House Connect - Your Flat Fee Atlanta MLS Listing Service: January 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014

4 Metro Atlanta Cities Make GA Most Affordable List

One of the best features about real estate should be cost of living, right? So online real estate site MOVOTO recently released a list of the 10 most affordable cities in Georgia. Using data from the US Census Bureau & Sperling’s Best Places, MOVOTO ranked the Top Ten based on: food costs, utility costs, median home price, unemployment rank, adjusted median income & miscellaneous costs, and 4 of our very own ATL cities made the cut.

#4. CANTON

This Cherokee County destination earned the high ranking spot due to its low unemployment rate & food costs. Also, the adjusted median income ranked well at $55,000. Not too shabby.

#6. Woodstock

Another Cherokee County city to make the list is Woodstock, which also garnered high rankings for low unemployment & food costs. If you’re looking to sell in Cherokee County, now may be the time!

#7 John’s Creek

While only ranking #7 due to high median home prices, my hometown (ranked #1 in my heart) still made the cut due to adjusted median income. In fact, it earned the #1 spot in the entire study based on this criterion.

#9 Milton

Another Fulton County find, this city rounds out the list for Metro Atlanta locations. Ranking highly for adjusted median income & low food costs, what kept Milton low on the list was that it has the highest median price out of the cities studied.

So if you’ve been waiting to list your Metro Atlanta real estate for a market recovery, now may be the time! To find out more about our flat fee MLS listing service that can save you thousands of dollars versus a traditional real estate brokerage, call us today or visit us online & “let’s get moving!” 770.640.6800 www.houseconnectnow.com

We also offer plenty of Atlanta real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well. We’re constantly posting Atlanta market tips, real estate trends, and home selling pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

Please feel free to post comments, send emails, visit our social media pages and the House Connect website, or call us directly at 770-640-6800 for more info. We have dedicated, knowledgeable professionals waiting to assist you with selling your home without the pricey commissions.

House Connect is an Atlanta flat fee MLS listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a discount realty service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate brokerage.

* * A transaction fee of .005 x the sales price will be paid at closing.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

CES 2014: Make Your Atlanta Real Estate Tech Savvy

Last week the 2014 International CES was held in Las Vegas where the world’s greatest technology leaders showcased thousands of products across more than 15 categories, one of which was updated home technology. Garnering the most notoriety was the launch of Samsung’s Smart Home platform which allows users to connect & control all Samsung Smart Home devices with one app on their smart phone. This app would allow users to remotely control home heating systems, as well as turning lights & televisions on and off, even through voice activation, with plans to expand & partner with third party service providers in the future.

Not to be outdone, LG used the summit to unveil Home Chat, a new messaging service that lets homeowners control their home appliances – from washing machines to ovens – via text message, as long as the appliances are (of course) from LG’s newest line of smart appliances-which is expected to go into effect in the next few months.

In the coming months other brands are sure to jump aboard & launch competitive services soon, but the emergence of this new technology is indicative of one strong fact in our current real estate market – technology is trending, and it would behoove Atlanta home sellers to get in front of this trend today.

While not everyone can update their Atlanta listing to the newest line of smart appliances to get ahead of the competition, there are some things you can do to showcase your Atlanta real estate as a fresh & modern listing.

Affordable products currently on the market are the Staples Connect HUB ($99.99) which allows Z-wave outlets, dimmers, sensors, door locks, smoke-detectors (BRF/First Alert)& thermostats (Honeywell) to be controlled via smart phone. Add-ons to upgrade your electronics to “enabled-status” are also available including GE plug-in modules, Aeotec oven/range extenders, Lighting kits & home monitoring kits at various prices.

Also currently on the market is Interactive Voice’s Ivee Sleek ($299.99), a voice activated personal assistant that allows voice control of brands such as Schlage locks, Philips & Belkin lights, Jasco fan switches, & GE dimmers – just to name a few.

Not in the financial position to update appliances? That’s okay too. You can use just the knowledge of what’s currently hot in the Atlanta real estate market to give your listing a competitive edge. Be sure to list the brands of your appliances if they may be compatible for easy upgrade such as “GE range, dishwasher & refrigerator” or “new Philips/Belkin LED light bulbs throughout.” Even something as simple as listing High Speed Internet Available in your neighborhood features could pique that right techno-savvy buyer’s interest. Sometimes you don’t have to put a lot of time or money into your listing to stand out, you just need to know what existing features to highlight.

Happy selling Atlanta! We hope these tips help you have a speedy & successful home-selling process in 2014. Please call us today at 770-640-6800 or visit us online to learn more about our $499* flat-fee listing & how you can save thousands versus using a traditional real estate agency.

From our House to Yours

* * A transaction fee of .0015 x the sales price will be paid at closing.

