Navigating the Booming Real Estate Market in Pittsburgh: A Guide to Fixer Uppers and Investment Opportunities

The real estate market in Pittsburgh has been experiencing a remarkable surge in recent years, drawing both seasoned investors and aspiring homeowners alike. With a rich blend of historical charm, vibrant communities, and an expanding economy, Pittsburgh stands out as a prime location for real estate ventures. Among the key trends shaping the landscape of the Pittsburgh market is the increasing number of individuals and teams dedicated to fixing up houses, capitalizing on the potential for significant equity gains.

Fixer Uppers: Unveiling Potential Profits

In the realm of real estate investment, fixer-upper properties have emerged as a lucrative avenue for those willing to roll up their sleeves and invest in renovation projects. Pittsburgh's housing market offers a plethora of such opportunities, ranging from historic homes in need of restoration to modern residences awaiting a fresh makeover.

One of the most compelling aspects of investing in fixer-uppers lies in the potential for substantial equity gains. By purchasing a property at a discounted price due to its condition and investing in renovations, investors can significantly increase the property's value. In Pittsburgh, this trend has gained momentum as more individuals recognize the opportunity to unlock hidden value in neglected properties across the city.

The Rise of Renovation Enthusiasts

Pittsburgh's real estate market has witnessed a surge in the number of individuals and teams dedicated to fixing up houses. Whether driven by a passion for renovation, a desire to capitalize on investment opportunities, or both, these renovation enthusiasts are playing a pivotal role in revitalizing neighborhoods and driving economic growth.

From ambitious DIY renovators to seasoned professionals, Pittsburgh boasts a diverse community of individuals committed to breathing new life into old properties. This influx of renovators not only contributes to the aesthetic appeal of neighborhoods but also plays a crucial role in preserving the city's architectural heritage.

Harnessing the Potential: Pittsburgh's Hardest Working Real Estate Team

Amidst the bustling real estate scene in Pittsburgh, one team has stood out for its exceptional performance in transactions and listings. Pittsburgh's Hardest Working Real Estate Team has secured its place as a formidable player in the market, ranking #9 in transactions and #3 in total listings in 2024 to date as of April 20th, 2024.

With a proven track record of success and a deep understanding of the local market dynamics, Pittsburgh's Hardest Working Real Estate Team has established itself as a trusted partner for both buyers and sellers. Their dedication to excellence, unparalleled market expertise, and commitment to client satisfaction have earned them a stellar reputation in the industry.

Conclusion

As the Pittsburgh real estate market continues to flourish, opportunities abound for investors, homeowners, and renovation enthusiasts alike. Fixer-uppers offer a pathway to substantial equity gains, while the growing community of renovation enthusiasts contributes to the city's ongoing revitalization efforts. Amidst this thriving landscape, Pittsburgh's Hardest Working Real Estate Team stands as a beacon of excellence, guiding clients through the intricacies of buying and selling properties with unparalleled expertise and dedication. Whether you're seeking to invest, renovate, or find your dream home, Pittsburgh's rea

5 Reasons to Use a Real Estate Professional When Selling Your Home

Selling your house is a monumental milestone in your life. Whether you’re looking to upgrade, downsize, or looking for different scenery, selling your home is the first step to getting there. Many people believe this is something they are able to do alone, but there are many beneficial reasons you should use a real estate professional. Here are some of the top reasons to use a real estate professional when selling your house:

1.     It is their job.

All a real estate agent does with their day is look at houses. They live and breathe the transactions of homes within the market they work. I hear this line all the time, “I’ll just put a sign out in my yard and sell it myself.” While this may possibly get someone interested in the home, that is not the only thing that needs to be done. There are many behind the scenes tasks to complete before you can sign the papers. Not to mention all the research, advertising, negotiating, and guidance that a real estate professional provides.

2.     Get an accurate picture of what your home is worth.

A real estate professional will be able to give you an ACCURATE estimate of what your home will be worth on the market. There are so many factors that go into pricing a home: Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Square Footage, Decks, Garages, Pools, Acreage, and so much more. So many times I hear, “Joe and Sally just listed for $XXX,XXX on their house and it isn’t as nice as mine! Mine should be worth more!” That may be true, but how many bedrooms and bathrooms did they have? How long was it on the market? What did it ACTUALLY close for? Maybe they closed a year ago and the market has shifted since then. You will want someone who looks at these factors on a daily basis.

3.     Use a network of resources.

When you sell with a real estate professional, you are not only using that individual, their brokerage, and their friends. You are using every realtor within their multi-list service and beyond. That means that people across the country are able to see your house. Take, for example, you believe you can sell your house by putting a sign in your front yard and call it good. (Nothing wrong with that, people do it everyday.) You are limiting the exposure of your house to people that drive on your street. What if you post it in the classifieds? Limiting it to people who read that newspaper. Put it on Facebook? Limiting it to your friends. If you put it on the multi-list, people from anywhere can see your house. How do you get it on there? By finding someone with access to the multi-list, or as most call them, real estate professionals.

4.     Have a negotiator.

There are many tactics when negotiating a real estate transaction. It is important to have someone representing you who has been in these situations. A real estate professional will not only have an outside view of the situation, but will not have as much emotion in the transaction. A good negotiator will be firm for what is needed, but will also be able to see both sides and come to a common ground.

5.     Dot your “i’s” and cross your “t’s”.

Everyone wants to sue you. This is the unfortunate climate we live in today and it is important to have all your affairs in order. Things like disclosures, title work, and municipality tests are important to have in order to prevent any issues down the road. You will also want to make sure you have a second set of eyes looking over your contracts and documents to make sure you aren’t being bamboozled into giving away more than you had intentionally wished. Lastly, you are going to want an extra set of those documents in case of an emergency. Real estate professionals are required to keep your records for a certain number of years.

