Real Estate Information Archive

“Fake it till you make it” is what they say in the military. But that saying can also be true of home decor. Today, faux is the way to go when it comes to making your Albuquerque home look like a million bucks. You can create a great-looking space, even if it wasn't built this way, and without spending a lot of money. Many of these items below stand in just as well as the "real stuff," and because they're DIY friendly, they're even more appealing.

Electric fireplaces

A fireplace can help a home feel comfortable and cozy, but not everyone has one built in. Thankfully, electric fireplaces are inexpensive and easy to incorporate into your home.

Electric fireplaces provide an alternative to traditional systems for those who don't have a chimney or who prefer to avoid the hassle of wood burning or gas fireplaces. Installing them is quite easy since all you need is a power outlet and no chimney or venting, although, if you plan to place them in a wall you may need to hire a professional.

Make your fireplace pretty

Installing that fireplace also means trimming it. For some homeowners, Airstone veneers are the smart choice, as they are lighter, durable, and easier to install than traditional stone veneers.

Faux panels

If you would like to redesign a large space, small products may not be the best answer. Faux panels and sidings are made of high-density polyurethane and are modelled from actual rock and stone, so they are lightweight, durable, realistic, and easy to install. The panels can be installed yourself by a homeowner or contractor in a fraction of the cost and time it takes to get a new exterior look for a small investment. These panels could also make an excellent addition to any living space that needs more personality. 

Peel-and-stick wallpaper

It's no longer a novelty to apply peel and stick wallpaper, and it's not just for those who don't like to hang traditional wallpaper. Some people often want to alter thier home's decor, so temporary peel and stick wallpaper can be useful.

Other peel-and-stick options

Getting real stone looks easy with this peel-and-stick option. Unlike wallpaper, the peel-and-stick option gives you materials that look natural in an easy-to-apply, easy-to-manipulate, and easy-to-remove package. It is expensive, so at about $23 per square foot you're not getting a budget answer. However, if you prefer stone but can't handle the hassle of installation, this may be the right option for you.

Quartz countertops

Quartz has become the most popular countertop material on the market today, surpassing granite in popularity. Today's homeowners are going quartz because of the ability to get the look of marble without the high maintenance and dread of a stain or scratch ruining their expensive counters.

Marble backsplash

You can spend thousands of dollars running marble along your kitchen walls. Peel-and-stick vinyl tiles were intended as floor tiles, but at under a dollar each, they're a great option for walls too.

Stencils

Using stencils, you can create the look of Moroccan tile or shiplap, customized furniture and even handmade-looking pillows. You can achieve the look of custom tile in your kitchen, on your floor, or to accent your furniture. Create the look of customized tile in your kitchen, or on your floor, with no need to spend a fortune or undergo an extensive remodeling project.

Depending on the size you require, these tiles are available in 6x6, 8x8, or 12x12. You may also want to check out the furniture stencils that can transform an old piece into something new. 

So when it comes to making your home look great, you really can fake it till you make it!

Contact us today to help you buy or sell your next home in Albuquerque. Looking for the perfect home for sale in Albuquerque? Our easy-to-use home search tool can help you start the process. Join us twice a week on our blog for more real estate advice and great reasons to buy a home in Albuquerque and the surrounding area. Follow us on Facebook for the latest Albuquerque real estate updates.

HOT ALBUQUERQUE LISTING OF THE WEEK

VIEWS!! Pleasing, light-filled 5 years young DR Horton, Rose model with a 3 car garage. This spacious home has soaring ceilings, east facing windows to enjoy views of the Sandia Mountains. Open concept floorplan, kitchen, dining, and great room flowing together. Home offers 4 bedrooms, plus an office/craft room/flex space. Kitchen showcases stacked cabinets, pantry, island, room for dining, and ample counter space. Stainless appliances stay! Primary suite is on main floor with a spa like bathroom and attached laundry room. 2nd level welcomes you with a LOFT/2nd living space. 3 more bedrooms, one being a second Primary with private bathroom. Enjoy alfresco dining on the covered patio while gazing out to the Sandi Mountains.

Learn More!

Looking for the perfect home for sale in Albuquerque? Our easy-to-use home search tool can help you start the process. Join us twice a week on our blog for more real estate advice and great reasons to buy a home in Albuquerque and the surrounding area. Follow us on Facebook for the latest Albuquerque real estate updates.

