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8 Staycation Ideas For Families

A staycation doesn’t mean you can’t have an adventure…

Staying home instead of spending the holidays at one of the more luxurious locations your children would enjoy, like Disneyland, the beach, or camping might sound boring.  But if you are on a budget it’s easy to sell an exciting staycation to your little ones.

Below are our favourite eight kid and budget friendly ideas full of fun and adventure.

Camp Out In Your Own Backyard

It’s time to go camping!  There is no better place then in your own backyard.  Pitch a tent, grab the camping chairs and roll out the sleeping bags to create an exciting experience just as authentic as being in the wilderness.

Explore the plants, wildlife, and spot constellations all from the comfort of home.  Don’t forget the smore fixings!

Build A Fort

Gather your supplies.  Boxes, blankets, chairs, and pillows. Grab it all and construct the ultimate playhouse. Build it up tall or keep it small, add tunnels or even a moat made of cushions.  Any kid would be happy to play all day in such a fortress.

Looking for something more cozy.  Bring pillows and blankets inside and turn your fort into a quite movie theatre.  Don’t forget about the movie snacks.

Learn Something New

Take your little ones out to the zoo or perhaps the park to spot new and enticing animals.  Incorporate a new skill into some playtime for a more education twist.  Maybe it’s time for the family to all learn a new sport or language using tools like the internet or the library.

Plan A Treasure Or Scavenger Hunt

By hiding clues or treats, much like an easter egg hunt, you can occupy your smaller children all afternoon.  Recruit the help of the internet to make your scavenger hunt full of fresh ideas and clues.  Keep them interested with a prize or promise of an outing to keep them engaged. 

Play dress up and see who is the scariest pirate to make it even more memorable.

Family Carnival

Take the kids to your very own town fair.  Involve the neighbourhood to add realism and extra fun.  Incorporate classic fair foods like corn dogs, french fries, funnel cake, and cotton candy.

Set up activities like ring toss, balloon darts, a fishing hole and more.

As a grand finally, wrap up the day with an outdoor movie projected on the garage.

Cool Down With Water Play

Hard to keep up with the kids in the extreme heat?  Cool down in the backyard with your own mini water park.

Sprinklers, squirt guns, and water balloons.  Gather up your supplies and cool off while keeping those kids entertained.

For a change in scenery, bring the kids to your local splash pad or community pool.  Give them the opportunity to make new summertime friendships.

Find Your Inner Artist

Let your kids get creative with arts and crafts time.  Let them create unique pieces any parent would cherish forever.

Perhaps, tie dying t-shirt or sculpting with clay is your kiddos interest.  Although, it can be as easy as letting them run wild with sidewalk chalk.

Get Your Chef On

What better place to bring the excitement then into your kitchen.  Introduce new foods and work as a team in your very own cook off.

Not a competitive family? No problem.  Take the family for a trip to the famers market allowing them to explore ingredients you wouldn’t likely find in your grocery store.  Let them do the shopping and see what adventurous foods they come up with.

On the sweeter side.  Throw a television like baking competition and see which member produces the most delicious confection.

No matter the circumstances, it is easy to have a fun and adventurous staycation, regardless of your budget or free time.  Don’t miss out on creating memorable experiences with your children this summer. 

Why You Should Invest In Real Estate

Investing in real estate can be highly successful, or it can be a complete failure. Everybody believes that location, location, location is what matters the most, but it is actually more important to know who you are dealing with. However, the world of real estate is filled with shady characters. Consider those late night advertisements on television, where realtors promise to make you a millionaire, for instance.

Do not invest in real estate before you actually have everything you need. First, you need the capital to make an investment. You should also look into the overall real estate market and the neighborhoods you are interested in.

