Tag Archives: Missoula real estate

Getting Top Dollar For Your Home – With Photography

February 1, 2017Real Estate, real estate photographyMissoula real estate, real estate, real estate photography, Seattle real estateMike Stussy

Great photography is vital for getting the most potential buyers to your listing and top dollar for your home.

The National Association of REALTORS 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers showed that in 2016, 95% of buyers used the internet to search for homes.

This one statistic supports what you already know: virtually all buyers find potential homes online first and then decide whether to visit. That decision to personally visit rests heavily with the online presence of your home, and great photos are the focus of online presence. They, like most of us, sift through online information quickly, saving or discarding based on initial impressions. If your home is not photographed properly, at optimal angles, color corrected, lit correctly, and if those photos do not tell the story of your house, your home may go in the discard bin.

Shameless Plug: let me first be clear that in addition to being a licensed REALTOR in Seattle and Missoula, I am a pro real estate photographer. That’s an additional expertise and service my clients receive. My work has been featured in The Seattle Times and in addition to my own listings I photograph for some of Seattle’s top REALTORS. Check out my work here: www.stussyrephotography.com

As a REALTOR and real estate photographer I know that many agents choose the least expensive option and that’s usually reflected in the photos, then in market time, and ultimately in sale price.

Demand these photographic elements from the agent who is listing your property:

Professional HD Real Estate Photography. It takes a photographer with training in real estate photography to know how to photograph a home for sale. Even then, there are levels of competency. Are the colors realistic? Is there lens distortion (are vertical lines vertical)? Are windows blown out (white) or is a nondescript view overly accentuated, drawing attention away from the interior? There’s a balance to achieve and your photographer needs to know what’s most important in each photo and how to achieve the desired result.

Do the photos flow through the house, giving a sense of the layout to tell the story of your house? A trained real estate photographer knows how to showcase your home in photos that attract buyers.

Manage the photo allowance in the MLS. But don’t overdo it. I see many listings underserved with too few photos. In the NWMLS (Seattle), 25 photos are allowed. Your agent should be able to use all 25 to describe your house in pictures. In Montana, where I also list and sell properties, there’s a higher limit and I see listings with up to 40 photos – and in most cases that’s way too many. Your agent should be able to find a balance and post the correct number of photos, with an emphasis on the “money” shots that really bring in buyers. Too many photos may introduce elements that distract buyers from attention getting features. Use the right number of photos to give potential buyers a clear idea of what your property is about and entice a visit.

Add Comments To Photos. While it’s the job of photos and the photographer to give a sense of the flow in your home, sometimes a little explanation is in order. Is the Master Bedroom on the main floor or upstairs? Does that door lead to the garage or the back yard? Your agent may know your floorplan, but buyers may need some help with some additional comments.

Look at listings in your town. Is the photography good or is it poor? I work in two distinct US markets (see links at the bottom of the page) and the photo work is vastly different between them. If the photography in your market is good, you must have great photos just to compete. If photography in your market isn’t first rate, that’s an opportunity for you to get the advantage over your competition with great photos and marketing.

Remember how great photography will help when you’re ready to list your home for sale. I’m happy to show you what to expect when we work together.

Links:

View: Seattle Real Estate, Missoula Real Estate, Real Estate Photography

Guide to Having Your Home Listed During the Winter

December 28, 2016Missoula real estate, Real Estate, Seattle real estate, WashingtonMike Stussy Realtor, Missoula real estate, Seattle real estate, Winter Home SellingMike Stussy

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Whether you are putting your home on the market today or it has been on market for a while, there are some winter maintenance items you must make time for to keep your home looking fresh and safe no matter what the weather is doing outside. The house pictured above is not listed for sale, but if it were we’d have some things to think about.

