Have you ever tried to paint the outside of your home in the winter? Not a good idea! All too often, I visit with folks ready to make their move and put the home on the market. They are excited about the apartment or condo they just found, and now it is time to sell their home. However, it is February, and the home needs inside and outside improvements. Downsizing of personal property has not been started, and the interior needs several upgrades before showing the home. Improvements have been avoided because moving seemed so far off until they stumbled into this perfect new home which they don’t want to lose. The excitement has now turned into panic and all the seeds for high stress have been planted by their inaction to prepare their home for sale.

Today’s buyer wants a property that is in great condition both exterior and interior. If you’ve read my past articles, I have stressed to make sure your property does not compete with foreclosures if at all possible. Foreclosures often are homes that have been neglected due to lack of funds, and are selling at up to 70% off the top market value! Therefore, your home must be far superior to the foreclosure competing in your neighborhood. If you know you will be selling sometime in the next 5 years, begin downsizing today! As Realtors, we can begin your process of preparing your home for market by offering the services of a stager. A stager is a professional trained in not only decorating, but placing furniture and artwork to compliment new flooring and carpeting as well as choosing the right colors which are attractive to today’s buyers. There are companies that will assist you in downsizing by packing, sorting, and coordinating estate sales as well as donations.

If your home needs exterior work, do it right now, while it is still warm outside. Don’t procrastinate on exterior work, as you never know when you are going to want to move. If the work on the outside is done now, you can always do the interior improvements in any season. If paint is needed, a stager can help you pick out Read the rest of this entry »

Many of you had a job that involved sales in various aspects of your career. In so many cases there were “winners” and “losers”. You won an award for selling more than your co-worker. If you didn’t measure up to your employer’s expectations or goals that were set for you, a new job may have been your next destination!

We carry this scenario throughout our lives. In sports, who remembers the “losers” in the Super Bowl? Number one is the goal of so many athletes as finishing second is just not acceptable. One of my friends told me that his daughter won second place in a sales contest. Their were 7,000 sales people across the world in her company. He called to congratulate her, and her response was, “dad, Read the rest of this entry »

We are all receiving mixed messages as to our Milwaukee-Metro real estate market. Some articles are positive, some negative, and some rather confusing! When contemplating a decision to sell or buy a home, one must have the best information available. Too often we listen to pundits and experts that are basing their advice on hearsay. Therefore, I want you to read a report I received from the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors (GMAR), based on actual number of listings and sold transactions for 2010. If you are seriously thinking of making a move, I would then suggest having a Senior Real Estate Specialist stop out and offer some ideas as to value specific to your home, as well as a plan of action. The more information you receive the better the odds of success!

Milwaukee Area Home Sales

Up 3.5% in December

Down 13.4% for 2010

January 10, 2011 – The roller coaster ride for the real estate market in Metropolitan Milwaukee ended 2010 on a high note, with December sales increasing 3.5% over December 2009, according to housing statistics released today by Metro MLS, Inc.

The monthly increase was due to Read the rest of this entry »

So many of us are wondering what direction the real estate market will go. Will prices rise, will prices fall? Will foreclosures increase or will they decrease? When will the market stabilize and when will prices recover?

The answers to all of these questions are the same…who knows! Pundits are all over the place as to sales of existing homes in our area. Most agree that it will be 3-5 years before we see equilibrium as to numbers of buyers and sellers. That is the point where values may be more predictable and possibly rise with inflation (1-3% depending on economics at that time). We do however have total control as to how we choose to perceive the market!

If we accept the fact that homes will always sell for what the market supports, in this case what buyers will pay, then we can make peace with where we are today, not tomorrow or 10 years from now. In most areas, properties have adjusted downward by 15-30% on average from prices in 2005-6. I do market estimates in the four county Milwaukee-Metro area. When I am finished with the estimate of value, most sellers thought their home was worth about 10% more than the current market offers. That is normal. We can accept reality that we feel comfortable with, and no more.

If we instead, accept market prices where they truly are, and not where we would like them to be, then make plans based on that figure, you may find that your plans to purchase or move into an apartment or community will work just fine with net dollars you receive. Try to keep in mind what Read the rest of this entry »

It is critical for all of us working with older adults that we don’t let our perceptions get in the way of fact. As an example, in my own experience, my opinions are somewhat influenced by my part in the moving process. The aspect I am most involved in, selling homes for seniors, shapes my perceptions of a senior’s view of moving. If a senior resists a move to a better lifestyle, their fear of not selling their home seems to be the cause for their procrastination.

Moving from a long time home to a senior community or apartment is and always has been truly a daunting undertaking for any older adult. Families of seniors are concerned for the safety and security for mom or dad, aunt or uncle.

Talking and listening to many service providers of senior services, I have found that the outstanding theme running throughout the senior community regarding moving is not the sale of there home! The issue causing procrastination and hesitation is the same as it has been for many years… Read the rest of this entry »