There are a lot of moving parts going on behind the scenes of a real estate transaction. Many of these take a substantial amount of time and knowledge to complete. It is beneficial to yourself to at least consider using a real estate professional when making such a huge life decision. If you ever have any questions, reach out to your local real estate professional and set up an appointment!

If you don’t have a real estate professional that you work with, or are in the market for a new one, check out Pittsburgh’s Hardest Working Real Estate Team.

5 Tips to Help Maximize the Value of Your Home This Spring

Hello!

It’s your friends from Pittsburgh’s Hardest Working Realty Team, dropping 5 tips to help you maximize the value of the home this spring. These are a few quick things that can add value to your home if you are considering taking your house to market or just want to add to the value of your home over time.

Spring Clean

Give your home a good spring cleaning before considering taking your house to market. Clean out, declutter and reorganize, as this allows the home to show better and ultimately add value to the home. 

Break Out the Paint Brushes
Go through your home and touch up chipping or wearing paint. Consider maybe painting some of those vibrant colors a more neutral gray. Give the trim and baseboards in your home a fresh touch up and put on display your attention to detail in the painting process. place. 

Curb Appeal!

Improving the curb appeal of your home is a large step you can take to boost your marketability. Getting out in those flower beds and sprucing them up or doing some fresh landscaping. Maybe you consider adding fresh pavers or a new walkway to the front door. The options are endless. 

Fresh Touch to the Exterior Doors

Following up on curb appeal, your exterior doors, specifically your front door can grab a potential buyer's attention from the first glance. Maybe try something bright that pops to accent a more neutral exterior, or vice versa add a neutral colored door to offset the existing curb appeal that is already in 

Bring a Modern Touch to the “Heart” of Your Home
The kitchen some call it the heart of the home, but it is undoubtedly one of the big ticket items buyers will take notice of when walking a property. Try giving the kitchen a more modern look with a new backsplash or even updated appliances. The kitchen updates will add instant value to your home. 

The Journey

Come with me on a journey as I share with you the discovery of my love for helping people. I’ve learned over time that I love to help people and that it is me through and through; I just feel that it is why God put me on this earth. Feeling inspired to push myself daily and give forth the effort and passion that I feel inside. I want to show my two little girls that personal success is measured by your internal fulfillment in life. 

This path of helping started back when I was growing up with my 2 brothers. As my mom was diligent with our daily routines and getting our family ready to go somewhere, I was always the one beside her, there to help. I was always an ambitious doer, give me a task and I had it done in no time. 

One day, my dad saw a gentleman who lived down the road from us, struggling to cut his grass. My dad stopped and asked if he needed someone to cut that hill. After many sweaty, struggling hours later, I chopped the grass down from a foot and a half to regular cut height. That was the day my father and I decided that we should make a business for myself.

I went off to play college football at W&J and throughout my time there, my business grew and grew.  Realizing that educating was a great gift of mine, I aspired to become a teacher. Looking back, I realize teaching came easily to me as helping others to learn throughout my life did something more for me than money ever could.

It made me feel amazing. 

Through my business of lawn care/landscaping, I learned that hard work and attention to detail beat out the rest of my competition. People came back to me time and time again and referred me to others because they knew that a short call to Mike was all it took for help to arrive quickly. To me though, all those things came naturally, as if they were in my job description. When I did the little things, it made me happy and in turn, my customers were happy with me.

While I loved cutting grass, teaching others and having satisfied customers along the way, I knew that there was more out there for me. Overall, I had one goal: to help more people because without that, I was not fulfilled. Eventually, I had a friend reach out and say, “Mike you should really look into getting involved with real estate. You have great communication skills, know your way around a house, and you are just a good person. This could be a great fit for you.” Skeptical at first because I have never been a salesperson, I had to think about it. I never wanted to have that pushy, get the sale kind of reputation. I could cut someone’s grass to perfection, beyond their satisfaction, but selling houses was a far leap from that. In spite of my doubt, I jumped all in on this new adventure, sold my equipment and went for it. “Sometimes you have to burn the boats”, Tony Robbins says. 

My strengths of hard work and dedication were about to be put to the test as I knew NOTHING about selling homes. What I DID know was that when I put in the time and effort, the results would pay off. As I navigated the waters, my love of helping revealed why real estate was so perfect for me. 

It just worked. I loved it. 

I loved talking to people, educating them through the process, showing them all kinds of cool houses and designs, and even going to the home inspection as a support by their side helping to explain what will most likely will pop up on a home inspection report. Always pushing myself to be the best person I can be, I’ve been known to paint the floors of some of my clients' homes to assist with a sale, move furniture, and even do some landscaping to enhance curbside appeal before listing.  This Hardworking mentality has pushed me to my success with Berkshire Hathaway in the Upper St. Clair office.

In the end, I am more than your Real Estate Agent, someone who just wants to sell your home or help you buy a new one.

 I am the father of two beautiful girls that lives in your neighborhood, and understands the struggles that come along with buying and selling a house.

I am that guy who is genuinely interested in listening to what you have to say and will work my hardest to help you get exactly that.

 I am the homeowner who wants to help you develop a relationship with your own home and embrace  the joys of homeownership from the start to finish.

 I am the agent who isn’t going to neglect you just because you aren’t “ready” today.

I’m the man who strives on helping others and has partnered with Macaroni Kid South Hills because I see an opportunity to help so many families in our community by providing you with monthly tips and tricks to making your home the best it can be!

I am Michael Pohlot, Pittsburgh’s Hardest Working Realtor