Kat Geralis Home Team Wilmington DE Real Estate News Archives

In past blog posts, I have shared Tell-Tale Signs It's Time to Sell Your Wilmington Home as well as 2 Ways to Sell Your Wilmington Home for Top Dollar. But the Groundhog made a very important prediction this past week and if we're truly in for an early spring in Delaware, homeowners will need a boost to list their properties before the season arrives!

We are less than six weeks away from the official beginning of spring and yet, the busy home buying season may be upon us sooner than we think! Many Wilmington area homeowners believe spring is one of the best times to sell, but these next few weeks also have their own set of advantages:

Less Competition
As I mentioned above, many homeowners think spring is the only time to sell a home successfully and as a result, there is a rush of new properties on the market when the new season rolls around. Listing your Greater Wilmington DE home now means you have less competition from the numerous sellers that will list their homes from March through June. What's more, there is a lack of inventory in the real estate market that has homebuyers desiring more to choose from. Placing your home on the market now could put you in the running for a quick sale if your property is what today's motivated buyers are looking for!

New Construction on the Rise
Getting closer to the spring season means more new construction of single-family homes in Delaware is beginning to increase. According to a new study by Harris Poll, 41 percent of buyers would prefer to buy a new home, while just 21 percent would buy an existing home. Listing your home now could mean less competition among new construction properties as well!

Strong Buyer Demand
Buyers no longer hibernate during the winter months and as a home seller, you shouldn't either! Foot traffic shows buyers are still out looking for homes now and in addition, browsing properties online, on mobile apps and in email listing alerts.

Moving Up Will Cost You Later
If you're planning to move to a larger home in the Greater Wilmington area soon, you might like to do so sooner rather than later. Prices are expected to rise by 5.4 percent over the next year and waiting to purchase a new home could end up costing you more in both your down payment and potential mortgage payment. It is also not guaranteed that mortgage rates will remain this low for the remainder of the year— listing your home now is a wise way to get things moving.

The KG Home Team has been voted a 5 Star Real Estate Agent year after year and consistently ranks in the Top 1% of REALTORS in the State of Delaware. Let us be your guide as you consider moving to a new home this year!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
Keller Williams Realty
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
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In the good old days, baking a batch of cookies for your Wilmington home’s open house and throwing in a big screen TV for the buyer was enough to produce some buzz about your home sale. Now that the market is a little more competitive, however, Wilmington’s home sellers need to get creative. In order to get the buyers interested in your home, as opposed to the competition’s, you need to be able to think outside the box.

As your Wilmington real estate agent, it is my job to make sure that all of my home sellers market their home creatively. Going the extra mile to do something a little bit different is what’s going to make your home stand out and sell faster, instead of sitting on the market for an extended period of time. My experience and expertise as Wilmington, DE’s premiere real estate agent has given me some ideas on how to sell creatively. Here are a few ideas that I have picked up along the way:

Get on Facebook. Facebook’s pay-per-click ads are free to create and inexpensive to run. Create an ad for Facebook that shows a picture of your listing and has a creative tagline. Link the ad to the listing page on your Wilmington real estate agent’s website. This will give your listing maximum exposure in your area for little cost. You can also have yourself or your agent use Facebook marketplace to put your listing online and get the word out to your friends. You never know: they may know of someone who is looking for a brand-new Wilmington home.

Stage your home. Staging is of the utmost importance when you’re selling a home because it allows buyers to visualize living in your property. The neutral and clean look that comes from staging presents your home in the best light while minimizing clutter, so that it’s easy for a buyer to insert their possessions into your home. Staging can be done creatively and switched so that each room can be seen to serve multiple purposes. It’s a great way to present your property in the best way possible.

Throw in some extra incentives. Do you want to get some buzz surrounding your property? If so, the answer might be to throw in some great incentives with the purchase of your home. Whether it is season tickets to a basketball or baseball game, airline tickets, or even monetary incentives like a mortgage stipend, these extras will increase the interest in your property and get more traffic through your home. They might not seal the deal, but they’ll get people through the door, and your fantastic home will do the rest.

Make your open houses more festive. Having cookies at your open house is great, but try generating interest by turning it into something of a party. Prepare hors d’oeuvres, have music playing, and if you’re motivated, have some sort of contest or raffle. Making your open house seem more fun and festive might draw interest to your home and allow potential buyers to relax while they look around.

Thinking outside the box and marketing your home creatively is the key to selling your home on the Wilmington real estate market. These creative tactics will increase the traffic going through your property and get your home sold faster. If you have questions about what it takes to sell your Wilmington home, or have questions about the Wilmington, DE area, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d love to be here for you as your real estate and community expert.

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
NextRE Team
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
Visit My Website
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It’s a buyer’s market, and the current climate of Wilmington Delaware real estate suggests that if you’ve been thinking about buying a home in the area, now is a hot time to do so. With home prices and interest rates at record lows, now is probably the ideal time to start your Wilmington home search. That way, you can take advantage of the current, low costs and find the home that really suits you best. It’s time to start house-hunting.

With all of that being said, buying a Wilmington, DE home is far from easy. Especially if it’s your first time around the block, you can get slammed with extra feeds, stressful transactions, and sticky negotiations if you don’t have the right professional looking out for your best interests.

