Sellers usually brace themselves for price negotiations as the buyer’s home inspector combs through the house, but sellers do not need to feel powerless. A pre-listing inspection allows sellers to stay a step ahead in the following ways:
1. Better marketability: You can choose to fix potential defects that could turn off a prospective buyer.
2. Positive impressions: The fact that you took the time to inspect your home and address defects shows house hunters that you’re serious about selling your home, trustworthy and conscientious.
3. Helps avoid last-minute deal breakers: Pre-listing inspections help reduce the probability of complications at closing.
Pre-Listing Inspection Tips:
1. Choose the inspector carefully. Check the inspector’s training, ongoing education programs, any certifications they may carry and if they have all the necessary local licenses.
2. Attend the inspection. A good home inspector will encourage you to attend the inspection because it makes the written report more meaningful.
3. Focus on the major elements. Every home has minor or cosmetic flaws, that you should consider correcting. However, an inspector’s role is not to really focus on peeling wallpaper or cracked sidewalks, although he may document it. In general, anything that would cost less than $500 to fix should be considered normal maintenance. Repairs that exceed that amount are more likely to be negotiable.
4. Be realistic. If defects are discovered, get credible estimates to substantiate your position so that negotiations are substantive and professional.
5. Offer a home warranty. If many of the major systems in the home are working but are older, consider including a home warranty as a value-added bonus.
With the right preparation, you can sell your home in a way that feels fair and straightforward.
Remember, these tips are only general guidelines. Since each situation is different, contact a real estate professional if you have questions about a specific issue. More information is available online at housemaster.com.
This information is provided for general guidance purposes only. Neither HMA Franchise Systems, Inc. nor the local HouseMaster® franchise warrants its accuracy and assumes no liability related to its use. Contact the local franchise office and/or qualified specialists for advice pertinent to your specific house or circumstances.
© Copyright 2007 HMA. Each HouseMaster franchise is an independently owned and operated business. HouseMaster is a registered trademark of HMA Franchise Systems, Inc.
Filed under Home Inspections, Home Sellers by 
As we head towards the 1/2 point of the month of August, it means all the kids are getting geared up to head back to school. In many cases, within the next week or so.
To help those looking to stay on top of the school schedules for this year, here are some links to the local York County 2008-09 School Calendars:
Rock Hill, SC – York County School District 3
Fort Mill, SC – York County School District 4
Filed under Fort Mill SC, Life In the Carolinas, Rock Hill SC by
Have a small space that needs some sprucing up, but aren’t sure what to do? HGTV recently posted a list of 10 tips for decorating any small space, specifically apartments, but I think most of them apply to any small space.
Here are these 10 decorating tips, with a bit of a twist aimed at owners versus renters:
- Don’t be afraid to experiment. Unless you plan on selling or leaving soon, why not make the space undeniably yours?
- Don’t be afraid of color. Many people are afraid to experiment with color, but using color can really help a small space come alive.
- Don’t push everything against the wall. According to Mark McCauley, ASID, a Chicago-area designer, most people don’t spend enough time thinking about furniture arrangement. “People use the old standby of pushing the sofa against one wall with a chair on each end — all pushed against the wall because they think it provides more room.” He suggests creating angles with the furniture, much like a city skyline. This create movement in the space and actually helps the area appear bigger.
- Don’t neglect the overhead light fixtures. This is a quick, inexpensive way to inject some excitement and personality into any small space. The part is, it doesn’t take away from the floor space but still has the ability to add a great deal of interest.
- Divide up the different living spaces. When you divide spaces up into functional boxes, it actually helps the mind to integrate everything together. Instead of sticking with the large rectangular shape common in most small spaces, create seperate living spaces using furniture, plants, or decorative elements such as tables or shelves.
- Remember, you don’t have to grow up just yet. Small spaces are your chance to experiment and find out what your likes and dislikes are before you move up to a bigger house. Give yourself a chance to find out your decorating style so that when you do find yourself in a larger home, you’ll be better prepared to decorate things to your liking.
- Don’t buy furniture that’s too small. Many people living in small spaces get ‘doll house syndrom’ and they end up buying furniture that’s too small for even a small space. A good way to make sure this doesn’t happen is to map out the footprint of the furniture you’re considering buying on the floor with tape. That way you’ll at least be able to see where things will lay and how it will fit in the space.
- Don’t hide your bed. Unless you have a Murphy bed, or are able to block it with drapes, consider using your bed to help accentuate the overall feel of your space. With a little creativity, some color, and a few decorative accessories your bed can really add a look of character and appeal to the smallest of spaces.
- Don’t worry, you can take it with you. One concern people have when living in small spaces, especially rented ones, is that they’ll be wasting money by buying accessories. Not true. Keep in mind that as you experiment with your likes/dislikes and as you find things you like, you’ll absolutely be able to take those things with you as you much up in size. As long as you’re buying things that fit your taste, you shouldn’t have any problem taking them with you to your next home.
