Ron "The Bear" Barakett

How to Buy Bundled Golf Naples FL Homes Long Distance

Buying Bundled Golf Naples FL homes when you live in another state or country can be challenging.  Here are a few simple ideas to help make things a little less hectic.

• Investigate online. Most people know to search for Bundled Golf Naples FL homes online, but what about searching for a neighborhood?  Although you can’t search each and every individual neighborhood, you can research almost any city online.  This gives you a pretty good idea of what the area has to offer in the way of schools, shopping and safety.
• Hire a buyer’s agent. While you’re searching online, your buyer’s agent can search the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for you.  She or he can email newly listed properties to you daily.
• Use your buyer’s agent as your eyes, ears and nose. When you find a home that meets your needs, ask your buyer’s agent to visit it in person. Have him or her take photos of the interior and exterior of the property and email them to you.  S/he can even take a video and post it on YouTube for you to see.  Ask your buyer’s agent to tell you what the home smells like and how loud (or quiet) the neighborhood is.
• Share as much information with your agent as you can. The more you research the area, the more information you are going to have to give to your agent.  Talk with your agent and let her or him know what you have found and any areas that you may have decided against.  This will save you and your agent time.
• Visit to get a personal impression. If at all possible, after you’ve narrowed the properties down to the top two or three, personally visit them. While you can buy a house sight unseen, it’s best to make at least one trip to get a feel for which home most appeals to you.

For more information on long distance home buying or other tips to make your search for Bundled Golf Naples FL homes easier, give me a call at 239/850-1366 or send an email to Ron@AskTheBear.com.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

4 Tips to Get Your Bundled Golf Naples FL Home Sold in a Buyers’ Market

Yes, it’s still a buyer’s market, and there doesn’t appear to be a change coming any time soon.  What makes this a buyers’ market?  There are more homes for sale than people who want to buy them.  That means it takes longer for homes to sell, and buyers can be pickier.

If you want or need to sell your Bundled Golf Naples FL home, here are four tips to help you do that in today’s real estate market:

1. Be choosy about the real estate agent you hire.  Interview at least three agents.  Ask questions about how they’d market your Bundled Golf Naples FL home.  You want someone who markets aggressively and uses both online and offline marketing techniques.  Find out how many homes they’ve sold in your neighborhood within the last six months.  You want an agent who has recently sold homes in your area – not just listed them, but actually taken them all the way through to closing.

1. Implement the advice you get from your agent.  Find out what you should do to prepare you home for sale by asking, “What changes should I make to my home?”  Then do what your agent recommends before putting your home on the market.  What might seem unimportant to you can mean the difference between selling your home quickly and having it sit on the market for months.  Today’s buyers can afford to be picky, so they consider even minor home maintenance issues a sign of neglect and a reason not to buy your home.

1. Price it right.  You’ve taken the time to hire a knowledgeable agent.  Now, take his or her advice, especially when it comes to pricing.  They have the tools and up-to-date information needed to find out what homes similar to yours have sold for recently and how much you can get for yours.

1. Be willing to negotiate.  If you’re unwilling to make concessions, buyers are willing to walk away.  Remember, with the large number of homes for sale, buyers have many other options.

Yes, it’s more challenging to sell your home in a buyer’s market.  But it is definitely possible, if you are proactive.

If you’re ready to work with an agent who has a proven marketing plan that gets Bundled Golf Naples FL homes sold faster and for the most money possible, give me a call today at 239/850-1366 or email me at Ron@AskTheBear.com.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

How to Market Your Bundled Golf Home for Sale as Eco-Friendly

Energy efficiency and other aspects of environmentally-friendly living are very important to today’s home buyers.  As a homeowner who wants to sell your property quickly and for as much as possible, it’s crucial to highlight the green elements of your Bundled Golf home for sale.

Your home may have more eco-friendly features than you realize, or you may be able to inexpensively add them.  Here are a few ways to appeal to eco-conscious buyers:

• Highlight energy-efficient features. What energy-saving systems and appliances do you have in your home?  Take an inventory of your home and identify items such as low-emittance windows, furnace or air conditioner with a high-efficiency rating, programmable thermostats, solar/wind/geo-thermal elements for the home or pool, improved insulation or a tankless water heater.  Add these features to the marketing materials for your [city] home for sale.
• Publicize health benefits. Does your home have high efficiency air filters which remove indoor air pollutants?  Did you use low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paint which reduces problems with allergies and chemical sensitivities?  What about eco-friendly flooring such as low-VOC carpets, cork or reclaimed wood which do not release chemicals?  Mention these features and their associated health benefits.
• Promote natural elements. Consider the functional natural elements you have inside and outside your home.  Natural lighting coming in through windows or skylights.  Strategic placement of trees to provide natural shading.  Mature trees or shrubs, vegetable or flower gardens and fruit trees.  Eco-friendly gardens and lawn grown without the use of harmful pesticides.  Effective use of cross ventilation to cool your home when the windows are open.  Use of plants to reduce soil erosion.  Promote these elements to your buyers.
• Advertise water conservation. You may be surprised how inexpensive it is to add water-saving features to your home.  Shop for water-saving toilets, shower heads, dishwashers and washing machines. Plant landscaping that doesn’t require extensive watering.  Buy a rain barrel to collect rain water for use in garden or landscaping.  Be sure to advertise these water- and money-saving benefits.

In your marketing campaign, you may also want to remind potential buyers that purchasing an existing home is greener than having a new home built.  That’s because it does not require the energy or materials needed to construct a new home.

