Home Staging Tips

If you're thinking of selling there are many ways to prepare with staging so you maximize the equity from your home. It doesn't have to take a huge budget to make a big impact. Sometimes we all need a few tricks up our sleeve, ways to make our homes look stylish on a budget, right? Fortunately, there are ways – even on a budget.

Here, you will discover the simplest and least expensive home staging tips to make your home look stylish.

Remove all clutter

Get rid of all the clutter in your home. Either throw it away or store it neatly out of sight. All floors and surfaces should be clutter-free, while cabinets and closets should be neatly organized. If they are packed full buyers will think the house is too small.   

Paint the walls

Give walls a fresh look with new paint and go for...

If you are ready to move to a new home, a common question to ask is whether you should sell or rent your current home. There isn't a right answer, it depends on your situation. Here are some things to consider:

1. What are your expenses for the home versus what you can rent you can receive for the home? Take  a look at your expenses including any mortgages, taxes, association fees and insurance.

2. Is your home currently homesteaded? If that is the case, you need to factor in that once you move out, the homestead extension will expire and the taxes will increase. The increase could be substantial depending on how long you have owned your home.

3. How will you handle if there are needed repairs? Will you be able to financially handle the additional expenses? Will you be ok getting calls from the tenant that something...

Are you facing probate and wonder where to begin? 

What is probate anyway and do I need to do it? Probate is the process how property and assets and creditors' claims are resolved. This is needed unless there has been a special deed prepared in advance or a trust is in place. 

This is a very challenging time of life and many wonder where to start. There are many challenges that family members face when they have lost a loved one.  

When is probate not necessary? 

Top Challenges That Families Face:

How do you get the most for your home when selling?

The first thing that sellers think is if they want more money for their home they need to list it at a higher price. The second thing that they think is that they need to save money on the commission. Have you thought this? It is ok you are not alone. I would like to share with you that this is not the case. The two are mistakes that could cost you thousands of dollars or a sale.

Mistake #1 - Over pricing a home causes buyers to choose other well priced homes. When this happens, the time on the market increases and then buyers wonder what is wrong with the home. Most of the time, there is nothing wrong. The price was just missed. So what should be the pricing strategy? Hitting the sweat spot. That is pricing that...

International buyers are making a difference in Palm Beach and it is expected to continue for the next few years. Florida is the #1 place for international buyers looking to purchase and the gap between #1 and #2 continues to grow.

Canadians are one of the reasons that international activity has increased. Two years ago, Canadians spent 8.9 Billion (a record low) and only a year later they had invested up to 19 Billion in real estate.  That increase has made a huge impact in some areas in South Florida. 

Why have they been buying more properties in Florida?  Places like Toronto have seen incredible increases in real estate values allowing for them to have access to a lot of equity.  What better way to enjoy the additional equity than to have a winter...

Don't Be Fooled...Not All Approvals Are Created Equal. Pre-approval is an important part of any real estate transaction, whether you’re buying or selling. For both buyers and sellers, it’s important to understand the lending side of the deal, since this is what really determines whether a deal can make it to the closing table which is what all buyers and sellers want.

If a lender hasn’t completed an accurate pre-approval process, the deal will fall through which disappoints 100% of the time. It’s important to have a good understanding of the difference between a pre-approval and a pre-qualification. A lot of the issues that can cause a deal to fall through can be avoided by completing an in-depth pre-approval before making your offer. Treu Group Real Estate provides a buyer consultation before we go to look at...

Have you heard the buzz about the international buyers in Palm Beach County? I am sure you are wondering where the buyers are coming from and why this is such a big deal.

The Top 5 Countries buying in The US:

1. China
2. Canada
3. United Kingdom
4. Mexico
5. India

10% of all properties purchased by international buyers are over $1,000,000. Many buyers are looking for luxury retreats so when international buyers increase their interest in the US, it is a plus to the luxury real estate market. The extra benefit is 44% of international buyers pay in cash.  

Palm Beach Real Estate is still affordable compared to many resort areas in the world so it continues to be attractive to buyers. It is a great place to buy to enjoy our amazing weather and the lifestyle is great too.

We are here...

Did you do a loan modification during the real estate crisis? If you did you certainly were not alone.  The loan modifications helped many people avoid foreclosure during the real estate bust. Some loan modifications reduced the amount a homeowner owned on their home which also lowered payments. Many did not understand the terms of the reduction and still don't today.  

Now that many communities have become stable, homeowners are wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to sell.  That makes sense for many that have not been able to with the lack of equity.  We have heard stories of some homeowners having to pay up to 20% of the gain to the lender.  

Not all loan modifications used the same approach so it is important to pull out your agreement and see...

There is often an elephant in the room and many real estate agents and sellers attempt to ignore it.  Can you imagine trying to ignore an elephant roaming around your home?  It would not be something to pretend like it doesn't exist right?  Well neither is ignoring appraisal issues.  You have to acknowledge appraisals and have a plan to deal it.  Your Palm Beach County real estate agent and Martin County real estate agent is on your side to make selling easier.

The great news is we have the plan and solution to help you deal with appraisals.  There are several ways to do this.  Here are a few options:

Have a pre-list appraisal.  We recommend a real estate appraiser that is realistically optimistic.  What is the most that your home will appraise for...