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Is Now The Time To
Sell?
The
word on Wall Street -- at least according to assorted seers,
soothsayers and analysts -- is that now is a very good time
to have cash, lots of cash, so that as stock prices fall
investors will be well-positioned to pick up bargains.
It's an interesting perspective and raises an obvious
question: Is now also a good time to sell real estate?
Home values have been steadily rising in most
communities, a stunning contrast -- and a relief -- when
compared to what's happening on Wall Street. The Dow Jones
Industrial average, for example, closed at 8,019.26 on July
19th down more than 2,700 points from the final bell on
January 14, 2000 when the
Dow topped out at
11,722.98.
So should you hoard cash with the expectation that
property prices will fall and real estate bargains will be
available down the road? And if you think prices will fall,
is now the time to sell?
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Mortgage Rates
U.S. averages as of June 25, 2002:
30 yr. fixed: 6.34%
15 yr. fixed: 5.76%
1 yr. adj: 4.31%
Get today's rates
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Make Your Home Leave A
Great First Impression
Once
your home is listed and the for-sale sign is firmly implanted in
your front lawn, all is ready for would-be buyers to tour your
home. Or is it?
As anyone in the real estate industry will tell you, it's
important to make your home look its best when it comes time to
show it. That first impression is everything. Even if you're in
a market where homes are selling quickly and for full asking
price, it's still key to spruce up your home and prove that it's
worth every penny you're asking. And it doesn't have to cost you
a fortune.
In fact, a great first impression, coupled with the
decreasing amount of time the typical home is on the market
these days, is sometimes all it takes to see a speedy offer come
your way.
"In 2001, the typical home was on the market for only four
weeks," said David Lereah, the National Association of Realtor's
chief economist. "In 1999 it was five weeks, but throughout most
of the '90s the typical selling time was eight
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A Green Healthy Lawn
Can
Appeal To Home Buyers
There
is nothing more unappealing to a prospective home buyer than a
brown, weed-filled lawn.
So if you are planning to put your house up for sale in
the next few months, here are some surefire ways to ensure that
a green lawn is matched in kind by the kind of green that you
can put in the bank.
In all but the hottest areas of the country, the best time
to seed your lawn is late summer to early fall because there is
less competition from weeds than in the spring, and because the
new grass will have two cool growing seasons - fall and winter -
before it encounters its first period of heat stress.
In the spring, soils may be too wet for good seedbed
preparation, though in a year such as this one with a fairly dry
winter and a cooler than normal spring.
In most northern climates, mid-October is about as late as
you'd want to sow grass seed in the fall. These rules are not
hard and fast, because the dates are based on a normal year, and
the varieties you plant can help determine what time is best to
do it.
When you sow grass seed, you try to mix several kinds --
the theory is that this allows you to take advantage of
microclimates and cover all bases. But even when you sow only
Kentucky
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Keeping Your Home Safe
While You're On Vacation
While
most of us relish the summer months because it's time spent on
vacation and camping trips with family and friends, burglars also
delight in June, July, and August - homeowners are away, some
leaving their homes as easy targets.
Most communities across the United States will experience a 10
to 18 percent in home burglaries during the months of June, July,
and August, with most tending to occur in August, according to FBI
statistics.
"A significant number of break-ins could be prevented with
simple precautions such as canceling a newspaper delivery, placing
timers on lamps, and having a neighbor take in the mail," said
Lauren Russ, executive director of the Burglary Prevention Council,
a nationwide nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the
public on crime prevention.
Daily News and Advice
Read about the events shaping the Real Estate
market today, find current interest rates, or browse the
extensive library of advice and how-to articles written by some
of the top experts in Real Estate. Updated each weekday.
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