Showing posts with label Granada Hills Los Angeles. Show all posts

Friday, January 7, 2011

Your Granada Hills Realtor will Tell You to Choose the Right Disaster Insurance

A Granada Hills Realtor will tell you that homes in different parts of the country have different insurance coverage.

Image via Wikipedia

Create a home inventory with pictures as a back-up in case of emergency. Have a good emergency plan and kit ready.

Find out if your policy includes fire damage, flooding, and damage from hurricanes.

For the East Coast and Gulf Coast areas you may need to get extra coverage if your home is in a low-risk area.

For the West Coast and Midwest, know if your insurance covers earthquake damage. In California, supplemental coverage is available through the California Earthquake Authority.

For the Eastern U.S. especially the Central Plains, make sure your insurance covers tornado and wildfire damage. Check the state’s insurance commissioner for mine subsidence.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Understanding Your Energy Ratings for Windows and Doors: From The Top Granada Hills Realtor

A Realtor will tell you that you need the Energy Star and the National Fenestration Rating Council labels on your doors and windows to know that you have superior-standard fixtures.

Image via Wikipedia
NFRC lists five measurements to judge a window or door’s performance. U-factor means amount of heat kept in, SHGC means that the amount of radiation allowed inside, visible transmittance means amount of light allowed to pass through, condensation resistance measures amount of moisture a window or door allow to build on the surface, and air leakage.

This is important for qualifying for the $1500 tax credit. There are four energy zones defines by amount of heating and cooling required based on climate. These energy zones use the following measurements in varying degrees.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Sustainable Living: Go Green With Help From The Top Granada Hills Realtor

A Granada Hills Realtor can also give some helpful tips for sustainable living or how to make a lifestyle change where one uses less of the Earth’s resources.

John Willoner's Eco-House at Findhorn. Turf ro...

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Eat locally. Grown your own food or subscribe to a local market to cover your risk and family’s food needs for a 4-6 month term, limiting the amount of resources needed to grow and transport from elsewhere.

Buy pre-loved goods. New things aren’t necessary all the time. Create trading circles with neighbors and friends to conserve on resources and money to create, buy, and sell items.

Composting will reduce waste. Create a compost site in your yard for $50 and teach the kids, and yourself, how to segregate garbage. Nature and your budget will be thankful.

Michael Gentile is a sustainable living expert in many different fields. Call us today and we can share tips on brewing, beekeeping, gardening and many more topics.

Friday, December 10, 2010

1. A Granada Hills Realtor says Find Out if You Need an Extended Warranty

A Granada Hills Realtor will say homeowners consider extended warranties for some appliances but these may cost as much as an appliance repair, so know if you actually need it.

A 2007 study showed that 1 in 10 consumers report a major problem within the first two years.

Basic creditcard / debitcard / smartcard graph...

Image via WikipediaExamine your use then decide if you need extended warranty. Washing machines for a big family or high-end appliances with pricey parts are examples of appliances that might need coverage.

Get warranties that are comprehensive, costing not more than 20% of the cost of the appliance on warranty. Look at the coverage period. Check replacements if the appliance can’t be repaired

Consider credit cards extending the length of manufacturer’s warranty with a qualifying purchase or all-in-one warranties.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

How to Prepare for a Disaster: Granada Hills REALTORs Advice

Michael Gentile, a Granada Hills REALTOR and an active volunteer of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (National VOAD) discusses how to prepare your neighborhood for a disaster.

Image via WikipediaIt is better to start small. Informal gatherings allow you to recruit sincere volunteers. You can also assess the needs of each household that the neighborhood should respond to in case of a disaster. Create a neighborhood disaster planning committee, complete with board members and representatives. Include people with useful skills such as doctors, nurses and carpenters.

The two core functions of a neighborhood disaster planning committee are business continuity and public safety, according to Community Association Institute.

Business Continuity includes protecting important association records, keeping a list of vendors, and contracting with vendors ahead of time to ensure speedy, cost-effective services after a disaster strikes,

Safety planning covers creating a disaster plan, designating evacuation routes, checking emergency generators and supplies, keeping a list of owners, employees, and local relief personnel, and planning for post-disaster cleanup

Friday, December 3, 2010

Extending the Lifespan of Your Roof: Tips For Green Homes From The Best Granada Hills Realtor

Michael Gentile, a California Granada Hills REALTOR and home renovation specialist, provides tips on how to prolong the lifespan of a residential roof.

