Lake Mary home deals: Super Bowl is a line in the sand.

The Super Bowl Weekend [wow, what a game - huh?] traditionally marks the start of the Lake Mary real estate Spring Buying Season. Anecdotally, Lake Mary real estate agents will tell you that buyer activity tends to tick higher at this time of the year… and I tend to agree. I have seen a definite up-tick in activity within the past week.

Meanwhile, with mortgage rates still trolling near all-time lows and Congress debating a first-time homebuyer tax credit, 2009 may bring out even more buyers than we’ve seen in the past. There are some proposed changes that make the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit even better. Les Christie, a CNNMoney, Staff Writer states in his article Homebuyers get a Bonus in the Stimulus Bill,

“Technically, the stimulus bill is actually changing the terms of the $7,500 tax credit that was issued as a part of the Housing Recovery Act, which Congress passed last summer. That legislation required that the tax credit be repaid over 15 years, making it more of a no-interest loan. Not surprisingly, the measure had little impact on the market. The stimulus bill now under consideration would make that tax credit a true credit that doesn’t need to be repaid.”

Just having your home on the market may not be enough to attract an offer, though — the home has to have appeal. Consider that reason #233 to have a top notch Realtor in this market. That brings us to home staging — the process by which a homeowner re-organizes and re-presents the home to appeal to as many potential buyers as possible.

Home staging is part-science, part-art, and part-psychology. Homebuyers tend to judge homes within the first 8 seconds of seeing them so making a quality first impression can mean the difference between getting multiple bids, and just getting a lot of foot traffic.

The 4-minute video gives some quick-and-easy tips, including:

• Create more light in the home
• Clean up the closets and thin them out
• Remove the clutter from every room in the house

Even though home inventories are falling, supplies are still higher than in previous years. Home sellers wanting to stand out in a crowd may want to consider staging their homes to help them sell more quickly.

Staged homes sell for as much as 17% more money and as much as 40% faster than non-staged ones.

If you are looking at buying - your timing couldn’t be better. By the time you hear in the news that, “It is time to buy – uhhhh – you missed it by about 6 months.” the smart money is on buying now while all the ingredients are perfect and before the news catches on. The first Step in the process is to get Pre-Approved by a Lake Mary Mortgage Broker and asked them to introduce you to a tried-n-true Realtor that knows the area like the back of their hand.

If you are looking to sell – it is likely because you have a pressing need, otherwise I would recommend waiting. When you have a pressing need and time is important – play it smart. Before you list that house, contact me about options to selling like a

• Refinance,
• Short Refinance,
• or Loan Modification.

If we are able to determine that none of those is the best option, let me introduce you to a veteran Realtor that is the top in their market. Now is not the time to use Aunt Betty’s neighbor’s friend’s cousin that got their license in 1977.

Find out your options here and now. Send me an email and let me know your concern.