Posts made by author 'Cynthia Trapp'

Trees. I believe most people take them for granted, and not many seem to bother learning about the different types surrounding them every day. I've been interested in them ever since I bought my first home in the country near Watervliet about 20 years ago, when I suddenly owned hundreds of them. I frequently photograph them. And although it might not seem obvious, as a Realtor, trees are very important to me.

Trees often play a role in real estate transactions. Orchards sprawl all across Southwest Michigan and factor into the value of farmland, with their age, variety, and yield of fruit being important considerations. I've had purchase agreements include tree removal as part of the terms, sellers insist on taking trees with them, and two times I've had buyers request roots be cleared from the drai...

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Some people make my job so much easier, just by being themselves! One instance of this was when I listed a custom-built home in Niles. I was delighted to see that the house had been kept in excellent repair through preventative maintenance. I was positively ecstatic to find it was immaculately clean and uncluttered. Being extremely organized and thoughtful people, they had already packed away their nonessential items and deep cleaned the entire house before they ever called me.

I cannot overstate how helpful all this preparation was in the sale of the home! In most instances, there are plenty of opportunities for sellers to stress out during the sale: preparing for showings, waiting for inspection results, dealing with...

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Avoid these Sale Stoppers BEFORE your home hits the market!

If you think about it, do you believe that your home is still a good fit for you? Some life circumstances cause our housing needs to change, and you may find yourself crammed in tighter than ever, or wondering what to do with all that extra space. If this sounds familiar and you feel it's finally time to move, you may not be sure where to start, even if you've done this before. That's completely understandable!

The best way to get your home is ready for sale is to make sure it is as clea...

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One of the most frequent questions that homeowners ask me is: What do I have to do in order to get my home ready to sell?

The answer depends on your willingness and ability to clean, repair and update your home, balanced against how much you intend to profit from the sale. Sure, it's entirely possible to sell a property with an old roof, leaky pipes and hideous flooring. But the sales price, in that case, is going to be far from top dollar.

As the market shifts, both buyers and sellers are adjusting their expectations. The brutally compe...

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In this hot seller's market, with competing offers driving sale prices thousands over asking, buyers are willing to overlook a lot. Homes which once would have sat for months with worn roofs, outdated kitchens and baths or older HVAC systems are now being gobbled up without complaint. But some things will still stop a sale.

Here are some real-life examples of issues discovered during home inspections and how they could have been avoided.

Wet Spot in Basement: The ground was sloping toward the house, channeling snow and water right at the foundation.

Solution: Re-grading that portion of the yard so it diverted th...

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