UPDATE: IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THIS CAMPAIGN WORKED, ASUS IS SENDING HER A NEW COMPUTER. SHE GOT PHONE CALLS AFTER ALL THIS WAS LAUNCHED. HA!

ASUS really needs to learn a thing or two about customer service, and quality apparently. Please help Gail and reblog this yet again. What a nightmare!

The ActiveRain Most Awesome Kick Butt Listing Presentation Contest, I thought long and hard about this contest before contacting ActiveRain about it. I wondered if anyone would share their "stuff" with the rest of us, or would they be too afraid that someone in their local market would use their work. Broker Bryant put it best in the comment section of the contest post. First, we all know BB loves to share his knowledge, and if you don't know I am telling you he does! Second, he knows that very few actually bother to do the work. Except those of us that are here that is....

The one very unique thing about ActiveRain is the willingness of members to share their knowledge and expertise with everyone else here. In the spirit of that I decided to put a part of my listing presentation online. I am not entering in the contest, I am just hoping this will inspire you to share yours with the rest of us by entering the contest!

Let me preface this by saying that prior to developing my new slide show presentation, I always left "stuff" behind. I had moved from using ToolKit CMA to my own CMA long ago and I thought it was pretty good at first. I used it because I had it but something inside was nagging at me that there was certainly a better way to do it. I also kept hearing people say not to leave anything behind. I just couldn't figure out how to pick up all the papers and take them. 

The inspiration process... I never know where inspiration will come from. This inspiration was born through an innocent email our own Bill Gassett sent to me not all that long ago. There was a link in the email to his all new KICK BUTT website, and the lights turned on inside my head. I am sure you could smell the smoke coming as my brain was working overtime. The most amazing things happened to me as a result of this innocent email!

• I totally revamped a website.
• I came up with my listing presentation slide show
• I changed my attitude about myself, my work, which changed the whole presentation focus

I now do a one stop listing presentation with my business partner. We bring comps with us, a wide range, and make a decision after we see the house, including the home owner in our decision making process. The listing presentation itself is in two parts. The first you will see, the second is a slide show about pricing a home to sell.

What do we leave? The comps, a market report and a little piece of paper Jeff Dowler shared with me. (Yes, another 'rainer helps to make me better at my job) I take the market reports that I do for my blog and print them out for the listing presentation. The home owner has local market information that we discuss with them! It is tangible, it is real, and we let them keep it. 

I am sure after this contest I will make more changes. The one thing I have found is that Listing Presentations are living, breathing things that have to be changed as the market changes, as the internet evolves. And how was the reaction to my our all new kick butt listing presentation? Well... it was KICK BUTT, no it was actually KICK ASS! We walked out the first appointment after using this knowing we had done an awesome job, we had nailed it hard. And that is exactly what I was looking for!

There is one more thing I would like to say about my new KICK ASS Listing Presentation. I am confident when I walk in there, when I run the slide show, that no one in my market is doing what I am doing for marketing. And this I credit to all of you on ActiveRain. Those who have taught me how to market, how to write better, how to showcase my listings, how to rank high in Google. The list of names is long, you may not even know you inspired me, you taught me. I can say with certainty that there is no place like ActiveRain. We learn, we teach, we are inspired and we inspire. 

And my guess is.... after seeing all the other major kick ass listing presentations I am going to see I will be tweaking mine... LOL!!!

So without further ado, here is a link to the first portion of my listing presentation. This is on SlideRocket, but I use an Excel slide show for my presentation. I have two different ones. If I know I won't have access to the internet I have one that shows screen shots when you click on the hyperlinks and I have the two videos embedded from my computer, not YouTube.

According to my most recent real estate sales statistics for New Milford, Connecticut, homes sold for less than 14% of list price! Sort of...

That is 14% of the last listed price, not the original list price. Do you want to see what the original list to sale price was? Well, here it is, for all 11 homes that sold in January 2012 in New Milford, CT.

