with light. As a part of your preparations to market your home, try to maximize the light in your home. Make sure that all the windows are clean and the drapes are open when the house is being shown. A fresh coat of light paint can do a lot to brighten up the interior. If your house has very dark paneling, and you do not wish to repaint the walls, you may want to consider adding additional lamps. Your real estate agent may be able to provide other simple and cost-effective ideas about how to maximize your home’s appeal. for more tools, tips and prequalification advice, visit: http://www.ratesarehot.com

Yard Beautiful

Many people wait until they are about to sell their home before they put energy and attention into improving the landscaping. Then in a desperate attempt to create instant curb appeal, they call in a professional landscaper and spend a lot of money making the yard beautiful for the next owners to enjoy.

Why wait until you are ready to move to enhance your surroundings? Even if you don’t want to take on a major project, you can plant a few bushes and bulbs each year. You can get plants that bloom at different times of the year, many of which don’t need a tremendous amount of care. There are several benefits to this approach. You will be able to enjoy your improvements yourself, and you will profit more from your sale if you haven’t invested a lot of money in your yard right before the transaction. Well-landscaped lawns tend to increase the real estate values in the whole neighborhood, and can result in a more rapid increase in the equity you have in your home!

For more tools and tips visit: http://www.ratesarehot.com where anyone can prequalify themselves for a mortgageloan.

“Houses and Pets”

Houses and Pets
Many home owners are animal lovers and have cherished pets that are part of the family but you can’t afford having potential buyer’s fingers or ankles nipped by furry creatures during a showing. You have opened the front door to the home only to have a purebred Persian kitten scoot toward the nearest busy street.

If you have pets and are going to put your house on the market, be sure to work out the showing arrangements carefully. It is rare for pets to pose significant problems, but big dogs can be menacing. Buyers or agents may be allergic or even a little phobic about dogs or cats. For more tools, tips advice and to get prequalified for a mortgage visit: http://www.ratesarehot.com

It is difficult to get a buyer excited about your home if he or she is sneezing continuously or unwilling to cross the threshold because your dog is barking away intruders. If your agent knows there might be a problem, they can arrange ahead of time for you to walk the dog, vacuum the cat dander or do whatever is necessary to make sure that the showing goes smoothly.

The advantage of buying a home rather than renting!

Are you still writing those checks to your landlord every month to keep a roof over your head, but not accumulating any home equity? If you are still renting because you think you still need a fortune to get into your own home, you should investigate today’s real estate market.

Interest rates are still relatively low, which means that mortgage loans are affordable, with payments potentially in the range of your current monthly rent. Qualifying for a loan was never easier, especially since lenders have increased in large numbers and are competing for your business. Even if you couldn’t qualify to buy a home just a few years ago, you may be able to qualify today. There are a number of government programs and mortgage packages which require small down payments, in the three to five percent range–and that is not even talking about the tax advantages! Think about it the next time you write a rent check.
For more information and to get pre-qualified check out http://www.ratesarehot.com