2010 weakest year for home sales since 1997

Hey sellers, just a reminder to keep those driveways and walkways clear of snow and ice.  Not only does it help the realtors in the Bennington VT real estate market to show your property but it also shows that you care about the property and want to do all you can to make it accomodating to the buyer. 

Also, don’t forget to call Bonnie at RE/MAX Maple Leaf Realty for all your real estate needs in the Bennington VT real estate area.

Be safe out there!

If your New Year’s Resolution includes selling your home, you may have some work to do.  There is a lot of inventory in our Bennington, VT Real Estate market which includes the surrounding areas.  To get an offer will take some prep work.   If you list early in January you might catch an early bird who is browsing to find a home to move in the spring.  Many buyers start their searches right after the Holiday season.  Consult with your Realtor® to be sure your real estate is show ready for when they bring that buyer through.  Your Realtor® will be able to provide you with helpful tips to make that happen.  Most of all be sure to PRICE YOUR REAL ESTATE CORRECTLY.   An overpriced home will not only leave you behind when all else is sold, but will leave you discouraged and upset.  Listen to your Realtor® (listing agent), they are the professional and have the fiduciary responsibility to work for you the seller.  Isn’t that why you hired them in the first place? 

Give me a call and I will put my knowledge and experience to work for you,

Bonnie Cutler, Broker

Area of coverage      Bennington, VT real estate market which includes Pownal, Bennington, North Bennington, Shaftabury, Arlington, Sunderland, Woodford and other surrounding areas.

Mortgage rates have been rising ever since November 2010, when lows of 4.42 percent were reported. Bankrate.com recently reported a rise to 5.02 percent in 30-year fixed rate loans, which is the second time in three weeks rates have crossed the 5 percent mark–many experts say signaling the end to the 4 percent mortgage rate era.

Forecasters predict mortgage rates to hover in the 5-6 percent range in 2011.

Yet, some industry experts say the rise in mortgage rates may stimulate a sluggish housing market.

The rising rates create an urgency for potential buyers. They’ll have more incentive to buy soon before mortgage rates go any higher.

After all, higher interest rates mean buyers will pay more for their mortgages. Greg McBride, chief economist at Bankrate.com, told CNNMoney.com that when rates rise 4.25 percent to 5 percent, it takes away 9 percent of the purchasing power of buyers.

Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of REALTORS®, doesn’t foresee a moderate hike in mortgage rates as a negative for the industry. Instead, he says the real mortgage challenge is getting lenders to approve creditworthy buyers for a loan.

“It’s less about rates than it is about underwriting standards … If lenders return to more normal, safe underwriting standards for creditworthy buyers, there would be a bigger boost to the housing market and spillover benefits for the broader economy,” Yun said.

Source: “Kiss 4% Mortgage Rates Goodbye,” CNNMoney.com (Dec. 30, 2010)

Here in the Bennington VT real estate market, we have already seen local banks with increased rates from what they were in late 2010.  It’s pretty safe to say that these rates will only continue to inch up over time.  With these historic lows, it’s a great time to buy a house.

Well, were back doing business as usual here in the beautiful area of Bennington VT after that snow storm that started on Sunday and went through Monday afternoon.   It kind of paralized the real estate world as it was very hazardous trying to get around.  I do want to thank the town and state workers for all they did to keep the roads open the best as possible.  What a great bunch of workers who worked throughout the night and day to make the roads passable.  

So  it’s business as usual and we hope that we will hear from you to help with selling your home or buying a new home, here in the Bennington VT real estate market.  Don’t forget that we cover most of Bennington county as well as a portion of Windham county, and now we go over the line into New York.

Well Christmas is almost here.  How many of you men have still not shopped.  You better get busy!

All kidding aside, let’s have a Wonderful, safe Holiday.  Spend time with loved ones around you and enjoy what this season is all about.

We here at RE/MAX Maple Leaf Realty wish you all the Merriest of Christmas’s.

