your home may not sell, but

you can always compensate

for a less-than-perfect loca-

tion with a better price.

Here are five tips to sell your home this spring. Price it right

Even though prices are rising in

some areas, sellers need to be

reasonable and compare their

homes to similar properties that

have recently sold.

Pay attention to curb appeal

Buyers decide within 60 sec-

onds of seeing a home whether

they want to consider buying it.

Trimming trees and bushes so

buyers can see the house, and

pressure-washing the driveway,

front walk, house and patio. I

suggest cleaning and painting

the front door because buyers

must linger at the door while

they wait for the agent to open

the lockbox.

Am I a Buyers

market or a sellers

market?

Even though

we are heading

back to a sell-

ers market, we are still in the

downswing going up.

Spring might be an even live-

lier home-selling season this

year because homebuyers want

to act before interest rates or

home prices rise.

Even so, buyers insist on good

deals. Even in seller's markets,

where the supply of homes for

sale can't meet demand from

buyers, the overpriced homes

are at a disadvantage.

We're seeing competing offers

for some homes, but houses

with too-high asking prices

aren't selling at all.

3 things sell a home in any

season: location, condition and

price.

If one of those three isn't good,

If you want to sell your home this Spring, prepare for Buyer demand.

A Business Motto for

the Month

8 MISTAKES 2

MY BLOG 2

BUSINESS OF THE MONTH 3

RECEIPE 3

PUZZLE 3

ASK MR. KW 3

PROPERTIES & TY’S 4

Inside this issue:

March 2016

W H E R E O U R C L I E N T S C O M E F I R S T

The Mike Fitzpatrick Team 267-549-2505

Keller Williams Real Estate Serving PA/NJ 215.464.8800

“You cant live a perfect day with-out doing some-

thing for someone who will never be

able to repay you.”

John Wooden

Philadelphia City Lift Program

Get help with your down payment. Apply

for down payment assistance from local

nonprofit groups, when the program is

available in your area.

Find out if you’re ready to buy a

home. Financial education is

available to help buyers prepare

for homeownership.

Philadelphia City Lift Program

You can apply for the program if

you are approved for home fi-

nancing and you meet the income

restrictions. Whether this is your

first home or you are ready to

buy again, there are a number

of homebuyer education re-

quirements that must be com-

pleted prior to the home pur-

chase.

Step 1: Get a preapproval

Step 2: Take homebuyer edu-

cation

Step 3: Search for a home

Step 4: Sign a purchase con-

tract

Step 5: Qualify for the program

Step 6: Move forward with home

financing

Step 7: Close on your new home

For more information register to

our Free Real Estate Seminar at

215-464-880 ask for Maria

https://www.facebook.com/Themikefitzpatrickteam/?ref=hl

Pare down possessions

If you have 17 sweaters, you need to pare

it down to two, so your closets look big-

ger. Pack up anything you want to keep,

and put it off-site in a pod or a storage

unit because you want your home to look

like it always has plenty of space in all

the closets.

Do pre-inspection repairs

If you haven't maintained your home, you

may want to hire your own home inspec-

tor before your home goes on the market

so that you can make appropriate repairs

before you try to sell it.

Hire a marketing magician

The majority of buyers start their home

search online. To sell a home this spring,

hire a Realtor who will make sure that

professional photos, a virtual tour and a

vibrant description are widely available

on multiple websites. More buyers are

using mobile phones and tablets to search

for homes, so marketing materials should

be easy to navigate from those devices,

too.

Page 1

Be careful Calling that number on the For Sale Sign!!!!

8 Mistakes to avoid if you are thinking of building or remodeling a home

5. Work that you can do to reduce costs – Ask the builder what

sweat equity he/she will allow you to do to help reduce costs.

Painting the walls or staining the trim. Maybe you have a friend

who is a licensed electrician who would charge you less.

6. Think about the upgrades – When a builder provides you with a

price to build your home/remodeling, it’s usually based on

“medium grade” materials. Take kitchen cabinets for example.

What type, color and grade are included? Or should you pay

$8,000 extra for solid maple cabinets instead? It depends on your

budget and if you can find something that you like in the medium

grade so you can use the money for something else. Other than

you loving maple wood, there is very little resale value in up-

graded cabinets when it comes time to sell. Consider only add-

ing your MUST HAVE upgrades.

7. Think about selling your home in the future – Even if you never

plan to sell your home, your descendants may have to do so.

Build your home so it’s not a nightmare to sell.

8. Think about monthly mortgage payments – When you have been

preapproved for your mortgage amount there are a few things to

consider.

A. What will the interest rate be when the home is completed?

B. How much will extra upgrades add to the monthly payment?

C. How much money will you need after the closing (window

coverings, furniture, landscaping)?

Have you ever walked into a home (either a brand new one or one that’s

been around for 25 years or more) and said to yourself, “I wonder what

the builder was thinking when they built this house?”

Maybe you are thinking of finally building your dream home. Or consid-

ering downsizing the one you currently own. Or need to remodel the one

you currently live in.

Here are 8 things to keep in mind:

1. Have a vision of what you want your home to look like. The floor

plan is just the first step in the process. There a hundreds of thou-

sands of decisions you will need to make. Take just the bathroom –

what color tile? What pattern? Will the cabinets match? Faucets?

Countertops? The floor? And that’s just one bathroom!

2. Find the right people – By people, I mean an architect, a builder, sub

-contractors, suppliers. Are they licensed and bonded? More impor-

tantly, can you get along with them? Do they offer suggestions? Are

they difficult to deal with?

