Archive for the ‘How to Create a Good Home Ad’ Category
FSBO Sellers Who Use the MLS – Sell Quicker and For More Money
Home sellers and investors are a happy bunch this spring. Homes are selling quickly and for very near their asking prices. If your home is on the market and you haven’t had success…you should consider an MLS listing and here is why.
Washington Post writer and real estate expert, Iilyse Glink weigh about why the MLS is the key to home sales and why it works so well.
Studies indicate that most homes sell with the help of a real estate agent. The No. 1 tool to market those homes is probably the MLS. This listing service in most markets gives real estate agents the ability to see and review all listings in an area. If your home isn’t in the MLS, you’re missing the most effective tool to sell your home.
Twenty or so years ago, an FSBO seller would advertise his home in local newspapers and a lawn sign, with InfoTube or InfoBox, to market his home. Few if any of these FSBO sellers succeeded in selling their homes. More recently, the Internet has started to level the playing field, but many buyers still work with real estate agents to buy their home. Those agents rely on the MLS.
An FSBO service may offer various packages to sellers such as you. The more you want, the more you pay, with the top package giving you access to the MLS for six months. We guess you want to give your home the greatest exposure possible and that you wouldn’t want to exclude a major source of potential buyers.
As you decide whether you want an a FSBO package, you must understand what it will take to sell your home. If you overprice your home for sale, trying to sell it yourself isn’t likely to give you a good result.
You still will need to price your home right, make sure your home shows really well, both from the inside and the outside, take great photos for posting on Web sites, create a beautiful brochure for the home, and make sure the description of your home is succinct, emphasizes the good points of your home and accurately shows off its best qualities.
As the real estate market has improved in many areas, you likely have a better chance of selling your home today than you had a year or two ago. But home sellers can make the same mistakes in any market. Again, you need to decide whether you want to spend money upfront to sell the home yourself in a FSBO or try again with a real estate agent.
We think that listing your home on the MLS is a good step toward getting your home sold. Unless you find a buyer that is searching for a home on the many sites out there that carry listings, you might miss out of that one buyer truly looking for a home like yours.
InfoTube.net offers low cost MLS and Realtor.com listing packages that will get your home noticed by millions of homebuyers, who wouldn’t otherwise know your home is for sale. Call 800-858-6000 for more information or visit our website.
Is Your Property the Pinball Listing??
What is a Pinball Listing?
A pinball listing is a house that is listed for an unrealistic asking price. It pulls in a lot of showings by agents and home shoppers, but receives no offers. Real estate agents, including the listing agent for the home, use the overpriced house as a negative example to sell similar homes that are listed for lower prices.
Any pinball listing is basically a set up. Listing agents show clients these homes to make realistically price homes look like fantastic deals, which is why the traffic for pinballs is high…but no sale will ever take place until the price is drastically reduced.
What Happens to the Pinball Listed Home? Unless it is being used by Realtors as a set up…they stop showing it until the seller agrees to reprice it at a realistic number.
Is it Ethical for a Broker to Accept a Pinball Listing? NO! It is not ethical to list a property at a price that an agents knows it will not sell. If they do, they are intentionally misleading the seller. Do agents list unrealistically priced houses to use as a set up, anyway? YES, all day long.
How to Protect Yourself? Interview several real estate agents before signing any listing agreement. Get as much information as you can about CLOSED sales prices of comparable homes in your neighborhood. If you are inclined, you can always push a little on the listing price, but if you get greedy, or try to go overboard…you may unknowingly become the set up, pinball, out of touch with the competition listing…that everyone loves to visit, but no one will buy.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net. Visit our site to place a FREE property listing, search for great deals, MLS and Realtor.com flat fee listing packages, InfoTubes, InfoBoxes and More.
Nearly 1 in 10 Homebuyers are Foreigners
The 6 year slide in U.S. home prices and the dollar weakness against some currency are driving a property buying binge with Asians, Canadians, Europeans & Latin Americans eager to own a piece of America.
Plowing money into real estate may sound like a risky venture to many Americans. But to a growing number of foreigners, U.S. housing has never seen a smarter investment.
International buyers accounted for $82.5 billion, or 8.9%, of the $928 billion spent on residential real estate in the 12 month period ended in March, according to a survey released Monday by National Association of Realtors. (Article by the Wall Street Journal)
How does this news impact your potential home sale and your marketing efforts?
