Buying a New House, Investing, Sell Your House

Buying/Selling Your House: 1031 Exchange

When you sell your house in the Maryland location, Virginia location, Washington DC location, or Baltimore location, any profits you make are subject to capital gains or recapture taxes.  To avoid paying those taxes, you can reinvest the profits in a new property under 1031 exchange.  To do this correctly, you’ll have to have a properly structured exchange.

There is a timeline for completing this exchange and you have just 45 days to find a property of similar or greater value than the one sold.  You only have 180 days total to complete the purchase of the new property.  This timeline is a bit tight if you want to take your time to shop around.

Like-kind Property

Another restriction on the 1031 exchange is the type of property purchased.  You can’t sell your business property and buy a house, or vice versa.  The property that is sold must be of like-kind to the property purchased.  They don’t have to be exact though.  You could sell a business and buy a business, or sell land and buy an apartment complex.

Debt and Equity

The 1031 exchange needs to be 100% in order to defer the taxes.  This means that the equity or profit from selling the property needs to be reinvested 100%.  If you make $50,000 on the sale of your house, you need to put that full amount back into the new property.  If you owed $200,000 on the property, you need to replace that same amount of debt as well.  You are exchanging the equity and the debt of one property for another.

Hire a Professional

Unless tax law and real estate are areas you considered yourself to be an expert in, you may want to consult a professional when looking at a 1031 exchange.  There are risks involved and if not done properly, you’ll still have to pay the taxes you’re trying to defer.  This is a great option for many people selling and buying a home, but to find out if it’s right for you, take the time to really learn the ins and outs of 1031 exchanges.

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Sell Your House

How to Determine the Market Value of Your House

Pricing your home can be difficult. To figure out how much your house is worth before you list it, there are several things you can do. Here are our tips to calculate your asking price.

Search for Comparable Homes

House value are determined by the price similar properties recently sold for. Some real estate websites, such as Trulia, Zillow, and Realtor.com, make this information easy to find. Start with a search of your part of town or zip code and keep track of the price homes like yours sold for. Make sure the houses you check are comparable, meaning they have the same number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and are close in square footage and lot size. These sites do not always have the most accurate information so make sure to check other sources as well.

Call the Tax Assessment Office

The tax assessment office in your town or city will have records of what comparable homes recently sold for in your neighborhood or town. Using these records will give you a second set of numbers that are more reliable than what you may find online. Using both figures together, you can come up with a better estimate of the value of your home.

Get in Touch with a Realtor

Realtors are the market experts and will be able to help you price your home. They can either do it for you, or help you identify the key items to look or in your search and estimation. They’ll also be able to give you information on how the market is in your area. When there are more buyers than houses available, the price of listed homes will increase and vice versa. A realtor will know what to expect and help you set your price right.

If you’re ready to list your home for sale in the Maryland location, Virginia location, Baltimore location, or Washington DC location, or are just curious about how much it may be worth, you can make an informed estimate with just a little effort and time.

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Sell Your House

Best Ways to Prepare Your Home to Hit the Market

Selling a house takes plenty of work and time. Before listing your home for sale, put the time in to help it show at its best. There are lots of things you can do to get your house ready, but these four are the most important steps you NEED to take.

1. Remove Personal Touches

When a potential buyer comes into your home, they want to be able to see themselves and their family living there. Family photos and knick-knacks are distracting and shoppers will wondering what kind of people live there, not how they can make the house their own. De-clutter your space, including closets, and pack up anything that you don’t need. You want your house to look open and inviting.

2. Pack Up What You Want to Keep

If a buyer sees an antique chandelier or handmade ceramic sink in the house, they’ll think it’s part of the bargain. Things can get dicey if an offer is made and then those items are removed. Either tag big items as “not for sale” or pack up and replace what you can. You want to make sure you keep your great-grandmother’s vintage cabinet pulls and handles.

