We all know that if your home is in a prestigious neighborhood or has acres of land, that that is what will be your "lead in" for your Home Ad.  But what if you have a great, normal home in Natick? How are you going to set yourself apart from all the other great normal homes in Natick?  That answer is easier than you may think, and that is why you need Team Lynch to sell your Natick home!

Sometimes, in looking for that GREAT aspect of our home to be the focus of our advertising we overlook the basics of what makes our home truly great.  Even though you may have outgrown your home and are starting to see it's flaws...the goal of marketing is to highlight your home to shine in the eyes of your potential buyers.   So start looking at the basics of your Natick home:

1. Storage:  This is something almost every buyer wants and needs. Since many First Time Home Buyers have struggled with not having adequate storage in their apartment life....you'll want to take pictures and highlight all the storage options in your home.

2. Organizational Options:  Hand in hand with storage is organization.  If you have made the investment in built-in or custom closet or kitchen organizer systems, desks, bookshelves, garage systems, etc....You'll want to highlight this in your homes listing along with great photos of each.

5. Senior Friendly Features:  Many families are now moving aging family members in with them.  This has made the search for homes with in-law suites or senior family features like: single story layouts, level-in entrance (no stairs) and low maintenance landscaping. Even extra bedrooms with a bath need to be marketed as such.  This is a new direction in the way that Americans are living so it makes a great lead in for marketing.

Taking time to prepare your Natick MA home prior to putting it up for sale is extremely important.  After all, for most of us, this is our most important asset so taking the extra time it takes to ensure we have taken care of all the small things makes the most sense.

1. Get all your paperwork together. Simple right? Not so much- if you've been in your home a long time this may take longer that you think. You'll need HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Appliances, Remotes and any other technical systems that your new owners will need to live comfortably in the home.

2. Check all the small things.  You know, the ones you've probably gotten used to living with. Check switch plates, fixtures, door handles, mailbox, etc.

3. Make things less personal. This may seem odd, but you want potential buyers to be able to picture themselves in the home, not see "your" home. So pack up and move out many of your personal items.

4. Try to eliminate all evidence of pets in the home! This may sound harsh, but you want to make it look as though you NEVER had a pet in the home. Get rid of smells, stains, food, food bowls, etc.

5. Remove clutter from every room in the home!

6. Gather estimates on repairs/or replacements.  Unless everything in your home is brand new, you can expect for it to be on the "bargaining block" during the negotiation phase. So get on top the process now.

7. No one wants a dirty house! You want to deep clean...I'm talking "white glove" test. Plus, a clean house will garner a better selling price as well.

8. Hide the kids! What?? A buyer will be checking for signs of damage from children, so make sure you've made those repairs.  When you have a showing, make sure the kids are out of the home, no one wants to have kids under foot while they are looking at a home.

9. Clean up your landscaping. No need to hire a professional...but clean up the yard so that it looks neat and tidy. Grass should be cut, twigs and leaves from winter raked and bagged. Sprucing it up with a few flowers or shrubs never hurts either.

10. Take some pictures. Once everything is cleaned up and looking nice.....take some pictures and use them for marketing purposes.  The better the pictures the more people will want to come and see your home.

Although the Super Bowl is not going to be as much fun this year, with our beloved New England Patriots out of contention, we are still going to "whoop it up" and have a great time.  Like always, we are going to decorate, and make lots of great food....but we are also adding a great dimension by having our own TEAM LYNCH SUPER BOWL PARTY CONTEST!  What does that entail, you ask?  Not a whole lot, we came up with the set of questions below to have all our family, friends and acquaintances answer and post their answers to our Facebook Page by Saturday, February 1 at 5:00 pm. Make sure to LIKE US ON FACEBOOK when you're there!

                                     We challenge all of you to have the most correct answers!

THE QUESTIONS:

1.Which team will win, and what will be the final score of game?

2. Who will be the Super Bowl MVP?

3. Who will be ahead at half time, and what will the score be?

4. Which Team will have the most rushing yards? How many?

5. Which QB will throw the most touchdown passes, and how many will he throw?

THE FOOD:

We all have our favorite party foods, but let's face it....if you serve this....you'll go down in Super Bowl Food history!!  Add in a few other appetizers, sweets and a fabulous, signature Super Bowl cocktail, and you'll be on your way to having the Best Super Bowl party ever!!

THE DECORATIONS:

Let's face it...you've got a ton of choices here, so we went with some of the basics.  But get creative, and have some fun!

What are your predictions for the game???

Are you debating  whether or not to make an offer on a home before the New Year begins? Well....STOP deliberating and get out there and submit the offer!  Between changing lender rules, mortgage rate hikes and the 2013 tax benefits;   closing before the end of the year can mean significant financial benefits.  

Here are five ways you WILL benefit by closing on a home before the end of the year.

1)  New Year means new lending rules.  Lending rules are changing on Jan 1st, and that means it could become more difficult to get a loan. The new rules will allow you to borrow less, at your same income level! The current 2013 mortgage borrowing rules allow for a 45% total debt-to-income ratio.  This ratio does go down to 43% in 2014,  meaning you will have to make or reduce your debt in order to buy the same house you are currently living in.

2) Avoid rising interest rates. Although mortgage interest rates are still pretty attractive, they are up 1-2% over last year during the same time period.  The Mortgage Banker's Association is predicting that mortgage rates will rise to around 5% in 2014.  If you decide to buy now and the rates drop...you can always refinance, but if you wait...you are stuck.

3) Maximize tax deductions.  Although this is the most commonly thought reason for closing on a home before years end, it is an important one.  You can start deducting mortgage interest and building equity immediately.  Also, because some closing costs and points are deductible, you can start deducting them the year you purchase the home,....and that means they are included in your 2013 tax return!  If you wait even 3 days into the new year,  you will not be able to take any deductions until years end of 2014.

4)  Easier financing.  Are you waiting for home prices to decrease?  Don't!  It is quite possible that the mortgage rule changes for 2014 will make it more difficult to get financing.  So if you are waiting to "save" a few bucks hoping for home prices to drop, you may put your ability to purchase a home in jeopardy,  if you cannot secure a mortgage at all!

5) Lower Sales could mean higher inventory.  Look at it this way...it's the "After Christmas" sale...before Christmas!  Even though 2013's theme was low inventory and higher home prices, the fourth quarter has always seen a slowing down of the housing market, and 2013 is no exception.  Housing sales have declined since September, so the inventory has increased, but the constrained inventory still means double digit year-over-year gains.  What does that mean to you...you may secure a GREAT DEAL IN DECEMBER!

At Team Lynch Real Estate Consultants, we are here to answer any and all of your real estate questions, provide you with a unique, successful, personalized marketing plan to help sell your home or utilize our expertise to help you find the home of your dreams.

Source:  RISMedia