The Basics of Selling a Home in Thomasville

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Wednesday, December 9, 2009 1:19 PM 0 comments
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The process of selling your home can differ from state to state. Before putting your house in Thomasville on the market, there are some important steps you must take to get the most from your investment and to protect your interests.


Step One
Get pre-approved to buy another house before you sign a contract to sell your own home. If your financial situation changed since your last purchase, it’s possible that you may no longer qualify for another loan. You may also be unable to sell your house for a price that will allow you to buy another house you want. This way, you won’t end up renting or buying a house you don’t really want. When applying for a pre-approval, be sure the lender discloses the estimated costs required for you to purchase a new home, such as: the loan price, down payment, new insurance, title and inspections fees.


Step Two
Call your lender to check the mortgage pay off and calculate the estimated proceeds. First, you will need to subtract the mortgage pay off from the fair market value of your home. Second, you will need to subtract the costs to sell your home from the remainder in order to get an idea of the proceeds you can expect to be paid at closing.


Step Three
Determine your homes fair market value. Most real estate agents will gladly help you determine the market value as a courtesy and may also give you helpful hints to what you can do to increase the value of your house. You may also consider hiring a licensed appraiser, which you will have to pay for out of pocket, to perform an appraisal on the subject property.


Professional appraisers will provide you with a detailed report that will usually include: the neighboring property values in comparison to your own, an evaluation of the real estate market in your area, harmful issues to the property’s value and any defective qualities.


Step Four
Estimate what it will cost you to sell your house. If you are using a real estate agent, you may have to pay their commission. If you are planning to sell by owner, then you must consider the advertising, signs, attorney fees, closing agents and other possible fees involved. These other fees may include: appraisal, inspections, surveys, taxes and home owner association fees. Real estate agents can give you a more precise estimate of the closing costs and any other fees that may be involved. Real estate agents are professionals that deal with these transactions every day and can prove to be a valuable asset to you.


Step Five
Make repairs. Whether these repairs can be done by you or by hiring a contractor, they should be completed. If there are too many repairs that need to be done, your home will be considered a fixer upper. You want to get the most out of your house and dissuade potential buyers from submitting insultingly low offers. These repairs can range from fixing a broken window, adding a fresh coat of paint, replacing or repairing the flooring, to spackling a hole in the wall. The larger repairs may include fixing a damaged roof or repairing damaged siding. Other issues that can deter a potential buyer is mold and mildew stains and odors, leaky basements, lead based paint, broken gutters, location or type of circuit breaker, plumbing problems and old or faulty electrical wiring.


Step Six
Before you show your house, do some spring cleaning, regardless of what season it actually is. Organize your shelves and closets, wash the crayons off the wall, dust off the blinds and window sills, clean away the cob webs and wash all windows and appliances. You will want to make everything as spotless as possible and remove any offensive odors and clear the clutter. You will need to present your home in a clean and appealing way to the potential buyers.


You may also need to work on the exterior part of the house by scraping and painting porches and windows or maintaining an appealing lawn. You can also add low maintenance decorative flowering plants and shrubs to dress up your yard.


Now that your home is ready to show, make it accessible to real estate agents with potential buyers at all times. Most buyers feel more comfortable being shown a house when the owner is not present. If you decide to take a walk while your house is being showed, make a note to the agent if there are any pets on the premises. You will want to be sure that your cat doesn’t get out the door or that your dog is securely locked up in a crate or in the back yard. You want everything to go as smoothly as possible.


For more information on getting your Thomasville home ready to put on the market, give First Thomasville Realty a call at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com .

The Basics of Buying a Thomasville Home

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Wednesday, December 2, 2009 7:31 AM 0 comments
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Buying a home in Thomasville can be one of the biggest and most important investments you can make. The process of buying the home that you want can be a long and tedious process, taking up most of your time. It’s up to you, as the consumer, to ask any questions, pay attention to details and to learn about the real estate market in the area in which you intend to buy.


