Tips For Selling Homes To Millennials, The Debt Generation

Despite what you may have heard in one of the million “Millennials are killing [insert industry here]” articles, young people are buying homes. Millennials and Gen Yers made up about 34% of home buyers in 2017, a number that’s only increased in the past two years. Millennials make up a fair amount of first-time buyers nowadays, so it's important to know some of the best ways to market your real estate to this demographic.

Use these tips to help draw in more Millennial house hunters to your property and get better offers in the long-run.

Millennials Are Obsessed With Location, Location, Location

We know you’ve heard the saying about location, location, location. That’s because a great location is key no matter who you're selling real estate to. However, Millennials may have certain requirements when evaluating a neighborhood. Because many Millennials are childless, they may not be as concerned with school districts as previous generations. Instead, they may be more concerned with proximity to public transportation, the cost of living, and whether or not the neighborhood is “cool”.

Obviously, you can’t pick up and relocate your property, but it's important to know how to talk about your home's area in a way that will appeal to a younger, more adventurous demographic. As many as 69% of Millennials consider themselves to be adventurous, so if your potential buyer seems like the type, talk about some of the activities in the surrounding area that can cater to this preference.

Consider The Community

When a buyer is looking at your property, they're not just looking at the house itself; they're also looking at the surrounding community. Your neighborhood could potentially be damaging your chances of finding a buyer, even if it's a fairly nice area. How? Community association fees could be driving up the long-term cost of living at your location. The employment of real estate and community association managers is predicted to grow by 10% between 2016 and 2026, meaning the costs are only likely to increase. Be sure to factor that into your pricing negotiations, especially since Millennials tend to be fairly careful with their money.

Remember Your Repairs

While Millennials are often looking for a well-priced home, that can sometimes come at another cost. Younger generations tend to be more likely to look for fixer-uppers for the sake of a lower price on the property. While this means you can likely get away with leaving some types of repairs for the buyers to take care of, there are a few that will still be deal breakers. Check for major issues, particularly with electricity or plumbing. Hard water, for example, might not be readily apparent to buyers but will become an issue upon inspection. A whole 85% of American homes have hard water – water that contains high levels of calcium and magnesium. Install a water softener or find other ways to repair necessary plumbing before listing your property. Don't worry as much about a wall that needs new paint; most buyers are willing to look past that.

Taking On Technology

If there's one quality that the majority of Millennials and Gen Yers share, it's that most are fairly tech-savvy. Because these generations have grown up surrounded by technological innovation, it's become a must-have for many home buyers. Look for ways to integrate smart technology into your property, such as programmable thermostats and other smart appliances. While it might seem like a fairly frivolous add-on, these extras can make the difference if a potential buyer is torn between your property and someone else's.

While many people still fall for the stereotype that Millennials aren't looking to buy homes, that couldn't be further from the truth. Plenty of Millennial buyers are out there just looking for the right place to call home. If you want to increase your property's chances of a higher offer, use these tips to market to this particular demographic.

4 Reasons NY Suburbs Are The Way To Go

Most people don't look at New York and think beyond the city. We see it in all the movies, all the time. There are the scenes of Times Square, the ariel shots of the Statue of Liberty. The yellow cabs looking like ants across the Brooklyn Bridge; it's all there laid out before you in a movie about New York City and all of its possibilities. Here's the thing: there is way more to New York than the city.

Deciding where you should live is always going to be a decision that you make based on your job, whether you need a good school district, how far you want to be from people and stores. There is a lot to consider, and while there are a ton of benefits to big city living, sometimes, the New York suburbs are just where it's at! So, let's take a look at four reasons that you should move to the suburbs.

More Space

Let's be honest, NYC may be hopping, but if you want any kind of real estate that is more than a shoebox for your budget, you need to get out of the city. Outside the city limits, you'll find way more square footage for your cash, with the potential for a decent area of land. There could also be trees, wildlife and the chance to take your children to the park in a bigger, wider space.