On a personal level, you need to have excellent people skills and be a skilled manager and negotiator. You also need to be able to do repairs, or have a team of people to do this for you. Last but not least, make sure you hire a property inspector. Generally speaking, investing in property means you will become a landlord. This also means you need to learn how to vet potential renters and how to be a landlord. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to have money to spend in order to make more money. You will be unlikely to succeed if you don’t have any money of your own. Now that you are ready to get started, you need to look into the location. Go to the library and use the internet or even go to town board meetings. Find out not just about current situations, but also about future development plans.

You could also look for REITs (real estate investment rrusts). This means you need less investing capital up front, but the returns are not as high either. Working with REITs basically means you invest in other corporations. This can be anything from a construction company to a theme park. You can keep track with the performance of a REIT through the NASDAQ and stock exchange. A REIT, essentially, is like a mutual fund that only looks at real estate. Before investing in a REIT, there are a few things to learn about. Look into the economic conditions of the locations of the key holdings first. Find out how the REIT has performed in the past. You should also investigate their future plans. Looking into the REIT’s manager and what their experience is. Last but not least, consider what the real estate market looks like and how this could affect how your REIT will perform.

Main Requirements In Finding Selling a House Described

A Look At Vital Aspects When Looking At Selling a House

Many people are starting to invest in real estate so if you have any plans of selling your house, you should do it now. The only dilemma here is that it’s going to be difficult to sell a property.

You might have seen lots of articles saying that selling a house is simple or you have seen some advertisements telling you that they could sell your house within a specific amount of time. In case you’re going to decrease the asking price of the house, it will be a lot more desirable to the buyers, but this is not a good thing to do.

In the real estate market, the supply surpasses the demand, but there are tons of methods to sell your house effectively. Below are a few of the suggestions on how you can do this.

Focus on Curb Appeal

First impression lasts so your house should be desirable enough to capture the interest of a customer the first time they see it. You must place yourself in the shoes of a customer and assess the curb appeal of your house.

Go out of the house and have a look at it to view its faults. You must make certain that it’s appealing enough to leave a good impression to possible buyers and verify everything that need maintenance.

The possible customers always see the exterior of house firsthand and many of them are always paying attention on how their new home would look like in the outside. Make the required preparations and fix anything that needs fixing.

Make Necessary Improvements

You’ll need to make the required upgrades inside and outside the house to attract the buyers. They really want a total package where they won’t need to make repairs on certain parts of your home.

If you’re the seller, make certain that you check everything that needs to be fixed and make enhancements. You should never over improve your home because there are some enhancements that won’t really make a big difference in the price of your house.

Upgrades can definitely improve the value of your house and its odds to be sold, but you can’t make an improvement that will not pay in the end. You need to do your research and only invest in things that could provide you the best roi.

Depersonalize Your house

Some folks state that adding more designs to your house will increase its chances of being sold, but you have to keep in mind that personal items, collectibles and art works have to be removed because they won’t really help in selling the house.

The best thing that one could do is just remove all of them and just leave out the necessary furniture to make the rooms larger. The goal is to allow the buyers to visualize or picture themselves in your home.

They will begin pointing at every part of the house while visualizing what they need to put there if they will buy the house so you should make sure that unneeded and personal items will be removed.

You must Offer a Reasonable Value

If you will sell a home in Kansas City, you must put up a competitive value for your property. If you’ll put a low value, it will be the same as leaving money on the table and if you priced the house too high, it’s going to be unattractive to buyers. If you’re speaking about home buying, the customers will always search for houses that are similar to yours and compare the prices. If your home is very costly, the customer will undoubtedly ignore your house and check others. These buyers usually rely on home financing so they can’t actually afford houses which are quite pricey. You may sell the house easily if you’ll set a low value, but you can’t get your investments back.

Look for a Real Estate Agent

You are absolutely making an error if you believe that you may sell your home on your own. If you are not really a professional real estate agent, it’s going to be difficult because you do not have the knowledge and experience to do this. In case you are going to do this on your own, there is a chance that you will not be able to sell your property or you will not get a great deal. You may get lucky and get a great deal for your house, but you cannot count on luck alone when selling a house because this is a lot of money. You could hire an agent and permit them to do everything. You’ll need to pay them, but this is a lot better than acquiring a bad deal because you don’t have any idea what you need to do.

