Toula's Blog

HEADS UP ABOUT GIFT CARDS

In case you haven't heard...or haven't thought about this...

Many stores that are planning to close after the holiday season are still selling gift cards.                                                        

Unfortunately, there are no laws preventing stores from doing this.  In fact, this practice is referred to as "Bankruptcy Planning".

Surveys have shown that two-thirds of shoppers plan to give gift cards this holiday season

Let's face it; it's an easy gift to give.   I personally give gift cards all the time...not only during the holidays, but as a closing gift.  You put it in a greeting card...no wrapping needed!

So, if you are thinking about giving a gift card, you need to be extra careful that those cards will be honored in the future.  

The Waiting Is OVER…

Lately, it seemed that, every time I would follow up with a buyer that I was working with, or following up with another agent who showed one of my listings to a potential buyer; the overwhelming result was: “the buyer is going to wait”.

Wait…what are these buyers waiting for?

Are they waiting for the presidential election?

Well, the waiting is over!  After all, no matter which candidate was getting elected, there would be some level of change…don’t you think?

The important thing is that, interest rates are still low, currently they are in the 6% range and it’s a great time to buy!

Now what are they waiting for….Christmas??

As winter approaches, more and more sellers have taken their homes off the market.  Whether it's due to "lack of motivation" or believing the theory that the "market will come back next year".

For the remaining sellers that are on the market and absolutely need to sell now, just make sure your home is priced right and it WILL SELL.

There are plenty of qualified buyers out there...

Loans are readily available to people with good credit.

Buyers are looking to purchase BUT, will wait unless they know that they are getting their money's worth.

So, carefully look at the sales in your neighborhood from the prior 3 months and price your home in accordance to the current market conditions.