HomeRun Homes Rent to Own Homes Blog

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HomeRun Homes is a centralized marketplace which helps people Find or Sell a Rent to Own Home, both Nationwide and Globally to the thriving Rent to Own Market. http://www.lease2buy.com
Showing posts with label selling a home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label selling a home. Show all posts

February 13, 2012

An Updated Kitchen Equals An Easier Home Sale

Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening (depending on where you are!),

   "Kitchens Sell Houses". I'm sure you have heard this many times. It is a timeless factor when talking about selling a home.

   The kitchen is "the heart of a home", and "the stomach is the way to the heart", and the kitchen is where we "spend much of our time and most of that is with our families", writes Carla Hill for the RealtyTimes in her aptly named article, "Kitchens Sell a House". Hill says that kitchens are "integral to entertaining and in today's age of open floor plans, they're a focal piece of many family rooms".

   Due to the fact that a kitchen is the showpiece of the house and is seen every day by you and your guests, Hill says that kitchens play such an "important role in the buying and selling process", and that "buyers want homes with up-to-date kitchens".

   So if you need updates to your kitchen, where do you start?

   Kitchens are expensive and need a lot of time, as well as skills, to do the job right. With the "complicated array of flooring, tiling, cabinets, and counters", Hill says, "most buyers want a kitchen that is ready to use the day they move in".

   What to buyers want in a kitchen?

   Hill suggests that you do your homework, and to "Scope out the competition" via local open houses or MLS listings. Look at the wood on the cabinets. Is it dark? How about the counters? Are the appliances stainless steel? Are there any "add-ons like dishwashers, wine-coolers, and trash compactors"?

   There are an endless amount of changes you could potentially make, but Hill cautions not to "become overwhelmed". She adds that you might be able to make minor changes, such as a warm, neutral tome of paint, removing clutter, updating appliances. adding a lower-end or a faux granite counter. Hill also suggests that you might even "save a bundle by doing much of the work yourself."

   "The bottom line is a kitchen can sell a home", says Hill, and suggests that you do some research on what your kitchen needs to "make it competitive with area listings."

   Have you updated your kitchen? Did you research it first? What did your updates entail? Did it help you sell your home?


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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com

TAGS: #HomeSale #kitchen #kitchenremodel #updatedkitchen #sellinghome #homebuyer #cabinet #granitecounter #openhouse #MLSlisting

July 31, 2011

Rent to Own, The Good vs. The Ugly

Hi Folks,

   Welcome back to our first post of AUGUST !
   WOW...you can almost feel the snow that's on it's way in the next few months.

   9 years of living and breathing Rent to Own, and can I share this with you? I have never seen such publicity regarding Rent to Own as I have seen over the past few months ! Most of it is good and promising, but there are always vultures and bad apples out there looking to take advantage of buyers and/or sellers in desperate situations.

   Let us take a look at the "BAD" (and the "Ugly").

   In a recent Press Release on Media-newswire.com, titled, "A Georgia man was sentenced to nearly six years in prison for his role in a mortgage fraud conspiracy", as the story says, a person from Georgia was allegedly involved in a scam involving "dozens of properties and $7.5 million in loans", as per Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

   The scam went as follows, per the article: the individual, "informed the straw buyers/investors that after he purchased these properties in their names, he would enter into a “rent-to-own” agreement with one of the individuals from the community with poor credit in order to help that individual improve his/her credit score by renting the property for a year.", and additionally, he "represented to the straw buyers/investors that he would collect the rent from these individuals as tenants in the properties, pay the mortgages and taxes for the properties, and maintain the properties for the straw buyers/investors for approximately a year, at the end of which time he would sell the property to the tenant after his/her credit score improved and the property would be transferred out of the straw buyer’s/investor’s name, according to court documents."

   Unfortunately, he "did not assist any individuals with poor credit, nor did he enter into any “rent-to-own” agreements.", but instead, he "conspired with" loan officers, "to prepare and submit fraudulent mortgage loan applications to various mortgage lenders knowing that they contained false information with regard to the straw buyers/investors in order to secure mortgage loans on the 48 properties, according to court documents.". Ultimately, he was sentenced to 69 months in prison.