Original List Price (OLP), Sales Price (SP), Days on Market for the current listing (DOM), % off sales price

OLP 220,000, SP 79,500, DOM 49, 64% OFF the listed price
OLP 169,900, SP 90,000, DOM 209, 47% OFF the listed price
OLP 169,900, SP 135,000, DOM 108, 21% OFF the listed price
OLP 219,000, SP 192,000, DOM 212, 12% OFF the listed price
OLP 259,000, SP 200,000, DOM 417, 23% OFF the listed price
OLP 284,900, SP 245,000, DOM 231, 14% OFF the listed price
OLP 285,000, SP 260,000, DOM 64, 9% OFF the listed price
OLP 360,000, SP 299,900, DOM 113, 17% OFF the listed price
OLP 414,000, SP 380,000, DOM 101, 8% OFF the listed price
OLP 875,000, SP 635,000, DOM 180, 27% OFF the listed price
OLP 1,575,000, SP 1,050,000, DOM 253, 33% OFF the listed price

That looks more like a big box store fire sale than real estate sales to me. The actual average percentage off, when you look at the original list to sale price in New Milford, CT was 25% off the list price. WOW!

According to the latest issue of the Commercial Record, Connecticut saw a 13% decline in sales for 2011. The Warren Group has been keeping track of these numbers since 1987 and this is the seventh year in a row we have seen sales drop in Connecticut from the previous year.

What does this mean if you want, or need to sell your home in New Milford, CT?

When we started in January 2012 we had 189 homes for sale. At the end of January only 11 of those homes sold. That is only 5.82% of the inventory that sold.

I can't stress enough to price it right. If you need to sell, you really need to look carefully at the current competition when you list and keep track of them during your listing period. Adjust your price according to the competition. If you don't need to sell, but would really like to, the advice is the same.

But Andrea, we are not going to give it away..... No, you are not. At least not according to the current real estate market. The bottom line is, your house is only worth what a buyer will pay for it.

And when that really low offer comes in, think twice about getting upset. Take a close look at those numbers above. The actual average percentage off from the original list price to the final sales price is 25%, then combine that with some of the days on market and you have a recipe for disaster if you need to sell your home.

For more information about pricing your home to sell and learn about our Ultimate Marketing 24-7, a totally customized marketing system for your home, give us a call at 203.460.1775, or send an email to andrea@andreaswiedler.com.

New Milford CT Real Estate Market Statistics for January 2012

Listen up sellers! When a buyer asks the question, and they will, how much should they reduce their offer from the asking price in New Milford, CT I will have to tell them homes in New Milford, CT are overpriced on average by 14%! In a buyers market, this is not a good average.
As of February 2, 2012 in New Milford, CT there are 194 active single family homes for sale. Last month there were 189, after a few months of the inventory shrinking, it is creeping back up just a bit. 13 are short sales, (there could be more however) and 6 are foreclosures.

11 single family homes sold in New Milford, CT in January 2012. This is down 5 homes from last month.  Of these homes that sold, the average list price was $375,019. The average sale price was $324,218.  These homes sold at 86% of list price, not an average I would strive for.The average market time was 176 days. One short sales and 1 foreclosure were included in January 2012 sales.
The median sales price for a single family home in New Milford, CT for January 2012 was $222,500.

The average list price of single family homes for sale in New Milford, CT is $475,505, which is down $10,000 from January 2012.

The average market time for these active listings in New Milford, CT is 160 days, down 9 days from last month.

The median price of a home for sale in New Milford, CT is $339,900. This is down $4,100 from last month.
The highest price home for sale in New Milford, CT is $5,900,000, a beautiful estate belonging to a world famous comedienne, and located on the New Milford, New Preston, CT border. This home, as of today, has been on the market for 1008 days as of today.

The lowest priced home for sale in New Milford, CT is $71,900, a foreclosure that has been on the market for quite a long time, first as a sale, then as a short sale, now as a foreclosure.

Of the 194 single family homes for sale in New Milford, CT, 9 homes are under deposit. The average list price of these homes is $616,044. The reason this is up so high is that two homes are under deposit that are over 1,700,000. One is an estate in Merryall, the second is a lake home. The average market time is 86 days.