Moss Problem

Moss traps water, which is harmful to a roof. Kill the moss with products based on potassium salts of fatty acid. Do not let the wash water go all over the roof. You can buy zinc strips to keep moss from coming back. For $300, your local roofer will place strips near the top of the roof. The runoff from strips stops the moss from growing.

Gutter Cleaning, Leaves and Ice Dams on the Roof

Clogged gutters result to wet basement and rotten roof rafters. Avoid it by cleaning gutters every fall and spring. Leaves that settled on your roof trap moisture and the seeds may take root. For a one-storey house or a low-slope roof, use a car-wash brush with telescoping pole to remove leaves. A roof leaf rake cost around $20. A leaf blower requires a pro to climb to the roof to remove the leaves. Remove wet leaves by washing them off with a garden hose. Trim overhanging branches for prevent moss and leaves residing on your roof. Image via Wikipedia

Ice Dams

Removing ice buildup on the roof can avoid leaks. Get rid of snow using a roof rake, but do not forcefully remove already-formed ice as it may damage the roof. Air leaks and poor insulation in your attic invites ice dams so you need to fix them too.

Check your roof right after a hail storm, big wind or if you hear scurrying. You can use a ladder for better view or use binoculars to inspect. If you see something wrong, do not hesitate to call your roofer to check the roof. Roof problems become costly if you do not address them quickly.

What You Need to Know About Ranges: a Granada Hills REALTOR’s Perspective

Granada Hills REALTOR and a savvy expert, Michael Gentile, shares his knowledge about buying ranges.

Typically, homeowners make decisions in buying a range based on budget, appearance, performance and ease of use. The cost of a range starts at $350. Added cost includes delivery, installation, gas line, outlet installation, etc. Gas ranges have an average life span of 11 to 15 years.

In choosing gas or electric, it all boils down to what you have in the house. Those with natural gas line prefer a gas range, and those without choose electric. The average size of a home range is 30 inches. High-end ranges can be as big as 48 inches wide. For homes with smaller space, you can buy the 20 to 24 inches model. Standard oven compartment is 5 cubic feet. For an additional $200, homeowners can get a range with convection heat, which spreads out hot air inside the oven evenly.

Image via Wikipedia

Burner Quantity, Type and Performance

Ranges can have four to five burners. Ranges with five burners cost at least $800. With burner type, one can choose from an ultra-low burner or a central oval burner for cooking with griddle pans. A bridge burner is used for bigger heating needs (i.e. cooking with roasting pans). Gas and electric ranges that have BTU are preferable, with heating speed almost twice as effective as the standard range. Power burners have 9,000 to 15,000 BTUs. The upgrade will cost you an extra $200.

Pro ranges that emulate those that are used in restaurants have a tag price of $4,000 to $10,000. Ranges like these have multiple large ovens, ultra-high powered burners, etc.

New ranges either have a warming drawer to keep the food warm or a small extra oven for cooking multiple items at the same time. Such models cost $1,000 to $1,200 at least. For an additional $100 each, you get halogen lighting, smooth-glide racks, and porcelain-coated racks.

Ranges with temperature probes (starts at $1,300) tell you that your food is cooked enough. An alternative is to buy a battery-powered probe that cost $30.

Image via WikipediaAny contemporary range (except the cheapest) has smooth ceramic cook top design and sealed burner design for easy cleaning. For models as low as $350, you get a self-cleaning oven feature. Expect to change oven bulbs periodically. Glass top replacement costs around $250. Electric control panel replacement can cost you $250 plus labor. Coil-style electric burners that fail often will make you shell out $50, excluding labor.

Buying Clothes Dryers: a Granada Hills REALTOR’s Perspective

Michael Gentile, a Granada Hills real estate agent, shares his knowledge in buying appliances, particularly clothes dryer.

A clothes dryer price ranges from $280 to $1,200. Its life span averages from 12 to 18 years. Installation, delivery, gas line hookup, and haul away are mostly responsible for additional costs.

Electric or Gas Dryer? Gas dryers cut as much as 50% on operating cost, depending on the price of natural gas in your location. Gas dryers are more expensive than electric models by around $80. A gas dryer and electric dryer needs 110-volt and 22-volt outlet, respectively.

Many people prefer a dryer design that matches their washer. It will cost $650 to buy a dryer that blends well with a modern energy-saving washer. The price of a non-white dryer starts at $600.

