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* Don't Get "Pre-Qualified!
Do you want to get the best house you can
for the least amount of
* Sell First, Then Buy
If you have a house to sell, sell it
before selecting a house to buy!
* Play the Game of Nines
Before house hunting, make a list of nine
things you want in the new
changed
surface finishes like carpet, wallpaper, color, and window
* Don't Be Pushed Into Any House
Your agent should show you everything
available that meets your
* Stop Calling Ads!
A word of caution - agents create ads
solely to make the phone ring!
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9 DEADLY MISTAKES HOME SELLERS MAKE
Mistake #1. Using a real estate agent instead of a Realtor
When you're looking for help buying or
selling property, it's Mistake #2. Complacent marketing when selling a home
When selling your home there are no
guarantees that the ultimate buyer Mistake #3. Taking for granted the "curb appeal" of your home
When you're preparing your house for sale,
remember the importance offirst
impressions. Mistake #4. Forgetting about health and safety issues
Be upfront and disclose to your Realtor any
problems with the
Mistake #5.
Forgetting what you would want to see if you were the
Remember that although people can be
different in personality, they
On the outside 1) Sweep front walkway. 2) Remove newspapers, bikes and toys. 3) Park extra cars away from the property. 4) Trim back the shrubs. 5) Apply fresh, clean paint throughout. 6) Clean windows and window coverings throughout. 7) Keep plumbing and all appliances in working order. 8) Maintain all sealant (window, tub, shower, sink, etc.) in good condition. 9) Make sure roof and gutters are clean and in good condition. 10) Mow the lawn frequently and plant flowers. 11) Keep pet areas clean.
On the inside 1) The kitchen and bathroom should shine. 2) Quick once-over with the vacuum; carpets should be clean. 3) Place fresh flowers in the main rooms. 4) Put dishes away, unless setting a formal display for decoration. 5) Make all beds and put all clothes away. 6) Open the drapes and turn on lights for a brighter feel. 7) Straighten closets. 8) Put toys away. 9) Turn off television. 10) Play soft music on the radio/stereo. 11) Keep pets out of the way and pet areas clean and odor-free. 12) Secure jewelry, cash, prescription medication and other valuables. 13) Enhance the spaciousness of each room.
Mistake #6.
Thinking you need to be in the home to explain things to a
You will be better served if you allow your
Realtor to do their job Mistake #7. Not knowing how to price your home to sell
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of
selling a home is listing it at Mistake #8. Not planning your move earlier enough
Many sellers simply don't plan their move
early enough and then feel * Antiques * Art Collections * Cameras * China Collections * Computer Equipment * Crystal * Figurines * Firearms * Jewelry * Manuscripts * Oriental Rugs * Silver * Stones Or Gems * Tapestries * TVs Or Stereos
Also, unless you have been given a binding
moving estimate where a
Mistake #9.
Using a "convenient" Realtor rather than using an
When working with a real estate agent,
it's critical that you have
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* What is your guarantee? * Do you personally answer all phone calls on the property? * Can we cancel the listing if we're not happy? * Do you have a personal assistant? * If you don't call me back within 24 hours will you take $50 off the escrow? * May I see your personal Internet web site? * What systems do you have in place that will keep you in constant contact with me during the listing and the transaction? * Are you fully automated with your own personal computer, FAX machine, copier, pager, voice mail, etc.? * What is your average market time vs. other agents' average market time? * What professional designations do you have? * I want to give my home the advantage of the latest marketing strategies. How much time & money do you invest each month in professional training? * Can you give me a list of your clients who have closed escrow and can I call them? * Why are you personally motivated to sell my house? * Why should I list with you rather than any other agent who is calling?
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| HOW TO GET TOP DOLLAR IN ANY MARKET
The best chance for selling your property is within the first seven weeks. Studies show that the longer a property stays on the market, the less the seller will net. Below are 5 main factors to accomplishing this goal.
* Pricing Factor
It is very
important to price your property at a competitive market
value
right when you list it. The market is so competitive that even
over-pricing
by a few thousand dollars could mean that your house will
not
sell. It's interesting, but your first offer is usually your best * Minimizes offers * Lowers showings * Lowers agent response * Limits financing * Limits qualified buyers * Nets less for the seller 80% of the marketing is done when we decide on what price to list your home. If you are unwilling to list at current market value, you would be better off not putting it on the market at this time. * Clean Factor
Most people
are turned off by even the smallest amount of uncleanness
or odor
when buying a home. Sellers lose thousands of dollars because
they
do not adequately clean. If your house is squeaky clean, you will
be able
to sell your home faster and net hundreds, if not thousands of
dollars
more. If you are planning on moving, why not get rid of that
old
junk now so that your house will appear larger? Make more space.
