Tis the season for DEALS!
the retail stores will go BONKERS this year to unload as much of their inventory as they can in the next 50 days, and they’ll do it by dumping pricing and encouraging credit purchases and spending a bajillion dollars in marketing dollars to lure you into their stores for that ONE great deal (the loss leader) in the hopes that while you’re there, you’ll slip up and buy more stuff.
Deb asked me what I want for Christmas this years. I couldn’t answer because I cannot think of much of ANYTHING I “want” for Christmas. Just the thought of more STUFF in our house just makes me cringe.
We’ll buy gifts for the kids and Santa will (of course) stuff our stockings and add some gifts under the tree, but i must say that I am somewhat of a curmudgeon when it comes to extravagant gift giving . . . especially when we look in the closets and find toys and games from last year still in unopened boxes.
So I have a GREAT idea! Instead of giving a bunch of “STUFF” . . . Why not spend your shopping days looking for that PERFECT gift for the WHOLE family?
A new HOUSE!
Seriously . . . as soon as you finish reading this blog post:
- call your REALTOR (If you’re in Middle Tennessee, I’m ready to answer your call :-))
- ask for an assessment of the value of your current house.
- Schedule an appointment to walk through your house to determine what needs to be done to market it better
- Have your house inspected by a professional home inspector
- complete ALL improvements recommended by your REALTOR and ALL repairs indicated by the home inspector
- Be READY to go on the market 2 weeks from NOW (a week before Thanksgiving)
- Simultaneously, start looking for your new house
- Drive through neighborhoods and pick your ‘hood first
- Call your REALTOR and look at every house available in that ‘hood
- Identify 2 or 3 houses you would make an offer on the day after you receive an offer on your house
Your goal?
A BIG RED BOW on your new house Christmas morning.
This is completely doable . . . but not if you procrastinate.
The key . . . be sure the house you are selling is as PRISTINE as possible and is priced in the lower 3rd of the values of comparable houses for sale in your neighborhood.
On the purchase end of things . . . be OK with “not perfect” in terms of condition and focus more on “good bones” (Livability of floor plan) and location and yard.
This is a little known secret in the real estate industry. When selling a house, spend the money you need to spend to present a near perfect product that outshines the comparably priced competition.
When buying, always remember that another person’s “trash” might be someone else’s treasure . . . a diamond in the rough.
What you spend on the selling side of this equation in most markets of recovery will be more than compensated by the bargain you con likely find on your purchase.
We REALTORS LOVE a good challenge . . . and I’m darned confident that most REALTORS could get this done with you between now and Christmas.
So . . .
What are you waiting for . . .
GO!
DO!
Call your REALTOR NOW!
oh! and send me a picture of your new home on Christmas morning with a big red bow barry@paretorealtyllc.com
Happy Shopping!