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Does a St. Joseph's Statue Planted in Your Yard Help to Sell Your Home?
My sellers had received the St. Joseph’s statue as a present from a friend and asked me to plant it when the “for sale” sign was planted in their yard. So, I planted the St Joseph’s Statue in their yard.
St. Joseph Statue
I’ve heard about St. Joseph’s statue being planted in the yards of homes for sale, but this is the first time I’ve had a seller ask me to do so.
I was curious as to how this whole idea got started, so I checked online. Snopes has an interesting post on its history and some of the results from planting a St. Joseph statue in the front yard. According to Snopes and a few other sources, the idea originated centuries ago when a group of nuns first planted St. Joseph on the grounds of their convent. The idea didn’t spread to the sale of homes in the U.S. until the late 20th century.
So along with along with today’s high tech marketing with professional photos and video on Zillow, Craig’s List, Trulia, and a number of other sites, I went with the centuries old luck of St Joseph. I’ve always said that the most successful real estate marketing combines the best of old with the new!
Do you believe the St. Joseph statue will help a home to sell faster? Have you tried this and have you had luck with it?
Oh, by the way, the home sold in 4 days!
How Do You Move Your Seattle Eastside Home from "For Sale" to Sold?
Seattle-Eastside Homes That Moved From "For Sale" to Sold
It’s the price. No big surprise, but here’s the proof that pricing your home right will get it sold for the best price in the Seattle-eastside real estate market. The price you choose to ask for your home and how long you are at the original asking price will make a difference in how much you actually sell your home for and how long it will take.
How many times have you heard these comments?
- I don’t want to give my house away.
- My neighbor’s home sold so fast, it must have been underpriced.
There’s a common misconception that homes that sell quickly must have been priced too low. Yet, when you look at the chart above, the homes that sold quickly actually sold closer to their original asking price than the homes that stayed on the market longer.
Longer market time = a lower sales price and less money in your pocket.
What have you seen out in the real estate market with the pricing of homes vs. the sales price?
Is there a 3.8% Real Estate Sales Tax Coming? Yes, But Mostly No
A 3.8% Sales Tax when selling a home? My client had heard about this from a friend last week. He emailed me the other to day ask if the health care bill included a 3.8% sales tax when selling a home. I was pretty sure this was not exactly right, but thought I should check this out and clear the air.
Apparently, it’s a common question or misconception. Courtney Cooper Jacobs had been asked the same thing by one of her clients. She did some research and linked to Matt Stigliano’s blog, which did a great explanation of the future tax with some real world examples.
Yes, Virginia there will be a new tax but only for a “chosen” few. But no, it’s not a sales tax on real estate. It’s a Medicare tax and only applies to certain people and homes. Most home sellers will not pay any additional tax. Those that pay are the fortunate people who are high earners and have also made a killing on the sale of their home. And, if there is a tax that applies, it will only be a small percentage of the sales price.
From Matt Stigliano’s blog:
The new Medicare tax on real estate sales is actually a tax on investment income for so-called “high earners.”
With that in mind, a 3.8% Medicare tax on the sales of a $400,000 home would be $15,200, which is a lot of money to pay in tax. This is where many people’s calculations have gone astray however, as the real estate “sales tax” is not on the entire amount of the sale. Instead it is on the amount of income that exceeds the capital gains threshold ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly, $250,000 for single filers).
The income requirements are clearly spelled out in order to define “high earners” – $250,000 for married couple filing jointly, $125,000 for couples filing separate returns, and $200,000 for everyone else. If your income is above these levels, you will be paying a new tax on investment income. If it falls below that, you will not be taxed.
This medicare tax does not go into effect until 2013. So I hope this clears the air for you. It’s really not as bad as may people have been lead to believe.
Are Some Home Buyers More Demanding in Today's Real Estate Market?
Demanding home buyers? The New York Times had an article about home buyers being more demanding. I’ve seen it in action on Seattle’s eastside.