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Get Your Atlanta Home Ready For A Winter Listing

Metro-Atlanta was hit hard this week from the national Polar Vortex sweeping most of the United States, reaching record lows and leaving many Atlantans feeling unprepared for winter. We thought it was only fitting to post about how to keep your Atlanta real estate listing optimally winterized and eco-friendly, both of which we predict will be trending for homebuyers in 2014.

Insulate: Extra insulation is the best way to winterize your home. There is a section in your MLS listing where you can list energy features your property possesses. If you want to optimize your listing for the winter months it may be time to add extra insulation to nudge you ahead of the competition. Eco-friendly options such as cellulose & spray foam, in place of traditional insulation, give your listing an extra-green boost.

Have your furnace serviced: Letting sellers know that the furnace has recently been serviced & is in good condition is a great way for your Atlanta listing to stand out from the others. Another eco-friendly tip -- think about installing a permanent furnace filter which cuts down on waste & helps inhabitants breathe cleaner air.

Upgrade to a programmable thermostat. It can save you money without sacrificing comfort, AND you can list it as an energy feature on your Atlanta MLS listing.

Install weather stripping: Sealing gaps around windows & doors is an easy way to make your home feel warmer & save you money on your energy bills.

Another quick fix: Foam insulation gaskets for outlets & switches. They prevent air leakage, and you can get multipacks at most major hardware stores for $5 -$10.

Use evergreens or shrubs on your property line to create a natural windbreaker. That’s about a “green” as you can get, and it could save you up to 30% in energy costs.

Little items that go a long way: If you can’t spend the time or resources for major upgrades, make minor ones and market the heck out of them. Replacing the air filters & all exterior lights is an easy way to let buyers know that your Metro-Atlanta real estate is well-maintained. Then place neatly printed notes on all energy efficient features so potential buyers are aware during showings. Finally, be sure to list these feature in your Atlanta MLS listing. It will guarantee your house stands out among the competition as environmentally friendly and winter ready.

Happy selling Atlanta! We hope these tips help you have a speedy & successful home-selling process this winter. Please call us today at 770-640-6800 or visit us online to learn more about our $499* flat-fee listing & how you can save thousands versus using a traditional real estate company.

From our House to Yours

* * A transaction fee of .0015 x the sales price will be paid at closing.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

4 New Year's Resolutions for the 2014 Atlanta Home Seller

Since one of our most popular blog posts last year was our New Year Resolutions for Home Sellers, I decided to revamp the topic for 2014 so that Atlanta home sellers can revamp their selling tactics & follow the success of our 2013 House Connect customers. Here are our 4 New Year’s Resolutions for the 2014 Atlanta home seller to keep you ahead of the competition, supported by the 2013 National Association of Realtors Home Buyer Seller Trends report.

1). Get Your Home Into 2014 Selling Shape! All of the traditional rules apply i.e., improve your curb appeal, clear out interior clutter, complete any fixer-upper items you’re been avoiding, but newly trending in 2013 was the importance of environmentally-friendly or “green” homes. In the NAR report, 39% of all respondents rated at least one green feature as “very important,” so get creative! Update your appliances to be energy efficient, use energy efficient lighting, cater your landscaping to be energy conservative, and MOST IMPORTANTLY don’t neglect naming these features in your MLS listing.

2). Know the 2014 market! Keep yourself abreast of real estate trends by studying this NAR profile of current home buyers. Also, follow House Connect on social media platforms & this blog where we post updated market reports about Metro-Atlanta & the many ATL micro-markets. After all, what’s trending in North Fulton can be vastly different than real estate market trends in South Dekalb.

3.) Know the 2014 new lending laws! Staying well informed of the financing process your buyer will likely endure will keep your expectations realistic. NAR reports that 87% of home buyers financed their home in 2013, and 17% of those home buyers found the financing process more difficult than they initially expected. In 2014 expect more of the same with new mortgage laws being implemented in early January.

And finally…

4). Know your home worth! In 2013 over half of home buyers paid 94-100% of the asking price, so it’s important to know your appropriate price point. Before listing, you should get a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to know what similar homes in your area are successfully selling for. If you call House Connect today & mention this blog, we will offer you a free CMA at no cost or commitment from you.

Happy New Year Atlanta! We hope these tips help you have a speedy & successful home-selling process. Please call us today at 770-640-6800 or visit us online to learn more about our $499* flat-fee listing & how you can save thousands versus using a traditional listing agency.

From our House to Yours

We also offer plenty of real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well as subscribing to this blog. We’re always sharing our market-insider tips on comparative home pricing, real estate market trends, and Metro-Atlanta pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

House Connect is an Atlanta, GA discount realty company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a Flat Fee MLS Listing service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate agency.

* * A transaction fee of .0015 x the sales price will be paid at closing.