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

You can increase the sale price of your Albuquerque house by staging it for sale. In addition to helping you sell faster, it's an important marketing tool to help you compete at the right price. But cleaning the house and fluffing some pillows is not enough. Organizing, decluttering, repairing, upgrading, and depersonalizing are the keys to this process.

Here's a few tips to get your home ready to sell in Albuquerque.

Living Room

• When placing anything from accent pillows and table lamps, go for symmetry, which is pleasing to the eye.
• Light it up with lamps. Chic lamps provide both added lighting and appealing decor.
• Make that fireplace glow. Scrub away soot stains and replace the old screen.
• Whatever amount of furniture you have in your living room, remove a few pieces to make the room feel spacious.
• Help buyers imagine their life in your home. Set the scene by displaying a board game or tea service on the coffee table, and arrange furniture in conversational groups.

Kitchen

• Clear everything from countertops except one or two decorative items, like a vase of flowers or bowl of fresh fruit.
• Pack up all the dishes except one attractive, matching set. Do the same with glassware, flatware, and cookware, and pare down all other cupboard and drawer items down to the minimum.
• Freshen up and modernize those cabinets with a fresh coat of paint or stain and new hardware.
• Invest some time in evaluating your appliances. Can they be made to look new again with a good scrub? Consider giving it the old college try or replacing it with a new model. Stainless steel is strongly recommended by the Real Estate Staging Association. If you use stainless films, you can get stainless's appearance for the price of a cheap meal.
• Remove those fridge magnets and give the door and handles a good cleaning.

Bedrooms

• Go gender neutral in the master bedroom. Ditch those dainty, floral pillow shams or NASCAR posters.
• Pack up all but the clothes you're wearing this season to make you closets look larger.
• Swap out the motley crew of mismatched hangers in your closet for a set of wooden ones to create a classy, boutique look.
• Put jewelry and other valuables in a safe spot.
• Consider giving extra bedrooms a new identity as a home office, sewing room, or another interesting function.
• Remove televisions or video game consoles from bedrooms to depersonalize and create a serene setting.

Obviously, there are other ways to stage your home for sale. However, with these few tips, you'll be on your way to a faster sale.

Contact us today to help you buy or sell your next home in Albuquerque. Looking for the perfect home for sale in Albuquerque? Our easy-to-use home search tool can help you start the process. Join us twice a week on our blog for more real estate advice and great reasons to buy a home in Albuquerque and the surrounding area. Follow us on Facebook for the latest Albuquerque real estate updates.

Having your home on the market in Albuquqerque during the autumn selling season can be a great thing. There are fewer homes on the market, which means you will be in an ideal position to market your home. Here's a few staging tips to help you close the sale by the holidays.

1. Brighten Up

Days are getting shorter, and that can be a good thing for sellers. When you have a well-lit room, it looks larger and more inviting. Turn on all of your lights before the showing, and make sure they can be seen from the steet so that they welcome buyers as they drive up. 

2. Light Your Buyer’s Fire (with Fire)

Buyers want to see themselves relaxing in front of a warm fire. You can help them envision the warmth of thier new home by building a fire if you have fireplace, along with lighting some well-placed candles.

3. Use Seasonal Scents

Normally you would use unscented candles when showing a home, as you don't want to alienate buyers. But the fall season may be a time to bend that rule and light a few candles that have an autmn scent.

Because smell is so intricately tied to emotion, harnessing the aroma of fall will evoke memories of apple picking, pumpkin carving, leaf raking and other family-friendly activities.

4. Get Cozy

A few throw pillows and soft blankets will make your home feel more cozy. This will help buyers feel more relaxed and ready to curl up with a good book.

5. Make Your Curb Appealing

The approach of fall heralds crisp breezes and brightly colored leaves. Embrace the natural hues of the season by adding fall-hued foliage and flowers to your outdoor landscape — mums, goldenrods, Aster, smoke bush, Heleniums, burning bush, Virginia Sweetspire, witch-hazels and Viburnum are all plants that thrive in colder temperatures and produce gorgeous, seasonal color.

6. A Little Goes a Long Way

As with any seasonal decor, it’s important to make sure you don’t overdo your decorating efforts.

