Real Estate

If you’re concerned about selling a condo fast, then fear no more. Condos are often smaller, less expensive and less upkeep, which reliably attracts certain types of buyers. There are also certain things you can do that can guarantee your condo will sell fast in any market– read on for all the tips and tricks you need to know to sell a condo.

How to Price My Condo to Sell?

The asking price is the first thing potential buyers consider — after all, if it’s out of their budget they won’t even consider looking at the property.  Generally, the lower the asking price, the quicker it sells. This doesn’t mean your first reaction should be to lower the price since this means less profits for you.

On the adverse, if your home is priced too low then it leaves a negative impression with buyers as well. Super low prices make buyers worried that something is wrong with the condo and they might be too suspicious to give your property a second look.

Consult with a realtor or have comparables done to make sure your condo is well within the average asking price for condos similar to your own. If you have some wiggle room on the asking price then determine if lowering the price is the right move for you to sell your home quickly.

Sell at the Right Time

Certain months make for better selling times in Utah, so if you have some flexibility on when you list your condo, consider holding off for high-buy months like April, May and June. Since most buyers of condos tend to be single, retired or newlyweds you have extra flexibility (families with children tend to buy when their kids are on summer break).  Trying to sell in November and December is not idea and may keep your condo on the MLS long past the average time.

Extra Steps to Help Your Condo Sell Faster

Know your HOA

Often a condo is managed by a home owners/condo association which means there are rules you need to know about before selling your condo. Some HOA’s will make rules about who you can (and can’t) sell to, so don’t waste your time listing a condo without being sure of all the rules first. You might find that your HOA doesn’t allow “For Sale” signs to be posted either, so take some time to learn the in’s and outs of selling a condo in your HOA to save you time and effort.

Stage your Condo

Staging a condo involves taking out a lot of the more personal items such as photos on the walls and knick knacks on the shelves before showing your home. Staging can also involve rearranging furniture and bringing in new pieces of art or decor. Unless you have a natural talent for interior design it’s best to hire a home stager to work with you to show your condo at it’s very best. While this is an extra cost and an extra step, having your condo professionally staged can make all the difference in selling quickly and for the right price.

Take Professional Photos

The great majority of potential buyers don’t even visit a home in person until they have looked at all the photos online. Having quality photos that show your condo in great light will make a huge difference in getting buyers to come check out your home. Even the most beautiful condo can end up looking dingy or boring with poorly lit, cluttered, odd angled photos. Hire a photographer or read up on tips for taking real estate photos to get the very best interior photos of your home online.

Update or Fix your Condo

Major repairs our out-of-date carpet and fixtures can be a drawback to selling a condo fast. Take some time to update the paint or replace flooring before listing your condo. If you have a broken heating and air unit or water heater then you’ll want to fix that to draw in serious buyers. The good news is, condo’s don’t have a need for many of the more expensive home repairs you’d encounter with a single family home.

Sell to A Real Estate Investor

If you need to sell your condo quickly and in any condition then working with a house buying company is always the fastest way to go. House buying companies like Gary Buys Houses are in the business of buying homes, condos and reselling it for a profit, or renting it out. Investors like Gary have cash to move quickly, closing on your home in less than a week and without all the staging, fixing and repairs and listing time and effort needed.

The process is simple, fill out the form online to get in touch with Gary to start the conversation about your property and receive an offer on your home as quickly as 15 minutes in to your conversation. Gary Buys Houses is a trusted, local Utah company that has been purchasing condos and homes for the past 12 years. If you’re interesting in selling a condo fast then reach out to Gary for a quick cash offer today.

Benefits of Selling a Condo to a House Buying Company

• As mentioned before, selling to an investor means selling a condo quickly, a huge plus if you need to move quickly or have to close on your condo before qualifying for a new loan.
• You receive a cash offer — no mortgages or 3rd party to work with, no excessive paperwork and property inspections. A simple cash offer and the deal is taken care of.
• If you live in an older condo or there are major repairs and updates needed your condo would not sell fast the traditional way. A real estate investor buys condos in any condition and work with their own team to repair and renovate after they have purchased your property. Working with a house buying company means you don’t have to drop thousands of dollars into home repairs and upgrades that you’ll never even get to enjoy since you’re selling your house.
• Selling a condo to a Gary Buys Houses is hassle free — no realtor commissions cutting into profit, no walk throughs and showings and no need for home inspection reports and staging a house.

