Milford Real Estate Podcast with Josh Lioce

Today I wanted to take some time to talk to you about some things you should consider before buying a property governed by a homeowner’s association.

If you want to sell your house here in the Milford area, these four things can be the determining factor in how successful your sale is. Buying a Milford home? Get a full Home Search Selling your Milford home? Get a free Home Value Report When you list your home, there are four things that can make or break your sale. 1. Pricing it right from the beginning: In a hot market like ours here in the Milford area, many sellers think they can test the market by pricing too high. As things start to cool down in the summer and fall months, though, inventory will rise and you'll want to avoid that mindset and price your home right at market value. The closer the price is to the real value, the more activity you'll get, and you can even get your house into a bidding war—which is ultimately what you want. 2. Amp up your marketing: The days of agents or homeowners taking their own marketing photos are long gone. Hire a professional photographer to shoot the home whether it costs $100,000 or $1 million. This is a must because of their ability to get the most out of the lighting, the angles, and the skyline. Many people make real estate decisions based on the photos they see online. Focus on social media as well; Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter should all give your property exposure. It will generate more activity on the home. The days of Realtors taking photos of homes are long gone. 3. Staging: I don't necessarily mean hiring a stager to advise you, but to instead use what you have and take a decluttering approach. Make sure you remove all the extra stuff and make sure you utilize what's available in each room. You want to stage the property by opening up floor space to showcase square footage. It will not only improve the home's photography, it will help buyers gets a better feel for the space. 4. Be prepared to receive multiple offers: Our market has very tight inventory so we're seeing many more multiple offer situations than in the past, so it's important to have a gameplan for it. If it's not handled carefully and professionally, you could squander an amazing opportunity and even lose the offers. This will help you maximize the value of your home. I hope you found this information helpful. If you have any questions or you're thinking of buying or selling a home here in the Milford market, give me a call or send me an email soon. I'd be happy to help.

If you want to sell your house here in the Milford area, these four things can be the determining factor in how successful your sale is.

How do you determine whether an investment property is a good fit for your goals? Focus on these four areas before closing the deal. Buying a Milford home? Get a full Home Search Selling your Milford home? Get a free Home Value Report There are four key areas you need to be aware of when looking to buy a good investment property: 1. Projected income: You want to make some money or at least cover your expenses. A good rule to follow is the 1% rule: If the property costs $400,000, you should hope to make about $4,000 a month in income. This will tell you whether it's in line with your investment goals. 2. The tenant situation: Is there a lease in place with existing tenants? How long have they been there? What's their rental history? You also want to understand the management aspect and any issues a management company has faced, like tenants who have been late paying rent. This will help you understand what you're buying and avoid buying into a bad rental situation. The perfect property with no issues or future deferred maintenance doesn't exist. 3. Condition of the property: You won't find a property that's perfect with everything ready to roll that lets you sit back for 30 years and enjoy the rental income because it doesn't exist. Issues will always come up, so it's important to understand what needs to be done in the short term and what you should be prepared to shell out some cash for. For example, needing a new roof obviously isn't ideal, but it won't disrupt the building. On the other hand, if the plumbing needs to be replaced, it will be both a huge expense and disruptive since you'll have to tear into the units and common areas of a rental property. You might even need to have a vacant building if any tenants are displaced by issues like this. 4. Understand the utilities: Be aware of all the utilities there, what is and isn't separately metered, and how you'll deal with it in terms of each individual unit. For example, if the gas is on a single meter, you'll probably include it in rent. If you have separate meters, you can charge everybody individually. Most importantly, make sure that if you're trying to pass along costs, you're not violating any laws or state/town regulations. If you have any questions about owning investment properties or you're considering buying one, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'm always glad to help!

How do you determine whether an investment property is a good fit for your goals? Focus on these four areas before closing the deal.

