SharpBuyers.com Is back In Action!

After a long break, I am pleased to announce that SharpBuyers.com is back in business! We took some time off to develop a new and exciting real estate online model and will be launching a great online service for sellers later this year. I will keep you posted on our progress as we get closer to our launch. 2010 is going to be our best year yet! We are excited to continue offering Home Buyers real estate rebates and continuing to help educate buyers and help them save money in the process. Happy New Year!

Boston Real Estate Innovation (Exclusive)

Boston Real Estate Innovation (Exclusive)
As the unstable real estate market conditions continue to persist in the Greater Boston area, buyers have become hesitant to purchase real estate. Interest rates continue to fall and as the Spring Market looms in the horizon, it appears that lower interest rates and decreased property values will put home buyers in a position to truly take advantage of an unprecedented buyers market. With prices as low as they have been since 2002 in some areas, home buyers and real estate investors are truly in the drivers seat when it comes to negotiating and finding the deal of a life time. As a result it is time for the bargain hunters to take advantage of these favorable market conditions.
In addition to the low interest rates and low home values, relatively speaking, buyers can also take advantage of a new and innovative way to purchase real estate and save thousands of dollars in the process. This innovative service is exclusively offered to Greater Boston Buyers through Sharpbuyeres.com. It is called The SharpBuyers.com Real Estate Rebate. This innovative method of purchasing real estate provides home buyers and real estate investors with Full Service Representation and 50% of our commission in the process. This type of service is unheard of and provides buyers with tools such as, Comparative Market Analysis Reports, Market trend reports, 100% accompanied showings and a 50% real estate rebate in the process. All of the tools we provide will help to educate our buyers and provide them with the most up to date information when it comes to purchasing real estate. Although Sharpbuyers.com offers its service nationally, the Full Service and a 50% Rebate is exclusively offered to Boston area Buyers and investors.
Our goal is to help stimulate the Boston Real Estate Market in 2008, and to help consumers make the most educated real estate decisions while saving a significant amount of money in the process. The savings will come through hard nose negotiations and a 50% rebate at closing. This innovative concept will help consumers save money in a changing economy and leverage the risks associated with purchasing real estate.

SharpBuyers.com aims to be on the cutting edge of real estate innovation and help save consumers a ton of money in the process. We are the next generation of real estate service.

Boston Real Estate Report By SharpBuyers.com

Boston Real Estate Report By SharpBuyers.com

As we enter into the slowest time of the year for real estate sales it is important to keep a closer eye on the market. This is why SharpBuyers.com is providing this vital report that gives consumers an in-depth look at the real estate market. There are several different ways this information can be utilized. For buyers, declining home prices may be an indication to wait until the market bottoms out before purchasing. The flip side of that philosophy is that the only way to know when the market has hit rock bottom is when it starts to come back up. Hence, you run the risk of missing out on great deals by trying to perfectly time the market. My advice, buy today with the intent to hold. Many investors forget that real estate is a long term investment due to the unprecedented property value appreciation that was the theme of the early twenty first century. Now it is time to get back to basics.
As a seller, attempting to sell in a declining market this time of year is a daunting task. Plain and simple, it can be down right demoralizing. But even in the midst of these tough circumstances, there are options. The first and most obvious option, don’t sell. If you can afford to make your mortgage payments it is probably best to hold until the Spring. The longer a property is listed on MLS the less the “perceived” value. I use the word perceived because nothing about your home changes to decrease the value but when a home lingers on the market buyers see it as additional leverage for negotiating a better price. In the winter there are less buyers looking to purchase real estate and as a result homes tend to sit longer on the market. So hold through the winter and list in the spring. This strategy will typically get you the optimal sales price for your home. It all goes back to supply and demand. Although the amount of homes on the market greatly increases, so does the amount of buyers, thus increased sales volume drives home prices up. If you absolutely must sell in a declining market and in the winter, the most effective strategy is to reduce the sales price. So how do you go about a price reduction? The first step is to talk to a real estate professional that understands the local market. Ask them to provide a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) to determine the market value as well as a month to month market trend report. If the market is declining at a month to month rate of 2% you would want to get ahead of the trend and reduce your price by at least 3% - 4%. This enables you to price your home at a competitive price and attract more of the buyers that are currently in the market for real estate.

