Las Cruces Real Estate Market Analysis
For The First Quarter 2012

When I list a home for sale, one of the first questions I typically ask sellers is how quickly they would like to sell. It's no secret that an overpriced home takes longer to sell, and it might eventually sell for a lot less than market value. In a high demand market, a well priced home could sell within 10 to 21 days.

Average Days on Market

Average days on market is a number almost every real estate agent knows by heart. If your agent can't give you that number, you might want to think about hiring an agent who can. To determine the average number days on market yourself, figure out the day each home in any given month goes on the market and count the days to pending. Add those days together and divide by the number of homes.

What Makes a House Sell Quickly?

Sometimes there is no logical reason for the length of time it takes to sell a house. It could be luck. Your house could come on the market on the very day a specific buyer is looking to buy such a house. But more likely, how long it takes to sell a house depends on the following 3 factors:

Price

A smart strategy some agents use to entice multiple offers, which tend to push the price higher, is to price the house a little bit under market value. Price range makes a difference, too. Often, lower price ranges sell faster than higher price ranges simply because there are more buyers who can afford lower-priced homes.

Location

The adage: location, location, location is true. If the home is located in a highly desirable neighborhood near excellent schools, there will be more demand for the home. If it's located on the wrong side of the tracks near a toxic dump, it might never sell.

Condition

Homes in tip-top shape that sparkle and shine sell much faster than homes that need repairs or are cluttered. Home buyers need to imagine how they will live in that house, and they can't do that if the home looks like it belongs to you or is a mess.

Market Temperature Determines How Long it Takes a House to Sell
In seller's markets, homes tend to sell faster because there are fewer sellers and more buyers. When more than one buyer is trying to buy the same home, that can result in a bidding war with offers above list price. It's not unusual for a home to sell in a seller's market in less than a week.

In buyer's markets, buyers have more choices and can take their time. If the home isn't exactly what a buyer wants, a buyer will pass it over and keep looking. If you are a seller in a buyer's market, patience is key.

We here at the Evelyn Bruder Dream Team would love to work with you to achive your goals! We have a Unique Strategy when it comes to selling your home.  Our philosophy for selling your home is based upon Positioning.  We put your home at the top of every buyers wish list.  We make sure you home is seen!  Please visit our website and learn more about the oportunities we provide for home sellers.

www.sellingahomeinlascruces.com

Spring at last... almost!

The official first day of spring is March 21, but in Las Cruces, it is beginning to feel like spring is already in the air.

For some reason, outdoor jobs that must be done in the spring become enjoyable activities while they're simply chores at other times of the year. Perhaps it is the anticipation of a new season about to begin and visions of colorful, fragrant blooms that are soon to appear.

So let's get outside and see what we can do.

Look at that lawn!
It might be a bit of a sorry sight after the winter, but with a bit of TLC, you can coax it back to verdant life. If you can see a fair amount of thatch (the dead, straw-like stuff that is often tangled near the grass roots) you will need to rake it out before you attempt any other lawn care projects. The reason? Anything you add, such as new seed or fertilizer will simply sit on the thatch, rather than getting down into the soil, unless it is removed.

Once you have de-thatched your lawn, you can add a fertilizer. Most garden centers carry a variety of lawn fertilizers. If you're uncertain, describe your lawn conditions to the manager at the garden center and ask him or her to recommend a particular type of fertilizer. If that doesn't help, you can always drop an e-mail to steve@landsteward.org and I'll try to help. Above all, when using fertilizer, be sure to read the instructions thoroughly!

If you need to re-seed (sometimes called overseeding), that's the final step after any de-thatching or fertilizing that your lawn needed.

Plant and transplant
March is a good time to plant those new roses, berries, fruit trees and most deciduous plants. If you're still not sure what to plant, there's still time to go online and do some research but don't leave it too long.

As for transplanting existing plants from one spot to another, time is running out, so do it as soon as you can because many plants are already starting their annual spring growth.

Pruning
If you need to prune ornamental trees and shrubs, the best time to do so is before growth starts. The exceptions to that rule are spring-flowering shrubs. For those, you need to wait until after they finish flowering. This would be a good time to prune roses if they look like they need a trim. Again, I'm happy to advise on any specific pruning questions you might have.

Weeding
Probably everyone's least-favorite garden activity, perhaps because it feels destructive rather than constructive, and it can be backbreaking work. As I've said before, do a little at a time, interspersed with more enjoyable garden activities, and it will seem less of a pain in the, uh, knees.

If you're using a cultivator as part of your spring gardening project, don't be tempted to use it in bulb beds. Remove the weeds by hand or you'll risk injuring the delicate root systems.

Pick your perennials
Even if it is still too early to plant perennials in your area, take a look around your landscape and decide if you can brighten the place up with a few new "faces." Gardening books and magazines and online Web sites should give you plenty of ideas, once you determine the amount of sunlight and the soil conditions affecting that part of your landscape.

