By Lisa Trocchi

Most people are familiar with taking photographs of people and do not realize that real estate and architectural photography is a whole new ballgame. In the course of several years of photographing homes to sell, I have used many techniques which I would like to share with you.
The primary purpose of real estate photography is to present the property in the most favorable and inviting light, in order to grab the attention of the viewer, and entice them to want to view the home in person.
Almost 90% of potential home buyers look to the internet first before deciding to visit, and they base their decision on whether a property deserves a second look mainly on the photographs.
Your property has only a few seconds to stand out from the rest of the list and the only way to ensure that it does, is to have professional looking photographs.
Here’s how you can do that:
Photograph your home with as wide a lens as you can can “beg, borrow or steal”. Or you may have your own!
Photographs taken in the “magic hour”, just after dawn and just before sunset, will have low contrast and lovely lighting. The next best is overcast weather which also reduces contrast and makes it easier to view your home.
Turn all the house lights on for a warm, homely feel.
Get rid of all non essentials and clutter. This also applies to pets, cars, garden hoses etc.
Take lots and lots of photos and only choose the best once they are downloaded.
Photograph each room from at least two different angles.
Look at the photographs with the critical, uninvolved eyes of a stranger.
Use a tripod to prevent camera shake, especially indoors.
Experiment with turning off the camera’s inbuilt flash, especially when there are no windows in your frame.
Read up on “staging” your home on the internet.
When all else fails – my link in the author box below will give you all the information you need, backed up with before and after photographs.
Good luck and great sale!

Lisa Trocchi is a real estate photographer living in Johannesburg. See her DIY real estate photography guidelines at http://www.realestatephotographytips.info to make your property stand out in the real estate listings.
No photo editing software of editing skills are necessary – just plenty of before and after photographs to help you choose the best angles, best lighting and best perspective to make your home look amazing.

Article written by guest author: Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter who specializes in writing for real estate and related industries.
Learn more by visiting http://www.copybymarte.com/pro/prospecting.html

Are you sure your privacy is protected while your home is out on the market? Most homeowners who want to sell their homes bring along with them their precious belongings including confidential documents when relocating to a new home. But this does not guarantee that their privacy is 100% protected from homebuyers’ eyes. You will be surprised how much these homebuyers know about you.

Here are some tips you can do in order to protect your privacy after your decide to market your home.

Before relocating to a new home, make sure to remove all pertinent documents in all the drawers especially built-in cabinets. Check thoroughly before leaving the house. Remember that buyers tend to open drawers out of curiosity as they roam around houses for sale.

As a seller you must avoid leaving any mail that maybe seen by others. Many sellers leave lots of mails piled up on the counter or on the table. This may include credit card accounts, utility bills, mortgages, collection notices, and other personal correspondence.

Make sure to collect your mail on your vacant home so as to avoid any unauthorized persons reading any of your mails. You can also write or inform your friends, credit companies, banks and others about your new mailing address so they can forward all the mails to your new residence.

Even if reading someone else’s mail is a bad habit, many buyers still have the possibility of reading these mails. These mails will tell a lot about you when read by anyone. The buyer will have an idea on your spending and lifestyle just by reading those mails. If a buyer knows a lot of information about you, he or she can easily haggle for the price that is often unfavorable on your side as a seller.

Many home sellers do not mind leaving their diplomas, awards, certificates and citations hanging on the wall. Do you know that these items can give enough information about who you are? It simply tells the story of your profession that might affect the decision of the buyer. For instance, you are from the military, and there are buyers who might not want to buy homes from military people.

The same way when you leave photographs of your wedding on the wall, these photos can tell what religion you are affiliated with. Such pictures can tell many things about you. You must never give a buyer an idea of who you are and what you do. Don’t let them know what you like and dislike because they will take advantage of these information to convince you or negotiate for a lower selling price. In this case, it is best to remove pictures, diplomas, awards, and other similar items before selling your home. These items won’t help anyway in selling out your home so better keep it or hang it on your new home.

There are also instances where home sellers who were divorced or separated couples would want to sell their house quickly because of pressure. But of course such information should be private. But sometimes the buyer will know such information. This is by merely looking at the contents of the closets.

Because of the pressure, sellers who have just separated just leave their home and have it marketed without even bothering to empty their closets. It doesn’t really matter whether the seller had just separated or not but once the buyer learned about it and knows that the seller is very desperate to sell the house, the buyer will offer the least price possible. In this case, you must never leave any personal belonging that may give a clue on your intentions of selling your house.

Leaving any personal belongings behind your house for sale will leave traces that will give the buyer an idea and information about your personality. The buyer may use such information for his or her own advantage.

So before putting your home in the market you must have time to prepare everything. Pack up anything that is not included for sale. Even old letters, utility bills and other correspondence should be emptied from the drawers. Remove all personal items on the closets.

