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As rent prices continue to soar all over the country, you may be finding yourself entering your first real estate search.

You’re not alone. According to the National Association of Realtors, millennials are ending their leases and buying homes in large numbers. Those in their late 20’s to early 30’s now make up the fastest-growing segment of buyers today. But how to even shop for a home these days?

First-time buyers might remember being dragged to Sunday open houses with their looky-loo parents, but those days are gone. Everything is online, and many real estate apps have sprung up to help buyers find their dream homes.

The 7 Best Home Buying Apps

  • Zillow: Best for overall use
  • Trulia: Best for community insight
  • Homesnap: Best for convenience
  • Redfin: Best for multilevel support
  • Rocket Homes: Best for one-stop shop
  • Realtor.com: Best for reliability
  • Homes.com: Best for quicking listing updates

Best Home Buying Apps at a Glance

App Best For Details Key Feature
Zillow Overall usability Virtual tours Push notifications SEE DETAILS
Realtor.com Reliability 3D tours Detailed descriptions SEE DETAILS
Trulia Community insight 34 map overlays 30M neighborhood reviews SEE DETAILS
Rocket Homes One-stop shop Agents/lenders links Area trend reports SEE DETAILS
Homesnap Convenience High-definition photos Optimized for mobile SEE DETAILS
Redfin Multilevel support User-friendly interface Calculates mortgage/fees SEE DETAILS
Homes.com Quick listing updates Home showings via Zoom Mortgage calculator SEE DETAILS

Zillow


Pro

  • Between for-sale-by-owner and official properties, it provides users access to over 135 million property listings.


Con

  • The “Zestimate” algorithm uses tax records to produce home value estimates, which sometimes are inaccurate.

The Zillow house-hunting app app is the most downloaded real estate app on the Apple store and Google Play — and for good reason. Its database constantly updates and has 36 million users monthly. You can set up push notifications for new real estate listings that meet your search criteria so you’ll never miss out on your potential dream home.

The app allows you to filter real estate listings by price, ZIP code, square footage, must-have features and more. You can even coordinate your search with a partner or roommate by tagging home features and sharing your favorites.

Zillow provides 3-D tours and a scheduling feature to set up an in-person tour. One of its best features is self tours of Zillow-owned homes, a feature available in some markets that allows house hunters to stop by the property at their convenience and simply unlock the house with the app.

Newly added to the Zillow app is a “natural-language search” tool, which responds to user questions in direct fashion, rather than requiring users to type multiple search questions to get to where they want to go.

Realtor.com


Pro

  • It’s the official search portal for the National Association of Realtors, meaning its updates are the most accurate.


Con

  • ​​Clicking on “contact agent” will not go to the listing agent, but instead to a local real estate agent who has paid for this lead service.

Realtor.com is one of the best home buying apps out there for on-market listings. Being the official search portal for the National Association of Realtors means you can trust the home listings that pop up in your search. The data is directly mined from the MLS (multiple listing service) and refreshes every 15 minutes.

The search features include a wide variety of filters and provides the most detailed real estate listing descriptions, which include things like crime rates, school ratings, property tax and history of home value estimates — even things like the neighborhood noise levels or whether a home is in a FEMA flood zone.

Because the app updates so often, setting up push notifications means you’ll quickly know when a new property hits the local market. You’ll also have the power of the “Sign Snap” tool in your pocket the next time you drive by a “for sale” sign. All you have to do is take a photo and Realtor.com pulls all of the home’s details instantly.

Trulia


Pro

  • Shows names and contact information for listing agents, so users know who they would be working with for each listing.


Con

  • You’re prompted to call or email the listing agent on any property you view, which can get in the way of casual browsing.

Acquired by Zillow in 2015, Trulia has access to most of Zillow’s database of over 135 million active listings and has become one of the best real estate apps. What sets it apart is the focus on community insight provided by those who are located in the area you are searching. You’ll not only get details on the property, but information on what it’s like to live in that specific neighborhood.

You’ll be alerted about price reductions and upcoming open houses, and the app will recommend new listings. Insights sourced straight from locals and 34 neighborhood map overlays offer details on commute times, nearby businesses, crime rates, nearby schools, and more.

Two other features added in 2018 distinguishes the Trulia app from others. “What locals say” and “local legal protections,” combine local feedback and public data to provide information about what a neighborhood is like, from level of dog-friendliness, day-in-the-life details, and even how folks decorate for the holidays.

You’ll also be able to see whether there is legislation in the area to protect against discrimination for gender identity or sexual orientation in employment, housing or public accommodations.

Rocket Homes


Pro

  • Lets you access your TransUnion credit report, which is updated every week.


Con

  • ​​Does not provide a home value estimate.

Similar to Trulia, Rocket Homes puts an emphasis on getting to know your soon-to-be neighborhood, but from a market statistics perspective.

This real estate knowledge will come in handy when searching for a home. You can compare properties in the area, seeing how long they’ve been on the market and what they sold for. If you’re not planning on living in your first home forever, this will help give you an idea of what kind of return on investment you can expect from your purchase in the future.

Rocket Homes is a product of Quicken Loans, giving you the opportunity to shop for homes from new and updated listings and have access to lending services all in one place.

