This month in real estate for December 2011 covers home sales and mortgage interest rates, which are holding steady in the 4.00 – 4.25% range.  Interested in getting pre-approved for a mortgage?  Get your home loan preapproval here.

Also discussed this month is what the Keller Williams Realty research says about the reasons that home owners are selling their homes in today’s market.  These reasons include changes in family status  such as retirement, divorce or having a new baby, job relocations and a desire to move up to a different home.  If you are thinking of moving up to a larger or newer home, you can begin you search with one of the links below.  You can search the MLS just like a Realtor using our real estate power search:

>>Search homes for sale in West Chester Ohio right here<<

>>Search homes for sale in Liberty Township Ohio right here<<

>>Search homes for sale in Mason Ohio right here<<

For more information on buying a home, local real estate market conditions and interest rates, please use the contact form below and we will get back to you as quickly as we can.

Other articles that you may be interested in:

What Are Home Mortgage Interest Rates In West Chester & Mason Ohio?

LowryTeam.com Real Estate Trends Report – December 2011 Home Sales

Selling a home in the wintertime can provide some challenges.  Follow these steps in getting your West Chester, Liberty Township or Mason Ohio home sold and success will follow.

Price Your Home Competively – Get a detailed, thorough home value analysis (cma) from a Realtor that specializes in your neighborhood or area to help you determine the correct list price.

Professionally Stage Your Home – Having  your home professionally staged will give you the advantage you need in selling your home in the West Chester, Liberty Township or Mason Ohio real estate market.

Allow Your Home To Be Shown – Seems obvious right??  Well it isn’t always obvious to all homeowners who want to sell their home.  You cannot handpick the times your home is shown.  When buyers call to see your home the answer needs to be yes.  Your home can’t sell if buyers can’t see it.

Clean – (verb –  to make clean:  to rid of dirt, impurities, or extraneous matter) Your home needs to be spotless.  I don’t need to say much more here do I??

Leave The Lights On – It’s dark and dreary alot this time of year.  Leave every light in your home turned on for showings.  Don’t forget the front porch light so the Realtor can see to get the lockbox open.

Plan Ahead – It’s going to snow soon (or freezing rain or sleet, you get the idea).  Make arrangements to have the snow and ice cleared off of your driveway and sidewalks.  Also put a mat or rug inside your front door for Realtors and homebuyers to wipe off their shoes.

Thinking of selling your West Chester, Liberty Township or Mason Ohio home?  Request a Market Value Analysis of your home here

Other articles that you may find interesting:

Preparing your home for sale - Part 1

7 Steps To Get Your Expired Listing Sold

For more information on selling a home in West Chester, Liberty Township, Mason Ohio fill in the form below and we will get back to you as quickly as we can!

So your home has been on the market for quite a long time and it just won’t sell.  The first thing you should know is that there is a problem somewhere.  Homes for sale in West Chester, Liberty Twp & Mason Ohio that are priced right and are in great condition are selling, and are selling pretty quickly.  Here are 7 steps for getting your home sold when it has been on the market too long or the listing has expired:

1.  Consider re-listing your home for sale.  Please understand, I don’t mean just re-list to get yourself a new MLS number.  I mean really re-list your home.  Change your price.  Change your agent/broker.  Change your photos.  Change your mindset about selling.

2.  Consider offering some incentives.  Offer to pay the buyer’s closing costs.  Offer to pay the buyer’s agent a higher commisson.  Offer to put all brand new kitchen appliances in the home if yours are older.

3.  Make your home available for showings at anytime.  If you are serious about selling your home, don’t put limitations on when it can be shown.  If you have pets that cause issues for showings, make arrangements for them to stay at a friend’s house or at a pet boarding center.

4.  Be sure you have the best marketing.  Do you have the maximum number of high quality photos, a virtual tour, a YouTube video, Craigslist advertising and exposure to all of the national as well as local internet websites?  You better have, if you want your home sold!

5.  Be sure you have the best photos.  Yes, I am repeating this one.  It is crucial that you have great photos and plenty of them.  Keep in mind, if your home has been on the market for quite a while, your photos are old.  They need to be current with the seasons.  No pictures of homes with trees with no leaves and NO SNOW!

6.  Be sure that you have the right list price.  Get an updated Market Value Analysis of your home.  Real estate market conditions change.  Be sure you have the most current information.

7.  Get your home professionally staged.  I know you didn’t have it staged before you listed your home for sale the first time, because if you had done so, your home would already be sold.

So there is a good start.  If your home was listed for sale for too long and you are frustrated take these tips to heart.  If you are looking for solutions and want a second opinion give us a call.  We can get your home sold.  We specialize in homes that should have sold, but didn’t.

Just fill out the form below and we will contact you as quickly as we can.

It’s time to breakdown the West Chester & Liberty Township Ohio real estate market again.  In the real estate market breakdown we take a look at which price ranges are in the best shape from a home sellers perspective in West Chester Ohio and Liberty Township, Ohio and which are not? The best way to measure the general strength of the West Chester & Liberty Township, Ohio real estate market and to break down it’s different price ranges is to evaluate the amount of homes for sale in both the total area and also in each different price range.

