Archive for tag Homes for sale in milwaukee
March 30, 2011 at 02:47 PM · Posted under Lisa Rossetto-Glowacki
A tip for home sellers:
So, your house is for sale, you just had a showing, and your Realtor contacted you afterwards. The feedback from the buyer sounds something like this:
"The bedrooms are too small" "The kitchen doesn't have enough cupboards" "We don't like the floor plan" "The house needs updating" "We don't care for the yard"
Sound familiar? What does this *really* mean?
Keep in mind that buyers have probably seen many, many houses that are similar in size and price to your house. They are comparing one house against the other--sometimes seeing many in one day or one weekend with their agent.
What they are really saying is..."this one has bedrooms that are too small *compared to other houses we have seen that are similar in price*"
It can only mean one thing, time to lower the list price, and spring is a great time to take action and get an offer so you can move onward!
Posted by: 
Lisa Rossetto
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December 18, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Short sales can mean big savings to savvy consumers. They also can result in frustration and failure. Pull up a chair for a story about one very disappointing short sale non-transaction.
A builder was facing foreclosure on an expensive spec home that he had had on the market for three-plus years. There were two mortgages on the property held by the same bank and totaling about $1 million.
In June, we were able to cobble together an offer from a very qualified buyer for about $150,000 less than the amount owed on the property. The offer, Seller’s financials and everything else initially required by the lender was promptly forwarded to the lender.
For almost two months we heard absolutely nothing from the lender, despite repeated calls and emails. Finally, we were notified that the file had been assigned to a “negotiator.”
Just when progress was being made, we were informed the FDIC had taken over the file for the second mortgage and they had assigned the note to a collection agency. This is nearly three months into the process and the Buyer was growing impatient.
We begin the negotiations anew with the collection agency with the same sort of mind-numbing multiple requests for already provided documents. After a series of back-and-forths (the collection agency refused to speak directly to the first mortgage negotiator, so we had to serve as intermediary for all communication) the first and second mortgage holders were a few thousand dollars apart on a settlement.
We were at a standoff. And a ridiculous one at that. The second mortgage holder stood to receive absolutely nothing if the property went to a sheriff’s sale, yet its representatives would not reduce their demand. The first faced additional expenses of a sheriff’s sale and holding the property but would not up their offer to the second. Meanwhile, the Buyers had grown weary of the entire process and had found another home.
The Buyers gave notice that they would be withdrawing their offer unless a resolution between the mortgage company and collection agency could be reached in short order. Again, there was no movement by either party.
You guessed it…the Buyers walked.
Two more months have passed and the house now sits vacant, deteriorating from a lack of heat and electricity. And no sheriff’s sale has been scheduled.
I can’t imagine a worse outcome. Eventually, the first mortgage holder will take over the property. It will either have to hire someone to restore the home or sell it at a steep discount. Remember, this is a house that had been marketed for more than three years without attracting an offer, so a quick sale is highly unlikely.
Meanwhile, the second mortgage holder (a.k.a. you and me, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer) will lose about $200,000. Municipal taxes go uncollected. A neighborhood of expensive homes suffers because of the neglected property and its eventual sale at an extreme discount.
The FDIC’s representative however took it all in stride. When informed the deal was falling apart, his response: “Oh well, that’s one less file on my desk.”
Posted by:
Steve Bauman
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December 16, 2009 at 10:12 AM · Posted under Colleen Kuchta
As you may well know, the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit has been extended and expanded. The IRS has also issued a few guidelines for you to follow. Number one on the list: if you have purchased a new home since November 6, 2009 and you qualify for the tax rebate, you will need to wait until a revised Form 5405 is issued by the IRS later this month. The IRS has made changes to the old form and added instructions on claiming your Tax Rebate check. If you purchased after November 6th, and sent in your request for the Tax Rebate, it will be in vain. The IRS issued a bulletin before Thanksgiving that clearly states all rebate request must be made on the NEW Form 5405 - which will be coming out later this month.
Not sure if you qualify for the credit? Here it is in a nutshell:
You must be a first time home buyer (haven’t owned a home in the past 5 years) OR if you have owned a home for 5 of the past 8 years, and are buying a new home, the new home must be used as your principal residence.
