Monthly Archives: November 2018

 

A strong social media presence may help you sell your home faster, as well as provide you with the opportunity to get a stronger offer (higher price, shorter close, etc.). However, the key to finding this success is by using social media to market your home effectively and efficiently. Let’s take a closer look at what we mean.

Each Social Media Avenue Connects with A Different Audience

You may be knowledgeable on the different social media sources – Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snap Chat, etc. But are you aware of the clientele each site is likely to connect with? This is an important aspect to understand when marketing your home, as each source will connect you with a different audience. For example, baby boomers are more likely to utilize Facebook for their personal needs, while millennials are more inclined to stick with Instagram. Understanding the differences in these platforms will allow you to market your home more effectively to potential buyers.

Facebook Advertising

This is a unique function on Facebook which actually allows agents (or homeowners) to carry out targeted marketing – identify the individuals they would like to see their advertisement and have the ad previewed on their home page. If you understand the market trends, you will know that most home buyers today are millennials. Therefore, if you are selling your home in Baytown, you may want to consider using a Facebook Ad to get your listing out to 20 – 30 year olds within a fifty-mile radius…targeting marketing via social media.

YouTube

Video marketing has largely taken over old-fashioned forms of advertising. With thousands of listings available daily to potential buyers, they do not generally want to spend their time visiting each home. This would be ineffective. Therefore, these home buyers are depending on posted videos of potential homes, which outline the benefits and details of the home. If a selling agent is not utilizing video marketing via YouTube, you may be missing out on opportunities.

Instagram

This is the largest and fastest growing social media site available. Due to the ability to utilize hashtags, potential buyers now have a simple browsing method to identify potential homes in their desired neighborhoods or with their coveted luxuries. When posting your home be sure to utilize this opportunity and identify thirty hashtags that can help improve your homes presence. Since there are now over 800 million Instagram users, this is a cheap and effective way to market your home.

A Picture Tells a Thousand Words 

Get rid of amateur photos – this will not help your listing. With today’s available technologies, including complete walk through interior collages and a drone’s ability to take aerial photos, posting visually appealing photos is a must, advanced photos are necessary to get a home buyer to your open house.

What’s Your Agents Social Media Site Include?

If you browse Yelp or even Google “best real estate agent in (insert your town here),” you will find the most highly recognized real estate agents in the area. Additionally, if you review their social media sites, you will generally find that they are consistent on their posting and relevant with their material. They usually have a large number of followers as well. So, if you are listing your home with a local agency, try searching for their social media sites and see if they are the best suited for you. Remember that selling a home is about getting the word out that the home is for sale – it is all about networking. So, if you can find an agent that is dedicated to their online networking, consider listing your home with them. The more networking skills your agent has equals a more competitive price for your home.

Don’t Lose Money Because You Feel Social Media “Is Not Important”

Many individuals underestimate the impact social media has on their listing. They may feel like they can just leave the work up to the realtor and expect the highest results. Home sellers however need to be sure that their agent is best utilizing all the marketing resources available. The more eyes that see their listing, the higher the price you can sell for.

Benefits of Selling to an All Cash Buyer

Because a realtor must find the buyer with the best terms, they are required to stay up to date on all marketing efforts. They do not have the personal funds to guarantee specific closing terms. However, if you decide to sell to an all cash buyer, you remove the potential for missed marketing opportunities.

We here at Gulf State Homebuyers purchase homes from home sellers just like you. Because we have an in-depth understanding of market trends we are able to provide you with a competitive offer for your home. You will not need to go through the hassle of listing your home, but instead connect with an investor who already has the funds in hand to buy. If you are interested in learning more, contact us today.

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Before you answer “Yes” or “No,” let’s make sure you fully understand what it means to live in a co-op, or cooperative housing. There is a misconception that co-op living is for lower-income individuals or for those seeking a “hippie” lifestyle. However, on the contrary, co-ops are a very popular living structure, especially in New York City, where 50% of apartment living consists of co-ops.

What Is A Co-Op?

When you buy a co-op home, you are buying a share of a corporation – and this cooperation owns the housing unit. Unlike buying a condo, where you own the specific property that you are living in, being part of a co-op means that you are buying into the entire building. No matter how many shares you own, however, you are never in a position to monopolize the decision making within the building. A co-op brings together a community, creating equality between its members. This means that even those with the fewest shares have an opportunity to speak up.

The Benefits vs. The Downsides

You are likely to ask, Why would I move into a co-op, and how would it benefit my lifestyle? Well, this is an excellent question that all individuals and families should consider before taking the big leap.

