5 Tips for Selling a Home With Pets

If you’re selling your home and you have pets, follow these tips to appeal to more buyers.

I thought I’d take some time today to talk a little bit about selling a home with pets. I’ve got five steps that will help you prepare your home for sale while your pets are living there, too. Whether you have a cat, dog, bird, or any other animal, follow these tips:

1. Get the pet(s) out of the home before showings. Whether buyers love or hate your pet, they are going to be a distraction during the showing. The best thing to do is have a doggy daycare, a family member, friend, or neighbor watch the pet while there is a showing going on. If you have no other option but to keep them in the house, make sure they are put in a kennel.

2. Hide evidence of pets. This includes food and water bowls, leashes, and toys. Eliminate any pictures of your pets and other signs that suggest you have them. 

3. Clean up any pet mess. Be conscious of their hair, stains, and any other damage they may have caused in your house.

4. Remove any odors. Ask your agent or someone who doesn’t come to your house regularly if they notice any pet odors. If they do, fix it. Odors can linger in places like the carpet, a bed, or furniture. Clear those odors out with fresh air as opposed to air freshener.

Odors can linger in carpet or furniture.

5. Prepare your yard. This could be one of the best selling features in your house, so you want to make sure all waste is picked up and repair any damage to  grass.

If you want to sell your home and you have a pet, it’s much easier if you follow these steps. If you have any questions for us, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

5 Crucial Questions to Ask When Interviewing Agents

If you are looking for a real estate agent, it is vitally important that you ask them these five questions before giving them the important job of selling your home.

 

Despite what most people think, not all agents are created equal.

Are all attorneys the same? Are all CPAs the same? Are all doctors the same? Of course not. 

So, how can you make sure that you hire the right real estate agent? I recommend asking them these five questions: 

1. How many homes have you sold so far this year? You should also ask how many homes they sold the previous year. Why? The average agent sells fewer than three homes in a calendar year, which means that they probably don’t know much about real estate. At the Roth Team, we’ve sold 175 homes so far this year; last year, we sold 236 homes. 

2. What is your average list to sales price ratio? In other words, how close is the purchase price to the asking price? Some agents offer a lower commission because they will give your house away. They let the buyer negotiate the price down. Our average list to sales price ratio is 98.4%, which is very close to asking price. 

3. What is the average days on market for the homes you list and sell? Of course, if it takes an agent six months to a year to sell homes, they are wasting time and money. This year, our homes spent an average of 48 days on the market. 

4. How many years of experience do you have? Do they have another job? Quite honestly, many agents do not make enough money to support their income in real estate. Many agents have less than three to five years of experience in the market. I’ve been doing this full-time for 35 years. Experience counts; it can really make a difference when it comes to selling your home. 

5. How many people will you talk to every day to sell my home? Every agent puts your home on the MLS, throws it on a few websites, and takes out an ad in the paper. Some agents may even hold open houses. However, those methods are not good enough. They need to personally contact potential buyers every day. We call that active marketing. Our team contacts as many as 100 people a day to get your home sold. 

You need an experienced agent who works full-time.

If you have any other questions about real estate, please don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. My team and I would be happy to help you!

4 Major Home Buying Mistakes to Avoid

There are four major home buying mistakes I see people make whether they're buying their first or fifth home. Here's how you can avoid them.

There are four major mistakes that buyers make during the process of buying a home. These are general mistakes that buyers make whether they're buying their first, second, or third home:

1. Not getting pre-approved for financing before looking at homes. This process is very simple: contact a local lender and, within 48 hours, you can get pre-approved over the phone or Internet. There is no cost or obligation, so I highly recommend you do this first. You'll also know what you can afford and what the costs are. Smart sellers will require you to have a pre-approval letter anyway.
2. Getting pre-approved by on out-of-state or online lender. With these lenders, you can't talk to them in person. Your lender is someone you'll want to have face-to-face contact with. I see a lot of people using these online services because they offer a cheaper rate, and it's a big mistake. I've heard too many horror stories about these lenders not being able to process a loan in time. Call your real estate agent for a recommendation for a local bank or mortgage company.
3. Not having a full-time agent. You want someone who does this as their full-time job actively looking for homes with you. There are all kinds of online searches you can use, like Zillow and Trulia, that are not very accurate and are not rated well by the Better Business Bureau. You want to have a full-time agent looking with you because many times that agent knows about listings before even going online.
4. Not having an experienced agent writing the offer and negotiating on your behalf. Many buyers just pick any agent or work with the listing agent of the home they're buying. You want someone who is working on your behalf to write the offer with your best interests in mind, and then negotiate the best price for you.

If you have any questions about the home buying process or you're interested in buying a home, give us a call or send us an email. We'd love to hear from you!

When Is the Best Time to Sell Your Home?