A condemned house in Utah may occur in due process when certain building codes are in violation of the Utah building code. The home is not safe to live in. If necessary, acting through the proper legal channels, the house may be seized and occupants (if any) are asked to leave until the issues are resolved.

You might know of a condemned house next to you or in your neighborhood. Or you might have inherited a property with some serious building code issues. In either case you might be in situation where you might want to sell that condemned house asap. Today we’ll share everything you need to know about helping you make that decision easier.

What Happens if Your House is Condemned?

When you think of a condemned house the image of a run-down shack with boarded up windows probably comes to mind. While this is often the case, sometimes a home can look nice on the outside but be deemed by a building code inspector as unsafe for living on the inside. A house is condemned when your county building code inspector deems it unfit or unsafe to live in. This process can take some time though. It’s not an over-night process from reporting to condemning a property.

What are Grounds for House Condemnation?

Your home, the house you know of or the house you inherited could be condemned for several reasons including:

• Severe damage from weather or fire damage that compromises the structural integrity of the house.
• The building has been vacant and boarded up for a lengthy period of time with utilities discontinued.
• The building is older and may have been constructed with materials that are no longer considered safe or usable.
• The building has health hazards such as extensive black mold, termite or rodent infestations. Another health hazard that could condemn a house would be if the building was once used to store or manufacture illegal drugs or toxins like a meth house.
• If the home is dilapidated, unhygienic and vacant then the neighbors can form & submit complaints to the county authority that may lead to condemning a house/property. A house that sits vacant in bad condition can encourage squatters or transients to enter making the neighborhood less safe. So it’s in your best interest most times to report houses in this situation sooner than later.
• Often a house or building will be condemned because of repeated housing code violations over the safety of the building.

How to report a house that needs to be condemned

If you know of a house/property that meets condemned standards then here are a few direct links to some Utah counties that will help guide you through the steps to submit your request:

• Salt Lake County Health/House Department
• West Valley City Code Enforcement
• Ogden City Property Code Violations

How to Get Your Property off Condemned Status

In many cases all is not lost once you receive news that your property is condemned. Depending on the circumstances you can work out a plan for renovation and repair with the building authorities. Once the necessary repairs have been made and the home is considered up to code following a full-home inspection then it is possible to reverse the condemned status of your home.

How to Fight Condemned Status

You are able to fight the condemned status of your property. In this instance you would need to attend a condemnation hearing. You may or may not receive a lot of notice but you would need to be present at the hearing after being notified of the date and time by the county Board of Health of SLC county for example.

It’s important to note that for example the Salt Lake County health board says; “Though we often work together to accomplish related goals, health department housing inspectors are not building inspectors, and the health department does not have the legal power to “condemn” a structure. Note that municipal building inspectors may have requirements, beyond those of the health department, before a property can be used or occupied legally.” (source)

At your hearing anyone that is directly affected by the condemnation can speak out against it. If you are able to show that the building is structurally sound or show a plan for specific repairs then you might have a case for saving your home from condemned status.

Bringing in an expert to testify about the specifics of your property can also help at a condemnation hearing. If, at the end of the hearing, the building inspector can prove that the property still poses immediate danger to the tenants or homeowners then vacating the property may be required.

If the home is deemed unsafe but fixable then you can ask the judge to order repairs to avoid condemnation. If you can prove you have the funds to make the repairs and there is no danger to repairmen working on the property then you stand a good chance of avoiding condemned status.

Eminent Domain and Condemned Houses

There are certain cases where a home can become condemned without safety or health issues. A house can be condemned when it is located in an area designate for public use or construction. When this happens public authorities may exercise the power of eminent domain, allowing the government to seize private land.

