Responses Quicken with Quality Dewey Beach Listing Photos

In advertising, they call the photo that glamorizes a product its ‘hero shot.’ In the case of a real estate listing in Dewey Beach, the pictures that accompany the written description can all be hero shots, if enough care is taken. 

In one Auburn University study (The Relationship between Property Price, Time-on-Market, and Photo Depictions in a Multiple Listing Service), it was found that adding a single photograph to a listing could lift the final sale price by as much as 3.9%. That’s not surprising, but what is noteworthy is that each additional listing photograph added several hundred dollars to the final selling price. In other words, it’s not just the curbside photo at the top of an Dewey Beach listing that should be given great care—it’s all of ‘em!

Aside from the usual advice to de-clutter, use light appealingly, etc., there are some less well known tips that can help maximize the eye-appeal of an Dewey Beach listing:

The Exterior  

The exterior photograph is considered by most professional real estate photographers to be by far the most important shot. I’m not sure I agree. Of course, it sets the stage for everything else, and has to be attractive enough to rate a second look, but those second looks of the interior and garden can differentiate the listing from the crowd. A superior exterior can often be achieved by elevating point of view (IOW, shoot from a stepladder)…or sometimes by scheduling the shot in early morning or late afternoon light (to catch the most dramatic light).

Back Against the Wall!

For the majority of your listing interiors, you’ll want wide angle shots which emphasize spaciousness. Most work better when the photograph is taken from a doorway or corner with the widest lens (that’s the one with the lowest focal length number)—as long as it doesn’t overly distort the image.

Funhouse Effect

Always ensure that your camera is completely horizontal. Correct the ‘barrel effect’ on vertical lines to ensure that all of the walls appear straight. When you’re looking through a viewfinder or small digital screen, it’s all too easy to overlook the sides by concentrating on the center of the picture. That’s an amateur mistake (and slanted walls make a room look like a carnival funhouse!)

Flash Extra 

Take at least one extra shot using the on-camera flash or strobe. True, often that will result in an unevenly lit alternative that you will discard…but now and then, the on-camera light will boost clarity and color that’s more pleasing than what natural light provides. 

Great looking Dewey Beach listing shots make a significant difference in the degree of response a property draws. I always help my clients with the listing photographs—it’s one of many tools to ensure their listing gets the exposure and results it deserves!

Call/text 302-228-7871 or email me, Russell Stucki, REALTOR® of Beach Real Estate Market to provide detailed information on Delaware homes for sale, investment and commercial properties, luxury and  waterfront homes, condos/townhomes, new construction, lots and land, farms and equestrian properties located in but not limited to Bethany, Bethel, Bridgeville, Dagsboro, Delmar, Ellendale, Fenwick Island, Frankford, Georgetown, Greenwood, Harbeson, Laurel, Lewes, Lincoln, Milford, Millsboro, Millville, Milton, Ocean View, Rehoboth Beach, Seaford, Selbyville, Delaware.

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Predicting the Return on Investment of Your Dewey Beach Home

If you are a Delaware homeowner (or about to become one), you’ll be interested in the progression of your Dewey Beach home’s value over time. The market may fluctuate, but what doesn’t is your goal of seeing your property value go up — in other words, calculating its Return on Investment. In economic terms, evaluating the projected ROI tells you how much profit there would be if the home is sold at a later time.

There are two major methods of calculating real estate ROI. Both take cost and appreciation into account — but they come up with quite different answers!

The Cost Method gives a smaller ROI. Consider buying an area house for $100,000. Ubiquitous Zillow (the Internet giant) pegs the current annual appreciation rate for real estate in the U.S. at 6%. If our Dewey Beach market proves true to that projection, the example Dewey Beach home value would register $106,000 after the first year. If $2,000 were spent on repairs, that means a $4,000 profit would result, and the ROI for that one year would be $4,000 divided by $102,000: 3.9%. At that ROI, it would take roughly 26 (100 divided by 3.9) years to equal the cost of the home.

