All Forum Posts by: Mindy Jensen

That is a great idea, Dawn. Thanks for sharing. I am looking to get into rentals, and it never occurred to me that a renter may not have curtains.

I'm sorry Kevin, but that advice seems like it would backfire more times than it would work. Unless you are in a redhot market, I think you would turn off many buyers. Also, who is looking at a price range that large? If I can pay $408,000, I am not looking at $250,000 houses, generally. (Speaking as an end buyer.)

When I see houses so obviously mis-listed, I don't think I am getting a bargain and I most certainly don't make an offer. I simply walk away and find another property.

Eric, to list as an FSBO would not generate any market time, unless you also listed on the local MLS. I would not recommend listing it too much before it is finished, simply for the reasons stated above. Buyers cannot visualize. They cannot see what isn't there.

Good luck!

I hate to disagree with Steve Babiak on anything, but unless the house is a brand new build, it is a used house. Used houses come with used appliances. I see nothing wrong with appliances that look nice, but are refurbished. As long as the dent isn't in the front panel, it should be fine.

That said, depending on your area, that may not cut it. I live near Boulder, CO and people there routinely offer appliances for sale on Craigslist because they want all new ones that "match". You never know what will turn off a buyer. 

Good luck!

CS has the Air Force Academy, which makes a 2/1 rental an awesome investment. (If you are considering rentals, be flexible with servicemen when they need to get out of the lease early.) When considering adding a 3rd bedroom to the property, don't just guess that the lot will allow for the addition. Go to the building inspector's office and make sure. We bought a house with an illegal addition 10 feet too close to the lot line. They allowed us to keep the current addition but would not let us build above it, which was the original plan. Which we didn't discover until after closing...

I had a pink bathtub that I painted white. The process takes a little while, and you must follow the instructions to the letter. I had never done it before, and it turned out great. Looked like a white tub, rather than a tub that I had painted. It does stink, though. Way cheaper than hiring someone, if you have the time to do it. Read all the instructions before you start. Follow them to the letter. You'll have a great looking finished product. Good luck!

There are Menard's stores in Wichita, KS. Last time I lived near one was a couple of years ago, but they sold those off-the-shelf granite counters that look really nice.

You should have great pictures, but you should keep these pictures up until you get the great pictures. The pictures you have accurately convey the current state of the house. You want to give people a reason to come see it. That kitchen is beautiful!

Are you using a real estate agent to sell this property? Being listed on the MLS is the best thing to do to get your house sold. You reach the most people this way - almost every buyer is using an agent to help them find a house.

The Zillow page, if you scroll down to the bottom, shows that you bought it for $53,000. The Z-estimate shows it at $202k, while you have listed it at $249k. Zillow estimates can be off for the whole area, or spot-on. How did you come up with the price?

As for dropping the price every two weeks, I would ask your agent. I have an agent friend who listed a house at $350K because the owner didn't want to deal with the looky-loos. He could have easily sold it for $315-315 in the first couple of weeks, but since he priced it way too high, it sat on the market for 5 months (in an area where listings sell in days) and he ended up taking $280 for it. All because he priced it too high on the outset. So take into account your agent's advice. Better to "leave" a couple thousand on the table and get a quick sale, than lose multiple thousands because you tried to chase a few more dollars. 

As for staging, I think that can help sell a house, especially odd-sized rooms or weird layouts. If your house is fairly easy to figure out, you could probably skip it.

Good luck!

I would get the real estate purchase contract specific to your state. If you are bypassing a real estate agent, I would recommend hiring a real estate attorney. They will probably have one, and unless you are an attorney, you don't want to go toe to toe with one, when so much is at stake.

Good luck!

I love the USB outlets! Also, the ground should go toward the bottom :).

My father in law is an electrician, and whenever we remodel a kitchen for personal use, I have him put 2 outlets side by side, in several places in the kitchen. I never want to have to unplug anything in order to plug something else in. Doesn't cost much more, but I have so much more convenience. 

Just my two cents. Good luck!

I am assuming you are a novice flipper. As such, if your gut tells you to walk away, listen. Better to wish you had bought a property, than to wish you had not. Deals may be harder to locate, but the right one will come around.