Selling Your Home? Be Ready to Spring into Spring
LOUISIANA REALTORS • March 12, 2018
After a strange winter that was actually filled with snow, ice, and frigid temperatures; spring is being welcomed even more than usual, and not just for baseball games and crawfish boils. Warm temperatures and sunshine aside, this is the time of the year when prospective homebuyers come out of hibernation. If you are planning on selling your home, this is the time of the year to make sure it is ready to be shown, and ready to shine. Here are 5 tips for preparing your home for a spring sale.
Take Care of Small Repairs and Maintenance
While you have a home inspection done before any sale is finalized, it’s a good idea to take care of some of the more minor repairs you may have been putting off before your house goes on the market. If a prospective buyer notices something small, it can give them the impression that there are larger issues looming. Tightening knobs and handles, replacing light bulbs, and fixing a small leak can all pay major dividends.
Clean the Outside of Your Home
Curb appeal is a major factor when it comes to selling your home. This will be the first and most important impression for anyone considering purchasing your home. Cleaning out your gutters, pressure washing, and adding a fresh coat of paint are well helpful ways to ensure you put your best foot forward.
Address Your Landscaping
Likewise, the landscaping
around your home can be a great visual enhancement. Seed any bare spots in your lawn, keep it freshly mowed, trim bushes, weed, and plant some fresh, bright flowers.
Update and Refresh Your Front Door
Make your front door pop. Adding a fresh coat of paint, possibly a color that compliments and contrasts with the rest of your home, and replacing old and worn out door numbers can make for an inviting entrance.
De-clutter and De-personalize
Buyers want to be able to visualize their stuff in your home. You can make this easier by de-cluttering and de-personalizing as much as possible. Not only will this make the space appear bigger, but it will easily allow visitors to mentally envision this home as theirs. Removing any knickknacks, photos, refrigerator magnets, and other items like excess and bulky furniture can go a long way in selling your home.
CONTACT US
Lastly, once these and other items are taken care of, hire a REALTOR®. Your REALTOR® will make sure your best interests are protected, as well provide great insight, expertise, and resources for the sale of your home.
Homeownership Is on Louisiana's November Ballot
After months of gathering recipes from across our Louisiana REALTORS® family, the cookbook is ready! This 200+ page collection is filled with Louisiana flavor, REALTOR® heart and recipes contributed by our members. We launched sales of the cookbook at the Fall Governance Meetings. You can now purchase your copy for $30 directly from the printer and shipped to you! Additionally, we will have copies available at the RRF booth at NXT . After NXT, we will carry a limited stock at the LR office for you to purchase through the LR Merch Shop and pick-up from the office or at an LR event, as stock is available. Even better, $15 from every cookbook sold will be donated to the REALTORS® Relief Foundation (RRF) to help provide housing-related assistance to REALTORS® and their families following disasters. Pick up a copy for yourself, grab one as a gift and enjoy a taste of Louisiana while supporting a great cause!
A major change to residential appraisal reporting is approaching, but a recently announced temporary policy exception is creating some confusion about what happens on November 2. Here is what REALTORS® need to know. Beginning November 2, 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require the new Uniform Appraisal Dataset (UAD) 3.6 for new appraisal reports initially submitted to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal (UCDP), unless the lender has received a temporary policy exception. The November 2 implementation date has not been postponed. What is the UAD 3.6 Appraisal Report? UAD 3.6 replaces the familiar legacy appraisal forms (used for the last 25 years) with a new, more data-driven appraisal report that collects much more detailed property information. For REALTORS® and consumers, the transition could mean a more detailed property inspection, additional questions about the property and transaction, and potentially longer appraisal and review times as appraisers, lenders, appraisal management companies, and other industry participants adjust to the new system. What changed? Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently announced a temporary policy exception for eligible lenders that need additional time to complete their transition to UAD 3.6. Lenders receiving the exception may continue submitting appraisals using the current legacy UAD 2.6 format through May 19, 2027 . Beginning May 20, 2027 , new appraisal submissions to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac must use UAD 3.6. What does this mean for REALTORS®? For several months, REALTORS® may encounter both the current appraisal format and the new UAD 3.6 appraisal report. The appraisal format is determined by the lender's assignment requirements. REALTORS® and consumers do not need to determine which format should be used. It is also important to understand that an appraiser completing a legacy-format appraisal during this period should not automatically be assumed to be unprepared for UAD 3.6. An appraiser who is fully UAD 3.6 ready may still be instructed by a lender to complete an assignment using the legacy format. How can REALTORS® help? Good communication and accurate property information will become even more important. REALTORS® can help the appraisal process by providing accurate and specific information concerning: Recent renovations and improvements Property features and amenities Sales concessions and financing terms Known property conditions or unique characteristics Relevant information about the transaction Buyers should also be encouraged to discuss appraisal requirements and anticipated timelines with their lender early in the transaction. What about FHA, VA and USDA? The November 2 requirement discussed above applies to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac conventional lending. FHA, VA and USDA have their own appraisal policies and implementation schedules. Their transition to UAD 3.6 should not be assumed to follow the same November 2 timeline unless announced by the respective agency. The Bottom Line November 2 remains an important date for UAD 3.6. The temporary exception does not cancel or postpone the transition. Instead, it allows eligible lenders additional time to complete their transition. As a result, REALTORS® should expect a period when both legacy and UAD 3.6 appraisal reports are being used. Louisiana REALTORS® will continue monitoring the transition and providing members with updates as additional guidance becomes available. Louisiana REALTORS® is also planning a follow-up webinar to discuss the latest UAD 3.6 developments, what REALTORS® are seeing in transactions, and what these changes mean for agents and their clients.
