Archive for the 'Tips & Advice' Category
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 30, 2009
It’s hard enough to sell a house in this market, but try selling a haunted house! It’s a challenge but not impossible. HGTV’s FrontDoor offers tips and advice to get the job done.
If you’re a buyer looking for the ultimate bargain, a haunted house or other stigmatized property may be right for you — if you can deal with the home’s gruesome past or unexplainable issues.
If the idea of living in a haunted house scares you, there are plenty of haunted houses to visit. Whether it’s the creepy abandoned Victorian at the end of your block or the fancy haunted house attraction you pay to enter, be safe and have a happy Halloween!
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 30, 2009
For those of you who’ll be house hunting as well as trick-or-treating this Halloween weekend, your friends at FrontDoor.com have come up with some tips for foreclosure buyers. We call them:
And check out these other Halloween-themed homebuying and selling tips on FrontDoor.com:
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 16, 2009
HGTV’s FrontDoor.com is proud to welcome real estate open house listing site OpenHouse.com to the HGTV family!
On OpenHouse.com, you can find open house schedules and addresses and view hundreds of thousands of virtual home tours to enhance your house hunting experience.
Combine that with FrontDoor’s 4 million real estate listings and expert articles and videos and you’ve got all you need to take charge of your home search.
OpenHouse.com also offers homebuyers and sellers great insider tips and advice, including:
Read the news release here. And be sure to watch HGTV’s Open House Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET for more news!
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | October 7, 2009
The housing market can be very scary. Just ask any homebuyer or seller — a seemingly normal situation can easily turn into a nightmare.
In this month’s Top 10, read 10 hair-raising real estate horror stories, from showings gone awry to frightening HOAs to houses plagued with unwelcome guests and ghastly pasts.
Plus, get tips on how to avoid these nightmares and ensure your homebuying or selling experience is drama free.
Happy Halloween!
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | August 6, 2009
I hear so many real estate agent horror stories from homebuyers and sellers (and have experienced my own nightmare situations) that you’d think “agent bashing” is some sort of national pastime.
While there are some bad apples out there (as there are in any profession), that shouldn’t reflect poorly on the industry as a whole. In fact, I know many people who rave about their real estate agents and consider them part of the family.
Finding an agent is easy. In any given area, hundreds of professionals are vying for your business. Finding the right agent for you is the hard part.
You’re trusting someone to help through one of the biggest purchases in your life, so it’s important to do your research.
Check out FrontDoor’s Top 10 Strategies for Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent.
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | July 31, 2009
It’s tough not to think about how much your home value has fallen since the peak of the real estate boom. But as financial expert Barry Ritholtz points out, falling prices don’t affect you unless you really have to sell.
Furthermore, delusional sellers are blocking the road to the housing recovery. Until they wake up to the reality of today’s market and price aggressively, they’ll need a dose of HGTV’s “Real Estate Intervention.”
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | July 20, 2009
I’ve never been a great haggler.
For most of my 20s, I accepted terms that were offered to me, not really knowing I could fight for what I wanted.
Perhaps it was my aversion to conflict (Libras like me seek balance, after all) or the ingrained, albeit naive, notion that people always offer a fair price.
Looking back, I wish I would have negotiated many more things in my life — career opportunities, salaries, boyfriends… but I digress.
As a first-time homebuyer, it is absolutely critical that you understand how to make a strong offer and how to negotiate with the seller to get terms you both can live with, especially if you really want the home.
Negotiating skillfully requires that you do your research — calculate the property’s fair market value from comps, understand the seller’s motivations for selling in this market, and know what concessions you are willing to make and what your deal breakers are.
Check your emotions at the door. Consider everything analytically, carefully, so you don’t get caught up in the heat of the moment and end up doing something you regret.
Think of this preparation as your training before you jump into the negotiating ring. Just because you’re in a buyer’s market doesn’t mean the seller is going to jump at your offer. You can safely assume that the seller has done their homework, so why should you come unprepared?
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | July 17, 2009
In this week’s vlog, we hear from San Diego real estate broker and blogger Kris Berg about her tips for buying and selling a home in today’s market.
Homebuying and selling resources on FrontDoor:
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | July 10, 2009
In this week’s vlog, I talk to real estate broker and attorney Tara-Nicholle Nelson about how homeowners who are struggling to make their mortgage payments can get their loans modified and avoid foreclosure.
You’ve heard about extending the loan, converting an ARM to a fixed rate mortgage, and reducing the interest rate, but what about loan forgiveness? Will the lender write off all or part of your loan? Do you need to hire a company or can you work directly with your lender and do it yourself?
Get more tips and advice about the loan modification process:
Posted by Annalisa Burgos | July 2, 2009
In this week’s vlog, find out why it’s important to get a pre-approval before you go house hunting. Some curious homebuyers will check out an open house or two before actually evaluating their financial situation, but this is actually one of the top 10 homebuying mistakes that can cost you.
Plus… Backyard. Outdoor kitchen. Outdoor living room. Pool. Deck. Find out which summer season home updates pay off when you sell.
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