How technology can help you buy or sell your home

In our modern era of advancing technology, the digital revolution has affected all aspects of our lives, from the way we work and relax to the way we interact with each other on a social level. Real estate has not been left out of these advancements, and especially in the competitive markets of Bucks County, homeowners looking to sell as well as prospective buyers can benefit from these innovations.

While there are many ways technology is improving how we buy and sell our homes, here we’re going to focus on two that have made a highly significant impact:

Online Listing Sites

Online listing sites like Zillow and Realtor.com have revolutionized the real estate industry, allowing buyers to view as many homes as they want from the comfort of their own home.

All that’s needed is a PC, tablet or laptop, and instantly prospective buyers are able to not just view homes on the market, but learn a great deal of information about them. With many listings featuring photos from multiple angles of each room and the home’s exterior, buyers can do a virtual walk-through that is almost as extensive as a real one.

Beyond the photos, buyers can learn about the home’s features and characteristics, from when it was built to which appliances it includes. Sellers also benefit from these capabilities, as they have the opportunity to show their home to its best advantage and to provide highlights of the home’s best features, like granite countertops, wraparound porches, and hardwood floors.

Online listing sites also enrich your relationship with your real estate agent, who is able to either help you leverage them to sell your home, or sort through them as you narrow down your choices as a buyer for in-person walk-throughs or open houses.

Innovations in photography

The advances in photography in recent years have been dramatic, enabling people to take high-resolution, high-quality pictures even from their cell phones. A professional photographer can do even more, utilizing lighting, angles, and panoramic views to capture every detail of your home in its best light.

For sellers, this means all of the hard work of staging—clearing out the clutter and making the space inviting for prospective buyers—will be showcased to its greatest effect. For buyers, this means an unprecedented opportunity to see what a home really looks like without stepping foot outside of your own home. More to the point, it means being able to see what many different homes look like without driving to and from all of them.

The pictures featured on online listing sites aren’t the only way photography is enhancing the world of buying and selling homes, however. Photos taken by drones are beginning to be augmented by 3-D technology to create immersive “virtual reality” experiences that take buyers beyond high-resolution photos to feel like they are actually stepping into the home—and maybe even moving around the furniture to make it their own!

As technology continues to advance, more and more opportunities will develop for home buyers and sellers alike. Talk with your trusted real estate agent today about how to best incorporate technology into your home buying or selling strategy.

What’s the best time of the year to buy a new home?

In a recent article we talked about the best season to sell your home—and explored the pros and cons of selling in the popular season of spring. In the article we’ll dive into the same question from the buyer’s perspective, focusing especially on the how to navigate the competitive markets of Bucks county neighborhoods like Jamison and Doylestown.

Spring and summer

Buying a home in spring and summer is all about choice—namely, a lot of it. It’s the busiest season for real estate transactions, and with good reason. The warmer weather makes it easier to get around and check out new homes, which look their best with flowering gardens and lush lawns upping the curb appeal. Longer days mean more daylight for open houses and walk-throughs, making it possible to stop by and see homes on weeknights after work.

Spring and summer are also popular because, if timed correctly, a new home can be purchased and the move complete over summer break, enabling kids to transition more smoothly into a new school in September.

While all of these are great reasons to look for your new home in spring or summer, the popularity of those seasons can itself be a drawback. With so many people looking to buy during this time, already competitive markets can become even more so. You may find that you are not the only party making an offer on a home you’re interested in, and the competition favors sellers who can choose the bids and terms most agreeable to them.

Fall and winter

Buying a home in fall and winter can be trickier in that there are fewer homes on the market to pick from. Buyers looking to purchase in these months will not have the selection available in spring and summer, and shorter days as well as inclement weather may make it more difficult to make the rounds as you view prospective new homes.

But while you may not have the best selection in fall and winter, you also won’t have the competition you have in spring and summer. Fewer people looking to buy homes during these months means there’s less likelihood of having to make counter offers to outbid someone interested in the same home that you are interested in. Buying a home in the off-season can result in a bit more leeway when it comes to price negotiations as sellers eager to close have a limited pool of buyers with whom to negotiate.

Consider August

Spring and summer have a wealth of choices but lots of competition; fall and winter have less competition but also fewer choices. But August just may prove to be a bit of a real estate sweet spot where there are still a significant number of homes on the market but a decrease in buyers. As a new school year approaches, sellers may also be more willing to negotiate on pricing so that they can close before September.