As a Wilmington Delaware real estate agent, I make it my responsibility to help first-time homebuyers navigate the local market by both providing quality advice and making their transaction as smooth and seamless as possible.

When you first start your Wilmington home search, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement of buying a home and make some costly errors. Follow these eight quick tips, however, and you’ll be in your brand new Wilmington, DE home in no time!

1. Research the neighborhood. It’s an old, but true, mantra: Location, Location, Location! If you don’t take the time to research a neighborhood you’re interested in, you could be in for some serious buyer’s remorse after purchase. Remember, you might find the dream home, but if it’s in a neighborhood that doesn’t suit your needs, you’ll never be fully happy. Take the time to do some research, and you’ll be much more satisfied after signing the papers.

2. Look at several houses before you buy. We’ve all heard of love at first sight, but if you use that during your home search, you could be stuck with a home that needs costly repairs or that doesn’t really fit your needs. Take the time to look and you could find a home better than you even dreamed possible. Just keep an objective eye out on every property!

3. Get a professional inspection. Even if a property is pre-inspected, it can be hard to trust that a seller is disclosing everything wrong with the house, or that the repairs they did make were done thoroughly. Investing in a professional inspection can ease your mind and insure that you’ve covered all your bases, which will make move-in day much less stressful.

4. Go after what you need, not what you want. You might love that cozy, two-bedroom home with a lot of fancy upgrades, but if your family is growing, is it really what you need? Keep your future plans in mind when you’re buying a house. If you focus on what you need instead of what you want, chances are you’ll be more satisfied with the house down the line, and you’ll be in the property for a longer time. It will create a more worthwhile investment.

5. Buying a home at auction? Never overbid. Due to the high number of foreclosures sweeping the nation, many of you may be interested in buying a home at auction. This could be a great idea, but you have to be careful not to overbid. Do your research before attending the auction and stick to the price you know is right. Many auctioneers try and push the home way over market price during auction, so don’t get sucked into that game. Know your limit and stick to it.

6. Never buy a home based on décor. Sure, that house you looked at might have nice decorations, but how will it look with your furnishings in it? Take a step back and imagine your belongings in the house. If that changes your opinion of the property, then it’s probably not the best home for you.

7. Be careful when you read real estate ads. Ad copy is meant to make a house sound amazing and grand. Their phraseology is meant to “talk up” the property. “Cozy” is probably code for small. “As-is” means you might have a lot of work to do. Learn how to read between the lines, so you can avoid wasting time by going to see houses that you’ll want nothing to do with.

8. Don’t buy the most expensive home on the block. Sure, it’s great to keep up with the community you live in, but if you surpass them, you’ll never get the same return on investment. If you buy the priciest property, you’ll find that when you put it back on the market, you won’t get what you put into the home. Try and avoid this by finding a home that is within the average price range of your community.

Buying a home is complicated, but if you stick to these eight tips when you begin your Wilmington home search, you’ll find that your satisfaction after purchase will be high. As your Wilmington real estate expert, it’s my job to educate you on the best home buying tactics for amazing results. If you’re thinking about moving to the Wilmington, DE community, or would like to see some of the homes available on the Wilmington real estate market, don’t hesitate to contact me! I’d love to help you find your dream home.

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
NextRE Team
Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
Visit My Website
Contact Me

As a Wilmington, Delaware real estate agent, I pride myself on being the go-to resource for those who are looking to buy their next home in the Wilmington DE area. Me and my NextRE team believe that providing superior customer service and being knowledgeable about the Wilmington DE real estate market is the key to buying and selling a home in Wilmington, Delaware. One of the ways that I accomplish this is by constantly communicating with each one of my clients, whether it be by phone, email, or blog!

If you’re honest and open from the beginning about what you’re looking for in a Wilmington, Delaware home, then I know that me and my NextRE team can help you find your dream home! We want to know exactly what you expect from the Wilmington home buying process, and any pertinent questions you might have about the real estate market, before you jump right in to finding your dream home. While I love listening to my clients’ needs and taking their input into account, I also like to educate them on the ins and outs of the Wilmington real estate market and give them share with them different ways to make their Wilmington home search as seamless as possible. That’s why I’m giving my blog the “fresh start” that it needs.

Every other week, I’ll be providing you with the latest information about the Wilmington real estate market, market statistics for the area, and buyer and seller tips that will help you find your dream home in Wilmington, Delaware. This informative and interesting approach to my blog will tell you everything that you need to know about the Wilmington home buying and selling process, and it will insure that you’re well-informed before jumping into any real estate transaction!

I would love to be your real estate and community resource for Wilmington, Delaware! My years of experience in living and working as a Wilmington real estate agent have made me an expert in the local real estate market and on the community. My expertise will be a great asset to you whether you’re relocating to the Wilmington, Delaware area, looking for a new Wilmington home, or thinking about putting your house on the market. My goal is to your “go-to” resource for anything related to the Wilmington real estate market!

I look forward to providing you with these bi-weekly updates and tips, and I hope that you keep checking back to learn a little more about buying a home in Wilmington! Feel free to contact me at any time with any questions, concerns or advice you might need. I hope to hear from you soon!

Katina Geralis
Wilmington, DE Real Estate Expert
NextRE Team

Wilmington Real Estate
Wilmington Homes for Sale
Visit My Website
Contact Me