The Rocca Sisters Blog

The Rocca Sisters Team Report – April 2013 Issue

As in any industry, there are terms and buzzwords that are unique to residential real estate. When you put your home on the market, you should know what these mean. Here are definitions for the most common terms:

• Fair market value: the is an estimate of how much a specific home will sell for in today’s market, taking into account what similar properties in the area have sold for recently.
• Seller’s Agent: This is the REALTOR who is helping you sell your property. He or she may also assist you in finding and buying your next home.
• Buyer’s Agent: this is the REALTOR who is representing the buyer of the property you want to sell.
• Pre-approved Mortgage: This is a statement (often in the form of a certificate) from your bank or order lender that states that you qualify for a mortgage for a particular amount of money. A pre-approved mortgage adds credibility to any offer you make on a new home.
• Staging: This is a strategy where a home is purposely prepared so that it appeals to potential buyers. Staging may involve cleaning, de-cluttering, rearranging furniture, redecorating, and more.
• Survey: This is a document that defines the boundaries and measurements of your property and any structures on it.
• Offer: This is an offer of purchase, in writing, for a particular property.
• Conditional Offer: This is an offer to purchase, but with conditions – such as ‘conditional on a satisfactory home inspection’ or ‘conditional on arranging suitable financing’.
• REALTOR: A trademark name for a trained, qualified real estate representative who is a member in good standing of the Canadian Real Estate Association. A good REALTOR, particularly one who specializes in this neighbourhood, will help you navigate the maze of buying and selling a home.

Engaging The Other Senses

When preparing a home for sale, most homeowners focus on pleasing the eyes. In other words, they make their property ‘look’ as attractive as possible. That is, of course, a very important thing to do! however, your home will be even more appealing to buyer if you also engage their other senses. Tale smells, for example. Ideally, you don’t want any smells at all in your home during a viewing. So be careful about odours that can linger after cooking. Use the fan. Do not use scented air fresheners or strong perfumes in washrooms prior to viewings. If you or another family member smokes, avoid having the smell come into the home.

As for sounds, soft, pleasing music is fine. Just be sure to choose a style that would be acceptable to all. Think elevator music! If a neighbour is creating a loud noise next door – jackhammering a patio foundation, for example – ask him or her to keep it down during showings. Most good neighbours will be happy to do so.

In general, anything you can do, even something minor, that will make your home more appealing to all the buyer’s senses is worth effort.

Innovators of Social Real Estate

If you are not already aware of one of the fastest growing social networks online, Pinterest, you are missing out on a very valuable resource. Pinterest is a social bookmarking site, allowing people to collect and share photos of their favorite ideas, hobbies and events on their ‘pinboards’. The information available at your fingertips is endless.
The Rocca Sisters Team pride ourselves on staying ahead of the curve and always being on top of the latest social media venues to spread valuable information to our clients and followers. Pinterest is no exception. We have been using Pinterest since its initial trials and use it as a tool to express the latest tips and trends in real estate, staging and home decor. Find ideas for staging your home and your gardens for a successful home sale. View our boards with fresh ideas on kitchen, basement, garage and bathroom renovations – just to name a few. We also use our pinterest boards to share information on the latest events and news in our community.
Visit our Pinterest Board at www.Pinterest.com/RoccaSisters and discover this new innovative & interactive information source for yourself. Become one of our ‘Followers’ to stay informed of our latest ‘pins’. Re-pin our posts to your own boards to share them with your own friends & followers, or to keep our many ideas for your own reference. We look forward to your visit!

Click here to download the pdf file of this report