Currently there are 17 homes that are in the pending sale status in New Milford, CT.

The average list price of these homes in the pending sale status is $249,012. The average market time for these homes is 108 days. Four of these are foreclosures and 2 are short sales.

What does all of this mean? Again the inventory is lower than it was, which would be a good thing. However... buyers are still not happy with prices. Sales are low, and you can see the list to sale price is not good at all. Homes are still overpriced, which will cause them to sit on the market longer, or not sell at all. According to the statistics, homes are overpriced by 14%!

The key to selling a home in this market is to price it far better than the other competing homes in the same category. You must grab the buyers attention right from the start, not chase the market down or languish on the market because you outpriced yourself right out of the game.

If you don't believe me about pricing and buyers mentality, check out some interesting stats on The Great Real Estate Divide.

If you are thinking of selling in New Milford, CT check out our Ultimate Marketing 24-7, a custom marketing program that will dominate the internet.

Check out the previous home sale market activity report for December, 2011.

Interest rates are still low, are you are ready to buy a home in New Milford, CT? Click here to search for homes for sale in New Milford.

The above statistics are provided courtesy of Greater Fairfield County Multiple Listing Service (CMLS). Information provided is deemed reliable, but not necessarily accurate. There may be discrepancies, as mistakes in inputing can be made, and the fact that Connecticut has more than one multiple listing service. There may be instances where a home was/is for sale in New Milford and is on the other multiple listing service. Most of the homes for sale are listed on CMLS, therefore that is where I base my statistical information. I do believe it gives a good sense of what is happening in New Milford.

The most amazing Kick Butt Listing Presentation Contest!

Ever...

OK, due to a hitch in my gitalong... I have to post this twice..... I have disabled the comments here so as not to confuse myself or the other sequestered judges. Please visit the original post here to leave a comment and to post the link to your KICK BUTT LISTING PRESENTATION ENTRY!

THE MOST AMAZING KICK BUTT LISTING PRESENTATION CONTEST!

Do you stand out from the crowd? Or are you hanging with the rest of the bunch with your listing presentation. Unless you are an exclusive buyers agent and have never listed a house, you know the listing presentation rag. Some people use the canned presentations, provided by either your company or a product like Toolkit CMA. Others will make up our own. Each needs to be tweaked for the specific circumstances. I am always looking for the best listing presentation in the history of real estate to wow a prospective seller, to shut out the competition before they even make it to the door!

Where best to come and see what the best of the best are doing as a listing presentation? ActiveRain of course, where the best of the best are already here doing what they do better than the rest! At least in my humble opinion.

So, here is the deal. Tell us about your kick butt listing presentation. Here are a few things to think about when writing your post.

• What do you do from that first contact to the actual presentation.
• Are you a 2 stepper, viewing the house first, then coming back with your presentation?
• Do you go over the comps and give them a suggested list price range on your first visit?
  
• What product do you use, or have you developed your own presentation?
• Have you gone paperless with your listing presentation?
  
• If you have not gone paperless, do you leave the presentation with the customer when you go? And if you don't leave it there and they specifically ask for it, what do you tell them?
  
• Do you have an interview process when they first call you, or do you wait to discuss this face to face?
• Do you have a kick butt pre-listing packet you email/drop off to them?

You get the idea. And as a reward you will get.... points point points and be recognized as one of the best listing presentation agents in the history of real estate! Our benevolent people in charge at ActiveRain have agreed to award the following points:

First Place: 3000 POINTS
Second Place: 2000 POINTS
Third Place: 1500 POINTS

All other entries will receive the usual points for posting, plus an additional 500 POINTS

Of course those of you who don't list properties may want to participate. And I am an equal opportunity person... So.... give us your kick butt presentation of why a consumer would use YOU! What do you give them, what do you tell them that would make them pick you over another buyers agent, another mortgage person, another home inspector, another stager, you get the idea.

Rules of the Road:

• You must post a link to your entry here in this post by FEBRUARY 29, 2012 AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT PACIFIC STANDARD TIME.
  
