Should a Seller be at Home During a Showing?

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home showings, open house, sellers should leave, steer clear of showings

A delicate subject we sometimes have to approach with clients selling their home is the importance of steering clear of showings and open houses while prospective buyers are touring their home.

It can be touchy. After all, how do you kick someone out of their own house? Many buyers are anxious about the showing and open house process. They feel the need to hover in the wings, which I understand. There are several reasons why this is not the best idea.

Four Reasons Why Owners Sticking Around for a Showing/Open House is a Bad Idea:

1. We’ve had experiences where prospective buyers have actually passed on a showing once they’ve found out the current owners were home.

2. It’s important that buyers be able to visualize the home as “theirs already.” They need to be able to imagine living in the house, which is pretty tough to do with the owners making a sandwich in the kitchen.

3. Presence of a seller makes the prospective buyer feel guilty for “judging” the home. If the buyer isn’t given free range to evaluate the home, the doubt is enough to put them off the property entirely.

4. If all goes well, the buyer may want to stay for a time at the house and chat with the agent. This is a good sign (it means the buyer may be moving towards an offer), but with the seller present, it’s all but impossible.

We try not to offend our clients when we ask them to understand these reasons. While we empathize with the nervousness that accompanies the sales process, our goal is the smooth sale of their home. A little space for the prospective buyers is an important ingredient.

Stress-free showings are just one part of our approach to marketing your home to sell. Get in touch and we’d gladly show you what else we can do to get you top dollar for your home: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS – http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.HanleyShortSales.com

Accepting a Gift for a Downpayment

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disclosing the source of your down payment, down payment assistance, down payment gift, down payment help, gift, mortgage loan

Ready to buy your first home? Have a down payment ready to go? Before you apply for that mortgage, here’s something you should know about disclosing the source of your down payment.

Q: Part of my down payment was a gift from my parents. How will this impact my mortgage application?

A: It depends on the type of mortgage you’re applying for.

You should be prepared to explain your gift with documentation. While FHA loans typically will permit a down payment from a family source, your more conventional mortgage will expect at least 5% of the funds to have come from you.

One of the keys to ensuring this process goes smoothly is having documentation to back up your claim. Bank statements showing the source of the money (and when you received it) are a good place to start, along with a letter signed from your generous benefactor declaring the gift.

As a rule, you should be careful of any large deposits to your account (besides your regular pay).

I urge you to talk to a mortgage professional for complete details as they pertain to your specific situation.

Need a referral to a qualified mortgage broker? We’d be glad to share with you the names of people we know and trust. Contact us today for a referral: Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS 904-477-5278 Jennifer@HanleyHomeTeam.com

Never Forget Your Password Again

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computer password tools, password rules, resetting passwords, simplify passwords

Remember those days long, long ago when you could have one password for everything, and it was as simple as your kid’s name and birthday? (And you left it on a Post-It note stuck to your computer monitor?)

Well, those days are gone. Now you probably have a different password for almost every website you visit, and each of those sites has different rules for how long your password can be, and which characters you can use to make it.

A lot of time is wasted trying to remember (and then resetting) all of those forgotten passwords. Unfortunately, password security is vitally important. With bank accounts, medical information, and vital credit data just a username and password away from any computer, you absolutely must make strong passwords. Passwords aren’t guessed by human beings. They’re hacked by fast, sophisticated programs which can try millions of combinations almost instantly. (Did you know one of the most common passwords people use is actually… password?)

Here are two tools to help you create and remember strong passwords:

1. StrongPasswordGenerator.com – http://www.strongpasswordgenerator.com
This website uses JavaScript to automatically generate random passwords using length and character rules you can control. The passwords are generated right in your browser and are not tied or identified by your computer. You simply set the rules, click “Generate Strong Password” and the site gives you one you can copy/paste.

2. 1Password (https://agilebits.com/onepassword) & LastPass (http://www.lastpass.com)
1Password is an affordable software package that allows you to securely store and “automatically login” to websites using the passwords stored with your 1Password account. It works on iOS, Mac, and Android devices. It can also synchronize its database with Dropbox, meaning you can use 1Password securely on multiple computers. If you’re using Windows (or Mac, too), you should check out LastPass https://lastpass.com/index.php, which is free with an inexpensive premium option.

Protect yourself and save time!

By the way, you can also use these password tools to login and search for properties on our website! http://www.HanleyHomeTeam.com or http://www.shoppingjacksonvillehomes.com or call us 904-422-7626 – Kevin and Jennifer Hanley, REALTORS