Three Issues to Avoid When Building New Homes in Brainerd

Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report
Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale

Today I want to speak about the advantages of buying a resale property over purchasing a newly-constructed home in Brainerd. Buying a new home is always nice, but there are certain advantages to purchasing a resale property.

Here are some challenges that might occur when you decide to build new.

1. You have to find a reputable builder.
2. You have to spend time on the development and design in the home.
3. Change orders are huge profit-builders for construction companies.

My advice to you when building new is to go out and pick out your light fixtures, your carpets, countertops, etc. Know exactly what you want in order to budget for the new home purchase. It can be painstaking, but you need to know every detail about the new home you’re building.

I’ve heard a lot of horror stories where a buyer will totally underestimate the costs and they have ended up not being able to build a new home. If you want to build a new home, please contact me and we can strategize in order for you to get exactly what you want and for the exact price that you want it.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Importance of Proper Pricing in Brainerd

Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report
Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale

Today we’re going to discuss the importance of properly pricing your home in the current marketplace. This is critical, especially coming into the spring market here in Brainerd.

We’ve had a lot of sellers come to us in the past and tell us that the agent who previously listed their home didn’t do much research, and simply asked the homeowners what they would like to price it at. This is a big mistake. What happens oftentimes, is the home is priced too high. When the home is priced too high, it will sit on the market. The more price reductions you go through, the longer it takes the home to sell.

Buyers are sophisticated in today’s market and when a home has been on the market for six months, it starts to create doubt in the minds of buyers. It also takes away any sense of urgency, as they don’t think a home that’s been on the market so long will be going anywhere anytime soon. It also encourages low-ball offers.

Proper pricing from the get-go is critical. What we do is come in and give you a realistic price, pushing the high side just a touch, so we can get your home sold in the first 60 days it’s on the market. That’s where you’re going to get the maximum value.

You also don’t want to underprice, because you’re not maximizing your home’s value. We can get you the most amount of money possible for your home through marketing, proper pricing, and home staging. With spring right around the corner, give us a call or send us an email if you’re thinking about selling. We would love to hear from you, and answer any questions you may have!

How to Avoid a Costly Surprise When Buying in Brainerd

Want to sell your home? Get a FREE home value report
Want to buy a home? Search all homes for sale

There is a lot that goes into purchasing a home, and many people are unaware of the many hidden costs often associated with the process. When buying a home, you need to look closely to see if it is move-in ready. Are you going to need to buy new carpet? Do you need to paint the walls? Are you going to need to purchase new furniture to fill the home? These are just a few of the questions you need to ask when viewing a home.

One big thing you need to pay close attention to is the cost of utilities. If you’re going from a gas-heated home to and electric-heated home, you need to account for the additional expense. We encourage our buyers to figure out what the last 12 months of utility costs were of a home before they purchase it.  

Another thing to take into account is insurance. Many people tend to think that their insurance rate will be the same as the their current home, but there is a lot that goes into the final insurance rate. One serious factor is how far away the home is from the nearest fire station. If the home is outside 20 minutes, insurance will typically be significantly more. This is because, if there is a house fire, the home will take on significant damages or even burn down in 20 minutes time.

Finally, the last thing to think about is real estate taxes. Whether you’re in Brainerd, Baxter, on water, off water -- all these various factors play into what you’re paying in real estate taxes.

In order to know whether you can truly afford a home, it’s crucial to work with a professional who can help you sort through all these additional expenses. My team and I do a free buyer consultation to help our buyer clients make informed decisions. Our goal is to ensure you’re not house rich, but cash poor.