Since you’re looking for condos or houses for sale, are you working with a local realtor yet? If you’re in the Millennial age group, chances are that you’ve been checking out homes for sale online. A recent survey showed that 99% of Millennial home buyers begin with an Internet search as opposed to 44% of homebuyers within other age groups.
If you’re experiencing a challenge locating just the right home, you’re not alone. Surveys show that 52% of home buyers claimed the most difficult part of buying a home was finding the right property for them. This is where realtors come in. Since you want to purchase a house that resonates with your personality and lifestyle, a realtor will be able to provide you with local listings that accomplish this important task.
Even though the average price for a house in the United States was $186,000 in March 2016, pricing does fluctuate depending on the city and state. If you’re looking for a house or condo within a specific school district, for example, you will discover that home values are affected by the quality of that school district. As a result, home prices can and do fluctuate as much as 20%.
Some people choose to rent rather than purchase their home. Data from 2016, however, indicates that in America’s top 100 cities, it’s nearly 38% less expensive to purchase, rather than rent, a home.
It’s also interesting to note that there have been an increased number of searches for real estate on Google. Between the years of 2009 to 2013 alone, these real-estate related searches increased by 253%.
If you’re in the process of selling your current house or condo before purchasing your next home, you may be planning to conduct some home improvements first. Realtors will tell you that curb appeal definitely matters, and it can be a significant selling factor. In fact, you can typically receive a 100% return on your investment when you invest in landscaping and other exterior improvements. Furthermore, your house may be on the market for a shorter period of time.
Other remodels that can bring you a significant return are kitchen updates and bathroom additions. Recent figures indicate that even a minor kitchen remodel could bring you a 82.7% return. A bathroom addition is also an excellent selling factor, and it could bring you an average return of 82.7%. That said, it makes sense to speak to a contractor about making these and other upgrades prior to selling.
While HGTV.com recommends that you should take 15% to 20% off the total value of your home when selling, why not ask your realtor what they think? Since realtors have experience in the local market, they will know the sales prices of comparable houses. Furthermore, when you up your curb appeal and make additional home improvements, these will be taken into consideration when setting the sale price.
When you work closely with a realtor, they will show you houses for sale that are in-keeping with your wish list. When you just look online for houses for sale without the benefit of having a realtor at your side, it can potentially take longer for you to find just the right property.
