Barb Schlinker The Real Estate Voice

What Kind of Lead Time do Home Sellers Need to Prepare to Sell Their HomesQ. What Lead Time do Home Sellers Need to Prepare their Homes for Saleo   It depends on their desired timing, some are move in ready and some are noto   I’ve seen some home sellers do a complete rehab and take months to get ready, others move out and let us sell it right away.o   For most we need just a few weeks to get them photo and show ready.Q. Do Most Home Sellers Know What to Do to Get Ready to Sell?o   Most do not know. We don’t like the same way as we present a home for sale.o   That is where we come in.o   We give them a free consultation on what to do and what not to do to get their home ready to sell. What their home will sell for in this market, go over all the various closing costs and tell them how much they will put in their pocket when it sell.Q. We are here talking with Barb Schlinker of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty, you can reach Barb at 719 301 3900 or visit www.BarbHasTheBuyers.com.  What about scheduling it to t

What is VA Financing?VA Financing is when a buyer obtains a mortgage that is guaranteed by the Secretary of Veteran Affairs against a foreclosure.  It allows military members and veterans to purchase homes with zero down payment instead of the 20% down payment typically required by conventional financing.These loans also have lower interest rates than conventional financing and lower payments because the mortgage insurance in the form of a VA funding fee (which is typically added to the buyers mortgage balance) is much less costly to the buyers.Home sellers should have their homes VA financing - ready in this market because 44% of the jobs in the area are related to military service and 36% of the sales are financed with VA financing.Q.  What is VA Financingo   100% financing for homes – no upper limit – thanks to President Trumpo   In this location Veterans can purchase a home with Zero down for as much as $510,000 and in Elbert & Douglas counties as much as $575,000o   Started after WWII to help Veteran

Top Five Things You Should Demand from Your Lender when Buying a Home1)     How does a buyer know what to expect from a lender when purchasing a home?a.      They don’t – People that want to buy a car go fall in love with the car, THEN figure out how to get financing.  Its the same with a home purchase.b.      Most go off Agent Referrals or use their banks 2)     What things should be demanded from a lender before buying a home?a.      Pre-approval vs Pre Qualificationb.       A thorough explanation of what the buyer would need in cash to buy a home 3)     Once a buyer finds a home – how can the lender help the buyera.      Great lenders provide custom pre approval lettersb.      Call listing agent attesting the strength of the buyers ability 4)     When a buyer gets their offer accepted what happens next?a.      Meet and get loan application doneb.      Order the appraisal ASAP – this costs but the sooner the better                                                              i.      Appraisal delays can pre

What are some Tips Retirees Should Do Know About Their Credit Scores In retirement years, purchases such as insurance, cell phones, renting cars using a debit card, buying cars or even an application for a reverse mortgage may require a strong credit score. Yet many retirees become debt free, causing their credit score to go to zero or stop paying attention to their credit score if they don’t need to borrow money. Most people who are retired have pretty great credit and its important to them to keep it that way, why should they do to maintain good credit?With data breaches happening routinely— retirees need to stay vigilant about their credit profiles. And it is easier than ever to monitor your credit score with websites Experian. Equifax or TransUnion.  There is a small monthly fee and typically you can get this service for a little as $5 per month.That may seem counter-intuitive, particularly to those who pay off their homes, cars and other debt by the time retirement is on the horizon. Retirement itself, i

What are the rules when selling a home with a septic system?El Paso County and most counties in the area, except Teller county, require the septic system be inspected, brought up to code and cleaned if full prior to sale.That requires an application for a Transfer Acceptance DocumentIn most cases it runs home sellers between $500-$750 to get that done plus the $55 transfer fee with the counter.That assumes all is well with the system.  What problems could arise with a septic system?The most common is the access to the tanks has to have risers on them that go above ground for easy access.If the leach field is not working properly, that is when things can get really expensive.Sometimes it is a small repairIn most cases it requires an entirely new leach field and here is what has to happen before that...A soils test must be conducted and that takes at least 3-5 weeksIf the soil requires and engineered system, the engineering work could take 1-2 months.Once the county gets the application, the county will, at tim

Why do buyers typically look at 12 or more websites searching for homes?  Because they are afraid of missing out on the perfect home!  According to industry experts… national websites are NOT their best options…including…Zillow & Realtor.com.  I’m Barb Schlinker with Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty and we help buyers find the perfect home. At the end of this video I’ll share how home buyers can get insider access to all the homes in their criteria from all the real estate companies, even homes they cannot find online.Here are the 5 worst places to search for homes are:1. Zillow: Did you know Zillow will not indicate that homes offered for sale - have accepted a contract usually meaning they are highly unlikely to be available for buyers searching.2. Realtor.com: Both Realtor.com and Zillow have every address in the country on their site yet most are NOT for sale…if you read the fine print.  How does that help buyers!3 Foreclosure Sites:Most home owners facing foreclosure do not want to speak with anyone.

