What are the pros and cons of adding on or buying new?

What are the pros and cons of adding on or buying new?

Before making a choice between adding on to an existing home or buying a larger one, consider these questions: * How much money is available, either from cash reserves or through a home improvement loan, to remodel your current house? * How much additional space is required? Would the foundation support a second floor or does the lot have room to expand on the ground level? * What do local zoning and building ordinances permit? * How much equity already exists in the property? * Are there affordable properties for sale that would satisfy your changing housing needs?

What Are The Benefits of Buyer's Agency?

Arrange Property Showings
Assist With Financing
Provide Property Data
Explain Forms and Agreements
Closely Monitor the Closing Process
Prepare A Property Value Study
Provide You Access To The ENTIRE Market (both Listed and Unlisted)
Promote and Protect Buyer's Best Interest; Advise The Buyer
Negotiate The BEST Price and Terms For You
Point Out Reasons Not To Buy
Prepare The Offer With Buyer's Best Interest In Mind
Keep Buyer's Bargaining Position CONFIDENTIAL!
Provide Anonymity (if desired)
Put the Buyer's Interest FIRST During The Entire Buying Process

What kind of return is there on remodeling jobs?

Remodeling magazine produces an annual "Cost vs. Value Report'' that answers just that question. The most important point to remember is that remodeling a home not only improves its livability for you but its curb appeal with a potential buyer down the road. Most recently, the highest remodeling paybacks have come from updating kitchens and baths, home-office additions and extra amenities in older homes. While home offices are a relatively new remodeling trend, for example, you could expect to recoup 58 percent of the cost of adding a home office, according to the survey.

Why Use A Realtor?

Why use a Realtor? Why not do it yourself?
Click Here to Find Out Why

How do I prepare the house for sale?

First and foremost, put it in the best condition possible, especially if you are in a market with few buyers and lots of homes for sale. That means taking care of any major repairs that could deter a buyer (such as replacing any broken windows or replacing a leaky roof) if you can afford it. Next, work on your home's curb appeal. Make sure your landscape is pristine. Mow the grass, clean up any debris and weed the garden beds. Plant a few annual flowers near the entrance or in pots to be placed by the door. Other quick fixes that don't cost a lot of money but can help you get top dollar for your home:

- Clean the windows and make sure the paint is not chipped or flaking.
- Be sure that the doorbell works.
- Clean and freshen up rooms, furnishings, floors, walls and ceilings. Make sure that bathrooms and kitchens are spotless.
- Organize closets.
- Make sure the basic appliances and fixtures work.

- Replace leaky faucets and frayed cords.
- Eliminate the source of any bad smells, such as the kitty box. Use air freshener or bake a batch of cookies before your open house to ensure that the house smells inviting.
- Invest in a couple of vases of fresh flowers to place around the house and next to the front door.

How many people sell their homes themselves?

Most home sellers -- about 4 in 5 -- use real estate agents to list and sell their homes. Of the other 20 percent, some sell FSBO, also known as For Sale By Owner. Other owners, however, sell without marketing their homes. Property transfers between family members account for some of the direct home sales. Also, tenants are often offered the opportunity to buy the property they are renting before the landlord lists it for sale.

Welcome!

Welcome to the Metro Atlanta Real Estate Blog!

This blog was created to inform both buyers and sellers about the real estate market in Metro Atlanta. My name is Mark Doster and I am a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Communities in Marietta, GA. Since the start of my career, I've often thought about ways to educate my fellow consumers about local real estate conditions. Please check back often for articles and information pertaining to the local market.