ARDELL's Seattle Area Real Estate Blog

Dear Mr. Obama by Bob Cook's son, Joe

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 19:19:10 -0500

I'm one of those on the fence people, so friends are sending me emails containing things like this. My friend Reidi in Orlando sent this one, though I think Bob and his son Joe are in Lake County.

Probably most everyone in my extended family is a Democrat. Lots of Seattle people are Democrats (moreso than Republicans, I think). I worked in a Bank in Philly for almost 20 years, mostly in The Trust Department where everyone was Republican (or dared not tell if they weren't). My ex-husband of almost 20 years was sooooooo Republican that the children and I were not permitted to talk about any Democrat in the house. To do so made you very afraid.

While I am 54 years old, this is only the 2nd Presidential election where I truly feel FREE to choose come election day. Sad, but true. So please allow and forgive my floundering and flip-flopping. I'm usually not wishy-washy AT ALL. But FREEDOM to choose carries a heavy burden, and I am taking that burden very seriously this year. I believe this decision is more important this year than most any other decision I will make in my lifetime.

Here's the video sent to me by my friend Reidi in Orlando, FL. I haven't made a decision, but ads like this DO sway me. I'll be paying very close attention to what people have to say. I will not tolerate hateful people who intimidate, scream and berate all who disagree though. I was married to that for almost 20 years. I will not have that.

Obama or McCain One will be YOUR President

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:54:55 -0500

Well I guess it could be someone else, but not likely.

I want you to take a minute and think about this from the standpoint of your children. Are you sending mixed messages? Are you expecting them to respect authority, and yet setting them up for failure?

If you hate one of these candidates and are very vocal about that in your home. What do you think will happen if the one you hate is elected? Are you teaching your children to hate "The President of the United States"?

Please, please be very carefuly what you are teaching our youth and future leaders. Respecting the office and not the person is a very difficult concept for a child to grasp. Don't badmouth politicians on one day and then expect your children to respect their Country and its leaders the next day. That is too hypocritical for a child to come to terms with.

My "MOM" soapbox for the day :)

Would you like to be on Flip This House?

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:45:39 -0500

You may not be in an area where they are choosing to film at present, but they may not find enough qualified people in CA and WA to fill a season. So it's worth sending in an application even if they use you for a future season.

Right now they are looking for people from Seattle who have done 10 to 12 flip projects. I think those 10 to 12 projects can be spread out over more than one year.

If you are interested, send an email to flipthishouse.casting@gmail.com

DEADLINE FOR THIS SEASON IS OCTOBER 1, 2008

Should you exercise at home or at the gym?

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:34:04 -0500

I have always hated gyms, but recently have started to really like my gym and currently prefer it to exercising at home. I keep both options open. In colder rainier climates, i tend to exercise at home more.

You can see my "abdominizer" and step in that photo. I also use Dance, Dance Revolution or DDR with a friend who comes to my house on occasion to play the video game by foot.

Whatever your choose, some form of aerobic exericise at least 3 times a week is important to people in my age bracked of 55 give or take. We have to keep our metabolism moving as it likes to slow down as we age.

"Fixers" are finally selling again

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:27:58 -0500

I listed two "fixer" houses back in April. The investors were no where to be found and the people looking for homes to live in said "too much work!"

I am pleased to report that both of my fixers are in escrow with closing to be within the next 10 days. Both were bought by people who live nearby and NOT relocating people. Given the reduction in the number of buyers, a larger percentage of buyers are relocating. Generally speaking people who are relocating do not like "fixers".

So I am pleased to report that the fixers are finally getting some attention and even sold.

Is there lead in that house?

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 13:23:30 -0500

A special warning to real estate agents and consumers that lead is not only in "lead based paint". Many old claw footed tubs are made of lead, and if the seal is broken the lead can bleed into the water.

This is SO very important as there is a recent case of a home NOT built before 1978 that had recycled an old lead tub either when it was built or as part of a remodel. I believe this was in Oregon and was mentioned here on AR. I have such a tub, but it is in the portion of the home that was built in 1921. The really odd situation is when it is a newer home.

