Good Information

Our Mission Statement

Our goal at Best of the West Properties, Inc. is to put our customer first by treating them the way we like to be treated. We realize that real estate transactions often involve the biggest decisions of a person's life.

Best of the West Properties, Inc. will be there before, during and after the transaction. We feel that all people deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, honesty, and integrity. Our promise to you is that we will do our best!

Hiring an Agent

by Corinne Welborn // August 2008 // 9:00 AM

Selling a home can be very stressful. Finding the right real estate agent for you is essential.

Following are some tips for enlisting a good agent:

1. Hire an agent who is familiar with your neighborhood and the sales activity in your area.
2. Decide on your priorities (quick sale, high offer, etc. and discuss with the agent).
3. Decide on your priorities (quick sale, high offer, etc. and discuss with the agent).
4. Ask the agent for references and a list of homes he or she has sold in the last year.
5. walk around your house. Ask the agent for his or her suggestions for improving its chances of selling.
6. What are the agent's fees and commissions?
7. Discuss whether you or the buyer will pay the closing fees (or split the cost).
8. How often will the agent show your house?
9. How often will he or she host open houses?
10. How will the agent advertise the sale of your house?
11. Does the agent have a website or national listing service?
12. Will he or she provide and stock a brochure box attached to the "For Sale" sign?
13. How long will your contract be active?
14. If you are unhappy with the agent, how long after the contract expires can you hire another agent?
15. Will the agent offer a commission fee reduction if a friend or family member of yours offers to buy your house?

The above tips are just good common sense, and questions "Best of the West Realtors" are Happy to answer!

tags: Home, Blog, Agents // Best of the West Realty //

Increasing Curb Appeal

by Corinne Welborn // August 2008 // 9:00 AM

First impressions are never more important than when you are trying to sell a home. Put yourself in the shoes of a prospective buyer. Stand near the street and look with an objective eye at your house, yard, driveway and gardens. Make note of all items that need to be fixed, painted, cleaned, or removed. Chances are that the person who ends up buying your home will drive by at least once when making the decision.

Following is a list of updates that may make your home appealing upon first glimpse:

1. Make sure house numbers are easy to read.
2. Replace or paint the front door if necessary.
3. Make sure railings are sturdy and freshly painted.
4. Clean windows.
5. Touch up or repaint the home's exterior.
6. Fix loose shutters.
7. Straighten or replace loose or bent gutters.
8. Replace old, aluminum windows with new energy efficient vinyl or wood windows as well as any torn window screens.
9. Paint or replace mailbox.
10. Prune overgrown bushes and trees and remove dead limbs. Trim edges along all sidewalks and paved surfaces.
11. Fertilize lawn and mitigate unsightly weeds. Keep grass trimmed and yard clear of toys, bicycles, lawnmowers, garden tools, wheelbarrows, and debris.
12. Mulch flowerbeds and around shrubs and if the season is right plant bright flowers and add a potted plant or flower boxes to the front entrance.
13. Make sure the doorbell works and the doorknocker is polished.
14. Make sure the front of your home is lighted and appealing at night.
15. Apply a fresh coat of sealer to worn asphalt driveways and power wash concrete driveways and sidewalks.
16. Watch for the obvious like a dirty or scuffed front door
17. The same applies to outdoor structures like crooked gates, sagging fences, and cracked sidewalks!
18. Make your house stand out.

If you want to get the best price possible when selling your home, it is very important to make sure that it is appealing to potential buyers. Fix-up the above following areas for an easy, quick sale

tags: Home, Blog, Agents // Best of the West Realty //

Increase Selling Price

by Corinne Welborn // August 2008 // 9:00 AM

If you want to maximize and get price possible when selling your home, it is very important to make sure that it is appealing to potential buyers.

