Tips

How many showings should you expect?

Now that’s a good question!  And that’s exactly what I said when I was asked this this very question earlier today, while meeting with a homeowner who wants to become a seller.  I mean, you’d think it would be a pretty simple question to answer.  Right?  Haha, LOL!

A few years ago I stumbled on some data from one of the big companies that schedules showing appointments for thousands of realtors.  I did a lil’ math and figured out they were scheduling on average about 2 appointments per month for each property.  Obviously some enjoyed more showings and others less, but 2 per property was the average.

Today, I figured I could just google the question and get the answer without doing any work.  Haha, LOL again.  So, I dug into our local numbers and if I did all the math right… (drumroll, please) I figure the average listing gets 6 showings total while it’s on the market.

That’s probably less than most sellers and realtors would like to see, but that is the average.  And that’s reason for realtors to employ marketing that will drive people to see a house, for homeowners to put a shine on their house (especially the curb appeal), and for all parties to price a property to draw attention and good offers!  And for sure, when someone calls to schedule an appointment, it behooves everyone to do all in their power to make the necessay arrangements to get those buyers inside the house!

Selling a house doesn’t take a village, but it does take a partnership.  And working together we can generate more than 6 showings on average— and that does up the odds of receiving a strong offer that results in a sale.!

 

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6 Tax Deductions for Homeowners

Most people who rent take the standard deduction, while most people who own their own home get to itemize their deductions on their tax return— and usually wind up paying less in income taxes as a result!  For one thing, if you own a house, your home deductions will be large enough that you will be able to take other deductions as well (ie. charity, non-reimbursed work-related expenses, medical bills, and more).  For renters, those deductions are typically money left on the table.

Ok, so just what deductions can a homeowner take?

#1  Mortgage interest.  In the early years of a mortgage, most of the money goes to pay interest, and that is usually all deductible.

#2  Points.  When you take out a mortgage, you sometimes pay points, and these are usually deductible.

#3  Property taxes.

#4  Home office.  If you work from home a certain percentage of your housing costs may be deductible.

#5  Home improvements for medical care.  These must usually be doctor prescribed.

#6  Moving expenses.  Not all moving expenses are deductible, so like everything else on this list- check with your tax professional to develop the best money saving strategy.

 

5 BIG reasons why you should get pre-qualified

Unless you’re paying cash… if you wanna’ buy a home, then you really should get pre-qualified.  (And that’s true no matter what your situation is.)  Here’s 5 BIG reasons why:

#1  If you’re going to need a mortgage to make it all happen, then getting pre-qualified will let you know how much of a mortgage you can qualify for.  And when you coombine that number with the cash you have to work with- you’ll know the upper limit of your purchasing power.

#2  Typically when a seller receives an offer, they want to see a pre-qual letter attached.  If one is nowhere to be found then they will likely hold up responding to your offer until you get that piece of business taken care of.  And if they happen to get two offers at the same time, and one has a pre-qual letter and the other does not—- just guess which one they’re most likely to accept?  (Thinkaboutit… if you were selling a house, would you want to pull it off the market for someone who hadn’t been to see their local mortgage guy yet?)

#3  Getting pre-qualified will save you time.  It may allow you to get into your new home sooner.  Or possibly even make a deal work that otherwise would not!

#4   While getting pre-qualified you may discover that you’re eligible for one or more lending programs you were not aware of.  That just might save you money, allow you to buy a bigger house, or qualify for a tax credit—- or all of the above!

#5  Btw, if you think you won’t qualify… RELAX, you just might get a pleasant surprise.  (And even if you don’t, what you & I learn will allow us to negotiate a better contract deal for you!)

And the cost to get pre-qualified?  Why, there isn’t any.  So call me— I know a guy!