Whether you were selling or buying homes for sale in South Lake Tahoe this year, you probably felt like you had your work cut out for you. Whether it was trying getting your house ready for tours or trying to tour before an offer was made, this last year had everyone (especially South Lake Tahoe realtors) moving a mile a minute. Luckily, we learned a lot from this past year. If you are still on your home buying or home selling journey, check out these lessons and use them for yourself as we head into 2018!
1.) It’s closing day and you are feeling like you are home free. But you may be homeless if you can’t keep certain details to yourself. One example: Financial changes. We always tell folks to hold off on making any major changes to their finances while buying homes for sale in South Lake Tahoe. The littlest thing can impact your loan and halt that closing process completely. Rarely can anyone pull the wool over a lender’s eyes as they will re-pull all your info right before closing to make sure everything is good to go. It is not uncommon in this industry to have an escrow fall out due to an issue with lending the day of close. If you have made a change, your lender likely knows, but if they don’t say anything, you don’t say anything. In fact, when it comes to buying South Lake Tahoe homes for sale, use the old saying “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”. Selling can be emotional, so don’t make any snide comments that could offend the seller either.
2.) Which brings us to our next one: Sellers, you need to watch what you say as well. Buyer’s may ask why you are selling your South Lake Tahoe real estate and you want to give them an honest answer, without fully disclosing any negative details. If you give too much, you could hurt yourself in the process. Regardless of what side of the transaction you are on, let your South Lake Tahoe realtor do the talking. This is why you hire us. We help you navigate the market while getting the necessary details that help you get the most bang for your buck. If your South Lake Tahoe realtor isn’t present and you find yourself stuck in a tricky dialogue, stay as neutral as possible.
3.) Get specific with the inspection report. Inspectors have over 1,500 tasks to check when going through homes for sale in South Lake Tahoe. That is A LOT! If there is something that is hard to reach or impacted by weather conditions, be specific in finding out how that will be checked or what can be done. Roofs for example may not be looked at if there are several stories and the conditions make it slick. It just isn’t safe. Also, snow or flooding could be blocking crawl space access. Be specific and find out what your options are.
4.) Sellers, do not skimp on the cleaning. We have covered this in several blogs. When it comes to preparing your South Lake Tahoe homes for sale, understand the impact of first impressions. You may have turned a blind eye to the oil splatters in the kitchen or the dust on the blinds, but a fresh set of eyes will see it right away. Especially if they are about to spend money on it. A buyer is going to be going through South Lake Tahoe homes for sale with a fine toothed comb to make sure this is the property for them. Sure, your South Lake Tahoe real estate could be in good condition and just messy. However, a messy home suggests an owner doesn’t take care of the property, which is a red flag. Dust, deep clean and de-clutter!
5.) Staging works. In fact 80% of staged South Lake Tahoe homes for sale go quicker and for more money when professional staged. Of course, this is a service that costs 4 figures and finding someone who does it well, is not always easy. Us realtors in South Lake Tahoe will always help and advise on this, but making your home appeal to buyers is huge. In fact, little things such as a TV above the fireplace or a statement wall or taxidermy can be a huge turn off. Buyers know it is your home, so they expect to see your things. However, you want to make it as neutral as possible so they can imagine their things as well.
6.) Speaking of what buyers think about your South Lake Tahoe real estate, there are a lot of trends that can turn them away. Bathrooms are just as much of a deal breaker as the main living spaces. It also isn’t the super retro trends (we’re looking at you green & orange 70’s countertops!) that are doing the deal breaking either. Turns out, the recent trends like all white bathrooms and double sinks could be a turn off for buyers. If you were thinking of making some upgrades, check out your bathroom to see if it deserves a little attention.
7.) Get pre-approved! Pre approved, pre qualified…same thing right? WRONG! The smartest thing you can do when looking at a home is get all your financing in order first. If you know how much you can afford to spend and you have an approval letter from your lender, you have a good chance of getting your offer accepted over someone who doesn’t. If you are serious about home buying, this is the next step after finding your realtor in South Lake Tahoe.
For more information on buying or selling real estate in South Lake Tahoe, give me a call! I have been working in our local market for a long time and served as the local board’s president for 2017. I take great pride in being informed on what is happening in our market and how it impacts buyers and sellers.
