rochesterrealestateblog.com http://rochesterrealestateblog.com/top-real-estate-blog-articles-2014/ Top Real Estate Blog Articles From 2014 Top Real Estate Blog Articles From 2014 As every year comes to an end, I like to reflect on the past year. 2014 was an incredible year! 2014 marks the first full year of Rochester’s Real Estate Blog. With the help of other great real estate bloggers and social media experts throughout the world, I’ve been able to see some great growth in not only the Rochester Real Estate Blog but also my writing ability and blog graphic design. A huge thank you to all of you who have helped me grow this past year. I cannot thank you enough for all the tips, pointers, and guidance you’ve been gracious enough to share and help grow the Rochester Real Estate Blog throughout the year! I thought it would be a great way to close out 2014 with the Top Real Estate Blog Posts from this year! These top real estate blog posts include tips for sellers, tips for buyers, mortgage tips, social media tips for real estate professionals, top real estate professionals to follow on social media, and more. Top Real Estate Blog Articles For Home Sellers 10 Things To Expect From Your Real Estate Agent When Selling Your Home Selling a home can be stressful but doesn’t have to be. Selecting a great real estate agent can really make a difference when it comes to the process. There are certain things that you should expect from your real estate agent when selling a home. Simple things such as being a professional, being on-time for appointments, and honesty are just 3 of the 10 things to expect from your real estate agent when selling your home. If you are thinking of selling or are in the process of selling your home, check out 10 expectations you should have of your real estate agent.
As every year comes to an end, I liketo reflect on the past year. 2014 wasan incredible year! 2014 marks thefirst full year of Rochester’s RealEstate Blog. With the help of othergreat real estate bloggers and socialmedia experts throughout the world,I’ve been able to see some greatgrowth in not only the RochesterReal Estate Blog but also my writingability and blog graphic design.
A huge thank you to all of you whohave helped me grow this past year. I cannot thank you enough for all thetips, pointers, and guidance you’vebeen gracious enough to share andhelp grow the Rochester Real EstateBlog throughout the year!
I thought it would be a great way toclose out 2014 with the Top RealEstate Blog Posts from this year! These top real estate blog postsinclude tips for sellers, tips forbuyers, mortgage tips, social mediatips for real estate professionals, topreal estate professionals to follow onsocial media, and more.
Top Real Estate Blog Articles ForHome Sellers
10 Things To Expect From YourReal Estate Agent When SellingYour Home
Selling a home can be stressful butdoesn’t have to be. Selecting agreat real estate agent can reallymake a difference when it comes tothe process. There are certain things that you should expect from your real estate agent when selling a home. Simple things such as being a professional, being on-time for appointments, and honesty are just 3 of the 10 thingsto expect from your real estate agent when selling your home. If you are thinking of selling or are in the process ofselling your home, check out 10 expectations you should have of your real estate agent.
The complete list of the 10 things to expect from your real estate agent can be found here on our blog.
How To Make Your Property More Appealing
The next article from the blog of top selling Warner Robins, GA real estate agent, Anita Clark, was written by BillGassett. When selling a home, it’s crucial that the home appeals to the masses. A home that is messy, cluttered, anddark has less of a chance it will sell in a timely fashion. When selling a home it’s important to emphasize things suchas the storage space. Bill gives some great tips for sellers in his article on how to make their homes more appealing.
Make sure you check out the complete article on making your property more appealing over on Anita’s blog.
20 Cold, Hard, Facts in Real Estate Home Selling
One of my favorite “series” of real estate blog in 2014 was written by Lynn Pineda, a top selling Coral Springs, FL realestate agent. Lynn’s “Cold, Hard, Facts” articles were packed with 20 awesome tips for home sellers (and buyerswhich is listed below). Many of Lynn’s tips were things that many sellers do not want to hear and many that some realestate agents won’t point out to a seller. Lynn does an excellent job of being clear, concise, and certainly “doesn’tbeat around the bush” with her 20 Cold, Hard, Facts in real estate home selling.
One example is the fact that if a seller overprices their home, it will actually sell their neighbors faster for them. Youdon’t want to miss out the other 19 Cold, Hard, Facts in real estate home selling, so check them out.
10 Tips For Selling Your Vacant Home
It’s unfortunate, and rare, that while a home is for sale that it is vandalized or damaged, but it can happen. Theprobability increases when a home is vacant. The next article comes from the Rochester Real Estate Blog andprovides some excellent tips to keep a vacant home safe. Simple tasks such as alerting local law enforcement,neighbors, and regularly retrieving mail can all help keep a vacant home safe while it’s for sale.
