The data from the 2011 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers is now available. Here are the significant changes you need to know that will help you market your Thomasville real estate and get it sold:

1.    Most buyers are married: 64 percent of all buyers are married couples (up five percent from 2010), 18 percent are single women, 10 percent single men and 7 percent unmarried couples.

2.    Your property is competing against 12 other homes: Buyers searched a median of 12 weeks and visited 12 homes, both unchanged from 2010.

3.    Multiple bedrooms and bathrooms are preferred: The typical home had 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.

4.    Most buyers want single-family homes: 77 percent of respondents purchased a detached single-family home, 9 percent a condo and 8 percent a townhouse or rowhouse.

5.    You need to promote your home to buyer’s agents: 60 percent of buyers working with real estate professionals were represented by a buyer’s agent.

6.    Hire a Thomasville real estate agent to sell your home: 87 percent of home buyers use real estate agents to find their home. 91 percent of buyers who used the Internet to search for a home purchased through a real estate agent.

7.    Market your home online, with yard signs and at open houses: When buyers were asked where they first learned about the home they purchased, 40 percent said the Internet; 11 percent said a yard sign or open house.

Want to work with Thomasville real estate agents who know how to market your home to get it sold? Let First Thomasville Realty show you our proven marketing plan. Schedule an appointment with one of our agents today by calling us at 229-226-6515 or emailing info@FTRealty.com .

Now is a good time to get up in the attic and assess your insulation. If it’s been a while since it was installed, there may well be peaks and valleys in it that are less than ideal for keeping your Thomasville home comfortable and energy-efficient. 

Luckily, more insulation can be blown in over what you already have. Blown-in cellulose insulation is a good option because it’s considered a “green” product, is highly effective and is less costly than fiberglass. Here are several benefits to adding cellulose insulation:

Allows you to recycle while you insulate. As they say, if you don’t buy recycled, you’re not recycling. Cellulose insulation is made from recycled paper and treated with a flame retardant for safety.

Controls pests. Now you can get cellulose insulation that is also treated with boric acid, a safe insecticide that is effective against both types of termites and cockroaches.

Prevents mold. Boric acid is also effective against mold and mildew. This prevention is continuous after installation.

Decreases air infiltration. Cellulose insulation outperforms fiberglass.

Makes your home quieter. Insulation affords soundproofing benefits.

Saves money. Of course, the main reason to insulate is to reduce the cost of heating and cooling your Thomasville home.

Increases comfort. You’ll be surprised at how snug your home feels after adding to your insulation.

Earns a tax credit. Note, this is not just a deduction. A tax credit is directly applied to the amount of tax you owe.  This credit is equal to 10 percent of the insulation cost (labor is not included), with a cap of $500. Act now, because this incentive expires at the end of 2011.

Added insulation is a good selling point in these competitive times and will continue to be so in the future with increasing energy costs. 

If you prefer to buy a Thomasville home that’s already well insulated, First Thomasville Realty can help. Contact us today at 229-226-6515 or info@FTRealty.com .

As a seller preparing to sell your Thomasville home, you may be busily emptying closets and painting walls, but don’t forget about the outside of your house. Home buying is emotional and, like many emotional reactions, it can be heavily impacted by first impressions. 

Here are some suggestions on how to encourage love at first sight by increasing the curb appeal of your Thomasville home:

Tidy up – You may be so used to seeing the crumbling stack of firewood by the garbage cans and the old paint cans by the shed that they fade into the landscape, but potential homeowners see the mess.  As you look at the outside of your house, think about what you can throw away or put out of sight. The broken swing on the tree actually takes away from the grandeur of that old oak.  An extra hint: Not everyone will enjoy the garden gnome collection as much as you do.

Trim Everything – If the hedges under the front windows of your Thomasville home are so unruly that they cover the windows, it’s past time to find the clippers.

Repair the Front Walk – If you have crumbling cement or stepping stones that slide deeper into the mud with every raindrop, check into updating the front walk so that it is inviting, safe, and weed-free.

