This summer, success selling a home in Cranberry will depend on the same factors that have always predicted home sale success in Cranberry: location, quality, and buyer appeal.
A home’s location is pretty much a given. Not much you can do unless you pick up and transport the house. The structural quality of workmanship and the level of maintenance a home’s received though the years can (and should) be gussied up, but that, too, is most often something that can’t be entirely redone.
However, the final factor, what I call “the little touches” are things that sellers should pay a lot of attention to because they play a huge part in the successful sale of a home in Cranberry. The difference between receiving a quick offer (or not) can hinge on the little touches that make your home more desirable than others in its price range.
A good example is closet space. Any property with a closet organization system will appeal to a large number of buyers. Compare this to the old style closets with a single curtain rod going across or those messy walk in closets cluttered with clothes.
Similarly, advanced home technology can stick in buyers’ memories at the end of a long day of house tours. They don’t even have to be expensive or whole-house systems: a simple programmable thermostat that can be accessed by a smart phone can be an interesting selling point that makes your home stick out. This is the kind of touch that isn’t a great deal of trouble to install – but it can provide the edge that makes selling your home that much easier.
More extensive (and expensive) tech-savvy features, like tricked-out media rooms or home offices wired to the hilt, are also very hot right now (especially for today’s younger buyers) and can provide the edge you’re looking for. When selling your home, pay attention to the little touches and then make sure you:

• Prep to emphasize each of these special features (like leaving that system-organized closet door open with the light on);
• Get your agent in the loop, ready to showcase these key elements;
• Print up a list of all the little touches, or newly refurbished utilities that might otherwise go unnoticed, and;
• Stage your home to bring out less visible features – like setting out a wine bottle and glasses with a note to “be sure to check out the killer wine cellar downstairs.”

It’s also possible that some appealing features are ones that you take for granted. You may have simply gotten used to them yet they ought to be emphasized. These are the details any good real estate agent will notice and can put into your home’s marketing plan.
The bottom line? Whatever is unique and desirable will make selling your home that much easier.
If you will be selling your own Cranberry home in this summer, I hope you will give me a call. There’s never an obligation, but if you wish, we can go over your property to uncover the little touches that can be used to make your home stand-out!

Visit my website at www.vinceparrucci.com

Wasn’t it just yesterday that we seemed locked into a classic home buyer’s market in Cranberry? Bad economy, bad job numbers, tanked real estate values were all we heard about…until it eventually shifted. Over the past year or so, it’s become a
 very different landscape. If you’ve been out looking to become a Cranberry home buyer, it’s possible that you’ve found yourself putting in offers on multiple houses…and also possibly watching from the sidelines as another Cranberry home buyer walked away with a deal. If this isn’t a true seller’s market, to you the difference may not be apparent.
In any case, when a prospective home buyer in Cranberry finds themselves vying for one of the plum homes that are now appearing in this summer’s Cranberry listings, there’s no need to passively watch as others get the nod. If you are sure of the value of the property you are going for, there are straightforward tactics for improving your chances of winning the day:

• Offering at or above list price is the time-tested way to give you the best shot of getting your contract accepted over bidders who offer less than list. Real estate prices are again on the rise, increasing your likelihood of being able to recoup the extra money if you decide to sell several years down the road. Look at the comps with your agent to determine what an aggressive—yet realistic price—will be.
• Ask your real estate agent what the recommended earnest money amount would be; then double or triple that deposit amount. It’s a sure way to signal that you’re a serious and financially able home buyer. This tactic has the advantage that it doesn’t really cost you anything in the long run, assuming you hold up your end of the contract. It is a way to stand out from other Cranberry home buyers without actually spending more.
• In a buyer’s market, it’s almost expected to ask for add-ons like fixing a staircase or leaving the swing set. But in a seller’s market, you can beat the competition by not asking for extras beyond what is offered in the listing. Home sellers may be fully occupied with many outside details (like looking for their own next home!) and often assign high value to an offer that looks uncomplicated.
• Along the same lines, another way to set yourself apart from every other home buyer is to offer to give the seller more than the usual time to move out of their house. Many other bidders won’t think of this—but it can make the deal if the sellers are having to cope with difficult deadlines for their own move.

Above all, don’t let yourself get discouraged. The right house is out there, and you will get an offer accepted! Particularly in a seller’s market, any Cranberry home buyer will be rewarded by just remaining patient and cool-headed.
First step if you will be looking to buy this summer: call me today to get started!

www.vinceparrucci.com