Before you start selling your house, make certain that you understand how to do this effectively. The real estate market is very complicated so you should understand how it works prior to selling your house.

Real Estate Investing And How You Can Get Into It

Have you heard stories of people making lots of money off of real estate investments? You might have seen information on television concerning the money to be made with real estate. If you want to make more money without working more hours, try investing in real estate. Below you will find useful tips to help you get started in real estate investing.

After you decide to start your real estate investing career, establish an LLC. This ensures that your investments will be protected. Additionally, you’ll get to take advantage of tax breaks from business matters.

A key element in real estate investing is finding the right location. You can change a lot of other factors. Making purchases in areas that are quickly depreciating is a bad idea. Investigate local communities for their property values to get a feel for good purchases.

When drafting your business strategy, know that the initial costs will go beyond the selling price of the property. When thinking about your bottom line, don’t forget things like closing and staging costs, as well as legal fees. When figuring out your margins, include these expenses and add them to your list of line items.

As you evaluate your business plan, take into consideration set costs associated with the investment. You will have closing costs, staging fees and legal fees, along with other costs depending on the property. As you work out costs, factor all these in and incorporate them into the bottom line.

Connect with other investors in real estate. Getting advice from those already in the business will help a lot. A couple of acquaintances that know real estate can help you out. Search the web for people who know what they are doing. Read over some online forums and meet like-minded people.

Listen more in negotiations than you talk. If you do most of the talking, you may just talk yourself out of a good deal. Also, when you listen carefully, you will be able to pinpoint the time when you can grab the exact price you are looking for.

Make sure you take the time to learn the ropes before making your first purchase. Some real estate mistakes can be very costly. Your first investment should be in training yourself properly and know how to protect yourself.

Learn to get along with others. Don’t see other buyers and investors as competition but instead as potential partners and collaborators. Doing this will allow resource sharing and client sharing by networking well. This will help you both to generate profits. This will surely enhance your reputation.

Take your time at first. Your first deal out of the gate can be expected to take longer than usual. You might take your time finding the right property or completing the best deal. Never let your guard down and settle on a sale. That is not a wise use of your money. Bide your time until an outstanding opportunity arises.

Be sure to keep excellent books. You may find it easy to skimp when it comes to bookkeeping, particularly in the beginning. You probably have lots of other matters to consider. One thing that is quite important is accurate bookkeeping. You will save yourself a major headache later if you start building good bookkeeping habits now.

Don’t invest in property if you don’t have a cash reserve set aside. This is critical to have when repairs arise. Another reason having reserve cash is important is to be able to pay the mortgage in case you can’t rent the property quickly. There are still expenses, even if no one lives there.

There are many highs and lows in real estate investing. Don’t let the lows cause you to quit. You will come out on top if you persevere. Keep on learning and doing until you get to where you want to be.

When thinking about how much money you can make off a property, make sure you understand what repairs will be required. Consider this when you are considering your potential profit from the property. If you plan to rent your property, you need to factor in maintenance costs. Always leave yourself a little wiggle room in your budget and be realistic about projected profits.

Before investing in a rental property, know what the going rental prices are for the area. One thing to remember about renting property is that you have to keep the price similar to other rentals in your area. Potential tenants will be less interested in your property, making you need to wait longer to start earning money.

Understand that investing often involves sacrifice. For instance, you will be investing not only money, but a great deal of your time if you enter the real estate market. You may not be able to engage in all of the leisure activities that you are accustomed to. Keep in mind that your dream activities will be waiting when you achieve your financial goals.

If you have the time to hold properties for a bit, target areas with high foreclosure rates. These areas can come back, and those that buy when the market is low can make a lot of money. Remember that it may take a while to get your profit.

It may take a while for you to see profits with real estate investing. You must ensure you’ve got some money. You must be gainfully employed to start. You will have many expenses to pay. Good income is vital for success.

