Is Now the Right Time to Sell Your Central Indiana Home?

A lot of people have been asking us, “When is the best time of year to sell my house?” Our answer is that the best time to sell is the time of year when your house looks the best.

For a lot of people, that means spring is the right time to sell. There are some flowers blooming, and most people deep-clean their homes in the spring. Of course, the issue with the spring season is you will have more competition, as many people try and sell in spring so that they can move before the next school year.

Really, there’s no particular season that is the best time to list a home. If you’re not in a big hurry, then waiting until February or March might be feasible. If you’re in a rush, then you can certainly list this winter. Houses decorated for the holidays tend to sell well.

Ultimately, you should list your home based on when you need to get into the next location. Don’t get pigeonholed into one time of the year. If you can, list the property when it will look the best.

If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Robert Matthews SFR, Realtor, CNE                                                               317.345.9370                                                                   RobertMatthews@highgarden.com                                          http://MoveWithMatthews.com

Should you do a pre-listing inspection?

     Today, I’d like to talk about the importance of home inspections. Home inspections can be mutually beneficial to both buyers and sellers. However, a common trend that we’re seeing is when a seller will actually get a home inspection prior to listing a home.

From the seller’s standpoint, a pre-listing inspection can be very valuable. That way, you know about the issues with the property and you can get a lot of them taken care of up front. A buyer might misinterpret some minor issues as major issues, and having that pre-listing inspection can save you a lot of money.

Buyers enjoy the fact that a seller was being proactive and got an inspection before listing their home. This gives them peace of mind, and that’s a nice thing to have in a real estate transaction. This is also a great way for a seller to stand out in a crowded market.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call or send an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Robert Matthews                                                                                               317.345.9370                                                            www.robertmatthews@highgarden.com                                    www.MoveWithMatthews.com

 Why Does Buying Make More Sense than Renting?

Today we are talking about renting vs. buying, a fun topic that I enjoy talking about. Our rental market is getting incredibly hot right now. As a landlord renting my house out, I’ve seen prices going through the roof and I can’t believe how high they are getting. For example, a house that rented at $1200 a month last year is renting for $1500 a month this year.

If you can buy a house, you should. You get many tax benefits, including your interest and mortgage insurance being tax deductible. In a rental situation, you will spend equal to or more than your mortgage payments, and you don’t get any of those tax benefits and aren’t able to do home improvements.

The clear answer is if you have the capability, you definitely want to buy. It provides huge financial benefits and incentives, and it doesn’t make sense not to if you are able to.

If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Robert Matthews Realtor, CNE, SFR                                                                 317.345.9370                                                             www.RobertMatthews@highgarden.com                                 www.MoveWithMatthews.com

Today, we’ll go over selling your property in the winter season. The conventional wisdom is that you shouldn’t sell your home in the winter because no one wants to buy a home and move during the holidays. However, we’ve seen that winter is one of the best times to sell and get top dollar. 

Why? It’s a simple matter of supply and demand. Due to the conventional wisdom out there, many people opt to wait and sell in spring or even take their homes off the market during the fourth quarter. This leads to a shortage of inventory. 

No one wants to move during the holiday season. Those that move during winter do so because they have to. Maybe they are a military family. Perhaps, they’ve been transferred by their employer and need to move in by the end of the fiscal year, which is December 31st. These buyers are highly motivated. Since there aren’t as many homes available for sale, you can get the most amount of motivated buyers with the least amount of competition! 

In the winter, you will most likely spend fewer days on the market, and your overall sales price can go up because of the highly motivated buyers. If you’re thinking of selling your home or if you have any other questions for us, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

Robert Matthews SFR, CNE, Realtor 

www.MoveWithMatthews.com 

RobertMatthews@highgarden.com 

Cell: 317.345.9370 

The Number One Winterizing Tip

The cold is coming – is your home prepared?

Keep your home protected from the cold winter! Shut off and drain your hose bibs, so they don’t freeze and break.

In most houses, you’ll find a front and back hose bib by the water heater in your utility room. Both valves should be horizontal or perpendicular to the line the water is flowing through.

Ensure the valves are turned off before disconnecting hoses and draining them separately. Open the valves and drain them before heading back inside. Next, you want to use the bleeder valve, which you can open by hand or with a pair of pliers. Break the seal and let the air in. This causes the water to siphon out through the outside spigot.

This ensures there is no water in the lines and will prevent frozen pipes and a huge mess in the spring! This is a simple task that every homeowner should do to keep their home protected through the cold months.

If you have any questions or need real estate assistance of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

http://www.MoveWithMatthews.com

Today I want to talk to you about a few ways that you can upgrade the look of your Scottsdale home without breaking the bank. People are always looking for ways to add value to their home so it sells for top dollar. We’ve got some great tips for you today on how to do just that. Here are our top tips for improving your home’s look inexpensively:

• Clean, bright, and uncluttered homes show better and give an impression to the buyers that the home is well taken care of.
• Front yard landscaping is a must. If your curb appeal isn’t there, the buyer might not make it to the front door.
• Make sure your fixtures are shining for the showing by replacing all your light bulbs, letting the sun in, and opening up those blinds or curtains.
• Remove personal items like family photos, keepsakes, and antiques.
• Keep a bottle of cleaner handy to make sure your counters, tables, and bathrooms are all cleared off, which makes them look bigger.
• Keep the fridge shelves clean, and wipe down all cabinets.
• Clean up your baseboards and touch them up with paint if necessary.
• Paint in neutral tones to help buyers picture their furniture in your home better.
• If your kitchen and bathrooms scream 1980, it’s time for an upgrade.

If you have any other questions for us or if there is anything I can help you with, give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you!

Robert Matthews,

Realtor®, SFR, CNE®

Highgarden Real Estate

317.345.9370