Alaskan Home Sellers

It may be difficult to begin thinking spring when the weather is still quite cold here in Alaska, but inside your home, there are a number of projects you can take on! It’s never too early to tackle spring cleaning and if you’re planning to sell your home in the Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, or North Pole area this year, buyers will certainly notice and appreciate your efforts!

Below are the most effective spring cleaning projects you can cross off of your list now in your Alaska home:

Clean the windows
Winter brings those long, dark days, but you would be amazed at how much of a difference a simple window washing can do for the light in your home. Clean every window inside and out—if possible—and while you’re...

While the holidays may have just ended, the spring real estate market will be here before we know it in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, North Pole, and the surrounding areas. Soon a wave of potential buyers will take to searching for their perfect property as the weather starts to turn around. Not only do the warming temperatures play a role in getting buyers out and about to tour homes for sale, but lower inventory just may give sellers an edge.

However, that doesn't always mean your Alaskan home is ready for buyers to step inside and prepare their offers. You may need to do a bit of prep work before you're officially in the game! Below are four ways to get ahead of the spring real estate market this year and make your home stand out from the rest in ...

Whether we like it or not, the winter weather has already descended upon Alaska. Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, and North Pole area homeowners would be wise to take precautions now to ensure they are not caught off guard by a faulty heating system, water leaks in the basement or high energy bills due to drafty windows and doors.

Madden Real Estate is happy to share the following five tips for preparing your home for winter and help you enjoy the season, without any home-related hassles.

Clean the gutters
Once all the leaves have fallen, it's time to clean out your gutters, unless of course, they are already overflowing. Gutters are the cause of many basement water problems due to water draining improperly.

On the same note, make sure your downspouts are pointing away from your house, away from sills and driveways. You always want to route...

When you decide to sell your home in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, or North Pole, you begin to dream about how much profit you can make and moving to your next location. However, there is one figure you'll need to determine before you can make those dreams a reality— your home value.

It is not uncommon for homeowners to over-estimate how much their property might be worth, so as your local real estate experts, the Madden Real Estate team has put together a few tips that can help you determine just that.

Comparable properties
One of the first places to look to help find your home value is a list of comparable properties in the area. Look at homes that have a similar square footage to yours or those with the same types of features. Even if you think your home is better than the...

October is nearly here! That means fall is officially underway which brings about its own share of tasks for Alaskan homeowners— raking leaves, cleaning out the fireplace, updating decor and now, preparing for Halloween. You might not have anticipated getting ready for trick or treaters, but there are a few ways you can make sure the path to your door is as safe as possible.

Clear the way

Just as you would do to prepare for potential Alaska homebuyers, you need to ensure the pathways are unobstructed. While it's still daylight, inspect your lawn, driveway and other pathways for anything that could prove an obstacle. That means tree roots, fallen branches, or even cracks in the pavement. Make updates and repairs where you can or at the very least, block off these areas.

It's also important to make sure your Halloween decor is...

Summer is one of the best times to tackle that long homeowner to-do list! Whether it’s replacing your front door, installing new light fixtures and landscaping, or even as big as renovating an entire bathroom, there are certain projects that can give your home a much needed boost in terms of looks and value!

But don’t be too quick with the hammer— instead take a look at our list of Alaskan home projects that will pay you back when the time comes to sell.

According to real estate news outlet Keeping Current Matters, the following four projects will yield you the highest return on your investment:

Bathroom Remodel
You may have heard that kitchens and bathrooms help sell homes and it’s true! A minor...

Now that we're inching toward the summer season and the real estate market has certainly been heating up, you may have heard that now is a great time to sell your Alaskan home.

There are indeed more buyers in search of properties in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, and North Pole, home prices are rising, and landing top dollar is not so uncommon anymore— but just remember, timing is everything!

The assumption that spring is the proper time is not always accurate. Below are four things to consider if you're ready to sell your Alaskan home.

Spring isn't always best
Many believe that spring is the best time to sell your home, however according to Realtor.com...

With buyer demand soaring and inventory still trending lower, the ball is in the seller's court in the local Alaskan real estate market.

But that doesn't mean you can simply place a "For Sale" sign in your yard and the offers will begin to pour in. There are several mistakes that can actually hold you back from selling your home in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, or North Pole and as your local experts, we've included them below!

If you plan to sell your Alaska home this summer, be sure to avoid the following:

1. Overpricing
In order to attract buyers and prompt them to write an offer, your home needs to be priced well from the beginning. Overpricing can cause buyers to pass over your property entirely, given their search parameters, or wonder...

Excitement runs high when you have an accepted offer on your Alaskan home, but what comes next could bring you down if not properly prepared for— the home inspection. The inspection could make or break your deal and is a contingency often written into most offers, meaning the buyer could walk away if the results are less than ideal.

Below are just a few of the items that inspectors will be looking for during their time at your property in Fairbanks, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, North Pole, and beyond:

1. Structure: Integrity of your foundation, state of windows, doors and frames

2. Grounds: Faulty grading, dilapidated pathways and walks, trees, and any standing water

3. Roof: Defects in shingles, flashing, fascia, gutters, chimney and skylights

4. Interiors:...

With the weather beginning to warm up and the official start of spring finally here, many homeowners in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, and North Pole are looking for ways to improve their property.

But if you're one of those making a home to-do list this spring, it's important to consider the projects that will be worth your while in terms of boosting curb appeal and adding value.