SEARCH ALL HOMES FOR SALE IN WEST CHESTER & LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, OHIO

As you can see in the chart below, there is clearly more activity in some price ranges than others and certainly more homes for sale in some of the ranges also. In each of the different price ranges you can see the number of homes for sale, the number of homes that have sold in the last six months and the months supply of homes for sale.

The number of homes for sale is a pretty straight forward statistic, the number of homes that have sold in the last six months is used to determine the rate that homes are currently selling. The key number in this chart is the months supply of homes for sale.

If we were in a seller’s market we would show a month’s supply of less than 5 months inventory, 5-6 months supply of homes for sale is considered a neutral market favoring neither homebuyers or homesellers and anything over 6 months is considered a buyer’s market. The higher the number of months of inventory the stronger the buyer’s market.

Clearly we can see that a number of price ranges are in a more extreme buyer’s market than others. It’s no surprise that we are in a buyer’s market, but the intensity of the buyer’s market in the higher price ranges is quite extreme.  When listing a home for sale you must understand the level of pricing pressure and competition so that you employ the correct pricing strategy in selling your home.

Click The Image To See A Larger Version

Which price ranges are in the best shape from a home sellers perspective in West Chester, Ohio and which are not? The best way to measure the general strength of the West Chester, Ohio real estate market and to break down it’s different price ranges is to evaluate the amount of homes for sale in both the total area and also in each different price range.   

SEARCH ALL HOMES FOR SALE IN WEST CHESTER, OHIO   

In the chart below you can see that there is clearly more activity in some price ranges than others and certainly more homes for sale in some of the ranges also. In each of the different price ranges you can see the number of homes for sale, the number of homes that have sold in the last six months and the months supply of homes.    

The number of homes for sale is a pretty straight forward statistic, the number of homes that have sold in the last six months is used to determine the rate that homes are currently selling. The key number in this chart is the months supply of homes for sale.    

A seller’s market would show a month’s supply of less than 5 months, 5-6 months supply of homes for sale is considered a neutral market and anything over 6 months is considered a buyer’s market. The higher the number the stronger the buyer’s market.    

Looking back at the January Real Estate Market Breakdown you can see that in a number of the different price ranges the months supply of homes for sale has greatly increased.  This is caused by two factors: (1.) There are more homes for sale now and (2.) The pace at which homes were selling in this last six month period has slowed considerably.  Clearly we can see that a number of price ranges, as well as the overall market are a buyer’s market. No surprise there, but when listing a home for sale you must understand the level of pricing pressure and competition that you face so that you can employ the correct pricing strategy in selling your home.   

click on the image to see a larger version

Search Luxury Homes For Sale In West Chester & Liberty Twp

In 2010, the West Chester and Liberty Township real estate market saw 27 properties sell for $500,000 or more. The majority of these homes were in the West Chester real estate market. The top 10 most expensive homes sold in the $600,000+ price range.

The top 10 luxury home sales of 2010 for West Chester & Liberty Township are*:

*These sales are not necessarily those of Eric Lowry and the Lowry Team.

 5 of the 10 most expensive luxury home sales in West Chester and Liberty Township are on 1 street, Southampton Lane in the Reserves of Providence subdivision.  Clearly the the direction of the luxury home sale market is in this area with 50% of all sales there in 2010 and with Homearama 2011 being held in the adjoining Foxborough subdivision this trend is likely to continue.  It was a little surprising that only 2 of the top ten luxury home sales were in the Four Bridges subdivision in Liberty Township.  In fact only 3 of the top ten luxury home sales were even in Liberty Township.

For more information on buying or selling a luxury home in West Chester & Liberty Township, please contact Eric Lowry and the Lowry Team at Keller Williams Realty – Direct: 513-874-1830

You can start your luxury home search right here >> Search Luxury Homes For Sale In West Chester & Liberty Twp

posted by Eric Lowry
Email Me | Search For Homes
www.LowryTeam.com | P: (513) 874-1830

Which price ranges are in the best shape from a home sellers perspective in West Chester, Ohio and which are not? The best way to measure the general strength of the West Chester, Ohio real estate market and to break down it’s different price ranges is to evaluate the amount of homes for sale in both the total area and also in each different price range. 

SEARCH ALL HOMES FOR SALE IN WEST CHESTER, OHIO 

In the chart below you can see that there is clearly more activity in some price ranges than others and certainly more homes for sale in some of the ranges also. In each of the different price ranges you can see the number of homes for sale, the number of homes that have sold in the last six months and the months supply of homes.  

The number of homes for sale is a pretty straight forward statistic, the number of homes that have sold in the last six months is used to determine the rate that homes are currently selling. The key number in this chart is the months supply of homes for sale.  

A seller’s market would show a month’s supply of less than 5 months, 5-6 months supply of homes for sale is considered a neutral market and anything over 6 months is considered a buyer’s market. The higher the number the stronger the buyer’s market.  

