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  • Stephanie Burwood, The Lersch Group
  • Keller Williams Realty
  • 6710 Professional Pkwy - 301
  • Sarasota, FL 34240
  • M: 941.705.0987 (call first)
  • P: 941.556.0500
  • F: 877.830.5991
  • E: steph (at) thelerschgroup.com
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Meet Stephanie Burwood

In order to be a top Sarasota Real Estate agent it takes dedication to service. I concentrate on helping families and individuals by understanding them so that at the end you want to tell everyone about my service.

Most agents spend the majority of their time prospecting for new business, knocking on doors and cold-calling. I approach my business differently…

What I do is spend my time focusing on your goals and providing the excellent service you expect and deserve. In fact, I have set up a team of Sarasota REALTORS to focus on each aspect of your needs.Read More »

Get to Know Stephanie ↓

Should you sell your house now?

July 28, 2009 By Leave a Comment

How to know when to sell your home

When people say that the housing bubble has burst, does that mean it is a bad time to sell your home? Or should you get out of your home now before it gets worse? Here are a few tips to help you make that decision:

Look at market conditions.

  • Timing the prices in a housing market is difficult.
  • Unless you really have to sell right now then it is best to probably wait until the economy turns around.
  • The number of buyers is down and there is a ton of inventory you will have to compete with.

Determine the right price for your home.

  • If you have to sell your home right now, determining the right price will be the most important decision you make.
  • You need to look at comparable houses in your area to determine the price.
  • The key is to determine what are they selling for per square foot so you can apply it to your own home price.

Stage your home for the sale.

  • Staging your house is also very important when selling your home, but you don’t need to hire a stager to do it.
  • Start with the exterior and make sure that trees and shrubs are trimmed and the lawn is clean.
  • Inside your home you want to neutralize the colors of the walls and remove all of your personal effects.
  • You want people looking at your home to see the house as their own.
  • Before you put it on the market try to remove one piece of furniture from every room to help it look clean and open.

What if you are selling your home from out of state?

  • If you’re moving out of state and you are having a hard time selling your home you might ask your employer if they are willing to take on the cost of your old home.
  • Another option is to rent your home out and allow a local manager to take care of it.

Should you hire a real estate agent or sell your house yourself?

  • Selling your home on your own can be very tough.
  • A professional real estate agent can help you with all the necessary steps and give you advice on the market.
  • If you are selling your home without an agent then you should price the home under market value.
  • The upside to selling your home on your own is that you can save on the commission rate an agent charges.

Listing your home on the internet

  • Utilizing the internet to sell your home is very important whether you are selling it on your own or with an agent.
  • Make sure the pictures of your home that you are putting on the web are fabulous.
  • You can also make a 360 degree video of your home and you must be sure all the information on your home is current and up to date on the internet.
Filed Under: Blog, For Sellers Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Economic Update

March 30, 2009 By Leave a Comment

On Monday, March 23, the National Association of Realtors said existing home sales rose 5.1% in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.72 million, from 4.49 million in January. Economists had expected an annualized rate of 4.45 million homes.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said its seasonally adjusted index of mortgage applications for the week ending March 20 increased 32% to 1,159.4 from 876.9 the previous week. Purchase volume rose 4.2% to 267.8 from 257.1 the previous week, while refinancing applications jumped 42% to 6,363.2 from 4,497.6.

The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that orders for durable goods, items expected to last three or more years, jumped 3.4% in February. It was the strongest one-month gain in 14 months and the report breaks a record six consecutive months of decline. Economists had anticipated orders for durable goods to fall 2%. Among the areas of strong growth were orders for heavy machinery, up 13.5%, and demand for computers, up 10.1%.

New home sales unexpectedly rose 4.7% in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 337,000 units, according to a report by the Commerce Department. Analysts had expected a drop to 300,000 units in February. Also, the results for January were revised upward to 322,000. Nevertheless, that figure represents the slowest monthly pace since record keeping began in 1963.

On Thursday, the Commerce Department announced its final revision to the fourth quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP). It showed the U.S. economy decreased at an annual rate of 6.3% in the fourth quarter of 2008. It was the lowest pace since the first quarter of 1982, when output contracted 6.4%. For all of 2008, the economy grew 1.1%.

Upcoming on the economic calendar are reports on consumer confidence on March 31, pending home sales on April 1 and factory orders on April 2.

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