Our holiday schedule will be business as usual from now through Thursday, 9 to 5 or by appointment.  Friday, Saturday and Sunday closed.  We will return to the office on Monday at 9 am.  Please be sure to call our office at 802-447-3210 and leave a message for your Realtor ® if you are in need of assistance.  We will all be checking our voice mail and will do our best to get back to you in a timely manner.

Kathy Sollien x-110, Troy Richardson x-120, Joe Cardamone x-130, Bonnie Cutler x-140,Lilli West x-150

Be sure to call us for all your real estate needs in the Bennington VT real estate market and surrounding areas.

          Merry Christmas

Four years into the housing crisis, myths about foreclosure still litter the minds of even the smartest of real estate consumers. When it comes to matters as high stakes as your home, confusion can cost you thousands – or even your home. Whether you’re a buyer looking at foreclosures, a homeowner struggling to keep your home or a seller concerned making sure your home can compete with the foreclosed homes on your block, these foreclosure myths are prime for the busting, with no further ado.

Keep in mind that in the Bennington VT real estate market, not all of these comments may be applicable. It is important to consult with your bank or real estate professional to determine the best course of action for you. Remember, all real estate is local, and this commentary is more geared towards a national audience.

Myth #1: Foreclosure happens fast. Even though the legal process of foreclosure can happen in as few as 6 months in most states, it is currently taking much longer for the average foreclosure to get to completion. Recently, JP Morgan Chase revealed that their average borrower who loses a home to foreclosure has not made any payments in 14 months nationwide; 22 months in Florida and 26 months in New York.

The fact that foreclosure does not happen nearly as fast, in many cases, as expected does give families who are temporarily down on their luck some extra time to try to get back on their feet and save their homes.

Myth #2: Buyers can’t get clear title or title insurance on foreclosed homes. Buyers of bank-owned properties in nearly every jurisdiction are protected from later title attacks by foreclosed homeowners by the bona fide purchaser rule, under which courts would prefer to simply award cash damages to be paid by the culpable bank to a wrongfully foreclosed-on homeowner, rather than reversing the sale or ownership to the new, innocent buyer.

Myth #3: Buyers should wait for the shadow inventory to be released. Many a buyer, discouraged with the homes they see on the the form in their price range, has decided to sit still and wait for the banks to release for sale what is called their “shadow inventory” – rumored to be anywhere from 4 to nearly 6 million homes that have already been foreclosed, but not listed for sale, or will be foreclosed in the near future. The fact is, to the extent that the banks have acknowledged the existence of a pool of homes they own but are not selling, they have expressed that their reasoning for holding the homes off the market is to avoid flooding the market and driving home values down any further. For that reason, buyers should not expect to see a massive influx of these shadow homes onto the market anytime soon – if ever.

The banks’ current modus operandi is that as they sell a home, the replace it with another home in that market – if they sell 50 homes in a town that month, they’ll put another 50 on the next. So, don’t hold your breath waiting for a fabulous new flood of homes. Instead, set up a Trulia alert to notify you when homes that fit your search criteria come on the market, and be ready to call your agent and go visit any and every one that looks like it might be a good fit.

Myth #4: If you’re looking for a deal, you’re looking for a foreclosure. Despite what they may say, no buyer’s heart’s fondest desire is to buy a foreclosure. But almost every buyer dreams of buying a great home – and getting a great deal on it. Many people think that to get a great value on their home on today’s market, it means they must buy a foreclosure. As a result, the value and other advantages of buying an individually-owned home on today’s market are frequently overlooked. Individual sellers with homes on the market right now are generally quite motivated, and understand that their homes are competing with discounted short sales and foreclosed homes.

Further, individual owners are often much more negotiable on a wide range of contract terms than a bank which owns a foreclosed home. You can work with non-bank owners on things like repairs, closing dates, choice of escrow provider, closing costs and even included personal property much more flexibly than you can when the bank is on the other side of the bargaining table. On top of that, many individually-owned homes are in pristine, move-in condition; that is much rarer with foreclosures.

