Category: News & Press

The process of selling your current home can be a scary one…but it doesn’t have to be. Traditions Realty’s Vince Salvitti shares 10 things to avoid when selling your home to help make the process as stress free as possible.

1.     OVER-PRICING YOUR PROPERTY
Naturally, most homeowners want to maximize the profits on the sale of their home. Over-pricing your home can often result in a lower net price than you would have received if it had been listed at the appropriate price from the beginning.

2.    EXPECTING SAVINGS BY LISTING YOUR HOME ’FOR SALE BY OWNER’ OR WITH A ‘DISCOUNT’ BROKER
Learn what factors contribute to realizing the most money in the sale of your home…and why it is difficult to compete with the professionals.

3.    LISTING WITH FRIENDS OR FAMILY
Find out why listing your home out of a sense of obligation can be detrimental to the sale.

4.    FAILING TO SHOWCASE YOUR HOME OR MAKE NEEDED REPAIRS IN ADVANCE
A buyer’s first impression is key to realizing the maximum sale price. Learn how ignoring this can cost you thousands!

5.    HIRING A PART-TIME OR INEXPERIENCED REALTOR
Any agent can show enthusiasm at the listing appointment. Find out the true marks and benefits of an experienced agent and how it can add value to your home!

6.    HARD-SELLING A POTENTIAL BUYER
Buyer’s typically have a low comfort level when inspecting a stranger’s home while the owner is present.

7.    FAILURE TO DISCLOSE
Educate yourself about the law and the obligation of a seller to disclose. Knowing the facts can save you money in the end!

8.    FAILING TO MINIMIZE RISK IN BUYER QUALIFICATION AND REPUTABLE CHOICE OF LENDER
Too often, unqualified buyers enter into contracts without the appropriate support of a reputable lender. There’s a host of complications that can occur which can delay and even cancel your transaction. Find out how to avoid them and save time, stress and money!

9.     IGNORANCE OF THE RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND OBLIGATIONS OF A BINDING CONTRACT
If you are ill-informed about these often complex and confusing factors it could end up costing you a considerable sum of money.

10.    IGNORANCE OF TITLE, TAX, PAY-OFF AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENFORCEMENT ISSUES
Once your home is under an agreement of sale, a process begins. Find out how to avoid surprises that can cause unexpected expenses or even stop a settlement at the last minute!

What’s the safest and best way to move forward with the purchase of a new home at Traditions of America when you have an existing home to sell? Traditions Realty has assisted over 700 customers since 2008. Traditions Realty services come with each sale, whether you are purchasing contingent upon selling your existing home or purchasing non-contingent. It’s simply a matter of which program works best for you, HomeFree or HomeAssist. Both programs come with up to $10,000 value-protection on your existing home! These programs are focused on minimizing risks for you, our valued customer. Before you do anything related to the sale of your existing home, be sure to visit our website to learn more, speak with your New Home Counselor or call, Vincent Salvitti – Resale Director, at 267-546-2274 about our Resale Programs.

You deserve to know all the options before you purchase…and protect your investment!

By Traditions of America Marketing Team

Break a leg! This idiom had its origins in Old English theatre. It literally meant to ‘put a break in’ or bend the leg, at the knee. In other words, a ‘bow’. It was offered as encouragement for a performance that was deserving of a ‘bow’. With a little imagination, the process of selling real estate in the marketplace can be likened to a performance. There’s preparation, offering and viewings of the property, how it’s received by the public and finally the outcome.

So it’s spring and it’s a seller’s market. Properties are flying off the market, some receiving multiple offers and yes, some selling for over asking price. Why, the performance deserves nothing short of a standing ovation! Now, it’s time to sell your own home. Easy right? All you have to do is buy your ticket, watch the show, applaud the performance and head to the bank!

Experience shows us that for some home seller’s the ‘show’ falls short of their expectations. Having attempted unsuccessfully at selling, they begin to feel as though they deserve the old ‘Shepherd’s Crook’ used in Vaudeville acts to ‘yank’ overly long and poor performances off the stage. So why exactly is it that some properties have an outstanding market performance while others languish for months on the market unsold or sell at a much lower price than expected?  What’s the mystery?  What have I missed, you ask.