- Don’t confuse clutter with personality. Nothing makes a space feel smaller than clutter. A good rule of thumb is that if it’s smaller than a football, you need to ask yourself if it’s really adding to the decor. Fortunately, there are lots of furniture options these days that have hidden storage compartments so if you do have a lot of clutter, consider either hiding it with a storage solution or just get rid of it all together.
So, if you have a small space that needs a little sprucing up and some personality, consider these 10 decorating tips to help create a space that’s warm, comfortable, and most importantly, reflective of your personality.
Filed under Sharon's Top 10 Lists by
The York County area is definitely growing. As Charlotte continues to expand outward, Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Tega Cay, Lancaster, and York SC are all benefiting from this growth. And while not all growth is good growth, in this case I think it’s only helping spur these areas to bigger and better things.
Here’s a link to an article in the Charlotte Observer and even though it’s almost a year old, it does a nice job talking about York and Lancaster counties.
I’m also working on a more updated, ‘As seen through my eyes’ version of “What’s going on in York/Lancaster County and why would I want to live here?”, so be sure to check back.
Ultimately, I think both Rock Hill SC and Fort Mill SC are FANTASTIC places to live because of the close proximity to Charlotte NC and all the wonderful resources and amenities there, but also because of the lower taxes, better schools, and slower pace of life. Of course that’s just my opinion, but heh, aren’t I always right anyway? 
Filed under Carolina Real Estate, Charlotte NC, Fort Mill SC, Life In the Carolinas, Opinions, Rock Hill SC by
Even though 2008 is more than halfway over, it’s never too late to stop and assess some of the predictions made about the real estate market for 2008. These predictions are courtesy of About.com’s Elizabeth Weintraub.
I added my own commentary regarding what’s actually happened and how all of this applies to the Rock Hill SC and Fort Mill SC real estate market.
Here’s the 10 2008 real estate predictions and my comments below each one:
- Home Prices Will Decline and Flatten
It’s definitely a buyers market. Even though our marketing hasn’t felt the impact other areas around the country have, prices are still down from what they have been previously. At the same time, that doesn’t mean you have to settle for lowering the price of your home. It just means you need to price your home correctly and do everything possible to make it stand out from the competition.
- Short Sales & Foreclosures Will Increase
There’s no doubt the number of short sales and foreclosures has increased, even in our market. This has contributed to declining sales prices. Unfortunately, there’s not much that can be done about this, but it certainly highlights the importance of working with a lender that has your best interest in mind and not his own pocket.
- Interest Rates Will Stabilize
Rates have indeed stabilized, but given the uncertainty of Wall Street there’s still a chance of some interest rate uncertainty.
- More Investors Will Enter the Market
I honestly don’t think this one’s materialized yet and it’s not because of a lack of available inventory. Given all the short sales and foreclosures there are plenty of great properties available at a good price, but because of tightened lending criteria, it’s become extremely difficult to secure financing. Lenders are being very cautious about who they’re lending money too, especially when it comes to investment properties.
- Related Businesses Will Close Doors
This one has indeed come to pass. Mortgage lenders, banks, appraisers, and even real estate agents have left the market all together. While this is certainly an unfortunate situation, I actually think it’s good for the market because those that have remained are the ones that know what they’re doing.
- Buyers Will Write Lowball Offers
I don’t really think this one applies to the Rock Hill SC and Fort Mill SC real estate market. Based on my experience and from what other agents have told me, if a house is listed correctly, most of the offers being presented are good, strong offers.
Again, we’ve been very fortunate here in our marketplace in that we haven’t felt the impact other areas have so if you’re thinking about selling your home but are worried about low ball offers, as long as it’s listed correctly there’s no reason you shouldn’t expect a good, solid offer.
- Advertising Will Move Online
I would have to agree with this one, but it’s more as a result of the role the internet plays in our lives versus the real estate market itself. Studies show that 80% of all real estate searches begin online so it’s only natural to see the advertising dollars move to this area as well.
- Inventory Will Increase Before Sharply Dropping
Again, I don’t think this is applicable to our marketplace. Yes, there’s been an increase in the amount of inventory available, but I don’t necessarily see it dropping off suddenly. The market is still very active here in the Rock Hill SC and Fort Mill SC area and I would expect things to remain active for the rest of the year.
- REOs Will Refuse to Pay Some Closing Costs
This one is accurate, but what would you expect when lenders have been taking it on the chin all year long? For so long they had such relaxed lending requirements and now that they’ve tightened things up considerably, it’s only natural that they eliminate many of the incentives that got them in their current mess!
- Flood Insurance Rates Will Escalate
To be completely honest, I haven’t checked on flood insurance rates lately so I really can’t accurately comment on this one, but I wouldn’t be surprised in the least if it were indeed the case. Everyone’s feeling the pinch so it’s only natural that things will self-correct themselves to compensate for mistakes of the past.
Filed under Carolina Real Estate, Home Buyers, Home Sellers, Interest Rates, Market Trends, Opinions by
