RE/MAX Real Estate Insights

There is something about a home when it has that certain put-together look and that is what you want when selling your home. We talk to a professional about how they can make your home look larger, cleaner and warmer. We discuss what you can do to help keep buyers focus on the homes assets and not your personal furnishings, the different types of services home stagers can provide to you – everything from a “walk and talk” to a formal report to bringing in furniture an accent pieces as well as the difference between decorating and staging and why using a professional is important. We also share which rooms benefit the most from staging and what you can and should do to neutralize smells in your home.

Current market conditions may make now the right time to buy a new construction home. We discuss the benefits of purchasing a new construction home the include not having to worry about immediate repairs and maintenance at a time when many buyers are stretching their budget to get their offer accepted on a existing home and what features are popular with new home buyers. And we share an often overlooked area in metro Detroit where you can find new construction homes that offer waterfront or acreage with significant less property taxes.

When folks come to your home you want to roll out the proverbial red carpet for them. A great way to do that is to pay attention to the first impression your home makes and that is the view from the street. We share several easy and economical ways to add some color and charm to your curb appeal that will be attractive to buyers if your are selling or you can enjoy as the current homeowner. From painting the front door and adding a new handle to updating lighting and house numbers there are many thing you can do to give your home an updated look. We also discuss landscape lighting and using flowers and furniture for pops of color. Some of these updates can be done for less than $20 and many can be done in an in 60 minutes.

Whether it is investors, flippers or traditional buyers there is a lot going on in Detroit when it comes to residential real estate. We discuss the recent announcement by Dan Gilbert to provide some property tax relief and who it will and won’t help, who is relocating to Detroit and what is brining them into the city and how marketing conditions are impacting the home flipping segment of the market. We also share what low interest rates means for buyer and what the pros and cons are of this market for buyers and sellers.

If you are tired of making rent payments that help pay someone else’s mortgage or you day-dream about decorating your own home, you may be ready to buy a home. We share six signs that you are ready for home ownership including things like you are ready to make an investment, you crave freedom to personalize your home or you have simply outgrown your existing space. Then we ask five important questions designed to help you assess if you are financially ready to buy including reviewing if your financial house is in order, have you saved enough for a downpayment and can you fix a lead…or afford to pay someone to do it for you.

Winter weather can reek havoc your home’s exterior so come spring your home can use a little TLC. We share 10 spring home maintenance tips focusing on everything from the foundation to the roof. We focus on the exterior first to address any serious issues before moving inside. HVAC, gutters, roof, decks, siding, sprinkler system, windows and doors and more are all addressed along with a bonus tip on how to help prevent mosquitos from becoming a summer nuisance.

Your excitement over a major home renovation project can take a turn once the contractor and crew starts shows up and your daily routine is disrupted. We share tips to help you prepare and plan for a kitchen or bathroom remodel so that you can minimize the inconvenience you and your family. Getting clarity on the crew’s arrival time and giving them access to one entry to your home not only helps establish a new routine but can help keep kids and pets safe. We also discuss how to manage the dust and noise that come with remodel projects and how important it is to communicate with the crew.

Before you get to the closing table, the final walkthrough is an important step in the home buying process that give the buyer one last opportunity to view the home before officially buying it. Chances are it has been a few weeks since you were last in the home and a final walkthrough tends to occur within 72 hours of the closing giving buyers a chance to insure nothing has changed in the condition of the home. We cover what a final walkthrough is (a chance to insure any agreed upon repairs have been completed) and what it isn’t (a time to bring contractors or family members with you) and some common issues that can arise during the walkthrough.

The real estate market is experiencing record low inventory and record low interest rates. Either one could make the market a little crazy, but when you have both of these dynamics together it has created a market unlike anything we have seen before. We talk about how buyers need to expect they will face competition and how an experienced team of an agent and lender working for them can make all the difference. We also discuss how buyers are choosing to waive the appraisal contingency and/or the private inspection to sweeten their offer and offering free occupancy to sellers after the sale. We round out our covering what has sellers on the sidelines and how a seller’s contingency to find a house before selling theirs is becoming popular again.

It is no secret that homes for sale are in short supply right now and this is driving many “Coming Soon” teasers for listings about to hit the market. We discuss pros and cons of this type of marketing and what it means for buyers and sellers. We also talk about exactly what buyers can focus on when they are told to submit a “highest and best” offer and how our current marketing conditions may have agents matching sellers up with existing buyers to save them the hassle of showing their home.