A Great First Impression Starts With your Home's Curb Appeal

We all know that you only have one chance to

make a great first impression.  Selling your home in New Port Richey Florida is no different. Your homes front exterior photo is required in the MLS as the first photo in your homes advertisement and photo gallery.  This means that when your homes MLS advertisement is syndicated out to all of those real estate websites like Realtor.com and Trulia and that also means person who purchases your home will have already seen these photos. Your homes "curb appeal" and landscaping  needs to be appealing and well groomed to attract as many home buyers to your property as possible.

There are easy ways to enhance your New Port Richey home's curb appeal. Keep your lawn neat and the edging sharp.
Weed your flower beds often. Trim shrubberies and install Florida friendly plants and shrubs. You may want to consult with a landscape professional about ways to make your homes landscaping more attractive.  Your homes "curb appeal" is your first impression on your buyers. You want your buyers excited to get out of the car and see the inside of your home.  Your landscaping is not something that you can look at as "the buyers can plant what they want" or "the inside of my home is so nice they won't care about the front porch". 

There has been more than one occasion when

working with home buyers that I was told to "move on the next house" or "I don't think I want to go inside" from the curb.  The same is true when buyers search homes online. Your photos must be quality but the subject of the photo must be quality as well. You have competition from the other homes for sale in your area. Let's look at it another way. If you went to the produce stand for an apple and found only 3 apples on the shelf and one was deep red and shiny and the next was red and pretty dull and the third was light red and bruised....which one would you pick? The shiny deep red one right? The same goes for your home when selling. You want your home to be the beautiful shine home that buyers want to pick.

I am happy to meet you at your home and discuss ways you can enhance your homes curb appeal no matter what your budget may be. You can contact me through my online contact form and request information or ask me any question regarding real estate.

  

The Importance of Mortgage Pre-Qualification When Buying a Home

Buying a home is the one of the biggest

decisions and investments you will make in your lifetime. Some people even say it is the most stressful thing they have ever done. Having a knowledgable real estate professional to assist you is very important. I make your home buying process as smooth as possible. My goal is to help you find the right home that you can afford and make the entire transaction as enjoyable as possible for you and your family. You deserve an experienced real estate professional to assist you in buying your home.

In order for your home purchase to go smooth and be less stressful for you, I need you to do one small thing before we get started. You will need to contact a local mortgage professional and speak with them about your mortgage pre-qualification and pre-approval. Your mortgage professional will let you know how much home you can afford to purchase and which loan programs your qualify for as well as helping you choose the mortgage loan program that is right for you.  They can tell you based on how much you want to pay each month how much you can spend on your home. They will also tell you how much money you will need for down payment and an estimate of your closing costs that you will need to pay at the time of closing.

Working with many home buyers over the

years I will not show someone available homes on the market before they obtain a mortgage pre-qualification or mortgage pre-approval.  That would be putting the cart before the horse. Lets say we did it that way. You find a home you like and want. Then you contact a mortgage professional and depending on how much documentation they need it could take a few days before you get your pre-qualification and by then the home may be already under contract. We just wasted a lot of valuable time. It is very important you contact a mortgage professional prior to house hunting.

If you or someone you know is interested in buying or selling a home in the Trinity or New Port Richey Florida area, contact me online and you can request any information at any time of day and I will respond within 24 hours. You can also call me directly.

written by Michael J. Gallo

A Funny Thing Happened at The Closing Table That Was No Fun

The easiest part of my job is my customers

closing. There is usually a feeling of excitement in the room from both the buyers and the sellers. The closing is when it all comes to gather and both the buyer and seller are starting a new chapter in the book of their lives. Everyone exchanges pleasantries and house keys and quite often we share a few laughs.

Last week a funny thing happened at a closing that quickly turned from funny to annoying and by the time I was walking out the door I was down right peeved.  Was it the buyer? No. Was it the Seller? No. It was the agent on the other side.  The moment I sat down I was asked questions about my former franchise and how long I was with them. The other agent is currently with the same franchise that I was formerly with. Why did you leave? Not all offices are the same. We have great education (i know. i taught classes there) and on and on and on. It took about 30 seconds for me to realize this agent was trying to recruit me and all I could think was "he drank the kool-aid" 

All this took place while his customers were 

signing their paperwork. The agent didn't once let off me and give any attention to their customer. I made it very clear I was not interested in that franchise or moving my business. I made that clear multiple times. When the closing ended I stood to shake their hand and their final comment was "I'm going to go ahead and have my office contact you". I stopped in my tracks and replied. "Please don't. I'm happy where I am and will not be moving".  I didn't let it ruin my day but as you read this I think it's obvious that the whole recruiting at the closing table really annoyed me. Stop worrying about your profit sharing and focus on your customer.

written by Michael J. Gallo

Key Points to Know When a Home Buyer is Using VA Financing

We should first look at what a VA Loan is. The

Veterans Administration does not loan the money for the home purchase but they do guarantee the loan for the bank that provides the money to purchase the home.  VA borrowers must meet certain criteria in order to qualify for a VA guaranteed home loan through the VA and the borrower must meet home loan qualification guidelines with the bank that is finding the home purchase.  A VA loan may be a better way for home buyers to obtain their financing as opposed to FHA or Conventional loan products. If you are interested in knowing if you qualify for a VA loan or the comparison of a VA loan to FHA or conventional I suggest you contact a mortgage lender and discuss your options.

Some things to consider when selling your home to a VA buyer or as a real estate professional working with a VA buyer are:

The Veteran is exempt from paying for a Wood Destroying Organism Inspection. Either the seller or the real estate professional can pay for it, but not the veteran.

The Veteran is exempt from paying any real estate brokerage administrative fees associated with the real estate transaction. That fee will also need to be paid by the veterans agent or broker.

The veteran is required to meet service related requirements and have a DD214 discharge form to qualify.

These are just a few of points to consider when obtaining a VA loan or working with a VA home buyer.  I advise you to consult with a mortgage professional regarding the VA loan process and ask the mortgage professional any questions you may have. 

To all of the Military Veterans of all branches of service I thank you for your service and sacrifice to the people of our country.

   

Written by Michael J. Gallo