To Boost Resale Value

• Look for what most buyers want
• Most buyers like light colors
• Good neighborhood schools (studies prove that the better the school, the faster and higher home prices appreciated)
• Well-kept neighborhood
• Buy where low crime rates exist (one obvious sign is the level of graffiti in the area.  The best way is to call the public affairs officer of the local police department - they will have statistics by street and block)
• Close to shopping and access to public transportation.  Close proximity to freeways is important to those wanting to have a little more space while limiting their commute.
• Minimum house size is usually three bedrooms, two baths, and a minimum of about 1,800 square feet.
• Most homebuyers choose a community before they choose their home.

Buyer Tips

• Almost never give sellers more than 24 hours to accept an offer
• Don't be swayed by falling in love with a home

Investment Property

• Condo's are the first to lose value in a real estate recession and the last to go up in price during an expansion.
• Condo's tend to appreciate slower than single-family homes.

Real Estate Statistics

• In the next five years 30% of homeowners intend to move or buy another residence (Parade Magazine, 8/14/05).  For their next move, 42% plan to look for an existing home and 30% dream of building their own place.
• There are more than 65 million homes in the United States
• Up to 10% of all homes are for sale.
• 71% of homebuyers use the Internet for research and to search for listings and services (study by National Association of Realtors)
• The average homebuyer is getting younger and increasingly growing up with the Internet.
• Internet homebuyers bought a median priced home of $452,000 vs. $310,000 for traditional buyers (study commissioned by the California Association of Realtors)
• In the same study, 1) the entire home purchasing process took half as long using the Internet.  2)  Internet buyers spent half as much time with their real estate agents, visiting only half as many homes as traditional buyers before purchasing.
• Internet buyers were more knowledgeable about the buying process and expressed greater satisfaction with their real estate agents.
• 77% of Internet homebuyers use a real estate agent, compared to only 70% who didn't use the Internet.