• Contest ends FEBRUARY 29, 2012 AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT PACIFIC STANDARD TIME.
• You need to tell us if you are a one visit or two visit type of agent, and tell us why and how you make it work
• Tell us if you send a pre-listing packet or not
• Tell us if you leave your work behind!
• You can either do a screen shot of your presentation, use something like sliderocket.com, make it a video presentation on Youtube, or download a pdf file (to somewhere that will hold your pdf file such as your website or wordpress site) and put a link to it. You must allow us to see enough of your presentation to give us the idea of why yours is the best, most kick butt listing presentation in the history of real estate ever! But of course you do not need to "give away the store".
  

And now I await to see some of the most amazing kick butt listing presentations in the history of real estate!

DON'T FORGET TO GO TO THE ORIGINAL POST TO COMMENT, COMMENTS HERE HAVE BEEN DISABLED DUE TO A HITCH IN MY GITALONG....

THE MOST AMAZING KICK BUTT LISTING PRESENTATION CONTEST!

Do you stand out from the crowd? Or are you hanging with the rest of the bunch with your listing presentation. Unless you are an exclusive buyers agent and have never listed a house, you know the listing presentation rag. Some people use the canned presentations, provided by either your company or a product like Toolkit CMA. Others will make up our own. Each needs to be tweaked for the specific circumstances. I am always looking for the best listing presentation in the history of real estate to wow a prospective seller, to shut out the competition before they even make it to the door!

Where best to come and see what the best of the best are doing as a listing presentation? ActiveRain of course, where the best of the best are already here doing what they do better than the rest! At least in my humble opinion.

So, here is the deal. Tell us about your kick butt listing presentation. Here are a few things to think about when writing your post.

• What do you do from that first contact to the actual presentation.
• Are you a 2 stepper, viewing the house first, then coming back with your presentation?
• Do you go over the comps and give them a suggested list price range on your first visit?
  
• What product do you use, or have you developed your own presentation?
• Have you gone paperless with your listing presentation?
  
• If you have not gone paperless, do you leave the presentation with the customer when you go? And if you don't leave it there and they specifically ask for it, what do you tell them?
  
• Do you have an interview process when they first call you, or do you wait to discuss this face to face?
• Do you have a kick butt pre-listing packet you email/drop off to them?

You get the idea. And as a reward you will get.... points point points and be recognized as one of the best listing presentation agents in the history of real estate! Our benevolent people in charge at ActiveRain have agreed to award the following points:

First Place: 3000 POINTS
Second Place: 2000 POINTS
Third Place: 1500 POINTS

All other entries will receive the usual points for posting, plus an additional 500 POINTS

Of course those of you who don't list properties may want to participate. And I am an equal opportunity person... So.... give us your kick butt presentation of why a consumer would use YOU! What do you give them, what do you tell them that would make them pick you over another buyers agent, another mortgage person, another home inspector, another stager, you get the idea.

Rules of the Road:

• You must post a link to your entry here in this post by FEBRUARY 29, 2012 AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT PACIFIC STANDARD TIME.
  
• Contest ends FEBRUARY 29, 2012 AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT PACIFIC STANDARD TIME.
• You need to tell us if you are a one visit or two visit type of agent, and tell us why and how you make it work
• Tell us if you send a pre-listing packet or not
• Tell us if you leave your work behind!
• You can either do a screen shot of your presentation, use something like sliderocket.com, make it a video presentation on Youtube, or download a pdf file (to somewhere that will hold your pdf file such as your website or wordpress site) and put a link to it. You must allow us to see enough of your presentation to give us the idea of why yours is the best, most kick butt listing presentation in the history of real estate ever! But of course you do not need to "give away the store".
  

And now I await to see some of the most amazing kick butt listing presentations in the history of real estate!

Then show me the money! If you are going to put in a cash offer for a property, you will have to prove you have the money to back up the offer!