This real estate app also helps you stay on track when it comes to some of the more boring parts of purchasing a home, like tracking your credit score. Rocket Homes gives you access to a free TransUnion credit report that is updated frequently, so you know exactly where you stand before starting the mortgage application process.

Homesnap


Pro

  • Get extensive details on a home just by snapping a photo of it.


Con

  • Lack of coverage in some areas; Homesnap must partner with individual multiple listing services.

The Homesnap real estate app is perfect for the on-the-go house hunter. You can simply snap a photo of a home and get all of the data available. This feature means you have real-time connection to your local multiple listing service from the road.

If you choose to search from the comfort of your home instead, the Homesnap app allows you to search for open houses by date, and even provides live-broadcast, virtual showings if you want to avoid mingling with other buyers in person.

You can collaborate with your real estate agent through a built-in private messaging function that automatically saves your listings for quick reference. Like most real estate apps, you have a ton of customizable filters for efficient searching, and will be provided with up to date information about the home and neighborhood like commute times, satellite photos and more.

Redfin


Pro

  • Updates every five minutes so you never miss a new listing.


Con

  • ​​If you don’t live in one of the 90 U.S. and Canada markets where Redfin has agents, you won’t be able to connect with one.

Redfin’s out-of-the-box-business model combines the convenience of a high-performance app and the expertise you can only get by working with a real estate agent directly. Because Redfin is also a brokerage firm, you’ll have access to their top-quality real estate agents.

Working with a real estate agent gives you more in-depth market insights so you can make smart home buying decisions. And through the “Hot Homes” feature you’ll know which homes are more likely to sell fast so you don’t miss your chance of putting in an offer while house hunting.

Redfin also recently updated its data on climate risk, school ratings and neighborhood amenities.

Homes.com


Pro

  • Most of 2020 was spent updating the speed and user-friendliness of the app.


Con

  • ​​Limited information on neighborhood and demographic data.

The Homes.com app is partnered with the MLS to bring you quality leads on your home buying search. The app offers a plethora of filter criteria like the other apps, such as square footage, ZIP code, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, but has an emphasis on lifestyle. Not only will you find the best house, but in the neighborhood that’s right for you.

The exclamation icon makes it easy to spot new real estate listings when scrolling through your search results. You also have the option to “favorite” or “block” certain properties in your feed so you can revisit the ones you love and eliminate the ones you don’t.

The mortgage calculator on Homes.com includes specific financing options like FHA (Federal Housing Administration) loans and special rates for active military members or retired veterans.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Home Buying Apps

There’s a lot of home buying apps to pick from when you are seriously or even casually looking for a home. We’ve rounded up answers to some of the most common questions about home buying apps.

Which App is Best for Buying a House?

The best app for buying a house is the one that fits your needs. But Zillow is the most popular because it does a lot of things right, including allowing users to filter information by price, ZIP code, square footage, must-have features and more. Zillow also lists for-sale-by-owner homes. Zillow is the most downloaded real estate app on the Apple store and Google Play. It gets a 4.7 rating out of 5 from 475K reviews on Google Play. In the Apple App store, more than 6 million reviews get Zillow a 4.8 rating.

What are Home Buying Apps?

Home buying apps are mobile tools accessible on various digital devices that let users see listings to buy, sell or rent a property. Different apps have unique features but all of them include multiple photos of properties, prices, property tax and loan information and the ability to connect with real estate professionals.

Home buying apps provide many benefits to users because of their national coverage and even global offerings. Users can see maps and learn about neighborhoods, too. Best of all, they are free.

How Accurate are Home Buying Apps?

Because home buying apps take information from various sources, there will always be a margin of error in valuations. Estimated values are made from information gathered from county and tax assessor records, multiple listing services and real estate companies. 

For properties on the market, the apps should have accurate asking prices or rental amounts. Where there is more variation is on property estimates, including for properties not on the market. You should consider these ballpark figures and not 100% accurate especially in a hot market when prices are jumping seemingly daily.. The apps are a good place to start but most people follow that information with a call to a real estate professional.

What is the Best House Hunting Site?

Zillow is the best overall site with its massive listing bank while Realtor.com is tops for reliable information. Trulia is excellent if you want more information about the community around a home. Homesnap is tops for photos and it is optimized well for mobile. If you want to connect with a Realtor, check out Redfin and if you want a direct line to a lending service, Rocket Homes may be the right pick for you.

Which App is Better: Zillow or Redfin?

Zillow edges out Redfin because of its massive reach. Redfin is not available in every market. However, Redfin is a brokerage which connects directly to the massive database of real estate listings commonly called MLS. Zillow does not do that. Zillow allows for sale by owner listings and Redfin does not.

What is the Most Popular Real Estate Website?

Zillow is the leading real estate website with more than 36 million unique visitors a month and about 135 million live listings. Trulia, which Zillow has owned since 2015, comes in second with 23 million unique visitors. Zillow was founded in Seattle in 2006 and claims to be the most accurate at price estimates, called ‘Zestimates” though there are lots of claims otherwise. 

