John's Blog

Pricing Your Home

John Adams (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 10:18:11 -0800

As a seller in a "Buyers" market, you may find yourself asking, is it worth putting my home on the market right now? For some, you may not have a choice and for others you would rather capitalize on being able to move up and purchase at a lower price or maybe downsize but pay less for higher quality. Whatever the reason may be, you're still stuck with the decision to sell your home.

Making the choice to sell your home is never a decision taken lightly but in todays economy and market with such job uncertainty it is more important now than ever before to be well educated and make sure you are going to be able to sell your home for top dollar in the quickest amount of time.

In the current inventory for the York, Lancaster and Chester counties we are sitting on a 17 month inventory of homes. What does that mean for you as a seller? Well if we stopped listing any new homes on our MLS today, it would take 17 months to sell everying thing we have. That is fierce competition for you as a seller. That is why it's so important for you to be educated on selling your home and who you hire to represent you as your agent.

It can often be tempting to go with the Realtor with the most expensive marketing plan or the Realtor that offers you the highest listing price for your home but this can sometimes end up being the downfall and costing you more and profiting less than you would had you priced in competition with the market.

What do I mean by pricing in competition with the market? When listing your home, one of the most important steps is to anticipate the market and place yourself ahead of the market. Depending on your time needed to sell you may want to place it slightly ahead of the market if you are not in a rush to sell but still want to receive top dollar for your home. Or if you need to sell quickly, you may price it well ahead of the market and create buyer competition for your home achieving a quick sell with high buyer competition and top dollar received.

Have your Realtor, preview all the homes available in your market at a price that you would list in a normal market. Next look at what your estimated days on market would be for your home slightly ahead of the market and then if you placed it well ahead of the market. Placing it ahead of the market may mean your home is priced lower netting you less money but take into concideration your mortgage payments you'll be making for the extra months you'll be on the market if you don't price it ahead of the competition. It is your Realtor's job to know the market and property price and market your home, but this is YOUR home, it is a team effort to sell your home!

There are many more factors in selling your home quickly for top dollar but pricing is something you can control, make the right decision for you!

Climbing Out of a Recession Part 3

John Adams (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:26:26 -0800

The third and final part of my rant and rave. How will get get out of this recession? I'll tell you right now its not be waiting on the Federal Government to bail us out. That's the worst thing.

Now lets bring America out of our recession and run with this idea. How can we get out of the recession by spending money you ask? When you think about it, the housing market probably keeps more people employeed than any other market. Realtors like myself are employeed by you, the buyers and sellers. But you not only employ my services. Banks depend on you, the government depends on you to buy and sell and workers probably including yourself depend on you to invest in Real Estate some way or another either directly or indirectly. Here's how...A home is first bought from a builder, who employed workers, these workers buy the tools needed for building the house from the lumber yards to the Lowe's employees all the way down to the manufacturer's of the nails for the house. Think of all the people this employees. Take painters for example, Painters are affected, then those employed to make the paint, those who market the paint companies, those in HR who hire the painter making employees, those companies that provide health insurance for paint companies and so on. Are you catching my drift? Guess what, now lets stretch it into the auto industry. All of those painters probably own cars so now those painters are affecting the auto industry and those that work there to sell the cars, manufacture the cars and manufacture the parts for the cars and dig up the metals for the parts to be made. Do you see how far this stretches? No wonder the government created Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac...Real Estate holds our economy together. Now as you can see, destroy Real Estate with loans sold to people that can't afford to make the payments and you destroy the economy by causing those people to foreclose on their homes. Thus as the housing industry slides so do the jobs for those that depend on the housing market and now those who manufactured the paints no longer have jobs and best believe they are cutting the marketing department down. Now there isn't much reason to insure all of their workers that's just costing more money so there goes insurance and no one can buy cars now because we don't have jobs and those that are fortunate to have jobs aren't real sure if they'll have their job next week.

So with job insecurity so high, people stop looking to buy a house and now you're looking at more job loss and a progression from a recession into a depression. If we spend money in America, our jobs become more secure. Employment or Demand goes back up, people begin buying homes again and now we are on a rise out of a recession.

Don't wait for the government to bail us out. Get out there and create business. Network, and work hard. We can't afford to wait on the good things to come to us or we'll miss out on the opportunities that wait for us to find them. I'm 25 years old, I came out of college in debt and continue to be in debt as I work to grow my business of being an indepently contracted Realtor but in the mean time, I have 3 other part time jobs to get by and do what it takes. I already dedicate 40+ hours a week to my Real Estate Business and the rest go to my other part time jobs. I will do what it takes to pay my bills but I still go out there and generate leads and work hard for my buyers and sellers. I also take time to do my part and stimulate the economy. Once a month I take a weekend for my self and lay aside the business and worries of bills and take a trip. Maybe to visit a friend or family member or see my girlfriend who doesn't live in the same town as I. What ever it is, I take time to go out and spend some money because I know others need it as much as I do. It's tough to pay my bills but I make it and I make do by living modest until I can afford the finer things in life from working hard now to grow my business for the future. I encourage all of you to do the same. It is our America and our Economy. We have the freedom to make the change. Be knowledgeable and be smart. Do your part and help stimulate our economy.

