Showing posts with label best real estate agents in Mystic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label best real estate agents in Mystic. Show all posts

Monday, May 4, 2020

Connecticut Guidelines to selling a home in a Pandemic



Do you know how to sell your home with the current STAY AT HOME orders? Listen, you don’t want to spend hours trying to find out what the new state guidelines are for selling a home during the pandemic. What if I told you that electronics and virtual assistance are available to sell your home with little stress? They are! Bridget Morrissey Real Estate brokered by eXp Realty will show you how!




https://bmre.us/pandemic



In this episode you will discover how homes are marketed during the current situation, what the mandatory guidelines from the State of Connecticut are, and how documents get filed electronically.



We have been busy with closings, new listings and marketing our current listings. I am Bridget Morrissey and thank you for being with me today!

Let’s get started!



After you decide to list with a Realtor, you need to fill out the EXCLUSIVE LISTING AGREEMENT. The top half of the first page and the bottom half of the second page need to be filled out. This can be accomplished if we observe the six foot social distancing rule or it can be done electronically.



Sellers also need to know that homes priced fairly are selling because the inventory of homes for sale is low. Some potential sellers are waiting to see what the market does. Delaying may see prices drop as more and more homes come on the market.

Overpricing adds to the number of days a home sits on the market. When the days add up potential buyers wonder what is wrong with the home and do not schedule a showing.



Get a listing power analysis to determine the price for which your home will sell.



Next is your homework assignment! The 7 page DISCLOSURES form needs to be filled out stating the condition of the premises. Again, this can be done by the seller and filed with the Realtor electronically.



This would occur if the buyer were also represented by someone from the same brokerage. Dual Agency means that the Brokerage Firm, and all the brokers and salespersons for the firm act in a fiduciary capacity for both Buyer and Seller.



Lucky for me, I joined eXp Realty three years ago. As a cloud-based agent owned company, eXp Realty was prepared for what is happening all around us. Working from home in the virtual world has prepared me for our current circumstances. I have my own little avatar and travel all across our virtual campus. There are 60 live webinars each week to keep up on my training. We have our own state of Connecticut office and boardroom on the virtual campus for our bi-weekly meetings and a huge auditorium for our weekly international meeting. It has been a huge help to be able to prepare marketing materials for the homes that I sell.



However, before we can show your home, though, there is something I want to discuss with you. The Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and the Connecticut Realtors have put together guidelines for showing a home. Here they are.



As a seller you may be concerned about how your house is being shown. These are guidelines reviewed by Department of Economic and Community Development at the request of Connecticut Realtors:



1. Each individual who is essential to a real estate transaction and requires entry to a property for sale shall be required to wear a mask .

2. Each real estate licensee shall require clients entering premises to wear a mask .

3. Occupants who do not leave the premises while a business service is being provided shall be required to wear a mask

4. No one shall be required to wear a mask due to a medical condition.

5. It is recommended that employees and independent contractors wear gloves at all times.

6. Discontinue offering foods and drinks on premises.

7. Encourage strict limitation of entry into the premises to those most essential to real estate transactions; specifically, real estate lagents, prospective buyers, and service workers.

8. Prospective buyers will be limited to those people actually purchasing the home. It does not include parents, children or friends.

All of the guidelines are in place to protect everyone involved.



It is home selling season and Ledyard has been red hot! The homes on Muster Lane, Church Hill Road, Washington Drive and Gallup Hill Road on this postcard all sold as winter turned into spring.



You probably noticed how I keep mentioning postcards. That is part of my marketing strategy. I like to make the neighbors aware of a home going on the market as well as the move up buyer. The neighbor may know someone who likes their neighborhood. The move up buyer is someone who is looking for a bigger house in the same town so we mail postcards to those neighborhoods, too.



Thank you for attending the LIVE event today. Also, thank you to the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce for organizing the presenters and including Bridget Morrissey Real Estate brokered by eXp Realty. If you have any questions please feel free to call or text Bridget at 860-857-5165 or send an email to bridgetamorrissey@gmail.com. Any questions? Good-bye!

