Catch Chip Hodgkins, the powerhouse behind Central New York's top real estate team - Hodgkins Homes Team, in his latest CNBC interview! Discover why he's shaking up the Syracuse housing market and get exclusive insights into the trends shaping the real estate landscape. Don’t miss out—click the link to watch this must-see segment and see why Chip is the go-to expert in CNY real estate!

Learn how to prepare your home for buyers and the open market.

Are you looking to sell your home? While we’re still in a strong seller’s market, there is a widening gap between homes that are ready for the market and those that aren’t. If you want your home to be a winner on the open market, you probably need to make your home as ready and attractive to buyers as possible. It’s proven that the more showings you have, the more likely you are to have a faster sale and net a higher price. That’s why today, we're sharing three ways you can get your house ready for showings: 

1. Take care of minor repairs upfront. Right now, buyers’ number one concern is higher interest rates and affordability. As a result, they want to put as much money down as they can to lower their monthly payments. This means that if you take care of repairs upfront, buyers will be more interested in your house and might even be willing to pay a premium. Taking care of cosmetic repairs upfront is a good idea even in a normal market, but higher interest rates mean this step is more important than ever. 

2. Do some staging. Think about a model home: It’s clean, standardized, and impersonal. Your goal should be to get as close to that image as possible. Your home likely has a lot of personalized touches, like odd furniture, family photos, or maybe even an off-colored wall. We recommend trying to depersonalize your home as much as possible so prospective buyers can picture themselves living in your property. Plus, by packing everything away, you’ll make moving easier once you sell your house. 

3. Have a plan for children and pets. Your showings probably won’t go smoothly if your dog or young children are running around. Instead, work with your agent to create a showing schedule with blocks of time when your home is ready for buyers. This way, you and your buyers won’t be disrupted. We recommend putting dogs in kennels just for the short time when you’ll be having showings. While moving your pets around might be a little work, it’s worth it to keep your house in pristine condition when buyers are viewing it. 

If you want a detailed showing plan or list of repairs to make before you list your home, please call or email us. We’d love to help you navigate this housing market!

Recently, a lot of sellers have been asking us, “Should I make repairs before listing my home?” The short answer is yes. While we’re still in a seller’s market, the truth is that there aren’t as many buyers as there were during the peak a few years ago. The good news is that buyers still looking to purchase a home in this environment are very serious about moving. However, due to higher interest rates and home prices, your property needs to be in great condition to stand out. That’s why today, we're sharing three things you can do to get your home in perfect market condition before selling: 

1. Have a pre-listing meeting. Meet with your agent before you list to go over which repairs are really worth it. Not every fix is worth your hard-earned money, so invest in repairs that will improve your home’s condition and net you a higher return on your investment. It might be worth it to pay for a pre-inspection before you list. This way, you can find exactly what might turn buyers away and fix it before you hit the open market. 

2. Choose between cosmetic and high-maintenance repairs. Most repairs fall into one of two categories: cosmetic repairs and high-maintenance repairs. Cosmetic repairs are usually optional and won’t be a sticking point in negotiations. However, they can net you a higher return on your investment. High-maintenance repairs take longer and require a larger investment, but they often fix major issues that need to be addressed if you want good offers from buyers. 

3. Proper repairs expand your buyer pool. The condition of your home is the most important factor you can control when selling because it expands your buyer pool. In today’s market, there are fewer buyers due to interest rates and higher home prices; however, you can still attract a lot of demand with a property in good condition. If you do the proper repairs, you’ll have more offers coming in from better-qualified buyers. Work closely with your agent to create a strong marketing strategy, and you might even create a bidding war and naturally drive up your price. 

We always recommend sellers do repairs before listing, but it’s more important in this market than it ever has been before. If you’re wondering which repairs are worth doing or want to discuss a pre-listing strategy, just give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to hear from you!