Step One
You must know what your wants and needs are before embarking on the long journey of house hunting. Taking a piece of paper, sit down and write down all the features that are most important to you:


Are you looking for a house in a specific city, neighborhood or school district?
How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you want or need?
Do you want off street parking, or a one or two car garage?
If you operate a home based business, are there any restrictions in the area you intend to buy in?
Do you want a finished basement or attic space?
Do you want a ranch style home or two story house?
Do you want a central air unit?
Do your want a furnace or a boiler for heat?
Now, on a separate piece of paper, write down all the features that you absolutely do not want in a house:
Living in a congested part of town.
Living next to an airport, train station or highway.
A home that is in great need of repair.
A home with too many stairs.
Keep this list in mind as you look at houses. This list may also change from time to time as you look at houses. You may choose to add or remove certain features you do not want or are willing to make compromises on. Don’t be disappointed if you can not find the “perfect” home. Most homes do not come “perfect,” they can only be made that way through time and patience.


Step Two
Before you begin looking at properties, you will need to get your finances in order. This will be a good time to review your credit report and possibly clean it up a bit to improve your credit score. It’s important to check your credit report to make sure there are no discrepancies. Any past due amounts should be paid in full or most companies will be willing to negotiate a settlement price to close the debt.


For example: If you have a past due credit card debt you no longer use and that has been entered into collections at an amount of $900. You may be able to offer the company a settlement of $500 to settle that debt and have the debt stricken from your records. Before paying this settlement, have this agreement in writing. Be sure to keep all of the receipts to the items you settle on your credit report because it may take weeks or even months for the settled debt to be removed from your credit report.


Step Three
Now decide what kind of property you are interested in buying. Are you interested in a HUD, foreclosure, real estate or for sale by owner property? There are many web sites on line where you can find homes by city, state, or price range. On these sites, you can see the picture of the home, many with virtual tours, and review the listing features and details.


Step Four
Now is the time to find a lender and get pre-approved for the loan. This will give you a better understanding of what price range you can look into. Being pre-approved also serves a great advantage for when you find the home that you want, so that you can move ahead and place an offer on the house without having to wait on a pre-approval while someone else steps in and takes the house right from under you.


Lenders may offer special programs on loans, such as the FHA or Ameri-Dream, that can save you extra money in the closing process. Before deciding on a loan, ask the lender about any of these special programs and what would work to your advantage.


Step Five
Most first time home buyers prefer to work closely with a reputable real estate agent, regardless of the type of property you wish to buy. Real estate agents are very knowledgeable and can give you many helpful tips and information that can benefit you. They are also great negotiators and will help explain the complicated paperwork involved when placing an offer on the house or when closing a deal. Be certain that your real estate agent is working for you as the buyer and not for the seller of the house you would like to purchase. This can lead to a conflict of interests and cause many problems.


Choosing a real estate agent to work with should take more than picking a number out of the phone book. Talk to your friends and neighbors and ask them for any recommendations. You should only work with an agent you feel comfortable with.


When you're ready to buy your new home, First Thomasville Realty is ready to be there for you through the entire process. With over 50 years of experience in all types of markets, our agents would love to have the opportunity to show you why First Thomasville Realty should be your FIRST CHOICE!

Thomasville GA Christmas Parade Tonight!

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Monday, November 30, 2009 5:18 AM 0 comments
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The Thomasville Georgia holiday season kicks off tonight when we welcome Santa Claus during the annual Downtown Christmas Parade at 6:30 pm. Downtown Thomasville will be lit up with parade floats, bands, and other holiday units.


Thomasville Georgia is a wonderful place to live, work and shop... so why not make the move to our wonderful community! For more information on Thomasville and homes for sale in the Thomasville area visit First Thomasville Realty on the web or give us a call at 229-226-6515.