Myth #5: Having a foreclosure on your credit history means it’ll take years and years before you can buy again. Until recently, the standard wisdom was that 5 years, minimum, would have to have elapsed between the foreclosure and the new home purchase. Now, though, borrowers can obtain an FHA loan with the low, 3.5 minimum down payment requirement as soon as 3 years following a foreclosure. To do so, though, all your other ducks must be in a row.

Excerpted from Trulia.

Any professional home stager will tell you that even one piece of art can be a distraction in a home, so what about a six foot Christmas tree? Here are some tips on how to decorate your home during the holiday season when trying to sell in the Bennington VT real estate market.

My motto during the holidays (and for home staging in general) is “KIES.” In other words, Keep It Elegant and Simple. Your holiday decorating must be kept simple and nondenominational (no religious items). “KIES”also applies to your front yard. Under no circumstances should you setup a twelve foot nativity scene that spans your entire front yard or a six foot tall Chanukah menorah that lights up at night.

Outside Holiday Decorating Tips:

Using plain white lights on your trees and bushes look very festive and really do not scream any specific holiday. White lights can also help to illuminate your home at night and help potential buyers take a better look at your property. When you are decorating your home while it is on the market, think WINTER not Christmas or Chanukah. A seasonal pine wreath on your front door is another nice touch and smell great when a potential buyer enters your home. Please stay away from the new blow up holiday decorations that require a blower and constant power to look nice; if a potential home buyer drives by your home during the day all they will see are “deflated balloons” all over your front yard! That really does not scream fantastic curb appeal.

Inside Holiday Decorating Tips:

Your inside decorations need to be kept to a minimum. For Christmas, a six foot Christmas tree in the corner of one room with white lights and blue and silver balls is all you should setup. A taller, thin tree is ideally what you should use. Stick to two colors for your Christmas theme, such as blue and silver or even gold and silver. Remember, less is more when your home is on the market.

A few empty presents that are wrapped under the Christmas tree will finish your holiday look. Please only leave your Christmas tree up for about 10 days and it must be down before the New Year.

Vanilla candles with seasonal pine and pine cones are also great for centerpieces on tables and will leave your home smelling fantastic during this Holiday season. Glass jars filled with blue and silver holiday balls also make great centerpieces and you can find everything you need to decorate at the local dollar store.

If you cannot bear the though of not having your holiday religious items out, please buy a large plastic container to have on standby. If you receive a call to show your home during the holiday season, quickly pack away your religious items (e.g., menorahs and nativity sets) and store them out of sight.

Keeping Your Buyer’s Comfortable:

New York winters can get pretty cold, so please keep the temperature in your home set between 68-70 degrees.

Please shovel any snow and ice off your walkways and driveways to make it easy for a buyer to get into your front door.

Make sure you have an extra large floor matt so buyers can wipe their feet after they enter your home.

Make sure you leave out both paper towels and tissues since cold winter weather causes noses and eyes to run. When a buyer is walking through your home, everything should be easy.

Please leave your outside lights on after 5:00 pm, if a buyer cannot locate your home how are you going to sell your home?

Final Thoughts:

Some house stagers will disagree and tell the homeowners not to put out one holiday decoration. In my opinion, this is not a realistic goal for a family that has celebrated every previous holiday in a home that they love. By explaining to the homeowner where to place their tree and the time-frame to keep the tree up, most homeowners are very receptive to the idea. Selling a home is a very stressful time in a person’s life and having a small Christmas tree up for a week will most likely not delay the sale of their home. An exterior of a home decorated very well with white lights might even attract some additional positive buyer attention.

– Kate, your local New York home stager, we serve Rockland County and Orange County of New York, Bergen County and Passaic County of New York.

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Posted by Kate Case, RESA, ASHSR, Home Stager Kate_HomeStager

Spring is time for selling, and to make your home as competitive as possible, use these simple staging and spruce up tips. For more information on what you can do to your home to make it more attractive to Buyers, contact Troy Richardson at RE/MAX Maple Leaf Realty today.

Bennington VT, Selling