When selling your home, it's important to understand the differences between home staging vs. decorating. Most real estate agents today acknowledge that, in the majority of cases, staging a home makes it sell faster and for more money. Convincing sellers of the same can be a difficult challenge. Why Home Staging Matters A fast sale at the highest price is the most desirable outcome for Continue Reading »
Using Price per Square Foot to Determine a Home’s Value
A question I get all the time from my clients is it a good idea to determine home value based price per square foot? I get this question from both buyers and sellers. I wish pricing a home in Santa Barbara or any home for that matter, was that easy. In real estate, as with many things in life, the easiest solution are not always the best or most accurate solution. Everyone, realtors, sellers and Continue Reading »
The Zillow Zestimate and Santa Barbara Home Value
Ever wondered how your Zillow Zestimate compares to your actual Santa Barbara home value? You're not alone. Millions of people log on to Zillow every day in order to see what home values are either within their neighborhood, for a home they might be interested in buying and even what their own home's "Zestimate" is at the moment. But how close is a Zestimate to the actual value of a Santa Continue Reading »
A Home Inspection Prior to Putting Your House on the Market?
A very strategic move you can make prior to putting your house on the market is to get your own home inspection. I know, it sounds crazy! You ask "Why would I want to spend the money to perform my own home inspection when I know my potential buyer is going to do one?" One simple reason, no surprises!!!! Once your get your house under contract, you do not want any surprises, as surprises, no Continue Reading »
Does Your Home Have Location, Location, Location?
One of the most rewarding things about my work is helping people better understand our unique real estate market, and learn more about the things that affect Santa Barbara housing prices. It's likely to be the largest investment a family makes, and since our local housing market is so complex, pricing can be disorienting at first glance. I'm often asked to explain why prices vary among two Continue Reading »
Want To Increase Your Home’s Value? It’s Simple.
If you are lucky enough to be homeowner in Santa Barbara (mortgage and all!!) your home is more than just a home. It's also a financial investment. As you saw in last month's Santa Barbara Real Estate Report, the investment in your home has been growing in value and may be the biggest financial asset that you have. Maintaining your home is essential to keeping the value high. It can also mean Continue Reading »
Selling During Drought: Water the Grass or Replace It?
Conventional wisdom says that the first rule of curb appeal is a lush, green, beautifully landscaped lawn. Curb appeal is often top of mind for people preparing to sell a home and that usually means an investment in landscaping. The question is, does conventional wisdom hold up in Santa Barbara, where we're in our third year of serious drought? At a time when driving a dirt-caked car has Continue Reading »
How To Upgrade A Kitchen, Santa Barbara Style
What do homebuyers want in a Santa Barbara kitchen? And how should that impact your style and design choices when upgrading or renovating your home? Whenever a home buyer asks me to put together a list of homes to tour, our conversation usually begins with my client sharing her wish list of features. Things like number of bedrooms and bathrooms, ideal size and square footage, the school Continue Reading »
Why Sellers Should Invest In Outdoor Spaces
If you're thinking about investing in your Santa Barbara home, chances are you're also thinking about what parts of the house need sprucing up. We already know that a few home improvement dollars can go a long way toward increasing your selling price. But where should you spend? For Santa Barbara homeowners, there's more than conventional wisdom to consider. For example, should you add a new Continue Reading »
The Psychology Of Staging Your Home For Sale
It's been said that buying a house is one of the most stressful things a person can go through. In part, that's a function of finding the right location for themselves and their family. Or the enormity of moving a lifetime of belonging to a new town or city. While some of the tension felt when buying or selling a house can't be avoided, some of it, thankfully, can be. This is where staging your Continue Reading »
