James Tan MBA Broker/Realtor - Best Real Estate Agent Elk Grove

We are located in the heart of Elk Grove:

We are a full service real estate broker offering turn-key investing for investors or homeowners from the Bay Area who want to take advantage of the low prices of residential properties in the Greater Sacramento area.

We as real estate agents can help Real Estate Investors identify investment properties/homes with

Favorable demographics
Good school districts
Capital appreciation potential
Relatively good values
High rental yields
We help find financing (even for foreign nationals)
We can find suitable tenants
We can manage the properties
We can sell the properties at the right time

Sellers
Selling Your Home: Where to Begin?

First Impressions
Remember what first attracted you to your house when you bought it? What excited you about it’s most appealing features? Now that you’re selling your home, you’ll need to look at it as if you were buying it all over again.

A spruced up house makes a great first impression on potential buyers. An attractive property grabs their attention and makes them excited about finding a house that looks and feels well cared for. So if you prepare your home correctly, you’ll save time selling it when it’s on the market.

A good first impression makes an impact on a number of levels. It’s not just the way your house looks to potential buyers, but how it feels and smells to them, how their friends and family will react, how they imagine it would be to live there.

With simple improvements throughout your house, you can grab the attention of potential buyers and help them see why your house is right for them.

Plan Ahead
Create a plan to enhance your property. Keep a notebook for your selling project, and as you stroll through your yard, make a list of what needs to be done. Consider what your property looks like to people driving by or walking through your door. What will they like or dislike? What needs fixing, painting, cleaning? What can you improve? Whether you paint your house or fix up the yard, your efforts don’t need to be costly; even inexpensive improvements and minor repairs go far toward attracting serious buyers. But remember, those seemingly insignificant problems you’ve learned to live with can actually discourage potential buyers. Here are ideas for increasing your home’s appeal in order to sell it quickly at the best price.

Interior

Clean Everything
Buyers expect a spotless house, inside and out. So clean everything, especially your windows and windowsills. Scrub walls and floors, tile and ceilings, cupboards and drawers, kitchen and bathrooms.

Cut the Clutter
People are turned off by rooms that look and feel cluttered. Remember, potential buyers are buying your house, not your furniture, so help them picture themselves and their possessions in your home by making your rooms feel large, light, and airy. As you clean, pack away your personal items, such as pictures, valuables, and collectibles, and store or get rid of surplus books, magazines, videotapes, extra furniture, rugs, blankets, etc. Consider renting a storage unit to eliminate clutter in your garage and attic.

It’s hard to get rid of possessions, but cleaning and clearing out the clutter can really pay off in the end. Packing away your clutter also gets you started packing for your next move. Make your garage and basement as tidy as the rest of your house. Simple little tasks such as storing your tools and neatly rolling up your garden hose suggest that you take good care of your house. Don’t let anything detract from making your best first impression.

Closets
They’re an important consideration to many buyers. By storing clothing you won’t use soon, you’ll make closets look spacious.

Paint
A new coat of paint cleans up your living space and makes it look bright and new. To make rooms look larger, choose light, neutral colors that appeal to the most people, such as beige or white.

Carpet
Check its condition. If it’s worn, consider replacing it. It’s an easy and affordable way to help sell your home faster. Again, light, neutral colors, such as beige, are best. If you don’t replace it, you can suggest to potential buyers that they could select new carpet and you’ll reduce your price; buyers like to hear they’re getting a deal. At the very least, have your carpet cleaned.

Repairs and Renovations
It’s best to avoid making major renovations just to sell the house since you’re unlikely to recoup those costs from your selling price. Make minor repairs to items such as leaky faucets, slow drains, torn screens, gutters, loose doorknobs, and broken windows. Make sure repairs are well done; buyers won’t take you seriously if your home-improvement efforts look messy, shoddy, or amateurish.

Leaks and Moisture
Water stains on ceilings or in the basement alert buyers to potential problems. Don’t try to cosmetically cover up stains caused by leaks. If you’ve fixed the water problem, repair the damage and disclose in writing to the buyer what repairs were made.

Exterior

Curb Appeal
The “Wow” factor that first visual, high-impact impression your home makes on potential buyers can turn a looker into a buyer. To determine your property’s curb appeal, drive through your neighborhood and note other properties; then approach your own house as if you were a potential buyer. How does it look? Does it “wow” you? Will its curb appeal attract buyers? Note what needs improving, such as trimming trees, planting shrubs, or painting gutters. Little things convey that you’ve cared for your home, and this is your opportunity to sell that important message to buyers who are shopping from the street, simply cruising neighborhoods just looking for houses for sale. To get them through your door, do what you can to make your property look like someone’s dream home.

Paint/Stain
If it’s peeling or blistering and you can’t remember the last time you painted it, your house needs some attention. That also goes for stain that is significantly faded. A newly painted or stained exterior will help sell your house faster. And whether you do it yourself or hire someone, you’ll also increase your home’s value.

In the Yard
Grab people’s attention by enhancing your yard and landscaping. If your house looks inviting and well-maintained from the street, people will imagine that it’s attractive on the inside, too.