Here in Litchfield County, CT we do often see cash offers. I have heard some agents say they won't ask their clients for proof of funds. They say the client will get offended, will refuse, it is not necessary, etc. Me? I disagree with that train of thought. I don't know about anyone else, but I have no idea how much cash someone has available because of who they are, what they drive, how they dress. And if that same person is selling a home, they would want to know the person putting that cash offer on their house can put their money where their mouth is!

Cash offers can be great, the time from offer to close can be greatly shortened. There will be no surprises from a lender at the last minute. But because there are no lenders involved there is no third party to appraise the house. Great for the seller, some buyers might consider that risky. A buyer does have a right to put an appraisal contingency in the offer, if the house doesn't appraise they don't have to go through with the purchase. (Buyer pays for the appraisal.) If a buyer is comfortable with the offer price, they don't have to do that. I recommend to cash buyers that they have an appraisal done in most cases.

Cash offers often turn into mortgages without the seller, the agents, the attorneys knowing. That can be a big problem. If you are not in contract yet, you have changed the terms of the original agreed upon offer which means... you may have nothing. The seller accepted the offer based on one set of criteria, and now it is a whole different game. If you are now under contract it can be a real problem. Real estate contracts, by nature, are bilateral, having consent of both parties. Making unilateral changes just doesn't work.

So before you tell your agent to put in a cash offer on a house in Litchfield County, CT, get all your ducks in a row. Make sure that is what you really want to do. Back up the offer with the proof that you have the available funds! And if you are a seller, don't get all excited when someone waves cash in front of your face. I have learned, more often than not, things can certainly change, without warning.

Cash offers in real estate, they can and do work. As long as the buyer shows, up front, they have the available funds to purchase the property at the agreed upon price. And as long as the terms aren't changed mid stream by the buyer suddenly deciding they want to get a mortgage after all.

Do you know a guy who can.....???

I hear this all the time. Yes, I do, I know a guy who... cleans up and out, paints, pulls oil tanks, is a master carpenter, plows, mows, is a fantastic electrician, great plumber, on and on, tried and true, tested over and over again.

As a side note, every time I hear that question "do you know someone...", I can't help thinking about one of my most favorite movies, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels". The police chief says "A man owes me a favor. Rene the Knife. He is a master with a stiletto and a magician at hiding a body." Of course that just may illustrate how my mind works and might have been better left unsaid. As an example...

Andrea, do you know someone that can pull this oil tank? I remember saying exactly this, "I know someone who is a master with a backhoe and a magician at making the tank disappear!" Now do you see why I think of that movie?

Most real estate agents have a list of guys and gals, companies who are tried and true. I know I do. And they don't get on my list just because I know them. They get on my list because my clients love them, because they don't disappoint, because I know I can trust them. Getting on my list is not easy, getting off the list is easy peasy. Bad review from a client and they are off, off, off.

Why is this important? If you are thinking about selling your home in lower Litchfield County CT and your house needs work, you will want to have access to my list. Because if you don't clean it up and out it will cost you. Don't believe me? Read my story "I met a guy who sold a house". Or you haven't kept up with home maintenance yet you want to get as much as possible for your home, read this story "Why didn't my house sell?". (Pay close attention to the comments of other real estate agents, they know what they are talking about.) Then you will understand why it is so important that I have my "I know a guy/gal" list. They are masters of their trade, magicians at getting the job done. One of the THREE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS about GETTING A HOUSE SOLD in Litchfield County CT is the condition of the house.

• Priced according to local real estate market conditions
• Priced according to the condition of the house
• The marketing skills of the real estate agent

And by the way, my list is just as important for a buyer! Trusted mortgage professionals, home inspectors, local insurance agents, people who can help you make the home you want to buy the home of your dreams!

So yes, I know a guy...

You had your house for sale in Litchfield County... and it didn't sell. (You might be thinking.. why is she writing about that again?) In a nutshell, NO MATTER HOW MUCH I TALK ABOUT IT, WRITE ABOUT IT, WE STILL GET THESE PHONE CALLS!

We have some tough questions for home owners. It is our roadmap, so to speak.

• Did you have a dollar amount already set when you priced your home?
• Did your price reflect what you want to get for the sale of your home?
• Did your price reflect the current local real estate market activity?
• Do you understand the current local real estate market?
  