The Bottom Line About Home-Buying Apps

As you can see, if you’re ready to break up with your landlord, calculate what down payment you can afford and start your journey to home ownership, you have plenty of house-hunting apps to take advantage of.

Along with all the other details involved in this adventure, it may take some trial and error to find the app that hones in on your specific house-hunting search criteria. But it’s worth spending the time if it helps you get everything you want in your first home.

Contributor Tiffany Beyer is a social media coordinator and marketer specializing based in St. Petersburg, Florida. She specializes in real estate and lifestyle issues stories. Freelancer Kent McDill contributed to this post. 

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Source: thepennyhoarder.com

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When I’m planning a vacation, I usually pick up a copy of a “cheap and free” guidebook that lists inexpensive attractions and secret-gem restaurants. A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting my friend Frank, who is a recent transplant to the East coast, and he saw my guidebook. “I need something like that so I know what inexpensive stuff there is to do in my own town.”

Which made me think, so do I!

When I’m visiting some other city, I usually have a list of free attractions or inexpensive, Zagat-approved restaurants, but I can’t really name places like that that are in my hometown. That’s not because I’m a big spender when I’m at home, it’s because my husband and I love to cook, so we rarely eat at restaurants, and we live in the country, so it’s just easier to stream a Netflix movie than to drive to the theater. Nevertheless, sometimes we have company over and want to show them around or we feel like getting out of the house, and it’d be nice to have a budget-friendly guide to our town.

But we don’t live in New York City. We don’t even live in a mid-sized city — we live 30 minutes outside of one. So until Frommer’s gets around to writing a book about our little town (which will be never), finding inexpensive entertainment isn’t as easy as buying a guidebook.

Undeterred, I started a list of resources where I could learn more about free and cheap attractions, things to do, and restaurants in any town, large or small. Here’s what I found:

  • Google “Free things to do in [your city]”. Yes, it’s obvious, but someone has already made a list of ideas for your city, even if it’s a blink-and-you’ll miss kind of town. Your luck here will vary, though. The first list that popped up on my search had some lame ones — why is a pediatric center in a neighboring city on a list of fun things to do in my town? But it also had some good ideas, like visiting an 80,000-year-old living cave.
  • Check out travel sites. Here’s another one where your results will vary, but it’s worth a search. I was surprised to find attractions and restaurants listed for my town on TripAdvisor, but there wasn’t much, and the search results didn’t turn up anything new or particularly exciting. If you live in a mid-sized or large city, travel sites will probably yield better results for you.
  • Research at the library. The library is always a good place to begin a search for things that are free! Everyone knows you can checkout books and DVDs, but hunt for the “events calendar” either online or in person. Most of the activities I found at my library were for kids, like book clubs, art classes, story time, and Bow Wow Reading Dogs, a reading program that uses dog therapy to help below-grade-level readers improve their skills. For adults, there was a GED class, computer classes, a knitting group, and a program called Travel Talks that’s all about traveling — from planning a trip and getting a passport to what to take and when to go.
  • Search for a local parks and recreation site. One of the goals of of my town’s parks and recreation program is to “enhance the quality of life” for its citizens. I discovered a list of upcoming events on the website, such as movies in the park, a kite festival, free Zumba classes, and a very active senior citizens group that plans events like wine tasting and picnics. The department even has its own Facebook page (sometimes I underestimate our town!), which is another way to keep up with upcoming events.
  • Go to your state’s parks and wildlife website. Most state sites provide a map of parks with a list of sites and recreational activities to help you plan your visit. Whether you want to rent kayaks or go fishing, you can probably find a nearby park that will accommodate.
  • Subscribe to local ‘zines. We have a local paper called Impact News that’s a great resource for new restaurants and events in our area. (You can search for local blogs if you don’t have a paper that specifically covers your community.) For example, in the last issue there was a story about new bakery in my area that offers daily lunch specials (and included a coupon for a free coffee when you buy a pastry). There’s also an event calendar in the paper and online, with free or cheap activities like fun runs and special open-air markets.
  • Browse The Historical Marker Database. My little town isn’t in the history books, but that doesn’t mean nothing ever happened here! One interesting site I read about in the database was the spot where 30 people were massacred by a band of Comanche Indians. There’s also a historical site nearby where the a skeleton of a prehistoric woman was found, the earliest intact burial uncovered in the United States. Try searching for your town’s historical markers — there might be a site or two worth a visit.
  • Seek out the arts (but enjoy high-culture for less). Our own Donna Freedman covered this topic thoroughly, so if you missed it, take a look. My town might not have museums or a ballet company, but the city nearby does, and there are a lot of ways to enjoy these activities on a budget.

It’s natural to get excited about traveling somewhere new, but obviously there’s a lot I haven’t explored in my own backyard, or my neighboring backyards! And just like the destination cities I’ve visited, there’s plenty for a “budget traveler” to do right here. In fact, after browsing the Texas State Park and Wildlife site, I’m feeling the urge to kayak some unexplored (by me) waters.

How much do you know about budget-friendly attractions in your own town? Do you have other places you go to learn about new, inexpensive activities and restaurants?

Source: getrichslowly.org

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Have you ever hosted a yard sale with dismal sales? You made a dollar per hour for your efforts. No fun.

