Choosing a Professional to SELL Your HOME!

In this market it’s important for sellers to have a negotiation expert on their side when it comes to making deals. Selling or buying a home should be like any other business transaction. All too often sellers or buyers make emotional or impulsive decisions that can cost them money and valuable time. Choosing the right Realtor to market a property or negotiate a sale is the MOST important step in the process. You need to have tough standards when selecting an agent, just as you would when hiring an attorney or doctor.

Many sellers or buyers will hire an agent offering the lowest commission. Remember, you get what you pay for. Do you want a negotiator with a lot of expertise to protect your equity? If you had a lawsuit that was worth the value of your home, would you hire the cheapest attorney to protect you or the best attorney you can find? If you had surgery, would you look for the cheapest doctor? Or you would look for the best doctor? The same should be true for the Realtor you hire. In today’s highly competitive market it takes time, knowledge, expertise, targeted marketing, and countless hours of work!

Selecting the right agent can even help bring more money to the table at closing.  In fact, hiring the right agent in this market will make a significant difference for both buyers and sellers and their bottom line. I’ve practiced Real Estate for 30 years now and have successfully negotiated nearly 4000 contracts in my career. If you want real results, hire a real professional. I have a very strong team to back up my experience. 

Call us today to get your home SOLD! AND AT TOP DOLLAR!!! 505-238-1000

Seller Faux Pas

I recently read an article on Realtor.com that sparked my interest and I wanted to share it with you.  It’s all about the unwritten rules sellers should take into consideration when their home is on the market. Some are funny. Some seem a little obvious....yet you’d be surprised at how many seller faux pas we see when showing homes to our clients.  And I’ll mention, these are things my team and I go over with our sellers when their homes are on the market.

The number one unwritten rule is when someone calls to show your home, make sure you’re not there while they’re looking at your home.  In blunt terms, the simple fact that you’re there could make a buyer uncomfortable and they may not even really look at your home and take it into consideration. It’s important you give them the freedom to view your home and make comments, out loud, to their agent about what they like and even dislike. This helps us as Realtors to gauge their interest level.

We often see pets in homes, and while I’m a dog-lover just like the next person, not everyone is and you need to take that into consideration. If you have to leave your pets at home, make sure they’re locked away somewhere and you let your Realtor know where they are so they can avoid that area if need be. 

If you would like for my team to represent you in the sale of your home call us today at 505-238-1000!!!

Tax Savings!!!

With the 2015 tax season officially behind us, I want to talk about some deductions that could potentially save you, as a homeowner, thousands of dollars….

Let’s start with the obvious tax benefits of home-ownership, which is through your mortgage interest and property tax deductions. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average homeowner saves around $3,000 a year alone in those two areas.  On top of that, just this past December, Congress passed a bill that extended many exemptions that were on the brink of expiring and made others permanent.

A big exemption is mortgage insurance. Qualified homeowners can deduct payments on what we like to call PMI, for short, on their primary home. Sometimes you can deduct for a second property as long as it isn’t a rental. Another area of savings is in capital gains tax. If you sold your home in 2015 that may be an area where you could save, however I always recommend you talk to your CPA on exactly what you qualify for as there are different restrictions.

There are also some improvements a homeowner can make to their home that would allow for tax deductions. For example, medical improvements to your home to help meet medical needs. A good example of this would be a ramp to accommodate a wheelchair. You can deduct the amount by which the improvements exceed the increase in your home’s value. Another area where you can save is by making “green” improvements by taking advantage of an energy-efficiency tax credit. The break is 10% of the amount paid for green improvements, up to $500. Some examples of these improvements can be air-conditioning and heating units, storm doors, energy-efficient windows, you get the picture. 

The big thing is to start now. Don't miss out on documenting these potential tax savings so that this time next year you can be celebrating with a possible larger return.