If you find yourself in this situation then your home would be condemned — marked for demolition because of it’s location not it’s safety — to make way for public projects like roads or facilities.

When eminent domain takes place housing authorities work with owners to come to an agreement and to fairly compensate for the loss of property by offering a payment of the appraised value of the property.

In a case of eminent domain, the housing authority will usually make every reasonable effort to reach an agreement with the property owner.

What is the Process When a House is Condemned?

Condemning a house isn’t something that is taken lightly or done quickly. Usually a house will only reach condemned status when all other steps have failed to improve the safety and condition of the building.

If you are the homeowner you will receive a written notice that the building must be vacated and a sign would be attached to the building notifying others that the property is unsafe.

As the owner of the building you may be ordered to repair or demolish the building so it’s important to reach out and seek legal advice about the best course of action when dealing with a condemned home.

Can You Sell a Condemned Home?

While a traditional buyer would not be interested in purchasing a home that has been condemned, a non-traditional home buyer like Gary has the experience and team to take on a condemned house. If you are hoping to avoiding fighting the condemned status in court, or dealing with the headache that comes with seeking legal help and working with the community and housing authorities about your home then seeking out a house buying company might just be the perfect solution for you. You can save yourself the extensive time and money of repairs and the need to find alternate living conditions while all that work goes on by selling your home to us. Gary is ready to make a fast and fair cash offer for your home and is willing to take on condemned properties (except in the case of eminent domain of course). If you are interested in selling your condemned home to Gary then reach out today and have a closing date in as little as 7 days.

Are you a property owner in Utah wondering what to do with a house or property you own or inherited that you might abandon? Rather than let your home become an abandoned house, a neighborhood eyesore and hotspot for vagrants, read on to learn more options for how to avoid abandoning the property.

8- Reasons a House Becomes Abandoned

While the number one reason a house ends up an abandoned property is financial, there are several factors that can lead to walking away from a home.

1- Expense

Perhaps you find yourself in a situation where the repairs on the home exceed the amount of money you can put into it. If your home is in need of rewiring, all new plumbing or other expensive repairs like foundation repair then the price for repair can be prohibitive.

2- Recession and Job Loss

Whether it was the great recession of 2008/09 or the global pandemic of 2020/21, the realities of job loss and economic downturn can negatively affect your ability to take care of and maintain a home. If you live in a city where a local industry provides most of the jobs, a closure of a factory or major layoffs can affect the entire city and your ability to sell your home.

3- Bad Neighborhood

If your once family-friendly neighborhood has deteriorated into a stagnate, or even unsafe, neighborhood, selling a home can be near impossible. Businesses and landlords aren’t likely to buy up properties in neighborhoods such as that and property values can be negatively affected.

4- Inheritance Issues

Some people struggle with the idea of selling the home they grew up in. Inheriting a home that you don’t plan to live in but have a hard time parting with for sentimental reasons can lead to vacant homes that deteriorate without regular maintenance and care.

5- Environmental Problems

Updates to environmental regulations can cause costly updates for homeowners. Perhaps you’ve been required to get rid of septic tanks or outdated wiring. A home inspection report could turn up asbestos or lead-infused paint. If your home has environmental problems the cost of repair can be staggering, sometimes more than the cost of purchasing a new home.

6- Ecological Disaster

Areas that experience widespread contamination in the water or air can cause people to abandon their homes. Flint, Michigan, one of the top cities in America for abandoned homes, has experienced ongoing water troubles throughout the city, making it incredibly difficult to sell a home.

7- Natural Disasters

If your home has experienced flooding, hurricanes, an earthquake or tornado, your family may have been forced to evacuate. Rather than repair and rebuild, in some cases homeowners will walk away from their property during stressful situations like natural disasters.

8- Difficulty Selling

Bad photos, unattractive curb appeal and outdated interiors can all make a property very difficult to sell.

The top 10 US cities with most vacant homes

According to a report by Fox Business, these 15 cities in the U.S. have the most vacant homes as of 2019.