Simply, if you are not on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or Realtor.com, you miss out on 1 of every 10 homebuyers looking for property in your area. International buyers primarily use these services to locate property and if you’re not listed there…they can’t find you.
BONUS: Foreign buyers also pay in CASH . No Loan Qualifications. No Apprasials. No Delays and No Waiting. CASH NOW!
The cost of listing your home on the MLS or Realtor. com is only a few hundred dollars for a 6 month listing. The summer selling season is well underway. Get your house on the MLS and Realtor.com today. There is no other way to get your property in front of all the homebuyers in the marketplace….and Time is ticking!!!
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net. Homes are definitely moving this year. Don’t miss the season or you may be sitting for a while. Contact us for help with your MLS listing today.
Home Buyers Move Back to Basics
Home Sellers take note:
When it comes down to chosing a home, buyers are going back to the basics. Today’s buyers consider new or updated kitchens and bathrooms, and a flexible, open floor plan as the most important features they are looking for in a home.
A recent survey of hundreds of real estate agents reveal what features appeal to the broadest cross sections of buyers in the marketplace.
- 33% of those surveyed said that a new or updated kitchen is the most important feature they are looking for.
- 14% of purchasers said that an open floorplan is a must have.
- 12% are looking for homes with new or updated bathrooms.
- Only 1% of buyers feel that entertainment rooms or finished basements are important home features.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net. When you advertise, photograph and show your home, don’t forget to emphasize the “hot buttons” area’s that buyers are telling you they are looking for.
Home Sellers Get “Real” about Selling their Real Estate
A recent survey of hundreds of real estate agents uncovers the reasons some homes sell….and others languish on the market.
Agents say that the majority of home sellers have gotten more “real” about their real estate in 2012. More than half (51%) of sellers are willing to price their homes more competitively this year vs last. And, nearly half (45%) are more willing to change the appearance of their homes to appeal to and entice buyers. 
What is the best use of a seller’s time and money? De-clutter, de-personalize to make their home appeal to the broadest cross-section of potential buyers.
- 94% of sellers are getting rid of clutter and making cosmetic updates.
- 78% are willing to “de-personalize” their homes.
- 59% are bringing in new home decorations or furniture to make their home updated and appealing.
De-personalizing and de-cluttering a home makes it easier for a buyer to imagine him or herself living in the property. In order to sell your home in today’s competitive marketplace, it is crucial for seller’s to realize that the property is no longer their “home”…it is an expensive product that is For Sale.
Always remove family photo’s and personal artwork. They do nothing for the appeal of the home. They simply distract a buyers focus and perhaps give the buyer too much information about the seller’s personal life. Never good.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net. 5 FSBO houses on InfoTube.net SOLD this week. Things are improving for those seller’s who work smart to attract buyers. Visit our Facebook page for informative, fun and revealing news.
Lowes Hardware Now Selling InfoTubes
We would like to say a big THANK YOU to the folks at Lowes Hardware for putting InfoTube back on the store shelves.
Lowes has been a supporter of InfoTube since the early 1990’s, but they made a decision to stop stocking The InfoTube a few years back, when the real estate market hit the skids.
Now, in support of our effort mutual efforts to Support American products and American workers, Lowes has restocked the shelves with InfoTubes, in anticipation of the spring home selling season. As a result, we have been able to add workers and our customers love the convenience of shopping at Lowes. (Lowes will also continue to sell our popular InfoBox, too.)
We appreciate everyone at Lowes and we appreciate all of you. Please look for our products trademarked Red Lids and Caps when you shop…and ask for InfoTube and InfoBox products by name.
Say NO to Chinese imports. Together, we can rebuild our country… one little product and one worker at a time.
Advise from America’s Top Real Estate Photographer
Profitable 2012 Resolution: Showcase and show off your home with great photo’s.
Photographs are important and powerful tools in marketing real estate. Statistics show that home sellers who provide numerous and good quality photographs of their property receive twice the amount of buyer interest than their competition.
When photographing your property, try to follow this advise from Dave Rezendes, #1 real estate photographer in the USA.
• Don’t assume that wider is better. Sometimes a particular vignette or architectural detail will better convey the feeling of a house and give a stronger effect.
• When staging a photo, keep perspective in mind. It may be necessary to move furniture slightly to compensate for lens distortion and keep your photo looking realistic, especially in wider shots.
