Many people wonder whether they should hire a real estate professional to assist them in buying their dream home or if they should first try to go it on their own. In today’s market: you need an experienced professional!

You Need an Expert Guide if you are Traveling a Dangerous Path

The field of real estate is loaded with land mines. You need a true expert to guide you through the dangerous pitfalls that currently exist. Finding a home that is priced appropriately and ready for you to move in to can be tricky. An agent listens to your wants and needs, and can sift out the homes that do not fit within the parameters of your “dream home”. A great agent will also have relationships with mortgage professionals and other experts that you will need in securing your dream home.

You Need a Skilled Negotiator

In today’s market, hiring a talented negotiator could save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. Each step of the way – from the original offer, to the possible renegotiation of that offer after a home inspection, to the possible cancellation of the deal based on a troubled appraisal – you need someone who can keep the deal together until it closes. Realize that when an agent is negotiating their commission with you, they are negotiating their own salary; the salary that keeps a roof over their family’s head; the salary that puts food on their family’s table. If they are quick to take less when negotiating for themselves and their families, what makes you think they will not act the same way when negotiating for you and your family? If they were Clark Kent when negotiating with you, they will not turn into Superman when negotiating with the buyer or seller in your deal.

Bottom Line

Famous sayings become famous because they are true. You get what you pay for. Just like a good accountant or a good attorney, a good agent will save you money…not cost you money.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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In school we all learned the Theory of Supply and Demand. When the demand for an item is greater than the supply of that item, the price will surely rise.

SUPPLY

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently reported that the inventory of homes for sale stands at a 4.8-month supply. This is significantly lower than the 6 months inventory necessary for a normal market.

DEMAND

Every month NAR reports on the amount of buyers that are actually out in the market looking for homes, or foot traffic. As seen in the graph below, buyer demand this year has significantly surpassed the levels reached in 2014.

Many buyers are being confronted with a very competitive market in which they must compete with other buyers for their dream home (if they even are able to find a home they wish to purchase). Listing your house for sale now will allow you to capitalize on the shortage of homes for sale in the market, which will translate into a better pricing situation.

HOME EQUITY

Many homeowners underestimate the amount of equity they currently have in their home. According to a recent Fannie Mae study, 37% of homeowners believe that they have more than 20% equity in their home. In reality 69% of homeowners actually do!

Many homeowners who are undervaluing their home equity may feel trapped in their current home, which may be contributing to the lack of inventory in the market.

Bottom Line

If you are debating selling your home this year, meet with a local real estate professional that can evaluate the equity you have in your home and the opportunities available in your market.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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If selling your home is on your agenda in 2015 there is no better time than the first of a new year to prepare for just that! Folks who are ready to make big changes in their lives typically are ready to do it at the beginning of a new year. That is when New Year’s resolutions are made and it can also be a time of buying a home or getting your current home ready to sell.   If you are looking to put your house on the market you have come to the right place. In this blog post we are going to give you a few tips and ideas on how to make your home ready for selling in 2015.

• Do your spring cleaning early this year if selling your home is on your mind. Cleaning up your home on the inside is just as important as cleaning it up on the outside. If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, you are likely going to be stuck inside a bit anyway, so why not get some deep cleaning done. If you take a week or so and really deep clean your house you may have it ready for showing in a very short amount of time.
• Have a New Years Eve open house. Serve drinks and snacks to all who enter and you may find that your buyer walks right into your home the night of your open house. If you really want to impress people then get a DJ to play some great music to appeal to your potential buyers. These kinds of gestures let folks know that you are serious about selling and that you are motivated to It may cost you a bit of money to pull off a New Years Eve open house but it will be totally worth it if you find a buyer quickly by doing so.
• Send out an email to all of your friends and family to let them know you are putting your house on the market for the start of 2015. Include some photos of your house as well so that they can show your home to others who they may come in contact with each week.
• Most importantly do not give up when selling your home. It takes persistence and a great Realtor to get your home sold. If you hire the right person to show off your home’s assets it shouldn’t take very long to seal the deal.

Information courtesy of Orlando Realtor Teri Isner.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

There are two typical questions raised all the time about real estate…

Sellers: “Shouldn’t I first start with trying to save some money by selling on my own as a “For Sale By Owner?”

Buyers: “Shouldn’t I just look around on my own and work with the listing agents when I find something I like?”

Both of those scenarios have hidden problems. The field of real estate is loaded with land mines. Real estate professionals “know the ropes” so you don’t need to. Here are some thoughts for you to consider!

• Sellers need true expert guidance navigating the dangerous pitfalls that currently exist. Finding a buyer ready, willing and able to pay fair market value at a time when lending standards are so stringent is not an easy task.

• Buyers are finding reasonable financing is not easy to come by. It can be very tricky when interest rates are volatilelike they have been over the last several months. And underwriting standards are tight, meaning that you need special guidance getting pre-approved and assuring that your credit is clear.

• Both buyers and sellers need to be hiring a talented negotiator who could save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. Each step of the way – from the original offer, to the possible re-negotiation of that offer after a home inspection, to the possible cancellation of the deal based on atroubled appraisal – you need someone who can keep the deal together until it closes.