3. Clean, Clean, Clean!

A house for sale can never be too clean. Consider hiring professionals if you can, or put the work in yourself and do all those chores you may normally neglect. Wash your windows, wipe down door jambs and floorboards, and get under those appliances. While you’re at it, you can make minor repairs to cracks in the flooring, patching up small holes, and re-caulking if you need to. Some tasks like vacuuming and dusting should be done daily while the house is on the market.

4. Curb Appeal

The exterior of your home is the first thing potential buyers see. Cross the street and take an objective look at your house. Does it look appealing? You may need to touch up paint and clean up your landscaping. Clean the driveway, sidewalks, and windows. Pack up the kids’ toys and make sure you clean up after your pet everyday. Dress your house for the season, either with tasteful holiday decorations, or fresh flowers to give it that extra shine.

If you take these four steps, you’re home in the Maryland location, Virginia location, Washington DC location, and Baltimore location will show better and you’ll be more likely to get your house sold at the price you want. A little time now can pay off big later!

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Sell Your House

What is the Typical Realtor House Sale Timeline?

Are you thinking about moving and selling your house in the Maryland location, Virginia location, or Washington DC location? Selling your home with a realtor can be a process! – but it doesn’t have to be a mystery! That’s why we’ve complied a step-by-step timeline for selling your home with a realtor.

2 Months before Listing

Hire a real estate agent. Choosing a good real estate agent is so important in selling your home easily and quickly. A good realtor will be your guide through the process. They’ll be help you ensure you have all the documents and paperwork you need to list and close your home before it goes on the market!

6 Weeks before Listing

Check out your local housing market to get an idea of what your market is like. Maybe go to some open houses to get staging ideas. This is also the perfect time to make those essential kitchen appliance upgrades, cosmetic fixes, and other repairs before your house goes on the market. Repainting or cleaning your walls can give your home a major facelift and make it seem brighter and larger!

2 Weeks before Listing

Start decluttering and cleaning! Potential buyers can visualize themselves in your home if your home isn’t crowded or dirty Empty cabinets and closets, pack decorations, move out furniture – basically anything you can live without while your home is on the market should be packed up.

1 Week before Listing

Once your house is clutter-free and clean, your agent will arrange for photos to be taken and an attractive description written!

Listing Day and Closing Day

Now your agent will list your home on several real estate online platforms! It’s your job to make sure your home is presentable for showing at all times and your agent will work with potential buyers until you have an offer that you agree to. Once you’ve agreed to an offer, your realtor and your title/escrow company will help you transition ownership to the buyer.

Alternatively, you can sell your house to an investor like 8 Day Home Sale. We clean out your house for you and let you choose your own closing.

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Sell Your House

“We’ll Buy Your House If We Can’t Sell It!” The Biggest Scam in Real Estate Marketing?

You’ve seen it everywhere. On the signs along the road or in advertisements you find in your mailbox or hanging on your door: “We’ll Sell Your House in 60 Days or We’ll Buy It Ourselves!” “Guaranteed Sale – I’ll Sell Your Home Quick or Buy It Myself!” “Sell Your House in 90 Days Guaranteed!”

Is it real or just a scam?

The real estate agents who promise to sell your house within a certain amount of days do sell your home in the perscribed time. However, it’s all the fine print you have to worry about.

You must agree to many concessions, including many expensive upfront costs. In most of these “Guaranteed Sale” deals, you must agree to pay a high realtor commission, a home inspection, a professional home staging, a home warranty, and possibly other concessions. You also must agree to lower the sales price of your home after it’s been on the market for a certain period.

This “deal” is actually only a deal for the realtor, not you.

To sell your home so easily and quickly, you’ll have to agree to let the agent sell your house below market value. Because your home is below market value, it’s likely you’ll get a flood of offers. And, if your home still doesn’t sell, your realtor will purchase your home at an even lower price, stipulated in the agreement you signed, then resell it at market value, making the profit that you could’ve made with a more invested realtor! The most important thing to look for when trying to sell your house is a realtor who will be on your side, trying to get YOU the best deal!

“Guaranteed Sale” realtors are only looking for the best deal for themselves. Don’t fall for this real estate trick! We see this a lot in the Maryland location, Virginia location, and Washington DC location.

