#niki maclay

[nikidmaclay]

Do you prefer a shower or BATHTUB in your primary bathroom? Maybe you want both. When a homeowner is contemplating a bathroom renovation, this question often comes up because it can affect resale value. The question of the day is: “will removing my bathtub and replacing it with a stylish shower crash the value of my home?”

Crash the value? Not necessarily. It will narrow your buyer pool, though. People want bathtubs for various reasons. A buyer who wants/needs a tub and has a choice of homes will pick the one with the tub. Currently, with inventory still being relatively low, buyers take what they can get or don't buy at all. In a market where there are options, your home will sit until either (1) a buyer who doesn't care chooses it or (2) a buyer who does care likes the rest of your home enough to buy it and alter it to fit their lifestyle. The market conditions at the time you list it will determine how much this choice impacts value.

Part of the benefit of owning your own home is that you can make it what you want and need. Unless you are planning to sell in the next few years, don't make yourself uncomfortable to appeal to someone who may buy your home 20 years from now. If your home is simply a place to stay for a few years while you are contemplating your next move, your resale value may be more important to you. Appealing to the broadest range of buyers is the way to maximize resale value..

If you were shopping for a home, how much would a primary bathroom with only a shower affect your decision?

[nikidmaclay]

Signing contracts is a part of any real estate transaction. In South Carolina, you always have the right to have an attorney review your contract with you before you sign, but more often than not, it's you and your agent reading through and signing those documents. To be perfectly honest, real estate attorneys in SC don't always know those contracts as well as your agent because it isn't common for a consumer to go straight to an attorney for those services here. Your agent has been trained to use the current contract used by the REALTOR association they're a part of.

Your agent can't practice law without a license, so they're restricted to using the preprinted contract as-is, with permission to fill in the blanks and write addenda with approved verbiage. These contracts that an agent uses are boilerplate contracts

Because these contracts are “standard”, buyers and sellers often sign without reading them. The terms of your contract matter, and there are details you need to know to protect yourself and to know how to react when the other party makes a request or exercises a baked in right.

New construction contracts are a little different. Most tract builders require that you use their contract. Their contracts were written with the builder in mind, to protect their interests. Again, it is critical that you read what you're signing. These may be boilerplate contracts, but you are choosing to bind yourself to terms that have consequences, you want to know what those terms are. Don't sign until you have asked questions and negotiated the terms you are comfortable with. There are things we must agree to because the law says so, but items like inspection rights, who gets to hold earnest money, and other terms are negotiable. If the other party won't negotiate, sometimes it's best to walk away. Don't let desperation or anxiety lead you to sign something you shouldn't. Pay attention to red flags.There are other fish in the sea. Buy and sell smart. Read before you sign.

[nikidmaclay]

I've posted this before, but this is an important reminder as we enter the holiday season. Did you know the day after Thanksgiving is often the busiest day of the year for plumbing service calls? Your kitchen and the restrooms are getting a workout from increased meal prep and extra guests. A friendly reminder, mind what goes down the drain so you're not paying a plumbing bill at holiday weekend rates. $$$$$

Even if you don't have a septic system, these items will also clog a city sewer system. That may not be your personal responsibility to maintain, but it will still affect you and your community.

#AORAnderson #Agentownedrealty #Realtor #NikiMaclayHomes #septicsystem #Thanksgiving #holidays

[nikidmaclay]

Watch "Do I Really Need My Own Home Inspection?" on YouTube

Pop Quiz: the Homie fell in love with a month ago and missed out on goes back on the market. The seller has an inspection report and wants you to use it so you don't have to buy your own. What do you do?

[nikidmaclay]

Home Warranty Scam? Read the Fine Print

Home Warranty Scam? Read the Fine Print

by Niki Davis Maclay Today I had a call with a homeowner furious with his home warranty company. Honestly, this isn’t the first time it’s ha

Homebuyers, read the fine print on those home warranty brochures.

[nikidmaclay]

If you're looking to buy a home soon, there are a lot of things to think about, and some of them may not be obvious. HOW you negotiate can make more of a difference than WHAT you negotiate.

When you finally find the home of your dreams, make sure to submit a signed off on an approved contract form. Verbal offers are not binding in real estate, neither are counter offers or contracts.

An offer on paper tells the seller you are serious, and once the seller signs, you are under contract. If your seller counteroffers, insist that the counter offer be "on paper" (a digital signed copy is fine). Each offer/counter should be a traceable submission.

The benefit of making sure everything is written is this - if you negotiate over the phone, even if you do it through a real estate agent, tlno one is legally bound to what they've agreed to. If another offer comes in, the seller can accept it if your terms aren't in executed contract form. If you are the seller and the buyer sees a another home come on the market before you can get the contract signed, you could lose your buyer.

Buyer and seller beware, do all of your negotiations on paper. It's the only way a contract is enforceable.

Have questions? I'd love to help you make your next move!

https://youtu.be/7DZFFX6u1nM

[nikimaclayatagentownedrealt-blog]

Why you need a REALTOR

I had a man call me last week who has been trying to get his home to the closing table for four months. It's been under contract all that time - it's easy to get it under contract - but he's been running into one obstacle after another since early March. it's not going to close because he also purchased it without a REALTOR and skipped important steps. If he'd hired a REALTOR to sell his home he'd have been on vacation these past two weeks, instead he's been stuck googling fixes and running around trying to fix things he doesn't have the resources to fix. Maybe he'll get to play at the beach next year. 😢

Truth - trained professionals can save you time, money, and sanity.

Hire a pro. Call a REALTOR!

Why Working With a Real Estate Professional is the Best Decision You'll Ever Make

Why Working With a Real Estate Professional is the Best Decision You'll Ever Make - Niki Maclay Homes

Most people don’t buy a home every day -- it’s a once-or-twice-a-decade activity for many of us as opposed to a day-in-day-out activity.So..

[nikimaclayatagentownedrealt-blog]