Wilder Winter Tips For My Montana Friends

If you have a driveway, clear it of snow well enough that your home is easily accessible. Missoula road conditions vary by area, but if a buyer makes it to your house, be sure they can get up the driveway.
Clear snow from all outdoor walkways and stairs and make sure they have been deiced. You don’t want someone slipping and falling.
Clear snow off outside decks, stairs, and walkways in the backyard. Even though the weather may be chilly, you want potential buyers to get excited about your home’s outdoor living potential after the snow melts.
Watch for excessive snow buildup on your roof. In the event you receive an offer and the inspector will be checking the roof, you need it to be accessible.
Tidy up any garden areas. Trim ornamental grasses and dead foliage to neaten things up and rake.
Regularly clean your windows – inside and out. With the low winter sun coming in at an angle, smudges and dirt on the glass stand out more than ever and you need all that sun to provide light in your home.
Keep the interior and exterior lights on unless you can come home quickly before a showing and turn them all on. You may have showings after dark and it’s always nicer (for a buyer) to walk into a warmly lit home.

Milder Winter Tips For My Seattle Friends

In the event of a freeze, deice and clear all outdoor walkways and stairs. You don’t want someone slipping and falling.
Clear all leaves off outside decks, stairs, and walkways in the yards. Even though the weather may be chilly, you want potential buyers to get excited about your home’s outdoor living potential.
Blow all leaves off your roof and keep moss down. Not only do you need your roof looking neat for the potential buyer; in the event you receive an offer and the inspector will be checking the roof, you need it to be accessible.
Tidy up any garden areas. Trim ornamental grasses and dead foliage to neaten things up and rake.
Regularly clean your windows – inside and out. With the low winter sun coming in at an angle, smudges and dirt on the glass stand out more than ever and you need all that sun to provide light in your home.
Keep the interior and exterior lights on at all times unless you can come home quickly before a showing and turn them all on.

In all cases, I recommend contacting your homeowners insurance company to alert them that your home is on the market as buyers and other agents will be on your grounds and they may have their own set of guidelines they want you to follow to keep everyone safe.

The winter can be a great time to get your home sold. For additional tips on the steps you should take for your particular home, please contact me at 425-829-7887 in Seattle and 406-282-4976. Or send an email to mike@mikestussy.com in Seattle and mike@mikestussymissoula.com in Montana.

An unsexy post about mortgage loans

September 29, 2016Montana, Real Estate, WashingtonBellevue real estate, HomeNow down payment assistance, interest rates, Missoula real estate, real estate loans, Seattle real estate, USDA loan programMike Stussy

Improvements to an old loan program available in Washington and Montana, and the addition of a new loan program available in Montana, will make buying a home easier – and create a new pool of buyers for many home sellers beginning in October.

First, the old:

The USDA loan program offers 100% loan financing for homes located in designated rural areas. In Missoula, that appears to be anything outside of the city limits. In Montana, East Missoula, for instance – minutes from downtown – is a qualifying area. In the Puget Sound area, homes in North Bend, Arlington, or Bainbridge Island qualify. The USDA says 97% of US land mass is USDA loan qualifying.

*There’s an upfront fee for a 100% USDA loan, and it’s being reduced from 2.75% to 1% (of the purchase price). That’s a savings of $5250 on a $300,000 loan.

*There is an annual fee of .35% of the unpaid principal balance per year, down from .50%. That’s a savings of about $30 per month on a $250K loan balance.

The new USDA loan will now be less expensive than a comparable FHA loan which requires a minimum 3.5% down payment, upfront fee of 1.75% and annual fee of .85%.

Find USDA eligible areas with this map:

http://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibility/welcomeAction.do?pageAction=sfpd

Learn more about USDA loans:

http://themortgagereports.com/14969/usda-loans-home-mortgage

Next up is a gift program available in Montana and Idaho, which does not require repayment and is available on properties located anywhere in those states. So you can use this one in Missoula city limits.

If you qualify for a FHA, VA, USDA or HUD Section 184 loan and meet the income requirements, you may be eligible for the HomeNow Down Payment Gift Program. Homes must be occupied by the buyer as a principal residence within 60 days of purchase and for at least two years afterward. This is not a first time buyer program. If you’ve owned before, you can be eligible. The gift of $3500 or $5000 may be used for down payment or to pay closing costs.