Top Real Estate Blog Articles From 2014

Selling a home can be a very stressful experience. Tasks such as consistently getting and keeping a home ready for showings and having to wonder when and if a home is going to sell are just a couple examples of the stressful things that a seller experiences when selling their home.

The real estate "industry" is a very large group of various professionals. The industry is not only exclusive to real estate agents. Other professions such as mortgage consultants, real estate appraisers, and home inspectors are just a handful of others who play a very important role within the industry.

With the evolution of the internet over the past 5-10 years, real estate industry professionals have had to drastically change the way they market themselves, their products, and their brand. Whether a real estate agent is promoting a new listing or a mortgage broker is promoting a new loan product, these professionals must be creative with their marketing efforts.

It's pretty well-known that the real estate industry has been drastically changed with the internet and social media. This goes for not only real estate agents but also mortgage professionals, inspectors, attorneys, and really anyone who plays a role in the industry. It has changed how industry professionals market themselves, their products, and everything in between.

As every year comes to an end, I like to reflect on the past year. 2014 was an incredible year! 2014 marks the first full year of Rochester's Real Estate Blog.

Wanting to sell your home for a good price and in a reasonable time frame are standard goals for the majority of sellers. However, when you are dealing with a tough real estate market and struggling to break even on a property, you need to do everything you can to make your home stand out.

When selling your home, it's common you may experience some stress, feel a bit uncomfortable, and even have some anxiety. These feelings are usually magnified when selling your home while it's vacant. The truth is that even though most human beings are hard-working, considerate, and law abiding citizens, there are always some people however, who are not.

You have come to that time in your life when you will be packing your bags and looking for your next housing gig. Part of this process will be picking a great Real Estate agent to work with. Unfortunately choosing the right Realtor is an area where many home sellers make a big mistake that leads to disappointment.

Selling a home is a stressful time for most. The thought of not knowing when a home will sell, how much a home will sell for, or bottom line, if it will sell at all can lead to many sleepless nights.

When selling a home, a real estate agent and the seller must be on the same page as one another. This is even more critical for a seller and real estate agent when selling a waterfront property, as it can be more "tricky" than selling a three bedroom ranch in a suburban neighborhood.

There are many questions homeowners ask themselves during the selling process. "How much will my home sell for?" "How much should I list my home for?" "Who should I select as a real estate agent to sell my home?" "What if the real estate agent overprices my home?"

Whether purchasing a car for the first time, a home for the first time, or anything for that matter for the first time, it can come with much confusion, a high level of uncertainty, and even some stress. The home buying process is often seen by many as a "daunting" process.

First time home buyer tips are something everyone who is going to purchase real estate for the first time should seek out and use to their advantage. Buying your first home is a big deal! If you are like most it will be the biggest purchase you have ever made.

Buying a home is a very exciting time for anyone! There are many emotions and feelings that a buyer experiences during the process and buying a home is no-doubt, a process that requires a lot of focus and attention to details.

What is a "Flipped" home? A flipped home is one that has been purchased, has been renovated and/or remodeled, and now is listed for sale for a much higher price than what it was purchased for.

One part art, one part science, determining the correct selling price of your home is no easy task. You want your home to move, but you also want to get as much money as you can out of the transaction.

Selling a home can be difficult, but it does not have to be impossible. In fact, it can be relatively "easy" if common mistakes are avoided. The mistake that is made most by seller's relates to the pricing of their home.

Comparable Market Analysis, also known as a "CMA," is an analysis of recently sold homes ("comparables"), preferably sold within the past 6-12 months, that helps establish a price range for a home which is normally completed by a real estate professional.

When selling your home, choosing the Realtor who will represent your best interests is one of the most important and one of the first steps in the process. Unfortunately, many sellers do not understand how important this is or believe that to be the case.

Buying a home is not the same as selling a home. The process is different, the feelings you experience are difference, and the emotions are different. Since buying a home is different than selling a home, it's obvious that the qualities you should look for when hiring a real estate agent are going to be different as well.

A mortgage is one of the largest financial responsibilities you'll acquire throughout your life. Despite this, there are still some major mortgage mistakes many people make every day. If you're interested in purchasing a home, you should do your best to avoid these potential pitfalls.

One of the most important steps, and usually the first, during the home buying process is obtaining financing. There are many different types of mortgages available. Each mortgage product varies from the amount of money needed down to the acceptable debt-to-income ratios and everything in between.

Having a home inspected before you buy it is standard procedure for obvious reasons. You want to know that that house you are spending all this money on is in good repair and that you aren't moving into any major surprises.

Most real estate transactions are contingent upon an acceptable home inspection to the buyers satisfaction. They can also be contingent on other inspections as well, however, these inspections are not as common as the home inspection. A qualified and experienced home inspector should find something that could be corrected, upgraded, or repaired in every home that they inspect, even newly built homes!

Check out our live chat "Tips from Top Agents: Bill Gassett - Dominate Your Real Estate Marketing Strategy Using Google+" on March 13 at 1 p.m. ET! It's the first in our "Tips for Top Agents" series. Are you a mortgage broker looking to increase your business from Google Plus?