Transform Your Ohio Listing

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Merry Christmas, everyone! It’s hard to believe the holidays are almost here and we can soon take a break from our busy lives. Remember to enjoy time with close family and friends to appreciate everything we have.

Most people think the Christmas season is slow in real estate, but it isn’t at the Amy Wengerd Realty Group! This week, we’ve already sold four homes and it’s only Wednesday!

However, what do you do if you’re not getting much activity? We have three strategies to create activity on your listing:

Reevaluate the price. Is your home still competitive? How many other homes are you competing with in your price range? How many homes have sold in your price range and area? What have those homes sold for? These are all helpful indicators to help you price your home competitively for the current market.

Try hiring a stager. Bring life to your home! We have two professional stagers on hand to help you during the listing process. We want to help you earn top dollar. People often think staging is expensive, but we’ve made it completely affordable. Stagers offer a free half hour consultation to identify what parts of your home can be improved to stand out from the rest. For a small fee, our stagers will rearrange furniture you already own. It’s a small price to invest with a huge return.

Take new pictures. Why go to all that work and not let buyers know about it? I always hire a professional photographer to photograph my listings. This can help separate your home from the competition. Your first showing happens online! The second showing happens when they physically tour your home, so you need to make a good first impression online.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, please give me a call or send me an email! Have a happy holiday season.

How to Win a Bidding War in Canton

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If you've been following real estate trends, you probably know that our housing inventory is at an all-time low, especially in certain price ranges. This means that you could find yourself in a bidding war for a home that you desperately want to buy.

So, what can you do to increase your chances of being picked by the seller? 

1. Have your pre-approval letter ready. This tells a homeowner that you've spoken with a bank and that your finances are solid. It makes you nearly as good as a cash buyer.
   
   
   
   
   
2. Increase your deposit. The average is anywhere between $500 and $1,000, but I suggest you double that amount because you get it all back at closing. 
3. Write the seller a 'love letter'. Tell them why you love their home and why you will be the perfect family to move in. You can play with the heart-strings of the seller, and sometimes this tactic can push you to the top of the offers. 
4. Pay for your own inspections. This lets the homeowner know that you're willing to invest money into the home and that you're serious about purchasing. 
5. Don't lowball! When you work with us, we run a market analysis on homes in order to make sure that you're offering a fair market price for them. We will never let you pay too much for a home!

There are actually three more secrets that we use to help our buyers purchase their dream homes, but we can share those with you when you decide to buy a home with our team.

We've helped over 180 families buy and sell homes this year, and we want you to be next!

What Should You Be Looking for When Home Hunting in Canton?

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When you're home hunting, what should you look for when viewing a home? Today, we want to give you some tips so you make informed buying decisions. If you know the answers to these questions, you shouldn't have trouble making the right decision for you and your family:

• Does the floor plan work for you? The floor plan is something you can't change without spending a whole lot of money, so make sure the layout of the home you're looking at is one that will work for you and your family. 
• Are the major systems in the home in working order? Does the furnace have a sticker showing the install date? Does the AC? Look for water stains on the ceiling and other little signs of structural damage. 
• Does the price of the home line up with neighborhood values? We don't want you to buy the most expensive home on the block and will ensure you're armed with this information. 
• Will the size of the home suit your family's needs? How long do you plan on living in the home? If you plan on starting a family, you want to buy a home that you will be able to grow into. 
• Do you love the home? Can you picture yourself staying in the home for an extended period of time? Don't purchase a home just because you're sick of looking at homes and want to get the process over with. You'll probably regret it.

Even if you forget a few of these things, you don't need to worry because we will be there doing them for you! We feel it's our job to ensure you make informed decisions throughout the process. If you have any questions for us, or if you'd like our help buying or selling, please don't hesitate to give us a call or shoot us an email. We would love to hear from you!

How Can a Pre-Approval Simplify Your Canton Home Search?

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If you're thinking about selling, how do you find out how much home you can actually afford? This is a question we get all the time, and would love to answer for you.

The very first thing to do if you want to buy a home in Canton is get pre-approved with a reputable lender. At Amy Wengerd Realty Group, we work with some of the best banks in Northeast Ohio, and they really take care of our clients. Plus, the pre-approval is free, and you can figure out exactly how much the bank is willing to give you for your new home.