Image via WikipediaDryer’s Settings, Size and Capacity. You have to cough up at least $350 to buy a dryer that has additional settings for temperature and time. Some of the settings of pricier dryers are rarely used.

A regular-sized dryer is 27 to 29 inches wide. You can buy a slimmer model if you don’t have ample room. The drum capacity of a most dryers ranges from 5.5 to 7 cubic feet. Granada Hills REALTOR Sue and experts agree that an upscale dryer with 8 cubic feet is only a waste of space. Search for a dryer that can load clothes two times more than your washer.Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Dryer Rack and Moisture Sensor. The purpose of a dryer rack is to protect sneakers, hats and delicate items from getting knocked out by other clothes. The cheapest model of dryers starts at a price of $450. A dryer with moisture sensor saves 15% on energy cost.

Dryer Steam Technology. A steam feature eliminates odors and wrinkles on clothes. The cost of a dryer with steam technology starts at $900. Steam-equipped dryers either get its water from a reservoir filled by the owner or through a water hookup. You can opt for a regular dryer and just put a damp washcloth along with a wrinkled load.

Noise Dampening Feature. If you plan to place your dryer near bedrooms or living areas, buy a quiet dryer. You will shell out at least $600 for a dryer that has a sound-muffling material on its top and sides.

Stainless Steel Drums are not prone to scratches, rust, and nicks unlike their ceramic-coated steel counterpart. Buying one will cost you around $500.

Coin-operated American Dryer Corp. clothes dry...

Image via Wikipedia

Caring for Your Dryer. Clean and examine exhaust lines and vent hoses every year. Clean lint trays before loading the dryer. Replacement for busted digital control sections can cost as much as $250. Replacing a burned-out electric heating costs $125, exclusive of labor.

Friday, November 12, 2010

A Granada Hills Realtor's Manual To Building Good Fences And Good Neighbors

WENZHOU, CHINA - DECEMBER 27: Trapped sedans ...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Good fences makes good neighbors, which is why a Granada Hills Realtor must comply to regulations in building fences, whether man-made or botanical, within a residential community.

Man-made backyard fences can go as high as 6 feet while fences on a front yard is restricted to 4 feet only. Botanical fences, such as shrubs and trees are permitted to reach as high as 5-8 feet. Exemptions do apply, but will require permission from neighbors and locality.

Localities don't engage in patrolling areas to check on violating fences. It is up to you to educate your neighbor about the rules and to report violations, but in no way should a fence be reported for violations due to it's unattractiveness.

Repairs done to fences between lands must be agreed upon by both parties and expenses must be shared between the two to avoid any lawsuits.

Marketing Your House Without a Granada Hills Realtor

MIAMI - JUNE 02: Real estate agent Shellie You...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The decline of the housing market have prompted property owners to find ways to generate enough cash from selling their property.

Property owners can earn more if they sell their house themselves without relying on a Granada Hills Realtor. They also have better chances of making an easy sale for they can quote a much lower rate.

“In today’s market, where prices have dropped by double digits in some cases, the cost of using a realtor is that much more expensive.” says Eric Mangan, a spokesman for ForSaleByOwner.com. “It takes education about your local real estate marketing, including recent sales activity and some knowledge of what’s currently on the market"

Spending a few dollars on print ads to make your property known will help you yield better chances of making a profitable sale.

Granada Hills Realtor's Guide In Aiding Buyers Secure a Loan

NEW YORK - DECEMBER 03: People walk by a Well...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

To avoid the hassles of having to deal with potential buyers that can not secure any financing, a Granada Hills Realtor must learn to screen prospect buyers financially.

As reported by the Mortgage Bankers Association, almost 50% of the housing loan applicants are turned down. Creditors are now tightening up their policies. Candidates that has a low credit rating or those that can't afford a much higher deposit are likely to be rejected by lenders.

It is to your advantage as a Realtor if you center your concentration to buyers that has enough funds and can easily procure a loan. It helps to be updated with the current financing rates and trends.

In dealing with a prospect client, be ready to question the buyer regarding his budget and economic sources to determine his chances of getting a home loan. This will save you and your client's time and energy.

A Professional Granada Hills Realtor Has Tips on How to Buy Directly from Homeowners

Taft House, 16745 San Fernando Mission Blvd., ...

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If you thought that you can’t buy a house without a Granada Hills real estate agent, you are highly mistaken.