Last weekend, I hosted a garage sale with my brother, my ex-wife, and my girlfriend. It was a raging success. We cleared out tons of stuff, and we netted over $2500 in the process.

I’ve hosted many yard sales over the years (and shopped at dozens more) and have developed some strong opinions about what works best. I’ve heard people complain that garage sales aren’t worth the time. But they can be quite profitable if you do a few simple things.


Happy customers browsing our sale…

Yard Sale Tip Sections

  • With so many tips, we divided them into ten main sections that cover all the aspects of hosting a yard sale.
  • If the subject was too large, we broke the main section down into sub-sections to highlight specific topics. Click on any of the hyperlinks to go immediately to that section or sub-section.
  • Yard Sale tips we consider essential are marked with a happy star ?. But don’t ignore the other tips! They’re all important to know.

Define Your Goal

The kind of event you hold depends on what you’re trying to accomplish, and it’s usually one of two things:

  • Get rid of stuff (fast) or …
  • Make as much money as possible.

(Skip to next section)

Scheduling Your Sale

Take Advantage of Different Seasons

Whether you’re trying to get the most money for your things or to sell them as quickly as possible, consider how timing can affect your choice of location, what you sell, how you advertise, and even how often you schedule yard sales.

For example, if you’re moving and you can’t take it with you, a yard sale is the perfect solution. But you may also be up against some tight deadlines that complicate things. How do you make it work in February, or if you only have a weekend, or you won’t have anyone to help you?

On the other hand, if you have a lot of time, you can maximize your result by scheduling a few events that target special or seasonal items. What should you know about merchandising to get the best price?

Depending on your area, you may find that one-day sales are more beneficial. Experiment with which day is best. Maybe a Thursday afternoon/Friday combination is great, or just Fridays.

? You may think it’s best to schedule a yard sale in the summer months, but it’s possible to have a successful yard sale any time of year. In fact, you might even be able to capitalize on the fact that it’s February or November and there aren’t as many yard sales. Think about the pros and cons of each season.

Springtime

Advantages:

In northern climates, a yard sale in spring is an invitation to spend money after being cooped up all winter. There’s an air of optimism that could boost how much you’re able to sell.

Disadvantages:

Weather patterns are often unpredictable, and that could affect turnout. Pay particular attention to location and logistics. Shelter is critical to protect your merchandise and keep customers happy despite conditions.

Advertising:

Be clear about how rainy weather will affect the hours of your sale.

Good Items to Sell:

  • Sports equipment
  • Camping gear
  • Gardening tools
  • High-quality children’s clothing
  • Patio furniture

Summertime

Advantages:

The hot, sunny, lazy days of summer make it easier to attract a throng and hopefully increase sales. And since the days are longer, you may only need a single day to sell all your items.

Disadvantages:

Heat and humidity are concerns in summer, so it’s important to provide shade and a place for customers to sit.

Advertising:

It’s even more important to differentiate yourself in advertising. Find your hook free ice water, a kiddie pool, a neighborhood back-to-school sale.

Good Items to Sell:

  • Back-to-school clothes
  • Furniture and household goods for dorms/apartments
  • Outdoor toys bikes, camping gear
  • Books (especially children’s books)
  • Electronics

Autumn

Advantages:

Fall still offers pleasant weather, but the most hard-core (read: negotiate-like-crazy) customers are burned out.

Disadvantages:

Depending on your area, wind and weather patterns can be unstable. That doesn’t usually affect turnout, but it’s another reason to protect your merchandise.

Advertising:

Your customers may be looking for, or college students may need, your furniture and household goods to furnish dorms or apartments. Highlight these items in your advertising, as well. Maybe even title your sale as a Back-to-school yard sale!

Good Items to Sell:

  • Winter items
  • Exercise gear
  • Picture frames
  • Holiday decorations
  • Collectibles

Wintertime

Advantages:

In the lower latitudes, winter yard sales may continue on just as they do in the fall. Not so in the cold climate of the higher latitudes. Still, motivated buyers find motivated sellers in the winter months too. The winter months may be the best time to find bargain-hunters.

Disadvantages:

In winter, location and logistics are critical. A community or church hall may offer the best environment for a yard sale if they will work with you. Even a storage facility may permit a yard sale on their grounds if you’re a customer.

Advertising:

Give clear directions for parking and how to access any buildings.

Good Items to Sell:

  • Space heaters
  • Firewood
  • Tools
  • Furniture
  • Clean linens and blankets

Merchandise

With yard sales, word gets around. So stock your sale with lots of stuff to pull the biggest crowds and generate buzz.

  • Locate and sell anything you no longer want or need. Aaron LaPedis, author of The Garage Sale Millionaire, suggests taking an inventory of all of your possessions in order to determine what you should sell and what you should keep. “Make sure you go through your house top to bottom — every closet, drawer, nook, and cranny,” says LaPedis. “Nothing is too small or too big to sell.” And make sure you have enough stuff.
  • ? Don’t base what you sell on what you would buy. You never know if someone likes to fix broken things or is looking for materials for an art project. If it’s something you don’t want and it’s safe, put it in your garage sale.
  • Offer to sell stuff for family and friends. Ask around to see if anyone has big-ticket items to sell. Not only does this help them, it also could potentially draw more customers to your sale.
  • Look beyond household stuff as your merchandise. Do you have plant starts you could pot and sell? How about leftover building or landscape materials?
  • Take the time to wipe off the dust and dirt. Clean stuff sells better. Period.