Historic Thomasville Homes: Things to know before you buy

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Wednesday, November 25, 2009 8:12 AM 0 comments
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Historic Thomasville homes can be breath taking and fascinating. They are a wondrous form of beauty. The ones that have lived for many years can hold secrets and stories passed down for generations. Buying a historical house can be used for later for many different reasons, from personal living to renovating for historical tours. When choosing a historical home for any reason, there are some things you should be aware of.


Some dwellings of this type can be too run down to renovate. If they are infested with pests, this could take major renovations and not be worth the cost or time to fix. The building could be so ancient that it will be impossible to bring up to modern day regulations. Investing in a home of this degree can be costly. These old building sometimes will have no previous electricity and running water. Completely remodeling a house like this would be very time consuming and expensive. Of course you can do this task if you are knowledgeable in extensive building. Older homes were not built like newer homes today. Foundations may need to be completed redone to meet today’s codes and regulations. Hiring someone that specializes in renovations may be your best bet.


Another thing to consider is the planning and any city licenses you will need before beginning your renovations. Do you have the time and energy to plan a whole reconstruction? You must have documents and sketches of what needs to be done. The whole process will be time consuming. Before buying the house take notes on any major repairs that will need to be done. Price these and calculate how much time and money this will cost. Decide on whether you can do the job yourself or if you need to hire a specialized contractor. What will fit in your budget? Maybe you can do some of the work while hiring a contractor for other projects. Also, a building planner or architect might be a good choice to consult.


Research the permits and zoning laws for this type of project. They differ in every county. The last thing you would like to do is purchase a home that restricts you from renovations. There may be some sanctions against doing everything in your mind. You need to be cautious of property taxes and the cost of permits and licensing for renovations. Check to see if a historical group has a lean on your new home. This may restrain you from performing the remodeling that you would like. Historical groups can also require that certain the home be used for a particular purpose.


Learn the history of the house you hope to purchase. Learning more about the previous owners and what the house was previously used for can give you an idea for future uses. Many older homes will have an interesting story to tell. Do not get caught up in a home that may not be suitable because if its background. If the home you are considering has an unfavorable history you may want to reconsider purchasing this particular house. Perhaps the history is so compelling the choice to it into a museum or another kind of landmark is in the future. When exploring the history of the home, you may find some facts that do not appeal to your family will this be a concern if you are purchasing the house as a family residence?


Choosing the correct structure to accomplish what you home is an important step. There are many different types of older dwellings. These include Victorian style homes, farmhouses on acres of land, and even older style business buildings. Look into several types before deciding how to proceed. Older homes can be found in town or out in the country. A long forgotten Ma and Pa shop or a soda jerk business may be just what you’re looking for. When searching for a place to restore and make workable once again choose the place that interests you the most.
For a residence, newer homes may not be your forte. Older homes with time and effort may be well worth the price and time needed. Many people disagree on the best way to restore older homes. The only way you can be absolutely sure this is the step you would like to take is to study and research different methods. Historic Thomasville homes can be revived into beautiful structures.


For more information on the beautiful historic homes in Thomasville, visit First Thomasville Realty or email us at info@FTRealty.com .

Curb Appeal: Make your Thomasville home stand out!

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Wednesday, November 18, 2009 10:07 AM 0 comments
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Enhancing the look of your Thomasville home from a street perspective is a great way to attract potential buyers. After all, the ‘curb appeal’ of your home is like a major plus for people driving through your neighbourhood or who see your house in a real estate for-sale photo. By putting in a little extra effort, you can improve your home’s curb appeal and increase your chances of an earlier sale at a higher price.


You probably live in the house you are trying to sell, and therefore you are familiar with its appearance – perhaps too familiar. Chances are, you don’t notice small cracks or peeling paint the same way someone seeing your home for the first time would. Starting from a position on the street, take a close look at your home. What stands out? What looks wrong? Does the tree in front need pruning? Perhaps a shutter needs to be repainted? Maybe the porch light fixture is broken. These are generally small tasks that don’t take a lot of time or money to repair, but that make – or detract—from the look of your home. It may help to take a photograph of your home from the street to see if that gives you a new perspective.