Around 20 percent of the total house sales annually are direct purchases. Meaning, the deal involves the buyer and the owner, minus the real estate agent. Although it’s not hard, you would have to complete some steps and you will have to depend on some experts to ensure that you are complying with state and local laws. Here are the steps to follow to have an easy, more direct, and cost-effective deal with a home seller.

1. There are two key factors that you’d need to consider when making a purchase: Price and place. How much are you willing to spend? Where would you like to live?

These two factors go hand-in-hand and are inseparable. A midsized home in a district known for its high quality schools will probably be more expensive than a bigger new house on the outer side of town with overpopulated schools. A condo unit may seem a like a good deal – until you receive a notice from the homeowners association for your monthly fee. Transportation cost also counts. Is public transportation readily available in the area or do you need to take a car loan? Determining your household’s mortgage limit is also considered. You clearly do not want to take loans that in the end you can’t pay.

You can do a simple calculation of how much you are able to spend on a house by adding your down payment, normally 10 to 20 percent of the cost, to your mortgage. You can use our mortgage calculator to do this; you can add some other variables to see that by just changing something so small can have a huge impact on your mortgage limit and home purchase price.

2. Get Pre-Approved: Getting preapproved on your loan will assure your seller that you are capable of buying his/her property. And when that happens, your seller knows that the negotiation that he/she is making with you is “in good faith.” Conversely, the seller would back off on the negotiation table when he/she knows that you can’t afford his/her property. Prepare all the necessary things when you are conversing with your lender, your calculations in step 1 and some other supporting documents. You would also need some proof of income and your bank account statement for the past few months and show how you’re paying on your existing loans.

It’s also a wise move to check your established credit score. The higher it is, the more likely that the lender will trust you. Having a midrange or low credit score would mean that you will probably pay more on your mortgage, that is if you are lucky to get one at all. The lender would also check your computations and documentations to verify or adjust your maximum mortgage.

3. House Hunting: The fun starts during this time. Try visiting ForSaleByOwner.com and search for your ideal home. You can also expand your search by including HomeFinder.com and ForeClosureTimes.com.

4. Establish Direct Contact with the Owner: When you have found a home that you like, contact the owner via email or phone call to get more information on the house. Try to set up a showing with the owner, there’s no middle man so most probably the owner will guide you through the tour. You can use the questions on the listing sheet as a starting point. Ask as many questions as possible and focus on the facts he/she mentioned. Avoid distractions and focus on what he/she is saying. Based on everything that you have gathered, deduce whether it fits your budget, preferred location, style and function.

5. Get a Property Report of the Home: You can do this either before or after you have seen the home. This will allow you to compare its asking price from those of similar houses that were sold in the neighborhood. You can get such report via comparative market analysis (CMA) of real estate agents or a computer-generated one. The latter is like the real deal which will compare the home that you’ve got your eyes on to up to 20 other home sales nearby. Take note that property reports and CMAs did not include renovations -- so can expect that the estimated value will be affected somehow. CMAs also may or may not include foreclosures and distress sales, which can unnaturally lessen the average selling price in the surrounding area. However, appraisers consider these factors when he visits the house per request of the lender (as mentioned in step 8). CMAs let you see the probable value of the house and the appraiser will consider all the factors in his appraisal.

6. Seek Legal Help: Spending a few hundred dollars on real estate attorneys will equip you with all the legal advice and counsel you need as you go from offer to closing. Try to make use of local attorneys who are familiar with real estate business in your town – city ordinances as well as disclosure and tax laws. You can also rely on your attorney to walk you through the offer negotiation.

7. Make an Offer: Once you are finished with the above mentioned tasks, you are now ready to make an offer to the seller. Ask your attorney to make the necessary forms. This will make all of the technicalities of the paperwork an easy task. Make sure that your offer leaves room for negotiations and at the same time not too low to offend the seller.

Use the information you have gathered and the observations you have made regarding the condition and amenities of the house as the basis for your offer. If you believe that some of the amenities, like swimming pools and hot tubs, included in the house are of no value to you, you can deduct their perceived value from your original offer. Be sure to be objective when making these deductions and base them on function and structure and not on subjective factors. For example, it is reasonable to subtract $2,000 for the replacement of old refrigerators because every home needs a functioning refrigerator. On the other hand, it’s unfair to deduct $2,000 for replacing the curtains with the ones you prefer. The above case is a matter of taste, not functionality. Draw out your objective reasoning as an addition to your offer. This will allow your buyer to understand your reasoning.