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Mystic Real Estate Report November 2019 by Mystic Real Estate Agent Bridget Morrissey



There are 128 homes for sale, ranging from $69.9K to $3.5M.
  • $332.5K
    Median Listing Home Price
  • $189
    Median Listing Home Price/Sq Ft
Mystic Real Estate Report from Mystic Realtor Bridget Morrissey








Call or text Mystic Real Estate Agent Bridget Morrissey about Mystic Real Estate at 860-857-5165!



Call or text Mystic Realtor Bridget Morrissey at 860-857-5165!

Bridget Morrissey Westerly Realtor
Call or text Mystic Real Estate Agent Bridget Morrissey at 860-857-5165!
Mystic eXp Relty address for Mystic Real Estate Agent Bridget Morrissey

Friday, November 1, 2019

6 Reasons Why Winter Is Actually the Most Chill Time to Buy a Home By Jamie Wiebe Dec 14 2018



While it’s true that things do slow down in the winter, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, it’s cold. Yes, fewer homes are for sale. Yes, moving in a snowstorm is a pain no one should experience. But there are quite a few darned smart reasons to buy a home in the winter.

1. There’s less competition
  • Buying in the winter knocks out a large chunk of the buyer competition, allowing you to be a bit more selective with your home purchase.
2. Sellers are motivated—and willing to make a deal
  • Many people place their homes on the market at this time of the year because they need to and will be more willing to work with you.
3. You can put the house through its paces
  • In most climates, winter puts stress on the home. That gives you the perfect opportunity to evaluate the property under the worst conditions possible. A home that might seem perfect during the temperate spring could look wholly different in the winter.
4. Hiring movers is usually easier
  • Movers aren’t booked solid like in the spring and summer months.  You might even be able to negotiate a lower price because of the chilled demand.
5. You can enjoy last-minute tax savings
  • If you’re purchasing your first home, buying in the winter gives you a few extra months of potential tax deductions although you should consider talking to a professional before getting too excited.  
6. Homes close faster
  • You will be able to close your loan much faster, as wait times are much shorter during the holiday season.

For more information about the benefits of buying a home in the winter go to bmre.us/tip20







Thursday, October 31, 2019

5 Home Staging Ideas That Work Wonders During Winter By Jeanne Sager Nov 29 2018



Winter is the time of year when most home buyers, like bears, retreat to their own cozy homes and hibernate. So what if you have a house you must sell right now, winter be damned?  With fewer homes on the market, it’s easier to stand out!

Don’t skimp on curb appeal
Shoveling the driveway and paths to your home is a must. And you’ll want to clean out your gutters, so ice isn’t backing up and giving the impression that you have roofing issues.

Turn up the heat
When a buyer enters the house and wants to hurry up and get out of there because it is so chilly, it probably means they are going to have a bad memory associated with the home, no matter how great it is.

Fire up the fireplace
Hitting all of the buyer’s senses creates a memorable experience that will hopefully lead to them purchasing the home.

Add seasonal scents
Mulling seasonal spices such as oranges, cloves, and cinnamon on the stove, to go along with freshly baked holiday cookies cooling on a rack in the kitchen.

Pump up the holiday decor
The main reason is that buyers like to picture themselves in the home hosting holiday get-togethers, and it’s much easier to show them the potential of a house when it’s decorated for the winter months.  A big wreath with a bright red bow on the front door does the trick.

For more winter staging ideas go to bmre.us/hint20







Wednesday, October 30, 2019

8 Mistakes to Avoid When Buying and Selling at the Same Time By Jamie Wiebe Jan 24 2019




Plenty of people find themselves buying and selling a home simultaneously, but knowing that others have gone through the same stress does not make it one bit easier. After all, the stakes are so high: If your buyer backs out, you don’t have any cash to land your next home! Or if your own purchase falls through but your current home sells, you’re homeless!

Breathe in. Don’t panic.

