DONT STAGE YOUR HOUSE UNLESS YOU WANT TO SELL IT QUICK.

Staging is the most helpful real estate strategy to get a quick sale and the highest offers. 

To do it right and to get the best results everything must be staged from the front yard, all throughout the house to the backyard.  Pressure cleaning walks, porches, lanais and drives, fences, mulch and landscaping, fresh paint,  neutral colors with splashes of color in the accessories, furniture placement for an easy flow and to make the rooms seem larger, lovely smells, good sounds, and a perfect temperature inside all fit the bill.  
Do not put the house on the market until it is perfectly staged and the pictures are taken. 
Price it right. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.  There are buyers just waiting for homes to come on the market in Land o Lakes and Wesley Chapel.  
When a good one hits, there is a frenzy of activity.  The listing hits the MLS with gorgeous pictures and a virtual tour, then just stand back and watch.  
If you can "WOW!" them, they will be hooked.  You will probably generate multiple offers and the highest price the market will bear. 

Maybe you need some help with repairs, to get the most for your home. Visit www.FlipMyHouseRealEstate.com

Not sure where to start? Call me. I am really good at this. 813-714-9737 or email deesmith@deesmith.com and visit www.DeeSmithSellsHomes.com or www.LandoLakesRealEstateAgent.com

DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY FIXING UP YOUR HOME BEFORE YOU SELL IT!

There are many things that you can do before you put your home on the market that will bring in the 'big bucks'. 

There are also many things you can do that will actually make the value of your home diminish.   Your real estate professional can help you determine what is going to bring you more money and what is a bad idea.   Asking first will definitely save you money, and actually put more money in your pocket at the closing table.

Painting the living room is a good idea. Painting it aqua or orange - is not.  Neutral colored walls are the best bet when applying a fresh coat of paint.  
Waiting until your home is vacant to put it on the market may sound good to you, but unless your furniture is really out of style or ragged, this is not a good idea.  Buyers need to see correct furniture placement to appreciate the space they are looking at.  
Remodeling a bathroom or kitchen is very expensive and you need resale guidance with your choices before you sink a lot of money into these ideas.  You may not recover any of it.  
“Pretty color” counter-tops are a hard sale, and so is plaid wallpaper. 

It is a good bet that shining up kitchens and bathrooms, pressure cleaning walks and drives, painting over those “pretty color” with a neutral color, and de-cluttering, though they are quite inexpensive, will bring you quite a bang for your buck.  
Also, trimming trees and bushes and adding new mulch and some pretty flowers will bring many times more than they cost. 

Don’t waste your money before you talk to your Realtor.  Let her help you decide what to do, what not to do, and help save you lots of money.  Call or Text me.  I am really good at that. 

Maybe you need some help with repairs, to get the most for your home. Visit www.FlipMyHouseRealEstate.com

For more information on successfully selling a home in the Land o Lakes/Wesley Chapel, FL market please contact me at 813-714-9737 or you can visit my website for more information.  www.DeeSmithSellsHomes.com

IF YOU WANT TO CATCH A BUYER - YOU GOTTA USE THE RIGHT BAIT!

Every market is different in every area of the country.  In the Land o Lakes/Wesley Chapel area of

Florida we have a market where the buyers seem to only be interested in "Move in Ready Homes".   There are plenty of homes on the market that are not move in ready, out dated, in need of repair, cluttered, dirty, over priced.  They are sitting for month after month. 

As soon as a NICE home comes on the market there is a frenzy of activity and there are multiple offers and offers above asking price. Why? 

They are 'Move in Ready'.  The buyers are watching the new listings that come on the market and they are acting fast.  It is a competition to get one of these NICE homes secured with a purchase contract.
Therefore, if you are going to catch a buyer - you gotta use the right bait! Make you home 'Move in Ready'.
De-clutter, clean, paint, update, repair, and price it right and you will sell it quick. If your home has been sitting on the market. Take it off temporarily, get it right and put it back on the market with new pictures and it will sell... quick.