Differentiate!

All garage sales are basically the same. Find a way to set yours apart, whether it’s by theme, price, scale, or amenities. Last weekend, for instance, I billed ours as a “geek garage sale”, and emphasized that I had graphic novels, board games, and computer gear. My Craigslist ad brought folks from far and wide because of this. They bought the geeky stuff, but they also bought kitchen gadgets and yard art and clothing.

  • Label your sale. Lots of graphic novels, board games, and computer gear? Bill it as a “geek yard sale.” We did this last weekend and my Craigslist ad brought folks from far and wide because of this. They bought the geeky stuff, but they also bought kitchen gadgets and yard art and clothing.
  • Free delivery! If you have several large items to sell, another way to differentiate yourself is to find a couple of volunteers with trucks who wouldn’t mind delivering items — for free — after the sale.
  • Partner with your neighbors! Neighborhood garage sales attract tons more customers, so talk to your neighbors and spread the word ahead of time to arrange multiple sales. Find out what your neighbors are selling and offer to refer your customers to them. Or, better yet, hold your garage sale during an established entire-neighborhood garage sale day.
  • Offer free lemonade, cookies, or even just ice water. Most garage sales are held on hot days so a jug of watery lemonade or refreshing ice water is a nice gift for your customers. Don’t forget that visiting pets get thirsty too.
  • Engage the customers. Be friendly. Chat up the people who stop by. Be engaging. When parents with young children visit, I always find something to give the kids for free (often it’s whatever they’ve gravitated toward). I also throw in freebies for folks who buy lots of Stuff. This builds goodwill, especially among the other customers who are watching things transpire. I believe we sold more because Kim and Kris and I were friendly and fun.

Advertising

Getting the word out about your sale is critical to your success. In the old days, advertising meant sticking an ad in the newspaper, which would normally cost around $20. Newspapers may still be useful today, but other (free!) methods exist.

Here’s how to advertise to get more customers today.

Neighborhood Publications:

If you’re hosting a yard sale along with others in your neighborhood, check if they publish the yard sales. This may be free or cost a nominal fee.

Craigslist:

To get the most value from a Craigslist ad…

  • Advertise the date and location of your sale.
  • Add pictures and descriptions of the nicer items.
  • ? Put up ads for the most valuable things in their respective categories on Craigslist. Some people might not be browsing in the garage sale section but might see your ad for the table set in the furniture section and come to the sale for it and more stuff.
  • Once it sells, delete that listing immediately as a courtesy.

Make your Sale Shareable. Social Media is your Friend:

?Facebook, Twitter, Instagram use them! The entire week before the sale, post on social media about your merchandise. Include pictures. During the day of the sale, update your status or tweet on what you still have available.

Nine Tips to Make your Signs Sizzle!

Your goal is to get as much traffic as possible. If your signs are unclear or difficult to read, people won’t waste their time, especially if there are dozens of yard sales to choose from. Simple is best!

I’m shocked at how ineffective most garage sale signs are. It’s like people don’t care, or as if they don’t spend twenty seconds putting themselves in the shoes of their customers. Keep signs clean and neat. Make sure everything’s legible. Make sure nothing’s ambiguous. Clear signage is worth its weight in gold. Our signs included the address, the date and time of the sale, and an arrow pointing the way. I hung a dozen of them along the major traffic roads in the area, funneling people onto our street.


Our signs also had the address and an arrow pointing the way…

Design to inform and intrigue

  1. Use bright colors to attract attention.
  2. Use a thick marker of a contrasting color to make big, bold text.
  3. Adding a border around your text may increase readability. Remember that your customers are cruising by at 35 miles per hour!
  4. Have large arrows pointing in the correct direction. It’s so much easier to follow arrows than to slow down to read an address.
  5. Remember that superlatives rule Awesome! Blowout! Epic!

Where’s your sign?

  1. Post multiple signs around your neighborhood.
  2. Place signs at nearby major intersections and at each turn along the way.
  3. Also, take a practice drive past one of your signs. Do people have time to read it, make a decision, and make the turn, before they’ve driven past it?
  4. After the sale is over, remove all the signs!

Supplies

The right supplies can make your sale run more smoothly. So as you get closer to the big day, gather everything you need.