For most people it is uncomfortable for anyone to fire anyone for any reason.  I know it takes a lot of courage to decide to make a change.  But, if the agent you selected is not getting the results or not performing to their agreement, its OK to do this, whether you are still in an agreement or not.I’ve seen many reasons people change agents, but the biggest two are:Home Not SellingThis could be a lot of things…Pricing, Photos, Staging, MarketingAgent not communicatingI had a call from a home seller that said the showings suddenly stopped for the past month.  It turns out the previous agent let his listing expire and it was off the internet!I had another listing that asked to speak with his agent, scheduled a meeting then the agent decided to go show a buyer some other homes and did not show up for the meeting.  When they called me to help them with their home sale, they told me they relied on what the “AGENT” said and priced the home based on the agent’s advice.  Not only was the price too high but one of t

Even though Today's real estate market it is considered a “Seller’s Market” meaning there is low inventory, and the average days on market is 26 days, about 1/3 of the homes that do on the market do NOT sell in this current market. I’m Barb Schlinker of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty and I specialize in helping home sellers sell fast and for top dollar. This video is about  Selling your house fast and what to do if your home is not selling.. Before I get started, at the end of this video I’ll be sharing with you how you can get a FREE Special On the 27 Tips to Sell Your Home FAST and for Top Dollari.If a home Seller finds themselves in that situation where the home is NOT selling there are things they can do to make it sell.  First analyze the current market.i.How does it look online – photos1.Is your Home Property Staged2.Do the photos look greatii.How does the home compare to other similarly priced homesiii.Which homes have gone under contract since their home went on the market.Why is the Marketing

Hello its Barb Schlinker  This video is about how to prepare for your home inspection. Very Soon a team member will be reaching out to you to let you know the buyer will be coming over to do a home inspection. Don’t worry your house does not have to look show ready.  Here is a short list of tips that you can do to make it go well.1) Most home inspections take about 3 hours.  And buyers and their agents would prefer that you did not attend the  Inspection however it is Your choice. or We will be happy to attend for you  to answer any questions.  Keep in mind in the state of Colorado, there is no licensing or certification requirement to be an inspector.  What this means is they could come up with things that are not valid.a.These are the typical things they do:i.Check out, plumbing, electrical, roof, furnace and AC, and all included appliances.  So that means you need to have those systems accessible to them.ii.The most common items that get identified as “maintenance” are:1.Clean and Service the Furnace – you

How to Anticipate an Appraisal Challenge?If you are fortunate enough to receive multiple offers on your home, you should be consulting with you agent about recent similar sales.As long as you have at least 1 similar sale you have a great chance of the appraisal price matching your sales price.What do home sellers want out of their real estate agents?Home sellers want a good buyer that pays a fair price and closes on time without too much troubleHome sellers want to sell their home in a specific time frame. This take a consultation with a great agent that knows the market and can share with the seller the timeline of what to expect as far as how long it will take to sell their home and when they can expect it to close and they receive the money from the sale.Are staging services something home sellers want?Yes, we find very few sellers are ready for pictures and many need guidance on what to do to get ready to sell.We include a professional interior designer that helps home sellers with their existing furnitur

What are some money saving tips for the winter?Switch out traditional incandescent bulbs for LED bulbs.Traditional bulbs cost $180 per bulb for electrical service over the life of the bulb.LED bulbs cost $40 per bulb for electrical service over the life of the bulb.Savings by switching to LED is about $120 for serviceHeating: Changing out the furnace filter monthly in the winter will extend the life of the furnace.2) Water Heaters - typically last 6-8 years now.Tankless water heaters cost 6-8 times more than traditional water heaters.When you go on vacation turn down the temperature to 'vacation' settings.3) Windows and door sealingEither hire a handyman to seal the doors and windows orFREE Videos on You Tube. Go to You Tube and search DIY (Do it Yourself videos)4) Winterize the Sprinkler system in the fallIf not done properly many sprinkler heads and the plumbing associated with the sprinkler systems often have freeze breaks during the winter.5) Make sure your garden hose is not connected to the ho

1)     How much money should a buy have saved up to purchase a home?a.      There are down payment assistance programs where a buyer can get a grant for their down payment and purchase with only $1000 out of pocket.  However,  they will still need about $300 for an inspection.b.      For most buyers they will need the following:  Earnest Money Deposit – Typically 1% of the Purchase price but it is Negotiable Money for an Inspection – Typically $300, sometimes $500 if they have to check out a well or sewer scope.Down Payment – could be anywhere from ZERO to 20% down Loan Closing Costs – Those run about 1-2% of the Loan amount These can be negotiated as a part of the loan as a seller expenseBuyers can raise the sales price and have seller pay their closing costs, but really it’s the buyer in the form of a price higher than asking price.Moving Expenses     What does an agent do with regard to NEGOTIATIONS?a. You are an attorney so I know you understand the meaning of Fiduciary.  It means put the needs of their c

