Tag archive for "For Buyers" | Blog.PropertiesOnline.com

What to Know About the Luxury Real Estate Market in These Uncertain Times

At the beginning of the year, all eyes were on the housing market as it began to show signs of slowing. With a sharp rise in inventory and multiple interest rate hikes on the horizon, the future of real estate sales was uncertain. Instead, interest rates have lowered and the market appears to have entered a transitional period, where affordability challenges have pulled back price growth, particularly in the luxury real estate market.

What’s Driving Changes in the Luxury Real Estate Selling Market?

1. Market Correction
Nationally, the market is shifting in favor of buyers. Transactions over $10-million are finally on the rise. Homes unrealistically overpriced over the past 2-years have come down, particularly in regions that experienced double-digit price growth. This has created an intersection where the seller and buyer can compromise on price, boosting the buyer’s market morale.

2. Tax Law Changes

Tax law changes are hurting luxury homes at the top-end of the market. Mortgage interest and property taxes are no longer fully deductible, increasing the burden on homeowners. The luxury market has understandably taken the biggest hit, with homes priced at $2-million or more witnessing a sales slump for the first time in nearly 3 years, falling 1.6%.

3. Disappearing Foreign Funds

Markets such as NYC, once dominated by foreign money, are no longer seeing the competition of international buyers. As politics and the trade war have intensified, buyers are now more typically American. Russian buyers have disappeared, and the days of predominantly Chinese buyers are over.

4. Higher Construction Costs

The inflated prices of land, building materials, labor, and burdensome permitting regulations are pushing builders to the luxury end, softening the market.

Weather these changes with flair. Stay on top of the latest market trends with the help of these and other real estate selling tips from Properties Online today.

Five Times Bargain Hunting Leads to Buyers Remorse

Buyers looking for a bargain? In today’s housing market, that’s a tall order. Before buyers take their thriftiness too far, they need a few real estate sales tips to warn them of the pitfalls that can lead to a regrettable purchase.

Five Times Bargain Hunting Blows Up:

Assuming a Better Deal from a Short Sale

Buyers new to the market often rely on short sales to snap up a bargain, but can be left frustrated when they fail to realize up-front how few and far between these deals are. The market has changed considerably in post-crash years. The onset of shopping is when to kindly help your buyer get with the times.

Making Huge Compromises to Score a Better Deal

In a hot market, buyers can be quick to jump the gun, compromising on homes without enough bedrooms, far from work, and trying to come in below budget. This shortsighted mentality will quickly lead to remorse within months of move-in. Help your buyer carefully rank must-haves and stick to them.

Hiring a Cheap Home Inspector (or Skipping it)

Among top real estate sales tips for buyers: A cheap (or neglected) home inspection may seem like savings out-of-the-box, but those few dollars saved could quickly lead to heartache as thousands-of-dollars in hidden home issues, from termites to electrical and foundations, surface. Reminding buyers an inspection is a tool that will allow them to renegotiate price and address dangerous issues is key.

Requesting Unreasonable/Endless Inclusions/Repairs

In today’s market, this will cost buyers a deal, fast.

Lowball Offers on Languishing Homes

Instead of cinching a deal, this costs in credibility, and often leads to bidding wars. It’s important to stand out in a positive way, especially in multiple-offer scenarios.

Do you have the real estate sales tips you need to keep buyers coming back for more? Ensure a happy home sale with the help of Properties Online today.

Shutting Down the Money – Chinese Real Estate Investments Dry Up

In surprising real estate trends, China’s investments in the U.S. real estate market are speedily drying up. A recent Cushman and Wakefield report highlighted the trend, noting a drop from $16.2-billion to $7.3-billion in 2016, and estimating a 55% drop in commercial real estate investments in 2017.

Why are Times Changing?
The unusually hasty retreat has been fueled by at least two factors:

Beijing’s Leaders Restricting the Flow of Cash Out of the Country
In August, China’s State Council imposed new regulations on outbound investments designed to keep capital at home and reduce the risk of runaway debt. With a massive impact on real estate trends, the move highlights the potentially dramatic effects of state-directed capitalism. Ordered by the government to sell or dispose of foreign properties, investors from state-controlled conglomerates are selling rapidly after acquisition – in some cases, before building.