  1. Borrow tables and shelves to display your merchandise. Having a check-out table can be helpful. It helps people know exactly where to go to ask a question, and placing the table near the exit allows you to welcome people in while watching that they don’t walk off with anything.
  2. ? Apron or fanny pack for the money. I use a cheap cloth apron/utility belt from the local hardware store. It works beautifully. Some people use fanny pack or a zippered bank deposit pouch.
  3. Markers, scissors, masking tape, price stickers, and poster board. As you change prices throughout the day, you’ll use these items. Also, use these supplies to mark items that are NOT for sale.
  4. Paper/pencil. Use this as a ledger to jot down a description of each item and how much you sold it for or to place stickers on a page for each seller. (This can help make it easier to settle up after the sale if you have a neighborhood event.)
  5. Calculator. Having a calculator will expedite your checkout line and make it easier if you’re not especially gifted at math!
  6. Batteries. Keep an assortment of batteries on hand so that a prospective buyer can test that old Nintendo Gameboy for himself.
  7. Extension cords. If you are selling electrical items, make sure you have an extension cord handy or display these items near a plug so people can test them.
  8. Bags/boxes for customer purchases. Collect free bags/boxes before your sale so your customers can haul away their purchases.
  9. Hangers and a method to hang clothes. Searching through hanging clothes is much easier than pawing through a table covered with clothes.
  10. Plenty of cash. Get two rolls of quarters, a stack of 50 $1 bills, 10 $5 bills, and 5 $10 bills. Do it two days before the sale so that, if you forget, you can still get the change on the day before.

Pricing

Know your purpose. “There are two types of garage sales,” an old man told me last weekend. “One is to make money. The other is to get rid of Stuff.” Know which type of sale you’re holding and why. Your purpose will affect how much you negotiate and how much you give away for free.

As mentioned above, be clear on the purpose of your sale. Are you selling things to make money or to get rid of them? This question affects everything you do, from how you price things to how willing you are to negotiate. Surprisingly, you can often make more money (and get rid of more junk) by pricing things low. (If your goal is to get top dollar, you should really be selling on eBay or Craigslist.)

Oh, and lose your sentimental attachment. Unfortunately, no one cares how much you paid for an item or how many memories are attached to it. It’s a sunk-cost. They just want a bargain!

How to Establish Price

Know the value of your items. By doing some research on eBay or Craigslist, you might discover that some of your items are worth way more than you thought. However, this does not mean you should actually charge those prices. By attending yard sales yourself, you’ll have a general idea of what an acceptable price is. Also, you’re probably safe by pricing things somewhat below what the area thrift stores charge.

  1. Don’t price your stuff too low. People like to bargain, so allow some wiggle room. Also, you want to make money. You can always have a 50-percent-off sale over the last couple hours.
  2. Price items like a store. If you have a lot of something, “Buy 3, get 1 free” works really well.
  3. Other pricing strategies. Fill this box for $10 or fill this bag for $5. Anything not valuable can go on tables dedicated to that and you will get rid of all sorts of stuff that people might not buy individually but might stuff in a box.

To Price or not to Price.

Pricing items is a pain, no question.

  • Some people find it more profitable not to price anything because customers are turned off if the price is too high.
  • However, most customers prefer priced items, if only as a starting point for haggling.
  • Opting for a hybrid approach may require pricing larger items, or grouping like items on a table and then placing a sign on the table for the prices.
  • You can also place anything worth less than $5 or $10 on a table with a note to make an offer.
  • Another innovative approach is to mark by colored stickers only and having a master price list or two. As the day goes on, you can easily change the master price lists without changing prices on the individual items.

Be Willing to Bargain, but be Less Flexible at the Start.

If you just want to get rid of your stuff, you probably won’t mind haggling over anything.

But if you’re interested to make some money for your efforts, don’t haggle over a low-priced item or two. If your customers buy several things, cut them a deal.

Also don’t cut prices by much the morning of the sale, unless they are buying a ton of stuff. Tell them that you’ll cut prices a couple of hours before the end of the sale, and if they’re willing to take the chance, they can come back later. Or offer to take their phone number, and say “I’m sorry, but I’m not comfortable selling it at that price. Would you like me to call you if it’s still here at the end of the day?”

By the end of the sale, it’s best to practically give things away rather than face the prospect of having to deal with it later.

Staging

Too many garage sales are a haphazard collection of Stuff piled every which way. Don’t be like that. Take lessons from supermarkets and department stores. “Organize things so they’ll catch the shopper’s eye,” Kris says. “And don’t have depressing music playing.” (At the start of the sale, I had some New Age music on the stereo. “It sounds like a funeral,” she told me. She had me put on Elton John’s greatest hits instead, and people loved it. Sales improved!)

If you really want more bang for your buck, borrow from the big retailers’ playbook for how to display your merchandise.