It turns out that most buying-and-selling mistakes are easily avoidable—or at least predictable. Follow these eight tips to enter escrow with eyes wide open.

1. Waiting too long to prep your home for selling
  • Every home needs a little work before selling. You might need to repaint some scratched walls, fix broken decking, or add grout in a rarely used bathroom. Don’t wait until the last minute to kick-start this process, otherwise you could wind up in a bind.
2. Skipping the backup plan
  • Assume that you won’t be able to buy and sell at exactly the same time. Keep your emergency fund well-stocked. In a best-case scenario, you may simply need a hotel for a week.
3. Buying too big
  • One of the biggest mistakes that we see that simultaneous buyers and sellers make is the same one that many first-time buyers make: They fail to get pre-approved on their new loan.
4. Working with too little cushion
  • If you’re hoping to use the entire sale price as a down payment on another home, move forward with the assumption your home will sell for less than expected.
5. Failing to compromise
  • One mistake is expecting so much from the people selling the home, but not being willing to give anything to the buyers of their own home.
6. Using two different real estate agents
  • Having control and insight over both transactions allows a Realtor to make sure that we close both homes simultaneously
7. Closing on a Friday…
  • Bank transfers can take a few days to go through. In order to ensure there’s money in your account when the time comes, buffer a few days to transfer funds.
8. …or late in the afternoon
  • Banks usually stop wire transfers by 3 p.m. in the time zone where the property is located.

For more information on mistakes to avoid when buying and selling a home go to bmre.us/tip19







Tuesday, October 29, 2019

5 Ways You are Sabotaging the Sale of Your Home By Terri Williams Dec 27 2018




So you’ve finally decided to put your home on the market. You’ve planned your first open house, begun searching for new digs, and even made a mental packing list. Now all you have to do is sit back and wait for the offers to roll in, right?
Well, sellers, we don’t mean to freak you out, but we’ve got bad news: You just might be sabotaging your home sale. Obviously, that’s the last thing you’d want to do, but one wrong turn—or wrong decision—could hurt your chances of landing a buyer. And the most unsettling part? You probably have no idea you’re doing anything wrong.

1. Bad color schemes
  • When a buyer comes into your home, you want them to imagine it as their future home. The more difficult it is, the less likely they are to buy.  The more muted the decorations and color schemes, the broader the reach and the better off you are.
2. Too much personal taste
  • Odd decorations divert buyers’ attention away from the home itself.
3. Bad odors
  • You might have become nose-blind to cigarette or pet odor, but savvy buyers will instantly pick up on funky smells—and that’s a sure way to drive them away.
4. Not being flexible for showings
  • The real estate market moves quickly, so if you want to sell your home you need to cater to the potential buyers’ schedules.
5. Disguising problem areas
  • In your quest to have a show-ready home, don’t cut corners. A fresh coat of paint might temporarily hide the appearance of mold, but it’ll likely crop up in the home inspection.

For more information on what not to do to sell your home go to bmre.us/hint19





Monday, October 28, 2019

The Home Appraisal Process and How It Can Impact Your Mortgage Payments By Jamie Wiebe



If you’ve applied for a mortgage, your home-to-be still has to undergo a comprehensive appraisal of its worth—and an unfavorable home appraisal can kill a real estate deal. Yikes! It can be a nerve-racking ordeal, but it’s actually good for you. 

Appraisals estimate a home’s value with fresh eyes!
  • Just because you and the sellers have agreed on a price doesn’t mean it’s a done deal—your lender needs to be on board, too. After all, it’s the lender’s real estate investment as well. To get a mortgage, you’ll need a home appraisal because the home serves as collateral for your lender.

You’ll get a copy of the home appraisal, too.
  • An appraiser doesn’t have the same job as a home inspector, who examines every little detail. While they’ll pay particular attention to problems with the foundation and roof, the home appraisal process includes noting the quality and condition of the appliances, plumbing, flooring, and electrical system. With data in hand, they make their final assessment and give their report to the lender. The mortgage company is then required by law to give a copy of the appraisal to you.