Fall is here, causing many people to ask, “Should I sell my home now or wait until spring?” There are four main reasons why you should put your home on the market this fall.

Fall is here and a lot of people are asking, “Should I sell my home now or wait until the spring?” I believe there are four reasons why it would be better to sell your home now rather than waiting for spring.

In my opinion, the number one reason to sell now is to take advantage of low interest rates. Rates are hovering in the 2.9% to 3.5% range, which is practically free money. I don’t anticipate those rates staying low much longer.

Why not? It’s an election year. I have been through eight elections already and, after each one, rates typically go up. The government holds rates down to make their party more favorable; once the election is over, rates will go up. It is highly likely that rates will be higher next spring. That’s the second reason you should sell now because higher rates do affect your home sale.

Interest rates are low, but they will go back up soon.

Another reason you should sell now is the low inventory. In some of our marketplaces, we’re seeing as little as 30 to 90 days of inventory available on the market. A couple of years ago, those inventory levels were significantly higher, with six months of inventory available. There will be more homes on the market in spring, which means you will wind up competing with more sellers. Since inventory levels are low now, you’ll have a better chance of selling your home.

Finally, in my opinion, the seller’s market is coming to an end. I have been doing this for 35 years and I’ve talked to brokers all over the United States and they agree. In fact, certain markets like California and Florida are already seeing the seller’s market change. Inventory levels have gone up to 180 days and prices are not going up any higer. If you are thinking of selling your home, you should sell now before the seller’s market ends.

In short, selling your home this fall is actually more advantageous than waiting for spring. If you have any questions about preparing your home for the fall market or about real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. My team and I would be happy to help you!

Milwaukee Real Estate: How to Determine What Your Milwaukee Home Is Worth

 

There are many great Metro area homes for sale. Click here to perform full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here to contact us for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (262) 797-6453 or (262) 798-1162 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Many homeowners want to know what their home is worth before they put it on the market. How do buyers determine the value of your home? In other words, how is market value determined?

First, though, there are a few misconceptions about home value that I would like to clear up:

• Home value is not based on what you want or need to pay off your loan amount. 
• Home value is not based on what your neighbors think you should get for your home. After all, neighbors are biased. 
• Your tax assessed value does not reflect market value. Tax assessed values can be off by as much as 20%. 
• The appraised value is not the same as market value. If you have an appraisal that is a year old, it is based on outdated information. 
• Home value is different from your insurance value. Insurance companies insure the house for the rebuilding or replacement cost, which is much higher than market value. 
• Sites like Zillow cannot determine home value with just a computer algorithm. 

Home buyers determine the market value of your property by looking at the features and benefits of your home (how many bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, etc.) and compare your property to other homes on the market. They look at recently sold properties similar to yours to see what your home is worth.

What have similar homes in your area sold for?

Real estate agents can help you figure out your current market value. Give us a call if you are interested in a free home pricing report or if you have any other questions. I would be happy to help you!

The Benefits of Using a Home Warranty to Sell Your Home

There are many great Metro area homes for sale. Click here to perform full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here to contact us for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (262) 797-6453 or (262) 798-1162 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

What are the benefits of using a home warranty to sell your home?

Our company and team actually use another company called Home Security of America (HSA), and they provide warranties on the sale of existing or used homes. This coverage actually covers all the mechanical systems in a home, such as plumbing, electrical, heating, air conditioning, water heater, and even the appliances that are included in the sale of the home. It covers the buyer for up to one year after closing.

On a single-family home, the cost of the coverage would be $564. If it was a condominium, the cost would be $535. The buyer is then able to extend that beyond a year after they buy it.

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A home warranty makes a buyer feel more comfortable.

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Many of our sellers are using this as a marketing tool to sell their home. If they do provide it up front, the seller actually gets free coverage on items while the home is listed for sale. For example, we just had a client who had a water heater replaced while the home was listed and got a brand new one for a nominal deductible of $100.

There are two main benefits:

• First, it’s a great marketing tool. If your home has a warranty and another competing property doesn’t, that may make the buyer feel more comfortable in buying the one with a warranty. Plus, all new construction has a builder’s warranty for one year.
• Secondly, it adds peace of mind. This is especially true in cases where a seller may have older components in their property, such as an older furnace, air conditioning, plumbing, or electrical. All of that is covered for the buyer for up to one year after closing. They also don’t have to actually replace these components. If you have a 20-year-old furnace that still works, you can keep the furnace and offer a home warranty!

If you have any questions about the home warranty or how the process works, please give us a call at the Roth Team and hopefully we can answer them. Thanks, and have a great day.