1. Gary, Indiana:19.4%
2. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina: 16.9%
3. Flint, Michigan: 15.7%
4. Detroit, Michigan: 11.2%
5. Baltimore, Maryland: 8.1%
6. Kansas City, Missouri: 5.6%
7. Birmingham, Alabama: 5.5%
8. Mobile, Alabama: 5.1%
9. St. Petersburg, Florida: 5.1%
10. West Palm Beach, Florida: 4.8%
11. Cleveland, Ohio: 4.5%
12. Dayton, Ohio: 4.3%
13. Indianapolis, Indiana: 4.1%
14. St. Louis, Missouri:4.0%
15. Memphis, Tennesee: 3.7%

What Happens to Abandoned Homes?

Unfortunately when a home is abandoned it’s often left at the mercy of one of these four problems:

Weather

Left on their own a home that is left uncared for through snow, heat, wind and rain will start to show the wear and tear. Whether the heat is cracking roof tiles or the rain gutters have been clogged so moisture is building up in all the wrong places, the weather will break down abandoned homes over time.

Landscape

Surprisingly plants left unchecked can do plenty of damage to abandoned homes. Invasive ivy can take over yards and walls while uncared for trees can die and become a fire hazard. Tall grasses and weeds invite mice and snakes and every neighborhood critter to become a resident of the abandoned property.

Squatters

Empty homes can be a hotspot for crimes and vandalism. Squatters can move in on abandoned properties and leave problems and messes in abandoned homes.

Disrepair

Peeling paint, broken windows and wild, overgrown yards are not uncommon on an abandoned home. Left on their own a home deteriorates quickly and the interior doesn’t fare much better over time.

How to Sell Before Abandoning My House

If you have found yourself in a situation where you have considered abandoning your home rather than deal with the expenses and problems you are currently facing, know that you do have other options. While a traditional buyer would not be interested in purchasing a home that has damage or large repairs needed, a non-traditional home buyer like Gary has the experience and team to take on any property.

Selling your home to a house buying company like us at GaryBuysHouses allows you to save time, money and stress helping you to still make money off your house that is either currently abandoned or might be soon. Gary is ready to make a fast and fair cash offer for your home and is willing to take on properties in any condition. If you are interested in selling your house to Gary then reach out today and have a closing date in as little as 7 days.

Gary does not sell your contract, require inspections or extensive negotiations. He specializes in hassle-free closings and cash offers. If there is no mortgage on the property then Gary could even close in as little as 1 to 2 days.

Working with Gary means getting a check that you can cash right away the day that you meet up about the property. He is serious and motivated to purchase your home and if for any reason Gary doesn’t buy the house, even if it’s your fault, you get to keep the earnest money. Contact Gary about purchasing your property and don’t let it become just another abandoned house.

There is no clear number of exactly how many types of mold exist in the world, but experts estimate that as many as 100,000 or more types of mold exist — and many of them can show up in your home. So what do you do if you are trying to sell your house and discover a mold problem? What are your options? Read below for everything you need to know about selling a home with mold.

The Problem With Mold

Mold, a naturally occurring microscopic fungi is an opportunist. The teeny tiny organism can be found anywhere and will grow on almost anything if it is moist enough. This makes mold a likely problem in areas like bathroom walls, around windows or attics. The mold can show up as a furry growth or a black stain, specks of black, white, green, brown or orange. The good news is that mold isn’t always hazardous, but certain types or even in certain quantities mold means no good for the residents of the home.

There are three main classifications of mold:

• Pathogenic. This type of mold can cause serious infections and will affect both weak and strong immune systems.
• Allergenic. This type of mold is not as harmful, especially in small quantities, but it can trigger allergic reactions and cause symptoms in persons with asthma.
• Toxigenic. This mold has mycotoxin which is harmful to a person’s health.

The most common type of toxic mold is black mold with asthma suffers or those with weakened lungs experiencing the most severe reactions to the mold. Overall serious health problems from indoor molds are (thankfully) not common. You might experience a response similar to seasonal allergies with sneezing a runny nose or coughing, or you might have no symptoms at all.