• Did your price reflect the actual condition of your home?
• Are you really aware of the actual condition of your home?
  

Next, a walk around the home. Have you learned to live with things that you no longer see? Do you really understand how a buyer will see your home?

Routine maintenance. A new roof is routine maintenance. Septic repairs are routine maintenance. How is your heating system? Is it new? That is routine maintenance by the way. Because if it is broken, leaking, not working properly it should be repaired or replaced. But here is the key.... and easy to remember.

1. If it was repaired or replaced, it is not going to cost you money off the price of the home! Yeah!
2. If it wasn't, if your roof is at the end of its life, if you need a new septic system, if any of your mechanicals are not working properly it will cost you.
   

If you did keep up with the routine maintenance of your home, you get a gold star, a pat on the back, an atta boy atta girl, but you don't get extra money. But you don't get money deducted!!! It is a great selling point though, something to be featured prominently in the marketing of your home.

Are you the nicest house on the block? Are you the only new colonial set in a field of 1980's raised ranches? Does your neighbor have a graveyard of dead vehicles in his back yard? These things also affect the price of your home, the desirability of your home.

Why didn't my house sell? Here is the real answer to that question. It didn't sell because buyers didn't find it attractive enough to make an offer. If it is not priced for condition, for location, according to the current local real estate market you will not sell.

And here is something you may not even realize. If it is overpriced they won't even consider it because it is off their radar in the first place!

When you call us and ask why your home didn't sell in Litchfield County we will let you know. The proper diagnosis will help you make the most important decision of all.

Are you really ready to sell your home in Litchfield County, CT?

Because if you price it ahead of the competition, if you price it according to the current local real estate conditions, if you price it according to the condition of the home, conditions of your neighborhood, you stand a far better chance of selling. If not, you will be asking that question over and over again.

"WHY DIDN'T MY HOUSE SELL???

I met a man who sold a house
He sold a house just like a mouse
Just like a mouse who sneaks around
He sold the house without a sound.

(OK, as a poet I am lacking... but stay with me here) And how did he sell the house without a sound? The story is rather odd, yet to me it was so telling I asked him if I could blog about it.

Blog? He had that look on his face... My business partner chimed in and said "blab, she wants to blab about it all over the internet." He shrugged his shoulders and said he didn't mind.

All day long yesterday I thought about his story, there are so many lessons, each time I think about it I think of yet another lesson. Let me get right to the story here.

He told me he sold a house at a tag sale... I love tag sales at listings I have. Let me do the open house on the same day you do your tag sale (We call them tag sales in CT, some may call them yard sales, garage sales, you get the point.)

A few years back he heard about a house, a couple who could no longer live in their home due to age and illness. The family had told the accountant they just wanted to get rid of the home because mom and dad were hoarders. The man I  met bought the house with all the contents in it. Bought it for a very low price I might add.

18 dumpsters later....

It took 18 dumpsters ... but the house was in good shape! He held tag sales there while cleaning it out. He was not intending to sell the house, but someone who came to the tag sale offered him what they thought was a low price for the house.

He took the money and ran. I mean, who wouldn't? So here is what ran through my mind.

Why didn't the family speak with a Realtor? He said because they were too embarrassed, didn't want to deal with it, on and on. That cost the owners $100,000.

Why didn't the family just hire someone to come in and clean the house out when the parents moved out? Did they have the resources to do that? Yes they had the resources, but felt it was too much trouble.

OK, now I am just shaking my head here in total disbelief. The moral to the story? I think there are many.

• Clean it up, clean it out.
• Speak to a Realtor if you are thinking about selling.
• Tag sales are a great thing, hold a tag sale and let your Realtor hold an open house at the same time.

I don't know about you, but I am still shaking my head here! I am sure I can come up with more lessons learned. It is a fantastic story. Will this gentleman use a real estate agent when he wants to sell another house? You bet, he knows this happened only because someone else didn't want to, he's no dummy!

I met a man who sold a house....