See This Newly-Reduced Gorgeous Listing in Summit

There are many great Metro area homes for sale. Click here to perform full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home,click here to contact us for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (262) 797-6453 or (262) 798-1162 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

I wanted to share this beautiful custom-built home on a cul-de-sac in Summit, Wisconsin, built in 2000. This property overlooks 100 acres of conservancy land, which can only be used by occupants of the subdivision. The home sits on nearly an acre of land in a park-like setting with mature trees, beautiful landscaping, a deck and a patio. Attached is a 4.5-car extra deep garage.

As we enter through the garage, you’ll see the full mudroom and laundry room on the main floor, where hardwood floors run throughout. It enters the home into the spacious kitchen with stainless steel appliances, custom cabinets and granite countertops. The kitchen overlooks a large family room designed for entertaining. The kitchen also features an eat-in dining room with sliding glass doors to the deck.

Also, just off the kitchen is a full formal dining space, a private office, as well an added sitting and entertaining room. The main staircase in the foyer leads upstairs to four nicely sized bedrooms, including a beautiful master bedroom with two walk-in closets. All of the bedrooms feature extra tall ceilings as well. The second floor also features a full bath for the other bedrooms on the second level, with a tub shower, large mirror, and lots of storage.

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The beautiful master bedroom has a full en suite and two walk-in closets.

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The master bedroom is 22’x14’ to fit a king size bed and multiple pieces of furniture. Both walk-in closets are full size and the en suite features a dual vanity, standup shower, and jacuzzi tub.

One of the coolest features of this home is the custom basement area, great for entertaining with full-size windows, fireplace, a full-size bar with built-in refrigerators and a full bath. The basement also features a bonus room, which could work as an office or workout room.

This beautiful, four-bed, 3.5-bath home has just been reduced $20,000 to a list price of $549,800. If you or someone you know is interested in taking a look, give us a call today!

Why Hiring a Professional Agent is such a Wise Investment

There are many great Metro area homes for sale. Click here to perform full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here to contact us for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (262) 797-6453 or (262) 798-1162 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today we are going to talk about why you should consider hiring a professional agent in 2016 if you plan on selling your home. We’ve got 5 different reasons to share with you, and as you will see, hiring a professional for this task makes a huge difference.

1. Experience

Experience counts and experience matters. Having experience helps you understand all the little things that may come up during a transaction.

2. Exposure

Real estate agents have contacts through centers of influence, past clients, networks of relocation buyers, active marketing, and more to help us keep in contact with a large amount of buyers and sellers. We try to match up those buyers and sellers to get a great deal done.

3. Paperwork

There is a lot of it, and we are a highly regulated industry. We will fill out all of the mountains of paperwork clearly and correctly.

4. Pricing

There is a fine line between understanding how to get the best value out of your home and making sure it actually sells. We want to find that sweet spot.

5. Negotiations

We can be a buffer in negotiations through the entire transaction, to make sure the deal actually happens. We can often negotiate better than you would be able to on your own.

If you’re thinking about selling, or if you have any questions for us, don't hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We can’t wait to hear from you!

Renting Vs. Buying in Milwaukee

There are many great Metro area homes for sale. Click here to perform full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here to contact us for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (262) 797-6453 or (262) 798-1162 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

A lot of clients ask me about the upsides of owning a home. For one, monthly mortgage payments are often far cheaper than monthly rental payments. Plus, when you rent, you're really just throwing your money away every month. If you owned a home, those payments would be going towards paying back the home loan, which is a direct investment in your future.

When you own a home you can also live as you see fit. You can decorate your home the way you want, have as many pets as you want, and paint the rooms like you want. You do have to accept the responsibility of maintaining a home, but that's just part of being a homeowner.

Personally, I would always recommend buying over renting. This will depend on a few things, but buying a home is almost always the better option if you have the finances for it.

If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. I would love to hear from you!

Making Sense of Milwaukee’s Recent Real Estate Numbers

There are many great Metro area homes for sale. Click here to perform full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here to contact us for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call us at (262) 797-6453 or (262) 798-1162 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

The new year is in full swing, so today we wanted to give you a quick market update for the Milwaukee area. In a recent article in The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, we saw some great numbers: both home sales and the average price of a home sale are on the rise.

Overall, in the Milwaukee metro area, home sales increased by 14% increase from January 2015 to January 2016. That’s a total of 933 homes sold in January this year, compared to 820 sold last January. Some counties saw an even greater increase, as Washington County saw a 24.7% increase in sales. This big increase has a lot to do with the mild weather we’ve been seeing this winter, along with the currently low mortgage rates.

The average sales price in Milwaukee also saw a considerable increase from last year, with a 7.1% increase throughout the metro area. Washington County saw an 8.7% increase and Ozaukee County saw a 4.2% increase.

Right now, we are experiencing one of the lowest inventory levels we’ve had in the last 5 years. If you’ve been thinking of selling, you want to get your home on the market earlier than the spring. If you have any questions for us, we would love to help you out. Acting soon is of great importance whether you are thinking of buying or selling. We would love to hear from you!