Boston Home Single Family Home Sales Data:
Single Home Sales:
December 07: Single Family Median Home Values: $332,500 Volume: 60 Homes Sold

This represents a -4.3% Decline in value from November 07 and a -9.6% Decline from December 2006. Volume is also down -25% and -38% respectively.

SharpBuyers.com Market Report: Selling In A Declining Market

Attention sellers, we are currently in a declining market. If you are serious about selling your home then it is critical that your Realtor understands the dynamic between the market trend and your home’s value. Let me explain. The longer your home is on the market the lower the market value. In order to sell your home as quickly and profitably as possible, you must get ahead of the trend. The 6-month trend for Boston Single Family homes is a 7.79% decline in values and a 36% decline in volume. This is based on the median sales price in Boston from May 2007 to October 2007. This gives us an average monthly decline is 1.3% in value. If you are serious about selling your home then you should seriously consider reducing the price by 1.5% - 2% to get ahead of the negative trend. It may be painful to consider but it will save you money and time in the long run. Also, make sure that your home is accurately valued before your Realtor reduces the price. If you reduce the value by 2% and it wasn’t priced appropriately, your home will not sell.

Another option would be to wait 5-6 months for the spring market. If you opt for the spring market then I would recommend that you take your home off MLS by the end of December and Re-list it at the beginning of March, and here is why. Many agents are reluctant to show properties that have been on the market for over 150 days. This is because they feel that if the home hasn’t sold after 150 days of showings at the same listing price then it is unlikely that their clients will be any more impressed than the other prospective buyers. Unless there is a significant price decline, homes that linger on the market attract very little attention.

Other factors to consider when selling your home are the overall condition, paint colors, furniture arrangement and minor (do it your self) projects. Many sellers just list their homes and do not consider any repairs. A good question to ask yourself is “What can I do to enhance the appearance of my home?” You will be surprised at how many ideas you will come up with and many of the updates are easy enough for you to do them on your own.

Here are some tips for sprucing up your living space
1. Paint – Look for opportunities to brighten your homes appearance with paint. Lighter colors make a living space feel larger and more spacious
2. Furniture – Furniture placement is critical in selling your home. When it comes to furniture less is better. It is always best to arrange your furniture in a manner the opens the room up. Try to place the furniture against the walls or close to the walls. Cluttered rooms are unattractive and send potential buyers out the door faster than you can say HELLO.
3. Be sure to remove any family pictures from the walls and common areas. Pictures have a way of taking the buyers focus away from the home and focusing them on your photos. If the buyer has seen a lot of homes that day, they will remember the pictures and may forget which home was yours. The less they have to think about the Better
4. Make sure you are working with a real estate professional that understands the market and knows how to help you maximize your homes value in a declining market.
5. And lastly, any improvements are better than no improvements. Just do something, even if it is as simple as painting 1 or 2 rooms. Every little bit helps.

Good Luck Selling!

Relocating to Boston? SharpBuyers.com Will Be Your Guide

If you are relocating to Boston, SharpBuyers.com can help. My name is Robert Nichols and I am the Co-Founder of SharpBuyers.com. I was born and raised in Boston. I am very familiar with the entire city and beyond. Boston is a historic city with many revered land marks and has been the location of historical events such as the American Revolution, The Boston Massacre and The Boston Tea Party. We have many neighborhoods and SharpBuyers.com will be your personal guide in finding exactly what you need. Our Agents work in Greater Boston and beyond. Our coverage areas include, Cambridge, Brookline, Arlington, Quincy, Malden, Medford, Everett, Milton, Braintree, Randolph, Newton, Needham, Framingham, Lexington and many others. In addition to helping you find a home, Sharpbuyers.com Will also give you a rebate of up to 50% of our commission at closing. If you are interested in this opportunity to receive professional service and a rebate, please send an email to customerservice@sharpbuyers.com or call us at 800.880.0468