How To Get The Best Price For Your Home

Determining how to correctly price a home for sale is one of the most important factors in selling a home. Statistics show that setting the correct market-determined price the first time will ultimately achieve the best sale price. To find the best price for a market an impartial evaluation of recent market an experienced REALTOR should perform activity.

Why shouldn’t I price my home high at the start then go lower if no bids come in?

Putting a home on the market at a price that is over market value in hopes that a buyer will fall in love with your home and be willing to pay anything is a strategy that rarely works. This type of buyer is extremely rare. Buyers generally want the most home they can get for as little money possible.

Pricing a home correctly the first time captures the momentum a new listing has in the marketplace.

New listings are exciting to homebuyers who have been looking and know what is on the market. If they see your property and find that it is overpriced for the market, they may mark it off their list and move on. Incorrectly priced properties will lose this new-listing excitement among buyers as time goes on.  Marketing time for your home will become prolonged as the initial marketing momentum is lost.

Pricing a home correctly will bring in more potential buyers.

If a home is overpriced compared to the market, fewer buyers will be attracted and fewer offers received. The property will attracts “lookers” and will help competing houses look better by comparison. If a property does sell above true market value, it may not appraise, and the buyers may not be able to secure a loan. Or, the property may eventually sell below market value due to market stagnation and price reductions. 

So how do you correctly price a home for sale?

An impartial evaluation of market activity is the most effective way to estimate a property’s potential selling price. Experienced REALTORs use a Comparative Market Analysis that takes the following into consideration:

·      Properties that have sold in the recent past show what buyers in the market have actually paid for properties similar to yours.

·      Properties currently on the market that will be competing with yours for the attention of available buyers.

·      Properties that failed to sell should be studied to understand why they did not sell as to avoid similar disappointment.

Pick a real estate agent based on reviews and experience, not how much they will initially price your home.

When trying to win your listing some agents may be tempted to offer an unrealistic initial sales price to get your business. These agents know full well they will have to reduce, reduce, reduce – the wrong strategy.   Speak with The Boehmer Team before listing your home. They are highly reviewed, awarded and experienced agents that know the market well. Even if they need to recommend repairs or staging services, the Boehmer Team knows how to get the most for your home sale. 

3 Natural Ways to Rid 3 Common Midwest Insects From Your Home

With the emergence of warmer weather come the bugs. They are climbing out of their hibernating spaces and looking for a summer home – in your house! But don’t fret; there are several easy and natural ways to keep common Midwestern insects out of your home.

Three Natural Ways to Get Rid of Ants

1. Cleanliness. Food dropped on floors or dripped down the side of an appliance will attract ants. Wipe down spills and sweep the floors. Avoid leaving out uncovered food or dirty dishes.
2. Salt. According to James Mouyassar of 2 Nice Guys Pest Control, “use the same rock salt you use to de-ice your sidewalks in the wintertime and make a perimeter around your home along the foundation to keep ants away.” Note: this method will kill any plants the salt comes into contact with. Use a cup with a pour spout or something similar to help spread the salt with more control and less strain than maneuvering a heavy bag.
3. Orange oil. ^1.Citrus oils like orange, lemon and grapefruit contain d-limonene, which is toxic to ants. Spray a mixture of the essential oil and water along their entry points to mask their scent trails or add the citrus oil to a cotton ball and wipe windowsills and doorsteps. Note: Be sure to test any areas you don’t want stained as some orange oil sprays have an orange tint.

Three Natural Ways to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

1. Do not leave molded fruit out.  ^2.According to Todd Schlenke, assistant professor of biology at Emory University, "Fruit flies spend their whole lives searching for the smell of rotting fruit, then get in through cracks in the door or however the smell is getting out of your house." A brown banana peel won’t cause fruit flies by itself but fuzzy or molding fruit will. If you notice any fruit that is molding dispose of it immediately.
2. Unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Create a trap by covering a jar with a tablespoon or two of vinegar with plastic wrap. Hold the plastic wrap down with a rubber band. Punch a few small holes in it. The flies will go in and not be able to come out. Dump when gross.
3. Red wine. A potential cause is also a potential solution. Fruit flies love the smell of wine. So leave an open bottle of red wine out with a little wine in the bottom and the insects will fly into the bottle and not be able to fly out.

Three Natural Ways to Get Rid of Spiders

1. Peppermint. Spiders despise the smell of peppermint. ^3.Spray your area with a mixture of peppermint oil and water to keep spiders at bay. Your home will smell great too! 
2. Vinegar. Already seen a spider in your home? Similar to peppermint, you can make a mixture of vinegar and water and spray your area, particularly in the cracks and corners. Note: This also works for ants as it destroys the smell of their trail and will help eliminate stragglers. 
3. Dusting. Literally dusting away the cobwebs and cleaning in the corners is needed to keep spiders from settling into your home. Go over the corners of the ceiling and floors with the hose attachment on your vacuum at least once a month.

References: 

1. http://www.mommypotamus.com/7-ways-get-rid-ants-naturally/
2. http://www.hgtvgardens.com/pests/a-surprising-way-to-banish-fruit-flies
3. http://www.naturallivingideas.com/9-natural-ways-to-keep-spiders-out-of-your-home/