As always, if I can be of any help to those of you with Real Estate needs please never hesitate to contact me.

John Adams

Climbing Out of a Recession Part 2

John Adams (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:23:09 -0800

Continuing on from Part 1 This will detail how we got here and how long we will be in the recession.

Guess what! Home Mortgages are among the largest revenue producing entities in the nation. With all these banks merging and buying each other out now that they are allowed to also do investment, commercial and insurance loans Freddie and Fannie backed these banks loaning money's and essentially went back to the roots of why these so called "private" companies Freddie and Fannie were formed. Remember, they were formed to encourage homeownership by buying the mortgages from banks. A New York Times article in September of 1999 stated that Fannie Mae has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people and the corporation has loosened its lending requirements to comply. ie Amortized loans! Offering homeownership to low income families sounds nice doesn't it?

Ahhh here we are to the truth of how we got into this recession. From here you can understand that the idea of homeownership for everyone in America is a great idea, however, homeownership is a priviledge not a right. Just like Welfare was a good idea to help low income families, mainly the black population to grab an upperhand and have a more successful opportunity in the job market, it simply held them back by showing those on Welfare, it doesn't matter if you work or not, the tax payers of America are here for you and will pay for you to live in poverty. Simply, this banking "competition" act just like welfare puts those in low income situations into a worse situation by providing them opportunities that are designed to fail. It's nice to want to help, but Federal Government, get your hands out of it, you keep failing the American people and taking the low income families lower! We are all humans and feel compassion, allow us, the American people, the opportunity to help our communities ourselves. Give us support and backing not regulation.

Before I get off on my tangent, lets get back on track. We've discussed how we got here now lets talk about how long we will be in this recession. The short of it, NO ONE KNOWS. That depends on the American people. The idea of offering incentives to homeowners and home buyers was a good idea, however, we are now in a more serious situation. No matter how far you drop interest rates, no matter how many first time home buyer incentives you create and no matter how many tax breaks or stimulus plans you create....we WILL NOT get out of this recession if there is a strong lack of job security. You want to know how long it will take us to get out of the recession? I ask you, how long before you stop listening to the media to horde your money? Instead go out and spend money, don't over spend and buy things you don't need, but take that much needed vacation you deserve, instead of going to Cancun, go to Disney World, Six Flags or somewhere in America. American's don't wait on the government to bail us out, they're the ones that got us here. Instead, lets create our own stimulus package. Spending money creates business. Demand goes up, Supply goes down and the economy and trading increases thus bringing us out of the recession.

Climbing Out of a Recession Part 1

John Adams (Keller Williams Realty) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 09:16:57 -0800

Well it's no secret! We're in the second worse recession in the history of America. How did we get here? How long will we be in this recession? What will it take for us to get out? In this 3 part series I will attempt to give my opinion of what ail's me today. Sit back, relax and enjoy the bumpy ride we are in for!

According to the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) recorded in the second quarter of 2002, the Bush administration entered into office with the American economy already in a recession according to the declined 1st, 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2001 which would have begun with the Clinton Administration. So lets step back a little further in history and find out what really started this. We can all agree that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the nations biggest underwriters of home mortgages securing over 50% of all home loans made in America. So lets start there.

Founded in the 1930s Federal National Mortgage Association aka Fannie Mae was created to encourage homeownership by purchasing mortgages from banks which in turn freed cash for the banks to make new loans. This was a great idea and helped to pull America out of the Great Depression, however, this was not a single factor, job creation by WWII was probably the biggest influence of bringing us out of the Depression. However, as we see now, Fannie and Freddie could lead to fraud if these companies which are set up by FEDERAL LAW and are allowed to act as private companies with profits and stockholders are allowed to dig their hands into the pockets of banks with LIMITED regulation.

On November, 12 1999 Bill Clinton signed a repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act called the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. This opened up competition among banks, securities companies and insurance companies. The Glass-Steagall Act prohibited banks from offering investment, commercial banking and insurance services. Well you might think this was a good thing by repealing this act. Yes it creates competition but as we saw with Wachovia buying First Union, Citibank merging with Travelers Group to become Citigroup the worlds largest financial services network working with Smith-Barney and Morgan Stanley, you see that the great Competition that Bill Clinton signed has now back fired and the Bush Administration as well as the American people are now feeling the impact of such actions. When competition of such a large industry such as banking takes place and opportunity to grow with more options such as being able to make commercial loans, investments and offer insurance it allows those larger banks to BUY and MERGE and eliminate smaller banks as well as no longer creating competition but verging on monopolization. What does this do to the American Economy? It creates job insecurity with layoffs and ultimitely the down fall of our economy.

Stay tuned for the Climbing out of a recession part 2

Climbing out of a Recession

John Adams (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:33:30 -0800

Well it's no secret! We're in the second worse recession in the history of America. How did we get here? How long will we be in this recession? What will it take for us to get out? I'll attempt to give my opinion of what ail's me today. Sit back, relax and enjoy the bumpy ride we are in for!

