So we are in a down economy and real estate prices have tanked into double digits in the last few years. If you are trying to sell your house what are you going to do? There are a lot of houses on the market right now and that includes a boat load of foreclosures. If the competition is so stiff for selling a home and your having trouble finding a buyer, you might want to try and do something that makes you stand out. There are a lot of different ways to make your home stand out above the rest and the most overlooked and easiest to remedy is curb appeal. You can learn more at www.augustalistingexpert.com If the buyer can’t get passed the first impression than you will lose them immediately. Tidy up the outside, mow your lawn, trim your bushes, run the edger to make clean lines, add some fresh flowering plants to make the outside look warm and friendly. If you don’t have landscaping, then I would suggest you get some. You should be able to cover the cost of the landscaping in the sale of your house. If you have leaves on the ground, rake them up or sweep them away. I have even seen a service that will paint your lawn green to give it that clean fresh look of a healthy lawn. If you need to do some touch up paint then make that happen.

These are little things that can make a world of difference in selling your home and making it stand out above the rest. You have to make sure they remember your house when there are so many to choose from. So think to yourself what you can do to make your house memorable. You will be glad you did when that contract that you have been waiting for finally arrives. If you would like to know more about preparing your house to sell please visit the Augusta Listing Expert for more information and check out our sellers resources page.

It’s no question that the recovery of our economy is taking it’s time. Every sector seems to be slow to jump back up and act like normal. Everyone is so cautious about spending and that transcends over into real estate. Real estate is a big purchase and people are afraid to purchase big ticket items when the future seems uncertain. If you would like to know more about real estate in Chapel Hill please visit www.chapelhillrealty.com. It will probably be a long time before we see the recovery that everyone is hoping for. There are some high points though in some real estate markets. Houses and condo pending sales in the greater Miami-South Dade area increased by close to 41 percent in the last year. Washington DC and much of Texas also saw an increase in pending sales, with the entire southern area showing an increase of around 3.7 percent.

So there is not all bad news to report. These numbers at least show us that there are changes taking place and for some that is all they need for them to be secure enough to go out and purchase again. If fact the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that application for new loans increased by 2 percent and FHA loan applications are up by 3 percent.

These are modest gains, but gains none the less. With the unemployment rate declining hope is being restored slowly. There is still a lot of skepticism out there about the future of our country, economy, and our lives. When people don’t feel secure there is not much freedom to spend and share. Insecurity makes people think inward and manifest in them holding on to things. The recovery is slow, but there are positive signs that are helping most to believe that we have suffered the worst. If this is true than you will see people feeling a little more free to get out of their shell and spend. Hopefully the recovery will be faster than expected. For information about Chapel Hill Real Estate and homes for sale visit Chapel Hill Realty.