Blog

Why landscaping can make your home sell faster and for more money

by Todd St Pierre


Why landscaping can make your home sell faster and for more money

      Plain and simple, the quality of your landscaping determines whether or not your home feels inviting from the outside.   Curb appeal is what people call it and it’s a key ingredient in the decision to buy a home to more than 71 percent of homebuyers. As you know, landscaping plays a huge role in the curb appeal that you present to prospective buyers for your home. The first impression is key: if buyers don’t like what your home looks like from...

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Why you should make a list of the top 20 features you love about your home when selling?

by Todd St Pierre


Why you should make a list of the top 20 features you love about your home when selling?

    Who knows your home better than you do?   The short answer is nobody.   And because of that, you should take the time to make a list of the top 20 features you love about your home before you put it on the market.   You see, if you like those things about your house, then so will someone else. And, in an effort to help your agent get your home sold faster and for more money, it will help if you point out the things you really dig about your home that...

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Marketing Strategies: Luxury homes vs average priced homes

by Todd St Pierre


Marketing Strategies: Luxury homes vs average priced homes

    As you can imagine, driving up demand for a luxury home takes a uniquely different approach than does selling a regular home.   From the word, go, you need a strong, clear and focused strategy that details how it will position your luxury home above the ordinary, illustrating and marketing its unique features in proper manner to perfect buyer at the perfect price. There are some very different ideas, thoughts and strategies around marketing a luxury home, which in...

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Owning vs. Renting

by Todd St Pierre


Owning vs. Renting

      Making the decision to own a home versus renting one is no small decision. Not only does it affect your expendable cash, but it also has a huge impact on your lifestyle and how much money you’re able to save over time.   Sometimes, the goal to achieve the “American Dream” of owning a home clouds some people’s vision for the future and they buy a home when they should really be renting one.   Similarly, there are people who...

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Property tax assessment too high...what you can do about it?

by Todd St Pierre


Property tax assessment too high...what you can do about it?

    An increase in home values is great because it increases the equity in your home without you having to invest more money in making it happen. Unfortunately, as the price of your home increases, so does the perceived value of your home in the eyes of your local tax assessor. When that happens, your taxes also go up. The bad news is that your tax rate - the annual percentage of your home’s value that you pay - is fixed by the state and/or municipality in which you...

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How to sell a home that didn't sell

by Todd St Pierre


How to sell a home that didn't sell

        The housing market is faring much better than it was a few years ago, but that doesn’t mean every home sells for top dollar or for that matter, sells at all.   So, if your "for sale" sign has been sitting on your front lawn a lot longer than you expected, you might be wondering how to sell your home that didn’t sell when you thought it would.   As a best practice, it ideal to consult your real estate agent, assuming that...

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To Stage or Not to Stage Your Home for Sale

by Todd St Pierre


To Stage or Not to Stage Your Home for Sale

        Up until the early 2000’s, most home buyers would have only experienced the eye-popping appeal of home staging if they went and visited a model home at a new construction site. Builders know that it’s much easier for people to make a home-buying decision when they see a home decorated beautifully and set up like someone lives there. These days, staging is highly recommended whether the home is brand new or currently occupied because it has...

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What's the right amount of money to spend in upgrading your home?

by Todd St Pierre


What's the right amount of money to spend in upgrading your home?

  You’re wanting to freshen up your house a little bit and you’ve already determined what you think you should do to make it amazing for you to really enjoy it. Before you jump into your renovation project, make sure you set a budget so you can spend the right amount of money upgrading your home. Without a plan and a budget, you can spend tons of money on all kinds of neat options — from a new marble island-top for your kitchen to a swanky hot tub for your backyard...

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10 questions you must ask an agent before you list your home

by Todd St Pierre


10 questions you must ask an agent before you list your home

Currently, there are over 1.3 million Realtors in the United States alone. The number of people that have joined the real estate sales force over the last 10 years is staggering.   No two agents are the same and less than 10% of the total number of Realtors to 90% of the business.   In addition to that, not all agents are created equally. Many of them don’t get you the best results for your specific needs.   In 2017 — one of the hottest markets in recent history...

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How to beat other buyers to hot, new listings (Before they even know about them)

by Todd St Pierre


How to beat other buyers to hot, new listings (Before they even know about them)

    Buyers want three things when they’re making a purchase:   Selection: Have the largest number of options from which to choose Price: Get a smoking hot deal on what I want to buy Ease of doing business: Don’t make it hard for me to buy it   It doesn’t matter if you’re buying shoes, a toaster or a house, all three of them matter and they usually matter in that order.   And when it comes to buying a home,...

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