If you’re selling a vacant home or know someone who is, be sure to check out the complete list of tips for selling avacant home.
How To Avoid Seller’s Remorse When Selling Your Home
The next top real estate blog post for home sellers is from top selling Las Vegas, NV real estate agent, DebbieDrummond. Most people have heard of buyer’s remorse when purchasing something. Most people do not hearabout seller’s remorse though. Debbie does an excellent job in her article explaining how seller’s can make sure theydon’t have any remorse when selling their home. She explains that it all begins with hiring a great real estate agentand ends with being ready to move.
There are many things in between to ensure seller’s remorse is avoided when selling a home and can be found overon Debbie’s blog.
Top Home Seller Mistakes When Selecting a Realtor
Selecting a great Realtor when selling a home is so important. Unfortunately it does happen and quite honestly, toofrequently. There are many mistakes that sellers make when selecting a Realtor. This article written by Bill Gassett,a top selling Hopkinton, MA real estate agent, points out where sellers go wrong when selecting a Realtor to sell theirhome. Bill explains that picking an agent based solely because they’re a family member or because they offer thelowest commission could be a huge mistake.
Don’t make the same common mistakes when selecting a Realtor to sell your home by checking out the completearticle over on Maximum Real Estate Exposure Blog.
“Why isn’t my home selling?” This is a common question that seller’s ask real estate agents. The number onereason a home isn’t selling is because it’s overpriced, bottom line. There are other reasons though that arecommonly seen by real estate agents. This article found here on our blog provides 5 common reasons why a homeisn’t selling.
The complete article and the other common reasons why a home isn’t selling is worth the read.
How To Sell A Home In The Winter
The next article written by Bill Gassett is one that I can absolutely relate to seeing as I reside in the Northeast andexperience some brutal winters. Certainly the winter time may not be the most ideal time to sell a home, there arecertainly homes being sold 12 months a year. Bill gives some excellent tips for making a home sale during the wintera success. Tips such as making a home feel warm and cozy can be the difference between it selling or not.
The detailed guide to selling a home during the winter is one to read in its entirety if you reside in a cold climate.
Tips For Selling A Waterfront Property
Selling a waterfront property is not the same as selling a center entrance colonial in the suburbs. There are differentsteps that should be taken to prepare a waterfront home for sale and also different qualities to look for in the realestate agent. A real estate agent must know how to sell a lifestyle, know how to sell a property with words, and manyother qualities.
The entire article on selling a waterfront property can be found here on our blog.
Should I Sell My Home Now or Wait Until The Spring?
Another common question during the fall and winter months is whether waiting until the spring or selling now is better. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to write a guest blog over on RISMedia’s HouseCall Blog on thistopic. There are certainly pro’s to selling a home during the fall and winter months and it’s possible it maybe a bettertime to sell than waiting until the spring.
Should you sell now or wait? Check out the entire article over on the HouseCall Blog to help weigh the pro’s andcon’s.
Top Real Estate Blog Articles For Home Buyers
First Time Home Buyer Tips and Advice That Must Be Read!
In 2014 there were lots of great articles written for first time home buyers. This article provides some extremelyimportant tips and advice that first time buyers cannot overlook. Tips such as selecting a great real estate agent,knowing all the expenses involved in home ownership, and knowing whether or not first time home buyer grants areavailable are just a preview of what this article provides for first time buyers.
All of the tips and advice for first time home buyers can’t be missed, so check it out!
First Time Home Buyer Tips: How To Buy Your First House
Looking for a step-by-step guide to buying a home for the first time? Look no further than top selling ColoradoSprings, CO real estate agent, Andrew Fortune’s, article. Andrew does an awesome job providing a detailedexplanation of the process as well as providing a very appealing infographic regarding the process.
Learn how to buy your first home over on Andrew’s Great Colorado Homes Blog.
If you enjoyed reading Lynn Pineda’s“Cold, Hard, Facts” of home selling,then you’ll certainly enjoy her homebuying edition! If you didn’t read herhome selling edition, scroll back upand do so otherwise you’re missingout. Lynn does an awesome jobpointing out 20 facts in home buyingfor any potential South Florida buyer.
Check out all 20 Cold, Hard, Facts,in real estate home buying over onLynn’s Imagine Your House Blog.
How Much House Can I Afford ToBuy?
