If you have recently listed your house for sale, then there is a good chance you are looking into tips for home staging in order to increase your chances of success when it comes to selling the home. If you’re not, then you should be! After all, there are all kinds of steps you can take to increase the overall appeal of your home to potential home buyers and those who schedule showings. One aspect that many people fail to consider when it comes to home staging, however, is the importance of preparing your home’s floors.

For starters, if you do not already have any hardwood flooring in your home, now would be a great time to have some installed. After all, this is generally thought of as the most appealing type of flooring in homes, especially in areas such as main living spaces and kitchens. You can have this type of flooring purchased and installed for less than you would expect if you shop around and choose the right company, too.

Of course, if you already have hardwood flooring in any space of your home, it is important to ensure that it looks its best prior to that first showing. And while hardwood is extremely appealing, the truth is that it can be very hard to care for. For this reason, it is important to know what steps to take in order to get your floors looking their best for potential buyers.

Continue reading this post

Sixty-three percent of Pennsylvania real estate professionals expect home prices to stay the same or decrease within the next six months

Last month, HomeGain,one of the first companies to provide free instant home valuations online, released the results of our fourth quarter 2012 nationwide home values survey of over 200 HomeGain current and former members and 1,500 home owners. The survey asked their opinions on home prices and what they thought of President Obama’s performance as President. On this real estate blog we published the 4th quarter 2012 national results as well as the complete 4th quarter 2012 regional results, including commentary from real estate agents and brokers.

Recently, we released the California 4th quarter 2012 home values survey data, the Florida 4th quarter 2012 home values survey data, and the Georgia 4th quarter 2012 home prices survey data.

Today we are releasing the Pennsylvania home prices survey.

Set forth below is the fourth quarter 2012 real estate professional and home owner Pennsylvania home prices survey data along with the fourth quarter 2012 real estate professional survey data and the fourth quarter 2012 national home prices survey data: (click on each question to see complete results):

1. Have home prices increased, decreased or stayed the same in the last year?
2. On average, what do homeowners believe that their home is worth?
3. How do buyers feel that homes for sale are priced?
4. What is the average difference in price between what sellers believe their home to be worth and the amount at which the home gets listed?
5. What is the average difference in price between what a home is listed at and what a home sells for?
6. In the next six months, will the values of homes in your market increase, decrease or stay the same?
7. In the next two years, will the values of homes in your market increase, decrease or stay the same?
8. What percentage of homes for sale are foreclosures in your area?
9. What is the average home price in your area?
10. What percentage of your clients are first-time buyers?
11. How do you think Barack Obama is performing in his role as President?

Continue reading this post

Sixty percent of Georgia Real Estate Professionals expect home values to decrease over the next six months

Last month, HomeGain, one of the first companies to provide free instant home valuations online, released the results of our fourth quarter 2012 nationwide home values survey of over 200 HomeGain current and former members and 1,500 home owners. The survey asked their opinions on home prices and what they thought of President Obama’s performance as President.

On this real estate blog we published the 4th quarter 2012 national results as well as the complete 4th quarter 2012 regional results, including commentary from real estate agents and brokers. Earlier this month we released the California 4th quarter 2012 home values survey data and the Florida 4th quarter 2012 home values survey data.

Today we are releasing the results of the fourth quarter 2012 Georgia home prices survey.

Set forth below is the fourth quarter 2012 real estate professional and home owner Georgia home prices survey data along with the fourth quarter 2012 national home prices survey data: (click on each question to see complete results):

1. Have home prices increased, decreased or stayed the same in the last year?
2. On average, what do homeowners believe that their home is worth?
3. How do buyers feel that homes for sale are priced?
4. What is the average difference in price between what sellers believe their home to be worth and the amount at which the home gets listed?
5. What is the average difference in price between what a home is listed at and what a home sells for?
6. In the next six months, will the values of homes in your market increase, decrease or stay the same?
7. What percentage of homes for sale are foreclosures in your area?
8. What is the average home price in your area?
9. What percentage of your clients are first-time buyers?
10. How do you think Barack Obama is performing in his role as President?

Continue reading this post

Sixty-eight percent of Florida real estate professionals and 45 percent of homeowners think home prices will increase over the next six months

by Louis Cammarosano

HomeGain, one of the first companies to provide free instant home valuations online, released the results of our fourth quarter 2012 nationwide home values survey of over of over 200 HomeGain current and former members and more than 1,500 home owners. The survey asked their opinions on home prices and what they thought of President Obama’s performance as President. On this real estate blog we published the 4th quarter 2012 national results as well as the complete 4th quarter 2012 regional results, including commentary from real estate agents and brokers.