So if you see a clawfoot tub in a home you are selling, do your best to determine if it is a brought in old tub or a "kockoff" new one. Even if there is no chip in the porcelain covering, you would still need to disclose the lead issues, even if the house was built in 2000.

A young child was afflicted by lead poisoning from taking baths in the tub with a chip in it, so this is very important and not just another peice of paper with a disclosure on it. Make sure you understand the potential harm and explain that to your clients.

Go out and look at your mailbox

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:44:36 -0500

Go outside and take a look at your mailbox. I was taking a walk through the neighborhood yesterday and it seemed the further away the mailbox is from someone's house, the less they care for it.

Individual mailboxes are often replaced by banks of mailboxes grouped together. Yes, this does make it much easier for the mailman. But it also seems to encourage deferred maintenance.

You can paint your mailbox in about twenty minutes, probably with some paint you already have laying around the house in the garage. Everyone go out and take a look at your mailbox. It's a little thing that you can improve upon to make passersby like me smile.

Not sure what the rules are, but I think you can even paint a smiley face on it, or be creative in other ways as long as the flag is RED. Check with your post office, before doing anything too costly, time consuming or elaborate. This bankd of boxes would look better if they were just painted black or gray.

Should a boxwood be "boxy"?

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:53:18 -0500

I've always liked boxwoods, and while walking home this afternoon in my town of Kirkland WA, I saw this very boxlike boxwood. I just love the idea of being able to form shaped hedges. I think I've liked the idea since I visited Versailles. What magnificent shaped gardens they have.

I have a "doughnut" boxwood. At least that's what I call it. I can display anything I want in the middle of it. Right now the geraniums have "center stage". At Christmas time it's a tree of swirled lights with a star on top that stands 5% tall. My boxwood below creates a stage and I can see whatever I put "on the stage" from my living room window and front porch.

The simple pleasures of life are always within reach. I love that about my life.

Kirkland WA - Characters Welcome

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 19:40:44 -0500

This is the "house" a couple of houses down and across the street from me in Kirkland, Washington. If you look closely, you will see a cave opening shaped whole in those bushes. Everyone once in a while a beat up red car comes in and out of there.

I once heard someone joking that it was Kirkland's "Batcave" :)

I love small town living. I love the idea that people can pretty much do as they darned well please with their homes. I don't like a bunch of rules that tell people how to keep their homes and how to manage their lives.

This is Kirkland, Washington...and Characters are Welcome!

Big Company or Small Company?

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:45:56 -0500

This question is one we all answer for ourselves from time to time.

The reason I am writing this post today is because the market has changed. In a hot market, which office doesn't matter all that much to your clients. But in a weaker market, which office could impact your clients more and more as the market changes.

Everyone should revisit their choice of which Company and look at it in light of current market conditions and local market conditions. Are you working for the BEST company for your clients, in your opinion? Some will answer yes and sit back down. But if you answer no...then maybe it's time to stand up and go to the Company in your area that would best service your client's needs.

There is rarely one best Company for all market conditions. If you chose your Company in a hot market, be sure to re-evaluate that decision today based on your clients needs in this market.

Author of Liberty - Presidential Elections

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 09:08:12 -0500

Regardless of political bent, one cannot help but feel the Liberty our Country enjoys at great cost, exemplified in this Presidential Election.

If a TV show tried to line up the diaz with the diversity we see in this election in high places, the critics would condemn it as not plausible. I am proud to be an American today. The growth in this Country of respect for women and all people, since I was a young girl, has truly been an amazing transformation I am priveleged to have been witness to.

Yes, the McCain and Palin ticket has for some strange reason elevated my spirit in a way that I have not personally experienced since the Ronald Reagan or John F. Kennedy days. I realized almost overnight that I DO "need another hero". Always, ongoing and in succession.

No matter who your candidate might be in your heart today, hold on to your heroes. Celebrate the diversity of this election. Be Proud to be in a Country that truly values and expands personal Liberty.

My only wish for this Country today is that our children could and would be able to promote the concept of a higher power and God in their schools, the way every politician can on the podium. We have taken that away from our youth. We need to give it back to them.

It's quite fine for Zero to be their Hero...but let's not ever let their Heroes EQUAL Zero.

