Sunday, September 26, 2010

3 Tips to Buying an Eco-friendly Home for Sale in Nevada County

Buyers are becoming more concerned about their personal environment, from eco-friendly carpeting to energy efficient appliances. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly home for sale in Nevada County, but aren’t sure how to find it, here are a few tips on what to look for:
1. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) – Although the number is growing, only a few builders are employing eco-friendly practices during construction. However, those that do can qualify for the EPA Indoor airPlus designation. These homes are designed for better IAQ, which means a healthier home for you. Rest assured, if a builder meets this designation they’ll tell you about it. However, just in case – ask!
2. Energy Efficient – If it qualifies for the EPA Indoor airPlus designation, the home for sale in Nevada County will also be energy efficient. However, if you’re not looking at a newly built home, look for those homes that are Energy Star efficient. According to the Energy Star website, “These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.”
3. Eco-friendly – Energy Star and EPA qualifications aside, you can also find homes in which the seller has made eco-friendly changes that will help you even though they may not meet the guidelines for qualifications. For instance, solar paneling, wind turbines and geothermal heating aren’t covered by the EPA or Energy Star qualifications by themselves, but they’re eco-friendly and can lower your utilities.
An eco-friendly home for sale in Nevada County may be hard to find, but the numbers are growing. If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly home, I can help. Call me today at 530-913-2019 or email me at Teresaprock@hotmail.com.
Keyword/Tag: Home for sale in Nevada County
Links:
EPA Indoor airPlus
http://www.epa.gov/indoorairplus/about.html
Energy Star efficient
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_index
Geothermal heating
http://www.geoexchange.org/

Saturday, September 25, 2010

3 Things You Shouldn’t Say No To With a Home for Sale in Nevada County

The point of having your home for sale in Nevada County is to… well, sell it, isn’t it? I mean, it makes logical sense, right? Yet, too often, home sellers seem to think that selling is as easy as “hire agent, put sign in front, sold.”
This attitude, especially in a slow real estate market, has left many a seller empty-handed. They say “no” when they should have said “yes.” They have all these reasons why they won’t “A, B or C,” rather than just doing “A, B or C” for their home for sale in Nevada County.
What am I talking about? Well, here are just a few of those “don’t say no” things:
Buyer Incentives
Listen – a slow market or not, you do have competition. What does this mean? You may have the best house on the block, but if your neighbor’s house has higher perceived value, yours will be left sitting there.
By offering buyer incentives such as a home warranty plan, pre-paid homeowner association fees or credit toward the closing costs, you’re giving the buyer more perceived value. Let’s face it; buyers want the best bang for their buck.
Home Showings
When an agent calls and asks if they can show your home, say YES! It doesn’t matter if they want to show it in five minutes or five hours, your answer should be yes. If your home doesn’t get seen, it won’t get sold. That person you said “no” to might have been your ideal buyer.
Virtual Tours
Buyers like to be able to view a potential home online first. The best way for them to do this is with a virtual real estate tour, looking at the home with a 360-degree view. Because this is such a quickly growing trend (some buyers ignore listings without them), you can’t afford to pass it up.
If you have a home for sale in Nevada County and it’s been on the market for a while, you may have said “no” to too many things. Take some time to look at what you can do to market your home better. These pointers may very well make all the difference!
If you’re trying to market your home and need a professional, I can help. Call me at 530-913-2019 or email me at Teresaprock@hotmail.com for more information.
Keyword/Tag: home for sale in Nevada County
Links:
Home warranty plan
http://www.ahswarranty.com/homeowners/homewarranty101/homewarranty101.html
Home showings
http://www.frontdoor.com/Sell/Sellers-Dont-Be-Difficult-When-Showing-Home/1718
Virtual real estate tour
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_tour

Friday, September 3, 2010

3 Tips to Buying an Eco-friendly Home for Sale in Nevada County

Buyers are becoming more concerned about their personal environment, from eco-friendly carpeting to energy efficient appliances. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly home for sale in Nevada County, but aren’t sure how to find it, here are a few tips on what to look for:
1. Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) – Although the number is growing, only a few builders are employing eco-friendly practices during construction. However, those that do can qualify for the EPA Indoor airPlus designation. These homes are designed for better IAQ, which means a healthier home for you. Rest assured, if a builder meets this designation they’ll tell you about it. However, just in case – ask!
2. Energy Efficient – If it qualifies for the EPA Indoor airPlus designation, the home for sale in Nevada County will also be energy efficient. However, if you’re not looking at a newly built home, look for those homes that are Energy Star efficient. According to the Energy Star website, “These homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes.”
3. Eco-friendly – Energy Star and EPA qualifications aside, you can also find homes in which the seller has made eco-friendly changes that will help you even though they may not meet the guidelines for qualifications. For instance, solar paneling, wind turbines and geothermal heating aren’t covered by the EPA or Energy Star qualifications by themselves, but they’re eco-friendly and can lower your utilities.
An eco-friendly home for sale in Nevada County may be hard to find, but the numbers are growing. If you’re looking for an environmentally friendly home, I can help. Call me today at 530-913-2019 or email me at Teresa rock@hotmail.com.
Keyword/Tag: Home for sale in Nevada County
Links:
EPA Indoor airPlus
http://www.epa.gov/indoorairplus/about.html
Energy Star efficient
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=home_improvement.hm_improvement_index
Geothermal heating
http://www.geoexchange.org/

3 Things You Shouldn’t Say No To With a Home for Sale in Nevada County

The point of having your home for sale in Nevada County is to… well, sell it, isn’t it? I mean, it makes logical sense, right? Yet, too often, home sellers seem to think that selling is as easy as “hire agent, put sign in front, sold.”
This attitude, especially in a slow real estate market, has left many a seller empty-handed. They say “no” when they should have said “yes.” They have all these reasons why they won’t “A, B or C,” rather than just doing “A, B or C” for their home for sale in Nevada County.
What am I talking about? Well, here are just a few of those “don’t say no” things:
Buyer Incentives
Listen – a slow market or not, you do have competition. What does this mean? You may have the best house on the block, but if your neighbor’s house has higher perceived value, yours will be left sitting there.
By offering buyer incentives such as a home warranty plan, pre-paid homeowner association fees or credit toward the closing costs, you’re giving the buyer more perceived value. Let’s face it; buyers want the best bang for their buck.
Home Showings
When an agent calls and asks if they can show your home, say YES! It doesn’t matter if they want to show it in five minutes or five hours, your answer should be yes. If your home doesn’t get seen, it won’t get sold. That person you said “no” to might have been your ideal buyer.
Virtual Tours
Buyers like to be able to view a potential home online first. The best way for them to do this is with a virtual real estate tour, looking at the home with a 360-degree view. Because this is such a quickly growing trend (some buyers ignore listings without them), you can’t afford to pass it up.
If you have a home for sale in Nevada County and it’s been on the market for a while, you may have said “no” to too many things. Take some time to look at what you can do to market your home better. These pointers may very well make all the difference!
If you’re trying to market your home and need a professional, I can help. Call me at 530-913-2019 or email me at Teresaprock@hotmail.com for more information.
Links:
Home warranty plan
http://www.ahswarranty.com/homeowners/homewarranty101/homewarranty101.html
Home showings
http://www.frontdoor.com/Sell/Sellers-Dont-Be-Difficult-When-Showing-Home/1718
Virtual real estate tour
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_tour