Continue your negotiation with the seller until you have come into an agreement: the price of the house, scheduled closing of the transaction, and any seller concessions, which may be to pay some of the closing cost or to include personal properties.

8. Lock in Your Mortgage Rate: After reaching an agreement with the seller, the house is already “under contract.” You have to start working on multiple important tasks all at the same time.

· Let your lender check on your offer, this will strengthen the commitment for the mortgage. Although you are prequalified, take some time to have a look around one more time for better terms and lower mortgage rates. You can try to visit Bankrate.com for comparing your mortgage with current mortgage rates at major lending firms. You can also check out local banks and mortgage brokers for price comparison. Once you have established your mortgage with your lender and mortgage broker, it is “locked in” for 1 to 2 months – which is an enough time to do the rest of the paperwork and close the sale.

· Let the appraiser, who was assigned by your lender, to examine the terms of the contract and the house itself. This may pose a potential issue. That is if the appraiser noted that your offer is way above the prices of recent sales of similar properties in the neighborhood. If this happens you might want to renegotiate with the seller.

9. Get the Home Inspected: Hire a professional inspector who will check the house from top to bottom to see if there structural or mechanical problems in the house. It would cost you from $300 to $600 and usually takes two hours. By that time, you will have the report regarding the condition the home is in.

The inspector may or may not verify that the house is complying with local building codes. You can ask the inspector to confirm that the improvements, if any, were made legally and in compliance with local building code. If it’s not in accordance with the building code and you already bought the house, you are the ones who will handle all of the costs in bringing the house into code compliance.

You might want to re-negotiate the price after seeing the inspection report. For instance, if the inspector told you that the roof needs replacement, bring that issue to the seller to lower the price for compensation of the expenses that you would spend in making the replacement or the seller could offer an allowance at closing for repairs and replacements.

10. Close the Deal: Your attorney will be handling most of the task of closing the deal. He/she will also advise you if any special paperwork needs to be completed. They, your attorney and mortgage lender, will be assisting you in coordinating the financial aspect of the sale and provide payment to the seller. On the specified closing day, the seller will be signing the deed of the home. You will do all the necessary paperwork, and lastly and perhaps what you have been waiting for, obtaining the key to you new home.

This information is simplified, and many schools of thought say that you should definitely have professional help in such a potentially expensive undertaking. Lack of knowledge about a single aspect of the deal can cost you more than you would save. If you need help, there is always your Granada Hills Realtor just a phone call away.

Professional Granada Hills Realtor Top 10 Ways to Sell A Home Faster

Image via Wikipedia

Don’t be disheartened if your home has been in the market for quite a long time, at least you are not Mark Twain.

According to biographer Fred Kaplan, the book-selling author had his Hartford, Conn., home up for sale for $60,000 in 1991. The highly structured house failed to draw in any buyers despite repeated markdowns, not until two year later when the price was trimmed down to $25,000.

Twain estimated that he’d spent approximately $100,000 on that home. Clearly, what was once called home has turned into a painful burden for Twain.

Twain said to a letter to his friend who was helping him sell the place that, "I would rather go to hell than own it 50 days longer."

If you don’t want to suffer the same pain as Twain did, be smart to work up front to ensure that your house will sell quickly.

10 tips from the a Granada Hills Realtor:

1. Do your “honey do” list. Let’s be honest. Almost all homeowners have some minor repairs that needs to be done but just couldn’t do it for some other reasons. Am I right? Now is the time to do those little fixes. Little stuffs like oil squeaks or cracks in the wall is a “No No” for buyers.

The cost: This could be as little as a few bucks if you are the one doing the work. If you are hiring someone it could cost you a couple of hundreds.

2. Get inspected. According to Tom Kelly, a real estate columnist, doing an professional inspection right before the sale can help you in two ways. First is that, it will identify potential problems that could ruin a potential sale. This will allow you to make the necessary repairs or improvements just before the sale. If the inspection found no major problems, it can publicize this to you buyers.

By showing the inspection reports to your prospected buyers during the open house, this will show them that you have nothing to hide.

The cost: Spending $400 should cover this.

3. Take care of your clutters. According to Barb Schwarz, a real-estate broker, CEO of StagedHomes.com and pioneer of the concept of professionally preparing houses for sale, "clutter eats equity."