Good: a fall-hued wreath on the front door and a few cheeky-looking pumpkins.
Bad: a pumpkin-patch themed front yard, including hay bales and a scarecrow.

Good: bringing seasonal color inside via candles, pillows and fall foliage.
Bad: a home cluttered with Halloween knick knacks and an excess of fall accessories.

Remember that when it comes to decorating your Albuquqerque home for a showing or open house, it’s always better to keep it sweet and simple.

Looking to sell your home for the right price in Albuquerque? Let us help you sell your home in Albuquerque and get the right price. And make sure to join us twice a week on our blog for more great reasons to buy a home in Albuquerque and the surrounding area. Follow us on Facebook for the latest Albuquerque real estate updates.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

2612 Espanola Street, Albuquerque, NM 87110  $170,000

3 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms (1 full, 1 half) / 1140 Square Feet

HUGE LOT with BACKYARD ACCESS and custom gate in the NE Heights! Conveniently located close to Uptown, Trader Joe's, shopping, restaurants & parks! 3BDR/1.5BA/1CG featuring a large open great room with huge picture window and tile flooring! Remodeled kitchen with new soft-close cabinetry & crown molding, Quartz countertops! Beautiful shade tree in the front yard and oversized backyard with plenty of room for pets, backyard access, custom metal gate and covered patio for Summer BBQs!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

The way your home exterior looks makes a huge difference when you sell it. First impressions can make or break a sale.

Here are some home maintenance mistakes to avoid to keep your home looking fresh.

Stop Using the Pressure Washer at Full Force

When you pressure wash your home, the goal is to remove the dirt, not the paint. You can do this without setting the pressure washer to full force. If you don't, you could end up making your home look worse by damaging the paint or wood, along with forcing the water under the siding where it can cause rot.

Instead, turn the spray as low as it can go to still get the job done. Then angle the washer down, and clean with gentle, side-to-side motions.

Stop Putting Mulch Against the House

Lining your home with mulch may look great, but it can increase the risk of bugs and mold. Instead, you can keep that great look by placing a layer of brick or stone between your house and the mulch.

Stop Storing Produce on the Counter

There's nothing more appetizing than bowls full of garden-fresh goods on the counter. But it comes at a price: bugs.

While fruit flies are annoying, ants and roaches are full-on worrisome once they're in your home. And they are TOUGH to get rid of. Refrigerate all the produce you can — and if you must keep it out to ripen, pop it in the fridge as soon as it peaks.

Selling your home in Albuquerque? Get a FREE home valuation of your home today. Looking for the perfect home in Albuquerque? Our powerful home search feature will help you find the home of your dreams. And make sure to join us twice a week on our blog for more great reasons to buy a home in Albuquerque and the surrounding area. Follow us on Facebook for the latest Albuquerque real estate updates.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

326 Atrisco Drive SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105  $189,000

2 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms (1 full, 0 half) / 1570 Square Feet

Check out this incredible opportunity! Precious 2 BR Adobe with separate Casita! Lovingly restored, the main house boasts wood floors, newer water heater, newer metal roof and refrigerated air. With beautiful landscaping surrounding, the separate casita has a kitchen, full bath & combo sleeping/living area. This oversized lot - greater than a 1/2 acre - also boasts irrigiation from the Atrisco Ditch and great open space!! Both the main house & casita have a solid Air BnB rental history. Don't miss this one!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

The Sandi Pressley Team has taken great care in making our website, www.albuquerquehomesolutions.com, a useful and powerful tool for anyone looking to buy or sell a home in Albuquerque. Our website is full of useful features and tools that will help you start your home buying or selling journey. If you plan to buy or sell a home soon, why not a take a few moments to see how our website can be a valuable resource.

Here's a few main features to look for on our website.

For Home Buyers

Featured Properties

Our Featured Properties page showcases our own premium listings in the Albuquerque area. You can sort listings by a number of factors, such as price, type, and open houses.

Property Search

This powerful property search tool lets you find the perfect home in Albuquerque that fits your exact needs. You can refine your search using a wide range of parameters, such as price range, sq feet, construction, schools district, and much more. By clicking on the Map Search tab, you can even draw a map around the area you want to search in.  It makes find the right home in Albuquerque even easier!

There is also a list of neighborhoods in the main menu under "Search MLS" which will let you search for homes in that specific neighborhood, along with information about that neighborhood.