   Now, that is the only negative story on my radar the past few months, aside from a Foreclosure Scam we discussed in a previous Blog Post ("Foreclosure Scam Alert Based On Phony Deeds")

   For the most part, Rent to Own has been represented in the Media as an opportunity for buyers, sellers, as well as entire Housing Markets and Nations to rebuild and prosper. With that, let us examine these positive stories (the "GOOD").

   Rent to Own has always been an important strategy to pull buyers with less than perfect credit into the market, as well as sellers who are stuck in a home or multiple homes. A recent story in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel titled, "Condo Living: Income Property", discussed a company in Milwaukee (Milwaukee Apartment Finders) that "offers its clients a rent-to-own option, which allows tenants who make an additional down payment when they sign the lease to apply a percentage of their rent to the purchase price of the condo unit.", which is a Rent to Own agreement. The story adds that at the end of the lease, "which is typically 12 months, tenants can opt to buy the unit or forfeit the down payment to the condo owner."

   Additionally, in a story by Luis Hernandez for the Visalia Times ("47-unit housing project OK'd by Tulare Planning Commission"), the story discusses the approval by the "Tulare Planning Commission" of a design for Aspen Court, "a 47-unit affordable-housing project in east Tulare — the first such development to receive city approval in several years." In the story, Consultant Tim Sciacqua (representing Kaweah Management), is quoted as saying that "Tule Vista, a rent-to-own single family housing project on E Street north of Bardsley Avenue, has 10 units ready to be rented out. The second project, Trails West at Cross Avenue and West Street, is about 10 months away from completion. Framing for the houses is up."

   The good stretches outside of our borders, as well.

   In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), two recent stories discussed Rent to Own in the Oil-rich nation. "The introduction of rent-to-own schemes may boost demand" for projects in Abu Dhabi, Jones Lang LaSalle said in a report released this week, noting that it expected other developers to follow the Sorouh model". This quote comes from the story written for the National.ae, titled, "1000 homes to boost sluggish sales market", which offers hope in boosting the market in that country. In a second story for the UAE, written by Parag Deulgaonkar for Emirates247.com ("Rents in older Abu Dhabi buildings fall 15% in Q2. Second half to see higher handover; prices not to recover before 2012"), the story says that, "The introduction of rent-to-own schemes may boost demand, but only a limited number of developers offering this option.". Once again, a beacon of hope for increasing demand and stoking the market.

   Buying a Home, Selling a Home, Renting a Home, OR Renting-to-Own a Home. These all require careful review and due-diligence before signing on the dotted line. Do not rush your decision, regardless of how dire your situation, as you could find yourself worse-off by ten-fold. Consult your attorney, title company, etc. These are major life decisions...

   Looking for your comments on this topic......starting now...


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Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog: http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Websites: http://www.lease2buy.com and http://www.homerunhomes.com

TAGS: #renttoown #titlecompany #buyinghome #sellinghome #downpayment #UAE #mortgagefraud

January 28, 2011

10 Things NOT To Do When Selling a Home

Good Morning,

   I'm glad we all made it through another week together, and Friday is here!

   Today, we're going to take a look at "NOTs", so basically, 10 things to "NOT" do when selling a home, as the title says.

Jacquie Cliff, a Real Estate Broker with Champions Real Estate Service, provides the following "Do NOTS":

#1 "Never hang around buyers while they are viewing your home."
#2 "Don't let your animals run free while buyers are going to be in the house"
#3 "Don't move someone into your vacant home without telling the listing agent"
#4 "Don't wait until the last week before the foreclosure auction to list your home for sale!
#5 "Don't list your home with the agent that says they can get more money for your home than anyone else"
 
James Whalen, a Sales Associate with Gloria Nilson Realtors, suggests to "NOT" do the following:

#6 Do NOT, "reach even "a little bit" higher than what your house is worth. Research, research, research to determine exactly what your home demands and then price accordingly...anything even slightly above market value will be branded overpriced and get stale in the market fast, forcing reductions below what you wanted in the first place"

Joanne Cleaver, a freelance writer, provides the next "NOT" for agents who are selling homes:

#7 Do NOT, "try to get the buy side and the sell side of the commission.", and from a particularly bad experience, she says, "They deny it" but, "They are so desperate for income"

Allen Murray of Logic Realty Group, provides our final 3 "NOTs":

#8 Do NOT Be emotional. As Murray says, "This is a business transaction. Do not get offended with suggested sale price by your agent and/or low ball offers from buyers. A good agent is looking out for your best interest in the end and buyers in this market are told to test the waters. If you get to emotional, you could miss out on selling your home in a timely fashion."