Maybe you need some help with repairs, to get the most for your home. Visit www.FlipMyHouseRealEstate.com

For more information on successfully selling a home in the Land o Lakes/Wesley Chapel, FL market please contact me at 813-714-9737 or you can visit my website for more information.  www.DeeSmithSellsHomes.com



4 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY FOR YOUR DOWNPAYMENT

1)    PLUG HOLES IN YOUR BUDGET.  Make your own coffee and take it with you, and make your lunch. Save on Gas- carpool, bicycle or walk; Electricity-turn off lights and fans when you leave the room, turn down the thermostat, put your water heater on a timer, put your computer, printer, etc. on a power strip and turn it off at night. You wont turn it on until you return from work the next day; Meals – make your own, don’t buy food in boxes, cans or bags, buy fresh vegetables, fruits and meat, buy store brands, clip coupons whenever possible, don’t buy junk food; Entertainment - rent the movie instead of going to the movie, have friends over (BYOB -bring your own drinks and a snack to share) to watch the game, play cards and board games instead of going out to clubs, and bring the kids to save on babysitting; etc..

2)    SELL SOMETHING.  Clean out your garage, attic, storage unit. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. CraigsList.com, ebay.com, bookoo.com, etc. can help you sell your treasures. Look for consignment shops in your area to help you. Have a yard sale.

3)    GET A SECOND JOB.  At Christmas time stores hire temporary help, and at tax season many tax prep businesses hire temporary help.  Start a Concierge, Put up and take down holiday decorations, Mow lawns. Trim trees, Rake leaves. Handyman service, shopping service, Baby Sitting, Elder Sitting (best to take a class in CPR), Dog Walking, House Sitting, Pet Sitting, Cleaning houses, and so on.  Get creative.


4)    SAVE. Determine an amount (20%) to put into savings every paycheck and don’t deviate. Put in all the money from selling things, and all extra money from saving on your budget, and all the money from your second job.  No matter what, don’t take anything out of savings until you have your 10% down payment money.  It won't take long.

THEN CONTACT ME. You are welcome!!!   Now you are ready to buy a home. Contact me when you are ready and we will find your perfect home.  Bonus:  You now know how to save for new furniture, vacations, etc., anything you want in the future.

FOR MORE INFO VISIT www.DeeSmithSellsHomess.com and www.LandoLakesRealEstateAgent.com
813-714-9737                                                             

DONT GET PRE-QUALIFIED FOR A MORTGAGE BEFORE YOU START TO BUY A HOUSE.

GET PRE-APPROVED.  There is a great big difference in pre-approved and pre-qualified.

If you loan officer only pre-qualifies you, he asks you some questions and based on your answers he 'estimates' the mortgage amount the lending institute 'may' loan you. 
If he pre-approves you, he actually verifies your information by checking your credit and obtaining bank statements, pay stubs, tax information, etc. from you, and can tell you the bank will loan you a specific amount based on this information, subject to underwriting and the property appraisal, etc.
When you make an offer on a NICE home in Land o Lakes and Wesley Chapel and find yourself in a bidding war, your pre-approval holds much more weight than a mere pre-qualification letter.  It says you are a knowledgeable, serious buyer who knows what it takes to successfully close on their home.  You are ready, willing, and able to buy their home, and you are the kind of buyer they want to sell their home to.

For more information on successfully buying a home in the Land o Lakes/Wesley Chapel, FL market please contact me at 813-714-9737 or you can visit my website for more information and my Testimonials.  www.DeeSmithSellsHomes.com

BUYERS WILL BE HAPPY TO PAY MORE FOR YOUR HOME

First, let’s understand who the buyers are in the Land o Lakes/ Wesley Chapel, FL market… and what they want, which is the essence of marketing,

and so important in selling your home.  Give them just what they want, and they will be happy to pay the price for it. 

What do they want?  These days the buyers are all expecting to buy a nice home… clean, uncluttered with lots of storage, nice landscaping, with updated appliances, and nice features.  They don’t want to have to do anything to it, except move right in. 

Who are they?  According to the NAR 40% of home buyers are first-time home buyers today.  First-time home buyers have been living in apartments, or rental homes, usually managed by property managers.  They have been prepared and maintained for them, and they are used to that certain level of maintenance and condition.  All they have to do is just move their furniture and possessions into a new apartment.  They are already clean and everything is in working order, usually updated with the latest appliances and features.  This is what they are used to and this is what they are looking to buy.  A large percent of the rest of the buyers are move up buyers and want something better than they have now. Some of the rest are downsizing buyers and want something smaller but nicer than what they have now.   And there are relocating buyers who are going to a lot of trouble moving from far away, and really would like something nice.  The one thing they all have in common is they want something nice and move-in ready.