Property Detail Pages

Selecting any property in the Featured Properties or Property Search pages will bring you to a comprehensive detaile page for that property. In addition to detailed information about the property itself, you can also view information about local schools, walks scores, and use a convenient mortgage calculator.

Email Listing Alerts

Be the first to know of new homes that meet your search criteria as soon as they hit the Albuquerque real estate market. It's a free, no obligation service that will help you stay in tune with the local real estate market.

Community Pages

Want to learn more about the communities that make up the Albuquerque area? These community real esatet and information pages will give you the run down on each community, along with being able to search homes for sael in those communities.

Buyer's Resources

This section features a number of useful articles to help home buyers with a variety of topics.

For Home Sellers

Home Valuation

Get an instant market valuation for your Albuquerque or surrounding area home. It's free, and no obligation.

Seller Resources

Just like the Buyer's Resoruces section, this section also features a number of useful articles to help home sells with a variety of topics.

These are just a few of the helpful tools and resources avaiable to our current and future clients. If we can offer any additional help in buying or selling your home, please feel free to conatct us.  We're always happy to help.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

3620 Monte Vista Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, NM  $330,000

3 Bedrooms/ 2 Bathrooms (2 full, 0 partial) / 1590 Square Feet

Vintage beauty in the heart of NOB HILL!! Vintage feel in harmony with modern elements. This updated and remodeled classic home features a versatile floor plan with 3BDRs/2BAs plus two living areas, an office/study, second kitchenette and second entrance. Desirable URBAN location is close to shopping, restaurants, parks, Nob Hill, UNM and transportation!

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

Are you ready to sell your home in Albuquerque? If so, then now is the perfect time to sell. Typically, Spring is usually the best time of year to sell a home. But there are other factors taking place right now that make selling your home this Spring even more advantageous. Here are the 4 reasons you should sell your home now.

1. Strong Demand

The National Association of Realtors Buyer Traffic Report shows that buyer traffic is strong in New Mexico. Buyers are ready and able to buy right now. And the more buyers on the market means that they are competing with each other to buy homes, meaning a bidding war could happen over your home. In the end, that could mean more money in your pocket.

2. Less Competition

Housing inventory has been declining for the past 32 months, remaining under the normal 6-month supply. That means there’s not enough homes for all the buyers. That’s a good thing for you if you’ve built up equity in your home. But this situation may not last long. The average number of years that homeowners stayed in their homes has been around 9-10 years since 2011. This was due to the previous negative equity that kept many homeowners from selling. Now as values are rising, more will be enticed to sell.

3. The Process Will Be Quicker

The competition among buyers has forced them to do what they can to stand out from the market, which includes getting pre-approved for their financing. This speeds up the selling process and makes it simpler, as buyers will be more likely to know how much they can spend.

4. Time to Move Up

If you plan on moving into a more premium or luxury home, now is the ideal time. Higher priced homes are actually selling for less due to a higher inventory at this price range. So if you’re selling a starter home, your home will sell more quickly and you’ll be more likely to find a premium home.Don’t wait to let the best time for the year slip by to sell your home in Albuquerque. Sell now while the time is ripe. Sandi Pressley and her expert team can help you sell your home in record time and find the home of your dreams in Albuquerque. Find out what your home is worth now with our free instant Market Valuation. And make sure to follow us on Facebook for the latest Albuquerque real estate news.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

5243 Foothills Trail NE, Albuquerque, NM  $798,000

3 Bedrooms/ 3 Bathrooms (2 full, 1 partial) / 3156 Square Feet

Gated community of the Wilderness! Casual elegance abounds in this Scott Patrick Gold Package custom home. Tons of features include Oversized great room w/stacked stone fireplace, wall of windows! Gourmet kitchen has custom island, pantry, gas cooktop, custom cabinetry, Sub Zero fridge, Wolfe double oven. Private Master Suite on its own wing! 

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

If you plan on selling your home in Albuquerque, one important question to ask is if your home is up to date or needs repairs.  A dated or worn down appearance can take away from the resale value.  However, the balance is that you want to avoid spending tons of money that won’t be recouped in the sale.  How do you decide what repairs or improvements are worth the investment? I f you come to the conclusion that your home needs improvements, then you need to pin down which ones will yield the highest returns.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking every improvement will increase the value of your home. Many projects will simply preserve the value, while others will help increase it.  So if you do those projects, the value won't be as adversely affected when you sell your home.

