The 12 Steps of Renting

1.) Contact a real estate agent- they will help you through the process and answer any questions that you may have; there is no cost to you, in most cases, to use one of OUR agents! 

2.) Make the decisions- location, price range, how many bedrooms, off/on street parking, pets, etc.

3.) Ask about utilities- what is included within the per month price? Make sure to budget for those utilities that are not included. 

4.)  Often times pictures do not do a property justice, schedule a showing with your real estate agent. It is important to feel out a space before jumping into a commitment. 

5.)  While at the showing ask yourself some questions- are you comfortable with the area, will your personal items fit in the space, could you picture calling this place "home"?

6.)  Once you find the right rental for you, your real estate agent will provide you with the rental application.

7.) Once each applicant fills out the paperwork, the agent then runs the required background or credit check. From there the application is sent over to the listing agent.

8.)  The landlord then reviews the paperwork and makes a decision whether to accept or deny the tenants. Often landlords will want to interview potential tenants before making a decision. Your real estate agent will schedule the interview. 

9.)  Once approved, the next step is to sign the lease. To send the lease to the listing agent, you must also provide two certified checks, one for the security deposit made out to the landlord and one for the first months rent, who that check is made out to varies from case to case. The amounts of these checks vary per situation.

10.)  Your real estate agent will present you with a lease that, with your approval, will be signed. Leases begin usually on the 1st or 15th of every month. 

11.) Your agent will then give the checks and the signed lease over to the listing agent to have signed by the landlord. From there, each party will receive a copy of the executed documents. 

12.)  The landlord communicates how the keys will be distributed and the transaction is complete. 

Listing with Teel Realty

We Get It.

When you are looking for a company to sell your home you are looking for results. We understand that this is a big step in your life. You are taking the step of selling the home that your kids grew up in, the home that you have had countless thanksgiving meals in, the home that you saved up for all those years to buy. Knowing that this is a big move financially and emotionally, we are here to help.

What We Have Always Done.

When you list your home with us, every step we take is to efficiently and effectively sell your home. Our marketing efforts, of both print and online initiatives, provide your property with maximum exposure to potential home buyers. We have always utilized the effectiveness of print marketing. Each week we display our listings in the popular Blue Valley Times to insure exposure to all local buyers. Regionally, we promote our listings in a full page ad in the Real Estate Book. This particular marketing tool is found in various Pocono resorts, gas stations, and convenience stores spanning from Northeastern Pennsylvania to Maryland.

What We Do Now. 

With technology advancing the way it is, we are seeing more buyers finding homes online and on their mobile devices. In conjunction with this trend, we have adapted our marketing initiatives to be internet-focused, utilizing sites like Trulia and Zillow. We maximize exposure of our listing through these sites by being "PRO agents", meaning we have the ability to feature your listing and our agents on each of their websites. Additionally, we feature your listing on the Lehigh Valley Multiple Listing System which is syndicated to Listhub, Homes.com, Realtor.com, and more. This, in turn, shares your listing with a plethora of other sites.

Recently, we have established ourselves on very popular social media sites such as Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Youtube. We feature each new listing on Facebook and Pinterest with a status update whenever prices change, to spotlight open houses,  or to congratulate an agent and seller on selling a home. 

Along with utilizing the outside websites that are popular among home buyers, we have also recently updated the Teel Realty website to feature each of our newest listings on our home page. Also, each month we present the "Teel Realty Report," a video that reports on the newest listings and events that are happening throughout the month. We promote this video on the home page of our website, on Youtube, and on Facebook. With a Facebook promotion our last "Teel Realty Report" video reached nearly 2,300 people. 

Here at Teel Realty, we take pride in our marketing initiatives that help put your listing in front of the most buyers as possible. Whether possible buyers are reading the paper at the local diner or browsing the web on their phone, your listing will be there, that is why listing your property with the Teel Team gets results!

Simple Staging 101

Looking to sell your home? Here are a few tips that will help your house give off that "perfect home" first impression. 

1. Remove Clutter: The most simple act can make the biggest difference. Removing the clutter around the house can help possible buyers realize the potential of each room. The less clutter in a room, the better.  

2. Utilize Lighting: Lighting can be an overlooked part of staging a home. Opening up the blinds and letting natural light in can help to maximize the appearance of a room. Another important part of getting the most out of your natural light is to make sure your windows are clean- both inside and out. In the winter, grime and debris can be especially present, make sure to whip down those windows!

3. Re-Purpose Rooms: Do you have that one room in the house where all of the unwanted goods seem to accumulate? Before your real estate agent comes to photograph your home, re-purpose that room to act as a small office or organized storage space. 

4. Utilize the season: Consider the time frame in which you are looking to sell. In the spring, accent your home with fresh flowers on the dining room table. Selling in the winter? Consider using some evergreen and pine cones throughout your home to accentuate holiday spirit. 