Benefits:

• Less Maintenance. If you live in a co-op, you will be responsible for the interior of your home. The rest of the building, however, is maintained as a community. Therefore, there may be less work for you at the end of the day. This option is great for those in retirement – in southern California, you can actually find that many of the retirement communities consist of co-ops.
• Owning a home can be expensive, whether you are just getting into homeownership or are struggling with maintenance. Buying shares in a co-op is drastically cheaper than buying your own home or condo.
• Sense of Community and Security. A co-op is about community – living together and watching out for one another. When you move into this type of housing community, you may discover a new mindset. In many communities today, people do not even know their neighbors. However, when living in a co-op, you will have the opportunity to meet everyone. With this togetherness comes a more secure living situation. A neighbor you actually know will report odd behaviors or unknown individuals more often compared to a stranger living in a condominium.
• Improved Environment. Due to the shared sense of ownership that comes with living in a co-op, residents can often expect to enjoy an improved environment, which includes better facilities. There is generally a sense of responsibility by each individual, which means the building is better cared for.
• No Investors. Co-ops are strict on who can move in – and part of the restrictions includes limiting or not allowing investors. The board of a co-op is looking for a community, not investors seeking a profit. Because of this, co-op membership is usually limited to those living on the premises.

Downsides

• Restrictions. There is no set of rules that applies to all co-ops; however, it is worth recognizing that living in a co-op will bring regulations that living in your own home will not bring. You may even run into issues when trying to sell your shares when you realize that some buyers may be ineligible. When owning your own home, you have complete control over who can buy.
• Less Equity. Due to the nature of a co-op, your investment tends to stay stable rather than to grow, meaning that your home value will not increase (in comparison to home ownership).
• Fees. Living in a co-op incurs monthly maintenance fees, which cover the cost of that extra load of work you are not responsible for. These fees can be daunting to those looking to avoid debt completely. However, they are similar to the fees one takes on when living in a homeowner’s association (or HOA).
• Higher Down Payment when Purchasing. Although the price is usually lower, the down payment may be higher. Co-ops generally require a down payment of anywhere from 20% – 50% when moving in, while when moving into your first home you can get by with only 3.5% down when using an FHA loan.

If You Own A Home, Should You Consider Moving?

As you can see, there are both advantages and disadvantages to living in a cooperative community; therefore, the only person that can answer this question is you. Assess the above pros and cons and determine if moving into a co-op can bring a positive change to your lifestyle.

If you want to consider the move, try talking to current residents. By discussing the opportunities of moving into a co-op with the current residents, you can gain a better understanding of how the community works and identify whether or not you feel the population would suit you well. Or contact us! We can help you assess whether moving out of your current home will best suit your future needs. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”28658″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_3d” onclick=”link_image”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Have you been considering pursuing a career in real estate? Are you interested in finding an opportunity that provides enormous potential for professional development and financial growth? Or maybe you are just looking for a new career path because you are tired of your daily 9-5. If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then transitioning into a career in real estate may be a great move for you. In this article, we will outline the benefits to becoming a real estate investor and provide you with insight on how our company’s program can help you get started in your new field.

The Benefits

There is no cap on your income. The major draw to working in real estate is there is no maximum on earnings – meaning that the harder your work, the more you can make. Depending on your resourcefulness, networking skills, and commitment, the sky is the limit when it comes to financial growth. If you continue to build relationships and invest intelligently, the more opportunities you will find. There are plenty of stories of investors who went from rags to riches – now earning over one million dollars annually.

Flexible hours. If you are an investor, you usually pick your own hours. In the beginning, while you are working with a mentor (highly recommended), you may be required to attend certain meetings or commit to a certain number of hours per week. Fortunately, due to the nature of the industry, your hours will be flexible. If you are a morning person, you could do your administrative work in the morning and your sales and business development in the afternoon. Or if you are an evening person, try getting started with sales and BD then doing all the paperwork at night. Either way, there is room for personalization in your schedule.

Don’t forget though – the flexibility has to go both ways. You may at times need to be open to meeting clients in the evenings or on weekends. Keeping an open mind to your working hours is essential in real estate.

Unlimited career opportunities. Once you are in the field, there are an endless amount of career opportunities for you to pursue. You can get started working with an investment firm, which can provide you with experience and knowledge. As you continue to develop relationships and identify personal ventures, you can break into private investing or working for a larger firm. There is both residential and commercial investing, so finding your motivation in the industry can help you find your niche.

Be your own boss. If you have the financial opportunity to get started investing on your own, you may be granted the luxury of having no boss. What does this mean? Freedom to work when you want, take holidays as needed, and live your life the way you dreamt of. You can find a healthy work life balance while maintaining commitments in both arenas.