The buying process is a process of elimination.  If your home is not up to these standards, it will be eliminated within the first 10 seconds.  You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

These buyer are  pre-approved for their financing, and getting automatic emails from their Realtors with the new listings, so they are ready to move fast when something good shows up.  This is why

the pictures are so important. What are they looking at in those auto-emails? The pictures.

Also, in most cases, the buyers know they are paying a higher price than this time last year, and they want to get something for that.  The better prepared homes will sell almost immediately and at a higher price, most times with multiple offer which can make them sell for more than the asking price.  This alone should be a good incentive for the seller to prepare the home before putting it on the market.  This is a competition, and your home should be the best it could be.

Now that we know who our buyer is, and what he wants we can better understand what we have to do to prepare your home for this market. So what should you do to prepare your home?  Each home is different and the only way to know is to have an experienced Real Estate Professional who specializes in this approach help you.  She knows what buyers are looking for, and she can help you do it without wasting your money on things that don’t work, or may even be detrimental.  Along with professional photography,  massive Internet marketing, and a lot of experience, staging will get your home sold FAST AND FOR MORE. Buyers will be happy to pay more for your home.

Maybe you need some help with repairs, to get the most for your home.  Visit www.FlipMyHouseRealEstate.com

 For more personalized information on getting the most for you home, help staging your home, and marketing it to the masses on the Internet, please feel free to call me on my cell, or text. 813-714-9737 or email DeeSmith@DeeSmith.com  or  visit  www.DeeSmithSellesHomes.com . and for testimonials

* WARNING! - THIS PLAN IS DESIGNED TO SELL YOUR HOME FAST AND FOR MORE... AND IT WORKS!!!   If you are not ready to sell your home quickly, DO NOT list your home with Dee Smith at this time.... we will wait until you are ready.  Help with planning is available before you are ready to list, to make your move less stressful and more enjoyable.  Call Dee today!

I AM TRYING TO BUY A HOME!!! WHY DO MY OFFERS KEEP GETTING TURNED DOWN?

Buying a  nice, move-in-ready home in this market is a competition.  What must you do to be successful?

#1) You must be ready to buy.  Give your pre-approval letter to your Realtor to save valuable time.

#2) You must be watching the new listings.  Have your Realtor set up auto emails.
#3) You must be working closely with your REALTOR, and
#4) You must be ready to move fast and do whatever it takes to make it happen.

The truth is... this really is a competition if you want a nice, move-in-ready home in Wesley Chapel 

& Land o Lakes, FL!!! Every market is different.  Here the inventory is really low and the nice, new listings are selling quickly, and they are ALL selling for more than they did last year, or even last month.

Many buyers will have to put in 'extra cash' above the appraisal to secure a purchase.  If you don't... the next buyer will.   Why? Because  they are tired of putting in offers and getting beat by a better offer and because the prices are going up.  They understand that the appraisals are based on houses that sold within the last 6 months, which sold for less because the prices are going up.

Nice, move-in-ready short sales and bank owned properties are selling for the same as nice regular re-sales, and just as fast. Sorry to say... the reality is... this is a competition for these nice homes, and you must be ready to compete, willing and able to move fast, and to be on the top of your game.  You must have the right mindset and the right attitude.

This year interest rates are still LOW, but they are increasing... and the prices are going up as well.  Now is the time to get your best buy, your lowest interest rate, and your lowest payment.  Check out the video on my website about buying this year vs buying next year.  THE COST OF WAITING
brought to you by Veterans United Home Loans, which by the way is a great place to get your pre approval letter, veteran or not.

If you are looking for a steal, there are still some ‘discounted’ short sales, foreclosures & re-sales available, but these are usually in need of repairs and updating. We still have the FHA 203K Mortgages with built in repair and ‘reno’ funds to help with these. We make the "in's and out's" of buying and selling real estate easy for you.

For more information on successfully buying or selling a home in the Land o Lakes/Wesley Chapel, FL market please contact me at 813-714-9737 or you can visit my website for more information.  www.DeeSmithSellsHomes.com   and to read my Testimonials.