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Feng Shui in Real Estate Sales

By Andrew John Cocks | Buying

Literally translated “Feng” means wind and “Shui” mean water. Deeply rooted in connection to nature, Feng Shui is the 4000 year old Chinese are of placement and philosophy that supports living in awareness and harmony with our surroundings.

As the awareness of Feng Shui increases, more real estate agents are being asked to show buyers homes with “good” Feng Shui. If a real estate agent has knowledge of this ancient and highly respected design philosophy will assists him/her to:

• Increase the value, marketability, and emotional appeal of a home.
• Build confidence with Feng Shui savvy buyers and sellers.
• Provide solutions to remedy a home’s Feng Shui energy challenges.
• Build referrals by selling “Feng Shui friendly” homes that support the well being of your clients and their sphere of influence.

This section will explain the 5 Feng Shui tips for your references.

Tip 1 : Main Entrance

The main door is like the mouth for the house. It is the gateway between the world and the privacy of the home and air currents literally enter and exit at this point.

• The positioning of a main door can determine the fortune or misfortune of the occupants. Therefore you must keep the entrance clear of any clutter to allow the energies to flow freely.
• Make sure there is nothing in direct alignment with the door such as a tree or telegraph pole. To remedy this place a Bagua mirror over the door so it is reflecting the Sha Qi.
• Avoid facing a dark, pokey room, an interior staircase, mirror, stove, sink, fireplace, the door of a toilet, laundry, bathroom or bedroom. To remedy this keep the doors closed or place a screen between the doors.

Tip 2 : Bedrooms

Bedrooms should be sacred spaces where an adult or child can retreat and regenerate. Most people spent roughly one third of their lives in their bedroom, so maintaining balance and serenity in this area is essential.

Tip 3 : Kitchen

In any case, it’s better if you don’t see the kitchen immediately upon entering the house, as this can portend digestive, nutritional, and eating problems. Having the kitchen at the entry point can also mean that guests will come over and eat and then leave immediately, and such a placement can also encourage the inhabitants to eat all the time.

Tip 4 : Windows

A house should have sufficient windows. Windows are in very important to allow sufficient light or pleasant views into the room.

Tip 5 : Dining & Living Room

Whenever possible the dining room should be separate from the living room. It is a social area for family members, thus it better to have as big as possible.

Summary

So with the above tips, you as a real estate agent when meet with a Feng Shui savvy buyer, you can use the above tips to talk with them, the chances to close the deal is high because the buyer see you as a knowledgeable in Feng Shui and the property you propose to them must be good in Feng Shui. And Feng Shui is a very good topic when come to a price negotiation with the sellers, agents with Feng Shui knowledge might be able to negotiate a better selling price for their buyers and close the sale.

Buy Your First House Before You Can Afford It

By Andrew John Cocks | Buying

Purchasing a home is most likely the biggest and often the best investment that you will ever make. Why not make that investment now?

If you are saving up with the goal of getting your dream home within the next two to five years, the following ideas could help you buy your house sooner than you planned.

* Buy from a motivated seller. A motivated seller is someone who has a house he or she wants to get rid of quickly. It could be that the owner was unable to sell the house on his or her own or that, even though the house was listed through a real estate agent, it just didn’t sell. Because only about 5 percent to 10 percent of sellers are truly motivated, you may need to relax your must-have requirements in a house.

* Find a seller who doesn’t need cash upfront. Most sellers will need the money from the sale of their home to buy their next home. Instead, look for someone who has already bought his or her next house. Vacant properties or homes that have been rental properties also are good candidates. By looking for properties like these, you’ll be working with sellers who are more likely to wait to get their money.

* Structure your offer as a lease purchase. Instead of buying right away, offer to rent the home for four or five years at a set rate. This will help the seller cover the current costs of the property while giving you the ability to live in your home now, continue to save for the down payment and then buy the home when you’re ready. Make sure you’re offered the option to buy the home at or below today’s value. If the seller is not willing to go along with this, then look for someone who is more motivated to sell.

See if you can get the seller to give you a credit toward the purchase of the home for each month that you pay rent.

Using these ideas, you’ll be able to buy that special house this year rather than waiting another two years or more. If the home you get is worth $200,000 today, then at a 10 percent appreciation rate, you could make an extra $40,000 or more simply by getting into the real estate market years ahead of schedule.

Home Staging: Making Your Home Sellable

By Andrew John Cocks | Selling

You’ve listed your home and the agent wants to start showing it to prospective buyers. Here’s a few tips to help it look its best.

You may have already read the importance of clearing out clutter. Well, that’s because it can’t be stressed enough. It is one of the most important aspects of making your home appealing to buyers, for two reasons. First, not just papers and dishes, clutter includes decorations and furniture too. Too much of it can block a persons view of the house itself. If everywhere they look they see stuff, a buyer doesn’t see your home. It is imperative that they have a clear view, or they won’t want to buy. Second, all that clutter screams personality. Your personality. And this is not what a buyer wants to see. When someone is looking over a home, what they need to do in order to be motivated to buy is to imagine themselves living in that home. If the house is so full of the current owner, a potential buyer can’t get past that and make the mental leap to visualizing themselves in the home.

