Answers by Keith Jean Pierre

Prioritize high-impact, low-cost exterior updates—like cleaning, painting, and landscaping—over major renovations to maximize ROI before listing. Focus on a clean, well-maintained look: power wash siding and walkways, apply fresh mulch, plant flowers, and paint the front door. A few thousand dollars in improvements can significantly boost appeal and speed up sales. Remember, the first impression is everything and if a possible buyer does not want to stop to tour the house, they you already lost.

Buyers are typically drawn to the HGTV style home which means something that has renovations as many buyers do not have the capital to take on a project themselves, nor want to.

Pre-Approval is more in-depth and carries more weight in comparison to a Pre-Qualification.

You always want your property to show in the best light so offering a flooring allowance will not do this and, although desirable to some, will not get you the best return. I would suggest either replacing the floors or a good steam cleaning with the flooring allowance.

Transparency is key. You can either use her and have her shadow the more experienced realtor and they split the commission or use someone else entirely. Best of luck!

Not necessarily a scam, there is a home for everyone; and in this case, most likely an investor. Investors purchase homes like this all the time but keep in mind, you will not be getting full market value of a renovated property selling in this avenue as the renovations take time, money and risk.

Each township and state is different, I would suggest speaking to your town code office to determine exactly.

A turnkey property will also produce a better outcome than an as-is sale, but time and money are major factors in this decision and that would be up to you to determine if you want to take that risk.

Pardon me, but what is the exact question here?

I would suggest you start with what you mentioned. You want a desirable curb appeal that will make people want to get out of their car. A green lawn, powerwashed facade, siding and curb/front porch, some bright colored plants for spring, fix any obvious cracks or visible holes, paint your foundation if it is cracking, paint the front door, make sure your lights are bright and bulbs are all working for night showings, clean windows, etc. This should be a good start.

Contact a lawyer Bruce, this is a case you want to make sure you are 100% in the right as this can come back to haunt you later if done improperly.

You do not NEED to sign a representation agreement to tour an open house. There will typically be a disclosure for you to sign to cover both parties but some people sign those and some people don't. It is on display to cover the agent holding the open house.

Not a requirement but highly desired, especially if you are in a starter home (2 or 3 bedrooms) because many will start a family there and need a bathtub for their small child.

Not a requirement but highly desired, especially if you are in a starter home (2 or 3 bedrooms) because many will start a family there and need a bathtub for their small child. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

Offer to split the difference 50/50 or to some degree, but keep in mind, there is no guarantee. Before you make the offer, determine if you are willing to accept the property and pay the full difference if the seller says no.

Yes, they can and they can also lien the property preventing any future sale. You want to make sure you always respond expeditiously to any notices from the HOA. Many of them tend to be somewhat reasonable.

Depends on the property line, more information would be needed here. You can refer to your survey to get a clearer picture of the situation.

Have you spoken to them on the matter? The easiest escalation but will most likely cause problems is to get the township involved. Most townships fine homeowner for untidy front yards.

Yes, unless it is a completely transitional neighborhood. But even there, there is risk because if the other homes do get renovated, you are left holding the bag. I have seen this happen to a few clients over the years and one of our clients lost BIG in Detroit.

Consumers tend to be more narrow-minded and simple tasked, especially when it comes to areas that are not their expertise. As such, I would say a large pool of buyers will not even know what a 2-1 buydown is, which will create further confusion and backfire in regard to the message you are trying to convey. A price reduction is definitely the more appropriate play for the majority of consumers.

I always tell clients, if the photos seems like they are meant to deceive, you probably have done something wrong.

As others have said, buy out or sell the home all together and split the proceeds are the only two logical plays. Selling to a completely different individual adds further complications that I have a feeling neither of you would want.

Wire transfer is always easier. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

What is the contingency you are specifically referencing?

A simple call to the district will ease your concerns. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

A probate sale means the property is being sold by an estate representative (executor/administrator) under court supervision because the owner passed away, often without a will or with instructions to sell. These types of properties are usually sold "as-is" with 6–12 months for court approval timelines. Keith Jean-Pierre Managing Principal The Dapper Agents Operations In: NY, NJ, FL & CA

Kicking the can down the road is the expression that is applicable here. A 30 year mortgage is already an insanely long term, 40, if planning to pay off close to the term length, is literally forever; not to mention the additional interest you will pay on a 30 vs 40. Personally I would steer clear from a 40, but everyone's situation is different.