Odors must be eliminated especially if you
have dogs, cats, or young
children
in diapers or if you are a smoker. You may not notice the * Access Factor Top selling agents will not show your home if both the Key and access are not readily available. They do not have time to run around town all day picking up and dropping off keys. They want to sell homes! The greatest way to show a house is to have a key! When your home is being shown, please do the following: * Keep all lights on * Keep all drapes and shutters open * Keep all doors unlocked * Leave soft music playing * Take a short walk with your children and pets * Let the buyer be at ease and let the agents do their job * Paint & Carpet Factor Paint is your best improvement investment for getting a greater return on your money. Paint makes the whole house smell clean and neat. If your house has chipped paint, exposed wood, or the paint looks faded, it is time to paint. If your carpet is worn, dirty, outdated, or an unusual color, you may need to seriously consider replacing it. Many houses do not sell because of this problem. Don't think that buyers have more money than you have to replace carpet. They don't. They simply buy elsewhere. * Front Yard Factor
Your front
yard immediately reflects the inside condition of your
house
to the buyer. People enjoy their yards. Make certain that the
trees
are trimmed so the house can be seen from the street. Have the
grass
mowed, trimmed and edged. Walkways should be swept. Debris
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| MAKING THE MOVE EASY ON THE KIDS
Moving from one house to another is seldom easy or fun for adults and it can be especially troubling for children. If parents deal with their children's concerns and needs thoughtfully, much of that distress and discomfort can be avoided.
Children see moves differently than their
parent's do, and they
benefit much less from the
change in their comfortable routines, or so
it
seems at the time. Most often, a change in houses or communities
heralds
an important step forward for the adult members of the family. The family
moves because Daddy or Mommy has a great new job or a
promotion
in reward for years of hard work. They move because
financial
success has allowed the purchase of a bigger and nicer house
in
a more costly neighborhood. They move because they can finally
afford
private bedrooms for each child and perhaps a pool in the back
yard.
In the 1990's, mobile The impact of a move on a typical child starts about the time he or she first hears that Daddy has accepted a promotion, and often continues for about a year, until the new house becomes home and memories of the previous place fade. It's not usually necessary to announce this big change to children immediately, although they must hear about it from you before someone else breaks the news. Most teenagers see themselves as adult members of the family, and will probably feel they have been left out if they don't hear everything from the first day. But it is probably not a good idea to tell toddlers and preschoolers until they have to know. There is no point in making them worry far in advance. Be sure to announce the move in a totally positive way. You might say how proud you are that Daddy's company has chosen him out of many other employees to manage a new office in Cleveland. Talk about what a beautiful city Cleveland is how good the schools are and how nice the people are. Tell truthful but very positive stories about how nice the new house will be. Ask them what the favorite things are in their lives now, and then try to make them happen in the new home. If the new home is too far away to allow a visit by the entire family after it has been selected, show the children pictures of it from every angle. Videotape it, if you can. Emphasize the positive views and be sure to include pictures of each child's new room. Try to name the house with some romantic description like "Oak Hill" for the big trees and the sloping lawn. Sugar coating will help, but since children can quickly see the negative sides of most situations, every parent must plan to deal with their children's worries, fears and sorrows. The children will lose friends they may have known all their lives. They will leave behind their sports teams, their clubs and they're dancing teachers. They will have to start over in a new place, making friends, becoming accepted and fitting into different groups. Younger children need protection from fear of the unknown. Listen carefully to their concerns, and respond quickly to allay their apprehensions. It would be normal, for instance, for a young child to worry that his or her toy box and shelf of stuffed animals might be left behind. Find those anxieties and correct them. Probably the best tactic is to get the children actively involved in the whole process. Don't just promise to let them decorate their own rooms, for example. Take them to the paint store and let them bring home color swatches. Shop for bed spreads and towels and carpets. They must leave old friends behind, so find ways to make that parting almost pleasant. Plan a going-away party and let them invite their own guests. Take pictures of everyone and make a photo album. If a child is old enough, send him or her out with a roll of film in the camera and the assignment to photograph the views they will want to remember. Some relationships will be extremely difficult to break and these will demand careful, thoughtful, personalized planning by both parents. How, for instance, do you move a 17-year-old 1,000 miles from her steady boyfriend? Expect that your children may be even more distressed after the move than they were