So to get down to it, what are the projects that get the highest ROI?

Outside Projects

Think about curb appeal. First impressions are lasting impressions as they say.  Basically any project that boosts curb appeal is worth the investment. Outside projects that can recoup the most money are garage door replacements, replacing a steel door entry, adding a wood deck, and siding and facade projects. Even if you just focus on the siding, it can improve the value of your home with minimal investment.

Kitchens and Baths

Potential buyers can spend the most time inspecting a kitchen and we all know why.  Many lives center around the kitchen and rely on its appliances. If your kitchen has the old yellow fridge and oven, they need to go. And don’t forget about the bathrooms.   They send a powerful message about your home, so you can expect a high ROI on a bathroom remodel.

The Little Things

Don’t have a lot of money to invest in a major remodel?  No problem. Focusing on the little things can also have a big impact on the resale value of your home. You can give your home a fresh coat of paint, trim trees and bushes, plant new bushes and landscaping. De-cluttering and cleaning your home only costs time. If you have an unfinished basement, you can put gray epoxy on the floor and paint the walls white. Never underestimate the power of improving the little things.

Every home is different, and so is every Albuquerque neighborhood. If you're not sure what improvements would be best to sell your home in Albuquerque, feel free to ask us. We know what sells a home in Albuquerque and what buyers are looking for.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

5243 Foothills Trail NE, Albuquerque, NM  $798,000

3 Bedrooms/ 3 Bathrooms (2 full, 1 partial) / 3156 Square Feet

Gated community of the Wilderness! Casual elegance abounds in this Scott Patrick Gold Package custom home. Tons of features include Oversized great room w/stacked stone fireplace, wall of windows! Gourmet kitchen has custom island, pantry, gas cooktop, custom cabinetry, Sub Zero fridge, Wolfe double oven. Private Master Suite on its own wing! 

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

Everyone knows that the best time to sell anything is when demand is high and supply is low.  The National Association of Realtors (NAR) just released two major reports showing that now continues to be an ideal to sell your home.

REALTORS® CONFIDENCE INDEX

Every month, NAR surveys “over 50,000 real estate practitioners about their expectations for home sales, prices and market conditions.” In May the index continued to show that demand for homes outpaced supply.

The map below illustrates buyer demand broken down by state (the darker your state, the stronger the demand is there). As you can in New Mexico, buyer traffic remains strong.

Takeaway: Demand for housing continues to be strong throughout 2017, but supply is struggling to keep up, and this trend is likely to continue into 2018.

If you are going to sell, now may be the time to take advantage of the ready, willing, and able buyers that are still out searching for your house.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

10 Caminito Trail, Placitas   $395,000

3 Bedrooms/ 2 Bathrooms/ 2580 Square Feet

This amazing culdesac property features unobstructed views of the mountains and open floorplans with stunning raised ceilings.

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team

When you sell your house, you obviously want the best price for your home with minimal hassles, and of course, actually getting your home sold. To do this, you should realize how important it is to use a real estate professional.

People are relying more and more on technology.  This has dramatically changed how people buy a home and their behavior during the buying process.  According to NAR, the percentage of people who use the internet to search for a home was 94% in 2016!

At the same time though, they brought out that 96% of home buyers who did use the internet also used a real estate professional to buy their home. On 2% bought homes directly from the seller, also known as  “For Sale by Owner” or FSBO.

Buyers tend to search for a home online first, but then use an agent during the buying process.  All this information on the internet now available has led people to work with agents who can help them connect the dots.  The amount of people using agents to buy a home has increased steadily since 2001.

So if you plan on selling your home in Albuquerque, then you need an agent who can help you connect the dots as well. The Sandi Pressley Team has the experience to help you bring the process together so that you can make the most money from your home and make the process go as smoothly as possible.

HOT HOME LISTING OF THE WEEK!

652 Gene Avenue NW, Albuquerque   $249,000

3 Bedrooms/ 1 Bathrooms/ 1780 Square Feet

Plenty of character and North Valley charm in this 3 bed 2 bath home with tons of space and large living areas.

Contact the Sandi Pressley team for additional details! 

Get your Morning Inspiration with the Sandi Pressley Team