Posted by Rebecca
Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:27:00 GMT
Realtor.com just got a facelift. Easier, more stream-lined searching helps users find what they’re looking for quickly and ushers them to the details section of listings with less hassle. Since its realease, it’s had a 40% increase in property views, and people are clicking all the way through to the details section of listings 12% more often, according to site operator Move Inc.
What does this mean for you as a seller? It means that if your home is well-represented on Realtor.com, more potential buyers are getting a look at it, and they’re more likely to actually click through to the section where they can read the description of your home and see more photos. From there, they can e-mail your Realtor and set up an appointment to see the home.
Cora Bett Thomas Realty & Associates subscribes to Realtor.com’s enhanced listings program, which allows Realtors to post 25 photos per listing instead of the standard 4. Homes that have more than the standard 4 photos get a special button denoting the number of posted photos and setting them apart from the majority of homes on the site. The more photos a home has, the better its ranking on the site, which means it will likely pop up higher on the list when a potential buyer does a search for a home like yours. It’s all about exposure.
If you’re a buyer, should Realtor.com be your go-to resource for home searches? Proabably not. Because of its advertising dollar-focused priority ratings, buyers may not be seeing homes that are the best for them first, but instead those whose Realtors have paid to have them placed there. They’ll still see all the homes - they just may have to wade through to get to the ones without advertising dollars behind them. But if you’re the seller, and your home is listed with a company like Cora Bett Thomas Realty who pays for enhanced listings, just be glad that more and more buyers are using this site and that your home has a greater opportunity to show up on their search list.
Posted in Sellers, Technology | no comments
Posted by Rebecca
Tue, 28 Oct 2008 18:00:00 GMT
1. Change your address. Visit https://moversguide.usps.com. Don’t forget to notify credit card holders, subscription services and anyone else you’d like to make aware of your new location.
2. Contact utility companies:
- GA Power 1-888-660-5890
- Atlanta Gas Light 1-877-427-4321
- Comcast comcast.com (get this one done early if you rely on home internet for your business needs - it often takes several days to get an appointment)
- Water: (912) 651-6460
- Trash Collection (inside city limits) (912) 651-6582
3. Know where the main circuit breaker in your new house is, as well as water shut-off valves.
4. Get your locks changed.
5. Update your driver’s license, car registration and voter registration.
6. Get a termite bond! The question in coastal Georgia is not if you’ll get termites, but when. Make sure you’re protected and that you prevent future problems. A termite inspector will come out to your home and give you a free quote.
Posted in First-Time Buyers, Buyers | no comments
Posted by Rebecca
Tue, 28 Oct 2008 14:00:00 GMT
Calculating the costs involved in owning a new home can be a daunting task. One of these is property taxes. You can look up previous tax bills for a particular home by visiting chathamtax.org and clicking the Tax Bill Search. Choose search by parcel ID. You can find the parcel ID at sagis.org. Search for the property by address.
Keep in mind that previous tax bills may not be an accurate indicator of what your taxes on that home would be. The previous owner may have had special tax exemptions or the assessed value may have changed.
Calculate the Taxes On a Property:
1. Visit sagis.org to view the tax assessor’s real estate value of the property
2. Take this value and multiply by 0.4 to get the Net Assessed Value
3. Check the current millage rate for your area - right now, millage rate for homes:
- within Savannah city limits = 25.011
- outside of city limits = 28.486
4. Use the following formula: Millage Rate x 0.001 (one mil equals one thousandth of a dollar) x Net Assessed Value of the Property
* Don’t forget to apply for homestead exemption! For info. on how to do this, as well as detailed property tax information, see the Board of Assessors "Facts Every Taxpayer Should Know."
Posted in Taxes | no comments
Posted by Rebecca
Fri, 24 Oct 2008 01:06:00 GMT
Mortgage rates have been jumping up and down for the last few weeks. According to Freddie Mac’s Weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey, 30-year rates are down to 6.04% and last week’s 6.46%. A year ago, rates averaged 6.33%.
Posted in Home Financing | no comments
Posted by Rebecca
Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:33:00 GMT
First-time buyers can qualify for a $7,500 tax credit from the federal government for homes bought between April 9, 2008 and July 1, 2009. It’s basically an interest-free loan that has to be paid back over 15 years. What a great opportunity for new buyers! You can use the money for anything you want, like new appliances, furniture, landscaping and home repair costs.
Simply claim the credit on your federal income tax return. Anyone who hasn’t owned a home in the last three years qualifies as a first-time home buyer. Read the full details here.
Posted in Buying a Foreclosure, Home Financing, First-Time Buyers, Buyers, Taxes | no comments
Posted by Rebecca
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:13:00 GMT
In my first "Buying a Foreclosure" post, I advised potential buyers to get out and drive the neighborhoods to get an idea of where they’d be willing to buy a home if a great deal were to arise. With gas prices what they are, this is easier said than done. A great way to start your search without spending a dime on gas is to use Google’s Street View.
Read more...
Posted in Buying a Foreclosure, Buyers, Savannah Neighborhoods, Downtown Savannah, Google Maps | no comments
Posted by Rebecca
Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:13:00 GMT
Read Part 1 of this story.
At the end of my last post, the bank had verbally accepted our bid on the home. In a traditional home purchase , the seller accepts an offer by signing the original purchase and sale contract. The two parties would then have a binding agreement at that time. In this case, the bank didn’t sign anything, but sent us an unsigned "addendum" to fill out, sign and return to them, at which point they would sign it and the original purchase and sale contract. Not until then would we have a binding agreement.
The Addendum
This addendum is basically a large packet of papers written by the bank’s attorneys to protect them in the transaction. It outlines the terms already stated in the original offer, as well as the length of time you have to get inspections done, title transfer information, etc. The verbiage can be very one-sided in the favor of the seller.Where does that leave you as the buyer? Unprotected if you don’t have your own Realtor. And I don’t mean the listing Realtor, because he is representing the bank. You need your own representation.
Your Realtor should be able to help you decide which concessions you’ll need to make in order to play ball with the bank and which terms are worth negotiating. After we filled out the addendum and sent it back, we were back to waiting on a signature from the bank. More waiting. This is an emotionally challenging process for the buyer. The ball is seemingly always in the bank’s court, but if you’re getting a great deal, it’s more than worth it.
In our case, our home appraised at 52% more than we paid for it.
Read more...
Posted in Buying a Foreclosure | Tags foreclosure | no comments