6. Consider Color Accents: If you are looking to brighten your home in the spring or summer, consider accenting your home with some color. Have a room that has mostly neutral tones? Consider investing in some colorful pillows or decor for a cheap way to bring some depth to your area. If you are feeling a bit more detailed, think about purchasing some paint to add an accent wall or two to your living room or bedrooms. 

7. Curb Appeal: Staging the inside of your home is an important part of the appeal of your listing. However, do not forget about the first aspect that will make an impression on possible buyers: your front door. If you do not often utilize the front door/ porch area of your home, make sure to take some time into making that space presentable. Cleaning off leaves, shoveling away snow, and wiping down banisters are simple tasks that can make a big difference. Along with keeping the area clean, consider hanging a festive wreath or inviting decorations to your entrance way to add to the overall "curb appeal" of your property.

8. Sound Check: Take a minute to sit in your home in several places: in the kitchen, in the living room, in the upstairs bedrooms. Sit and listen specifically for odd creeks or noises that you may have become accustomed to hearing over your time in the home. If there are any especially disturbing noises, consider looking into those before possible clients walk through your property. 

9. Cozy Home: When showing your home, know that potential buyers use all senses when touring the property. If you are selling your home in the winter, consider trying to make your space feel as "homey" as possible by targeting all of these senses. For example, target smell by baking a fresh batch of cookies before a showing. If you prefer your house a bit chilled, consider bumping up the temperature to warm possible buyers as they step in the front door. 

10. First Sniff Impression: Finally, a very important part  of preparing your home for visitors is the aroma that your home presents. If you have indoor pets, consider that your home may give off a pet odor that can be a significant "turn-off" to possible buyers. The same goes for smoke and must smell. Simple solutions to light odors can be to wipe down surfaces along with opening the windows of your home. For more in-depth smells, consider getting your rugs professionally cleaned or scrubbing all laminated or hardwood flooring. 

5 Tips for Selling Your Home in the Winter

With the winter season upon us, now is a great time to list your home. In an effort to go the extra step to help you sell your property, we have come up with these five tips that you can do to make your space seem even more desirable. 

1. Beauty 365: Here in Pennsylvania, winter can be brutal. With harsh winds and snow storms, this time of year can make taking attractive external pictures difficult. With this being said, consider taking photos of your home from throughout the year and adding them to your listing. You put a lot of hard work into your spring and summer flower planting and gardening, make sure to show it off!

2. Not Just a House, But a Home: To buyers, viewing a home is an emotional process. When they come to visit your house they want to picture themselves living there in every aspect. They want to picture themselves waking up and drinking chai tea in the kitchen, they want to see their family in the living room spending Thursday nights eating pizza and watching a movie. Help them set the scene by keeping your space warm and cozy. Bump up the heat, accentuate that fireplace, and cook up some hot apple cider or coffee to fuel that homey ambiance.

3. Decoration: Christmas decorations are always a lovely way to bring the holiday cheer to your home. However, when decorating a house that you are looking to sell, modesty is key. Overdoing the lights can be worse than not having any at all. Consider a festive wreath, twinkly light trimming or a few holiday scented candles to set the mood for the season. Who wouldn't love a home that smells of warm eggnog or spiced apple pie as they walk through the front door?

4. Let it Shine: The best possible light to show off the unique details of your home is natural light. The small acts of cutting shrubbery and tree branches away from the windows can make a big difference. Washing windows and pulling blinds are some more small initiatives you can take to making your house feel more like a home. 

5. Keep it Clean: One of the most important things to showing your house off to its full potential is simply keeping it clean. Clearing your walking path of snow and debris is an important part of presenting a house in the winter.  This small act not only makes it easy for potential buyers to access your house, but also shows that you take pride in the way that it  is maintained and perceived. 

New Year, New Technology

For us, 2014 was a great year. With the market finally recovering from the several year downfall, buyers and sellers are reemerging all over the Poconos and Lehigh Valley. We have always taken pride in our personal, detailed-oriented service to our customers. However, in the new year we are kicking things up a notch. In today's world, technology is king. Therefore, in order to better serve our customers, we are becoming more present in the digital community than ever before. In years past we have been seen on popular websites such as Zillow, Trulia, and Facebook. The difference is now, to ring in the new year, we are introducing a brand new, more manageable website that includes a blog to keep you updated on the latest properties, tips, and market information along with providing all of our current listings in a succinct and user-friendly panel. 

Along with our new website we are also utilizing several social media sites to stay engaged with our customers and community. Coming into the new year customers will now be able to find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Youtube. On both our Facebook and Pinterest pages users will be able to view pictures and details of all our current listings, providing another means of marketing for our selling customers. As the "technology generation" starts to come into the age of buying and selling homes, being present on social media as a real estate company is more important today than ever before. Feel free to click on the links at the bottom of our website page to view our various social media pages. We feel that 2015 is going to be another successful year in the Teel Office and we invite you to join us in our year of success. Here's to you, Happy New Year!