• Mind your verticals. Shooting at a downward or upward angle can skew the vertical lines of the photo, making them no longer parallel. Most photo editing software has the capability to correct this in post-processing.
• Keep an eye on your staging. A crooked pillow or messy bedskirt can take a minute to fix on location but hours to fix in post-processing.
• Avoid any clutter in your shots. Any exposed power cords, personal items, or even too much staging material can negatively affect the image. Keep your photos neat but not sterile.
• Avoid photographing exterior views in direct, midday sun. Try to cover that in the morning or early evening for the most complimentary natural light.
• Avoid photographing exterior views in direct, midday sun. Try to cover that in the morning or early evening for the most complimentary natural light.
• Before you take a photo, double-check to see that neither you nor your equipment is visible in mirrors or window reflections.
InfoTube.net Home Ad Service offers Home Sellers 20 photograph Slide Show and Video Tours.
Make 2012 your year to Show and Sell!!!
7 Secrets to Selling Your Home Now
In today’s’ super-competitive housing market, it is essential that homebuyers picture themselves living inside the home you are trying to sell.
7 Secrets to Selling Your Home Now
- For starters, take down the Wallpaper – Trust me when I say, “Buyers just do not like wallpaper.” If you doubt how personal wallpaper is…just walk into any wallpaper store and stare at the thousands of available patterns. Chances of your tastes matching are at least a thousand to one. Don’t risk it! Pull that paper down!
- The Clutter HAS to Go! Living in a house is alot different than Selling a house. It is easy to get blind to your own clutter. Ask a friend, neighbor or neutral party to be honest with you. Then, pack away every single thing you don’t use. And, clear the kitchen counters completely.
- Smelly Homes Will NOT Sell. Agents have an old saying, “If I can smell it, I can’t sell it.” Pet smells, musty odor’s, etc will kill a sale everytime.
- White is not a Color. But, paint is your friend. Every room should have a fresh coat of paint in a warm, neutral color.
- A Spot of Color. Everyone loves flowers. Place pots with colorful annual flowers by the front door or plant seasonal color in the beds to make your home inviting and memorable.
- Househunting Begins on the Internet. If your property is not exposed on the internet, your chances of a buyer finding you are very small. Tip the odds in your favor by advertising your home on the MLS and all the major search engines for real estate. InfoTube also offers FREE property listings on its website. Also, make sure your listing includes at least 10 good photo’s of the interior and exterior of your home. If possible, also include a video tour of the house and neighborhood.
- Forget About Comp’s and Sold Properties. Study your competition, which means homes currently For Sale. If your home is priced too high when compared to your competition, it is going to sit for a long, long time.
Homeowners should please keep in mind that Buyers have a lot of choices. The homeowner who can make their house stand out among the vast inventory of “For Sale” signs will the one who wins the selling game.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale and rent website. For up to the minute real estate news and tips follow InfoTube for Real Estate on Facebook.
Hey Sellers…Baby Boomers are Paying Cash for Homes This Year.
If you have a condo, ranch, one level bungalow or a home with the master on the main level that you need to sell, this may be your lucky year. The baby boomers (those 77 million people that were born between 1945 and 1964) are back in the housing market in a big way..and they often pay cash.
The aging boomers have finally worked up the courage to sell the family house, depreciated as it is, and roll the home equity into their last ever home purchase. Ironically, the catalyst for this trend has nothing to do with real estate. The motivation is age, quality of life and the stock market. The stock market is back, bringing with it the net worth of the boomer generation, who controls 80 percent of the financial assets in the United States.
If you own a one level, low maintenance home…you are already sitting in tall cotton…but you can do some simple things to sweeten the pot even more…if you know what to emphasize and what needs to be done.
Capitalize on the needs of the 65+ year olds, who are looking for place that they can grow old in. They are naturally drawn to homes that are easy and safe to live in, even if managing stairs and home maintenance is hard to do.
- Replace door knobs with levered handles.
- Replace knob-type plumbing fixtures and cabinet pulls with levers or open handles.
- Today’s house only needs one bathtub. Offer at least one, barrier free shower on the main floor, even if means taking out a bathtub.
- Put a laundry room on the main floor, even if you have to eliminate a closet or half-bath to do so.
- Consider making entryway staircases longer and more gentle. Create an option to add a wheelchair ramp to one side, if needed.