Of course, these are general trends that hold true for many people, but the best time for you to buy a new home is when you are ready to, and when it best serves your family’s needs. Talk to your trusted real estate agent today about how to plan buying your new home!

Home Seller’s Guide To Closing

Selling your home is a major undertaking that involves navigating a lot of legal, financial, and personal factors you might not have to deal with at any other time. A trusted real estate agent is your best partner in selling your Bucks County home, but it’s also good to be prepared and educated so that you can make the most of this partnership. In this article, we’ll go over the basics of closing from a seller’s perspective so you can be ready when it’s time to go through the closing process with your home.

What is “closing”?
Closing is the final stage of the process of selling your home, where money is exchanged and documents are signed to transfer the ownership of your home from you to the buyer. On the closing date, the transfer will be complete, and the property will now officially belong to the buyer.

What happens leading up to the closing date?
The first thing you need to do after you accept a buyer’s offer is provide proof that you are the legal owner of your property, and resolve any issues surrounding the property, like claims or judgements. This is done by working with your closing agent to do a title search to show you are the rightful owner of the property and to surface any unresolved issues you’ll need to attend to. The new buyer and their lender will also need to obtain title insurance policies.

Next comes the home inspection. While this is not absolutely required, it is the norm, and most buyers will want the inspection to make sure the home they are buying is sound and without major issues.

One other important step that must take place before closing is the lender’s appraisal. If your buyer is borrowing money to purchase your home, their mortgage lender will want to see the results of a professional appraisal to ensure that the amount they are lending matches the value of the home.

What is the purpose of the final walk-through?
Generally, a day before closing the buyer will make a final walk through of the property that will soon be theirs. Accompanied by their real estate agent, they will take one last look to be sure that everything is the way it should be—that you’ve made any required repairs and removed your personal items so the house is clean and ready to be moved into.

What happens on closing day?
Closing day is all about signing documents and disbursing funds so the legal ownership of the property can be transferred from you to the buyer. This usually takes place at the office of one of the agents involved, like your escrow or title agent, or at your attorney’s office. Some states may allow you to sign the documents in advance so you don’t have to be personally present for closing.

This brief introduction will give you a basic understanding of the closing process, but your real estate agent is your best resource for making sure that you understand your responsibilities and rights as you conclude the sale of your home. Talk to your real estate agent today to ensure as smooth a sale—and closing—as possible!

When Is The Best Season To Sell Your Home (Hint: It May Not Be Spring)

Conventional wisdom has long held that spring is the ideal time to sell your home, and there are good reasons for this idea. However, especially in the competitive real estate market of Bucks County neighborhoods like Doylestown and Jamison, other factors may influence the optimal time to put your home up for sale. In this article, we’ll discuss the advantages of a selling in spring, as well as the other considerations to keep in mind as you make a decision about what is best for you and your family.

The pros and cons of selling your home in spring

There are lots of great reasons to put your home on the market during spring. Here are just a few of them:

• Warmer weather and longer days make it easier for buyers to get out and look at homes.
• Green lawns and spring flowers up your home’s curb appeal.
• Many families choose to begin looking at homes in spring so their kids can finish the school year before possibly relocating.
• Home buyers receiving income tax refunds are getting some extra cash to offset moving costs.

The season is not without its potential drawbacks for sellers, however. The very fact that selling in spring is so attractive means that there is typically a lot of competition. In markets that are already highly competitive, this can make selling your home more rather than less difficult.

Other factors to consider in timing your home sale

There are other factors to consider when deciding on the timing of putting your home on the market, and depending on your circumstances, they may outweigh the benefits that spring has to offer. Here are  a few to consider and discuss with your real estate agent:

Local Economy & Mortgage Rates
The ideal combination for home sellers is a strong economy with low mortgage rates. Under these conditions, homes tend to sell more quickly and for more money, so talk with your registered real estate agent about how to assess these factors and strategize on the ways you can make them work in your favor as you sell your home.

Work & Family Needs

Different seasons can bring different employment and education factors into play. With January being a peak hiring season, many families may find themselves needing to relocate before spring to accommodate new work locations or employment arrangements. The breaks between college semesters as well as summer breaks for primary and secondary school students can also create pockets of opportunity for selling your home while kids are in between sessions or grades.