Know the marketplace language. You always need to sound as if you belong there. If the seller sees that you are a novice, he may take advantage of you. Your expertise and how you talk can work out well for you. If you come across as a professional, people will take you more seriously during negotiations.

Those around you, including loved ones, close friends and even fellow employees at your day job, might discourage you from investing in real estate. It’s best to ignore them, learn on your own, and make your own wise decisions. An exception to this is someone who has money and knows how to handle it.

Learn the market’s lingo. You should always sound like you are a professional. If your seller thinks you are new to this, then they may try to take you for a ride on the price. Your expertise and how you talk can work out well for you. Sounding professional will help you in negotiations.

Real estate is very risky, so it is vital to apply all that you have learned to reduce variance. Don’t fear getting into real estate. Keep learning to see what you can make. Feel free to pass this knowledge on to family and friends as well!

Properly Invest In Real Estate With Some Advice

Real estate investing can be a tricky market to enter into, no matter if the person has experience or not. If you are looking for solid tips on investing, you have come to the right article. Read on for some helpful ideas to see success in your real estate investments.

Before making an investment in real estate, analyze the current market and do your research. Have a spreadsheet handy as you look at up to 100 properties around the area in which you intend to invest. Compare things like the costs of repairs, desirability of location and potential return on your investment. This can help you sort the good deals from the bad ones.

In real estate investing, it’s important to maintain a sterling reputation. This means sticking to your word and not lying to your clients. They will allow you to boost your credibility since they may refer you to others.

Take time to do investing, and take time to learn about it. You must budget your time wisely if you want to make good profits consistently. Put your time in and reduce the leisurely activities that you have on the side.

As you analyze business strategy when it comes to your real estate investments, understand the costs that are outside of the actual price. You will have closing costs, staging fees and legal fees, along with other costs depending on the property. Understand all of your expenses when you are figuring out your net profit.

Follow blogs by those who have been successful with real estate investments. Or, become a part of an online group. This is going to give you priceless knowledge you can use on your own. You can even sometimes have conversations with some of these people.

Will the rent you charge cover the cost of the mortgage payment? When you do this, you start with the right foot. Little is worse than paying money out of pocket for your rent each month due to not having a monthly payment from the tenant to cover it.

Educate yourself fully on the essentials of real estate investing before you spend a lot of money on a property. If you don’t stay mindful of your choices, you risk making some expensive mistakes. The best thing you can do is give yourself a thorough education on the topic before you spend a cent.

Hire a property manager who can screen tenants. Make sure they are qualified and honest. The wrong property manager could cost you a lot of money.

Broaden your horizons and consider investing in properties for businesses, instead of only homes. Business properties offer you the potential for long term rentals, and they can be quite lucrative investments. Business parks or strip malls are great options. This allows you multiple options for your investment dollars.

Prior to investing in an property, obtain information regarding the government of the city in which the property is located. Check the official website of the town or city that you choose. Look for city planning details. This will give you an idea of whether your property investment will pay off. Growing cities are usually great investments.

Just buy one property in the beginning. Although it may be tempting to purchase a lot of properties at once, it could be a big mistake to do so if you’re new in investing in real estate. Instead, start slow and give yourself time to learn how the market works. This will be of great benefit to you and your success.

Make small investments immediately. Procrastination is a big mistake in the real estate market. If you put it off, you will only fall further behind more motivated individuals.

Try avoiding being emotional when negotiating. You are investing in this property and will probably not be living there. Emotional buying can cause you to overpay on an investment property. You can only profit by applying this advice.

In real estate investing, there will be bad times and good times. You must not be discourage by these lulls in the market. You will come out on top if you persevere. Be persistent in your real estate studies, try new ideas, when possible and you will succeed.

Subscribe to a foreclosure listing service that provides you will deals as soon as they materialize. This saves you precious time instead of handling lots of communication with local courthouses, lenders and agents. This usually has current information that can help you search accurately.

