How To Hold an Online Garage Sale

With Spring’s arrival, you may be thinking about emptying closets and ridding yourself of unwanted items. And if you’re thinking about moving, one important step is to get rid of clutter that may have accumulated around your home.

Organizing a traditional garage sale can be a hassle when you have to gather all your unwanted items, tag inventory, post neighborhood signs and online ads, and then spend your weekend haggling prices. If you don’t have that much time, consider holding your garage sale online.

Swap boards, donation directories and even online auction sites make it easy to do. Craigslist and eBay are the best known of these sites, but there are many to choose from. What’s more, eBay once estimated that the average household has $2,000 worth of unused goods waiting to be sold. You may already be thinking of a few items that should find a new home before you do.

Here’s how to hold a successful online garage sale:

Plan—or Not - The beauty of an online garage sale is that you don’t need to gather all your unwanted belongings at once. Instead you can post them online as soon as you decide to get rid of them.

Price It Right - Search online to learn prices of comparable items. Remember: if you don’t want to lug that item to your next home, it may be worth selling at any price. But if you’re still attached to it, you can set the price a little higher.

Show and Tell - Multiple photos are important—they draw attention to your item over similar ones. Also use them to answer anticipated questions. If you’re selling a piece of furniture, for example, include close-ups of unique details, dings and the upholstery pattern. Also provide detailed written descriptions.

Deliver the Goods - If you’re selling locally and have a vehicle big enough to hold your item, offer to deliver for a small fee. If you’re auctioning the item, you can add a flat shipping fee to the price, or allow buyers to compute and pay for shipping costs.

By getting rid of unwanted items through an online garage sale, you’ll have fewer items to pack when you decide to make a move.

Sara Hibbard is a licensed Realtor in the state of Georgia. Call or e-mail Sara Hibbard with your many questions regarding the Atlanta metro real estate market in general or specifics regarding the relocation / buying / selling / pre-approval process or if you see a home or homes that interest you sufficiently to schedule a visit and tour. Sara is easily reached at 770-399-8108 or e-mail her at sara@SaraHibbard.com. Sara looks forward to assisting you throughout the process when the time is right for you.

If Its Wednesday, It Must Must Be Market Conditions Wednesday!

Spotlight today is on STONE MOUNTAIN!

Another Market Condition's Wednesday Report for another popular city in the Atlanta metro area -- STONE MOUNTAIN.

Stone Mountain is a city in eastern Dekalb County, Georgia. The population was 7,145at the 2000 census. It is an outer suburb of the Atlanta metro area. The town is named for nearby Stone Mountain. Stone Mountain harbors plant and animal life found no place in the world. The mountain has contributed to the city's high economy both through its continuing status as a tourist attraction, and its former use as a granite quarry. It is also the site of a famous giant carving commemorating the military leaders of the Confederacy as well as a state park and museum, including a tourist railroad.

It might interest you to know that today, as I write this at 11:51AM on Wednesday, March 30th, there is a total of 65,329 homes on the market and actively listed in the entire Atlanta metro area including Stone Mountain. That's an increase of 3,719 homes entering the market since February 9th when we reviewed the city of Smyrna.

Likewise, according to the First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS), there is a total of 611 single family homes that are Actively listed in Stone Mountain and a total of 56 town-homes/condos in Atively listed in Stone Mountain today!

Actively Listed Single Family Homes
This week, actively listed single family homes in Stone Mountain range in price from $13,000 for a 1946 vintage, ranch style, bank owned property with 2 bedrooms/2 full bathroom, requiring a complete renovation on Palmer Drive to $995,000 for a beautifully appointed custom brick home with every imaginable high end feature and located in Ivey Oaks.

It's worth noting that 1/2 or 336 of the 611 single family homes on the market in Stone Mountain are listed under $100,000!

Actively Listed Town Home / Condos
Currently there is a total of 56 town-homes/condos listed as ACTIVE and on the market in in Stone Mountain. These properties range in price from $13,900 for a town home built in 1972 with 3 bedrooms/1 full and 1 half bathroom in the Garden Walk development to $173,900 for a brand new bank-owned ranch style condo with beautiful finishes, hardwood floors and much more. This is a foreclosure property and is brick on 3 sides with cement siding and a 2 car garage.

Believe it or not homes are selling in STONE MOUNTAIN!