The tax credit is equal to 10% of the purchase price with first time buyers receiving a credit up to $8,000, and current home owners receiving up to $6,500.
The new home must be under contract by April 30, 2011 and the transaction must be closed by June 30, 2011.
Members of the Armed Forces and diplomatic personnel serving in foreign countries will get an extra year to purchase a home. They will be given until April 30, 2011 to have a home under contract and until June 30, 2011 to close the transaction.
The new home cannot cost more than $800,000.
Single family homes, multi-family homes and condominiums are included in the credit, provided the purchaser occupies the property.
No one under 18 can qualify for the credit.
If you are able to be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s taxes, you will not qualify for the credit.
There are income restrictions, $125,000 for a single person and $225,000 for persons filing jointly. A single person making between $125,000-$145,000 and joint filers making between $225,000-$245,000 may qualify for phased down credit amounts.
Finally, if you are thinking of co-signing, but are unsure if this will effect the eligibility of a first time buyer. The IRS states that the ineligible co-purchaser does not effect the tax credit for the first time buyer, as long as none of the credit goes to that person.
Questions or concerns about the credit OR just want some help and guidance with your new home purchase? Contact The Kuchta’s - Kelly & Colleen at 262-894-6512 or send us an email to ckuchta@shorewest.com. We are both Accredited Buyer’s Agents and are happy to go the extra mile to help you find the home that is right for you. Visit us online at thekuchtas.shorewest.com
Posted by:
Colleen Kuchta
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December 15, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Christmas is about 10 days away and already I’m thinking about shopping.
If you or someone on your gift list loves photographic prints I’d suggest you take a look at neilrongstadphotography.com.
Neil is a Milwaukee-based photographer who specializes in high-contrast black and white urban landscapes. Much of his work is shot at night and the images are truly striking. Neil’s stunning pictures of the Calatrava are worthy of an exhibit there.
An ever-expanding portfolio features many Milwaukee landmarks and Neil recently has added pieces from New York, Chicago and Madison.
I met Neil a couple of years ago when I sold his downtown Milwaukee condo. The buyer was so impressed with his work that his offer to purchase included several of Neil’s prints. At the closing, Neil graciously gave me a couple of prints as a gift.
Be sure to check out Neil’s website. Milwaukee has never looked so good.
Posted by:Steve Bauman
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December 11, 2009 at 02:23 PM · Posted under Pat Tasker
When it comes to selling a home, there are 4 mistakes some sellers continue to make. Avoid these, and you will find yourself at the closing table within normal market times!
- DECLINING A SHOWING REQUEST! Hard to believe but many times a seller will not approve a showing, as it conflicts with their “schedule”. “Sorry, my kids are napping then” or “Sorry, we are having friends over” or one of many other reasons we have heard. Make every attempt to accommodate the showing request. It may be inconvenient, but work with it. My experience has been, if you don’t set the appointment, there may be no second chance. GET THEM IN. If you are hosting a party at 2 pm, ask if they could come between l & l:30 pm, right before the company gets there. The house will be in great showing condition. DON’T SAY NO…
- NOT DECLUTTERING! A recent consumer panel revealed this comment: “The house was so cluttered! If they can’t find a place for all their stuff, how could we? It was just too small and didn’t look good.” You only have that one chance to make a good impression. In today’s market, that starts with your online presence. If the photos show a ton of clutter, buyers will most likely pass on your home.
- TESTING THE HIGH SIDE OF PRICE. “We know we won’t get this but want to try”. If you knew that strategy would cost you an additional few months on the market, becoming “shop worn” and eventually getting even less than the indicated market price, would you still try? NO. Price it right from the start, and it will sell. You control what you take, if the buyer writes too low, just say NO. The longer you stay on the market, the lower the price you will get. Buyers start to wonder “what is wrong” with the house, must be something or it would have been sold by now. Click here for a video with more details.