before it. The new house will not be beautiful the night after the moving van leaves, or for months after. The furniture won't fit the rooms. The curtains won't be up, and every spot on the floor will be covered with half-unpacked cartons. The children won't know anyone at school and, if you move during the summer, they may have little opportunity to meet anyone their age. You may be faced with many more problems in your new community than they will, but remember that you can handle them more easily than they can. They will need your help, and you should plan to give them the support they need. After the move, give each of them a long distance telephone call allowance so they can keep in touch with the people back home who matter the most to them. Buy a stack of picture postcards that show positive views of your new community, and encourage them to write good news messages to the friends and relatives they left behind. To make new friends, make sure the children don't vegetate in front of the television. Get them outside, where neighbors pass by. Have them pass out fliers to do baby-sitting or car washing. Encourage them to participate in as many school activities as they can handle. Get them on sports teams and into clubs. If they - and you - aren't making new friends fast enough, throw a housewarming party for yourselves and invite all the adults and children on the block. If serious emotional or attitudinal problems arise, however, help is usually available and probably should be sought. Ask a teacher for help. Consider professional counseling. Don't let a serious problem slide. Remember that the newness will wear off. New friends will become old friends and best friends. This new house may become the family homestead your grandchildren will visit every holiday season. There will be discomforts, but in the long run, everything will work out fine.
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| SIX WAYS TO BEAT THE STRESS OF BUYING A HOME
DEATH, DIVORCE & MOVING are the three most stressful experiences in life. There are two very different kinds of needs that people have while moving. First there are the transactional needs, like finding the home that is just right for you, finding a seller who is realistic, negotiating the price, filling out the paperwork, handling the escrow, and arranging for the move. But there are also emotional needs that are involved when moving, and this is where the biggest stress comes in. Any competent agent will handle the transactional needs for you, but if your emotional needs are unfulfilled, you'll be frustrated and may not act in your own best interests. The ideal real estate agent is one who is competent with paperwork and numbers, but can also guide, direct, and counsel you through the emotional ups and downs of moving. Here are the six best ways we've found to beat the stress. 1. Begin with the end in mind. Have an ultimate scenario of where you're trying to be. What will life be like when you get there? How will it be better than where you are now? Dwell on that picture and write it out, fill up at least a page about how it feels in the new place. This is imperative. Having the goal in front of you at all times energizes you to achieve it, in spite of setbacks and frustrations. Emotions will run high and you need an anchor. In childbirth, the Lamaze method teaches you to focus on one spot when enduring labor pains. In the same way, you too must focus on that future goal when anxiety threatens to get the better of you. 2. Be flexible. In your monetary calculations, overestimate by a thousand dollars. In this market, anything can happen between contract acceptance and closing. It could be the inspections reveal areas of concern that the seller is unwilling to fix or the repair costs are higher than the amount limited in the contract. Or the interest rate changes which affects the necessary down payment and closing costs you will need to come up with. As your real estate team, we will strive to tie up loose ends as quickly as possible, but remember there is no perfect world. Most buyers feel a bit overwhelmed when taking on a new mortgage and the responsibilities of a new home and we've seen many buyers get angry when it seems like the cost just keeps going up. Anger is caused when reality doesn't match up with the expectations you had in your mind. So if you anticipate this happening in advance, you won't get angry. In fact, it'll probably go better than you expected. 3. Trust in the process. There's just so much to do, it's easy to panic. You wonder if it will ever work out. In fact, when we bought our house, we couldn't eat for a day, we felt sick to our stomachs! You think you're taking a big chance, but the truth is you're giving yourself a big chance. Even though you can't see every step of the way, as you move towards your goals, the way opens up. We know that you haven't moved in a long time and it's a major upheaval in your life. But we've been there many times before, and we'll be looking out for you. Trust that we know the way to get you there. 4. Get knowledge. One thing you'll probably feel during this transition time is being out of control. It feels like everyone else has taken over your life. The seller, your lender, the appraiser, the inspectors, they all have the power to say yes or no to your moving plans. We'll try our best to let you know ahead of time what your expenses will be, and what the unknowns are. We'll tie down the loose ends as soon as possible. We'll try to get your loan approved within a reasonable time frame. We'll educate you as best we can and let you in "behind the scenes" so you won't ever feel stupid or out of control. 