Clearly we can see that a number of price ranges, as well as the overall market are a buyer’s market. No surprise there, but when listing a home for sale you must understand the level of pricing pressure and competition so that you employ the correct pricing strategy in selling your home. 

click on the image to see a larger version

 

Please keep in mind that these statistics are for West Chester, Ohio only and should be considered along with the Liberty Township, Ohio real estate market statistics when making pricing decisions and putting your home on the market.  I will update the market numbers for Liberty Township later this week. 

In a later post we will also take a look at what the impact of the Home Builders Homearama luxury home show will have on the luxury home price ranges in the next few months in West Chester and Liberty Township, Ohio.

Do you want to track the real estate market activity in your West Chester Ohio neighborhood?  Get a free, comprehensive real estate market report sent directly to your inbox at >> Home Values In West Chester Ohio. 

Check Out My Feature Homes For Sale In West Chester, Fairfield and Liberty Township, Ohio 

posted by Eric Lowry Email Me | Search For Homes www.LowryTeam.com | P: (513) 874-1830

You will lose the excitement that a new on the market listing generates:  Real estate agents are working with buyers who have seen the homes currently on the market for sale and are waiting for new homes to be listed for sale.  Meaning, the most activity(showings) will take place in the first thirty days that your home is on the market.  Your home will receive it’s highest offer during this time.  After the initial period of being on the market, the only people that will look at your home will be new buyers coming into the real estate market that are looking for homes.

You can lose the most qualified prospects:  Prospective home buyers won’t just “make an offer” because  they probably won’t ever see your home.  They will view the homes for sale that are priced within their price range, knowing that they cannot afford anything that is priced in the higher price ranges.

Overpricing helps sell other, more properly priced homes first:  Your home may be used to demonstrate the good value of other properties.  Your objective should be to enter the real estate market  in a position that will attract  prospective buyers, not drive them away.  A classic example of this is a buyer looking at a number of homes in a row and the feedback received from the showing of your home was that your home was too small compared to the other homes.  This means that the other homes priced similar to yours were larger and a better value.

Your home will become stale on the market: Prospective buyers will wonder why your home has been on the market so long, or if  something is wrong with your home, even after you lower the price.  You may even have to settle for less than the market value.  A home takes on a reputation surprisingly fast, so don’t wear out your welcome on the market.

You will lose a strong negotiating position when your home is on the market for a long time, both financially and mentally:  Prospective buyers will not “feel a sense of urgency” to make an offer on an overpriced property, and you may feel compelled to accept less when you finally do get an offer.  Getting an offer on your home in the first thirty days on the market allows you to negotiate from a position of strength, getting an offer on day one hundred and forty on the market… not so much.

If you do get an offer, the contract may “fall thru” because of appraisal issues:  The contract sale price must be justified to the lender through the process of the home being appraised.  The buyer’s lender hires a third party (the licensed appraiser) to determine the market value of the home at the time of sale.  If the appraisal does not “come in” at or above the contract sale price, the sale cannot proceed without an adjustment being made.  The list price and sale price of your home, when listed for sale, must be justified with market sales data.

The West Chester Ohio real estate market update provides data on recent home sales, homes currently for sale, days on market data and list to sale ratios.  Get map views of homes, school information and community information for West Chester and surrounding communities of Mason, Liberty Township, Monroe and Fairfield Township, Ohio.

Get your Personal Real Estate Market Update at our website:  www.LowryTeam.com   Just scroll down and fill out the form on the left.  It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s automated!

You can start your search for a new home in West Chester, Beckett Ridge or Liberty Township, Ohio right here using our real estate search engine – VIPHomeFinder.com.

Reason #1:  Your home is not staged! 

As I have discussed in previous articles, preparing your home for sale is critical.  In today’s real estate market hiring a professional stager is the surest step to success you can take.  We have come to believe that staging a home for sale is so important that when you list your home for sale with the Lowry Team by January 31st, 2011 we’ll include a staging consultation at no additional cost to you.

Reason #2:  Your home is not updated!

What does your home is not updated mean exactly?  While this can be a little subjective, it means your home is freshly painted in modern, neutral colors, you have clean, newer, neutral carpet, stainless steel appliances, newer light fixtures and newer bath fixtures to start.

Reason #3:  Your home is difficult to show!

What is difficult to show?  If an agent is showing homes in West Chester, Liberty Township, Beckett Ridge and they call to set an appointment on your home, is the process quick and easy? Or is the agent told that they can only show your home on weekends or only after 5:00pm during the week.  Can your home only be shown when you have time to run home and get the pets out of the house or clean the litter box?  The only acceptable showing instructions that you should have, are that your home can be shown with very short notice, any time or day of the week.  You cannot afford to miss a single showing.  And by the way, please don’t suggest the agent come on a different day because it would be better for you.  They aren’t coming back.

Reason #4:  You have the wrong real estate agent!

Picking the right real estate agent is critical to your success in selling your home.  You are relying on your agent to provide the very best pricing strategies.  You are depending on your real estate agent to have the very best, cutting edge marketing plan.  You are depending on your real estate agent to be sure that you have the very best photos of your home taken, to interpret the feedback from showings and to be available when it matters most.  You are depending on your real estate agent to be able to negotiate the very best possible terms in the offer to purchase for you.  Be sure that you have the right West Chester & Liberty Township real estate agent representing you in the sale of your home!