- LISTEN! LISTEN TO THE PROFESSIONAL you hire. If you have picked a good experienced agent, use their experience to help you through the process. They give you advice based on past experience, education and knowledge of the market. LISTEN TO BUYERS FEEDBACK. If you keep hearing the same thing over and over, it is an issue that needs to be dealt with. As your real estate professional, I can “decode” that feedback, and tell you what to do to overcome that issue and bring in an offer!
The home selling process doesn’t have to be frustrating, if you work as a team with your agent. For some good advice when it comes to selling a home in today’s interesting market, call Pat Tasker at Shorewest Realtors 262-437-5853.
Posted by:
Pat Tasker
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November 20, 2009 at 10:46 AM · Posted under Pat Tasker
At this time of year, many people think it would be a waste of time to list your home for sale. “Homes don’t sell this time of year” many people will say to me. Contrary to that popular thinking, homes sell ALL YEAR LONG.
While it may be true that LESS homes may sell between Thanksgiving and New Years, HOMES STILL SELL!! One year, during the week of Christmas, I sold a 6 homes! If those sellers had not been ON THE MARKET, they certainly would not have sold!
Some facts that show it is a good time to list your home:
Your home looks the best when decorated for the Holidays….it is clean, it is festive, it is inviting! What great conditions for a buyer to see and more importantly FEEL.
Holiday decorating creates that emotional tug on the buyers heartstrings. They will feel at home and have a warm fuzzy feeling…they will want to live there!
The house smells good! Cookies are baking…leave some out for the buyers to snack on, they will hang around just a little longer, “trying on the house”!
While there may be less traffic than other months or seasons, the buyers who do come through, will be pretty serious buyers. Looky-lous are not out kicking tires this time of year…they are holiday shopping!
Out of towners may be visiting relatives for the holidays, and available to look for homes. Transferees will take advantage of school breaks for househunting trips.
If you get a request to show your home, and you are entertaining friends that day, don’t turn down the showing! Instead, ask them to come right before the company comes…the house will be ready and look great! How perfect for buyers to see that!
If you wait until spring to get on the market, you will be joined by hundreds of others who thought buyers don’t buy during the holidays. If you get on the market NOW, you could be in your new home by spring!
Santa’s Elves aren’t the only ones working this time of year! For information on selling your home and taking advantage of the Holiday Magic, call Pat Tasker at 262-437-5853 for a no obligation marketing consultation!
Posted by:Pat Tasker
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November 03, 2009 at 02:53 PM · Posted under Lisa Rossetto-Glowacki
Sometimes, the unexpected happens in life. The job opportunity of a lifetime, a chance to move back somewhere closer to family, perhaps job loss. Whatever the reason, you can have your house always ready to list by doing a small few items now. Here’s the list:
- Make sure that mechanicals in the house are properly working: furnace, air conditioning, water softener, reverse osmosis water systems, garage door openers, alarm systems, intercom systems, plumbing systems and the like.
- Make a ‘to do’ list of cleaning and develop a ‘pretend’ time-line, saying, “I will do the following in the next week”. Pick one or two only so it’s not so over-whelming.
- Clean: Doors and woodwork, baseboards, windows, those grungy patio door tracks! Also, behind refrigerator, washer and dryer. Vacuum draperies.
- Closets: Do they need to be painted? De-cluttered?
- Organize: Bookshelves; stack neatly and add a bit of decoration. Cabinets; clean out, organize, re-line shelves.
- Walls: Take a look at all the walls and see where there are drywall nicks and patch and paint those. The really ‘ugly’ wallpaper that’s still up? Take it down and paint neutral. You can always go back and decorate later.
- Basement: Start emptying the basement of clutter, box up unused items neatly, give away to charities little-used items. Do the same with the garage.
- Worn-out ‘stuff’: How are the exterior lights by the garage door? All rusted? It won’t cost much to replace them. Check other ‘old’ items as well like faucets, knobs on all cabinets, switch plates and heating vent covers. If they’re rusted, banged, ‘gross’ or older than father time, change them!
- Exterior: Take care of any building repairs. Trim landscaping. Spruce up the mailbox and the house numbers.
Don’t be scared! Stay prepared!
