Foreclosed Home Owners Take Out Revenge on Properties
Here is a great article on what not to do if you are being foreclosed on.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
Movie Night at Emily Douglas Park - How to Train Your Dragon
If you didn't come out this past Friday for Movie Night in the Park, then you missed a great time, great friends and a great movie. This was the second time we have hosted this in as many months. The weather was great and so was the turn out. We had over 100 people show up. We will be having this the last Friday of the month for the next three months. Check in often for times and what we will be watching. Take a look at our pictures below.
Friday, July 8, 2011
What are Those Crazy Digital Squares Everywhere? QR Codes
You may have been seeing these crazy black and white digital squares popping up.
They are like a bar code that comes on everything you buy, but a little different. You use these codes to get places fast. Hence the name "QR Code" or "Quick Response Code". (Here is the long definition from Wikipedia)If you have a smart phone with a camera i.e. blackberry, iPhone, droid etc. All you have to do is down load a QR reader program* (many already come loaded with an app), then open the program when you want to use it, then take a picture of the code and it will do whatever the creator of that code wants it do. For example it could...
1) Send you a text back with some sort of message
2) Take you to a website
3) Give you an email address
4) It could import someones contact info into your phone
5) It could import an event into your calendar
6) It could take you to a place on a Google Map
7) It could take you to a Pay Pal buy link
8) It could take you to a social media account (i.e. facebook, twitter, blogspot etc.)
9) It could play a YouTube video
10) Or take you to an iTunes link.
However, in real estate they are beginning to make an entrance on Yard Signs. That way if your driving by you can click a picture and be on your way. Instead of getting out to get a flyer or fumbling for a pen to write down the agents number. It's just a way to make your life easier.
Here are a couple of programs you can download for free on most smart phones...
1)Optiscan
2) I-Nigma
3) Quick Mark
4) Barcode Scanner
5) Kaywa Reader
6) Nokia
7) Google Xzing
8) Snapmaze
9)Neo Reader
10) Jaxo Systems
11) Oko Tag
12) Blackberry Messenger
13) Upcode
Keeping Up With Generation Y & X Through Yard Signs
Here's a little bit of knowledge in case your ever on Jeopardy, according to the National Association of REALTORS, 11% people find their homes from a yard sign*. You also may or may not know this but the biggest generation buying homes right now is Gen Y and X. The main thing you need to know about them is they want everything when they want it and they don't want to talk to an actual person until they want to. So to make sure our signs are useful and to ensure people use them we have rolled out an additional multi-media rider that will be attached to our yard signs shortly. Check it out...
A couple of cool things about this sign...
1) You text that specific number and it will return you 6-8 color photos and information regarding the price, beds, baths, sqft and anything else we can squeeze into 160 characters. It will also send us their contact info so we can follow up with them.
2) You can also scan the bigger of two QR codes and go the same place but quicker.
3) If people are more comfortable going to the website to see the pictures they can do that by typing in our web address or scanning the smaller of the two QR codes.
4) Now there are 7 ways to contact us off of our sign.
1) The Agent Text Rider (the little sign that goes on top with agents cell phone number)
2) The Team Number on our yard signs
3) Our email address on our yard signs
4) Our Text Info on Text Riders
5) The QR Code for the Property
6) The QR Code for our Website
7) And the shorter easier to remember website address.
If Gen Y and Gen X want it easy, by gosh we have made it easy. It's not easy to sell homes, but we make sure that your home does and will have every advantage possible when buyers are looking. If you are looking for an innovative team with fresh ideas...We're right here!
*NAR "How Buyers Find Homes 2010".
Monday, June 6, 2011
How Much Do you Charge?
As many of you know, REALTORS eat what we kill. Meaning, if we don't go out and get the business we won't be eating that day, or actually in about a month. So we are a very motivated breed that rely on listing appointments and making connections to get business.