It’s extremely important for homebuyers to know what they can affordbefore house hunting. One of thebiggest mistake a buyer can makewhen purchasing a home isoverextending themselves. The nextarticle written by the HighlandGroup, top producing Frederick, MDRealtors, is a great article for anyhome buyer wondering how much of a house they can afford to buy. The article does an excellent job pointing outmany things that buyers may not conventionally think about when buying a home.
Be sure to check out the Highland Group’ article answering the common question on how much of a house a buyercan afford.
First Time Home Buyer Tips
Another Bill Gassett article and another First Time Home Buyer Tip article, but be sure not to overlook this one. Anytime Bill writes an article, you should be confident it will be top quality and this one doesn’t disappoint. Billexplains in this article the importance of outlining what you want in a home, hiring a good inspector, and theimportance of getting pre-approved for a loan.
There are several other great first time home buyer tips in Bill’s article so be sure to go check it out over on his blog.
Five Mistakes To Avoid When Buying A Home
Mistakes can happen but with the proper preparation, they can be avoided. When buying a home there are commonmistakes that are made by buyers. Things such as hiring the wrong real estate agent or having unrealisticexpectations are just a few that come to mind.
Don’t make the same mistakes as others when buying a home and be sure to check out these five common mistakesto avoid when buying a home.
50 Home Buying Tips From The Top Real Estate Experts In The World
This article is a must read for any home buyer. What do you get when you get tips from 50 top real estate experts inthe world? Pure gold. Many of the authors on this list of the best 2014 real estate blog posts were included in thiscompilation of home buying tips.
Check out the 50 home buying tips over on the San Diego Mortgage News blog.
Five Things To Consider When Buying A “Flipped” Home
During a transaction in 2014 in which the buyer was purchasing a “flipped” home, it was problem after problem. Thebuyer never ended up closing on the house because of many problems that were discovered during the inspectionsand were not being addressed in a timely fashion. This lead to this next article on considerations that should bemade when buying a “flipped” home. Things such as researching the “flipper” and having inspections are veryimportant.
The other considerations to make when buying a “flipped” home should be read if you’re considering the purchase ofa “flipped’ home.
Ten Tips for Buying Luxury Homes
If you’re buying a luxury home than you need to read this article written by Debbie Drummond. Debbie gives ten veryimportant tips for buying a luxury home. The tips range from finding the qualified real estate agent to protecting yourprivacy are just a couple examples of what to expect in her article.
The complete list of ten tips for buying luxury homes can be found on Debbie’s blog.
Top Blog Articles Relating To RealEstate Pricing
The Many Risks of Pricing YourHome Too High
“One part art, one part science” ishow Bill Gassett explains the task ofdetermining the correct selling priceof a home. There are manyproblems that can arise fromoverpricing a home. Perception,stress, and appraisal problems arejust a few of the problems thatoverpricing can create.
Bill’s article on the risks of pricing ahome too high is one of the best2014 blog posts relating to pricingand shouldn’t be missed.
Real Estate Pricing Mistakes ThatSeller’s Need To Avoid
Just like there are mistakes thatsellers and buyers make, there arepricing mistakes that are made when
selling a home. Pricing a homeincorrectly can be a critical mistake. Leaving room for negotiations orpricing a home high because there isno “rush” can end up costing a sellerthousands of dollars.
These are just a couple commonreal estate pricing mistakes thatneed to be avoided and be sure notto miss the other common pricingmistakes.
How To Determine List Price?
Having the correct “price tag” on ahome from the beginning is crucial. A properly priced home should sellrelatively quickly (3-4 weeks). Sohow is a proper list pricedetermined? This article also comesfrom the Highland Group on thisexact topic. Making sure a home isnot priced solely on an onlineestimate is one important thing thatthe Highland Group explains shouldbe avoided in their article.
If you’re wondering how a list price isdetermined, make sure you checkout this great article.
What Is A Comparative MarketAnalysis (CMA) In Real Estate?
One of the most common ways areal estate agent will determine alisting price is by complete acomparative market analysis aka aCMA. What exactly is a CMA? Thisarticle is an in-depth explanation of what a CMA is in real estate and what is taken into consideration. Squarefootage, bedrooms, location, and amenities are just a handful of the items a real estate agent should use whencompleting a CMA.
The entire explanation of a comparative market analysis can be found here on the Rochester Real Estate Blog.
