	Service You Deserve, People You Trust ® !
	Donald James Onken REALTOR® (909) 915 - 1337		Park Place

ur#	02/27/2007	Name Password	1955 Hunts Lane, San Bernardino, California 92408

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Pricing your home

How much equity do you have to work with? Consider these factors:

When you begin the decision-making process of buying your first home, your GMAC Real Estate sales professional can guide you through the pros and cons of renting vs. buying. A simple evaluation can help you decide if you are financially and personally ready to make the investment of homeownership.

Before you set an asking price for your home, your GMAC Real Estate sales professional can help you complete a Home Market Analysis. The Home Market Analysis presents an opportunity to review and evaluate the facts before you make a very important decision -- the price you'll ask for your home. Even though we'll set the market range for your home, you determine the actual listing price.

If you want to sell quickly, your home should probably be listed on the lower end of the price range we determine. On the other hand, you may be in no hurry and more interested in obtaining maximum equity from the sale. In that case, the higher end of the price range may be more to your satisfaction. But remember that ultimately, it is the buyer who will determine the price.

Our Home Market Analysis will:

	Show what's happening in the local real estate market right now
	Show what buyers are willing to pay for homes similar to yours
	Show what they won't pay
	Show which homes will be competing with yours for buyers' attention

The analysis also helps us look at your home from a buyer’s perspective -- the perspective that counts when you're pricing your home to sell. Using this process, we will establish a realistic listing price and increase the percentage of qualified buyers who look at your property.

Please Sign me up for a Comparative Home Analysis

1/20 entries will be drawn and awarded a $25 gift certificate for dinner on Don

Remodeling can make your home more valuable as well as more livable. Although cash spent on home improvements seldom yields a dollar-for-dollar return when you sell your home, it helps to know which remodeling strategies will produce a greater return on your investment, especially when considering what buyers look for in a home.

	Keep the value of your home within 15 to 20 percent of the others in the neighborhood. Buyers who can afford higher priced homes will shop in more expensive neighborhoods.
	When remodeling, pay attention to mass appeal Buyers prefer neutral, mainstream design. Play it safe with colors and materials: Avoid wild colors, bold patterns and kitchen schemes built around out-of-date hues.
	Keep additions and improvements compatible and consistent with the existing design of the home. Additions and improvements that look "tacked on" may detract from a home's appeal. Choose materials and design elements that match or blend in with what's already there.
	Remodeling of kitchens and baths generally offers the highest percentage return on initial investment, while energy saving projects (insulation, heating systems) give smaller returns but require a substantially lower initial investment.

First impressions are lasting impressions. That's why the appearance of your home's exterior and landscaping -- its curb appeal -- is so critical in marketing your home and attracting buyers. Curb appeal begins at the street in front of your home and includes everything up to your front door.

	Painting pays off. A lot of scraping and a little paint go along way in beautifying the outside of your home. Once again, choose colors that are neutral and consistent with the style of your home and neighborhood. And be sure to consider the color of your roof. A top quality painting job is a sure way to increase the value of your home.
	Enhance the landscape and spruce up the lawn. A well manicured lawn and attractive garden also enhance your home's curb appeal. Simple, inexpensive planting projects and regular lawn maintenance are often all it takes to perk up a landscape.
	Both interior and exterior remodeling add beauty and value to your home. If you don't have the necessary time or money for large-scale improvements, general upkeep will maintain the splendor of your home. And it will require a much smaller commitment.

Marketing Your Home

When you are a homeowner looking to buy, one of your first considerations naturally is the sale of your own home. The last thing you want is to find the perfect home and have to wait on your previous house to sell. Therefore, it's vital to attract potential buyers.

Statistics show that real estate agents are the best single source for bringing buyers to a home. More often than yard signs, newspaper ads or any other type of advertising effort, it's agents who will let buyers know about your home. The same is true of buyers from out of town. Nationally, more than one-third of all buyers come from out of town, so it's vitally important for you to work with a real estate professional who can access all the out-of-town prospects. At GMAC Real Estate we mobilize the real estate community to work for you.

Our Home Marketing System is a comprehensive marketing approach and the key to bringing buyers to your home. We'll also implement the Home Marketing Upgrade System to give your home maximum exposure and reach your home's target audience -- prospective buyers and the real estate community that controls those buyers. The sooner you can sell your old home, the easier the transition to the new one.

In addition to mobilizing the real estate community and creating maximum exposure for your home, we will also work closely with prospective buyers. For instance, we know that a qualified buyer is better able to make an offer, purchase a home and complete the sale. Consequently, we'll only begin with those prospects that qualify -- the ones with the motivation, authority and financial resources to buy your home.

Though each agent has his or her own style, all of our sales professionals possess one thing in common: They are backed by the extensive resources and support only GMAC Real Estate can bring to bear in the marketing of your home.