In recent home sales, not only do the buyers want a good price for the home, which is expected the way the real estate market has been, but some home buyers don’t want to buy a home unless the systems are all new or newer. Buyers have asked for a new furnace when the furnace worked fine and money to cover a future roof replacement that would not be happening in a condo complex for at least five years. Buyers are asking for replacements for systems that are older, but still working.
Are you seeing the same thing happen with some home buyers?
Make More Money Selling Your Home, Part 6, Replace Your Carpet
Mr and Mrs. Home Seller ask: “Why don’t we let the buyers pick out the new carpet? We don’t know what color they may want.”
New carpeting Creates a Fresh, Clean Look
This is one of the most common sentiments I’ve heard over the years from home sellers. Sellers often think it’s best to leave the old carpet, offer a carpet allowance if needed, and let the buyer choose their own carpet.
Is this right? Do buyers want to choose their own carpet?
NO. Not in the Seattle-Eastside real estate market. Buyers DO NOT want to choose, pay or replace carpet when buying a new home. In this area, Seattle’s eastside cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, and Issaquah, etc., buyers want to buy a home that’s move-in ready.
On Seattle’s eastside, the typical buyer is a very busy person(s) who may work a lot of hours. Most buyers aren’t looking to do structural or cosmetic updates to a home. They don’t have the time or the inclination. They want to move in and continue on with their lives with the least amount of disruption. They don’t want to be replacing carpet. Besides, there are lots of Seattle-eastside homes to choose from and many of the other homes have been updated and are ready to go.
Most home sellers don’t want to replace carpet either, but think about it. The buyers don’t have to replace your carpet because they don’t have to buy your home. They have other homes to buy. However, as the seller, you have only one home to sell and so you’ve got to do it. Remember, if you feel like you don’t want to replace the carpet, the buyer probably feels the same way. The catch is, they don’t have to do it, they can buy another home.
So if you want to get an offer to buy your home and make the most money while selling your home, replace your carpet if it’s worn, discolored, has stains, you name it. Make sure it looks fresh and clean, otherwise it will cost you money in the sales price for your home and it could even cost you getting a buyer.
Should you spend a lot for expensive carpet? Absolutely not. You should put in a good grade of carpet, but one that is similar to what builders install in new construction. Make sure you pick a neutral color and install a good 8 lb. pad underneath the rug. A thin pad with new carpet won’t work. It’s easy to tell that either the carpet or the pad are thin the minute you step on it. It feels like you’re on cement.
Looking for some other tips to get the most money when selling your home? Read Parts 1-5, planting some “green,” when to set the sales price, yard clean up, dressing up a front door, and replacing moldings and doors. Pick what your home needs to get it “dressed up” to sell in the competitive Seattle real estate market.
Make More Money Selling Your Home, Part 5, Moldings and Doors
Make more money selling your home is my series on getting your home sold, not just getting it ready to sell, but getting it sold. These posts are a series of suggestions for things you can do to update your home before you sell it. Updated homes sell faster and for more money than homes in need of work. Better yet, if you want to do some of these things while you’re still enjoying your home, go for it.
You may not do everything, but if you read all the posts, you’ll have a good idea of what home updates will get you more money. You can decide how best to spend your money and what works for your budget. Read Parts 1-4, planting some “green,” when to set the sales price, yard clean up, and dressing up a front door and the rest of the series (coming soon), to pick what your home needs to get it “dressed up” to sell in the competitive Seattle real estate market.
Spending some money updating your home will help you make more money selling your home. In the Seattle real estate market, particularly on the eastside, most buyers are looking for homes updated and ready to go. There’s a very small pool of buyers looking to fix up a home on Seattle’s eastside.
Today’s topic: moldings and doors. Clean, fresh white moldings and doors. Some homes will have a theme and look better with wood doors and moldings, but many homes will look great with white woodwork. If you’re starting from scratch, you can pick from many different door styles. In today’s home market, doors can be anywhere from two to 6 panel, with the two panel doors growing in popularity.