With these simple steps, you are assured that your privacy is well protected.

For more tips you can ask for help at  San Jose CA Realtor.

By Janice J. Charles

This is a question that is certainly repeated by many a frustrated seller in this “down” real estate market.

So you’ve prepped your property for sale. You’ve de-personalized it, de-clutter it, rearranged the furniture, cleaned out the basement and the garage, rented a storage unit and still nothing!

WHY IS MY HOUSE NOT SELLING?

Have you SERIOUSLY looked at your asking price?

I know that you don’t want to GIVE your house away…but are you stuck on a certain asking price because you had a neighbor down the street who sold their property (a few years ago) in a matter of a few weeks for a price that was much higher than yours?

This housing market is cyclical. There was a huge 8 year cycle which produced 150% appreciation between 1997 and 2005. This”boom” was extend out even further with the availability of low 4% mortgage rates. Although this was a variable rate mortgage which was fixed for 3 or 5 years, it was a major player in the peak of this cycle.

What goes up must come down! And, down is where we are at right now!

US home values have come down 29% from the peak of the market in 2006 compared to values as of October 2009…this according to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index.

The median home sales price in 2006 was $221,900.

The median home sales price in 2007 fell to $219,000.

The median home sales price in 2008 fell again to $198,100.

Median home sales decreased again in 2009 and will likely end up in the mid $170,000 range. This huge reduction in home prices is mostly caused by the foreclosed properties and other distressed sales. With the prices of these homes being severely discounted…it greatly reduces the median value home price.

There are some pockets of the country that are experiencing an increase in house values. Some areas of San Francisco, Washington DC and a few other metro areas…but understand that it is the LOW prices that are driving the demand for sales…these are areas that have unusually high prices historically…it is a buyer’s market and everyone wants in on a bargain.

It is predicted that distressed properties will continue to dominate home sales in 2010 and that home values, over all, will continue to fall another 4-6%.

This is not good news for anyone who is trying to sell in 2010…it’s still going to be a tough time for sellers.

The real question is “Do you have to sell at this time?”

If you can wait out the market, and it will probably several years before prices start climbing back up, and you do not have to move, you can probably catch the next boom and cash in.

On the other hand, if you are looking to make an upward move to a larger house…keep in mind that the prices of these homes are also reduced. So, weigh your options…take a hit on your house now and make up that loss with the purchase of a “bargain priced” property now.

And the last scenario, if you must sell now, you must be aggressive with your price…because this is a PRICE DRIVEN MARKET.

Good luck to all of you sellers out there!

Janice J. Charles is an online marketing coach and mentor with a 20 year background as a real estate professional. Her passion is helping ” want to be” internet entrepreneurs find success online. You can meet and learn more about her at: http://www.JaniceJCharles.com/

By Vivian Olkin

When it comes to selling a home, ignore the old adage. You really do need to sweat the small stuff. No matter where you live, every home has little things that need to be fixed – things that detract from the value of the home. Little things that need to be fixed will make the value of your home go up – along with your asking price.

It may be easy for you to overlook cracked tiling in the kitchen, holes from your son’s errant baseball, that dripping faucet in the laundry room, but for a prospective buyer, these are red flags that may indicate your home hasn’t been well maintained.

Here’s a list of some easy fixes to problems that you might overlook:

Open and shut. Make sure that each door in your home closes and locks properly. Buyers may mistakenly think that a sagging door signals a serious foundation problem.

Light work. Put in new light bulbs in every room. The clean, bright light from a new bulb will make your home shine.

Squeaky clean. Clean your home from the attic to the basement! Don’t forget to dust blinds, vacuum out light fixtures, and wash fingerprints off odd spots – like the ceiling. Pay particular attention to the windows. Recently, I found myself frantically cleaning some dirty windows at a home that I listed and that house sold in a week. (Your mileage may vary – but clean windows won’t hurt!)

Under pressure. Pressure wash the exterior of your home. Make sure you clean all of the exterior of the house itself – bricks and siding, foundation and eaves. You should also pay particular attention to the steps, porches, decks, sidewalks, and driveways. Every inch of your home should be pristine.

Worn out. Replace anything worn. Take a look at faucets and other plumbing fixtures. Check your light fixtures; make sure your switches aren’t cracked or dirty. Examine rugs in entry ways, carpet on the steps, handles on your cabinets.

Yard for sale. Get your yard in shape. Trim bushes and weed your flower beds. Make sure your lawn is edged and mulched nicely. It’s been really dry lately in Chapel Hill, so if you have plants that look anemic, water and fertilize them – or replace them as needed. Remove any branches or leaves from your yard.

Up on the roof. Check your roof and gutters for damage, dirt, leaves, and debris. Give a good initial clean out, and then keep your eye on it after any rain or wind.