The fact that you do not get sick from your mold does not mean it’s harmless, nor does it mean a potential buyer will be willing to look the other way about a mold problem, big or small. Mold carries a big stigma that would turn away many potential home buyers.

Diagnosing and Treating the Problem

If you can see mold then it’s clear you have a problem. Keep in mind however that checking for mold if you’ve had a recent leak might not be as easy to identify. Mold thrives in crawlspaces , basements and attics when leaking is involved so you should always consider hiring a professional for a mold inspection.

Before listing your home, inspect your home carefully and thoroughly. Pay attention to areas where moisture might accumulate or areas that don’t get visited often. If you think there is even a possibility that a recent or unnoticed leak could have created the opportunity for a mold contamination then you can hire a professional to get an inspection done.

When it comes to dealing with the problem yourself, the general advice is that if the mold covers an area of 10 square feet or less then you can take steps to rid yourself of mold without necessarily calling in the professionals. The do-it-yourself way means using a mixture of bleach and small hand tools. Other household cleaners such as vinegar, baking soda and tea tree oil are also used to deal with mold. This will save you money in the long run but do your research well — bleach solutions tend to only handle mold growth and not the spores. When the mold is feeling attacked it will send out spores into the air leading to a potential cross-contamination in your home, especially if the area still attracts moisture, allowing the mold to regrow somewhere new in your home.

Hiring a Professional

A simple google search will bring up a host of mold remediation companies. You can anticipate that a professional would use plastic shielding to contain the affected part of your house to prevent cross-contamination. A professional company would bring in expensive equipment like HEPA air cleaners, HEPA vacuums and commercial-grade dehumidifiers to clean all surfaces and clear the air of spores. Hiring a remediation company also means that the area will be treated with a sealer to make the area more resistant to water damage and potential mold problems in the future. These services are often warrantied for a number of years and are the only way to deal with a large-scale mold problem correctly. A potential home buyer would be reassured to have documentation of a professional mold remediation company having dealt with the problem.

Disclose Mold to Potential Buyers

A home inspection report will detail any current mold problems you might have to potential buyers. If the mold problem was in the recent past then make it a point to disclose everything to the buyer and keep detailed documentation of all the steps taken to solve the mold issue. Documenting includes all repairs made and any tests done as well as the test results. Having clear documentation shows the buyer that you have dealt with the problem in a thorough manner and they protect you from any legal action like a lawsuit, if the buyer purchases the home and has mold issues. Documentation will protect you and give peace of mind to potential buyers.

What You Can Expect As a Seller

The reality is, a home with a current mold problem is going to be a hard sell. Home buyers are cautious of anything that might harm their health or that of their family or cause significant financial problems in the future. A home is a big purchase and a potential buyer will easily walk away from a home with mold listed as a home inspection problem.

To sell your house with a mold problem keep in mind that you’ll have to reduce the price (though the severity of the reduction will depend on the extent of the problem).

One way to get a better sale price is simply to deal with the mold head-on and hiring a professional company to deal with the problem, keeping all of the documentation and ensuring a warranty. While the word “mold” might still strike fear in the hearts of many buyers, having a clearly documented, professionally treated, mold problem in the past won’t scare away the right buyer.

Use a House Buying Company

If you don’t have the cash to take care of the mold problem up front, or you have a recurring mold problem that you haven’t been able to clear up,  you can also consider working with a non-traditional buyer. House buying companies are not scared away by problems like mold and will make a fair cash offer and then take on the risk and time of fixing the mold issue themselves. Non-traditional buyers are much more open to dealing with less-than-perfect homes and are used to working with remediation companies to solve problems like mold.

Each day 14,000 Americans face damage to their home due to water problems. Between broken pipes, leaky windows, bad roofs and malfunctioning appliances the scope of the damage can vary greatly, but either way it means a big, soggy, potentially moldy, mess.