New Doors Dress Up a Home for Sale
Before you pick the style of door, think about the type of neighborhood where your home is located. If it’s an upscale, high-end neighborhood, buyers will expect top quality. You’ll throw your money out if you go with inexpensive finishes. If the home is situated in a starter neighborhood, then go with hollow core doors, so you’ll save money. Solid doors are far more expensive. Pick something simple that matches your decor. Be practical and spend the least amount of money, while getting something that looks good and is the quality to fit your neighborhood and style of your home.
Moldings: Does your home have those skinny, outdated flat moldings from the 60’s or the 70’s? If so, it’s time for a change. Go with thicker baseboard moldings to dress up a room. Moldings finish a room off, making the overall finished look richer and better. Again, keep it simple and buy pre-painted moldings, if available.
Thick Baseboards Add A Quality Look to a Home
For the high-end neighborhood, maybe it’s repainting existing moldings so they look fresh and clean. Maybe it’s adding more crown moldings or chair rails in different parts of the house.
Dressing Up a Room By Adding Chair Rails
Don’t have the money to replace all the doors and moldings? Then paint them white, so they look fresh and clean. Make sure to use the right painting tools and paint. If you’ve never painted doors and moldings, then find out how to paint them so the surfaces will be smooth. Use a semi-gloss paint and it will help make the moldings pop. It will also help keep the moldings clean when done.
If painting is not your thing, it’s probably better to hire someone who knows how to paint these surfaces. Again, don’t throw your time and money out by doing a poor paint job.
Whatever your budget allows, the doors and moldings should be fresh and clean when you sell your home. If they’re not, it will cost you time and money in the sale of your home.
Do you have any other ideas about making doors and moldings look good?
Make More Money Selling Your Home, Part 4, Dress Up the Front Door
You’re a home buyer out looking at homes. You pull in front of a home that looks kind of interesting. You stand by the front door as your agent gets the key out of the key box to open the door. You look around the entrance and notice dirt and scuff marks on the front door. The brass plate is all tarnished, there are scratches by the key hole and the door mat is dirty. It looks like there’s been years of wear and tear and you haven’t even been inside.
A dirty front door and scratched hardware is not a big deal, or is it?
Buyers, what do you think?
Tarnished front door handle
Scratched front door key hole
I heard from past buyers that it raises a lot of questions. Mostly, the buyer is wondering how well the home has been maintained if something so obvious sticks out when you first walk up. Will this buyer be taking a closer look at the house? Will the buyer start wondering if there might be maintenance issues. Possibly.
A nice front door and shiny hardware make a big difference. It keeps the level of positive energy and interest up. It’s like seeing a blind date for the first time, you want that person to look good from the “get go,” not with messy hair or dirty clothing.
A Beautiful Front Door Creates a Great First Impression
Flowers By The Front Door Add a Nice Touch
So home sellers, stand out in front of your home by the front door, just as a buyer would. Look at what the buyer would be looking at when standing at the front of your home.
- Is your front door dirty?
- Is it in need of paint?
- Is the hardware gleaming and fresh or is it scratched?
- Are the railings in good shape?
- Are the steps neat and clean?
- Do you have flowers providing color by the front door?
- Is the doormat, fresh and clean?
- Do the house numbers look clean and stand out?
None of the fixes for the above should cost a lot of money. It can actually cost you more money if these items are not in good condition. Here are some more suggestions for creating that great curb appeal.
So before you sell your home, think of it like getting ready for a date or going to a party hoping to meet someone. In this case, your home is meeting a potential buyer. The buyer has a lot of options to choose from, like you might at a party. Help the buyer to choose your home by getting it ready for the party, oops, I mean to sell.
Are You Selling Your Home In The Next Five Years?
Are you selling your home in the next 5 years? Well, grab your camera now and take pictures of your yard. Seattle is beautiful right now, so take advantage of the natural color that surrounds your home. You’ve got a few months coming up, so start now and take photos throughout the spring and summer season. After all, you never know when you may decide to sell your home, it could be in the dead of winter when everything is gray here in Seattle. Photos of your home in any season can be used when selling your home, no matter what the time of year.
Seattle spring flowers
Spring in Seattle
