When you’re selling your home, it’s important to consider what the buyer will experience as he or she enters the home for the first time. Here are a few additional things to take note of.

Take a whiff. If your house has an odor, that is a huge turnoff to buyers. Make sure it smells nice and clean. You should also make sure you have a fresh air filter.

Look around for anything that needs to be fixed. Buyers feel that a house is not well cared for if there are items throughiout the home that need to be repaired.

• Make sure that all your doors work properly. Repair or replace them, if necessary.
• Remove extraneous extension cords and exposed wires.
• Clean, repair and paint all gutters and down spouts.
• Fix dripping faucets as they may lead buyers to question the plumbing system.
• Double check that all light switch and outlet covers are on.
• Send your pets to Grandma’s house. A barking dog is unwelcoming. Plus, buyers may be allergic to your pets.

Additionally…

• Do a pre-inspection of your home.
• Do a pre-appraisal of your home.
• Hire a professional stager.
• Don’t be afraid to accept the first offer. The first offer is most often your best offer.
• Obtain a floor plan of your home, if possible.
• Assemble house records for the buyer to review.
• Consider only written offers from lender pre-qualified buyers.
• Enlist the services of a Realtor with a professional marketing program, such as The Raines Group, to effectively showcase your home using both traditional and digital methods.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Keep your yard looking good!

If you want to have an edge in the real estate market today, you should fully prepare your home before putting it on the market. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Start Outside: Stand across the street from your home and take an honest look at it, from a buyer’s perspective.

• Keep the yard looking tidy – mowed, raked, fertilized, and watered if in the warmer months; remove snow from driveway and walkways in the winter months.
• Remove all refuse, leaves, and clutter from yard, sidewalks, porches, patios, and decks.
• Give trim, decks, gates, and the front door a fresh coat of paint.
• Invest in a new door mat.

Clean your house: A filthy bathroom is the worst, second only to a dirty kitchen.

• Re-caulk tile in the bathrooms if the caulk is not sparkling white.
• Deep clean any spots on carpet,  as well as the high-traffic areas.
• Remove posters and adhesive from walls and doors.
• Putty all nail holes and any other holes in the walls.
• De-personalize your rooms and decorate them in a more neutral manner.
• Clean or paint the basement walls and floor, seal if possible.

Let the light in:Wash your windows inside and out, because dirty windows keep out light.

• Open the shades. Basically, people like light, so if your rooms have dark colors, you will want to consider repainting them.
• Install high-wattage bulbs in areas where needed.

De-clutter your house: Clutter makes your house look small and unloved.

• Put away ALL kitchen counter items.
• Remove cars from the driveway or in front of the home.
• Pack away framed family photographs, figureines, vases, and other excessive decorative items.
• Remove all extra blankets and pillows from sofas, chairs, and tables.
• Put away all pens, paper, medicine bottles, mail, and magazines from countertops and office area.
• Minimize the amount of toys left out by children, both inside and outside the home.
• Relocate high-chairs or children’s plastic/wood chairs to an area such as the laundry room or garage during showings.
• Remove dog/cat toys, as well as food and water dishes.
• Put away all shopping bags, season-specific decor, and laundry.
• Organize your closets. Remove unnecessary items and put them in storage. Closets highlight the storage space that your home as to offer.

The Raines Group has sold hundreds of homes, and can take a professional look at your home. They are happy to help you prepare your home for the market. Please contact us if you need any assistance.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

The Raines Group can help you target the right price for your home.

The Raines Group will do everything we can to sell your home quickly, at the best price, and with minimal hassles. But the one thing we cannot control or change is the market. Even though we know how valuable your home is, its value from a selling standpoint will be determined solely by the buyer. To help you decide whether your home is priced correctly, The Raines Group has generated the following levels of seriousness.

The “Maybe This Seller Isn’t Serious” Level. No showings and no offers. Agents and potential buyers are not even interested in seeing your home. They believe they can get more for their money elsewhere.