Appraisers work for your lender—not you.
  • This ensures that appraisers remain ethical—in fact, it’s a crime to coerce or put any pressure on an appraiser to hit a certain value. Appraisers must remain independent.

They protect buyers from a bad deal.
  • If the appraisal comes in higher than your asking price, it’s generally fine.
  • Your lender won’t pony up more money than the appraised price. 

A curveball appraisal isn’t necessarily the end.
  • If the appraisal process happens, your appraisal comes in low, and your contract with the seller was contingent on an appraisal, you could walk away and have your earnest money returned.
  • Ask the seller to cover the difference.
  • Challenge the appraisal, and pay for a second opinion.
  • Once your appraisal is done, you’re still not ready to close without another step called a home inspection.

For more information about the Home Appraisal Process go to bmre.us/tip18a






Sunday, October 27, 2019

5 Big Reasons to Sell Your Home This Year Because It Could Get Tougher By Rachel Stults Feb 20 2019



“It’s definitely still a seller’s market in most of the country. But it’s not the same seller’s market that you saw in the last couple of years,” says Danielle Hale, chief economist of realtor.com®. “You might have to think about how your home compares to the competition that buyers are going to see when they’re shopping. And you might have to price a little bit more competitively, or think about other enticements to attract buyers.”

1. You won’t be the only listing for long.
  • That tide is turning this year, Hale says. That’s because the number of homes for sale is finally increasing, albeit slowly. For now, buyers still outnumber inventory.
2. You still stand to make a ‘handsome profit’.
  • Now comes a twist: 15% of all home listings saw price cuts in January, according to realtor.com data.
3. There’s high demand for homes under $300K.
  • There’s more good news if you own a home below the national median price of $289,300. Not only is that inventory increasing at a slower rate than its luxury counterparts, but there are more buyers shopping at those price points.
4. Mortgage rates are at a new low.
  • The temporary dip in rates creates an opportunity for trade-up buyers as well. After all, if you’re selling your home, there’s a good chance you’ll need to buy another one.
5. Millennials are flooding the market.
  • Historically speaking, people tend to buy their first home around age 30. And guess what? We’ve got a whole bunch of people turning 30 in the next two years—nearly 5 million, in fact, according to realtor.com data. So you can count on those millennials to be a driving force in the housing market.

For more information about now being the time to sell go to bmre.us/hint18





Saturday, October 26, 2019

These 5 Factors Are Influencing a Home’s Asking Price By Wendy Helfenbaum Mar 6 2019



Ever gotten excited about a house for sale, then looked at the price and thought, “Are they out of their minds?” Yeah, me too.
It can be a disheartening moment when you’re house hunting. And that jaw-dropping asking price might simply seem like an arbitrary, money-grabbing number that’s keeping you from your dream home. But before you dismiss a house for being too expensive, you should know that there are a variety of reasons a property is priced the way it is.

1. What’s happening in your local housing market at any particular moment
  • Low inventory creates a seller’s market with aggressive listing prices. A surplus of homes for sale results in overall lower asking prices.
2. The (extremely specific) location of the house
  • Similar or even identical houses just streets apart from each other can have wildly different price tags based on things like traffic noise and access to quality schools, shops, and restaurants.
3. The comps
  • Historical data plays a huge role in setting a listing price; it’s not a number just pulled out of the air. So find an agent who can interpret that data.
4. The amenities (and overall appeal) of the home
  • Clients prefer new construction, brand-name appliances, and large bedrooms—[preferably] at least three on one floor if they have kids—plus a den or office.  Additional features such as parking, central air conditioning, outdoor space, and floor plan also affect the sticker price.
5. Age and condition of the home
  • If you want a newer, turnkey home, expect to pay more for that.

For more information on what goes into pricing a home go to bmre.us/tip17.