If you’re thinking about investing in multiple properties, it is best to have them all within a short distance of each other. Needless expenses, such as fuel and time, can be avoided when going back and forth between your properties. You will also learn lots about the area you are buying real estate in.

In real estate investing, there will be bad times and good times. Don’t allow the low points make you want to give up on real estate. Persistence will pay off. Learn from your mistakes and don’t make the same mistake twice.

Those around you, including loved ones, close friends and even fellow employees at your day job, might discourage you from investing in real estate. You should largely ignore them as long as you are willing to do the hard work and learn. However, you may want to listen to those with successful experience in the market.

A great way to figure out how worthy it is to invest in a certain neighborhood is to look up vacancies in the area. If you look around and see lots of empty rental properties in the area, chances are good yours will stand empty too.

People that you’re involved with in your personal life may not want you to get into real estate. Do not pay attention to them, rather do all you can to acquire knowledge about the subject to help you make wise money choices. However, you may want to listen to those with successful experience in the market.

You can try predicting when you will sell a house, but you will not be right all the time. Be aware of this when assessing your risk when purchasing a property. Will there be an initial cash layout or will it be financed? What interest rate will you have to pay? Will you be renting before you sell?

Hopefully, this article helped you to understand the differences between wise and unwise investments. If you desire to succeed, be sure to read the tips in this guide. You will get what you want only through hard work, so it is essential that your learning process never stops.

Home Inspections

Home Inspection: Electrical, Plumbing and Roofing 

Buying or selling a house is one of the more stressful life events. Once an offer is accepted, the clock starts ticking toward closing day, and you have to jump through a lot of hoops before getting there. f4d669f7859f01daa5f66226a478caac

Whether you are the buyer or the seller, you can run into setbacks that threaten to kill the deal at any point in the transaction.

Ignoring a major problem won’t make it go away. Sooner or later, someone is going to have to pay to fix the problems before damage to the entire house becomes not just more expensive but more extensive. Here are some things to look out for.

Home inspection concerns

A home inspector does not pass or fail a house, but rather describe its physical condition and indicate what components and systems may need major repair or replacement. There is no such thing as a perfect house. Even if you buy a new construction home — in fact, especially with a new construction home, you can find problems.

Buyers who are contemplating purchasing even a brand new home should not shy away from independently having a home inspection done by a qualified, impartial inspector and not just rely on the builder’s word.

A good home inspection should catch all kinds of concerns because the longer they go undetected, the worse they can get. The worst problems are usually structural, such as foundation problems. You must find out why the foundation has moved and what the probability is that it will continue to move. Home-Inspection-Lansdale-PA-Total-Home-coverage

What problems are considered worse than foundation issues?

Anything that’s not working, not right, not up to code will be noticed. When it comes to major issues that should concern the home buyer or owner, inspectors look at the issues that would affect the persons to be occupying the house, rather than the house itself, such as unprotected pools, which are a drowning hazard for small children.

Is it a large enough issue that you should negotiate?

Not every issue uncovered during an inspection is that serious. If you’re the seller, how much is the problem going to cost you to fix, or how much will you have to concede to the buyer to make the repairs? If you’re the buyer, what should you ask from the seller, or should you just walk away? closing-cost-negotiation

There are some issues that are not necessarily ‘deal breakers,’ such as broken, cracked, or loose concrete roof tiles, AC not working properly, and dirty HVAC filters.

Do you fix, or walk away? 

When it comes time to decide what to do about a less-than-stellar home inspection report, the home inspector probably is not going to tell you what to do. Regardless of what he uncovers during an inspection, the home inspector is simply a “data collector” and presents the facts. In the final analysis, it depends on how comfortable and knowledgeable you are about the type and extent of repairs needed and whether you can shoulder the additional expense.

