Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / July 21, 1994, edition 2 / Page 13
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Beware of the Pitfalls When Selling Your Home When "For Sale by Owners" are asked why they are selling their own home, the biggest reason they give is ? to Save the Commission. Yet when buyers deal directly with sellers, they usually do so for only one reason? they want to Save The Commission, too! Fb-understand4his situation^ first put yourself in the position of a buyer getting ready to look for a You may let the " best buyer " slip through your fingers because of your inexperience and lack of expertise ? Katie Carter new home. As a buyer, you know that you can go into just about any real estate office and get a whole bunch of free services. At no cost to you, the broker will give you the following: ?An education on values in the area. * ?Pre-qualifies you for your price range before you begin look ing. ?Sorts through a big invento ry of homes. ?Narrows Hst down to a few "best choices." ?Takes you to see the select ed homes. ?Works out the best financ ing package. ?? - ?Writes the contract to pur chase. ?Coordinates all the paper work necessary for closing the sale. In other words, the buyer has an agent to find the home that best meets his needs. So it stands to reason when he foregoes all these great services, he expects to Save The Commission. There is an * Katie Carter old saying in the real estate busi ness that when a prpperty is sold, someone always pays the commis sion. The way the buyer saves the commission, of course, is by reduc ing the seller's asking price. Other pitfalls to selling your own home include: ?Sellers deprive themselves of the vast marketplace of buyers because they are competing for buyers with full-time professionals in real estate. Almost all of the best buyers are controlled by the pros. ?You have no one to negoti ate on your behalf. Nose-to-nose dealing with buyers can lead to ten sion and hostility. ?Technically, you will be holding an open house 24 hours a .day for all comers who, most of the ^time (without the assistance of a real estate agent) do not have a full understanding of what price brack et they qualify for. Additionally, you must separate the serious buyer from the curious lookers, not to mention potential thieves who may be casing your home. (Imagine r-having dinner guests and strangers appear on your doorstep asking for a "tour"!) - ?Finally, you may let the "best buyer" slip through your fin gers because of .your inexperience and lack of expertise. You may Save The Commis sion, but in the end, you stand to lose a lot more than a few dollars for a reputable agent! ? Katie Carter ; Agent, Coldwell Banker Real Estate , Kernersvi/le. Natural Colors Set Relaxing Tone for Home Decorating A Be sure to set guidelines to follow when starting a home decorating project People today look forward to relaxing at home, and therefore they are choosing soft, "comfort able" colors for walls, accessories >? and furniture. Natural tones on the walls done in hues of warm grays (taupe, tumbleweed, etc) with the contrast of soft whites (shell white) for the trim can pull together a comfort ? able, warm look. To add a- little spice, choose a formal room for a vivid color, such as red on the walls with the same soft white trim. Accent with natural tones and fibers on uphol stery, a splash of gold accessories and a faux leopard skin throw over the sofa and you have a room that invites conversation, The earth-conscious spirit is dominate in decorating, so choose natural colors and fibers. . When you keep backgrounds neutral, you can have fun with the furniture, rugs, lamps, etc. One rule of thumb: use one print to dominate, then use the same pattern several times in a room to balance the design. For instance, if you use a print on a chair or sofa, repeat it in another The use of tassels, trims, jewels and cording can add spice to pillows and table fcovers in a room. Use bold er prints to make a room appear smaller and smaller prints to enlarge it. part of the room, such as in a win dow treatment. The use of coordi nating fabrics will spice up the room. The fabrics should share at least one color from the dominant print. The use of tassels, trims, jewels and cording can add spice to pillows and table covers in a room. Use bolder prints to make a room appear smaller and smaller prints to enlarge it. Set guidelines to follow when starting a decorating project. Know the dollar amount you want to spend and don't try to finish your home on a tight schedule. Instead, work on one room at a time with a common color to flow The simple addition of hand-painted leaves gives an ordinary window a dramatic effect. throughout the rest of the hotfse. This will avoid a hodge podge of patterns, prints and colors. ? Ronita Garner McDonald - Border Lines Interior Decorating
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 21, 1994, edition 2
13
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75