Prune bushes and hedges; trim trees.
Keep your lawn looking healthy and green by mowing it often, fertilizing it, and keeping it edged and trimmed.
Clean up and dispose of pet mess.
Weed your gardens; add fertilizer and mulch; then plant colorful flowers.
In winter, keep your driveway and sidewalks shoveled, de-iced, and well-lit.
Stack firewood, clean out birdbaths, repair and paint fences.
The Front Door
An attractive entry catches a buyer’s eye and says, “Welcome,” so highlight this area of your house with decorative touches, such as a wreath on the door or new shrubs and flowers around the steps. For an even grander entry, clean and paint your front door, or replace it with a new one for a few hundred dollars. Don’t forget to fix and polish doorknobs, repair torn screens, and then put out that new welcome mat.

Keep yourself organized with the following checklist.

Clean and Maintain
Windows, sills, and screens
Walls and floor
Tile
Ceilings
Cupboards and drawers
Kitchen
Bathrooms
Light fixtures
Ceiling fans
Carpet and rugs
Mirrors
Garage
Attic
Basement
Laundry room
Yard
Gutters
Replace furnace filter
Dust furniture, TV and computer screens
Closets
Remove clutter
Pack personal
Repair
Leaky faucets and plumbing
Torn screens
Slow drains
Gutters
Loose doorknobs
Deck boards
Broken windows
Electrical fixtures
Water stain damage
Broken appliances
Damaged walls and ceilings
Worn carpet and rugs
Damaged sidewalks and steps
Improvements
Stain or paint deck
Store tools
Roll up garden hose
Paint or stain exterior
Prune bushes and hedges
Trim trees
Mow lawn, fertilize, edge, and trim
Weed gardens, plant flowers
Shovel driveways, de-ice
Stack firewood
Clean out birdbaths
Caulk windows and doors
Repair and paint fences
Seal asphalt driveway
Make sure doors close properly
Enhance entryway
Replace welcome mat

Whether you are a first-time home buyer, an experienced home buyer or a real estate investor, we at Bethany Real Estate and Investments always put your interest first. For the foreign real estate investor, we have created a special website that caters for their needs, www.BuyHomeInUS.com.

Buying a home can be one of the most important decisions in a persons life. We therefore take our role as a Real Estate Broker seriously and we represent your interest the best way we can, throughout the real estate buying/investment process.
We offer the highest quality of service to our clients. We pride ourselves on the way we do business. Our core values are:

Honesty and Integrity
Trust and Experience
Service

Whether it is in the Bay Area or the Greater Sacramento area, we will provide you with the latest comprehensive information that will help you to identify the properties that will best suit your needs.We will then help you negotiate with Sellers, Lenders, etc. to get you the best deal possible. We also link you with you with Banks, Mortgage Brokers, Termite Inspectors, Home Inspectors, Contractors, Termite Inspectors, and other service providers that will help you to close the deal efficiently and in the most cost effective fashion.

Here are some of the steps we will take to find your perfect home:

Determine Your Wants and Needs

This is the single most important step. By asking you a series of questions we will establish what you are looking for. My goal is to not waste your time by looking at properties that are not in your price range or homes that don’t meet your needs. Throughout the buying process we will maintain your confidentiality and represent your best interests.

Help You Get Pre-Qualified

This step will show you how much you can afford. This is accomplished by speaking with your financial institution and establishing what monthly payments you will be comfortable with. Many sellers will not proceed with an offer until they know they are dealing with someone who is pre-qualified. We’ll help you get there quickly!

Finding the Right Home

We will use our powerful search programs and the latest real estate technology tools to find the properties that match your search parameters. We can send them to you immediately via e-mail so that you can browse them at your leisure. We will disclose all known facts about the property that are likely to affect your decision. When we find the home that meets your criteria, I will assist you in writing an offer and act as a liaison between you and the seller.

With over 30 years experience, in real estate, investing and venture capital I can offer you a professional service and expertise which will be of value to you, whether you are an investor or a home buyer.

I pride myself on my professionalism and expertise not only as a real estate broker/agent/realtor but also in the areas of economics, stocks and financial markets.

Whether you are a first-time home buyer, an experienced home buyer or a real estate investor, our real estate agents/broker/realtor at Bethany Real Estate and Investments always put the interest of the client at heart. We only provide honest and straight forward advice.

I myself have been a successful real estate investor for many years and do not really have to rely on commissions for a living. Therefore I can afford to let a deal go, if it isn’t in the best interest of my client.

Let us help you and find out why we are ranked 5-stars among the best real estate agents in elk grove.

Established in 2006.

Bethany Real Estate and Investments was established as a full service real estate brokerage offering the best service for the home buyer/seller at the least cost. We as real estate agents also offer turn key investing for the real estate investor, domestic and internationally. Although we are real estate agents, but we know and understand the needs and requirements of the investor. Most real estate agents know only about real estate. We on the other hand have a broad know how of the economy and business as well. Not many real estate agents/brokers/realtors have gone through at least 3 real estate boom/bust cycles in California. We have and we can share with you the experience we had gained during those cycles. Because real estate is such a cyclical business, it is important for you to know where you are in the cycle, before you start investing. This could make a difference between a loss and a gain. We as real estate agents can help you avoid the pitfalls.

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