Here are some areas to consider when sprucing up your home for increased curb appeal and sale:


You will have more potential buyers in people can find your house. Your house number should be displayed in a prominent location and illuminated so that it is easy to read. This is extremely important in the evening and during the winter when daylight is limited. If your house is set back a fair distance from the street, consider installing your number on a gate, pillar or fence post that is easy to see.


The old adage that cleanliness is next to godliness applies to your house, too, particularly when you want to sell. The exterior, including eavestroughs, should be neat, clean and in good repair. Downspouts should have extensions to take water away from the foundation to avoid pooling. Any settling of backfill around a house should be corrected to ensure that the grade at the foundation is higher than surrounding areas.


A lush green lawn enhances your home. It should be freshly cut, weeded, and edged. Flower beds should be weeded and cultivated, hedges trimmed, and garden debris removed. If your lawn isn't in good shape, time will be required to improve it, and professional help may be desirable. Any areas that require new grass should be sodded rather then re-seeded to ensure a finished appearance. If you are selling during the fall or winter, when your yard may not look its best, make sure that all dead material is removed from gardens and leaves are raked off the lawn. Store shovels and other equipment in a shed or other out-of-sight location.


Doors should be unmarred, clean, and repainted with care if necessary. The doorbell and door hardware should be in good repair. Potential purchasers who see a Realtor wrestling with a reluctant door lock may wonder what else is wrong with the house.


When a Realtor is opening the door of your home, a potential purchaser has plenty of time to look at the porch and entry. Accordingly, they should be clean and tidy. Do not allow flyers to accumulate, and if there is a doormat, it should be clean and in good condition. Decoration such as a tasteful wreath is fine, but don’t overwhelm your entry and door with frilly adornments.


Your garage should be a storage area for automobiles, not for miscellaneous articles. To make the best impression, it should be clean and tidy, with garden tools hung neatly off to one side or in a storage cabinet. If they can't be stored elsewhere, bicycles, the snow blower, and the lawn mower should be placed so as not to impede movement around the cars. Garbage containers should be empty and clean. Illumination should be bright, ideally with a 150 watt bulb, at least during the listing period.


The driveway should be degreased and sealed.


Walkways and patios should be clean and free of cracks, with litter removed (if your walkway or patio has unwanted grass or weeds they can be eliminated easily and in an environmentally friendly way with boiling water or a propane torch). In winter, the driveway, walks, and porch stoop should be cleared of snow and salted if necessary. Inside the front door should be an overshoe tray, and a carpeted area where overshoes can be removed.


Your home is an investment, and by taking a little time to put it in top form, you will get a higher return on that investment when you decide to sell.


For more Tips to help your Thomasville home sell faster visit First Thomasville Realty or email us at info@FTRealty.com.

Good News for Thomasville Home Buyers - $8000 Tax Credit Extension

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Friday, November 13, 2009 6:19 AM 0 comments
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It’s no secret that the United States real estate and mortgage lending markets have been in a bad situation lately. With people losing their jobs and savings accounts, fewer and fewer people have been able to pursue their dreams of owning their own homes, and this has meant a serious decline in the industries that depend on new and repeat homebuyers for their success, namely banks and real estate agents. To combat this real estate slump and encourage people to pursue their plans of owning their own homes, the federal government recently announced that it would offer an $8000 Tax Credit Extension for new homebuyers that sign a contract on a home by April 30, 2010.


This is good news for the first time homebuyers out there that were wishing that they could have taken advantage of this great money saving offer, but for one reason or another were unable to get into contract on a home by the beginning of November, 2009, which was the original tax credit deadline. Because the legal jargon of the government extensions stipulates only that you must enter into a contract by the end of April, 2010, and that you have until the end of June 2010 to close on the home, home buyers will have the opportunity to claim the credit on either their 2009 or 2010 taxes.


