Category Archives: Real Estate

Think Twice Before Selling Your Home At a Loss

If you really must sell for personal reasons, then why ask the question? Get the best possible price that you can.

However, if you are still in doubt and uncertain about selling now, then I can try to provide you with some guidance. But this is your decision to make. All that the pundits and the fortune tellers can do is make suggestions; we cannot see into the future.

Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com to help you determine the value of your property before selling. 

The economy is moving forward, albeit slowly. Mortgage interest rates remain extremely low, which means people can buy or refinance as long as they can qualify for loans under the current strict mortgage lending policies.

Why do you want to sell? If you sell your primary house, where will you live? Have you considered the alternatives? Will you have a profit on either or both houses or are both underwater? That makes a big difference.

Can you afford to hang in there for perhaps another year, or is the cost of the two properties (mortgage, taxes, insurance and upkeep) hurting you financially?

Read more at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/yourmoney/ct-home-0420-benny-kass-20120420,0,2844472.story

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Quick Housing After a Disaster

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In one of the neighborhoods hit hardest by flooding in Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath, developers have built a prototype house that’s aimed at providing a quick housing solution for areas blown away by hurricanes and tornadoes or knocked down by earthquakes.

Have you had recent damage to your home due to a Natural Disaster?  Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com to order a retro-appraisal.  We determine what your home’s value was before the disaster.  The insurance companies order their own appraisals to determine value; it is recommended that the homeowner have one done by an independent appraiser.  Have ammunition before negotiating with the insurance company; they sure will have theirs.

The dwelling in the Lakeview section of New Orleans is somewhat box-like, with a roof that slants inward and an arched structure in front that forms a covered front porch. But style isn’t the purpose of the house that’s meant to go up quickly after disasters and then serve as permanent housing that can withstand future calamities. It’s designed to be environmentally friendly, survive outside damaged utility grids and can be shipped in pieces in a single container and assembled like an erector set.

The house is the first of its kind, but its designers believe that there could be demand for tens of thousands of them in areas around the world that need to quickly rebuild after disasters.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/solution-disaster-house-box-maybe-145322263.html

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Declutter Your Home Before Showing to Potential Buyers

Q. What’s the best way to declutter my home before I show it to potential buyers? Can I leave packed boxes in a corner or do I need to move things into storage?

A. Even if your house hasn’t been featured on “Hoarders,” making an effort to clear out clutter and to ensure that your home is as neat and tidy as possible before opening your door to buyers is common advice in real estate circles. And for good reason, said Jeffrey Stockwell, a senior vice president with Stribling & Associates in Manhattan.

Contact the appraiser at www.scappraisals.com for you value questions.

“It’s vital, because most real estate is aspirational, and buyers want to see themselves someplace better and more beautiful,” he said. “They want the feeling that if they move in there, it will be organized, clean and attractive. If they walk into a cluttered, messy space, there’s none of that feeling that life will be better.”

Even if your home is in good condition, Mr. Stockwell said, “if it’s cluttered, people will think it needs a renovation, and that lowers the value.”

Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/19/garden/declutter-that-house-to-sell-it-faster-market-ready.html?_r=1&ref=realestate

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only