Web Resources Can Focus Efforts to Buy a House in Granby
To Buy a House, Don’t Skip Today’s Internet Resources
Imaginative Online Resources Can Shortcut Home Searches in Granby and the Farmington Valley

If you are looking to buy a house in Granby or the Farmington Valley and haven’t yet taken advantage of the power of the Internet, wow! — are you missing out! A host of new technologies and online resources have simplified finding and analyzing properties. To help zero in on your ideal house in Granby this fall, here are a few of my favorite online resources:
Google Maps can save hours of time. Just go to Google and click on the “Maps” option at the top. Key in the full address of the property you’d like to look at, and, voila! You’re instantly looking at it in a choice of satellite view or from street level. For a quick glance a property’s “curb appeal,” you can’t beat it!
Long before you buy a house in Granby, you’ll want to know whether it’s a bargain or overpriced. The quickest way to get a rough estimate is at Zillow. See my Xillow profile here:http://www.zillow.com/profile/Stephen-Simard/
Zillow.com provides a rough estimate (okay – very rough!)
of the current valuation for most properties. Although these “zestimates” are approximate, you can also see what other properties in town have sold for.
PropertyShark.com is a great place to ferret out more detailed information about a property. On this site you can find out information such as the owner’s name and address, assessed taxes, and the recorded purchase price. Also find data about the surrounding local neighborhood including demographics, recent sales data, and even the heights of surrounding properties.
The Trulia website can help shorten the research needed before you buy a house. See my Trulia profile here: http://m.trulia.com/profile/StephenSimard/
Here you pose questions about a property to be answered by local experts. Ask about prices, closing times and real estate commissions. You can also find detailed information about local neighborhoods like commute times, crime stats, and local school ratings.
Online resources like these can reduce a lot of legwork (and gasoline consumption). Of course, nothing can replace the expert advice of a local Realtor® and viewing a selection of Granby properties in person — but using these resources helps shorten the process. If you’re looking to buy a house in Granby this fall, I’m here to help!
Stephen Simard
Your local Realtor
860-919-0991

Advantages to Selling Your Home in the Granby and Simsbury area this Fall Two Culprits That Make Selling Your Granby or Simsbury Home Tougher Selling Your Home in Granby and Simsbury Can be a Fall Success Story 
Whenever a home lingers on the market, the likeliest two culprits are either a price that’s too high to be competitive, or a home that’s not in top showing condition. If you were unsuccessful in selling your home in town this summer, it would be particularly disappointing given the strength of the selling season. The NAR reports that in July alone, sales of existing homes jumped 17.2% compared with July 2012. At the same time, some sellers reported the reappearance of multiple offers.The good news? Selling your home in the fall or winter is not as difficult as most people commonly assume. In fact, selling your home in the  Granby and Simsbury area during the coming months can offer certain benefits. In what many people assume is an “off season,” fewer homes are on the market — less competition. At the same time, buyers in these seasons tend to be more serious about buying. Pricing is almost always the overriding issue. Home values haven’t fully recovered from the peaks registered before the residential housing crash. Nationally, median prices are on the rise…but even so, they are still 7.3% below the high water marks reached in 2006. If you bought or appraised your home in 2004 – 2006, you might have to set your asking price slightly lower than the number you heard then. Selling your home with dispatch might depend on it.Showing condition matters, too. Selling a home is different from living in it. To be competitive with the other Granby and Simsbury  homes for sale, the property should be spotless for every showing. Removing excess furniture, art, and personal items such as family photos or trophies is important for creating a home that appears spacious and airy. It also lets buyers more easily imagine their own families living in your home.Don’t let the lack of a summer sale discourage you. When you set your asking price correctly and provide an immaculate showing environment, you’ll give yourself a strong chance of selling your home in the Granby and Simsbury area during  the cooler weather months. If you would like to talk strategy, call me today for an in-home assessment!
Stephen Simard is a Realtor with Alliance Realty in Simsbury, lives in Granby, and is proud of the great schools and towns in the Farmington Valley. Contact him at www.StephenSimard.com