• Home with excellent trees and landscaping can expect a sale price 6-7 percent higher than homes with substandard landscaping, according to a Clemson University study.
• 98% of realtors believe that mature trees have a “strong or moderate impact” on the salability of homes listed for over $250,000 (83% believe the same for homes listed under $150,000), according to American Forests Magazine and Arbor National Mortgage.
• Homeowners who landscape with trees can realize a 100-200 percent cost recovery, higher than bathrooms and kitchens, according to Money Magazine.
• With summer coming on, try this on for size–the U. S. Department of Agriculture says the net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to 10 room-size air conditioners operating 20 hours a day.

Housing affordability conditions have reached the highest level since recordkeeping began in 1970, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

NAR’s Housing Affordability Index rose to a record high 206.1 in January, based on the relationship between median home price, median family income and average mortgage interest rate. The higher the index, the greater the household purchasing power.

An index of 100 is defined as the point where a median-income household has exactly enough income to qualify for the purchase of a median-priced existing single-family home, assuming a 20 percent downpayment and 25 percent of gross income devoted to mortgage principal and interest payments. For first-time buyers making small downpayments, the affordability levels are relatively lower.

NAR President Moe Veissi, broker-owner of Veissi & Associates Inc., in Miami, said this latest data underscores buyer opportunities in today’s market. “This is the first time the housing affordability index has broken the two hundred mark, meaning the typical family has roughly double the income needed to purchase a median-priced home,” he said. “For buyers who can qualify for a mortgage, now is a very good time to become a homeowner.”

NAR projects the affordability index for all of 2012 will be at an annual high, with little movement in mortgage interest rates or home prices during the year. “Housing inventory levels have declined to a point where conditions are becoming much more balanced in much of the country,” Veissi said. “If access to credit improves, we could see a much more meaningful increase in home sales and broader stabilization in home prices with modest gains in areas with stronger job growth.”

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Via

1. It’s not 2007 anymore. Get used to the fact that in today’s market your home most likely won’t sell for what youthink it’s worth. Sellers, more than buyers, have an emotional investment in their homes. You’ve raised children there, become part of the community and spent a major part of your life in this house. That’s fine for you, but buyers want a good deal at a reasonable price, not memories (or at least yours). Keep in mind you are selling a house, not a home.
2. Choose a real estate agent wisely and listen. Gone too are the days when you agent only organized open houses and placed an ad for your home in the newspaper. We still do that, but we’ve learned how to adapt to the complicated real estate market now. You want an agent who will work for you and understands your geographic area. Seller’s agents market not only to buyers but their agents too. We’re current on what buyers want, the latest online tools and what buyers are looking for.
3. Your agent will provide you with comparables in your neighborhood. These are listings that compare your property with similar properties on the market or those that have sold recently. Comparables will help determine a reasonable price that will sell your house quickly.
4. Get a pre-sale home inspection. Buyers are pickier than ever and may jump on what they see as a deficiency. Keep in mind that buyers will also contract for their own home inspection and may use the results to get you to do renovations at your own expense as a condition on the sale. Stay ahead of the game with your own inspection. Repair what may be code deficiencies, address termite issues and get your heating and cooling systems inspected and serviced.
5.  Update your house appropriately. More important than adding swimming pools and media rooms are fresh coats of paint (most buyers aren’t fans of brilliant primary colors); new kitchen and bath hardware and refinished hardwood floors. If your house has carpeting, check underneath for hardwoods. Remove the carpet and start refinishing.
6. Most definitely de-clutter. Please. Buyers want to see themselves in your house, not you. Once we had a buyer who was interested in a house, but the seller left a wall-full of family pictures. The visual clutter sent the buyer out the door immediately, unable to picture her family in the home. Box the personal items away and think of how they will grace your new home.
7. Staging is no longer a novelty. A stager can see how your furniture, or a lot less of it, will open space and lightness. She’ll also get those family photos off the wall. 95 percent of potential buyers begin their home search online. If their immediate reaction is negative, they’ll not pursue your house further.
8. Expect a lowball offer. That’s an undefined term, but it usually means the buyer is submitting an offer far below the asking price. Again, take your emotions out of the equation and remember you are selling a house, not your home. Lowball offers may open a dialogue between you and the buyer so the negotiations progress to an acceptable price. Pay attention to your real estate agent’s advice, the comparables in your neighborhood and decide if you want to proceed with the potential buyer or end negotiations.