What to Expect during Closing Day on a House for SellersQ.  How should home sellers prepare for closing day on a house?·       Move – most buyers want possession on closing day unless otherwise negotiated·        Inspection Repairs done and receipts provided·        Gather: keys, remotes for garage door openers, mail box keys, garage door keypad code, Security system code, house manuals·        Any special instructions on how systems work is a very nice touchQ. Who attends the closing?·        Your Agent·        Title Closer – in CO we don’t use attorneys to close typically·        All parties that are on the deed, unless you have a power of attorney for them.·        Buyers and sellers can close together. Sometimes that is good and sometimes not·        We typically set up a time for the seller to sign ahead of the closing & title will prepare an Agent Authorization for me to sign for anything like minor changes that do not affect the contract, eg invoices that come in, last minute things the buyer’s len

It's time for home seller tips by Barb. Many home sellers will ask me which home improvements will make them the most amount of money when they sell their homes that is inexpensive. I'm Barb Schlinker with Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Colorado. And I help people sell their homes fast and for top dollar. And at the end of this video I'll be sharing with you how you can get a free report on the 27 Tips to sell your home fast and for top dollar, here are the 3 Top Tips that you should consider that are inexpensive. Number 1, paint. Please paint over all of the dramatic paint colors. Neutral is always best, Number 2, replace those heavy drapes with light sheers or blinds, you know, that actually makes your home look bigger. And the number 3 tip is to consult with a professional. You know, we offer a free, no-obligation consultation as well as a visit with our professional interior designer to give you tips on what to do and what not to do to get your home ready for sale. So as promised to recei

Barb Schlinker home of Your Home Sold Guaranteed* share the top 5 reasons why You CANNOT trust the accuracy of the Zillow Zestimate for your home's value.  When you are thinking about selling your home, looking at the information on Zillow, like their Zestimate is a popular thing to do.1) Zillow is not looking at your Home’s Condition and Features.  Here is an example:4715 Sourdough Place The Zillow “Zestimate” was $348,000.  3 Other AGENTS told the seller the home was worth $350,000. But I could see the updates and views and knew it would sell for more.  We listed the home at $425,000. Right after we did that the Zillow Zestimate went to $411,000.I sold this home the first weekend for $427,000.  If the Seller Believed the Other 3 agents and the Zillow Zestimate it could have cost them $77,000!  Zillow posts a “Zestimate” Zillow does not know your home’s conditions, improvements or about the location.2) Zillow has little knowledge of your location or a lot of qualities.  Mountain Views, Culd-e-sacs, Golf

Hot Listings Buyer Workshop Giveaway Specials | Barb Schlinker | 719-301-2461We're getting ready to sell or pre-marketing. And oftentimes we'll give our buyers insider access to those homes if they fit their criteria. One of them we have coming up, It's a beautiful two-story with a finished basement. That one's coming on the market here soon. It's over in the springs, a ranch area. 80922 zip code and it's priced at $369,999. A lot of property listings hot right now so don't hesitate to call right away and don't be left behind.For more detailed information, contact Barb at 719-301-2461 or email @ coloradobarb@gmail.com.

Top Things That Agents Do That Sellers LoveAgents having buyers is one of it. You have to get the love word. It's about can I see myself living here and enjoying my life in this home. It includes not just still pictures, but also video. We'll put videos for more executive homes and the first time home buyers, but photos are very, very important because buyers buy on emotion. Some digital cameras it'll change the color of the wood and make the wood look too orange. And the buyers might be turned off by that when it's really not the real color. Things like red, those danger colors in photos cause it looks Fuchsia on imagery. So, we minimize the red with our staging preparation. But bad marketing a really does matter. It matters because chances are a majority of the buying public are gonna pass that home by. If you get bad marketing or bad photos. To know more about it, call Barb Schlinker at 719-301-2461.

11 Steps to Quickly Sell Homes in 2019You want to hire an agent that really knows the market. Over 95% of the home buyers will start their search online and if they don't like what they see online, especially the first 8 pictures they are moving on. Should do a lot of social media marketing.Common questions I get is what can I expect? What's the timeline for things to happen?It starts with preparation, we incorporate staging. And then we'll take some great photos and start pre-marketing. Once you go on the market, that's time for showing.We'd like to help our home sellers prepare for the inspection and know what to prepare for. They don't have any idea. They just know somebody is coming to their house. Not licensed, cause an inspector in the state of Colorado any one can say that they are an inspector and they can get license by only just taking online certification. We recommend really great contractors that work fast. To know more about the detailed 11 Steps to Quickly Sell Hom

Why is this a Great Time to Sell? And why is summer such a great time to be selling a home? It really is the best time to most of the buyers who are moving in the summer because it's more convenient for people to move in versus moving in the winter. In this market, any time of the year is pretty good. The demand is the strongest this time of year.The normal market is 6 months supply. There's an equal number of buyers and sellers and there's no bidding wars. In this market, the inventory is still pretty low. We're ranked as one of the best cities in the whole country to live in by quite a few studies. We only have one and a half months supply of homes, average days on market is 25 days from the time it goes on the market to the time it gets a contract.Summer's good time to sell because there's 5 military bases such as Peterson, Schriever, Air Force Academy, Norad and Fort Carson, a lot of them are transferring their people during the summer so that will start probably in May and k