Now, if you’ve already purchased your first home, but are interested in buying a new one in the near future, you’re probably wishing that you could still take advantage of this great tax credit, and the good news is that you still can! Language in the new legislation points out that there will also be a $6500 tax credit for repeat homebuyers as well. This means that it is never too late to take advantage of this offer and make your home owning dreams come true.


If you are interested in taking advantage of the $8000 Tax Credit Extension for new homebuyers or the $6500 tax credit for repeat homebuyers, you should talk to your preferred mortgage lender right away, as they will help you to develop a timeline that will ensure that all of the parts of the process are completed by the qualifying dates. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a little boost when it comes to starting life off right in your new home, so make sure you seize the opportunity today.


For more information on the $8000 First Time Buyers Tax Credit or the Existing Home Buyers $6500 Tax Credit contact First Thomasville Realty at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com .

For Sale by Owner: Selling your Thomasville home yourself

Posted by First Thomasville Realty, Ltd. Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:02 AM 0 comments
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A new twist exists to selling your home as a FSBO (For Sale by Owner), and it’s no surprise either – the internet. Just as intriguing is your option of the plethora of websites that are now popping up all over the internet, the “we list site”.


Devilishly enterprising individuals have created internet websites that offer a FSBO the opportunity to look totally professional when selling their home. The popularity of such sites is in response to the rising costs of housing, and the associated realtors fees and commissions incurred when selling a home. It’s the new wave of home selling without the benefit of a realtor, and there are unexpected costs, and associated risks when attempting to sell your home as a FSBO.



Because of the advent of the internet people that are wanting to sell their homes no longer have to settle for sticking a homemade sign in their front yard, and just running a local ad in a newspaper. For a fee mass marketing gurus provide internet instructions to FSBOs a semi instructional guide for the steps necessary to sell their homes.


There are many services that you can garner from using an online website to sell your home, but remember that you as the seller must be aware of the risk of taking advice from any internet website. Often times there are other issues that you might not be aware of when ordering their services too, such as unexpected costs associated with the listing of your home, or even different levels of membership packages. Here is a typical outline that many websites promote for their online services but sellers beware.



Payment For Services – Different types of packages are available, and cost varies. Remember to read the fine print. Payment is usually accepted via a credit card.



Picture Submittal Service – Limitations exist on the amount of pictures that you will be able to submit. Additional fees are required if you feel that more are required to show off your home to its best potential. Also, if your not to handy with a camera, or don’t have the requested type of camera for the picture, a submittal fee is charged if you need them to take the pictures for you.



Yard Sign Service – In many packages a professional looking yard sign is available, but for an extra rental fee. Understand too that any unintentional damage to the sign will cost you for replacement. If ordering more than one sign to place at other areas to advertise your home there is extra cost associated with it too. Sites that advertise their service also state that they are not responsible for any damage to any buried services, such as electrical, gas or telephone lines due to the placement of their signs. It’s your responsibility to find the existing lines and finical liability.



Paper Advertisements of Flyers/Brochures Service – Basic print advertisements in a pre – designed format is an additional cost. You will need to be able to print quality advertisements from home on high grad stock or glossy paper, or incur the cost of having them professionally printed.



Print Purchase and Counter Offer Form Service – These forms are available for you to print with an additional fee.



Disclosure Property Forms – Usually there are no additional fees, but the standard disclosure form, and the federally mandated lead disclosure form are released only when services are paid for in advance. This does not include other attorney’s fees for the review of the forms to ensure complicity to the federal, state and local requirements.



Curb Box Advertisement Holder Service – For an additional fee a separate informational wooden sign may be rented, or a tube attached to your rented for sale sign. Again, any damage to the individual sign or tube will be your finical responsibility.



As you can see a careful evaluation is needed when considering using an internet website as a FSBO. Hidden cost can quickly eat up profits, and expose you to extensive law suits by unhappy buyers. Without the use of a REALTOR that is a trained professional you loose out on their insight and experience when trying to sell your home. Remember to read the fine print and carefully weigh your options.

Should you have questions or need further information please contact First Thomasville Realty at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com


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