• Sellers should also realize that when an agent is negotiating their commission with you, they are negotiating their own salary; the salary that keeps a roof over their family’s head; the salary that puts food on their family’s table. If they are quick to take less when negotiating forthemselves and their families, what makes you think they will not act the same way when negotiating for you and your family?

• Buyers should consider working with a buyer’s agent from the start. That should be someone who really tunes into your needs and wants. That’s so they can really pinpoint the search for the right property for you. They can save you hours of spinning your wheels and they are ultimately compensated by the seller at the closing table.

Both buyers and sellers should take to heart that old saying “You get what you pay for.” Just like a good accountant or a good attorney, real estate professionals will save you money when all is said and done.

Information courtesy of Orlando Realtor Teri Isner.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

In today’s economy, many potential purchasers don’t have extra cash available for repairs and updates and are looking for move-in ready houses.  It makes sense, therefore, in order to attract serious buyers and add value to your home, that you consider the following relatively inexpensive and non-time-consuming improvements:

Interior updates:

• If you can’t replace the water heater with a tankless model, wrap the one you have in fireproof insulation.
• Install modern light switches and outlets throughout your home.  Add dimmer switches.
• Insulate windows.  (Easy-to-follow instructions.)
• In bathrooms replace dated towel racks, light fixtures, sinks, toilet seats, and hardware.  Purchase a low flow toilet.  Re-grout where needed.  If the floor is in poor shape, consider putting easy-to-install vinyl tiles right over the old one.
• Add crown moldings, wood trim, and/or cornices to give room a look of quality.
• Update your kitchen inexpensively by replacing fixtures, faucets, and hardware.  Consider pendant lighting.  Refinish cabinets rather than replacing them.
• Clean and organize all closets.  For helpful free and/or inexpensive designs created for your particular needs, visit Closet Maid.

Exterior improvements:

• Keep shrubs and trees neatly pruned.  Plant new trees for energy savings and aesthetic value.
• Add low-voltage lighting for pathways
• Pay attention to the front door.  Does it need new weather stripping?  A fresh coat of paint? Updated (or at least polished) hardware—knockers, knobs, hinges, and light fixtures?
• Spend $10 to test your lawn for needed nutrients.
• Attend to the garage door.  Use a mixture of one part bleach to three parts water and a soft-bristled brush to give it a thorough cleaning.  Still dirty or stained?  Rent a power washer for about $60.
• Check for faded or peeling paint.  Sand and apply a fresh coat.

Real estate gurus will tell you that the wisest updates you can make are in the kitchen and the bathroom.  (Not only are these rooms of high importance to buyers, those updates will add the most value and give you a good return on your money.)  Check BankRate.com and DIYnetwork.com for suggestions and good advice on the benefits of more ambitious projects for these areas of your home.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

If you’re selling your Orlando Fl home, the idea of pricing high to test the waters might sound appealing. But if your house is priced too high, you may be highlighting for buyers what a steal the house down the street is. Pricing your house right the first time will help ensure that you not only get offers, but that the offers come in earlier than if you’d priced too high.

Ready to sell? Find out what homes are selling for in your neighborhood!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home shopping website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

Welcome to Keller Williams’ This Month In Real Estate for January 2014.

According to a national survey of real estate transactions, over 90% of buyers start their search on the internet — and then spend almost two months looking for homes before finally settling on the right one for them. That two month lag time means that houses that are on the market right now are in the best position to close in the early spring. So if you’re looking to sell in the spring, you’ll want to list the house now – and get a head-start on the competition. Contact the Orlando Avenue Top Team today for help selling your Orlando FL home!

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home shopping website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

Get Orlando Daily News delivered to your inbox! Subscribe here!

“Not a drive by” is real estate talk for letting another Realtor know that they have to really work at getting a buyer to go inside to check out the home because the curb appeal just isn’t there. People would drive by and keep going thinking the inside was as unappealing as the outside. When potential Orlando home buyers are looking for a new place, they want a home that looks like it was loved and cared for.  They have a sense that if there is pride in the landscaping and the outside of the home, there will be pride on the inside, too. Curb appeal is both a visual and emotional hook for buyers. It says “Someone was happy here. I could be happy here, too.” In a tough housing market, the curb appeal of a home makes it stand out and can ultimately make a difference in selling the home.

One of the most inexpensive renovations to a home is landscaping. Combined with other small outdoor touches that improve curb appeal, you increase the value of your most important investment. A home is not just a place to live, it is one of the most important investments you can make. Landscaping investments will actually appreciate if they are properly maintained. Orlando plants and trees in nurseries to find some that appeal to you. An investment of $500 to $3000 will help trigger the sale of your home. Nurseries have experienced staff who are eager to help you redesign your yard.

You could hire a landscape architect to re-design your outdoor space and create an ideal look for your neighborhood. Or, you could do it yourself for much less of an investment. Be sure to consult with local nurseries to find the best trees and shrubs for your climate, and determine how to properly care for them.

Here are some additional tips for improving your Orlando home’s curb appeal:
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