- Consider adding grab bars in glass enclosures or if your bathroom has wide open space.
- Replace carpeting with tile, hardwoods or laminate flooring for easier maintenance, durability and a smoother surface.
- Provide ample indoor lighting and don’t forget the outdoor security lights.
- Provide outdoor handrails on stairs, inclines or wherever necessary
Marketing Insight: Most home improvements, suggested above, offer easy living appeal for all ages. Just because your house is senior friendly doesn’t lessen the appeal to everyone else, but always be tactful. Design two InfoSheets for Buyers. Offer one in a standard format and create another that highlights senior-ready amenities.
InfoTube.net believes that 2011 will be a better year for home sellers, if they know how to reach and appeal to today’s buyer. Visit our website for tips, insights and a FREE home listing! What do you have to lose? Did we mention we also offer a low, flat fee MLS listing package for home owners???
Top 10 Cities for Property Searches
From Realtor.com…the Top 10 Cities for Real Estate related searches are:
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | ||
| 1 | Las Vegas | Las Vegas | Las Vegas | Las Vegas | Las Vegas | Las Vegas | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | Los Angeles | |
| 3 | Orlando | Orlando | San Antonio | San Antonio | Orlando | San Antonio | |
| 4 | San Antonio | San Antonio | Orlando | Orlando | San Antonio | Orlando | |
| 5 | Phoenix | Phoenix | Phoenix | Phoenix | Miami | Miami | |
| 6 | Miami | Miami | Miami | Paradise Valley | Phoenix | San Diego | |
| 7 | San Diego | San Diego | Chicago | Miami | San Diego | Phoenix | |
| 8 | Tampa | Tampa | San Diego | San Diego | Austin | Austin | |
| 9 | Chicago | Chicago | Tampa | Chicago | Chicago | Fort Worth | |
| 10 | Fort Worth | Fort Worth | Fort Worth | Fort Worth | Beverly Hills | Chicago |
In 2010, Realtor.com was the #1 search site for homes, multi family and land. If you are selling property, you need to be present on Realtor.com. InfoTube.net can assist you in placing your property listing on Realtor.com for only $299…even better…your listing will stay active until you SELL or Cancel!!! Click Here for More Details!!!
Bank Error in Your Favor!! Fast Acting Home Seller’s and Builder’s Score a Win!!
While Wall Street wrings its hands and pulls its hair over the banking problems and foreclosure moratorium, home seller’s and home builder’s have a BIG reason to celebrate. Their competition dropped the ball!!!
The moratorium on foreclosures effectively removes ONE THIRD of all the homes For Sale from the market!! 33 Percent of the competition is GONE!!! For how long, we don’t know…but, we do know that this is a RARE opportunity and all property seller’s should take full advantage of it.
What can home seller’s and builder”s do to take advantage of the Bank Error?
- Realize that Time is of the Essense! The banks will work hard and fast to get their inventory back on the market. And, when they do, they will no doubt offer special incentives that individual seller’s can not compete against. The clock is ticking…….
- Price Right and Show Well! If your home is priced right against its remaining competition, and it is staged, depersonalized and shows well, Your House Will Sell.
- Marketing to the Masses is Key! The MLS sells over 90% of all the homes in the United States. If your home is not on the MLS, your chances of selling are less than 10%. If money is tight, know that you don’t have to pay 6% for an MLS listing. You can purchase an MLS listing for your Home for only $399.
InfoTube.net believes that “a bank moratorium on foreclosure competition” is a very unique opportunity and the window is open for a short period of time, only. We are here to help you . “The clock is ticking”. Don’t let this unbelievable opportunity pass you by!!
5 Tips for Selling a Home in the Fall
Fall is a marvelous time of the year and an excellant time for househunting. The air is crisp, the leaves are changing, the holidays are just around the corner and every is feeling in the mood to nest. Make the most of the season!!
1. Change those Listing Photo’s to Show Off Those Pumpkins, Mums and Falling Leaves.
2. Days Are Getting Shorter…which means your rooms are getting darker.
- Dark rooms don’t show well. The simple solution…turn on more lights. Consider changing out your lightbulbs to ones that project warmer (yellow) versus a cooler (blue) tint.
- If your rooms are painted a dark color, lighten them up with a fresh coat of a light, neutral paint.