  1. Prepare your window display. How do regular stores get people to stop in? By creating intriguing/beautiful/interesting window displays. You won’t have window displays but use the concept. You can lure more customers by placing highly-desirable items near the road.
  2. Move your customers to the right. For whatever reason, shoppers prefer to move through stores counter-clockwise. To get your customers to do the same, you can set up a table with free lemonade to the right, or display good items (but probably not the most expensive), or colorful, items to the right. You may want to place your most expensive/desirable items in the back of the garage, on the wall. As long as your customers can see these items from the garage door, they will walk past all your other items first.
  3. Display items to their advantage. Too many garage sales are a haphazard collection of stuff piled every which way. Customers want bargains with the feel of a store. Put the highest value items at eye level or clearly marked on a high-value table. Organize things so they’ll catch the shopper’s eye. Hang up clothes, sorted by size, with the sizes clearly labeled.
  4. Slow your customers down. Instead of lining your garage with long tables, consider staggering them in such a way that your customers slow down — without creating bottlenecks, of course.
  5. Make it cohesive. Establish themes. While you can group like items together, also consider grouping items of the same color, or by theme. One theme could be music: Gather old instruments, CDs, and old speakers together.
  6. Shed a little light. Lighting is important in big box stores, and it’s just as important at your yard sale. Make sure all light bulbs are working in the garage. Consider setting up table lamps and white Christmas lights to brighten the atmosphere.
  7. Promote expensive items. Big-ticket items can be tough to sell, but you can do it with a little extra effort. For example, if you have a digital camera to sell, gather all the bits and pieces and place them together on a table along with a printout of the Amazon page for the camera.
  8. Think like a customer. As soon as you’ve opened and fielded the initial flood of shoppers, walk through your sale as if you were there to buy something. How does it feel? Are things clearly marked? Is it easy to move around? Visualize any potential bottleneck areas. Are your books on the ground in boxes or are they placed neatly on shelves and tables? As things sell, move items around to fill in the gaps.
  9. Make it easy for shoppers to test electronic items. If it is a sound or video electrical item, take a retailing idea from the pros and set it up to play. A TV that is playing will sell much better than one that is off. This is also true of sound electronics. Play videos on TV. People will start watching and ask to buy the video.
  10. Create visual interest. While you want all the customers to see into your garage clearly, don’t forget that staggering items at various heights along your garage walls creates visual interest and allows better visualization.
  11. Display impulse purchases. Wherever customers check out, conspicuously place inexpensive, fun items.
  12. Have a box of free stuff. Nothing is more fun than finding something for nothing, so place a large, well-marked “FREE” box close to the curb. Mention the free box on the main Craigslist ad and place an individual Craigslist listing in the Free category.
  13. Complementary items. Have a pile of complimentary items and let buyers pick one item to go with each purchase. It could be any old junk, but people will love getting a freebie.
  14. Set up a lemonade stand. Instead of giving away free lemonade, your child can sell lemonade — and make her own money!
  15. Be the Pinterest of yard sales. Your customers may think something looks cool, but they aren’t really sure how they’ll use it. Consider displaying some of your merchandise on furniture you have for sale. By displaying the item in an interesting way, or even printing out some craft projects you found on Pinterest, you may inspire your customer to take the treasure home.

Avoiding Problems

The Early Birds.

Warn in your ads that “early birds pay double.” Otherwise, you’ll be stuck fumbling for change and entertaining these folks rather than getting your items ready. Or if you don’t want early birds to show up, don’t put your entire address in your ad. Then, just before you open, put out the signs and open the garage door. And don’t take money (meaning, no sales) until you are ready.

Future Burglars.

Unless you personally know them, don’t allow anyone in your house. If they ask for a bathroom, direct them to the closest public restroom.

Do NOT Use a Cash Box.

Carry your money on you at ALL times. You don’t want to present a target for casual thieves. More than that, you don’t want to be duped by professional swindlers who run distraction con games. It happens. It is devastating to see the profits from all your labor and the proceeds from your hard-to-part-with items vanish in an instant. This happened to a woman on our street on the last day of the sale last year. Do NOT use a cash box. I use a cheap cloth apron/utility belt from the local hardware store. It works beautifully. Some people use fanny pack or a zippered bank deposit pouch.

Don’t Bad-Mouth your Items.

A decade ago, Kris and I held a garage sale with a group of friends. One guy constantly told customers what was wrong with the items they were purchasing. “Oh, that book is awful. That’s a terrible movie. That skillet doesn’t heat very well. That game is boring. Needless to say, we sent this friend inside to drink beer ASAP. Your goal is to sell the items. Don’t lie — just emphasize the positives. Oh, that book is very popular. That movie won three Oscars. That skillet is great for pancakes. That game is fun for kids.

The Hostess with the Mostest.

If having a group yard sale, pick the best location in terms of traffic or accessibility or parking (and don’t forget to clear parking spots on the big day for customers). Offer the host a bonus such as a percent of the sale or a hosting fee. Also, go over ground rules such as the bargaining policy, etc.

(If you have an option to select the home where the sale is hosted, select a home with a shaded drive, if possible.)

Wrapping It Up

Have a plan for what you’ll do with your unsold merchandise.

  • Some non-profits will pick up unsold stuff, so research this ahead of time.
  • If you are going to drop anything off at a thrift store, know their drop-off times/days. Also, check to see if there are any limitations on what they accept.
  • Post on the local freecycle (www.freecycle.org) that, after a certain time, whatever is left is free for the taking — and remember to include your address. If you’re lucky, people will schlepp it away for you!


Even after years of purging, I still have too many books…

We’d only intended for ours to be a two-day sale, but we did so well that we decided to open Sunday too. This time, we re-branded. Because we still had shelves filled with classics, graphic novels, and photography manuals, we billed ourselves as a “book sale”. Surprisingly, this still brought folks in. Traffic was much lighter than previous days, but we still cleared $400.