PENDING SALE
On March 30th, there are currently a total of 171 single family homes PENDING SALE in Stone Mountain. The single family homes are listed between $15,000 and $125,000. Likewise, 28 town-homes/condos are showing up as Pending Sale in Stone Mountain with prices ranging from $9500 to $130,000.

SOLD Properties -- Single Family Homes
From January 1st 2011 to today, March 30th, 150 homes have SOLD and closed in Stone Mountain. Prices ranged from $17,000 to $510,000.

SOLD Properties -- Town-Homes / Condos
From January 1st 2011 through today, March 30th, 13 properties have sold in Stone Mountain with prices ranging from $14,000 to $66,900.

As you can clearly see, homes are selling in STONE MOUNTAIN, GA. Call me for a tour of a Stone Mountain home or questions regarding the Stone Mountain and Atlanta metro real estate market in general or specifics regarding the pre-approval/buying/selling/relocation process.

Sara Hibbard is a licensed Realtor in the State of Georgia and works in the Atlanta metro area. Call Sara with your many questions regarding the Atlanta metro real estate market in general or specifics regarding the buying / selling process. Sara Hibbard looks forward to assisting all your real estate needs when the time is right for you. Sara can be reached any time by calling 770-399-8108 or e-mail at sara@sarahibbard.com. Sara Hibbard is Glad Georgia Real Estate Is On Your Mind!

Buyer Beware

Well...I'm back after a little hiatus. Thanks for your patience as I attempt to continue this blog. (Luckily), I am consumed with several relocating home buyers from out of town as well as several listings. All of which are keeping me on my toes!

Last week I met with a potential first-time home buyer who wants to buy a distressed property. I'll call him John (not his real name). John requested a visit and tour of a distressed property. The home has been on the market for more than a year. The kitchen and living room are the best features of the property. However, after further inspection we found evidence of mold and mildew. Plumbing leaks -- and the water is turned off. Additionally, there is standing water in 3 separate places in the basement. The facade of the house is loaded with wood-rot and the list goes on.

First of all, in spite of what you hear on TV and in the news media, distressed properties are not for "first-timers". Truly, it is Buyer Beware. Typically, I encourage anyone interested in a distressed property to BEWARE. Beware of the unexpected. It wouldn't take much for an unsuspecting buyer to become "house-poor" very quickly in their efforts to remediate a property or fix / repair / replace all the items necessary to bring the property to a livable standard.

I find that most people (unless they have lived it) simply can not imagine the impact on your life and that of your families when you are exposed to mold. There are lots of different kinds of mold. Mold and mold spores in the air can ruin your health very quickly. Children particularly can be adversely affected by mold.

I want everyone considering the possibility of purchasing a distressed property to understand that millions of families face health and safety hazards like mold, lead, pest infestation and the physical deterioration of their homes. It is sad but true that many of these problems are specifically common among some of the nation's most vulnerable populations: children, senior citizens, the disabled and low - income families. However, it is not limited to these groups. You may recall the stories of Johnny Carson's friend and long time side-kick Ed McMahon. His family was devastated by mold. The problem runs in all economic and demographic circles.

To address these widespread issues, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S, Department of Energy and the U.S.Department of Agriculture will host more than 3,000 national health and safety experts in Denver from June 20-23, 2011 at the National Healthy Homes Conference NHHC).

One of the really cool highlights of the NHHC takes place before the actual start of the conference, when HUD and Rebuilding Together rehabilitate 25 homes in a Denver neighborhood. The event, called Building a Healthy Neighborhood, will bring together more than 300 volunteers to make the homes of local families safter and healthier.

Sara Hibbard is a licensed Realtor in the state of Georgia. Sara is concerned about the welfare of all her clients. Sara strives to ensure that each client has knowledge of the pluses and minues associated with the home they want to buy. Sara also makes certain that her clients obtain the best possible property for the money invested. Properties that either meet or exceed client objectives as well as their search criteria and "needs" and "wants" list. Call Sara Hibbard today for a free Needs Analysis. Sara Hibbard looks forward to assisting you further with all your real estate needs when the time is right for you. Sara can be reached at Sara@SaraHibbard.com or 770-399-8108. For more information, visit Sara's websites located at www.SaraHibbard.com, www.SaraHibbardRealEstate.com and www.AtlantaMLSHomes.com.