3. Visit the construction site often – Be sure that the home/remodeling

is being built to your expectations. Ask questions. Make sugges-

tions. Visiting your home every other day is recommended.

4. Building too big of a home – Don’t think about what size you need

right now—but what you will need 7 to 10 years from now. A well-

designed 3,000 sq. ft. home may work just as well as an ill-designed

5,000 sq. ft. home.

Page 2

The Mike Fitzpatrick Team 267-549-2505 My

Blog Dual Agency-When a buyer is represented by the

same brokerage firm that has the listing, it is called

dual agency. When one agent represents both the

buyer and the seller in one transaction, it is also

called dual agency. In many states, dual agency is

illegal: it can be a conflict of interest that best

serves the broker.

In PA/NJ it is legal, and done the right way, it is

very beneficial. So please interview your agent.

I personally have done many dual transactions.

With full disclosure of course. In my opinion, how

can you fully represent the Seller in getting them

their highest and best price? How can you represent

the Buyer and get them their lowest price? Can not

be done. When this happens, I represent the trans-

action. As long as I make sure that I am meeting the

sellers’ needs and the buyers’ needs, this transac-

tion can happen.

Can you give advice? You have

to be careful. Because you have

knowledge of both parties finan-

cials and desires you really have

to stick to only giving “options”

of what they can do. Does that

seem fair? Yes and No. No, because the agent can not use any negotiat-

ing skills without hurting their clients. Yes. The agent has the flexibility

to use the certain resources to get the job done.

When I do dual agency I have to make sure it’s a WIN for the Seller at

the same time it’s a WIN for the Buyer. If not, I will advise the Buyer

to use a different agent.

Buyer’s mentality is to call the name on the sign to get the deal done.

That’s fine, but if you don't have someone negotiating for you, you

could be paying too much. For example, my last transaction I was able

to negotiate $9,000 off sales price, $7,000 in assist for closing cost,

$4,000 in repairs for inspections, and a home warranty totaling

$20,500.

Do you think if I was the listing agent I could've done that????

Ok. I got your attention now. If I'm new to the game, how do I choose a

Realtor?

Meet them. Are they listening to you? Or are they

talking about themselves. Are they showing you

properties that you want to see, or the ones they

want to show you? Did they show you how they

will find your home step by step?

Unless you are an expert in the real estate field, you could be leaving thousands of dollars on the settlement table. Or even worse, not getting full representation!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decora-

tion

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking

pan.

2. Combine the flour, 2/3 cup confectioners' sugar, and butter. Pat dough into

prepared pan.

3. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly golden. While the

crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, and lemon juice until

frothy. Pour this lemon mixture over the hot crust.

4. Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until light

golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

5. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar.

6. Cut into squares.

Bake Sale Lemon Bars

Puzzles

Page 3

Tips & Tricks

House Tip From The Mortgage Mom

Clean the Air Your home feels cleaner if it smells clean. Baking soda is your right-hand man for

the job. Use it when you vacuum your carpets, letting it absorb odor for 30 minutes

before you vacuum it up.

The Shower– Lemon oil works will on soap scum; use it on your glass shower

doors by spreading it on, then scrubbing it with a soapy sponge. Put a vinyl shower

curtain in the washing machine with two towels and a cup of vinegar. Hang it back to

dry.

Flooring—Ceramic tile can be cleaned like vinyl flooring, but if the grout is not

sealed it will darken and stain. You can seal it to prevent these stains, but first clean

it by scrubbing it with a degreaser and brush. If that fails, apply a bleach solution

then seal. Wood floors with a polyurethane finish are the easiest to maintain, and

only require a mopping with a mild cleanser. Waxed wood floors can be cleaned with

a solution of hot water and up to six tea bags. The tannic acid in the tea is good for

the wood, and it will not stain. Wring out the mop well before applying. Re-wax

your floors when a few drops of water darken the wood.

Take something away—This simple trick about fashion accessorizing works

well for the house, too. Not only does it look better, but it cuts down on your job of

maintaining your home. You do not have to throw or give away the items, you make

a storage box for seasonal rotation. I will help keep you house looking less cluttered,

and will cut down on things you have to dust. You can do the same thing in your

kitchen and bathroom with expired foods, medicines and makeup.

Apply a little consistent prevention with these ideas for home cleaning, and your

spring or fall cleaning days will be shorter and easier. Pair them with your own

clever home cleaning ideas and your home will stay clean and fresh year - round.

For more info call Deanne @ 609-605-7153

The Mike Fitzpatrick Team 267-549-2505 P R O P E R T I E S & T H A N K Y O U

We Are Always Thinking Real Estate!!!!

We are very low on inventory.

Are you thinking of selling?????

S

O

L

D

!

Are you a first time home buyer or seller? Do you want a refresher

course on buying or selling a home? If you answered yes to any of

these questions, our real estate seminar is for you! Real Estate pro-

fessionals tell you everything you need to know from A to Z on buy-

ing and selling a home. This seminar is completely FREE and re-

freshments will be served.

If you cannot make it this Wednesday that's okay! We have these

seminars every Wednesday at our Philadelphia Keller Williams of-

fice. 1917 Welsh Rd Philadelphia, PA 19115 and now in Washington

Twp, NJ for one on one sessions!

Contact Mike Fitzpatrick at 267-549-2505 or sell-

ing_your_house@yahoo.com to RSVP or for any questions!

For a List of more properties go to

www.lookatpahomes.com

Page 4