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Sell Your House

Pros and Cons of Renovating Your House before You Sell

To renovate or not to renovate. That is the question homeowners are asking themselves in the Maryland location, Virginia location, and Washington DC location before putting their house on the market!

You want to make it attractive to potential buyers, but you don’t want to spend unnecessary expense either. Whether you want to renovate your home before selling, or just put it on the market as-is is a choice that should be considered carefully!

Renovating before you sell PROS

  • Increases market value

Especially if the home you’re trying to sell has been around a while, renovation can give it a more up-to-date look, increasing its value and its attraction to potential buyers.

  • Provides a ready-made home

People searching for a new home have mostly likely seen tens or even hundreds of homes already. A renovation could be just what your home needs to stand out from the crowd. Making a few tasteful renovations can help potential buyers envision themselves living in your home.

  • Decreases reasons to not buy

Potential home buyers may feel overwhelmed by the amount of homes on the market, so, to narrow down their search, they are often critical of the smallest defects. By offering coveted updates, a newly-renovated home has less chance of being dismissed.

Renovating before you sell CONS

  • Time sucking

Renovations take time. If you don’t have time to oversee renovations, or you need to sell your home fast, renovating may not be the best choice.

  • More expensive

Renovating your home can quickly become costly, which may reduce your overall ROI.

  • Takes longer to be market-ready

Even though renovated homes tend to sell faster than non-renovated ones, renovations make it longer before you can put your house on the market. And sometimes that means you have to live in a home-turned-construction-site while the renovations are taking place!

8 Day Home Sale buys houses “as is” for a fair price. If you are looking to sell, talk to us first.

 

 

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Sell Your House

Sell Your House FAST with These 6 Tips

Perhaps the realtor just put the “For Sale” sign in your front yard this afternoon, or maybe you are just mulling over the idea of selling your house. Either way, consider these 6 timely tips to sell your house…FAST!

  1. Curb appeal. First impressions mean everything to a prospective buyer. Your front yard, including your entryway, is the very first thing a possible buyer is going to see, and it needs to look attractive. Make sure your lawn is mowed and plant fresh flowers around the entryway. Make it look inviting. If you are scratching your head, just ask your neighbors to offer suggestions. They’ve been staring at your house for a long time and those fresh eyes can give you ideas.
  2. Fresh coat of paint. Each room in your house should have a neutral color. Those old, bold colors have got to go. They may look nice to you, but a prospective buyer will have a different view. Paint those rooms with a neutral color and let the buyer’s imagination take over.
  3. Clean. Clean. The new owner won’t want a house that needs carpets cleaned, bathrooms cleaned, etc. They want a house that is ready to be moved right into and they don’t want to imagine 2 weeks of cleaning. Again, ask neighbors over to see where they think the house is dirty and needs cleaning.
  4. Smell the cinnamon! Grab a bunch of air fresheners of exactly the same scent and put one in every room. Cinnamon works well because it reminds people of warm family times. You want to make use of all of the senses.
  5. Big TV. One of the best tips I’ve used through the years is to buy a brand new, big screen TV, leave it in the box, and put a large sign on it: Housewarming gift to the new owner! Put it in the living room, still in the box. This tip will really help to sell your house fast!
  6. 40 days. Tell your realtor you want to sell your house in 40 days. They will recommend a price that will fit your local market. You want to sell your house fast, and 40 days is a fairly common time frame for correctly priced houses.

If you are looking to sell your house fast in the Maryland location, Virginia location, or Washington DC location, contact us.

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Sell Your House

Taxes Involved When Selling Your Property

Selling your property in the Virginia location, Maryland location, or Washington DC location is already a complicated process without stressing about the taxes you may have to pay.  Depending on the type of property you are selling, your profits may be tax-free.  Let’s take a look at how taxes are structured for property sales.