Rooms look smaller when there is too much stuff in it. They would also get your buyers’ attention and you clearly don’t want that. That is why a lot of professional stagers would advice to take as much as at least one-third of your things to add emphasis on your rooms and closets.

The cost: Storage fee for three months ranges from $150 to $300.

4. Depersonalize and neutralize your home. Remove personal things, they are not essential during the open house.

What you want your buyer’s to think is for them be able to picture-out themselves living in the house and not think about your family photos and all. Also, by neutralizing your décor like carpets and repainting the house with neutral colors, you are allowing them the option as to what they’re going to do with the house, may be repainting it with the color of their choice or something like that.

The cost: The paint cost is around $10 and up and $500 and up for a new carpet.

5. Be cleanaholic. "I mean Q-Tip clean," said Schwarz. He recommends doing a cotton swab test on your faucet and fixtures, polish off fingerprints off your switch plates, cleaning windows until they're neat as a new pin and vacuuming up every last dog hair on your floor. More like the work of the CSIs. But seriously you really do have to make your house clean. "You should be able to eat off the kitchen floor, the bathroom floor," he added.

The cost: For home cleaning products $10 and so, that is if you do the cleaning yourself; $75 and up if you hire help.

6. Staging the rooms. Find each room’s focal point and highlight those points by using furniture placements. Take these few thing for example, your sofa shouldn’t block your fireplace’s view and dining room table must not share the same space with a stair climber.

Inappropriate pieces furniture should be removed, however you may be able to use them in other rooms. “A wingback chair that's crowding the family room might help create a nice reading nook in the master bedroom,” Schwarz suggested.

The cost: Zilch! Nada! That is if you are doing the staging but if you are going to hire a professional stager, it would cost you around $1,500 and up.

7. Tend to the floors. Just keeping them spotless is not enough especially if they are seriously ancient history. Spending a fortune just to fix this problem will bust your wallet; instead, you should look for other means to improve your home’s appearance.

Having your carpets steam-cleaned will determine whether they can be salvaged or not. If they are the latter, you can minimize the cost of replacement by doing some of the work.

And remove scatter rugs, not only are they potentially dangerous but they also add to the visual clutter.

The cost: Anywhere from a few bucks to a few hundred bucks.

8. Improve your home’s curb appeal. You may not realize how many potential sales you lost just because you house does not have the appeal to attract potential buyers.

Most home buyers start their house hunting over the internet. They look at pictures of different houses that attract them the most. If your house doesn’t stand out from the rest and make them say ‘wow’, you might not get a call from them.

"Most people will start their search for a home on the Internet. If your house's Internet photo doesn't 'wow' them, they might never call for a showing," Glink said. "That's why your front landscaping needs to be in perfect condition."

Trimming the hedges, cutting the grass on the lawn, or planting new flowers is not enough to draw in buyers. Hiring a professional landscape artist is great idea. He/she can manicure your lawn from the grasses to the leaves of the trees, from planting flowers to trimming bushes. Also, if there is a crack on you front walkway, now is the best time to replace them.

The cost: Landscaping would cost you around $300 to $500, and a few hundred more if you need to fix walkways or driveways.

9. Work with the right publicist. Pick an agent who can his job right. He should be knowledgeable about your neighborhood, enthusiastic about his work and your home, and someone whom other agents want to work with.

If you’re planning to sell your home yourself and keep those several thousand for yourself, be sure that you are up for the job. Marketing a home can be a hard work especially if you don’t have the connections and experience.

The cost: 3% to 6% of the sale price of your home.

10. Set your price right. Don’t be greedy by setting your asking price too high. This will drive away your buyers. At least set your price just around the real value of your home.

Buyers will compare prices of different houses, that’s a fact. If they perceive that your price is unfairly high for your house’s real value they will probably look elsewhere. Buyers often grab the opportunity to buy a house if they see that it is fairly-priced.

There are a lot of ways that you can make a quick sale. You just have to remember to put yourself in the shoes of the buyer. Think like them. What would attract you the most? Is it the price or the appeal of a home? By answering and following these few simple steps, your house will be out of the market sooner than you think.

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If you thought that you can’t buy a house without a Granada Hills real estate agent, you are highly mistaken.

1. There are two key factors that you’d need to consider when making a purchase: Price and place. How much are you willing to spend? Where would you like to live?

3. House Hunting: The fun starts during this time. Try visiting ForSaleByOwner.com and search for your ideal home. You can also expand your search by including HomeFinder.com and ForeClosureTimes.com.