Always seek a qualified individual to answer your legal questions. With the advent of AI and misinformation running rampant these days, you always want to make sure you are making the right decisions when it comes to your hard earned money.

Yes, very easily. Just source a real estate agent that is familiar with the process. You can easily find this using Google.

Good old saying, Bird in the hand. If the property was actually priced correctly when compared to the comps in the immediate neighborhood, run and take the offer. I have seen WAY too many clients that think a fast offer is a bad thing, only to end up taking significantly less at a much later timeframe.

Just keep in mind, every time you refinance, you reset the clock. Sadly this is something that people tend to forget each time as our society has become a monthly payment society vs a debt-free society. There are also many calculators online that allow you to determine if it makes sense to refinance.

Home Warranty is your best play here. You can even extend after a year with a few companies now. Also sometimes your utility companies offer a warranty options as well for a small monthly cost.

The most important thing I tell my clients to do is to do inspections in every stage. You want to make sure everything behind the walls was done properly.

Look can look at past historical data on some of the major real estate websites. Also you can have a competent agent run an MLS report for you as well.

This has been pretty helpful for a number of my clients: https://www.mysmartmove.com/blog/9-must-know-tips-new-landlords

It will affect your Debt to Income Ratio.

Put yourself in the buyer's shoes, would you look at a house that did not present itself in the best possible light? Photos are the first thing the potential buyer is going to see. If those are horrible, then you have a much lower chance of selling for your desired figure. And the fact that photography is so inexpensive in relation to the value these days, I have no idea why I still see some agents or homeowners doing it themselves. If I see a homeowner or agent in a bathroom photo, I know they have no idea what they are doing and can probably negotiate a great deal for my client or myself.

The good old saying of you get what you pay for holds true here.

There seems to be some important information missing here. Most importantly, is your husband still alive?

Given that there are no current issues, the seller is not obligated to offer any credits. You can ask, but honestly don't expect much. I always instruct my sellers, when negotiating home inspection issues, if it was visible when they toured the house, you don't NEED to offer a credit; especially if it was mentioned in the Sellers Disclosure.

Depends on what you are looking to use it for to be fair and how much risk you want to inherit so to speak.

Escalation clauses, if done properly, are a true asset. When I have a client win an offer while using an escalation clause, I require proof of the second highest offer.

This is unfortunately the downside of fluctuating rates. Also keep in mind, this can happen during the qualifying process as well if the period before purchasing and finding a home is a long period. Those expiration dates on those pre-approval letters are being held more stringently more and more these days.

If your market is heavy on Airbnbs, there is the option to market to those individuals looking for investment property.

Two weeks is WAYYYY too long. You will loose the momentum. As a person that does this with about 25% of his listings in 4 states; this is a bad idea. Never longer than a week.

Little reductions will kill you. If you discount a $500,000 home, say $3,000, yes it shows as a discount on the major sites to capture the eye, but when the consumer actually reviews it, and sees that it’s not significant, they tend to dismiss it. Consumers operate in brackets, meaning they shop up to their next price point. If your home is say, $495,000, they will shop up to $500,000. If you price at $505,000 but are willing to accept $495,000, they most likely won't see you. In this specific price range, a reduction of a minimum of $10,000 would be recommended and ideally $25,000.

Zillow is the number one website for these, and they used to be very highly rated, but as time has progressed, the consumer has realized that these values are terribly inaccurate. The only time I ever have someone site an internet estimate these days are people that have lived in their home for 20+ years and are not very in tune with the market

You can search sites like this, Zillow and Realtor.com for agents in your market that can assist.

Conventionally speaking, investments that people cannot "see" don't tend to carry the same financial return as "visual" enhancements. Doing this 20+ years, the new kitchen or bathroom has always brought more consumers in than the brand-new hot water heater or furnace.

Each market is different. 3 out of the 4 markets we operate in wouldn't even get 25% of that back. Florida is the exception but even then, $70,000 is steep unless the property is of major significance.