Top Real Estate Blog Articles For Interviewing Realtors
How To Interview A Realtor When Selling Your Home
Interviewing is a step in the home selling and buying process that is often overlooked. When a seller skips this step,it can lead to lots of frustration down the road. Questions such as the number of houses sold as a seller’s agent, isthe Realtor part-time or full-time, and whether the Realtor utilizes social media are a few questions that should be
This article on properly interviewing a Realtor when selling a home should be read if you’re going to be selling a homeand interviewing prospective Realtors.
How To Interview a Buyers Agent When Buying a Home
Buying a home is not the same process as selling a home. This means that a real estate agent will need to havedifferent skill sets when representing a buyer or a seller. There are lots of articles on interviewing a Realtor whenselling a home but not when buying a home. This article provides some excellent things to consider wheninterviewing a buyers agent who will represent your home purchase.
If you’re buying a home these interview questions for a buyers agent need to be read.
Top Blog Articles Relating To Mortgages & Financing
Top 10 Mortgage Mistakes to Avoid
Anyone who is in the real estate business has heard horror stories about a buyer purchasing a new shiny car a weekbefore closing on their home or even worse, has experienced it. This is a huge no-no and a mortgage mistake thatneeds to be avoided. To no surprise, Bill Gassett has included not applying for new credit as one of the mortgagemistakes that need to be avoided in this excellent article.
If you are or will be buying a home soon, you must read these 10 mortgage mistakes to avoid.
When & Why I Should Get Pre-Approved For A Mortgage?
Many home buyers don’t understand when or why they should get pre-approved for a mortgage. In this articlefeatured here on the Rochester Real Estate Blog, I point out that it’s critical to get pre-approved for a mortgage beforelooking at homes. In addition to when, I also point out several reasons why it’s important.
Make sure not to miss the many reasons why getting pre-approved for a mortgage is so important when buying ahome.
6 Tips When Mortgage Shopping
Janis Borgueta, a top selling Hudson Valley, NY real estate agent, provides 6 killer tips for mortgage shopping in thiswell written article. Janis points out the fact that banks don’t always give the best deals to their clients. These 6 tipsare extremely important for a first time home buyer to read before committing to a lender for their financing needs.
All 6 tips for mortgage shopping can be found on Janis’s My Hudson Valley Properties website.
Student Loan Debt and Mortgage Qualifying: What You Need to Know
Student loans are a major reason why today’s buyer is having difficulty getting qualified for a mortgage. CaliforniaMortgage Consultant, Brad Yzermans, put this awesome article detailing all you need to know about student loandebt and mortgage qualifying. Not only does Brad do an excellent job explaining how student loans impact qualifyingbut also guidelines for different mortgage products.
Check out Brad’s article on student loan debt and mortgage qualifying over on his blog for a complete understandingof this topic.
Top Blog Articles Relating To Home Inspections
Home Inspection Problems The Inspector May Not Find
Real Estate & Social Media – The Best Articles of 2014
Home inspectors are not magicians and they cannot be expected to discover every problem a home may have duringa two-hour inspection. Failing air conditioners, cracked heat exchangers, and internal chimney issues are three ofthe several problems that Bill Gassett discusses in his article that may be missed by a home inspector.
There are other problems too, so be sure to check out all of the possible home inspection problems that may not bediscovered during the inspection.
Top 10 Common Home Inspection Findings
Believe it or not, there are certain issues that are discovered inspection after inspection. Real estate agents whohave been in the business for any significant amount of time can name several issues that are found commonly. Issues such as double taps, frayed electrical riser cables, and grading issues are just a few listed in this article.
Check out the complete list of common home inspection findings right here on the Rochester Real Estate Blog.
Inspect Your Home A Little Closer, Before Selling
If you’re interested in getting some insight from actual home inspectors, than you must check out this article on LynnPineda’s blog. Two home inspectors, Mike Chamberlain from MC2 Home Inspections and Fred Hagey from AriesHome Inspection Service, give some insight into inspections. Mike discusses in this article common inspection issueshe comes across and Fred discusses electrical panels in homes.
This article is a must read if you’re looking for some insight directly from a professional who is in the field on adaily basis.
Top Blog Articles RelatingTo Social Media & The Real EstateIndustry
Myths About Real Estate & SocialMedia Marketing
Real estate and social media can bea great pair if they are used correctly. There are a lot of myths out thereand a lot of real estate agents whomake sellers believe that blastingtheir home on social media will bethe reason it sells. The HighlandGroup does an excellent jobdebunking some common mythsabout real estate and social media inthis article.