A Professional Acts As He MUST; Not As He "Feels"

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:33:29 -0500

You all have a decision to make today. Those of you who work in a Fiduciary Capacity have an obligation to consider most issues from a selfless standpoint, first and foremost.

In that regard, there is only one right answer. What is best for your clients? We are human. Our first thoughts may lean toward what is the best answer for ourselves. That is how we "feel". We may react based on our feelings, but then you cannot call yourself "a professional".

At the very least your clients deserve to be part of the equation in your thought process. When you write down the pros and cons, as any responsible person would do when making a decision, write down the pros and cons for your clients...not you.

In our business, the client's interest is short term. We have a closing/end date. Maybe it is best for you to do X for you later and Y for them today. You may feel like quitting or changing offices or going on a long vacation today. Now look at your clients and consider how they will be best served. If you can cover them and do what you want at the same time, well then...YAY!!! But if what you want to do today leaves them short in any way, then you must ask yourself IF you are truly a "Professional".

Do you act as you MUST as you consider the best interest of your clients? Or do you act as you "FEEL" because you are reacting in emotional and human fashion.

A Professional acts as he MUST and not as he FEELS. Remember that phrase anytime you are tempted to react emotionally in a manner that may negatively impact your clients' best interest.

The Cookie Thief - Revisted

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:28:45 -0500

Two young ladies of Active Rain who are both near and dear to me, posted the cookie thief poem recently and back to back.

The real Title to this post should be "When Two Rights Make a Wrong".

As Jesus often did, I will convey my message in parable fashion.

When I was a young mother, I had a few people who cared for my children from time to time, while I was at work. I was extremely lucky in that the women who cared for my children truly loved them, even though before being hired by me, they did not know me or them. You can never pay someone to love your children. And yet there is no better caregiver for your children than someone who loves them. I was truly blessed that I could leave my children in the hands of someone who treated them AS WELL AS they did their own children.

Keywords there being "AS WELL AS"...and yet not "as their own". There is a difference.

When the caregiver crossed the line to being the dominant "parent" and the child started viewing the caregiver in a pseudo-parental role, I quit my job and became a real estate agent. There can only be one "Mommy" in the house. As much as I loved and appreciated the caregiver for loving and caring for my children, I could not accept being replaced by her in any way shape or form as the parent of my children.

WE REMAINED FOREVER FRIENDS.

It is absolutely so right for someone to care for something as they would their own.

It is also right for someone to appreciate someone who cares for something of theirs , as they would their own.

Things go sideways when someone cares so very much, that they forget that it is NOT their own.

It is true. as the cookie owner learned in the poem, that someone cannot steal that which is already theirs.

It is also true that someone who views the cookies as their own, and cares for the cookies as their own, can sometimes forget for a moment or two that it is not their own.

No Victims; No Villains

Most times everyone is right...it's just that once in a Blue Moon, Two Rights can make A Wrong.

Is inventory still growing?

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:48:33 -0500

Here in the Seattle Area, inventory is not increasing.

The number of new listings coming on market is slowing down.

People who normally wait until almost Thanksgiving to pull off market, are coming off early and staying in their homes or renting them out.

Sales are continuing at about the same reduced level.

Net result is that inventory is flatter and expected to diminish from now through year end.

That is not abnormal, but it is a sign that many are not being forced to sell and our market is not driven by short sales and foreclosures.

If your inventory ("your" meaning your area, not your personal transactions) is not reducing, it could be a sign that foreclosures and short sales will drive your market for the next 4 months, which will be disastrous for home values come the first quarter of 2009 IF 4th quarter sales are predominantly distressed transactions It will be hard for a appraiser not to count distressed sales, if distressed sales dominate the market you are in.

I'd like to hear if people are having trouble getting properties appraised at sale price.

I'm going to get fat and start singing

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 12:14:17 -0500

Getting to the end of escrow is getting tougher and tougher. I have a closing today that seems to teeter back and forth up to the very end.

I keep thinking about the phrase:

IT AIN'T OVER TILL THE FAT LADY SINGS!

