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September 2017

 

Experience & Professionalism You Can Trust!

Petersen Partners
Team of Realtors
marketing@petersenpartners.com   |   678-439-6699
https://www.petersenpartners.com

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HAVE YOU TRIED BUYSIDE (OUR NEW HOME VALUE ESTIMATOR) YET?

You Get 3 FREE Real-Time Home Value Estimates

If you haven't already done so, you've got to try Buyside, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Georgia Properties new & improved home value estimator. Click Buyside to get 3 FREE real-time home value estimates (including a Zestimate) PLUS see how many potential buyers there are (right now) for your home. It's easy & instant! 

Contact us directly for additional details including the latest trends for home values. We have access to proprietary resources that are not available to the public.

FIND VENDORS & SERVICE PROVIDERS IN ONE HANDY DOCUMENT

Simply Download Our Vendor Resource Guide

Are you planning to sell your home this year and need to get it ready to go on the market? Do you need a roofer or contractor? Maybe a painter or plumber? Download your free Vendor Resource Guide here (see sample pages to the right).

Petersen Partners has compiled this Vendor Resource Guide with useful referrals & recommendations from past clients and experienced REALTORS®. We recommend you do your own research to find the vendor(s) that best suits your needs and situation. We welcome your positive or negative feedback on any of the names contained in this list. Your comments and suggestions will help us achieve our goal of providing the names of the best, most reliable vendors in our area.

BUYERS’ ADVICE

Three Ways Buyers Choose Homes

Yes, buyers fall in love with homes but they have three criteria for selecting the one they ultimately buy – price, condition, and location. Play these up to get your home sold quickly and for the best terms.

Make the price attractive: Don’t price your home where you think it should be but instead, price it close to or slightly below market value. This strategy gives buyers the opportunity to compete for your home, and it could possibly sell above list price.

Make the condition move-in ready: Keep in mind that many buyers are stretching their financial limits to afford your home. Buyer’s pet peeves are usually easy items to fix, but you don’t want your house to be disregarded because you failed to paint, mow, replace the carpet, fix leaky faucets, etc. Your goal is to make buyers feel like they don’t have to do anything but move in. Click here for some great tips on home staging. 

Make the most of your location: You can’t do much about your home’s location but you can make your home more attractive with lovely landscaping, fences to block out ugly views and sounds, and an outdoor entertaining area. If your home is on a busy street, point out the easy access to amenities, like walking to the grocery store.

If these three criteria aren’t in alignment, definitely don’t want to overprice. People expect to pay more for a great location next to schools, transportation, shopping and restaurants but if you overprice, they will scrutinize the location and the condition more closely.

SELLERS’ ADVICE

Making A Purchase Offer In A Fast Market

You’re ready to make an offer on the home of your dreams. This is the home you want for the next five to ten years but the speed of the marketplace means lots of competition from other buyers. So how do you make the one offer the seller will accept?

First, your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network professional will pull up a competitive market analysis (CMA) to show you what homes are selling for within a reasonable radius of the home you want. They’ll have similar sizes, features and amenities. If the seller’s home is reasonably priced, offer asking price or close to it.

To show the seller you’re serious, include a copy of your lender’s pre-approval letter, along with a cover letter summarizing your strengths as a buyer, including your creditworthiness and why you want this home. Include a copy of the CMA to show how you arrived at your offer price.

Nothing shows a seller you’re serious more than cash. The larger the down payment you have, the better, because sellers don’t want to waste time on buyers who may not get their loans approved. Sellers won’t accept contingencies like waiting for your present home to sell.

Your real estate professional will help you draft the offer with a price, estimated closing date and terms, and earnest money (a guarantee that you’ll perform as a buyer in good faith.) Once you and the seller have agreed to terms, you’re on your way to owning a home!

FINANCIAL ADVICE

About Property Taxes

Depending on the area where you live, your new home is subject to annual property taxation by your local appraisal district to pay for schools, infrastructure, and other public needs. But what you may not realize is that the rate you pay may be wildly different from the rate your neighbors pay.

If you just purchased your home, your assessment for the following year is likely to be much higher than it is now, so you can’t count on paying the same amount in escrow that you’re paying now.

According to BankRate.com, property taxes are assessed by:

  • Most recent assessed value or sales price of the home.
  • Value of comparable homes in the area.
  • Improvements that enlarged or added value to the home.
  • Exemptions for which the home or homeowner qualifies, such as homestead or senior status. Click here for links to homestead exemption forms for your particular county. 
  • Applicable property tax rate set by the local taxing authority.

Appraisal districts use what’s known as a mill levy or millage rate. One mill represents one tenth of one cent, so for every $1,000 of assessed property value, one mill would be equal to one dollar. The mill levy is then multiplied by the assessed value of your property. Other factors that impact your levy include how often your taxing authority reassesses your property, how often it can raise rates, and by what percentage. Plus, the appraisal district can raise rates based on market trends as well as a drive-by appraisal.

Learn what tax rates are in your area at sites such as Smartasset.com and Bankrate.com.

 
 
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