Posted by:
Lisa Rossetto
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November 02, 2009 at 03:13 PM · Posted under Colleen Kuchta
Wisconsin winters can leave many of us wondering when it is going to end. The snow and ice are even more of a problem when you are trying to sell your home. You certainly don’t want anyone to slip and fall while trying to get inside. For buyers, driving up to a property that is covered in a sea of white snow can make every house look the same.
Here are a few ways to make your house stand out:
- Give the front door a fresh coat of paint.
- Update the lighting at your front door, newer fixtures can frame the entrance to a home.
- Replace that old worn-out door mat.
- Consider placing colorful urns or planters on either side of the front door. Planting an evergreen, holly or poinsettia in the urn will draw the buyer’s eye in as well.
- Make sure your address is able to be seen when driving by. Replace small numbers with larger ones.
- Make sure that your driveway and all walkways are cleaned, edged and properly illuminated.
- Lastly, make sure prospective buyers can picture themselves living in your house. This means not going overboard with holiday decorations. You want the décor to be tasteful and not to overpower the home itself. Give the buyer a chance to envision your home in its everyday condition.
One more thing to remember, it is getting dark pretty early these days. It is a good idea to leave the outside light on. It makes it easier to get inside, and can help prevent a buyer from slipping, too.
The Kuchta’s - Kelly & Colleen thekuchtas.shorewest.com
Posted by:Colleen Kuchta
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October 28, 2009 at 10:24 AM · Posted under Lisa Rossetto-Glowacki
Have you or someone you know given up the search for a house because the weather is now cold? Are you going to put off buying a house until next spring? Don’t!
Here are some reasons why buyers should buy now:
Some sellers pull their homes off the market over the winter months for weather-related reasons, just like buyers don’t buy. The properties that remain for sale represent VERY motivated sellers which means potentially great values for buyers.
Because there are fewer buyers buying in fall and winter, sellers will consider much more seriously a buyer’s offer because they know if they don’t, they may have to wait until next spring for the next offer.
Sellers are weary and dollar short from paying high heating bills, property taxes, and shoveling snow. They want to sell NOW!
A seller is more willing to negotiate over price and other items with a buyer in the fall/winter vs. spring when ‘more buyers come out from hibernation’, so buyers may be able to get a better deal.
Interest rates are currently low and indications are that they will increase next spring, as the feds phase out their program of purchasing bank mortgages. Now is the time to cash in on these great low rates before they spike upwards.
Happy House Hunting!
Posted by:Lisa Rossetto
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October 12, 2009 at 11:40 PM · Posted under Colleen Kuchta
As the winter weather approaches, it is very tempting to turn up the thermostat to stay warm. Although this may be a quick fix, it is not always good for your pocket book. Here are a few tips to help save you some money this winter:
- Wash your clothes in cold water. You can save money with every load. There are detergents available that will help you get the same results as washing in higher temperatures.
- Set the thermostat on your hot water heater 120 degrees. It doesn’t make sense to heat the water to a temperature hotter than your skin can tolerate.
- Check for leaks around windows and doors. Eliminate the gaps by applying caulk, weather stripping and/or insulation.
- Check your attic and crawl spaces for the correct level of insulation. R-30 is the minimum recommendation for Wisconsin winters.
- Replace your light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent bulbs. They are better & brighter than when they first became available.
- Have your furnace cleaned & tuned by a HVAC technician. Remember to change the filter - a dirty filter costs you money!
- Turn down the thermostat by just one degree. This will help reduce home heating costs by as much as 4%.
Looking for more practical tips? Send us an email to ckuchta@shorewest.com OR give us a call; 262-894-6512. We will direct you where to go for more money saving advice. Try to stay warm & remember, spring is coming soon! The Kuchta’s - Kelly & Colleen thekuchtas.shorewest.com
Posted by:Colleen Kuchta
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October 09, 2009 at 04:18 PM · Posted under Lisa Rossetto-Glowacki
The crisp air is here, along with the beautiful colors of changing leaves. Waukesha has some lovely roads to travel upon and witness Mother Nature’s glory and some great views! Highway DT passes by Retzer Nature Center. If you are searching for a property in Waukesha on over one acre with great views that you can own, check out this site. Enjoy fall!!
Posted by:Lisa Rossetto
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