Your readiness and your home’s condition
Finally, all of the strategic timing in the world won’t mean much if you are not ready financially or otherwise to sell your home, and if you have not invested the time and effort into getting your home ready to sell. This includes making any needed repairs, decluttering, and staging.

Timing the selling of your home for optimal profit can require balancing a lot of different factors, but a trusted real estate agent can help you sort through these questions to make decisions that will benefit you and your family. Talk to your real estate agent today about the best time for you to sell your home!

Is An HOA Right For You?

Are you considering buying a home that has an HOA—Homeowner’s Association? In the thriving real estate market of Bucks County, a good HOA can add to the value of a property if the circumstances are right.

The following guide will walk you through some of the basics of HOA’s to give you a starting point for a conversation with your trusted real estate agent:

How does an HOA work?            

HOA’s work by collecting a fee—either monthly or quarterly—from all of the homeowners in the Association. In return, certain services are provided. The types of services provided will vary, but they can include things like garbage pick up, snow removal, a gated entry to the community, common amenities like a pool or fitness center, and more.

How much does an HOA cost?

How much the HOA costs will depend on market factors as well as what services are included. It stands to reason that an HOA that provides a state-of-the-art fitness center and pool in a private, gated community will have a higher fee than an HOA that simply provides lawn care. Your real estate agent can help you understand the costs involved—as well as the benefits—of local HOA’s.

What are the pros and cons of an HOA?

This again will vary depending on the HOA and each buyer’s circumstances and needs. However, many consider a major benefit of an HOA to be the peace of mind that comes with paying a regular flat fee to have various amenities and services taken care of by the Association.

The chief element that is pointed out by some as a possible drawback is that HOA rules may seem restrictive. Each HOA has a set of rules by which it requires homeowners to abide, and these can range from things like what color you can paint your front door to how you can decorate for holidays. Some HOA’s also have rules related to how you can entertain in your space—whether you can grill outside, where guests can park, etc.

Once primarily associated with townhomes and condominiums, HOA’s are now seen in many different types of housing developments and communities. Your real estate agent can help you navigate the diversity of services and a range of prices to see if an HOA is right for you.

3 Tips for Evaluating School Districts When Moving or Selling Your Home

For many people buying a home, one of the most important things they consider is the quality of the school district. A system of well-run schools with a track record of supporting student success can be even more attractive to families than granite countertops and hardwood flooring.

Likewise if you’re selling your Bucks Country home, knowing how to tout the benefits of the area’s many successful schools can be a great way to make your home even more attractive to prospective buyers.

The following list will walk you through three key ways to evaluate the quality of the school district where you’re looking to buy or sell a home:

• What does the school’s report card look like?

Report cards aren’t just for students! Schools and school districts are also graded and ranked in various ways, and knowing where and how to evaluate those rankings can help you understand the quality of the school district you’re moving into, or selling your home in.

There are several sites that provide comprehensive information on multiple aspects of a school’s performance. GreatSchools is one resource that compiles a wide range of data to give you a whole picture of a school. They factor in test scores, but also other areas like college readiness, student progress, and an equity rating that assesses how well the school supports the needs of all students.

School Digger is another resource that also brings together different types of information like teacher-student ratio, test scores, and ranking.

• Is there an active PTA organization?

  An active PTA (Parent Teacher Association), sometimes called a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) is a sign of a vibrant school community where parents and teachers work together to foster student success. The presence of a strong PTA is attractive to buyers looking to ensure they can play an active role in their children’s educational journey, and a great selling point for homeowners looking to attract buyers who have school-age children.

• What are the school’s safety and discipline policies?

Not every school or district handles safety or discipline the same way. Knowing how the school or district in question deals with these issues is key. Here are a few topics to be aware of:

• What does the school do to ensure the safety and well-being of students on an ongoing basis?
• What measures are in place to foster preparedness in the event of an emergency?
• What is the school’s discipline policy? Does the school have a zero-tolerance policy for violence and/or bullying?

The best way to learn this information is to visit the school, or contact them directly. Their transparency in sharing this information is also a good indication of what kind of partner they will be with families in supporting the success of students.

When it comes to buying or selling your home, the value of a good school district is a factor that has a huge impact on decision making. Talk to your real estate agent today about the school district of the home you are looking at, or looking to sell!