More Reading:

Getting a Home Inspection

US News – MONEY

Home Inspections 101 – HGTV

How Much Does a Home Inspection Cost? – Angies List

Issues of Purchasing a Home With Foundation Problems

Finding the perfect home can take months or even years, and after you’ve found the perfect one, discovering it has foundation issues during the inspection stage can be very disheartening. There are several dangers and risks that you’ll take on if you decide to proceed with the purchase anyway; although in most instances these problems can be dealt with, the cost, time and stress involved may not be worth it. Understanding what you may be up against before you purchase makes it easier to deal with foundation issues after the fact. Before you do anything, hire a structural engineer to inspect the property and let you know exactly what needs to be done; in most cases, the average home inspector isn’t qualified to give you details on what the foundation will need. fashion-gorgeous-house-luxury-mansion-Favim.com-184908

You May Need Different Financing

If you’re already pre-qualified for a loan through stricter traditional lenders, you may need different financing. Certain lenders require that the home is structurally sound, and any foundation problems may result in them not financing that specific house. Even if a lender decides to finance the home anyway, you may be subject to higher interest rates or need to provide a bigger down payment.

Cost of Repairing the Foundation

Cracks in the foundation that are less than 1/4 inch wide don’t usually require repair; however, anything more than that does. Patching cracks can cost a few thousand dollars, depending on where you live, and this doesn’t address the cause of the cracking in the first place, which you’ll also need to fix at some point. This can be as small as fixing and replacing gutters and downspouts and grading the property around the home so that the ground slopes away from the foundation, or as major as rebuilding part or all of the foundation. Rebuilding part of the foundation can cost you tens of thousands of dollars.

Cost of Repairing Related Damage

When there are issues with the foundation, there are likely problems elsewhere in the home, and buying a house with foundation issues means you’ll have more household repairs to contend with down the line. Cracks in drywall, crooked doors and windows, broken tiles and uneven, thus damaged, hardwood floors all occur when a foundation isn’t level and sturdy. Once the foundation is repaired, you’ll either have to live with these issues or fix them, which, if you hire a contractor, will be costly depending on the extent of the damage. images

It Could Go Deeper Than the Foundation

Foundation issues are no minor thing; however, in the majority of cases, the issue can be fixed. One of the greatest dangers of buying a home with foundation issues is finding out that, while the foundation was constructed perfectly, the ground beneath it shifted. Most builders perform a soil test to ensure that the foundation will stay in place; however, this test can fail or contractors may fail to do the test. If this is the case, more extensive foundation repairs, including lifting up the house to install new foundation piers to level it out and reinforce the existing foundation, are necessary. In extreme cases where damage is extensive, you also run the risk of needing to replace the entire foundation.

For further reading, check out the following articles:

Home Inspection Defects: Sue the Seller? – Nolo

Should I Buy a House with Foundation Issues? – Zillow

How to Evaluate Home Foundation Problems

How to Find Foundation Problems on a Home You’re Buying

Inside Home Staging

Many homeowners ask themselves: is hiring a stager worth it?

Well, studies show that unstaged homes sit on the market 90 days longer than staged homes. Hiring a professional stagers is absolutely worth it. Staged homes receive their first offers approximately 30 days after being staged. 01-Book-Mania

Here are some reasons that homeowners do not hire professional home stagers:

They think they can’t afford it
They think there is no need for one, as they believe their home is already decorated beautifully
They think buyers can look past flaws
Their previous home was unstaged, and it sold
They don’t want to invest money into a home they are selling
They think an empty home will make the space appear larger

Which projects are good to DIY?

Projects that are good DIY are usually painting, minor electrical work, and updating light fixtures. Many of the projects can be executed without professionals. One thing a homeowner can do on his/her own is to be sure the yard is cleaned up, in order to achieve excellent curb appeal. These things are often simple things, like sweeping, raking, mowing and adding some colorful plants and flowers. Projects that should be left to professionals are projects that require roofing work, and foundation issues. RX-HGMAG022_Curb-Appeal-100-a-4x3

How often does a home need it staged in entirety versus focusing on particular rooms?