Bigger Community

Most people who are used to living in the city will tell you how lonely it can be. A place with millions of people doesn't always equal a close-knit community where everyone knows everyone. In the suburbs, you'll find country clubs that even post the news of the local area, such as the Arlington News Network. You'll find people to be more neighborly and interested in getting to know you all. It's not something you'll get in New York City.

Bigger Education

It's known that the suburban areas often provide better schools than the built-up inner city public schools. Even if you don't have children right now, you do need to consider how much you will need a good school district one day.

Bigger Quality of Life

When you live and work in the city, the commute is shorter, but you're living on top of the place you have to go to every day. In the suburbs, there is less traffic congestion, less crowding and a lower crime rate. You'll find a higher quality of life being able to drive away from your responsibilities for the day, knowing the longer commute is so worth knowing you're leaving the office behind.

The city is always an exciting place to live, but it's not always practical or worth your budget. Taking the time to look for a home in the suburbs could be a life-changing experience for you. No matter where you go, make sure it meets your list of expectations so that you're getting something from your choice.

Have a listing you think should be featured contact us or email at Jeremy@offthemrkt.com to tell us more! Follow Off The MRKT on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.

Scott Disick Introduces House Flipping Show

Scott Disick's reputation has been built as a member of the Kardashian family, but the star hopes to come into his own and build on his love for property development with a new show called Flip It Like Disick.

"I'm excited to bring fans a new series that shows what I'm really passionate about professionally, which is flipping real estate and doing crazy and impressive renovations on celebrity homes," says Disick.

In a new promo with friend Khloé Kardashian, the pair introduces the new eight-episode show. Starting this summer, each episode of the E! television show will last an hour in length and air every Sunday.

Disick will be teaming up with interior designer Willa Ford to transform high-end homes into dream locations. The promo showcased Disick driving a tractor into a wall and joking with his team of renovators.

According to People, Disick's love for renovating came from his first successful home flip more than five years ago. Since then, he has renovated and developed the homes of fellow A-listers, including the playhouse for his three children with ex Kourtney Kardashian.

That's not to say that Disick won't experience a few hang-ups along the way. Home renovating is known to unveil additional problems and costs within a home that must be dealt with before the fun stuff can begin. For example, it's estimated that one in 15 American homes have high levels of radon. This is made even more difficult when his exterior design budget is reigned in by an HOA, which residents have a one-in-five chance of moving into throughout the United States.

It isn't known if Disick will run into any of these problems on his show just yet. We'll have to wait for the series to premiere on August 4 only one month after Khloé Kardashian's show Revenge Body.

Disick is also slated to produce the show with the help from Kardashian mom Kris Jenner. He will also receive help from business partner Benny Luciano and contractor Miki Moor to improve celebrity houses.

Disick's team will likely rely on the help of hard money loans, a term which has been around since the 1950s. While these shows are growing in popularity, this type of investment isn't for the faint of heart; these quick turnaround investments can make or break a house flipper's career.

Even popular house renovator Joanna Gaines recently admitted to experiencing dread before a house flip.

In a personal essay published by Magnolia Journal the Fixer Upper star wrote that she feared each flip would be the one that proved she wasn't cut out for this line of work.

"There was this continual, underlying dread that any one of those decisions that I was trying to pull out of thin air could be the one that proved once and for all that I was no good at this work," wrote Gaines. It was only after she let go of her perfectionist attitude that she was able to let her designs flourish.

After all, it can take whole home remodels up to one year to complete while home additions might take between three and nine months.

Disick, on the other hand, seems confident in his ability to achieve success on his show.

"E! has never had a show like this before. It's a bit different than viewers are used to seeing, but I think they will be both entertained and inspired by my team," he said in a statement.

But if all goes according to plan, Disick hopes to renovate Khloe Kardashian's home if he gets a second season.

E! reports that the show will air on Sundays at 9 p.m. starting on August 4.