#9 Do NOT get greedy, says Murray, and that, "Depending on your area values have dropped as much as 50% over the last 5-6 years. If you are fortunate to have equity in your home and MUST sell, be fair and take what you can get"

#10 Do NOT have a closed mind. Murray says that, "This market can be challenging if you are closed to ALL the options available to you to help your selling situation. If you can not get a particular price for your home, consider a lease w/option to buy. Think about it, foreclosures are at an all-time high and families still need places to live." Murray provides an example: "If a family had an adjustable mortgage at 6% 1,200/month payment (never late) and then it adjusts to 8-10% and a $1,500/month payment, guess what? They are not dead-beats, they just cant afford a $1,500/month payment!!! Your payment maybe $1,000/month, so you have a potential of $200/month additional income."

Do you agree with these "NOTs"? Have we missed anything?

Has this NOT been confusing (sorry - I just couldn't avoid that one!)

Have a Great Weekend, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !
Regards,
Rob Eisenstein
HomeRun Homes Blog http://blogging.lease2buy.com
HomeRun Homes Website http://www.lease2buy.com

TAGS: #foreclosureauction #optiontobuy #mortgage

August 16, 2010

New Widget with Scrolling Ads from our Site

Good Morning Everyone,


   We hope you have all had a great weekend.

   OK, so once again, we are referring to that "Magical Blog Post", where we asked for your input, and you gave it to us. Over the past few Blog posts, we have already addressed The Top Real Estate Investing Markets, What You Need to Know in Real Estate Investing, The Top 5 Things NOT TO DO When Selling a Home, and What You Need to Know when Buying a Foreclosure.

   Today, we are giving you access to a Free "Widget", which is a piece of code that you can add to your website or Blog, and it will continuously scroll with the latest Buyer and Seller Ads from our website (See Below). The Widget and the Code are shown below as follows:




WIDGET CODE:


   Once the code is inserted into your Web Page or Blog, it will look something like the image on top of this Blog Post.

   If you have any questions on how to use the code or any additional questions, please let us know via commenting on this post.

   Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !


August 11, 2010

Top 5 Things NOT TO DO When Selling a Home

Hi Everyone,


Hope you're having a great week thus far.

Quite often, we hear from people who have had their home on the market for 6+ months, and true, the market is bad, but when they send over the photos for their Ad, it sometimes can raise some Red Flags.

So, our lesson for today is, "Ask before doing !".

Before you paint a wall, do infrastructure, or anything else to a home that you are selling, ask an agent, an appraiser or someone who can give you advice.

This list of the Top 5 things NOT to do when selling a home falls into two categories, which are "Bad Decisions" and "Inept Craftsmanship", and the following items will criss-cross both of these categories:

1. Do Not Paint your walls Red, Green, or some other flamboyant Color. A fresh coat of white paint will freshen up the walls and give off that nice new paint smell.

2. Do Not Put up wallpaper or paneling, unless you are filming a Brady Bunch Sequel.

3. Do Not paint over wallpaper. Remove it first using one of the many products that are out there, but do it professionally or you will wind up with lumpy walls.

4. Do Not undertake any infrastructure jobs that you cannot complete. Once you open a wall to do wiring, it needs to be Spackled, and once again, you need to avoid "lumpy wall"

5. Do Not invite "Huge-bush-asaurus", in other words, do not plant trees and shrubs that block the front of your home and windows. People are leaning towards the more well-manicured look of homes/landscaping, so don't hide behind a tree!

If you follow these tips, you should be steps ahead of the game. If you have followed these rules and you still are sitting and waiting for a sale, re-examine your pricing, and don't rule out a creative idea to sell your home, such as Rent to Own.

Have a Great Day, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !

June 23, 2010

Our 8th Anniversary in the Rent to Own Homes Market...


Hi All,

Happy Wednesday to all of you. We wanted to let everyone have a copy of our Press Release that just hit the wires today (FULL RELEASE HERE). It's been a tough road for us with a lot of ups and downs, but we love what we do and we love hearing great news from customers who bought or sold Rent to Own Homes by using our website.

We will continue to provide the best service and the best Web experience for you. Our belief is that you either give 110%, or you stop altogether. Well, we choose to give 150% !