Now that summer is officially here, there are a few things you need to do to do around your property to make sure it’s ready for the season. Buying a Milford home? Get a full Home Search Selling your Milford home? Get a free Home Value Report As we head into summer, there are five things you should focus on to prepare your property for the season. First, inspect all your brick and stone patios and walkways. Hardscapes and brick material can freeze and shift over the winter, so make sure you fix that for both safety and aesthetic reasons. Second, feed your lawn. We’ve been lucky so far because this spring produced plenty of rain, which wasn’t good for your outdoor activity schedule but good for the grass. Continue to feed your grass and replenish it with nutrients. The more time you spend doing this, the greener and lusher it will be. Third, check the condition of your fences. This is especially important if you have a wooden fence, as wood is more prone to take a beating over the winter. Make sure no pieces have fallen off, and if they have, tack them back on securely. From an aesthetic standpoint, another thing you can do to those wooden stockades or wooden picket fences is power wash them. This will make it look like it did the day you installed it. The season is upon us to grill and barbecue. Fourth, mulch your flower and vegetable beds. You may be a few steps ahead of me with this tip. Personally, I like to wait to address my mulch beds until as late as early June. Make sure your flower and vegetable beds are getting enough water and you continue to weed them. Lastly—and most importantly—get your grill in gear! I love to grill pretty much all season, and if you’re like me, there are a few maintenance tasks you need to take care of with your grill. Check your grates to make sure they’re clean and in good condition. Also check all the heat diverters in the grill, the propane hookups, and the drip pan. If your igniter switch is faulty, you can go to your local hardware store, buy a new one, and ask a professional how to install it. This will add years to your grill’s lifespan and allow you to enjoy your backyard in style. If you have any questions about how to get your home ready for summer or you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email. I look forward to speaking with you.

Now that summer is officially here, there are a few things you need to do to do around your property to make sure it’s ready for the season.

If you plan to sell your house, there are four things that a recent Realtor.com survey revealed will go a long way in appealing to buyers. Buying a Milford home? Get a full Home Search Selling your Milford home? Get a free Home Value Report There are certain things that homebuyers want in a home and certain ways you can give it to them. According to a recent Realtor.com survey, these four things will make your home more attractive to buyers: 1. A kitchen that impresses: Spend a lot of time and thought updating the kitchen. This could include updated countertops, appliances, cabinets, and hardware, which can all make the home more attractive and modern. If your countertops and cabinets are in good shape, you can pull this off by just updating appliances. 2. The great outdoors: You can't change the size of your yard, but you can make it inviting. Get rid of all the junk lying around, update the landscaping, and keep your grass freshly mowed. Make sure you have tables, chairs, or a fire pit; whatever will make people think of it as a nice place to play or relax and have company over. 3. A garage: People 55 and older actually prefer having a garage to a living room. Having a garage is huge, so make sure you give yourself enough time to get rid of all the clutter and make it open. If you're lucky enough to have a 2-car garage, really showcase that space. People love garages not just to park their cars in, but to have space for certain tasks. 4. Avoid making rooms specific to your style or use: For example, don't turn a bedroom into a dressing room or a photography darkroom. If you turn any spaces into a specific functioning space, make sure it is easy to convert it back or make it appear very neutral. You can't change the size of your yard, but you can make it inviting. Remember, you want to set your house up in a way that you enjoy, but you don't want anything so permanent that it can't be changed back. If you have any other questions about appealing your home to buyers or you're thinking of buying or selling a home here in the Milford area, give me a call or send me an email. I'm here to help!

If you plan to sell your house, there are four things that a recent Realtor.com survey revealed will go a long way in appealing to buyers.

If you're getting ready to sell your home for the first time, these four tips will help you out. Buying a Milford home? Get a full Home Search Selling your Milford home? Get a free Home Value Report If you plan to sell your first house, there are four key tips you should follow: 1. Price your home accurately: The price is very important, so hire someone who knows your market instead of someone who dabbles or does real estate on the side. Pricing your home too high can be a killer for your first two or three weeks by making the other homes for sale in the area look better. Underpricing can create enough chaos and bids that the eventual winner might get cold feet. 2. Make sure your Realtor can help you prepare your home for sale: The preparation isn't necessarily about staging, but using what you have and focusing on opening up the space, cleaning it as well as you can, and making it feel as big as possible. People focus on square footage and floor space. Buyers focus on square footage and floor space. 3. Be flexible with showings: Do your best to be available to leave the home if you work from home or have kids. The more open you are to showings, the quicker your home will sell. 4. Insist on professional photography from your Realtor: Don't listen if they say they have an iPhone or a camera of their own unless they're also a professional real estate photographer. You want a professional who truly knows how to capture a home. Pictures make all the difference online, and many buyers will decide whether they even want to see your home in person just by clicking a photo.If you have any other questions about selling a home, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I'm always happy to help!