Once you have been pre-approved, you can begin looking at all your financial options and figure out the plan that works best for your needs. Often, the bank will approve you for more than you can really afford, and that's fine - once you know what the bank will lend you, we can help you determine what amount you can comfortably make payments on each month. 

We offer free buyer consultations to find out exactly what you need and what your dreams are. Our goal is to get on the same page as you in order to help you achieve your personal and financial goals. For us, it's not just about getting you into a house, but finding you the ideal home that will fit your needs for years to come.

If you want a full team of experts at your disposal to help you make the best buying and selling decisions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

The Latest Trends in Northeast Ohio Real Estate

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Today, we'll go over the current real estate market in Northeast Ohio. Many people ask me if this is a buyer's or seller's market. Believe it or not, it's actually both! 

Homes that are priced well and in great shape are selling very fast. As we approach the holiday season, some homeowners will be very motivated to sell, and buyers could get a great deal. Also, there will be less competition for buyers than there is in the spring or summer.

In addition, interest rates are fantastic! They are below 4% for a conventional 30-year loan, so if you're buying, go ahead and lock in that low rate. 

The truth is, if your home is priced right, it will always sell, no matter what time of year it is. If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Where Can You Find Expert Tips About Canton Real Estate?

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Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale

Hello, I just wanted to welcome you all to my new YouTube channel and my real estate video blog. Everything here is dedicated to assisting you when you decide to buy or sell real estate in Canton. 

You'll find a plethora of free resources available to you, and this includes my bi-weekly videos designed to educate you on our local real estate market. I'll provide you with buyer tips, seller tips, and Canton real estate market updates.

The goal here is to transform you into an informed consumer so that you can have an easier, faster, and more profitable real estate experience.

If there is anything that I can do for you moving forward, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. I want this blog to be a resource for you, so if you have questions, don't be afraid to ask them.

Stay tuned for expert advice on our local real estate market!

What's Happening in the Akron and Canton Market?

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Many people ask me which areas are the best to live in Akron and Canton. Today, I'll cover what makes particular areas desirable and where you can find them! I will also cover an exciting thing we've seen in our market lately: multiple offers! 

Often, the quality of the school district plays a huge role in how desirable a given neighborhood is. Everyone who has young kids wants to be in an area with good schools! Great schools help maintain and increase property values because the area is very desirable. 

If you're a young professional who is less concerned with schools than you are with shopping and entertainment, the downtown area is being remodeled with high-end amenities and is within close proximity to nightlife. There are great views of downtown Canton, which is a great place for young professionals! 

Right now, we're in a seller's market so we're seeing A LOT of multiple offers! Homeowners with properly priced homes are getting full-priced offers right away that are at or above listing price. Because conditions are right, you need to work with an agent who can help you with staging, photography, and marketing. A great agent will help you make the most of this great market! 

If you're on the buying end of a multiple offer situation, what can you do? We specialize in helping buyers get their offer accepted so they don't miss out on the home of their dreams. We conduct an exclusive private buyer consultation to answer questions, gather financial information, and find out their buying goals. There are a handful of strategies we will help you with so that you can accomplish those goals in a timely manner!

If you have any questions about the state of our current market, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you soon!

Canton Real Estate Market Update

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Today I'm going to be providing you with a real estate market update for our local market here in Canton. I want you to take this information and use it to your advantage when you're entering the market as a buyer or a seller.

Overall, inventory is low in our area so we're seeing a market that is favoring sellers over buyers. This has been creating high demand, and in turn homes are selling for higher prices if they're in good condition and in a good location.

Buyers should not be scared away by the competitive market, though. Interest rates are sitting at all time lows, so you can buy a home more affordably than ever before and then ride out the wave of appreciation so that in a few years you can reap the benefits of your home investment.

If you're looking to sell, be sure to ask us about our 'Coming Soon' listings. We have found that this is a great strategy to generate demand and sell your home for a high price before it even hits the market. This is helpful for our sellers, but our buyers like it too because they can avoid competition from other buyers. 

If we can assist you in any way, please don't hesitate to contact us.