Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Keep home staged and show ready for buyer inspections & appraisal

I think everyone will agree that a well staged home will increase buyer interest in a home.  Research even shows that a buyer is likely to pay more for the home.  The buyer's inspector and the banks appraiser are no different.  If they walk into a home that's staged, clean, and ready to be shown they are naturally influenced to believe the owner has taken good care of the property and it's in above average condition.  Therefore, the inspector is less likely to nit pick and the appraiser is less likely to make negative condition reductions when comparing it to other properties.  So, once your home is under contract don't relax just yet.  Keep the property ready for the inspector and the appraiser to reduce heartache later in the transaction.

Johnson County, KS 4th Qtr 2011 Sales Increase

Increased sales in the 4th quarter of 2012 have created a Seller's Market to begin 2012. Currently Johnson County conditions show a Seller's Market (< 5 months supply) for homes priced under $400,000 with a Balanced Market (5-7 months supply) at $400K - $500K and a continued Buyer's Market (>7 months supply) $500K+. See the attached document for more details, Jan_2012_Stats.pdf  ,numbers used to calculate were pulled from Heartland MLS.

It's likely these conditions will be short lived as Spring market inventory will begin to come on the market. The question is will the increased buyer activity continue with historically low interest rates and increase consumer confidence I predict Yes. The time to act is now especially if you are a move up buyer. Call me to schedule an appointment to discuss your property and buying plans.