When we get a listing appointment, we prepare to make sure we get the house. We have a "fancy dancy" power point, examples of this and of that. But really the only thing "most" sellers want to know is how much are you going to cost me? See, that's the wrong question to ask. You should ask your agent how they are going to save you money. Now I don't know what Jane Smith with ABC Realty charges, but I'm sure we are with in the same range. Sure you can get some real estate agents to charge less or more depending on the services they offer. But can they save you money?
Take this home for example... We had the listing on "Main St". The buyer did their inspections and found about $7,500 worth of repairs. I.e. termite damage, rotten wood, broken windows and a "bad" HVAC. Now in the buyers mind these were legitimate repairs that he wanted addressed or taken off the price.
Well, by the end of the day, I had that same repair list down to $1,800 in repairs. The HVAC was not bad, it had some rust on the outside, but that doesn't mean the inside parts were bad. (This is a case of a bad inspector). The termite damage was actually under bond with a different company, so we had them to fix it. The termite company that inspected the home said a bathroom floor had to be torn out, for $3,600. When in reality, I had our (licensed and bonded) termite company come out and do it for $1,200. See when you do the volume of business our team does, you get to see the work and product of many vendors. We don't use the expensive or crappy vendors and we are very loyal to the good ones. Since we give them so much business, they treat us and our clients right.
So, the moral to the story is, you can save money on the front end when listing your home. You can hire a "discount" agent, or you can hire a team that is professional and knowledgeable and not only gets your home sold but saves you money in the process.
When we get a listing appointment, we prepare to make sure we get the house. We have a "fancy dancy" power point, examples of this and of that. But really the only thing "most" sellers want to know is how much are you going to cost me? See, that's the wrong question to ask. You should ask your agent how they are going to save you money. Now I don't know what Jane Smith with ABC Realty charges, but I'm sure we are with in the same range. Sure you can get some real estate agents to charge less or more depending on the services they offer. But can they save you money?
Take this home for example... We had the listing on "Main St". The buyer did their inspections and found about $7,500 worth of repairs. I.e. termite damage, rotten wood, broken windows and a "bad" HVAC. Now in the buyers mind these were legitimate repairs that he wanted addressed or taken off the price.
Well, by the end of the day, I had that same repair list down to $1,800 in repairs. The HVAC was not bad, it had some rust on the outside, but that doesn't mean the inside parts were bad. (This is a case of a bad inspector). The termite damage was actually under bond with a different company, so we had them to fix it. The termite company that inspected the home said a bathroom floor had to be torn out, for $3,600. When in reality, I had our (licensed and bonded) termite company come out and do it for $1,200. See when you do the volume of business our team does, you get to see the work and product of many vendors. We don't use the expensive or crappy vendors and we are very loyal to the good ones. Since we give them so much business, they treat us and our clients right.
So, the moral to the story is, you can save money on the front end when listing your home. You can hire a "discount" agent, or you can hire a team that is professional and knowledgeable and not only gets your home sold but saves you money in the process.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
It's Important to Use a Lender and REALTOR who Communicate!
It's very important to use a lender and a REALTOR who communicate. The this more to buying and selling a home than just signing some paper and packing all of your stuff up. Especially, if you are buying before selling or buying another home. Often times Mortgage Lenders may use a bridge loan or they may cash out Refi your first home to give you enough money to put down on your second one. It's very imperative that there is open communication. Take this for an example. You buy a home before selling yours. Your lender does an equity line on your first one to give you the down payment for the second one. Well when you go to sell your first one, you might be a little negative (i.e. bringing money to closing) because you used all your equity. But in reality your not negative, you've just already spent your money. So, using the above example, if the REALTOR knew what was going on, they could also explain why you are bringing money, rather than you being mad.
People just want to know the big picture, and often times when we are all doing our little parts (i.e. mortgages, contracts, inspections etc) to get you in your next house, you can't see the big picture. So next time you go to buy or sell, ask your REALTOR for recommendations and try to use people who work well together!!!!
People just want to know the big picture, and often times when we are all doing our little parts (i.e. mortgages, contracts, inspections etc) to get you in your next house, you can't see the big picture. So next time you go to buy or sell, ask your REALTOR for recommendations and try to use people who work well together!!!!
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