Maybe that's because I'm originally from Philly and the saying seems to refer to Kate Smith and the Philadelphia Flyers...but that can't be right because the Flyers BEGAN when the fat lady stopped singing. Still, even if you agree it's all about baseball and Kate Smith, you might have to give credit to Yogi Bera and the New York Yankees.

Like all New Yorkers of that time, Yogi Berra would have known that Kate Smith was the fat lady who ended the broadcast night..."

"Kate Smith, who weighed 235 pounds, performed "God Bless America" on occasion before Philadelphia Flyers hockey games. Her performances were said to bring good luck to the Flyers and led to the indelicate saying "It ain't BEGUN 'til the fat lady sings!"^{[citation needed]"}

^{On second thought, maybe I'll just buy that album and play it on the day of closing :)}

Bellevue Washington - "The Eastside"

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:55:05 -0500

If you are thinking about moving to The Seattle Area, chances are you'll have to choose between Seattle and The Eastside. If you are coming to work at Microsoft, the large campus is in Redmond WA and growing into Bellevue, though some Microsoft employees are in Seattle and some in Issaquah.

Above is the City of Bellevue taken from across Lake Washington just over the I-90 Bridge in Mt. Baker - Leschi in Seattle. If you see mountains to the East as in this photo, they will be The Cascades. If you see mountains to the West behind Seattle, they will will be the Olympics.

Mt. Rainier is part of the Cascade Range. For me the most notable feature of the Olympics is "The Brothers" shown below. Besides knowing which direction you are facing, you can tell you are looking toward the Cascades if you see Mt. Rainier and The Olympics if you see the Brothers.

As I'm driving up 85th toward Central from Bellevue/Redmond toward my home in Kirkland, I can often see The Brothers quite clearly just driving home. Spectacular sights can be everyday events when you live in the Seattle Area...and these sights can rejuvenate and fill your soul.

Moving to Seattle Washington?

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:37:18 -0500

There are a few things you should know if you are planning to move to Seattle Washington.

One of them is the phrase "The Mountain is Out!"

You may see people jump up from their desks and run out of work because "The Mountain is Out!"

Seriously, it's almost like declaring a National Holiday. They will be talking about Mt. Rainier, which we don't see as often as we'd like to, but that makes its appearance on the horizon that much more spectacular and eventful.

Some people bless themselves (Catholics mostly) as if God appeared.

I just beam and wave and say "Hi!" like an old friend just stepped into the room.

Kirkland WA Concours d'Elegance - Car Show

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:17:56 -0500

This weekend marks my favorite Event Weekend for Kirkland WA! The Concours d'Elegance Car Show.

Below is a photo of last year's Best of Show winner, the 1937 Talbot-Lago T150 CSS Teardrop

The 2006 Best of Show was this 1937 Bugatti T-57

I guess you could say that 1937 was a Very Good Year!

If I only attend one event a year in my town of Kirkland WA...this is it! For any and all Kirkland Events Info, visit http://explorekirkland.com/ and let's all hope for some decent weather! These cars won't do well in the rain, especially the open convertibles like the Bugatti.

The most important things I have so say about real estate - today

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 11:28:54 -0500

It's a mile marker post...hitting 200,000 points. Makes you feel like you should say something of importance.

The most important thing I have to say about real estate today is that we clearly are not "at bottom" as to the price of real estate. No matter where you are, financing changes will have to be reckoned with by the free market. That means prices will be going down further, to compensate for the reduced means to finance a purchase.

I do think we ARE "at bottom" as to volume of sales. I do think that we will stay "at bottom" as to volume of sales for the forseeable future. So we at least have something to plan around.

The most important thing an agent can do as a result, is to re-do their business plan and enlarge their service area to capture a larger audience, based on reduced volume. If you do 20 sales a year in X area, and volume is down 40%, then expand you geographic area by 40%. That will at least bring you up to an even playing field.

ALSO, given the diminished number of sales, look for the areas that are only down 15% vs. 40%, and work harder to get listings in areas that have the higher level of demand and lower level of supply. Supply and Demand are key. You don't want to have the 20th listing on market in an area that only sells 5 a year! You want to have the 5th listing in an area that sells 8 a year.