5. What is your option? When things don't go as smoothly as you had hoped, don't let emotions take over. Always ask yourself "What is my option?" because there are always options. Let's pretend the lender takes longer than agreed upon to get your loan. He keeps asking you for more and more documentation until if feels like he also needs to know how many gold fillings you have in your mouth! You'll feel upset because you wanted to feel certain about the move and now you still have to live with the uncertainty. You want to say "Forget it, I'm fed up with this!" But what is your option? Find a new lender and start the process over again? That may take weeks, plus you will have to provide all the paperwork over again. If the lender is trying his best, it may be better to give him a few more days. Each case is unique, but when setbacks occur we've found that asking yourself this question helps to defuse the situation and restore clear headed thinking. 6. Seek entertainment. When there's nothing you can do about the situation, take your mind off of it altogether. Maybe you expected loan approval on Friday, but now it won't come until Monday. You hate being in limbo and feeling powerless. So do something else entirely, maybe something where you aren't powerless. Take a hike, play tennis, get out of town for the day. Watch a movie or pour yourself into your work. Whatever diversion works best for you, now would be a good time to engage in it. Just forget the situation and refuse to listen to those irritating thoughts when they come into your head. Think about something else instead and just take it one day at a time. To keep stress to a minimum, here's how I'll serve you when you work with me in buying your new home: Give my best-reasoned expert counsel and advice with your best interests in mind. Clarify your goals and motivation, and decide if moving is the wisest choice at this time. Provide recommendations and information to help your kids through all the changes. Negotiate effectively for you to get the lowest possible price for your new home. Treat your money like it was my own, saving every expense possible. Protect your interests during escrow, keeping a detailed record of the transaction. Be your levelheaded sounding board or relief valve when the stress is overwhelming. Counsel you through the feelings of "buyer's remorse". Alert you ahead of time to every possibility so you feel more in control. Contact you daily during the last 10 days of the transaction to serve your needs. Provide guidance and help with movers, change of address, utilities shut off, cleaning, etc. Deliver your closing paperwork. Continue to give you information of value after the transaction... for life.
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| SOME DIFFERENT REASONS TO OWN A HOME
You've probably seen lots of financial arguments about why you should own your own home rather than rent. This includes budgeting (no rent increases) and the tax savings you'll most likely have. Now I'm going to give you some reasons you probably haven't heard. Freedom to pursue other goals in life once the major goal of home ownership is achieved. Strange as it sounds, many of my first-time buyers have told me that once they bought the house, other things in their life started to fall into place. It's as if not owning took so much of their mental energy that other goals were not worked on until that big goal was reached. So buy a home and get on with your life! A greater sense of belonging to the community Once you own a home, you feel more attached to the city in which you live. You're more interested in what happens in town, to the roads, schools, and shopping areas. Some people even become involved in local politics, which you seldom see a renter do. A commitment to something, a sense of stability Home ownership is an anchor, something that cannot be pulled out from under you. You'll never get a notice that you have to move. You're kids will never have to change schools. It gives you freedom to plan years ahead. You can change things, a feeling of being in control It's your home. You can add to it, remodel it, change the landscaping, do whatever projects you want. You have a feeling of being in control of something in your life. At work we don't always have control of what happens, but your home is your castle that you have dominion over. You can see what you're building take shape before your eyes. More control over the children than in an apartment complex In a neighborhood, kids usually play in the yards or go to friend's houses a few doors away. My clients have told me that in an apartment complex they never knew where the kids were. They could be in any of hundreds of apartments, doing who knows what. In a home you get to know the neighbors and watch out for each other's kids. Children do better in school and feel more secure This one surprised me, but buyers have reported to me that their kids calmed down in school after they bought a house. I don't know why, but it seems to work that way. I remember a single mom watching her son play in the yard, making steps in the slope and building things. She didn't have to tell him to leave everything alone, like she did at the apartment complex. I guess kids feel the same need for control we adults do. Time and money saved by not going to the Laundromat A small point, but if you have kids, you know the value of this one. You gain a whole evening a week when you buy a house! The wash gets done in between other things, or while you're at work. What would you do with the extra evening you'll have? How about going out for dessert with your spouse with all those quarters? |