Earlier we released the California home values survey data. Today we are releasing the Florida home values survey data.

See all past Florida home values surveys.

Set forth below is the fourth quarter 2012 real estate professional and homeowner Florida home prices survey data along with the third quarter 2012 real estate professional survey data and the fourth quarter 2011 national home prices survey data: (click on each question to see complete results):

1. Have home prices increased, decreased or stayed the same in the last year?
2. On average, what do homeowners believe that their home is worth?
3. How do buyers feel that homes for sale are priced?
4. What is the average difference in price between what sellers believe their home to be worth and the amount at which the home gets listed?
5. What is the average difference in price between what a home is listed at and what a home sells for?
6. In the next six months, will the values of homes in your market increase, decrease or stay the same?
7. In the next two years, will the values of homes in your market increase, decrease or stay the same?
8. What percentage of homes for sale are foreclosures in your area?
9. What is the average home price in your area?
10. What percentage of your clients are first-time buyers?
11. How do you think Barack Obama is performing in his role as President?

Continue reading this post

Seventy-seven percent of California real estate professionals expect home prices to increase in the coming six months, compared to 40 percent of homeowners

by Louis Cammarosano

HomeGain, one of the first companies to provide free instant home valuations online, released the results of our fourth quarter 2012 nationwide home values survey of over 200 HomeGain current and former members and more than 1,500 home owners. The survey asked their opinions on home prices and what they thought of President Obama’s performance as President. On this real estate blog we published the 4th quarter 2012 national results as well as the complete 4th quarter 2012 regional results, including commentary from real estate agents and brokers.

Today we are releasing the California home values survey data. In the coming days we will be releasing home values survey data from Texas, Florida and other states.

See all past California home values surveys.

Set forth below is the fourth quarter 2012 real estate professional and home owner California home prices survey data along with the third quarter 2012 real estate professional survey data and the fourth quarter 2011 national home prices survey data: (click on each question to see complete results):

1. Have home prices increased, decreased or stayed the same in the last year?
2. On average, what do homeowners believe that their home is worth?
3. How do buyers feel that homes for sale are priced?
4. What is the average difference in price between what sellers believe their home to be worth and the amount at which the home gets listed?
5. What is the average difference in price between what a home is listed at and what a home sells for?
6. In the next six months, will the values of homes in your market increase, decrease or stay the same?
7. In the next two years, will the values of homes in your market increase, decrease or stay the same?
8. What percentage of homes for sale are foreclosures in your area?
9. What is the average home price in your area?
10. What percentage of your clients are first-time buyers?
11. How do you think Barack Obama is performing in his role as President?

Continue reading this post

Before you conduct your first open house, consider how you can stage your property so that it is more appealing to potential buyers. Most open houses appeal to only one sense – our eyes. This is extraordinary given how much our day-to-day emotions are influenced by what we smell and the fact that there is a high chance our mood can change when we are exposed to a positive sound. The importance of our senses has been completely overlooked when it comes to selling a home… until now.

Sniffing an opportunity…

Have you ever walked past a Subway sandwich shop where you can smell the aroma of warm bread? If you look carefully at the awning you will spot vents that are specially designed to disperse baking aromas. This has proved to be a profitable exercise for the Subway Franchise.

Studies show that smell is heavily connected to our memory and our mood. When the opportunity presents itself, I like to place a tangerine or a pinch of vanilla extract on a sheet of tinfoil and turn the oven to 275 degrees. I have observed that this subtle smell will put a smile on a visitor’s face and allow a buyer who has seen 15 similar apartments in one day to distinguish your apartment as the “vanilla smelling apartment”. The smell must be subtle and anything too strong could backfire.

Taste goes hand in hand with smell.
Who’s in a good mood when they’re hungry? In addition to creating a subtle aroma, pairing simple foods together could go a long way with changing your buyer’s mood. When I place a pinch of vanilla extract in the oven I generally like to offer foods that match this smell such as cookies, chocolate, and coffee that I have brewed. When I place a tangerine in the oven, chopped fruit with tooth picks and wine generally matches the aroma better.

Continue reading this post