Story be told; when you market real estate, there are three important factors that cannot be taken lightly or ignored if you want to experience rave reviews! Otherwise, you will be disappointed. Here are the three significant factors:

1. Ticket Price: An appraisal is the best indicator of value. It helps you to stay ‘grounded’ with the pricing. It’s evidence of value. A property’s value is always based on the sale of other recently sold and settled properties of the same or similar style, age and size, within the immediate neighborhood market, which have been adjusted for differences. Make sure your property is listed appropriately for its value…at or just above appraised value or the critics will be relentless.
2. Set the Stage: The spotlight is ON! Removing objections is key to selling for top dollar! Staging and preparing the home is an absolute necessity if you want a steady stream of showings! Removal of personalized wallpaper with neutral paint, replacing dated floor finishes, paint colors, appliances, countertops and minimizing all personal items have everything to do with how the property performs on the market. Pay attention to these items and your property will shine!
3. Get a Great Agent: This is your advocate! For your interests. For your price. For the property itself. You want an agent that goes above and beyond what the average agent does in performance, including marketing and networking! The combination of attention to detail, knowledge, experience and one who understands customer service is one you’ll appreciate having as a coach!

Ready to market your home? All the details matter. Do your homework in all areas and take the advice of the experts you hire. You’ll be creating your own story of success.

Traditions of America’s success is inseparable from our promise to reduce stress and make buying easy.  One of the ways we do this – maybe the biggest way – is through Traditions Realty’s resale management. In the first 120 days of 2015 Traditions Realty helped sell 60 of our customers’ homes –  that’s a sale every other day! Every buyer can enjoy Traditions Realty’s services and the protection of up to $10,000.

Every Traditions Realty client receives: Objective, market-based assessment with appraisal and recommendations for home prep to secure a buyer in today’s increasingly competitive market; Top local agent selection and re-sale management from pricing through final negotiations; Regular monitoring of agent performance and property exposure; and Value protection up to $10,000.

Some of Traditions Realty’s recent performances in sales, include:

• Sewickley Ridge homeowner and HomeAssist customer, Sharon, who sold her home at 101% of value.
• Lititz homeowner and HomeAssist customers, John & Jean, who sold their home in just 5 days!
• Saucon Valley HomeFree customers, Warren & Michele, who sold their home at 99% of list price!

So, if you’ve you found your dream home at one of Traditions of America’s six active adult communities and have an existing home to sell, don’t do a thing! At least not until you speak to your sales counselor or to me, Traditions Realty’s Resale Director about HomeFree and HomeAssist. We have the competitive edge. We offer one of these customer-friendly, stress-reducing, value-creating packages included with your purchase. Find out which best suits your needs and timeline for selling your existing home and then take our advice….as the Old English well-wishers would say, BREAK A LEG!

By Traditions of America Marketing Team

A community is a feeling of fellowship with others as a result of sharing common interests and goals. This is exactly how the homeowners of Traditions of America at Lititz feel, having come together to support two wonderful causes in April. The community recently donated an iPad to the Warwick Education Foundation along with sponsoring the program. The foundation provides grants to schools within Warwick Township with the goal of boosting children’s access to computer technology across the district. This year’s goal is to purchase a laptop for every student at Warwick Middle School. A Lititz homeowner and Lancaster School principal says, “We are proud to have been able to donate to the foundation and give students additional resources for learning.”

The March of Dimes is also close to the hearts of Lititz homeowners and Traditions of America staff. Many have personally experienced the wonderful support the March of Dimes has provided for so many families through research and financial support to prevent premature births. Traditions of America at Lititz has sponsored the Lancaster March for Babies, where the money raised supports programs including prenatal care for moms-to-be, treatment of serious conditions and cutting edge education for health care providers.

Lititz homeowner Karen Rummel and her husband became involved with the March of Dimes through their daughter, Jennifer Rummel, who is the Community Director for the Central Pennsylvania Division of The March of Dimes. The Rummel’s grandson, Tyson, was born with a defective heart and needed a heart operation at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is doing well today but will require another heart operation in the future. Karen gladly shared, “We are happy to support the March of Dimes as we know firsthand that so many babies and families benefit from the research, community services and programs the March of Dimes provide.”

At Traditions of America, the Living Better philosophy extends past our immediate communities. We are proud that Lititz is just one of the many communities that have continually shown their giving spirit to the surrounding area.