Sometimes called the “Out of Pocket” method, this calculation yields a higher ROI. Here, ROI is calculated based on the size of the down payment (assuming a mortgage is involved). Take the same example: the Dewey Beach home valued at $100,000. You won’t actually pay that whole amount — just the down payment (say, $20,000). To evaluate the ROI, the down payment is added to the repair costs ($20,000+$2,000) and that number is subtracted from the appreciated home value ($106,000-$22,000). The “equity” in this case is $84,000, so the ROI in that single year is $84,000/$106,000 = 79.2%. Although this sounds terrific, it isn’t too realistic…after all, the mortgage left is still owed: it may not be “out of pocket” because it hasn’t been actually paid yet, but the remaining liability is real. 

If you have Delaware home value questions, I’m here to answer those and any other real estate-related needs. Want to discuss home values, ROI, or other property questions, call/text 302-228-7871 or email me, Russell Stucki, REALTOR ® of Beach Real Estate Market to provide detailed information on Delaware homes for sale, investment and commercial properties, luxury and  waterfront homes, condos/townhomes, new construction, lots and land, farms and equestrian properties located in but not limited to Bethany, Bethel, Bridgeville, Dagsboro, Delmar, Ellendale, Fenwick Island, Frankford, Georgetown, Greenwood, Harbeson, Laurel, Lewes, Lincoln, Milford, Millsboro, Millville, Milton, Ocean View, Rehoboth Beach, Seaford, Selbyville, Delaware.

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3 Questions to Ask Before Buying a Dewey Beach Vacation Home

As the housing market continues its recovery, sales of vacation homes in Dewey Beach are part of the national picture reported by the NAR — which tells us that vacation home sales rose by over 10% recently.

While owning your own vacation home in Dewey Beach automatically sounds great, a thoughtful reality check is always in order. Particularly when a vacation home is involved, it minimizes the likelihood of making an overly emotional decision (and eventual buyer’s remorse).

The first question to ask is, How often will we actually use the home? If you travel to Sussex County just once a year for a week or less, keep in mind that, in addition to the purchase price, your actual costs include insurance, real estate taxes, and upkeep on the property. It’s likely you’d be dollars ahead by simply renting a home. On the other hand, if you stay for weeks or months at a time (or eventually plan to retire in Dewey Beach), the investment looks a lot more practical.

 Next question: Do I have a maintenance plan? Maintaining a vacation home in Dewey Beach needs to be considered, particularly if you live hours away. You’ll need to find a local to ensure that the property is well maintained and protected. Consider working with a Dewey Beach property management company to outsource oversight. This approach can change the entire landscape, if it enables you to rent the home and turn it into an investment property when you are not using it.

And a vital question: How does the asking price compare? Very often, people visit Sussex County, fall in love with the place, then find what they know is the perfect house! That’s precisely why working with a Dewey Beach Realtor® is key: you need to enlist the knowledge of a local professional in order to get timely, accurate input on its actual market value and other issues that may impact the property. It is really the prudent way to protect your interests.

A thoroughgoing reality check makes buying a vacation home in Dewey Beach a levelheaded and worthwhile decision. I’m here to make sure that happens! Savvy shoppers; don’t sit on the sidelines, call/text 302-228-7871 or email me, Russell Stucki, REALTOR® of Beach Real Estate Market to provide detailed information on Delaware homes for sale, investment and commercial properties, luxury and  waterfront homes, condos/townhomes, new construction, lots and land, farms and equestrian properties located in but not limited to Bethany, Bethel, Bridgeville, Dagsboro, Delmar, Ellendale, Fenwick Island, Frankford, Georgetown, Greenwood, Harbeson, Laurel, Lewes, Lincoln, Milford, Millsboro, Millville, Milton, Ocean View, Rehoboth Beach, Seaford, Selbyville, Delaware.

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