Because of this, some sellers choose to box up a lot of their personal goods and put them in professional storage. This gets it right out of the house, so even the boxes aren’t clogging up the spare rooms and closets, which are also important selling features.

It is also important to fix things around the home. Keep in mind how well the doors around your home work, as buyers will almost always open closets and cupboards. If the doors are sticky or squeak, that gives a bad first impression. Obviously, your front door is the first candidate for a good hinge-oiling.

While you certainly don’t want to enter into major renovations, a new coat of paint can really brighten up a home and make it more appealing. Consider both the outside and inside of your home. And as tempting as it is to choose trendy colors or things you are personally attracted to, neutral tones are best. White or off-white are your safest bets as they will help a home appear bright, and give a new owner a good base if they wish to paint the home more uniquely.

Speaking of a bright home, be sure to leave all the lights on when your home is being shown. Open all the curtains, too, so that viewers feel that your home is bright and welcoming, and they can see clearly. Dusting every surface also helps your home look brighter.

Consider smell, an important sense that impacts our first impression. Do a good deep cleaning, especially if you have pets or smoke indoors. Air the home out a bit. You may wish to install some air fresheners, but be sure not to choose anything too overwhelming, as more and more people have sensitivities to scents these days.

Good luck with showing your home!

5 Ground Rules for Home Buying Success

By Andrew John Cocks | Buying

There are few purchases in life that carry the financial and psychological weight of buying a home. Whether you are buying your first home, moving up to your dream home, or downsizing your home and your life after the kids have gone, it is important to understand the ground rules for success in the world of buying a home.

Making the wrong decision in buying a home can have devastating and long lasting effects, while making a wise decision in home buying can greatly enhance the overall value of the investment. It is necessary to learn all you can about the world of home buying and mortgages before setting out to purchase the home of your dreams.

While there are plenty of web sites designed to help first time homeowners learn all they can, most financial experts say that there is no substitute for the good old one-on-one learning. Fortunately, most mortgage lenders, home inspectors and real estate agents will be able to provide this kind of one-on-one learning.

When buying a home it is often best to use a systematic approach as this is often the best way to be sure that all decisions are based on information and reason, not on impulse or emotion. Buying a home can be an emotional process, nevertheless it is imperative to keep your emotions under control and not let them cloud your judgment.

There are five basic ground rules when it comes to buying a home and shopping smart, and they are:

#1 – Get your financing before you get your home

There are few things in life as disappointing as losing out on the home of your dreams due to not being able to secure funding. While the desire to get out there are search for that great home is understandable, it is vital to line up the financing you will need before you start shopping for a home.

Getting the financing ahead of time has a number of important advantages, including knowing how much you can buy and gaining more respect from the listing agents. By knowing how much home you can afford before you shop you will avoid wasting your time looking at unaffordable properties, and the listing agent will be more than willing to show you the homes in your price range.

It is also important to take a good look at the various types of mortgage on the market before getting started in the home buying process. These days, mortgages come in far more choices than the typical 15 or 25 year. For that reason, potential home buyers need to understand how each type of mortgage works, and to gauge which mortgage is the best choice for their needs.

#2 – Look at the community, not just the home

It is a good idea to look at the entire community, instead of focusing on a single home. This can be a particularly important thing to consider for those moving to a new metropolitan area, as these buyers will be unfamiliar with the local climate and lifestyle. It is crucial to determine the areas of town that are most desirable, and to consider things like distance from work and local shopping opportunities.

We have all heard that location is the key consideration when it comes to real estate, and that is certainly the case. Buying a house in the wrong area can be a big mistake, and it is important to choose the location as well as the home. Potential buyers can learn a great deal about the nature of the various neighborhoods simply by driving around town, as well as by talking to other residents.

#3 – Be fair with your first offer

Trying to lowball a seller on the first offer can backfire, as can paying too much. It is important to carefully evaluate the local market, and to compare the asking price of the home with what similar houses in the neighborhood have sold for.

Comparing the sales of comparable homes, what are known as “comps” in the industry, is one of the best ways to determine what is fair, and to make sure that you neither overpay or underbid on the property.

#4 – Always get a home inspection

Always investigate the home for any possible defects before making an offer. Compared to the cost of the average home, the price of a quality home inspection is virtually negligible. Hence, get a good home inspection done before you buy.

To find the best home inspector, it is a good idea to seek out word of mouth referrals as many of the best home inspectors rely on word of mouth advertising.

#5 – Do not alienate the sellers of the home

Many real estate deals have fallen apart due to the personal animosity of the buyer and the seller. It is important to avoid alienating the seller of the home during the process, and to avoid nitpicking every little detail during the sale.

Keeping the good will of the seller will help the transaction go smoothly, and it will provide the best environment for seller and buyer alike.