Buyers' Expectation

Most buyers these days are looking for similar features in a new home.  The list generally includes  fantastic kitchens, hardwood floors, new or remodeled bathrooms, open floor plans, high ceilings and walk in closets in the master bedroom.

These features can be difficult to find in Lower Makefield, Upper Makefield and Newtown for buyers seeking a single family home in the $350,000 to $550,000 price range.

When moving from areas where housing prices are lower than in Bucks County, or from places  where there is a lot of new construction, buyers are usually disappointed. They frequently have to see many homes before they realize they must lower their expectations

The Bucks County communities along the I95 corridor were largely developed before 1995 with many of the homes being 30-50 years old.  These homes can be very nice, but buyers frequently view them as dated and in need of remodeling.  There are some newer homes, but those homes generally command higher prices.  If the buyers are lucky they may find a home that has been significantly updated, but in most cases they make compromises.

What many buyers don't immediately realize is that most of these older homes are well built and comfortable to live in. Updating can be done gradually and may not be as expensive as anticipated.  The area's ease of commuting to different destinations, fine schools and desirable neighborhoods are well worth the tradeoff.

Bucks County Home Sales Through May, 2012

What a difference a year makes!

Check out these home sales statistics comparing May, 2012 home sales in Bucks County with home sales for May, 2011. Statistics are also shown for the first five months of 2012 compared to the first five months of 2011.

Buyers currently have fewer homes to choose from.  The number of homes for sale has decreased by 10.9%, while the number of pending sales and settled sales has increased.

Prices have continued to decrease.  This trend may change as the market adjusts to the fact that the number of homes for sale has decreased.



Preparing a Home for Sale

If you are trying to sell a home, make sure your home looks good on numerous real estate listing websites.

With 85-90% of buyers screening properties on the internet before visiting homes, the appearance of your home on various internet sites and in videos is extremely important. If you want buyers to schedule an appointment to view your home, they have to like what they see on the internet.

Occasionally, I'll see pictures on the internet that appall me.  The pictures of one home were taken during or after a party.  There were streamers in the living and dining rooms and presents and wrapping paper everywhere. Couldn't the real estate agent have come back a few days later to photograph the home when the house was neater?

I just viewed pictures of another home that was actually a very nice property.  Unfortunately for the seller, you had to look carefully at the on line pictures to realize it.  Plants were everywhere with vines winding around furniture and bookcases. I like plants, but when selling a house, "less is more".

 Some people might think, "Well they're not buying the plants", but few potential buyers take the time  to imagine what a home would look like if the decor were changed. Even though the house was priced below market value, it's not surprising  the listing expired without the home selling. 

  More subtle changes that can be made before the home is photographed are removing most items from kitchen counters, removing notes and magnets from refrigerators, closing toilet seats, hiding trash pails and placing attractive towels neatly on racks in the bathroom. Small items should be removed.  Items smaller than a football generally  look like clutter in a photograph. 

Some agents still take their own pictures rather than hiring professional photographers.  If they are skilled amateur photographers with sophisticated equipment, that's okay, but too often they are not.  Proper lighting and  wide angled lenses are necessary to capture the essence of a room.

When choosing an agent, you should discuss with them whether they will be making suggestions on preparing your home for the market.  Will the agent attend the photo shoot, or better yet, come a half hour early to make sure the property is ready for the photographer? 

Some agents work with third party professional stagers and will absorb the cost of a few hours of a stager's services. Whether a stager might help and who pays for his or her services are questions homesellers should ask agents.

 Will the agent hire a professional photographer and videographer?  If not, ask to see that agent's listings on the internet and check out whether photos are well lighted and capture representative views of rooms. The agent can't control the features of the house itself, but with attention to staging and good photography, he or she can help present your home to its' best advantage.

I usually engage a professional stager to provide suggestions on how to maximize the appeal of a home without the homeowner spending a lot of money, and I always hire a professional photographer. If a home doesn't look good on the internet, the number of buyers who will want to visit the property will be greatly reduced making it difficult to obtain the best price within a reasonable time frame. It's just good business to make sure a home looks it's best.

A Fun Evening in New Hope

  

New Hope has always attracted artists and talented theatrical people.  Those talents will soon be showcased at the Phillips Mill Community Center.

On June 8-10 and June 14-17, 2012, the Mill will be featuring its annual stage production.  If this year's show, titled 360 Degrees of Separation is anything like past performances, the evening should produce a lot of laughs.

For information check http://www.phillipsmill.org/drama/.  Doors open an hour before showtime.  It's cabaret type seating, so most people bring their own wine and hors d'oeuves.