Continue your negotiation with the seller until you have come into an agreement: the price of the house, scheduled closing of the transaction, and any seller concessions, which may be to pay some of the closing cost or to include personal properties.

8. Lock in Your Mortgage Rate: After reaching an agreement with the seller, the house is already “under contract.” You have to start working on multiple important tasks all at the same time.

Related articles

Don’t be disheartened if your home has been in the market for quite a long time, at least you are not Mark Twain.

According to biographer Fred Kaplan, the book-selling author had his Hartford, Conn., home up for sale for $60,000 in 1991. The highly structured house failed to draw in any buyers despite repeated markdowns, not until two year later when the price was trimmed down to $25,000.

Twain estimated that he’d spent approximately $100,000 on that home. Clearly, what was once called home has turned into a painful burden for Twain.

Twain said to a letter to his friend who was helping him sell the place that, "I would rather go to hell than own it 50 days longer."

If you don’t want to suffer the same pain as Twain did, be smart to work up front to ensure that your house will sell quickly.

10 tips from the a Granada Hills Realtor:

The cost: This could be as little as a few bucks if you are the one doing the work. If you are hiring someone it could cost you a couple of hundreds.

By showing the inspection reports to your prospected buyers during the open house, this will show them that you have nothing to hide.

The cost: Spending $400 should cover this.

3. Take care of your clutters. According to Barb Schwarz, a real-estate broker, CEO of StagedHomes.com and pioneer of the concept of professionally preparing houses for sale, "clutter eats equity."

Rooms look smaller when there is too much stuff in it. They would also get your buyers’ attention and you clearly don’t want that. That is why a lot of professional stagers would advice to take as much as at least one-third of your things to add emphasis on your rooms and closets.

The cost: Storage fee for three months ranges from $150 to $300.

4. Depersonalize and neutralize your home. Remove personal things, they are not essential during the open house.

The cost: The paint cost is around $10 and up and $500 and up for a new carpet.

The cost: For home cleaning products $10 and so, that is if you do the cleaning yourself; $75 and up if you hire help.

6. Staging the rooms. Find each room’s focal point and highlight those points by using furniture placements. Take these few thing for example, your sofa shouldn’t block your fireplace’s view and dining room table must not share the same space with a stair climber.

Inappropriate pieces furniture should be removed, however you may be able to use them in other rooms. “A wingback chair that's crowding the family room might help create a nice reading nook in the master bedroom,” Schwarz suggested.

The cost: Zilch! Nada! That is if you are doing the staging but if you are going to hire a professional stager, it would cost you around $1,500 and up.

7. Tend to the floors. Just keeping them spotless is not enough especially if they are seriously ancient history. Spending a fortune just to fix this problem will bust your wallet; instead, you should look for other means to improve your home’s appearance.

Having your carpets steam-cleaned will determine whether they can be salvaged or not. If they are the latter, you can minimize the cost of replacement by doing some of the work.

And remove scatter rugs, not only are they potentially dangerous but they also add to the visual clutter.

The cost: Anywhere from a few bucks to a few hundred bucks.

8. Improve your home’s curb appeal. You may not realize how many potential sales you lost just because you house does not have the appeal to attract potential buyers.

Most home buyers start their house hunting over the internet. They look at pictures of different houses that attract them the most. If your house doesn’t stand out from the rest and make them say ‘wow’, you might not get a call from them.

"Most people will start their search for a home on the Internet. If your house's Internet photo doesn't 'wow' them, they might never call for a showing," Glink said. "That's why your front landscaping needs to be in perfect condition."

The cost: Landscaping would cost you around $300 to $500, and a few hundred more if you need to fix walkways or driveways.

9. Work with the right publicist. Pick an agent who can his job right. He should be knowledgeable about your neighborhood, enthusiastic about his work and your home, and someone whom other agents want to work with.

If you’re planning to sell your home yourself and keep those several thousand for yourself, be sure that you are up for the job. Marketing a home can be a hard work especially if you don’t have the connections and experience.

The cost: 3% to 6% of the sale price of your home.

10. Set your price right. Don’t be greedy by setting your asking price too high. This will drive away your buyers. At least set your price just around the real value of your home.

Buyers will compare prices of different houses, that’s a fact. If they perceive that your price is unfairly high for your house’s real value they will probably look elsewhere. Buyers often grab the opportunity to buy a house if they see that it is fairly-priced.

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