Buying perennials that have already experienced at least one full growing season is worth the additional cost as they will probably be sturdier and more likely to thrive than smaller, cheaper options.

I like to think of perennial plants as the backbone of the flower garden because they're the plants with staying power. Their leaves die back as winter approaches, but with luck, the following spring, they come back. Some plants are short-lived, but old favorites like daylilies, and hostas can thrive for decades.

Get outside, breathe in that fresh (almost) spring air and learn why you love your landscape all over again!

If you are thinking about selling your home curb appeal
followed by that landscaped back yard sells homes.

It's a tough market.

You want YOUR Home to be the one that will sell!
Staging is positioning your home to be at the top of the buyer's list.

Properly staged homes outshine the competition every time!
We want to help CLICK and learn all about Staging Your Home to SELL!

For more tips for your home, Real Estate News, Local Arts and Culture, Events, and much much more... Visit our website www.homesforsaleinlascruces.com

Whether you're in the market or just looking for a way to make your home more comfortable, visual tricks are a very important tool of interior design.

Colors, light, furniture and decorative pieces can be arranged to make any room appear bigger than it really is! Here's a list of simple tips to follow:

Color 

Light hues will open up the space, and painting the walls white will definitely maximize that effect.*Go monochromatic. If all white doesn’t work for your lifestyle, try painting the walls, trim and detailing in different shades of one color. Pick from off-white, beige, any pastel or neutral color.*Match the color of the furniture with the color of the walls. Stay away from contrasting colors, especially in big pieces such as the sofa.

Decoration 

Medium-size furniture pieces work better than a big, prominent one. Avoid having many small pieces scattered all over the room, and arrange furniture at an angle to add visual interest to the place.*Track or recessed lighting works best for small spaces. Use a torchiere lamp to bounce light off the ceiling, and get rid of heavy drapery. Let the natural light come in as much as possible.*Mirrors are also a great way to make a room feel and look bigger. A big wall mirror right in front of a window will reflect light and color; so will a collection of smaller ones, distributed along one wall.

Organization 

Any small space will look bigger if it's clutter-free. Get rid of little furniture dispersed all over, and move around pieces that block the view and walkway space.*Designers recommend getting pieces of furniture with open arms and legs, as well as small glass-top tables, so the light can filter through.*Make the most out of the space with multifunctional furniture. Invest in good quality pieces such as drop-leaf orremovable-leaf tables and ottomans for storage and sitting purposes, among others.

I hope that you have found this information helpful and I look forward to your comments, questions, and suggestions. 

Blogs are in fact living organisms. They reflect the personality, interests and knowledge of both the blog author, and if they become popular, they gain the input of the readers. This changes the blog from one organism into a community. This community produces a wealth of knowledge for its members. So, if you are reading this, I urge you to respond with your comments and provide information that we can all use to increase our knowledge base.

Sometimes my mind works faster than time constraints allow. It is hard for me to keep up with all the things I want to do and say. So, in order to stay organized and on track, I want to let you know what I plan to present in the upcoming Wednesday Morning Coffee blogs.

Now, we are going to start with the first time homebuyer. You may think, I'm not a first time homebuyer, but I assure you that the multiple subjects we will consider will be of importance to all homeowners, and all types of home-buyers and home-sellers. We will discuss:

• Rent vs. Own - The Pros & Cons of Homeownership!
• Is this the right time for YOU to make a “Transition”?
• Are you financially prepared? and How much can you afford?
• A Guide To Home Loans

A major factor in the current housing crisis is the use of Sub-Prime Loans

This will be a guide to all the types of Mortgages

Benefits and risks of each type of Mortgage (esp.when there are changes in Interest Rates)

Which Mortgage is best in your specific situation

Once you know what you want, how to shop for the best loan

Get most of this information right now at our First Time Home Buyers website. Home Buyers Guide

After we have finished the above discussion of: 1)Why you want to buy 2) Is it a good idea for you? 3) Financial aspects: 3a) How much you can afford, and 3b) How you should finance this venture, we will proceed to discuss the details of Home Hunting and Home Buying Process.

We will deal with buying a home through all the stages of transition. So that the first time buyer will get as much information and help as the move-up buyer, the luxury home buyer, the down-sizing homeowner, and the retiree.

As a natural consequence of these Transitions, most of these home buyers will be home sellers too, so we will deal with the process of Home Selling as it becomes part of the home buying process.

I hope that, as we move through the discussion of these topics, you will find something of value in each entry. In addition, I hope that you will consider contributing something of value by adding your comments to any blog entry.

Return frequently to see what is new,

Evelyn Bruder,REALTOR, CRS, GRI, ABR, E-PRO

CALL ME: 575-650-7224

TOLL FREE direct line: 1-888-532-9069

OFFICE Direct Line: 575-532-2211

Steinborn & Associates Real Estate 522-3698