The “It’s Okay… But I Think I’ll Keep Looking” Level. Either ten or twelve showings and NO offers, or just a few showings. Maybe the pace of showings has slowed since the first few weeks when the listing was initially placed on the market. Or perhaps the home has been on the market for four to six weeks with no offers. Potential buyers believe they can still get more house for their money, and they are willing to keep looking.

The “This Is It!” Level. Showings, second showings, and offers in the first four to six weeks. This means you have placed your house on the market at the right price. At this level, we should be able to hold within just a few percentage points of where your home is listed. Potential purchasers believe that your home is one of the nicest homes and best values on the market. Your price supports their belief that your house might be their next home. They are ready to buy it from you.

Remember, even if your home is priced correctly today, that may change tomorrow as the market fluctuates. We will monitor your asking price to make sure that your home is neither overpriced nor underpriced. Throughout the time your home is listed, we will keep you informed about market conditions so you can make decisions that will help you realize your real estate goals as quickly as possible.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

How much would a buyer pay for your home?

Simply put, the current market value of your home is determined by the selling prices of similar homes in your area. Factors that do n ot affect the value of your home include:

• The price you paid for the house. The majority of houses sell for market value, which is constantly changing and may not support your original purchase price at the time you chose to sell.
• Your need for money. The current value of your home is dictated by teh market, not by your need to make a profit.
• Your desire to recoup the cost of maintenance-related repairs. The purpose of maintenance is to preserve a home’s value, not to create value. The cost of maintenance cannot be added to the market price of your home.
• Your desire to recoup the cost of home improvements. Make improvements for your own enjoyment, not with the hope of passing their full cost along to future buyers.
• How much it would cost to build your home today. The bottom line is, you cannot sell your home for more than buyers are willing to pay.
• How attached you are to your home. Any attachment you feel will not be shared by the buyer. Sentimental value does not correlate with a higher selling price.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

What price would you put on your home?

It may be tempting to set a high price for your home and attempt to beat the market. However, the soundest strategy is to price your home correctly from the start. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Buyers are always looking for the newest listings. The most activity – and the highest and best offers – typically come in the first 21 days a home is on the market. So if you overprice your home and then reduce the price, you lose precious time as well as the excitement that a new listing generates.

2. A house takes on a reputation fast. Even after you lower the price, prospective buyers may be wary, wondering why your home has been on the market so long. You have lost a strong negotiating position and, in the end, may even have to settle for less than market value. That’s why it is so important to make the most of your entry into the market.

3. The higher your home is priced, the fewer qualified prospects you will attract. Buyers compare houses. They are looking for the home with the most amenities at the best price. But instead of making an offer on your home, these buyers are out viewing other that they perceive to fall within their price range. by overpricing, you are actually helping to sell other, more competitively priced homes. You are highlighting their value at your own expense.

4. A disparity between your asking price and your home’s appraisal value can quickly become a deal-breaker. We must be able to defend your price to the appraiser, and the lender must be able to justify it to the market. If your home’s appraisal value is lower than your asking rice, your buyer could back out at the last minute.

Pricing your home correctly is essential to your home selling success. Contact us today for a free evaluation of your home and today’s market.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

The Ohio Finance Agency (OHFA) administers Restoring Stability: A Save the Dream Ohio Initiative to help an estimated 53,000 Ohioans who are at high risk of default or foreclosure.

OHFA worked with Save the Dream Ohio partners to develop a comprehensive, statewide strategy to distribute federal funds and help as many Ohioans as possible. Through Restoring Stability: A Save the Dream Ohio Initiative, the State of Ohio designed four programs to help homeowners who have a temporary or permanent reduction in income.

Ohio has been awarede $570 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Hardest-Hit Fund to help homeowners avoid foreclosure. The programs include:

• Rescue Payment Assistance Program: Provides a payment to the mortgage lender to help delinquent borrowers become current on their first mortgage.
• Partial Mortgage Payment Assistance Program: Provides up to 15 months of assistance for unemployed homeowners while they search for a job or participate in job training.
• Modification Assistance with Principal Reduction Program: Provides an incentive payment matched by an investor to reduce the mortgage principal balance so a loan modification may be possible.
• Transition Assistance Program: Provides an incentive payment ot the mortgage lender and homewoners to assist with short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure to help homeowners exit homes gracefully.