In the end, we sold $2,454.90 worth of Stuff. Kim and Kris and Jeff didn’t do as well as I did — none of them spent a lifetime making foolish financial choices and “collecting” books and records and comics and other toys — but everyone seemed happy with the money they earned. And as for me? After years of battles, I think I’ve finally won the war on Stuff!

A great yard sale begins with a great plan. What are your best yard sale tips?

Source: getrichslowly.org

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If you’re a first-time home buyer, the process of purchasing your dream home can be overwhelming and seem complicated. Where do you begin? The first question most people ask themselves is: Should I use a real estate agent?

The Real Money

Here’s the first thing you need to know, it’s not free to use an agent! A traditional buyer’s agent typically earns a 3% commission on the sale of a house. So a $300,000 house means $9,000 goes directly to the buyer’s agent. $9,000! Because homeowners often finance their homes, that $9,000 turns into even more money over the life of a 30-year loan. If you think sellers are paying this for you, think again. You see the money you bring to the table pays for both the seller’s agent and your agent. Does that sound free to you?

The Real Emotions

Houses are not a commodity where details don’t matter. Your house is YOUR HOME. The job of a real estate agent is not to decide your price range, home size, budget, and location. That is all up to you.

The Real Work

Times have changed. When your parents were buying a house, they had no way of knowing which houses were for sale until they contacted a real estate agent. According to the National Association of Realtors, the majority of home buyers today search for and often find their own homes without their agent, usually by browsing the internet or driving around their targeted neighborhoods. This is just one more part of the job that used to be on the agent that is now in the hands of the buyer. Keep in mind that even though buyers now perform many tasks once executed by buying agents, you’ll end up paying the full buyer agent commission.

The Real Focus

In the book Freakonomics, world-renowned economist Steven Levitt published his thoughts about the misalignment between the interests of real estate agents and those of their clients. Agents are better served if sales happen quickly and at a high price. Buyers are best served if the home is right—even if it takes a long time to find—and the price is low. The studies he cites clearly show that agents are choosier, take more time, and find better deals in buying and selling their own homes than those of their clients. If you do decide to use a traditional buyer’s agent, never make an offer until you are sure the house, the price, and the details of the home loan are a good match for you.

Who’s Got Your Back?

In the golden days of real estate agents, buyers had little knowledge of how to navigate the sea of professionals necessary for making a home purchase and had to rely on recommendations from their agents. These days, a quick internet search can give buyers tips on how to find and choose everything from a lender to a title company.

Welcome to Homie. Homie is a one-stop platform that provides you with a dedicated buyer’s agent to help you through your journey and an easy-to-use app to make the process simple. On top of having an experienced agent on your side, you can keep up to 50% of our commission.* Say whaat?

Should You Hire an Agent?

Yeah! A Homie agent! Skip the traditional way of selling your home and get buying with Homie. We can’t wait to help you find your dream home and save. Click here to start browsing homes in your area.

*Subject to terms and conditions outlined in the Buyer Broker Agreement.

Source: homie.com

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By Peter Anderson 1 Comment – The content of this website often contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you buy through those links (at no cost to you!). Learn more about how we make money. Last edited January 21, 2019.

One great way that I’ve found to save money is to buy things that I would normally buy at a Bricks and Mortar store, at an online store.

You can often find ways to make it cheaper to buy online using one of my favorite things – Coupon Codes!

There are a ton of coupon code sites out there, and some of them are better than others.

Coupon Code Sites

Here are a few of my favorite sites online to save by using coupon codes and discounts:

  • Retailmenot.com: This website is one of the better ones out there. Not only do they allow you to search for coupon codes by website or product type, you can search by keywords as well. They also have a rating system for the coupons telling you how successful people have been when trying to use each coupon code. Some may be 50% successful, while others might be 100%. You can also try out their firefox extension which will show you what coupon codes are available for any one site that you’re browsing. For example, if you are on Amazon, you will get a notification bar saying that there are 22 coupons available for this website.
  • Insideredbox.com:This coupon code website has allowed me to get all of my movie rentals for free. For those of you who don’t know yet, the Redbox is a movie rental kiosk that are found at Mcdonalds restaurants, grocery stores and other retail outlets across the country. Normally movie rentals at redbox are only $1 per night anyway, but after using coupon codes found on the Insideredbox website, all your movies will be free (assuming you return them the next day). Can’t be free movie rentals!
  • The Bargainist.com: Great website to find deals, coupons, tips and freebies. They are updated constantly, and have a great eye pleasing design.
  • Couponheaven.com: Another site with easy to use search functionality that allows you to find coupons to some of the most popular online shopping destinations.
  • Honey: Honey is a Chrome extension that helps you to find coupon codes when you’re checking out on a retailer’s site. They also allow you to check the price on an item and set price alerts. A must use extension.
  • Rakuten: Rakuten is an online coupon codes and cash back website where you can save by shopping through their online portal or app.  I’ve used them to save hundreds of dollars over the years.

So there are a few of the better coupon and hot deals forums sites. Remember, just because you can find a good deal, doesn’t mean you have to buy it. Sometimes the best deal of all, is no deal. But if you have to buy something, don’t forget the coupon codes. Save your money!

Links and Resources

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Source: biblemoneymatters.com