A buyer will decided within 15 seconds of being introduced to a property whether or not he or she has continued interest in seeing the house. They know immediately if the house could be a good fit for them based on their first impression. Usually it consists of the living room, dining area, and kitchen. These are the most important and lived-in rooms of a home, where a homeowner will spend most of his/her time. If there are other rooms that offer any type of challenge with size, shape, layout, unique architectural details, these rooms should likely be staged as well.  Buyers have trouble visualizing how their furniture will look in the spaces.

What is the main mistake homeowners make when trying to stage the house themselves?

The largest mistake overall that homeowners tend to make when attempting to stage on their own is that they are too attached to the space itself. Because it is their own style, it is hard for them to remain objective. The issue is that it has to appeal to the buyer. Thus the home needs to be marketed to appeal to them, not the homeowner. As the seller has lived in the home for a long time, they are used to the home and its imperfections, and have gotten over those flaws. They have to think like a buyer and most homeowners can’t do that because it’s too personal. West-Elm-Workspace-1-Mid-Century

Which projects provide the best return of investment?

The best, easiest and least expensive home improvement project a homeowner can do would include new paint, updated lighting fixtures, fans, and new hardware. This is to make the home appear ‘fresh,’ as opposed to dated. By updating aesthetics. Any money spent on kitchens and baths always warrant a return on investment. Kitchens sell homes. Decisions to buy a home are still made on the look, function and feel of the kitchen. With that said, baths that are clean, updated, functional and modern will appeal to all buyers.

15 Home Staging Tips – HGTV

Is Home Staging Worth the Cost? – Nolo

Home Staging Guide – Realtor.com

How Much Does it Cost to Stage a Home? – Angie’s List

Home Stagers: Know Your Expected Busy Seasons


As a home stager, you already know that your job is to decorate the home in a way that appeals to buyers, in order to get the home sold fast for the seller. It should be a no-brainer, but many home stagers don’t realize that it is their job to understand the real estate market. The reasoning behind this is that this knowledge will allow you to better serve your clients.

There are many studies that suggest the best and worst times to list, or make an offer on a home. Knowing this type of information will help keep you plugged in to the psychology of home buyers and sellers in your market:

When is the best month to make an offer on a home? January. Many buyers do not want to go house shopping during cold weather. Thus, there is less competition and fewer bidding wars. Sellers also tend to be more motivated than they will be in the spring, when there are more buyers. One reason for this is that they may have just received their credit card bills that reflect Christmas spending and may be feeling financially insecure. And their decision to try to sell their houses in the winter means they’re willing to risk listing during a time of the year when properties tend not show particularly well. 

When is the best time to sell your home? The spring. During the spring, buyers come out of the woodwork during the spring, and with tax refund checks in the bank, spring buyers more often pay full price. Sales generally peak in springtime, which explains why more than half of listed homes move quickly in the summer. Also, be sure to never list your home with a number ending in zero. Numbers that do not end with zero makes buyers feel like the price is lower than it actually is. You can actually earn a few thousand more dollars than you would have, had you listed the price of the the home ending in zero.

When is the best day of the week to list your house? Thursday. This is  actually truer during a seller’s market, but if you list your fully prepared house for sale on a Thursday, it will be available right away for weekend showings and by Saturday, which is the most important day of the week in real estate, because your house will have shown only two days. That’s important because the fewer days on market, the better chance the home will attract a full-price offer. Even if your house doesn’t sell by the next Saturday, it will still show only nine days on market, benefiting from the psychological advantage of a single-digit number. 

No matter when your client is listing a house, it’s your job to help him or her sell it. But having an understanding of the psychology both of the home seller and prospective buyers is important. It’s imperative that you have an understanding on the current market so that you can deliver results that your clients seek.

30 Cant-Miss Home Staging Tips – HGTV

21 Staging Tips for Selling Your Home Fast – Fox News

6 Simple Yet Effective Home Staging Ideas Under $40 – Forbes

Secrets of a House Stager