Wondering how long it will take to sell your home this summer? According to Redfin, the average home takes about 32 days on the market to sell. However, this number is just an average; in reality, some homes sell almost instantly, while others stagnate on the market for months. Why is this? In my opinion, it comes down to three key factors: Condition, accessibility, and pricing. Today, I’m going to break down each of these factors and explain how you can leverage them to sell your home faster: 

1. Condition. You can’t control your location, but you can upgrade your home’s condition before you hit the market. Make sure you take care of any minor repairs upfront. You may even want your agent to do a walkthrough of your home and point out anything that might worry buyers. Small things might not seem like a big deal, but they leave an impression on your buyers that your home might not be in good shape. Plus, buyers don’t have a ton of spare cash due to high prices and interest rates. If they don’t have to pay for repairs themselves, they’ll be more likely to put in an offer fast. 

2. Accessibility. Buyers can’t put an offer on a home they can’t see. Being as accessible to buyers as possible will increase your showings and net you better offers faster. I understand it isn’t always possible to leave the house on short notice, so consider temporary housing while your house is on the market. Having another place to stay will also make it easier to move once you sell your home and start looking for a new one. 

3. Pricing. Your initial price is more than just a number; it’s the first part of your marketing strategy. Work with your agent to find similar homes in your area that have sold recently to find a good starting point. From there, choose a reasonable starting price to draw attention, create competition, and start a bidding war. This will help your house sell quickly and naturally increase the price to wherever the market is at. 

Hopefully, these tips will help you sell your home quickly. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to call me for a free home-selling consultation. I’ll go over the details of your home with you and share what you can do to move fast. I look forward to hearing from you!

 As we head further into the summer real estate market, tons of people have been asking me, “What’s going on in the market right now?” We get it; if you’re looking to move in the near future, you want to be informed about what’s happening with real estate. The truth is that home prices are still high in most areas; however, they’re starting to come down in a few places that were most affected by the pandemic boom market. While we don’t know for sure what this means for the country at large, it might be safer to make a move sooner rather than later. With that in mind, we're sharing three key points about our housing market you need to know if you’re planning on making a move this summer: 

1. There is a severe lack of inventory. Right now, a lot of people who would otherwise sell their homes are staying put because they have a low interest rate locked in with their current mortgage. As a result, inventory is incredibly low, and you’ll have way less competition than normal. Because of this, you can still sell quickly and at a good price as long as you work with your agent to build a strong marketing strategy. 

2. Buyers are very motivated. Right now, buyers across the country are as serious about purchasing your home as any we’ve ever seen. Think about it: Interest rates are still high, and home prices haven’t come down to compensate. If someone is looking at purchasing a home right now, it’s because they really need to move. This means you won’t have to deal with window shoppers, and you won’t have to have as many showings before you find someone willing to offer you a great deal. 

3. Pricing and condition are critical. Buyers are motivated right now, but that means they won’t put up with overpriced or poor-quality homes. On the other hand, they will be willing to pay a premium if your home is in good condition. Take the time to work with your agent and fix minor repairs before you put your home on the open market. Also, work together to find a price that fits your local market—one that isn’t too high or too low. 

You can still get a good deal this summer, but the future of our market is uncertain. If you have questions about where things might be heading or are interested in selling your home, call or email us. We’d love to hear from you!

"If you know AJ or need expert real estate advice, don't hesitate to reach out." 

Jackie Vigliotti just joined our team, and we’re so excited that she’s here.

Here’s a little bit about her.

“I grew up in Camilla, went to high school at West Genesee, and went to college at Suny Oswego. In college, I played soccer, and now I coach youth soccer at CBA for the girls' modified side. I’m really connected with the Syracuse community. My family has lived in Syracuse for three generations.”

Happy holidays to you!

The holiday season has officially arrived. We hope you enjoy this wonderful time of year and make some fantastic memories.

We wanted to take a moment to thank you for your continued support. We love helping people make their real estate dreams come true, so thank you for working with us and supporting our business.

This may be a busy time of year, but we are always here to help you and answer any questions you may have. Give us a call or email, we’d love to help you. 

In case we don’t hear from you until 2024, have a happy New Year!