Assist2Sell

Have you ever overdressed for an event? Perhaps you understood the dress to be formal, but when you arrived in your sequin dress or black tuxedo, everyone else was wearing jeans and turtlenecks. You may recall how everyone stared as you entered the room, looking a bit out of place.

That happens to homeowners too, but it's not called overdressing - it's called over-improving. It happens when property owners remodel a home to the point where its new value far exceeds all others in the neighborhood.

Let’s say that your family has grown, and you begin your improvements by adding a wing with two more bedrooms and another bath. You expand to a three-car garage, and install an outdoor deck. In the process, you add $55,000 in improvements to your $100,000 home.

As long as you continue living in the home, that's not a problem. When it's time to sell, however, you'll face an unexpected challenge. You’ve spent $55,000 on improvements, but buyers are unlikely to be impressed as they compare the prices of other homes in the area, and expect yours to be in line.

Before beginning a major project, determine the impact on your home's value. Consider “upgrading” to a larger home vs. remodeling, getting advice from a lender and a real estate agent. When it's time to sell, you'll be glad you did.

Michael Sinton, CRB, e-Pro
Broker/Salesperson

For more information, contact Michael Sinton, CRB, Broker/Salesperson, Assist-2-Sell, America's leading discount real estate company, directly at 732-364-7434, via email at MSinton@Assist2Sell.com or on the web at http://www.WeSellCentralNJ.com.

Jackson, NJ, March 2009 -- According to recent research by the National Association of REALTORS®, 81% percent of home buyers say photos and detailed property descriptions are the most useful features when searching for homes online.(2) Assist-2-Sell Realty Brokerage Group is taking advantage of this trend for its clients with its commitment to enhance all properties it markets with multiple photos and customized property descriptions on the #1 real estate site(1), REALTOR.com®. With changing real estate market conditions, Assist-2-Sell is giving consumers what they want most online and providing another reason why home sellers and buyers must insist on using Assist-2-Sell Realty Brokerage Group.

Listings on REALTOR.com® with multiple photos are viewed 330% more often, on average,(3) and rise to the top when searched by number of photos. Assist-2-Sell enhances all of its clients’ properties on REALTOR.com® with multiple photos and detailed property descriptions. These properties also receive this high-impact placement within the real estate sections of MSN®, the Wall Street Journal online, and over fifty additional real estate and franchise sites, helping reach the largest audience of home buyers for its clients.

Assist-2-Sell understands that it is vital to reach the over 5.7 million consumers each month¹ who, on average, spend 78% of the time they search for a home online on REALTOR.com®.(4) With 80% of all home buyers using the Internet at some point in their search for homes(2), Assist-2-Sell is working to make sure its clients’ homes are promoted where more consumers are searching online.

For more information, contact Michael Sinton, CRB, e-Pro, Broker/Salesperson at Assist-2-Sell, America's Leading Discount Real Estate Company, directly at 732-364-7434, via email at MSinton@Assist2Sell.com or on the web at http://www.WeSellCentralNJ.com.

1 Media Metrix – Number of unique users on REALTOR.com® each month of 2007
2 2006 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
3 Compared with non-showcase listings (listings without multiple photos). Based on REALTOR.com® internal analysis of Showcase Listing Detail Page Views per Listing vs. Non-Showcase Listings Detail Page Views per Listing, for May 2007
4 Net ratings – Based on reporting of the time online users spent during September 2006 on REALTOR.com® and other comparable real estate aggregation sites and excluding sites of franchisors/brokers

A “new” solution to the "gloom and doom" scenarios is on the horizon, and it's called "cause and effect." Just as home prices have fallen in many markets, buyers are responding strongly to the stimulus.

Like today's stock market provides excellent opportunities for investors in it "for the long haul," so too does today's real estate climate appeal to buyers with long-term expectations. And, the more buyers take advantage of current conditions, the more prices will eventually begin rising again.

That is due to a number of reasons, one being the subsequent drop in inventories, and another being the rising cost of new construction. So, those markets where home prices have dropped the most are experiencing a rise in the level of home sales taking place.

Areas where buyers are entering the fray again are well poised for recovery, and it's possible that the prices are finally bottoming out. The recently enacted housing stimulus bill is helping too, as over two million first-time buyers are predicted to take advantage of the new tax credit.

In 2009, those markets with affordable housing combined with healthy local economies will continue to see growth. Cause and effect is already in action, and you should be, too. Consult with a financial advisor and a local real estate agent to get the best results from this new but age-old formula.

Michael Sinton, CRB, e-Pro

Broker/Owner

For more information, contact Michael Sinton, CRB, Broker/Owner, Assist-2-Sell Buyers & Sellers Edge, America's leading discount real estate company, directly at 609-587-4227, via email at MSinton@Assist2Sell.com or on the web at http://www.WeSellCentralNJ.com.