The Most Important Questions to Ask Thomasville Real Estate Agents

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Wednesday, May 25, 2011 7:46 AM 0 comments
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If you’re considering selling your home, you probably already know most of the questions you should ask Thomasville real estate agents you’re thinking of hiring, such as:

• How long have you been a Thomasville real estate agent? • Are you a full-time REALTOR®? • Do you specialize in my neighborhood? • How would you market my home?

Unfortunately, most sellers forget one of the most important questions to ask Thomasville real estate agents: How many of the homes you listed in the last 12 months actually sold?

The answer to this question gets to the heart of whether the agents are good at selling real estate. They’ll have very few sold homes in comparison to the number of homes they listed, if they:

• Over-price homes • Under-market homes • Don’t know how to negotiate • Aren’t good at (or simply don’t do) the multitude of tasks knowledgeable real estate agents perform to get homes sold

If you discover that an agent has a higher percentage of listings that are withdrawn or expired and not renewed than other agents in the same area, keep looking.

Searching for agents who get homes sold? Congratulations, you’ve just found an office full of them! We’d be honored if you’d give us a chance to interview for the job of selling your home. Please call First Thomasville Realty at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com to schedule an interview.

Thomasville Home for Sale: Improve Lighting to Increase Value

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Wednesday, May 18, 2011 6:35 AM 0 comments
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The right lighting can make your home appear bigger and fresher. It makes a small room look bigger and a large room seem more intimate. It can also add value to your Thomasville home for sale. Just like furniture, lighting can be used as home décor to make your home more beautiful and functional. Done correctly, lighting can positively impact the way buyers view your Thomasville home for sale – and for far less money than other decoration options. For maximum impact, every room in your home should have three layers of light: 1. Ambient Lighting: Ambient lighting provides overall illumination for the whole room. Typical lighting fixtures for this layer include ceiling fixtures such as recessed lights, chandeliers and surface-mounted lights. 2. Task Lighting: Task lighting focuses on a specific area of the room where activities like playing cards, reading or sewing require additional light. It can be as simple as under-cabinet lighting in a kitchen or a reading lamp by a chair. 3. Accent Lighting: Accent lighting creates drama in a room by highlighting architectural features, paintings, statues and other decorative items. Accent lights should be small and specifically directed toward the decorative piece you want to accentuate. One of the most popular forms of accent lighting is track lighting. Thinking of putting your Thomasville home up for sale? Let us give you a free in-home consultation to determine if subtle changes in lighting, or other home improvements, can improve your sales price or time on market. Call First Thomasville Realty today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com to schedule your free consultation.

Thomasville Real Estate: How to Clean Up after Dusty DIY Projects

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Wednesday, May 11, 2011 7:33 AM 0 comments
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So, you’ve decided that you want to take on a home improvement project. You’ll save money, increase the value of your Thomasville real estate and experience the great feeling of doing it yourself.

But have you considered what it’s going to be like afterwards, when it’s time for the clean up? Construction dust hangs in the air, finds its way into every nook and cranny of your Thomasville real estate and seems to last for an eternity.

You try vacuuming up the dust, but find you can’t seem to get rid of it all. Here are the steps

I’ve found that work best for removing that fine dust:

1. Sweep the walls with a clean broom to remove the dust. Use a paint brush to get the dust out of all the corners. Let the dust settle for an hour or two.

2. Vacuum the floors. Do not start by sweeping them with a broom. No matter what type of floors you have, even if they’re wood or tile, use a vacuum. A shop vac with a brush attachment and a HEPA filter works best. (The fine construction dust could damage a typical household vacuum.) Vacuum slowly to avoid stirring up the dust.

3. Mop the floors. Add 1 cup of vinegar to a bucket of water. Mop thoroughly, rinsing your mop frequently.

4. Examine your walls the following day. If you see dust, sweep them again. Then wipe down the entire surface with a wet cloth or sponge. Rinse your wet cloth or sponge frequently. NOTE: If your project included new drywall, do not use anything wet on the drywall. The topping compound used over the drywall seams and nail heads is very lightweight material that is feather sanded to perfection. Wiping it with a damp sponge could damage it.

5. Repeat. If your floors look dull, or if you can see construction dust on them, vacuum and mop them again as outlined in 2 and 3 above.

If you’re going to paint, wait until the majority of the dust has been removed before you start. You don’t have to remove every speck of dust from your walls before painting, but you don’t want to paint over a lot of dust. Clean walls make painting easier and the results better.

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The Ransom Reid House History

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Monday, May 9, 2011 9:48 AM 0 comments

Posted via email from Thomasville Georgia Real Estate Media

9 Tips for First-time Thomasville Home Buyers

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Wednesday, May 4, 2011 7:28 AM 0 comments
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Are you a first-time home buyer? There are a lot of things you’ll want to learn before making that first purchase. Here are 9 tips to help you get a Thomasville home you’ll love and be prepared for additional costs you may not have considered:

1. Ask yourself if you're ready. Are you financially ready to buy a Thomasville home? Do you have a steady job and income? Do you have money for the down payment?

2. Get pre-approved. When you get pre-approved for a mortgage loan, your lender checks your credit and lets you know the amount of mortgage for which you qualify. Having a pre-approved loan will put you at the top of the list when presenting an offer.

3. Identify closing costs. The cost of closing on the sale of your Thomasville home shouldn't be overlooked. Closing costs include origination fees, title and settlement fees, taxes and prepaid items such as homeowner’s insurance or homeowner’s association fees.

4. Calculate your total monthly housing cost. Include taxes and homeowners insurance. In some areas, what you'll pay for your taxes and insurance escrow almost doubles your mortgage payment.

5. Include home maintenance expenses in your budget. Maintaining your investment can be labor-intensive and expensive. Unexpected costs for new appliances, roof repairs and plumbing problems can drain your bank account.

6. Find a Thomasville home. Identify the neighborhood, you want to live in. Hire a full-time REALTOR® who specializes in that neighborhood to help you find and negotiate the purchase of the home.

7. Get a home inspection. Make sure your agent includes a home inspection contingency in your offer to buy a home. If you're unsatisfied with anything found in the home inspection, have your agent negotiate with the seller to make repairs, pay for repairs or lower the price.

8. Make it to closing. You have your financing, your offer has been accepted, and you’re anxiously awaiting the day you close on your home. Now, you just have to make sure you don’t do anything to jeopardize your credit. Do not change jobs, buy a new car or apply for credit cards.

9. Celebrate. Congratulations! You’re now the proud owner of your first home. Buying your first home can be exciting, especially if you’re knowledgeable about the process and prepared.

If your goal for this year is to be a first-time homeowner, let First Thomasville Realty guide you through the process of finding and buying a home. Give us a call today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com for more information.

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