The value of repairing

According to an article released by Realtor.com, you will be more likely to get the best value from handling repairs than any other renovation. Why does this make sense? You only have to consider the negative impact on a buyer's perception that a home in a state of dis-repair can have.

If a potential buyer is walking through your home and sees damaged tiles in the bathroom, stains on the ceiling from a leaky roof, or windows that don't open properly, they are likely to look elsewhere or are considering how much below asking price they may put their offer in at. After all - someone has to put the house in order.

At BuildSmart, we'll help you focus on renovations that create value - and all while saving you money on the process. By turning owners into builders, we are committed to helping you get the most out of every renovation dollar spent. At BuildSmart, we help you turn the obvious repairs that a home might need into renovations that attain the big-picture goal - increasing your home's value.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.

Housing 2.0, a revolutionary way forward

When the American militia fought the English during the revolutionary war, they faced overwhelming odds. There were three better trained, better equipped English soldiers for every American soldier. The American troops prevailed by fighting the war on their on their own terms. They relied on stealth and strategy, only engaging the British when they knew they had the advantage.

So, how does that relate to us? BuildSmart believes the best way forward in this new era of home ownership is to behave more like the American Militia than the British Troops.

• Know your territory better than anyone else
• Use strategy and cunning to help you succeed 
• Embrace your inner pioneer and don’t be afraid to do it yourself

The problem with the housing market is the problem with the housing market.

It’s hard to even talk about the housing market without sounding like a cliché.

• Approximately $1.5 Trillion of wealth lost
• Approximately 2.5 Million foreclosures
• Approximately 25% percent of all homes underwater

The extent of this problem is staggering; ask yourself, have you, your family or friends been affected by the housing downturn? Did you lose your house to a foreclosure of short sale, are your adults kids now living with you because they can’t afford a home.

Obviously behind these numbers there are real people drying to dig out of their personal calamity. You probably know some of them; maybe you have your own tale of doom from the housing market. If you lost money in real estate, lost your home, had to do a short sale, etc. we're sorry to hear that, according to a Pew research poll, over 15% of American households, approximately 15 million households were negatively affected by the housing downturn. So, if you were affected by the housing downturn, you are not alone. But, here’s the thing, it’s time to get over it.

 More to come...

The small builder's dilemma

Yes, some homeowners actually are THIS upside down in their mortgages.

At BuildSmart, every day, we see first-hand how small builders find it hard, if not impossible, to compete against distressed properties. By their nature, distressed properties have a way of creating a new low (floor) price for a neighbor. Since the sellers are now banks just trying to liquidate them, it doesn’t matter what people paid for the properties, they just want them gone. These sales are corrosive.

Small builders don’t have this luxury and instead need to sell their homes at a profit just to stay in business. Many of these builders have now left the market either permanently or temporarily.

Why start a new housing project and take all that risk if there is no guarantee  you can make a profit?

While there is obviously a lot of pain in the real estate industry, there are also a lot of opportunities for the buyer and small investor. These opportunities are primarily in undervalued or distressed properties.

Since many of these properties have either structural issues or cosmetic issues, this approach, which we call BuildSmart walks you through the process of and identifies these issues of improving distressed properties in order to come out on top in your investment.

More to come on this exciting topic...