Federal EB-5 Program Funding Drops, Limiting Green Card Access
The federal EB-5 program, which allows foreigners to apply for U.S. citizenship in exchange for investing $500,000 or more in a business that makes or preserves at least 10 jobs, is losing fuel. With a huge drop-off in funding, EB-5 cash from China has dropped to just 28% of its normal flow compared to the three preceding years. In the past, the millions of dollars raised in the green card program have funded major projects, including the Courtyard Los Angeles L.A. Live and the Dream Hotel complex in Hollywood.

Big Picture
Though the drop is dramatic, Cushman and Wakefield still predict Chinese capital will continue to play a significant role in the U.S. economy. Despite pulling back on new purchases, Chinese investors are not jumping ship, and are still buying more than they’re selling. However a shift is being seen, from state-controlled conglomerates to very high net worth individuals.

Are you evolving alongside today’s rapidly changing real estate trends? Stay in-the-know with the help of Properties Online today.

Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite: Bed Bug Issues in Real Estate Sales

It’s a nightmare scenario. A buyer moves into their would-be dream home, only to find uninvited residents: bed bugs. As infestations rise nationwide, bed bugs are increasingly affecting real estate sales transactions.

Know the Signs

Bed bugs are equal opportunity pests and “dirty” has nothing to do with it. These masterful menaces hitchhike their way into luxury apartments, suburban homes, even the local library and theater. Though not known to carry disease, their nighttime shenanigans are cause for severe physical and psychological discomfort. How can you identify these pests?

– Like mosquitoes, they come out at night to drink blood, leaving behind itchy red welts on their victims.

– With apple-seed-like bodies, bed bugs hide in the nooks and crannies of mattresses and sheets.

– They often leave behind dark fecal/blood stains on linens, mattresses, box springs, and carpets.

– Pearly-white, pea-sized egg deposits may be found along headboards, electrical plates, baseboards, and window casings.

– White, rice-like, exoskeletons from moltings are often found under area rugs.

Discuss Disclosure Dilemmas:

Seller Beware

Though real estate sales agreements are broad, and don’t typically list bed-bug-specific issues, this doesn’t mean sellers are off the hook. Failure to list a bed bug infestation could be seen as a breach of disclosure of latent defects, leaving sellers liable for litigation.

Buyer Beware

Until states begin to incorporate bed-bug-specific realty regulations, hiring a pest control company, in addition to the typical home inspection, could be money well-spent.

Don’t Delay

If home sellers or new residents come across bed bugs, advise residents to seek professional help ASAP. Some home remedies are dangerous, and tossing bug-ridden items spreads bed bugs to neighbors. Bed bugs reproduce rapidly, and infestations can be costly to treat: $250-900 per room, and up to $5,000 for extreme infestations. Timely treatment is imperative.

Don’t let your career fall victim to bed bug bites. Stay informed on the latest issues effecting real estate sales with Properties Online today.

Five Signs That Sellers are Itching to Unload

Every seller wants to sell their property – otherwise they wouldn’t be listing. But sometimes sellers get a bit carried away. And smart real estate buyer’s agents know the signs: The signs sellers need to get out of Dodge. With the right foresight, you and your clients can snag a sale fast – and at a great price.

Five Signs the Seller is Itching to Sell:

1. The listing is screaming for a buyer.

Common signs include multiple price reductions, asking price below market value, and ‘cash only’ transactions.

2. New family additions.

Multigenerational family situations, from beds in the family room or den bearing in-laws, to a crib crammed into the corner of the closet of a parent’s bedroom, are bright, flashing neon signs sellers need to move – and yesterday.

3. Sellers answer questions candidly and quickly…

Noting problem areas such as the need for a new roof or past flooding issues without batting an eye. Sellers don’t usually disclose such information, in hopes of eking out every last dollar from the sale of their home. But desperate sellers will, in hopes of preventing any last-minute sales snafus that could have them waiting ever longer for another seller to come along who is capable of catering to such issues.

4. The seller doesn’t live in the house anymore.

Real estate buyers agents should know right away, if the home is vacant, it’s game-on. The seller cannot cover two mortgages over an extended period of time without their finances taking a serious hit.

5. The home is listed as an estate.

Heirs to an estate are often anxious to sell the home of the original owner, and are often more willing to move on price in efforts to liquidate assets and move-on.

Stand out from the average real estate buyer’s agents, bringing more to the table with the help of Properties Online today.

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