And you can do it, too. Here’s
how:
1. Pick a growing area. This is
essential. Yes, it’s hard
to predict economic cycles and which
metropolitan areas are going to
prosper over the next year or so.
However, if you read the business
pages regularly, you’ll have
a much better idea of where to buy/invest.
2. Learn the market. This is also
essential. You’ve got to know
what’s out there, what houses
are going for and how to spot a
bargain from the overpriced. When
you find your bargain, you probably
won’t have much time before
the competition gets wind of it.
So you must be ready to make a solid
offer right away.
3. Make your offer contingent upon
a thorough inspection. There’s
nothing worse than buying something
with plenty of infrastructure problems.
They’ll cost you time, money
and aspirin. If you discover only
a few problems, try to get the seller
to lower the price to counterbalance
the flaws in the property. They
often will.
4. Finally, recognize that you
will not likely land your first
prospect. Therefore, be patient
and be prepared to keep looking
until you find the right house that
makes good economic sense for you
to purchase.
Follow the above four tips and
you’ll do better with your
property investment.
SELLING:
What to get the best price for your
home? Just follow these six tips:
1. Everything (usually) looks better
in brighter light. So let the sun
shine in. Open curtains and blinds
and turn on lights in all the rooms.
2. Fix up those little things.
Oil or WD-40 those squeaky door
and window hinges. Tighten any loose
door handles. Replace broken shutters,
fix leaky faucets, etc.
3. Deodorize! Nothing turns off
a potential buyer than a “funny”
or unpleasant smell. You’ve
heard of the bake bread or cookies
in the oven trick…it’s
a lot easier to just use plug in
deodorizers.
4. One of the easiest things to
do is clean the place. Clean in
the corners, clean the cabinets,
re-grout the kitchen and bathroom
sinks, tubs, etc. Wash the baseboards,
make the place shine, especially
in the entrance way.
5. Get rid of the clutter! Buyers
need to envision the home as they
would live in it. Anything interfering
with that vision works against you
in selling your home to them. So
divide all your possessions into
three groups:
a) things you really need to live
in the house,
b) things you don’t really
need but want to take with you to
your next home, and
c) things you don’t want
to take with you and should really
toss.
Now, put those things your want
to take with you to your next home
in a rental storage facility. Hold
a garage sale and/or donate everything
else to charity. That’ll leave
your home looking elegantly simple…the
best way to present it to potential
buyers.
6. Paint, paint, paint. Virtually
every home has some areas that could
use a fresh coat of paint. It is
one of the most important (i.e.,
best and inexpensive) investment
you can make is maximizing your
sale price. Make sure you patch
cracks and peeling paint first,
though.
Follow the above six tips and you’ll
sell your home faster and for a
better price that if you didn’t.
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About The Author
Marshall Colt holds a real estate
sales license in Colorado, with
experience in Denver’s prestigious
Hilltop area since 1994. For more
information, see: http://www.denver-real-estate-homes-for-sale.net.
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