Friday, October 25, 2019

5 Unwritten Home Selling Etiquette Rules That Can Make or Break Your Sale By Kayleigh Roberts Apr 4 2019



Selling a house takes, well, salesmanship. In other words, you have to prep your house so it looks its best. You have to open your door to strangers who’ll traipse through your home, open closets, and ask all kinds of questions. And, you have to do all of this without getting annoyed or overly emotional!

1. Don’t take offense when your listing agent says your house ‘needs work’.
  • Don’t be offended by this advice—your agent isn’t trying to criticize you as a homeowner or a human being; she’s just trying to help you achieve your shared goal of selling the house quickly and for as much profit as possible.
2. Don’t view low-ball offers as insults.
  • Someone who makes a low-ball offer might be testing the waters or trying to establish room to negotiate. Or it could be a novice at home buying who doesn’t realize the offer is insulting. At least keep the door open to further negotiations.  Always counter to make sure that you can still engage buyers who are getting bad advice.
3. Do respond quickly to offers.
  • It’s frustrating, from a buyer’s perspective, to have to wait on a response, so be courteous and answer as quickly as you’re able to.
4. Don’t tag along during the home inspection.
  • Following along on the inspection is a bad idea for several reasons.
5. Do agree to reasonable requests for repairs.
  • The buyer has a right to request repairs, or a deduction from the selling price. While you don’t want to get nickel-and-dimed with requests for every little thing, it’s also not in your best interest to reply with a flat no to reasonable requests that are turned up by the inspection, unless you listed the home “as is” or already priced it under market value to reflect significant repairs you anticipated it needing.
  • You’ll now be required to disclose that issue to future potential buyers
  • Don’t let a few repairs keep you from the closing table, because going back and relisting your house won’t be any better the second time around.

For more information on keeping your cool during the sales process go to bmre.us/hint17

Thursday, October 24, 2019

5 Unwritten Etiquette Rules Home Buyers Might Not Even Realize Are a Big Deal By Kayleigh Roberts Mar 13 2019



If you’re looking to buy a house, you’re probably eager and excited. That’s fine, but just keep in mind that in this heightened emotional state, it’s easy to get swept up in the moment and behave, well, not perfectly.

Buying a home comes with its own set of rules. Some may be fairly obvious, since they’re outlined in all that real estate paperwork you’ll soon be signing. But some of these rules are the unwritten, etiquette-based kind. And if you break ’em, it could still stop a real estate deal in its tracks.

Rule 1: See a house online you love? Don’t call the listing agent
  • You’re not going to get a better deal by going directly to the listing agent.  They represent the seller and are just trying to get the seller the best price.  If you are a buyer, you should get an agent, as they can best represent your interests.
Rule 2: Don’t ask your agent to show you homes until you sign a buyer-broker agreement
  • A buyer-broker agreement is a legal contract that defines the relationship between the buyer (that’s you) and your real estate agent. The agreement is good for both parties, since it outlines exactly what services the broker is going to provide. A buyer-broker agreement is also a way to let your real estate agent know that you’re committed to working with this pro to find your home.
Rule 3: Don’t make an offer without mortgage pre-approval
  • mortgage pre-approval is a letter from a lender saying it will provide you with financing to buy a home up to a certain loan amount. It provides proof of how much home you can afford to buyers and agents—and that you can put your money where your mouth is with an offer. Without it, your offer is an empty promise.
Rule 4: Don’t be late to home showings—or bail entirely
  • If you’re late or don’t show, I have to try to rearrange all of the showings, which may not be possible on short notice.  Your time may be important, but what about your agent, the listing agent, and the homeowners who cleaned their house and have to leave it for your showing.  They will remember it when it comes time to negotiate your offer.
Rule 5: Don’t pretend you’re ready to buy if you know you’re really not.
  • Don’t enlist the services of a buyer’s agent if you know you’re still in the fact-finding and “just looking” phase of your home search.  So go to open houses. Window-shop. Just be upfront with everyone about where you are in the process.

For more detailed information about the process go to bmre.us/tip16.