Don't sit home and wait for your check. If you have a pending sale, stick to it like glue! More and more sales are not making it to the end. Buyers will jump ship at the drop of a hat...don't let the hat that drops be YOUR hat. Stay in touch with all aspects of the transaction. With volume of sales down, you can't afford to have a high ratio of failed sales. Take better care of that bird in the hand.

Last but not least, watch your Karma. A market like this can make you lean and mean, the competition will get fiercer and fiercer as we move into "off season". Protect your relationships with the industry professionals around you. Clients come and go...but your Broker, your Company, your peers, your staff, your support services, your mentors and your apprentices...are the relationships that will endure.

Don't claw your way through this market, or it surely will come back to bite you in the ass one day.

Count your blessings, and applaud the blessings of those around you ALL at the same time. A tough message to put into practice. Be happy when the guy next to you enjoys a successful, closed transaction. Be as happy about that as you would your own sale. Watch your Karma.

Thank Heaven For Little Girls - Another Girl Coming

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:16:20 -0500

Not due until December, but according to the doctor...it's another girl!

Peter and Jacquie went to the doctor again and the ultrasound said "It's a Girl!".

That will give me three daughters and two grand daughters.

Looks like the only way I'm getting boys is through marriage. I have a stepson from my first marriage and son "in-laws". But the births of me and mine are still running...all girls.

My Mom had 5 girls and two boys. Are there any statistics for balance? Will men end up with 2-3 wives each if people keep having more girl babies than boy babies?

Something to think about...:)

I'm posting this under Redmond. The baby will be born at Evergreen in Kirkland, but Peter and Jacquie set up their home in Redmond. So I guess it's a Redmond WA baby.

Don't just clean the gutters "out" - clean them

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 22:07:30 -0500

Often a home inspector will call the gutters as overflowing and clogged, based on their outward appearance. When you pay someone to go up and clean "out" the gutters, make sure they also clean the gutters themselves, while they are up there.

Besides giving your home that extra sparkling curb appeal, dirty gutters are a sign that there is a problem. So when you get the problem fixed, remove the affects of that problem too.

How many home sellers get mad at the inspector for being "wrong"? If you have a 3 story house, often the inspector won't be climbing up to check those gutters. So get them nice and white, after you resolve the problem that is causing them to overflow for the length of the gutter.

Carnival of Real Estate Hosted by Rain City Guide

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:58:07 -0500

This Week's Carnival of Real Estate will be hosted by me and the crew over at Rain City Guide. A few special instructions this week due to the holiday weekend:

"Due to the upcoming holiday weekend, the carnival will make its next appearance on Tuesday, September 2 at Rain City Guide. Please submit your best post by Monday September 1, to be considered. Are you a real estate blogger and would you like to host a future edition or take a more active role in administration of the CoRE? If so, get instructions on how to do so here. Please check the complete FAQ list if you have other questions as to how to participate."

Please do not submit your entries to me directly, but use the "submit" link in the paragraph above. I am planning to link to all of the submissions in a separate post, so people can easily spot if their entry was somehow overlooked due to being submitted incorrectly.

For those who have never seen "The Carnival of Real Estate", which is THE Carnival (not an Active Rain Carnival) and sponsored by Zillow...go "here".

There is usually a very long waiting list to be considered for hosting The Carnival, so if you would like to do that, expect your request to host to be several weeks or even months in advance of your request. Check the rules, I'm pretty sure the post submission has to be written within a certain timeframe...AND, OF COURSE...must be ORIGINAL CONTENT! :) No "re-blogging" allowed! Actually I just read the rules and can't see anything saying you can't submit something that you wrote two years ago, but the judges have the discretion to deduct points if you do. I'm hoping to make the judging criteria similar to...and as confusing as...the Olympic Judging Changes this year :) i.e. Scoring of 0-10 equalls...drumroll...16.4!

We're going to try to share the judging...that is Dustin, Rhonda, Jillayne and I at minimum. If you've never submitted to The Carnival, now might be a good time to do it, as I'm 99% sure I'm going to post a link on RCG for all entries.