The Concord Mortgage Group can offer further information on these programs, as well as information on mortgages and refinancing options. Call Jodi McCoy Vermillion for information at 614-212-6929.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

As the top selling real estate team in Ohio, there’s no doubt that The Raines Group knows how to sell homes. You may

The Raines Group put this home in contract after just 4 days on the market!

wonder how the team has become so accomplished. Part of their success is to keep focus on the basics. Let’s review the five basic factors to consider when selling a home.

1. Price. The single most important factor to consider is how to price your home. How much is it worth? If you overprice your home, you will quickly lose the “freshness” of the home’s appeal on the market. After 3 weeks, demand and interest typically decline. If you do not have an offer after 8-10 showings or 30 days, the market has rejected your price. Overpricing can delay or even prevent a successful sale. Pricing the home competitively or even below market value can and has led to multiple bid situations that drive the price above the asking price. Click here for an analysis of your home’s worth.

2. Location and Condition. The location of the home obviously cannot be changed. However, you have control over the condition of the home, and a professional stager can help your home appeal to a broader base of buyers. Buyers are looking to get the most home for their money, and many times are looking at new homes as well as resale homes. Homes sell faster when they are in pristine condition.

3. Competition. Buyers decide which homes to buy and how much they are worth through the time-honored method of comparison shopping. The pool of available homes constantly changes. If there are many homes in your area similar to yours, it is even more important to keep your home in top condition and well-priced so that your home rises above the competition.

4. Timing. Sometimes it’s a buyer’s market, and sometimes it’s a seller’s market. The market conditions when you’re ready to sell can make a big difference in how quickly the process goes.

5. Marketing Campaign. A comprehensive marketing campaign gives your home the maximum exposure utilizing a variety of resources, which is essential for a timely sale. But if the other factors mentioned above are out of balance, even the best marketing campaign will fail.

The Raines Group can help you with the above factors, and have several agents who will give you a detailed analysis of the current market, and how your home fits into the market. This will help determine a competitive price in the market today. Once you decide to list your home, our marketing campaign will give your home the exposure it needs.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

It’s a common thought that real estate is not very active during the holiday and winter months. However, The Raines Group

You can sell a home in the winter!

sells homes during all seasons and historically has posted strong sales during the months of December and January. Those who have their homes on the market during this time typically are ready to negotiate offers, while the buyers tend to be serious, qualified people who are ready to make the move. These conditions are ideal for bringing sellers and buyers together!

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

It’s obvious that The Raines Group isn’t like other real estate teams. Consisting of 16 agents and a support staff of 8, the team has brought together nearly $100 million in sales volume in 2011, approximately 276 transactions. This number is far more than the average realtor or team, especially in Ohio, and even outperforms their own number from last year, which earned them a coveted spot in the top 100 real estate teams in the country. And it just keeps getting better.

The team operates differently from other teams, in many ways. One of the things that sets them apart from other teams is their ability to focus and set clear goals for themselves. Last week, the team took a day to look at where they have been, where they are, and where they are going, both personally and as a professional team. They shared their goals on vision boards, had lunch, and broke into smaller teams for a fun, competitive exercise.

Here’s a brief video remembrance of the day.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.

Tonight at the Scioto Country Club, Real Living HER was awarded the 2011 Best of Business Award for “Best Real Estate Brokerage”. The award was based on votes by the readers of Columbus CEO magazine for the third consecutive year!

The Raines Group was proud to hear that Real Living HER was selected among the room full of the best business leaders in their professions from throughout central Ohio, and is happy to be a part of an award-winning brokerage.

Visit www.Facebook.com/RLHER to see a picture of the trophy.

If you are looking to buy or sell a property in New Albany, Gahanna, Blacklick, Westerville, or another Central Ohio community, please contact The Raines Group. We offer professional real estate advice and are happy to help you achieve your real estate goals. Please contact us today via our online contact form or by calling The Raines Group at 614-418-7417.