If you’d like to put your Bundled Golf home up for sale, you’ll get the results you want from my proven marketing system.  For more information about my system, give me a call today at 239/850-1366 or email me at Ron@AskTheBear.com.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

Bundled Golf Homes: 8 Tips for Staying Green while Moving

Staying green while moving isn’t easy.  In fact, moving expends a lot of energy.  Think about the massive amount of gas those big trucks go through, the toxic cleaning products people use on both their old and new Bundled Golf homes and all those cardboard boxes that are overflowing our landfills.

You might be thinking, “Hey, moving is stressful enough without having to worry about going green while moving.”  I understand.  But, if you’re conscientious about the earth, and want to go as green as you can while you move, here are a few suggestions for you:

1. Have a yard sale. Make money and reduce the amount of items you have to pack.
2. Invest in bins. Buy recycled plastic bins.  They’re sturdy, stack together well and can be reused for years in a multitude of ways.
3. Reuse or recycle cardboard containers.  Get cardboard boxes that someone else has used.  Most moving companies have used boxes they’ll sell to you.  Recycle your cardboard boxes by selling them back to places like U-Haul or giving them to a friend who is getting ready to move.
4. Use green packing materials.  Use things you have to pack anyway like clothing, linens and towels to cushion objects or fill gaps in boxes.  You can also purchase compostable packing materials, such as compostable packing peanuts.  Or, use paper towels made from recycled paper, and after you unpack, reuse them to clean up messes.  When you have to use non-green packing materials, don’t throw them away; save them for future use or give them away to people who are getting ready to move.
5. Secure with ZIP ties. Choose ZIP ties that are made from recycled plastic.  Use them instead of tape to secure hoses, lids and doors and drawers on furniture.
6. Donate. Instead of throwing things away that you no longer want, donate them.  Some thrift stores will even pick up donations at your house.
7. Dispose properly.  Call the recycling centers in your city to find out how to properly dispose of anything you need to throw away.  These days you can recycle paper, appliances, copiers, computers and phones.
8. Use green cleaning products.  Green cleaning products can be found at most big retail stores these days.  Use environmentally-friendly products to clean both Bundled Golf homes (the one you’re moving out of and the one you’re moving into).

When it comes to the environment, every little change can make a big difference. With a little bit of knowledge, we can all help save the earth one small change at a time in our Bundled Golf homes.

If you’re moving and need to buy or sell a home, I can help.  Give me a call today at 239/850-1366 or email me.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

Selling Naples Bundled Golf Communities Real Estate: FSBO vs. REALTOR®

The ongoing debate as to whether selling your Naples Bundled Golf Communities real estate is better as a FSBO or with the help of a REALTOR® just got some new ammunition.  The new survey supports past findings that using a REALTOR® is more beneficial to Naples Bundled Golf Communities real estate sellers.

The survey, conducted by HomeGain.com, a leading online real estate resource that connects home buyers and sellers with real estate professionals, surveyed over 1,000 homeowners.   Here’s what HomeGain’s survey found:

• 83% of homeowners surveyed said they used a REALTOR® to sell their home and 17% said they tried to sell their home on their own.
• 59% of homeowners that used a REALTOR® to sell their homes were successful vs. 39% of FSBO’s, reflecting a 50% higher closing rate for those home sellers using a REALTOR®.
• 81% percent of homeowners that used a REALTOR® to try and sell their homes said they would use a REALTOR® again for their real estate needs.
• 88% of homeowners who sold their homes using a REALTOR® said they would use a REALTOR® again.
• 71% of FSBOs who managed to sell their homes on their own said they would try and sell their home on their own again.
• 24% of FSBOs eventually enlisted the aid of a REALTOR® to help sell their homes.

If you’re ready to use the method most likely to get your Naples Bundled Golf Communities real estate sold, give me a call today at 239/850-1366 or email me at Ron@AskTheBear.com.

Ron@AskTheBear.com

Double-Check Public Records on Your Bundled Golf Community Home for Sale

Marketing your Bundled Golf Community home for sale can be tough enough in this economy without having other sources working against you. That’s why you should double-check your property’s public records. Large discrepancies between your property description and what’s listed as public record could be turning potential buyers away.

If the public property report for your house is not up to date, you could appear as if you’re inflating its qualities, such as the square footage or the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Don’t let something so simple hurt your property’s sale. Consider taking the following steps to ensure your home is being portrayed accurately.

1.    Review your property’s public record.  If it matches the information that you and your real estate agent have been promoting for your house, then you’re good to go. It won’t take long, and it will give you peace of mind.
2.    Ensure that your house’s updates, renovations and additions are all included. Evaluate the report to determine if any updates have been made but not recorded. Was there an addition added without a building permit or a basement finished to include another bedroom? Every square foot counts!
3.    Fix any discrepancies. Check with your county tax assessor about updating your public record; they’ll want an accurate report for tax purposes anyway. While this might take some time and effort, having an accurate description of your property could help you sell it faster and avoid more months of mortgage payments.

Not only could an inaccurate public record hurt your Bundled Golf Community home for sale, it could also hurt your house’s value.  Typically, real estate appraisers only consider square footage that they can verify through a building permit. If your records aren’t up to date, you may end up getting less than your property is worth.

If your Bundled Golf Community home for sale has yet to sell and you’d like more information on how to check its public records, give me a call at (239) 850-1366 or email me at Ron@AskTheBear.com.

Ron@AskTheBear.com