Got your number. Make sure your house number is easily visible from the street. You want every buyer to find you easily!

So go ahead. Sweat the small stuff. These little things may just make your home sell a whole lot faster!

Vivian Olkin sells homes in Chapel Hill, NC, and is crazy about helping individuals get their homes sold! Visit her website for her real estate wisdom and wit, including great tips on staging a home for sale.

By Abby Johnson

Some real estate agents today opt not to host an open house for every home they list. The reason is because more and more home buyers are finding their houses online. Time and technology have drastically shifted the way we do business and the real estate industry is no exception.

Review these pros and cons to help determine whether or not you prefer an open house to sell your home fast.

Get Buyers to Experience Your Home and Neighborhood

According to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, nine out of 10 buyers today look for houses online. Generally, people have less time to spend, and with the new availability of 360-degree virtual tours, it’s like seeing the house in person…almost.

A virtual tour is only virtual. Slideshows or a video can show a buyer your house, but they miss that personal touch. A virtual tour cannot reveal the essence of your home, the feel of your neighborhood, or the small details that often help make the sale. Online photos or video can help take a prospective buyer’s interest to the next level and bring them through your front door in person. A recent NAR survey suggests that a large percentage of buyers go back to Open Houses as a source of information for their home purchase.

Who Benefits from an Open House?

A survey conducted by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University hinted that the people who actually benefit from Open Houses are usually the agents because they offer a place for Realtors to build their clientele. Home buyers who come to Open Houses are more likely to ask the agent to show them additional houses in a similar price range, layout, or neighborhood.

Sellers find that an Open House can help seal the deal. Curious home buyers like to explore all available houses in a certain area and might not ask their agent to accompany them to every house. Reaching those buyers may help you sell your home faster.

Negatives to Consider

Sometimes agents might refrain from holding an Open House if they have a solid marketing strategy in place. It’s an added cost for the Realtor, eats into their weekends, and does not always result in a sale. Often Open-House people visiting the house are curious onlookers and not serious buyers.

Homeowners must also consider safety and security. There is always the possibility of opening your door to riff raff. You may not want to take that risk to sell your home.

Abby Johnson is the real estate blogger at Express Homebuyers. Serving the Washington, DC, Metro area, they can help you sell your home fast without a open house! Contact Express Homebuyers now or call them at 1-800-SELL-2-US (1-800-735-5287) to get on your way to a fresh start.

(c) 2010 Abby Johnson

Additional Resources:

Real Estate Photographers:

Spokane, WA – Ron McIntire (509) 951-7653

Nationwide List – Photography For Real Estate Photographer Directory

Selling a home can be a long tough ordeal. Once you and your agent have located a potential buyer you want to avoid having the home inspector find many things that are concerning to the buyer. Below are some tips to help home sellers.

One of the purposes of the home inspection is to help remove the normal fears, doubts and concerns a buyer has. Anyone who has ever purchased a home understands that combination of emotions. It is a combination of excitement and nervousness. Home buyers, especially first time home buyers will always have concerns about a home purchase. They have a concern of unknown problems with the house.

To greatly reduce the concern about the unknown, home sellers should make sure that the home inspector has full access to all areas of the home. If the access or crawl space is not accessible because the openings are sealed shut or there is a motorcycle parked under the access they seller may wonder why you left it blocked. There is often a little wonder on the buyers part if the seller is being completely honest about everything. A situation where some areas can not be inspected increases these concerns in the mind of the buyers. So make sure stored items are out of the way of getting into the attic and the crawl space.

Lights that do not work are often the result of burned out light bulbs. Burned out light bulbs show lack of regular maintenance and lack of care for the home. This is a very easy fix. Walk around your home and replace all the bulbs that need replacing. If you have some bulbs that are dim or very low light output then consider installing brighter bulbs in those locations. A brightly lit home looks more attractive.

One area that gets checked during a home inspection is the bathroom. The outlets will be checked for the function of the GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupter). These are the outlets with the test and reset buttons on them. Test them to see that they operate and reset properly. If not then replace them. Home inspectors also check for moisture at the base of the toilets. Moisture there is an indication that the wax ring which seals the toilet to the drain pipe is no longer working. Because some inspectors will use moisture meter to check this area, be sure to avoid mopping the floor the day of the inspection. The water from your mopping the floor may not have dried yet and will give a reading of elevated moisture.

Good luck on selling your home.

Jim Troth is a full time home inspector in central Ohio and the Education Coordinator for InterNachi Ohio. He has grown his home inspection business during the downturn of real estate. He attributes the growth to excellent customer service and referrals.
His home inspection company is Habitation Investigation LLC. The website is: http://www.homeinspectionsinohio.comJim also provides some marketing help to fellow inspectors at: http://www.homeinspectionmarketing.com

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