So Kevin Tomlinson aka "Mr. Linkwhore"...get your entry IN! LOL

Agent fined $500 for asking seller why he wasn't chosen

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:28:52 -0500

So you go to a listing appointment, and before hearing back from the seller, you see the listing come up in the MLS.

Some agents think they can call the seller and ask why they were not selected in order to improve their listing techniques. Not So!

You are not permitted to contact the client of another agent, except to show the property if that is the method used in your area.

This month an agent was fined $500 for picking up the phone and calling the seller of a listed property for any reason other than to show the property. The agent was very nice and even sent a Thank You note to the seller for speaking with him about why he wasn't chosen. Then Whammo! That nice note cost him $500, as that was written proof that he had contacted another agent's client.

Be careful out there...if it's listed...it's off limits.

My Active Rain Points are SUBTRACTING instead of adding???

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:50:19 -0500

UPDATE: It's fixed!

*******

Every once in a while, things go a bit screwy.

I hadn't posted to Active Rain for awhile. I wrote down my points "197,499" and started blogging and commenting.

A couple of posts and almost 10 comments later, on the same day, my points went DOWN to 196,829???

We all like to know how this place functions, and generally it's pretty easy to understand. But for the life of me I can't figure out how the numbers are working backwards.

Anyone have a clue?

Sometimes I track my points along side "Mr. Bellingham Home Inspector". So I wrote down:

"ARDELL - 197,499"

"Mr. Bellingham HI - 195,598"

Now I look and it says:

"ARDELL - 196,829:

"Mr. Bellingham HI - 195,828"

So who gets to manipulate the points around here? The points seem to have subtracted by the same amount or so that should have been added.

Screwy.

Working both Smarter and Harder

ARDELL DellaLoggia (Coldewell Banker Bain) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 10:45:31 -0500

Earlier this year we talked a bit about working both smarter AND harder to compensate for the changing market conditions. Here's a tip that will help you and your seller clients stay one step ahead of other sellers.

The subject is Feedback, but not the kind that the agent for the buyer gives you.

In my book the only meaningful feedback is:

1) Did your buyers buy anything?

2) Did they buy in the same price range as our listing?

3) If they bought in the same price range, what made that house better than our listing?

Most agents think feedback is getting the same info over and over again. The buyer didn't like your kitchen. The buyer didn't like your yard. The buyer didn't like...whatever.

Let's look at what the buyer REALLY didn't like:

On 7/15 Agent A showed my listing priced at $450,000. The next day he showed it again TWICE! He didn't bring an offer. So what did that buyer do. They were obviously out there motivated to purchase, given they looked at the house 3 times in two days.

Here's a quick way to investigate and get truly meaningful feedback for your seller client.

Track the buyer agent!

Our mls recently added the feature of being able to search by the buyer agent's "LAG" #. Most MLS systems assign a code # to every agent. I took the agent's code number and put it in the "search by selling agent" field, and here's what I found out.

The buyer didn't spend anywhere near $450,000. On 7/17 after considering our listing at $450,000 that needed a lot of work, they went to the other side of the lake and bought a totally remodeled home for $700,000.

The house they bought was only a little bit bigger and had almost the same tax assessed value. But the buyer chose to pay $250,000 more for it because it didn't need any work. It had all new windows, refinished floors, a newer kitchen (though not newly remodeled).

So rather than buy my listing for $450,000 and put $125,000 into it to make it look like the one they bought, they spent $250,000 more to have it in move in condition.

The buyer who bought our listing is going to do all of that work and live in the property at the same time. Maybe the difference is he is single, has no children, and can better able to live around a remodel project.

But I digress. Stop guessing what those buyers did!

If the agent who showed your listing has no pending transactions week after week, then their buyer went home and didn't buy anything at all.
If the agent sells a nearby home at a higher price then you can't compete with homes in a higher price range and aren't expected to.
If three of the agents who showed your listing have pending transactions at the same price or lower than your listing then you have to show your sellers that the same buyer who looked at their home was able to find a better or equally nice home, for less.

Tracking the agent for the buyer by using the agent's code number, gives you quantifiable data. It's a fabulous tool to assist seller's in determining what happened to the buyer after they didn't buy their home.