- Do some spring cleaning and wash the windows if they aren’t clean
3. Spruce up Your Curb Appeal
- Make sure all summer annuals and perrenials have been pulled up or cut back. If the bare spots look bad, consider planting mums, pansies or kales in their place.
- Keep the leaves raked up.
- Place a few mums and/or pumpkins by the front door or steps.
4. Everyone Loves Fireplaces…so fire up your fireplace to add warmth and charm.
5. Holiday Decorating – Less is More
- Fall – Thanksgiving decor is more neutral than Christmas decorations…but don’t overdo. Limit the amount of decorations to insure that buyers see the house.
- Halloween is great fun for kids and adults, alike, but don’t overwhelm buyer’s with screaming witches, howling goblins and motion activated rats. Too much Halloween can be very distracting to buyer’s trying to see a home for the first time.
Thank for visiting InfoTube.net. We have a variety of tools and options that Sell Houses. Visit the website for details.
Home Sellers, Fair Housing Laws are not Optional
If you are selling real estate in the United States, you need to familiarize yourself with The Federal Fair Housing Act. According to the Federal Fair Housing Act, you cannot discriminate against someone when selling a home.
The act defines seven different classes that are protected against discrimination, these include:
Race
Color
National origin
Sex
Religion
Handicap
Familial status
(You may notice that Age is not a protected class, in and of itself. Sellers of property that are zoned 55+, adult only, etc. can discriminate on the basis of age, if it violates deed restrictions, zoning or restrictive convenants.
Attention Home Sellers: You put yourself at serious risk of violating this act, if you refuse to sell or show your home to an interested buyer. Remember that ignorance of the law is not a viable excuse or defense. You will be held legally liable, even if you accidentally violate these laws without realizing it.
Review the following list of words that cannot be included in advertisements of your home, because they are in violation of the Fair Housing Laws.
Bachelor apartment
Children welcome
Couples
Gentlemans Farm
Golden Agers
Handicapped
Integrated
Married
Mature
Mother-in-Law quarters
Professional
Section 8
Seniors
Singles only
Sports-minded
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for Sale and Rent website. We work hard at helping sellers market their homes. Visit the website or our Facebook page to learn how we can help you!
UP the Odds of Selling Your Home this Spring
Every single home seller can Up the Odds of Selling their home this season. And, best of all…we aren’t recommending lowering your price….
To learn how successful seller’s got the job done this spring…CLICK HERE….for details with Before and After Photo’s.
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net. Homes that have languished on the market in the past are now Under Contract!!! If you need help selling your home, we are here to help you! Call 1-800-858-6000 or visit our site today.
Tips for Holding a Successful Open House
For Sale Signs are popping up like tulips and National Open House Weekend is This Saturday and Sunday.
Every home seller should take advantage of the tremendous amount of buyer traffic that will be on the street this weekend. The Realtors Association is doing the advertising for you. Don’t pass up the opportunity to show off your home, too!!
What Time Should You Hold Your Home Open?
- Open your home to the public for 3 hours, both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, don’t start before 1:00.
Idea’s for Advertising and Marketing Your Open House.
- Place an ad in your Newspaper Classified real estate section. Check to see if your local paper has a special Open House section, many do. You should run your ad the morning of the Open House and if budget allows, run your ad a few days in advance of the Open House.
- Edit your InfoTube ad and include the date and time of your Open House on your free internet ad. Be sure to remove the dates from your ad, once the event has past.
- After editing your ad to include your Open House date, Print new brochures with the date and time, then refill your InfoTube. (Tip: Make sure you print plenty of brochures to hand out at your Open House.)
- Open House Directional Signs. Nothing boosts attendance as much as directional signs placed at all key intersections and the routes traveled to reach your home. You can purchase directional Arrow and Open House signs at most major home centers. Please collect all signs after your Open House to avoid possible citations. Many towns consider left over signs as “littering”, after the event has passed.
- Attract more attention. Purchase an Open House sign for a few dollars at your local hardware store. Tie brightly colored balloons to the sign the day of the event.
- Post your Open House on OpenHouse.com. Place a post on Craigslist. Send out an email. Use the internet to gain as much attention as possible.
Tomorrow we will address Setting the Stage for the perfect Open House. Topics will include setting the scene, staging, how to give a tour, how to work with buyers and much more….so please check back in with us!
Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net. Get outside after work today and start sprucing up that front yard. Nothing draws buyers like great curb appeal.