Despite the devastation of Hurricane Sandy, sales of existing homes increased in October and prices continue their climb, according to the National Association of Realtors.
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As a real estate agent, I absolutely, positively agree with professional home stagers that staging works. People buy real estate on emotion, and staging creates what I call “warm fuzzies.” Warm fuzzies translate to home sales. Here are some examples of how staging affects home buyers in my own community.
The total sales of single-family homes, townhouses, and condominiums decreased by 1.7 percent to 4.75 million in September from 4.83 million in August. The increase from September 2011 to September this year was 11 percent. Foreclosures and short sales accounted for 24 percent of the sales in September.
Home sales in California are expected to continue their ascent into 2013, according to the California Association of Realtors. The increase from 2011 to 2012 is expected to be 5.1 percent. The state association expects sales to jump about 1.3 percent in 2013 to approach 530,000 units. Some 523,300 units are projected to be sold by the end of this year.
Confusing signals, that’s what conflicting reports of a real estate market gaining momentum and one headed back into the doldrums are good for. According to RealtyTrac’s August forecolusure report, defaults in the US are on the rise again.
Lead generation is one of the topics any journalist can bring up that will tweak the ears of real estate agents, and used car salesmen for the matter. Leads are to sales people as ink is to newspapers. ‘Well, sort of. Market Leader Inc., a company heavy into making things that can help brokers, has entered into the “software as a service” (SAAS) realm. Check it.
Certain areas of a property are more important to buyers than others. Most people want to see a spacious kitchen with good storage, an open concept floor plan for entertaining and sometimes an office or work space. But one space that is important to most any buyer is the master suite. A lackluster master can be the make-or-break room in your home.