Find out why a real estate agent whoTweets your homes information isnot really helping sell your home andalso learn about other myths relatingto real estate and social media.
professionals who don’t believesocial media is important for theirbusiness. This is false and thisarticle on the Veteran’s United blog isa great explanation on why Google+can be a great tool for the mortgageindustry. Building relationships andtrust are just a couple reasons whymortgage professionals should beusing Google+.
What other reasons? Check out allof the reasons why the mortgageindustry can succeed on Google+.
Why Google Plus is Invaluable ForGrowing Your Real EstateBusiness and Brand
Many real estate agents will sayFacebook is the ultimate socialmedia website. Not so fast! Thisarticle featured on the Inman Newsexplains many reason why GooglePlus may actually be a better socialmedia website to focus on. Onereason Google Plus is invaluable forreal estate agents is the ability toshow up higher in search results. This is something that should be inthe forefront of every real estateagent.
Why else is Google Plus invaluablefor growing a real estate businessand brand? Go read this article tofind out!
Pinterest: The Perfect Tool forReal Estate Marketing
Pinterest is still a fairly new social media website but certainly should not be overlooked by real estate professionals. It can be a great place for real estate agents to educate and showcase their local communities. It is even morepowerful for real estate agents who create great real estate content, since the potential traffic it can generate, is veryhigh.
Not convinced? Before you decide whether Pinterest is for you, read the entire article on why Pinterest maybe theperfect tool for your real estate marketing on the Placester blog.
18 Real Estate Professionals Discuss The Internet’s Influence On The Real Estate Industry
There is no doubt that the internet has had a huge influence on the real estate industry and it continues to influence
the industry. This article provides some excellent insight on how the internet has changed the real estate industryfrom 18 top real estate professionals. Many of the real estate bloggers whose articles are on this best of 2014 list areincluded in this discussion.
You can find this discussion regarding the internet’s influence on the real estate industry on Andrew Fortune’s realestate blog.
6 Twitter Rules for Real Estate Agents
Technically speaking there are no set rules for Twitter. There are some “rules” though that real estate agents shouldfollow to be successful on Twitter. Many real estate agents don’t understand why Twitter can be such a powerfulsocial media tool for their business. This article is a straight to the point article explaining the rules real estate agentsshould follow on Twitter.
The entire article can be found on the National Association of Realtors, YPN Lounge Blog.
Top Real Estate Professionals To Follow On Social Media
The “Who’s Who” of the Real Estate Industry to Follow on Social Media – Google Plus
The “Who’s Who” series were some of my favorite articles to write in 2014. It is great to recognize other top realestate industry professionals and the work they do on social media. The Google Plus edition features 25 of the bestreal estate industry professionals to follow on G+. Bill Gassett was gracious enough to give some recommendationsof top professionals.
Check out these 25 real estate professionals who you circle on Google Plus , if you haven’t done so already!
The “Who’s Who” of the Real Estate Industry to Follow on Social Media – Pinterest
Many of the real estate industry bloggers whose articles were among the top 2014 real estate articles are also greatat creating eye appealing graphics. Not many are better than Lynn Pineda when it comes to creating graphics for herblog articles. Selecting only 25 professionals for the “Who’s Who” was not easy, but with the help of Lynn, we wereable to find the best of the best.
Check out who 25 of the best real estate industry professionals are on Pinterest to follow!
The “Who’s Who” of the Real Estate Industry to Follow on Social Media – Twitter
There are tons of real estate industry professionals on Twitter. Selecting 50 of the top real estate industryprofessionals to feature in the “Who’s Who” to follow on Twitter was a difficult selection. Who better to turn to forsome recommendations than Bill Gassett, who boasts over 20,000 Twitter followers.
Check out the entire list of 50 real estate professionals on Twitter who understand how to use Twitter to benefit theirbusiness.
The above real estate blog articles from 2014 are all worth of the read. There certainly were other articles in 2014that were excellent but this list could go on and on. In 2014, I’ve built some incredible relationships with many topprofessionals across the world. Again, Thank you all for your support in 2014 and I look forward to your continuedsupport in 2015.
About the authors: The above article “Top Real Estate Blog Articles From 2014″ was provided by the KeithHiscock Sold Team (Keith & Kyle Hiscock). With over 30 years combined experience, if you’re thinkingof selling or buying, we’d love to share our knowledge and expertise.
We service the following Greater Rochester NY areas: Irondequoit, Webster, Penfield, Pittsford, Fairport, Brighton,Greece, Gates, Hilton, Brockport, Mendon, Henrietta, Perinton, Churchville, Scottsville, East Rochester, Rush,Honeoye Falls, Chili, and Victor NY.