Passive Income. Here is the winner of all of the benefits. Working as a real estate investor will give you the chance to earn passive income. You can strategize so that you will be getting a paycheck with minimal work necessary. Whether it is owning a commercial building or residential building, while working with a management company, you can now spend your time on your hobbies rather than in the office.

The Downsides

The above list is a compelling argument for why it is liberating and lucrative to become a real estate investor. However, to succeed, you need to have dedication and perseverance. There is a lot of rejection in the business, and the freedom often removes motivation from new professionals. But if you can keep your business plan on track and continue to work hard, you may reap the benefits of becoming a real estate investor.

 

How We Can Help YOU Get Started.

We understand the challenges with getting started in the business, which is why we here at Gulf State Homebuyers have created our mentorship program. We specialize in a unique aspect of the industry – we buy homes, especially those that homeowners find particularly difficult to sell. For example, we specialize in buying homes that are damaged by a fire or a storm; we buy vacant homes; and we buy homes that need to sell quickly because of unexpected circumstances like divorce. No matter the reason, we focus on providing clients with competitive closing prices and can accommodate their timeline for the close.

We are a team of dedicated individuals, providing high quality service to members of our community. If you are interested in getting started with our team, contact us today to learn more about our mentorship program.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”28648″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_3d” onclick=”link_image”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Are you interested in making positive change in the world while reducing your annual bills? If the answer is yes, you may want to consider improvements in your home to create an energy efficient space.

An additional bonus to the switch: If and when you decide to move, your home will be more appealing to potential buyers! Let’s take a closer look at how you can create an energy efficient home while improving its marketability.

Switch to ENERGY STAR Appliances

The first step we recommend is assessing your appliances. Many homes that still utilize older appliance models generate even more air pollution than the average car. They can also increase a homeowner’s annual bills exponentially. If you want to get started on creating an energy efficient home, try switching to ENERGY STAR appliances.

The Energy Star symbol found on energy efficient appliances was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy in an effort to help consumers save money and minimize air pollution. Appliances worth upgrading include your refrigerator, washer and dryer, and kitchen appliances, such as your stove and microwave.

When you begin to conduct your investigation on the costs of switching to these new appliances, you may wonder whether or not you will actually save money; Energy Star appliances can be pricey. However, remember that over the years, you can reduce your annual utility bills up to 30%. In the long run, making the switch is a smart move.

Install Solar Panels

Solar panels can assist you in creating heat and generating electricity for your home. The initial investment on these can also be hefty. Once again, given time, you will save a considerable amount. Additionally, thanks to the increased popularity and myriad benefits solar panels provide – not only for homeowners, but for the world as a whole – there are now government incentives that can assist in covering some of the costs of the initial installation. You may even qualify for an annual tax deduction if you switch too.

If you are particularly motivated, you can even switch to solar blinds. New technology is now allowing for everyday household items to double as solar panels.

Start A Compost Pile

This one does not require a lot of space and does not cost much. You can simply designate an area outside for your compost pile and build a structure using old wood. Starting a compost pile is both great for the environment and reduces waste brought to landfills.

Check the Insulation of Your Home

This includes in the attic as well as along the windows and doors. Ensuring that the home is properly insulated can reduce the loss of cold/warm air, depending on the season. It can also reduce the need for the use of AC units and heaters. If you find that you are having difficulty keeping the temperature moderate in the home, you can also add insulation to the attic or purchase double pane windows.

10 Changes in Your Everyday Use:

1. Remember to turn off all lights and appliances when they are not in use.
2. Never leave the AC running when you are not home.
3. Reduce the extreme use of your thermostat. Lower it in the summer and raise it in the winter.
4. If the weather permits, hang dry your clothes instead of using the dryer.
5. Switch to cold water whenever possible, reducing the energy needed to create the hot water.
6. Avoid pre-rinsing dishes before placing them in the dishwasher to reduce water usage.
7. Adjust your refrigerator temperature according to the season – if it’s not hot outside, there is no need to blast the cold air.
8. Try removing the use of plastics in the home. Start simple by replacing plastic wrap with reusable containers.
9. Turn off unnecessary water. For example, when you are brushing your teeth, turn off the faucet!
10. And of course, recycle!

These 10 simple steps can help you become more conscious of your surroundings, reduce your impact on the world, and lower your monthly bills!

If you are uncertain about how your home is truly impacting your energy use, hire a professional.

With the transition of homebuyers seeking eco-friendly homes, there is now a multitude of companies that can provide you with a certified and trained auditor who can complete a full evaluation on the inefficiencies of your home. Once complete, you can start the journey to becoming part of the change.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”28643″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow_3d” onclick=”link_image”][/vc_column][/vc_row]