Power-wash decks so they look fresh. 

Clean the gutters – Tiny maple trees in your gutters scream “Water damage!” to potential buyers.

Paint – If the paint is peeling on the outside of your house, potential buyers go in wondering what the upkeep is like inside. Spend money before you put your home on the market to get a better sale price and quicker purchase. If you absolutely can’t afford to paint the whole house, consider painting the shutters and front door for a fresher look. 

Make Friends with Mulch – If your green thumb is actually brown, and your garden sports a post-apocalyptic motif, consider the wonders of mulch.  It covers up that patch under the oak where the grass won’t grow. Buy a few simple plants and mulch around them to achieve a calm canvas on which gardeners can imagine more complex plantings, while those with challenged gardening skills can envision easy maintenance.

The theme of all these tips is to create an image of your home as a place of order, calm and cleanliness; a place where prospective home buyers feel comfortable and cozy.  

Whether you’re ready to sell or need more information before taking the plunge, First Thomasville Realty can help. Give us a call today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com .

A cozy fire, the smell of pine trees and a plate of warm cookies might be all it takes for buyers to envision themselves celebrating many holidays in your Thomasville home. So take the time this season to channel Mrs. Claus and cheerfully enhance your house for the holidays with these festive tips:

Deck the Halls – While you want to remind some buyers of their yearly traditions, you don’t want to offend others. If you usually go overboard with decorations, tone it down a little this year and go for a winter nature theme — think pinecones, snowflakes and the smell of cinnamon.

Spruce Up the Winter Curb Appeal – In the dead of winter, yards can look barren and bleak. Don’t add to the seasonal depression. Be sure you shovel snow, rake fallen leaves and clear dead flowers from their pots. Also, with darkness settling in so early, turn on both indoor and outdoor lights to give your Thomasville home a cozy glow.

Host a Holiday Open House – With your house in the season’s spirit, it’s the perfect time to have interested buyers walking through. Offer fresh baked cookies and apple cider to seal the deal.  

Be Flexible – Put in the extra effort to keep your house clean so that buyers can drop in anytime. Property purchasers looking at this busy time of year will be seriously interested — and you might be one of the only houses open to them.

By adding a little holiday cheer to your Thomasville home, you could remind potential buyers of happy memories and put them in the giving — or hopefully, buying — spirit. 

If you would like more tips to get your home sold during the holiday season, please phone First Thomasville Realty at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com .

During the holidays, it’s hard to ensure your Thomasville home is ready for impromptu parties and visiting family. With all the extra decorations and presents that appear, there never seems to be enough room to keep your house organized and uncluttered. This year, you might consider asking the big man in red for the gift of orderliness. 

Instead of asking Santa for the usual new clothing, sports gear or electronics, maybe you should ask him to splurge on even one of the space-expanding strategies below. It might take a bit of an investment, but you’ll add value to your Thomasville home, its interior rooms will appear larger and it will be bought up quickly when the time comes to sell.

Build a front porch. Extending your entrance out under eaves will improve curb appeal, add charm and create more of an entry space to place coats, boots and umbrellas — which means they’re not lying around your kitchen.

Order a counter-depth fridge. By purchasing a fridge that aligns with your counters, you’ll keep your kitchen looking sleek and avoid running a hip into an appliance that juts out into the walkway.

Repurpose an extra too-small bedroom. If there’s a tiny bedroom next to the master, then you might want to consider repurposing it as a walk-in closet or en-suite bathroom. Not only will you have the luxury of more storage, but you’ll also add value, especially with another bathroom.

Take advantage of the attic. Open up a one-story house’s kitchen or give the master bedroom a vaulted ceiling by lifting the existing one into the attic. You can put in recessed lighting, add a top row of cabinets or install a skylight to let in extra light.

You don’t need to ask Santa to bring you an entirely new house, just see if he’ll splurge this holiday season on luxury space expanders that open up and add value to your property. 

If you’re looking for more ways to invest in your Thomasville home or would like to move to a larger home, please call First Thomasville Realty today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com .