Are you a 1st time home buyer? If so, attend our FREE workshop on Wednesday June 10th from 6-8pm at the Marriott Courtyard on Cherry Street in Burlington. The Burlington Free Press along with Northfield Savings Bank and Geri Reilly, top Realtor at at Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty, will be sponsoring a free workshop on how to prepare for this life changing decision. We'll cover all the basics and answer all your questions. We'll also focus on how to get the Federal Stimulus to work for you and details on the 1st Time home buyer tax credit. Join us! For more info, dont hesitate to contact me at 802.862.6677 or geri@buyvtrealetsate.com . Hope to see you there!

As we all know the real estate market has been relatively slow for the past year or so especially when comparing to the housing bubble of the early to mid-2000's. The homes that are selling fast these days are  A.) priced right, and B.) in immaculate condition. Here are some tips to getting your house in tip top shape to hopefully get your home sold in under 90 days:

1.) The Basics - As the saying goes, "You never have a second chance to make a first impression!" This could not be any truer! The first few things a buyer sees when they pull up to your house is the front yard and entrance. Make sure your yard is spotless - rake, weed, add some new flowers, whether in the garden or in hanging baskets on the front porch, etc. Also, give the front door and fresh coat if paint if needed and replace the house numbers, mailbox and outside light if needed. If not, at least make sure they are all clean.

2.)   Clean the Windows - Consider having them professionally cleaned or to save money you could do them yourself with Windex and wipe off with newspapers to avoid streaks - they work great! Also, remove dated window treatments unless they are wooden blinds or Plantation shutters. But make sure those blinds are open if you've got a view - a stunning view is a huge selling point!

3.) Clean & Declutter - If you want your home to sell fast, clean everything! This means you might have to get up on a chair or ladder to clean hard to reach spots like chandeliers, ceiling fan and shelves. Also wipe down any grimy light switch plates and keep your bathroom mirrors spotless. Have your carpets professionally cleaned as well and if that's not enough, just have them replaced. Don't forget to clean out your closets, guest room, and garage too! This spots are notorious for collecting random junk. Have a yard sale or donate unwanted or unneeded household items - minimize your belongings - it will make your future move a lot easier too! Also make sure your kitchen is spotless and the counters are bare - remove unnecessary appliances and gadgets, including toasters and coffeemakers.

4.) Depersonalize - If you remove most of your personal items from various rooms, prospective buyers can better visualize their personal belongings and decorations in the home. Remove knick-knacks, personal photos, collections, paperwork, etc.

5.) Paint - Use neutral colors that will appeal to more people. Again, it's all about making it easier for buyers to imagine your home as their new home.

6.) Staging - Home stagers have become part of an entourage to help real estate agents and seller get homes ready to be someone else's. That frequently means depersonalizing  the home and making it "model home" neutral. This will appeal to more buyers.

7.) Check Out the Competition - Go online and check out some real estate websites - there are a ton of them! Realtor.com, Zillow.com, Trulia.com, etc. Look at photos of other homes for sale to get some ideas. These sites will also offer suggestions and questions to ask your agent .

Ultimately your goal is to give your home that WOW factor which will make your home stand out to prospective buyers and make them remember it. This along with a good price will give your home value, which is what today's buyers are looking for.  For more information, advice from a seasoned real estate expert, or to set up a free home consultancy/market analysis of your home, give Geri Reilly a call! 802.862.6677

While watching the national news last night, I saw a segment on foreclosures in California and how one company's business is up because of them. Greener Grass Company from Stockton, CA spray paints dead, brown lawns with a water soluble green paint that lasts for 3-4 months.  The company is typically hired by real estate agents who list properties that have been repossessed by banks, but is sometimes hired by the city when foreclosures become a code enforcement issue.  I found this story very interesting because it certainly is a quick, affordable and very creative idea to give an unsightly property a little bit more "curb appeal".  Not quite sure if The Reilly Team would ever hire anyone to paint the dead lawn of any of our listings, but then again Vermont doesn't face the drought and foreclosure problems that California does. Besides there isn't much green on Vermont's lawns today - it finally started snowing!!!

For the complete story: "That's Fake Green on Foreclosure Lawns"