Consider the following home projects that will pay off when it comes time to sell your home in Alaska:

Clean it up
Before you can start on improvement projects like adding new landscaping or painting the shutters, start by giving your home's exterior a good cleaning. Power wash away all of the grime, dirt and mildew that could have built up over the long winter. Wash the windows, inside and out, and...

As an Alaskan homeowner, you've probably heard dozens of real estate myths bouncing around from family and friends— running the gamut from when to sell your home to how much buyers are willing to pay.

However, it's important to note that these should be taken with a grain of salt—unless they come from a trusted real estate expert—and in some cases, ignored entirely.

If you plan to sell your home in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, North Pole, or beyond this year, you will want to ignore the following home selling advice:

You will sell at the open house
Open houses can be beneficial for Alaskan homeowners in that they attract many eyes to your property at once— but that doesn't mean it will always end in a sale. While many buyers may come through your home, don't expect all of them to make...

When the Alaska real estate market is hot, buyer demand is high, and sellers have the advantage, of course looking for the highest offer is a common strategy. However, there are a few other factors—besides money—that can contribute to a strong offer.

If you’re selling your Alaskan home this year, be sure to dive deeper when reviewing those offers and see if the following factors are included. Every seller would do well to consider all aspects, beyond the dollar amount, before settling on a buyer!

Financing Methods

As a home seller in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, or North Pole, you likely have a dollar amount in mind that you would like buyers to meet or exceed. But just remember that...

Many homeowners in Alaska are now realizing the positive direction in which the market is heading— and as a result, plan to sell their homes in 2022. Low mortgage rates are said to continue, as well as steady home value appreciation, and an increasing number of motivated homebuyers.

If you’re ready to sell in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, North Pole, or the surrounding communities this coming year, here are three home seller’s resolutions that can help bring you success in 2022.

Appeal to buyers online
As your real estate experts in Alaska, Madden Real Estate has a strategy for seeking out homebuyers in the first place they look— online. Listing photos are especially important to grabbing a buyer’s attention. Staying away from the online aspect of a listing...

Thanksgiving is in just a few weeks and Alaskan homeowners may already be planning to bring all of their decor out of storage, preparing to deck the halls for the holidays. However, if you're a home seller, there are a few key rules to keep in mind as you decorate.

You can find great success in selling your home during the holiday season and the right staging can help buyers feel more at home. Remember the following tips for staging during the holiday season and you could just give your home in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, North Pole, and beyond the competitive edge it needs to sell!

Curb Appeal Begins at the Front Door
The front door is one...

As you think about selling your home in Alaska, one of the first questions to cross your mind is likely, "How much is my home worth?" Your home value will play a major role in the success of your sale, but there are many aspects of finding this number that Alaskan homeowners simply do not understand.

We've included a few key ideas to consider as you research your home value and prepare to sell your home in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, North Pole, and the surrounding areas this year:

Listen to your real estate agent
Determining your home value is a task best left to the experts, so do not be afraid to consult your real estate agent. Your agent can run what's called a "comparative market analysis" to find similar...

Fall is a great time to sell your home in Alaska— in fact, the market has been heating up for months! Motivated buyers are everpresent in today's real estate market, home prices are rising, and more importantly, properties are moving quicker than they have in the past. Listing your home now is an excellent idea as buyers may not have found "the one" on their search this summer and yours could be it!

So what comes next? Soon after listing your home in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, North Pole, or the surrounding areas, you may find buyers scheduling showings to take a tour or have an open house planned and it's important to be prepared.

Follow these tips for securing your home for a showing or open house in Alaska:

Take your remotes
You may not think about it as you head out the...

Fall is nearly here! But before the leaves begin to drop from the trees and we finally turn down the AC, there are a few tasks to tackle around your Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, and North Pole area homes. From cleaning the gutters to turning off the water to the garden hose, Madden Real Estate has compiled a list of fall home maintenance tasks to add to your to-do list.

Clean out the gutters
To make room for the leaves and debris that will fall into your Alaskan yard this fall, it's important to clean out your gutters now. While you're on the roof, you can also check for any damaged shingles that may have occurred over the summer and take the necessary steps to repair them.

Turn off outdoor water
You probably have your garden hose hooked up and have used it all summer, but you'll want to turn off that...

In past blog posts, we've shared the answers to common Alaskan homeowner questions, including whether or not you should sell your home or simply renovate as well as trends to avoid to appeal to homebuyers. This week, Madden Real Estate is elaborating for those homeowners in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, and North Pole who choose to list their property and take advantage of the numerous buyers in the market.

But does everything need to be fixed before you can officially place that For Sale sign in the yard? Read on for four things that you can pass on this year:

Half updates
Unless you plan to renovate your entire kitchen or bathroom, you don't need to bother making partial updates. For instance, don't bother placing an expensive new stone like a marble or granite on top of your old cabinets. Making these half updates tends...

Becoming a homeowner in the Fairbanks, Anchorage, Eagle River, Palmer, Wasilla, and North Pole areas is exciting, but the thought of paying on your mortgage for the next 30 years may be anything but that. Not to mention, there are many other expenses associated with your home purchase— the inspection, the down payment, the closing costs.

Alaskan homeowners can easily feel overwhelmed, but as your local real estate experts, Madden Real Estate is happy to provide a few ways to keep those expenses down and pay off your mortgage early!

Make an extra payment
One of the simplest ways to start paying down your mortgage is to make one extra payment each month. Most lenders today do not have pre-payment penalties and just by making...