George L. Duarte

Mortgage Loans Fremont California Horizon Financial Associates

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7 Tips To Make Your Living Room More Appealing To Home Buyers

May 15, 2013 by George Duarte Leave a Comment

7 Tips To Make Your Living Room More AppealingEveryone knows that first impressions are important. By carefully staging your home, you can positively influence the feelings your potential buyers have when they are viewing the property.

Staging is the art of decorating and arranging the spaces within your house to make it more appealing to buyers. If you can adapt the rooms to create an attractive and welcoming zone that home buyers can see themselves in, they will be more likely to buy your property.

One of the most important rooms to stage is the living room, because it is such a central part of the house. This is where a lot of the social activity occurs, so it should appear comfortable and welcoming.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when staging your living room before the next showing of your home:

  • Clear out the clutter. The most important step is to de-clutter, because a mess will turn off potential buyers. Clear away any papers, toys and other items to make your living room as clean and minimalist as possible.
  • Go zen. The main purpose of a living room is for relaxation, so make the space look as comfortable as possible. Try a soft throw on the sofa, plush cushions and a big chair that is just begging you to come curl up with a book.
  • Strategically place furniture. Arrange the living room furniture to create areas of conversation, such as two sofas facing each other with a low coffee table in the middle.
  • Depersonalize. Remove your personal items. If you have too many family photos and personal effects in the room, it can make it difficult for your potential buyers to imagine their own family living there.
  • Remove the bulk. If your living room feels small, you can remove some of the furniture to give it the illusion of being bigger.
  • Channel your green thumb. You might want to consider bringing in some plants to make the space feel fresh.
  • Brighten it up. If your living room has dark corners, invest in upright lamps that will help illuminate the space and provide an aura of intimacy.

With these seven tips, the living room in your Fremont home will be much more appealing to potential buyers.

If you are ready to make a move to your next home, call your trusted mortgage loan officer for a personal consultation to get the best home mortgage loan for your purchase.

Filed Under: Home Selling Tips Tagged With: Living Room,Home Staging,Home Selling

Know Your Real Estate Disclosure Laws Before You Sell Your Home

May 14, 2013 by George Duarte Leave a Comment

Know Your Real Estate Disclosure Laws Before Selling Your Home

When deciding to sell a piece of Fremont real estate, there are certain things you must disclose about the property to the buyer before the sale can go through.

Disclosure laws are put in place to protect the buyer from unknowingly purchasing defective property. Not disclosing certain information about the property can jeopardize the sale, or worse, invite a lawsuit.

This has become more of an issue lately as some sellers are tempted to gloss over deficiencies in the home they are selling in order to try to get a higher sales price.  In fact, a recent poll of real estate agents showed that 75% of agents ranked non-disclosure among the “top three current and future issues.”

What You May Need To Disclose

The main items that need to be disclosed are any defects with the home. This includes, but is not limited to, plumbing problems, water leaks, cracks in the foundation, insect infestations and toxic materials in the home — such as lead, asbestos, carbon monoxide or mold.

Be sure to fully disclose anything that may be pertinent to the buyer before purchase. Some disclosure laws include reporting issues with neighbors and whether the home has a criminal or notorious past.

If you are unsure about some information regarding your real estate, one option would be to state that you do not know that specific information. Remember though, if you knowingly withhold information, it may cause the sale to fall through or could be used against you in a lawsuit.

Does It Make Sense To Have A Pre-Inspection Done?

Sellers can also have their home inspected prior to placing the property on the market to prevent any surprises of unknown problems with the home. This way, defects can be fixed before listing the property, and the disclosure form can state the problem has been fixed. Buyers will almost surely want an inspection prior to closing, and a pre-inspection may suffice.

Disclosing information does not mean the seller needs to fix the problem. Any disclosed problems with the real estate can become a negotiation point. Remember, the most important thing is to be honest about any known issues with the property.

Real estate disclosure laws may be different depending on the state in which you live. The best way to know what you need to disclose in your area is to check with your trusted real estate agent or property attorney and discuss any potential property issues with them before you fill out the seller disclosure form.

Filed Under: Home Selling Tips Tagged With: Home Sale,Listing Your Home,Seller's Disclosures

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George L. Duarte

MBA, CMC, CMHS
Call 510.377.9059
Fremont, CA

California DRE Corp Lic no. 01032295
DRE Personal Brokers Lic. No. 00943635
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