Primary Residences

If the house you’re selling is your primary residence and you have lived there for more than two years, a portion of the profits that you earn from the sale are tax-free.  If you’re single, you are exempt from paying taxes on home sale profits of up to $250,000.  If you file taxes jointly with your spouse, up to $500,000 is tax-free.  Any profit that exceeds these amounts needs to be reported as a capital gain.

Investment Properties

The sale of an investment property you own, such as a rental home or apartments, could mean a chunk of your profits will be lost to taxes.  Capital gains tax applies to the profit earned from the sale of a property that is not your primary residence.  The IRS allows investors to take the profit earned from the sale of one property and re-invest it without having to pay tax on it.  Investors can also offset the profit against losses in other areas to avoid paying so much in taxes, or you could avoid it completely by living in the home for two years prior to its sale.  The fine print in all of these instances is important to take note of.

Summary

When filing taxes, homeowners can exclude up to $500,000 of their profits if they’re married.  Investors can pair their profits with losses in other areas, or re-invest the money earned to avoid the high capital gains tax.  Whatever your circumstances, be sure to talk to an expert to fully understand the tax policies and how you will fit into them when selling your property.

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Sell Your House

How to Sell a Vacant Lot

While selling a home can be a challenge in any market, selling a vacant lot or piece of land in the Virginia location, Maryland location, or Washington DC location can be even more difficult.  With a vacant lot, you can’t showcase a beautiful home, and the buyers are different. For these reasons, different aspects like size, location, zoning, and the neighborhood are much more important. Choosing the best method to sell can also be tricky. Here are our tips for selling land without a home.

Know What the Buyers Want

Since you can’t have an open house, your land needs to look its absolute best. Buyers will want to know about the size, condition, zoning, and location of your property. Each buyer will have a different plan for the plot of land they purchase so keep that in mind too.

List on an MLS?

Multiple listings services are tried and true tools used by sellers and buyers alike. They are the go-to tool for many real estate agents and are a great way to sell a home. Selling land, on the other hand, can be a little trickier. Like we mentioned, you can’t post any pictures of gorgeous kitchens or spacious living rooms when all you have is a vacant lot. The MLS might not always garner you the most money and you’ll have to pay a listing agent.

Close Fast and Easy with an Investor

If you want to sell your land fast, you should consider contacting investors in the area. Chances are there is a speculative investor in your area willing to buy your land now. If your land is in a prime neighborhood, your odds of selling quickly increase. Keep in mind, that investors typically offer low prices on the land they buy because they want to flip it or have other plans. On the plus side, they usually won’t require any financing, however.

Whichever method you choose to sell your land, patience is important. If the land is in a great location, you’ll have more success, but if you price your property right, buyers are sure to come.

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Sell Your House

When Is the Best Time to Sell Your House?

How long have you been thinking about selling your house in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington DC? Is your current property too large? Too small? Too expensive? Too hard to manage? Are you ready to travel more? Whatever the reason, you’ve been thinking about a move but you don’t know if it’s the right time to move?

The right time might have arrived!

The truth is that whenever you need to sell is the right time. There are advantages and disadvantages for all seasons. Certainly the spring selling season gets the most attention, but selling a home during the slower winter months has advantages as well. For one thing, in the winter there is less competition as home sellers wait for the warmer months to list. Additionally, buyers tend to be more serious as the effort it takes to view homes in the ice and snow is less appealing than dropping into an open house while out for a summer drive. Finally, your house in Maryland, Virginia, or Washington DC never looks better than when it’s dressed for the holidays.

The first step in making a good decision is information. You would be amazed how many people will use stories they’ve heard at the grocery store to make the decision to sell a home. Selling a property is one of the largest financial transactions a person makes in a lifetime, you have to get all the information you can to make that informed decision.
So is it time to sell?

You might have more money sitting in your home than you expect. If selling this time of year makes personal and financial sense for you and your family, then sell. Take the time to learn more about the current market and available properties and then examine your own goals. Selling a home in any season has advantages; the timing has more to do with your own needs and wants.

As always at 8 Day Home Sale, we buy houses in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC for cash. If you need to sell your house fast, let us know.

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