St. Patrick’s Day is Thursday and most of us have noticed our yards greening up as the days are getting longer and warmer.  With spring in full action, now is a good time to be thinking of getting your yard into shape for this coming year.  March is the best time to give your yard and shrubs the first fertilizer of the year.  This has been a very cold winter for us and some cold damage may have been done to your plants around the house and may need replaced.  Last year was also a very tough year on lawns from damaging insects and rampant fungus, unfortunately because we live in the South, sometimes the best solution is lawn replacement.  When replacing sod there are some precautionary procedures that can be done to give your sod the best chances for thriving, that are not normally recommended by your average maintenance provider. Read the rest of this entry

As this market continues to change, we are finding new ways in which we do business.  It used to be that we would run a great ad for our open houses and hold our breath hoping that this ad would attract potential purchasers into our properties.  Needless to say it “physically” required the buyer and the realtor to be there.  This was such a waste of time for everyone involved.  In fact, it took longer to find a property a year ago than it does today, because our buyers are now virtual. Read the rest of this entry

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Watch Your Words in Listing Ads.

The wording you choose in the ad for your listings is important if you want it to grab the right buyer attention.

A study by the University of Guelph in Ontario analyzed the wording of more than 20,000 Canadian home listings and found that a listing’s phrasing can influence a home’s sale price as well as the length of time it took for the home to sell.

For example, when the listing’s ad incorporated words like “beautiful” — rather than “move-in condition” — the sale price was influenced by 5 percent or more, as much as $15,000 on a $300,000 house.

Other words that reflected “curb appeal” or the attractiveness of the home, such as good neighborhood or excellent upkeep, also were found to help the property sell faster than homes that were described as “value” and “price,” the study found.

“There’s usually something that can be said in a positive way which will force a buyer reading an ad to see opportunities,” says Catherine Lindstadt, a licensed associate broker at Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate. “It’s important to help a seller elaborate on their home’s assets with details and to give the buyer a visual.”

Instead of saying “spacious,” she prefers key words such as “open floor plan,” “vaulted,” or “high ceilings.”

A University of Texas at San Antonio study found in analyzing agents’ comments left on the Multiple Listing Service that comments that state facts about a home also are associated with increased selling prices.

“Buyers are attracted to amenities that can be verified–new roof, new carpeting, updated kitchen, beautiful landscaping, golf course community, lakefront, waterfront, gated community,” says Marie Montchal, a licensed associate broker and senior vice president of relocation and ancillary services at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty Relocation Center.

But beware of the word “new,” she says. “I know that ‘new kitchen,’ ‘new bath,’ ‘new roof’ and ‘new windows’ is inviting, but I have a guideline of two to three years, or ‘newer’ if it’s older than that,” she says.

Source: “Making ‘House for Sale’ SING: When Writing Your Ad, the Right Words Can Pay Off,” Newsday (Feb. 25, 2011)

Read More

Recently, we have spotted a real estate trend that is something that we wanted to share with sellers, buyers and agents on Hilton Head Island.  Some of our Islanders are selling their homes and renting their homes back from the purchaser or renting other properties.  It is now possible that a purchaser can buy the home of their choice for their future needs and rent it until they make a move.  They may even rent it to the seller.  Who best to live in the home than the seller! Read the rest of this entry

Here is an idea to help Realtors make a great first impression with their unoccupied listings.   Everyone knows that lived in homes are easier to sell than cold empty houses.  If you are an owner or an agent that has an empty home that is not selling, here is a chance to make a great first impresion.  Showhomes Hilton Head offers staging services to the utmost level – actually providing “Home Manager(s)” to live in the home that help cover expenses and keep it show-ready at all times.  In this market you get no second chances. Read the rest of this entry

Absentee Owner Services(A/O)  inspections are usually done on Wednesdays.  The following is their checklist for their properties:

• Check the house itself for security (house locked up, no broken windows, etc)
• Water leaks (or drips), flush toilets, check HVAC settings
• Change filters on a monthly basis
• Check for infestations (those darn palmetto bugs)
• Check the pool and landscaping service to be certain the vendors are performing their duties, if contracted.
• Schedule for any maintenance, deliveries, housekeeping, and anything else that is required. 
• When the owner is due to arrive they will adjust the HVAC and hot water settings to the preference of the Owners. Read the rest of this entry

If you are in the planning or building stages of your home or villa and and want to be more kind to our Island, take the items on Bunting Construction Companies GOING GREEN CHECKLIST into consideration.  Below are some ideas to consider in your Hilton Head Property:  Read the rest of this entry

If you are thinking of selling or buying real estate in the Hilton Head you need our monthly report below.  This easy to read report is just one of the ways we stay on top of the market and guide our sellers and buyers through this changing market.  These reports are e-mailed monthy to our clients and are available by emailing us at robbie@robbiebunting.com .  If you have a few minutes and would like an explanation of how this information can help you, please call Jane Hyers, my assistant to set up a phone appointment at (843)842-0803.

Read the rest of this entry