OK, Enough of my blabbering - here is the full text of the Press Release:

For Immediate Release:

HomeRun Homes
(631) 676-3609
(631) 574-2420
homebuyer@lease2buy.com
http://www.lease2buy.com/

Top Website for Rent to Own Homes Celebrates 8th Anniversary

Ronkonkoma, New York, June 23, 2010 - HomeRun Homes (http://www.lease2buy.com/) is celebrating their 8th anniversary this month. The Company has continued to be an omnipresent force in the Rent to Own Homes niche of the Real Estate market, and continues to thrive in a field that has seen a majority of their competition dissipate.

Another Milestone for One of the Original Rent to Own Websites

The management team of HomeRun Homes\Lease2Buy.com commenced web operations in June 2002, after working on a series of Real Estate rehab deals in Orlando and Central Florida. The President of the Company, Robert Eisenstein, states that during that time, they found it difficult to locate people who would be interested in Renting to Own the properties that they had rehabbed, and he says that, "We realized that something had been missing - a central location where sellers could find buyers for their Rent to Own homes, and where buyers could ask for exactly what they needed in a Rent to Own home". He goes on to say that, "HomeRun Homes was born from this concept."

Acquisitions, Ventures, Web Traffic, and Global Reach

Today, Lease2Buy.com attracts a vast amount of web visitors, and has in excess of 1.2 Million hits. During their tenure, they have made one acquisition, which was a purchase of Equifree.com, a Stop Foreclosure website, and they have spun off an additional website, StopForeclosureRenttoOwn.com, which reaches out to those in the most urgent need of buying or selling a home. Continuing their tradition of helping people find what they need, they also offer a free Rent to Own Newsletter via download on their website, and also provide a very useful Blog (http://blogging.lease2buy.com/).

HomeRun Homes appears in many publications, such as Financial Advisor Magazine, Wallet Pop, and many others, as well as reviews on multiple Blog Sites. Their reach extends to the global real estate market, with their top 5 markets listed as the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, and the Philippines. In his 8 year Anniversary meeting, Eisenstein states that the company plans to make a stronger global reach a top priority, since there are "many people in many countries who are stranded, and don't even realize that Rent to Own could be a resolution to any housing problems that they may be facing, as either a buyer or as a seller."

For additional information on the topic, "Top Website for Rent to Own Homes Celebrates 8th Anniversary", please visit http://www.lease2buy.com/

ABOUT HOMERUN HOMES

HomeRun Homes is a Centralized Marketplace which helps people Buy or Sell a Rent to Own Home, a Commercial Property, or to offer Home Services nationwide and globally to the thriving Rent to Own market.

- END -


We will check in with you to discuss the latest housing numbers when we have had a chance to take a good review of them.

Have a Great Week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !

May 24, 2010

Blogging from the heart...

Hi Everyone,

We hope you had a great weekend, whether you were looking for a home or selling a home, or whether you just chose to take it easy and unwind. Summer is definitely in the air, and the humidity is creeping up.

This entry today brings us one step close to the summer, a time for vacations and fun, but also a time where people who are looking for and selling a home begin to feel some desperation. Perhaps they have children that they would like to have situated in a new school district before the school year begins. Perhaps you have children who just graduated or are moving to college, and you want to down-size. The summer stirs up all of these different situations, and it is on it's way. We hope that the new data coming out this week supports a stronger housing market, so a lot of people are taking a "wait and see" attitude.

Of course, there are those in desperation that are only looking straight ahead towards their immediate and urgently pressing goal of buying or selling. Those that are potentially in serious trouble and face imminent problems. To those people, we say to you, albeit hopefully of some comfort to you, that, "in darkness shineth light". This is from a Latin phrase roughly translated into English, but if you read it over, it will make you realize that little rays and sparks of hope will appear. It's all about perspective. If your family and children are healthy, monetary issues are worries over lack of paper - literally. These are problems that cannot kill you, if you conquer the stress that you impose on yourself during those times. Often, it's literally, "You against You". Realize this, stay strong, and you will make it through.

You do have options, and you do have choices. We founded our company on the principles of a desperate need back in 2002, when the market was in a good position. Regardless of the market, needs and desperation are always present, just to varying degrees. Keep your head up and be strong.

Blogging from the heart !
Have a great week, and Happy Rent-to-Owning !