Here are some ideas to fix-up the following areas for quicker and easier sale:

1. Repaint walls in rooms that have high visibility (kitchen, baths and living areas). The instant a prospective buyer walks into your home, they should be taken by the understated elegance of the interior – not assaulted by loud colors and eye-spinning patterns
2. Choose a soft, neutral paint color scheme and remove wallpaper with bright colors or overly elaborate patterns.
3. Remove threadbare rugs and refinish any worn hardwood including floors.
4. Have carpet professionally cleaned or replaced with a neutral colored carpet.
5. Replace or repair loose cabinet hardware and replace light switch and wall outlet cover plates.
6. Fix any leaks in ceilings and walls.
7. Replace worn kitchen countertops with new, clean, neutral colored materials.
8. Replace worn or outdated vinyl flooring.
9. Clean ceramic tiles and re-grout if necessary.
10. Replace broken, dirty or outdated blinds and curtains.
11. Make sure all appliances are clean and in working order.
12. Replace all burned-out light bulbs.
13. Clean all light fixtures and ceiling fans.
14. Clean the windows and window sills. Just before showing, open all drapes and blinds to emit as much daylight as possible. It’s also advisable to turn on all lights and lamps to give your home a bright, lived-in look.

tags: Home, Blog, Agents // Best of the West Realty //

Uncluttering the Home for Sale!

by Corinne Welborn // August 2008 // 9:00 AM

If you want to maximize and get the best price possible when selling your home, it is very important to make sure that it is uncluttered to potential buyers.

Here are some ideas to “CLEAR OUT THE CLUTTER”!

What is really important is that the next owner sees the true potential of each room. That’s not possible when rooms are showing off an overabundance of furniture, books, toys, knickknacks and other belongings. Plus rooms appear smaller and darker when overfilled. No one ever says the rooms are too big and bright!

1. Reduce the number of personal items (family photos, portraits, memorabilia, keepsakes, awards etc.) and clutter in each room, to make the house seem cleaner.
2. Keep children's toys organized and in one area.
3. Thin out items from all closets, shelves, and table tops
4. Clean and organize basement.
5. Put magazines in decorative baskets. Weed out those you don't need.
6. Keep bills and personal papers organized and out-of-sight.
7. Clean and organize attic and storage spaces.
8. Remove one or two pieces of furniture from each room. (If you need to, rent a storage space until the house sells).
9. Inspect your kitchen and bathroom. Few buyers will give serious consideration to a home with a kitchen or bathroom that is dirty or in disrepair.
10. Clean all kitchen appliances – inside and out – and remove or replace any that aren’t fully operational or that are seriously outdated.
11. Wash dirt and grease from the cabinets and range hood. Scrub the sink and polish the faucet. And never allow a buyer to see a sink filled with dirty dishes. If the refrigerator is hidden behind photos, calendars and school projects, clean it off.
12. Clear off counters and over cabinets to maximize space.
13. In the bath, scrub all surfaces spotless, including the floors, walls, vanity, sink, toilet, tub and shower. Organize linen closets and hang a new shower curtain liner. Fix leaky faucets, cleaned tile grout, and make sure all toilets flush properly. Clear counters of all bottles, cups and toiletries.
14. Put out thick luxurious towels, replace small mirrors with larger ones to give the illusion of more space. If your faucets have calcium deposits or are unsightly, install new ones and make sure you clean smudges and water spots from shower doors.

Consider Hiring a Home Inspector

by Corinne Welborn // August 2008 // 9:00 AM

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Consider hiring a home inspector. In this tough-to-sell climate, having your home inspected prior to putting it on the market is a very smart strategy. First, the inspection will reveal trouble spots, giving you the opportunity to fix them before listing the home. Plus being able to show a recent inspection report to prospective buyers will help assure them that the home is in good shape. Some buyers may still want to hire their own inspector, but at least you will have the peace of mind in knowing that there is little chance of something major popping up at the last minute.

You don’t want to find out as the closing draws near that the furnace is shot. Those sorts of surprises can lead to two possible unpleasant outcomes. The buyer may ask for a price reduction to cover the cost of making necessary repairs or they will withdraw their offer and ask for their earnest money back.