If you are dealing with water damage to your home and are wondering about selling a house with water damage or considering using a restoration service to help with the problem, read on for some options to consider.

Common Sources of Water Damage

There are two main categories of water damage. The first is plumbing or appliance problems. Less common, but just as damaging is weather-related such as rain, snow or burst pipes from a freeze. With 98% of basements experiencing water damage in their lifetime, it’s a problem you’re likely to experience during home ownership.

Type of Water Damage

The possibility of selling a house with water damage depends in part on what type of water damage you’re dealing with. There are three categories of water that can harm your home:

• Category 1: White Water
  This type of problem can still cause a lot of damage but is generally easier to address because the problem stems from a hygienic source like a broken pipe, rainwater or melting snow.
• Category 2: Gray Water
  This type of damage can be more costly and happens when the water damaging your home has been exposed to contaminants. This could mean bath water or a leaking washing machine or dishwasher.
• Category 3: Black Water
  The most expensive and potentially dangerous, this type of water damage may contain pathogenic or toxic contaminants from sewage. This happens from toilet backflows and sea, river or lake water.

Keep in mind that within days, clean or even gray water can turn into black water by becoming toxic by what it come in contact with so it’s crucial that homeowners take quick action when water damage is spotted. Quick action is the key when faced with water damage, to prevent toxicity, mold and irreparable damage.

How Bad Is It?

Determining if you can sell your house with water damage also depends on how extensive the damage is. The Institute of International Cleaning and Restoration Certification has determined 4 classes of water damage:

• Class 1: Minimal amount of water to a mostly non-porous area (i.e. tile floors). It’s easy to remove the moisture and it can dry out.
• Class 2: Significant amount of water. Areas with carpet or other medium to high porous materials got wet.
• Class 3: A great amount of water absorption. This includes carpet, wall and ceiling boards.
• Class 4: Most damaging with the majority of moisture trapped in the building materials. This level may require long drying times, specialized methods or new construction.

Challenges of Selling a House with Water Damage

The severity of the water damage will determine how likely it will be to able to sell your home as-is. These are some factors to consider as the seller and a potential house buyer:

Less Money

Any type of home facing damage is going to be looking at a lower selling price. Because you are selling a home as-is you are putting the risk and cost of the water damage in the hands of the new owners and they will expect a lower selling price to offset that liability. This is an option if the water damage isn’t too extensive or if you have no cash to pay to repair the home before selling.

Possibility of Electrical Damage

When water leaks through a roof in particular you are looking at a potential for electricity issues to crop up. This added potential for issues in the home is another reason why it could be more challenging to attract buyers to a home with water damage.

Possibility of Health Concerns

Water problems can quickly turn into mold problems. Within days of a water leak fungi and mold and musty odors can become present. Mold can trigger allergies and health issues from the microbial organisms.

Possibility of Future Damage

If you are living in a flood zone or you have a pipe or appliance problem that hasn’t been properly addressed then there is always a potential for future damage. Knowing a home has water damage will cause any potential home buyer to be more cautious considering that those problems could occur again.

Using a Home Restoration Service

If you have the cash to put towards using a home restoration service then you’ll have the peace of mind that the problem is addressed properly and that peace of mind will transfer to potential house buyers as well.

A home restoration service can provide 24/7 emergency response so you can address the problem in that small window of time before it has a chance to do more damage. These types of companies often offer free damage estimates and are willing to work with your homeowners insurance. They are prepared to deal with the water extraction, removal, cleanup and even damage repair so all the in’s and out’s of the problem will be addressed by a professional. A home restoration service is a quick and efficient solution to dealing with a water problem, especially if you are hoping to put your home on the market.

Selling to a House Buying Company

If you aren’t having any luck selling your home to a traditional buyer or you don’t have the funds to repair your home before selling you could consider selling to a house buying company. House buying companies like Gary Buys Houses are used to dealing with homes in less-than optimal condition and will make a fair cash offer on your home as-is. Working with a house buying company allows you to sell your home without the time, stress and cash needed to make the repairs yourself.