As always, if I can be of any help to those of you with Real Estate needs please never hesitate to contact me.

John Adams

Buyers and New Construction

John Adams (Keller Williams Realty) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:06:52 -0800

January has been a great month for buyers! The benefits of being a buyer in the local York County Real Estate market seem endless. From low interest rates to tax incentives gallore and down payment assistance programs still functioning, now is the best time in decades to buy a home. I have seen a large increase in my client activity within the last few weeks. Sellers are understanding that in order to sell their home, they must be priced ahead of the market. Some buyers still think they can find a diamond in the rough like finding hay in a hay stack. It just isn't the case guys!! Are there deals out there? Yes, there are plenty of deals and some are even "steals" but not every seller and every home is up for a low ball offer.

I can't stress enough how important it is to have an educated Realtor representing you when making the largest investment in your life. The returns can be great and often times, using a Buyers Agent as your Realtor may cost you nothing in commissions. Free representation is still a good deal last time I checked. Now that doesn't mean go out and find your cousin or aunt or uncle who's a Realtor. You want someone who is full time, and ready to put forth the hard work and efforts to understand your personal needs and keep confidential your information and most importantly inform and educate you as a buyer to understand what is best for you when looking for a home.

I have an example of a buyer I'm still working with who should be living comfortably in their brand new townhome right now. Buyer greed and stubbornness is often times one of a Realtors greatest challenges and in working with First Time Home Buyers, that challenge can be magnified. This is why I feel educating your clients is always of the utmost importance. This townhome would in a normal stable market most likely sell for $200,000 to $220,000. Fully upgraded, no other townhome in the subdivision was as loaded as this. Upgraded hardwoods, granite countertops, recessed lighting, gas stainless range and appliances, custom cabinets, surround sound throughout, masterbed room like no other! with whirlpool tub and separate shower and a custom wood finish master closet. After strong back and forth negotiations, we marked the builder down to build cost and went under contract. My buyer backed out because they felt they had been jerked around by the builder because of some hard negotiation on the builders part.

Buyers, understand a builder is going to get as much as possible out of their inventory homes but when you are buying at cost and buying lower than the rest of the neighborhood and you are buying over $50,000 less than what it would appraise for with new construction and fully upgraded, YOU WIN!! When that builder leaves the neighborhood after it is completed, prices will rise and you will be on top of the wave riding it all the way to the bank for resale!!

Don't let greed and stubbornness get in the way of a good deal. My buyer is now learning first hand the effects of buyer remorse because they admit they lost a steal of a deal and compare every house from here on out to the one they could have had.

Don't let this be you, make sure your Agent is educated and not only knows the market but understands the true value of a home and more importantly understands your needs as a buyer. Make your agent work for you and educate you. This is YOUR investment, not the Realtors. We are investing our time and money in you as a buyer, but that is our job, I work for my clients. I am employed by my clients and if they choose, I am fired by my clients so you better believe I understand their value to me and my business and I do everything educate and inform them and not just put them in a residential house, but into a home, THEIR NEW HOME.

Bringing You Home.

About Me

John Adams (Keller Williams Realty) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:22:35 -0700

Born and raised in a small town in South Carolina, my parents raised me on proper etiquette with high moral standards and the determination to set goals for myself and strive to achieve them. Growing up, I was just like any other young boy, eager to play sports and superhero saving the day with big dreams of one day becoming a professional basketball player although height would later play a disadvantage in that dream.

I was blessed enough to be raised by two loving parents who came from good Christian homes and raised my sister and myself in a God centered home. Growing up I was active in the church and later became president of my Sunday School class and participated in such missions as Salkehatchie which is a Methodist version of Habitate for Humanity where for a week, teens would help rebuild homes for the less fortunate families of communities all around South Carolina.

Through Scouting I have learned many things that developed me into the man I am today. As the first certified life guard in my troop, I ensured the safety of over 40 scouts during the summer as we earned merit badges such as lifesaving, swimming, first aid and more. This grew into taking canoeing trips and backpacking 50 miles of the Appalachian Trail and continuing to lead me to another goal of my life. Obtaining Eagle Scout! Only 2% of all scouts achieve this honor.

Life Guarding has been a passion of mine for years. The rush of a rescue and the reward of making an impact on someones life is indescribable. I have guarded for 6 years and two of those years was another goal of my life I reached...Professional Ocean Lifeguard. The best two summers of my life hands down!! So many stories, both good and bad but certainly a wonderful life experience.

I have now graduated from Winthrop University with a degree in Psychology and minor in Business Admin. So that means time to grow up! The career I've chosen isn't the easiest to get started in, especially with the economy we are in right now but I love being a Realtor!

I decided to get into Real Estate because I grew up in the brick business and new home construction and have an independent motivated attitude that sitting in an office working for someone else just wouldn't do. I enjoy challenging myself and seeing my hard work directly reflected with the success of my clients. As I said before, I was raised in a small South Carolina town. In this town I learned many values of business and self character. I have made this a part of my daily motto and philosophy. Philosophy: "Daily run my business as if I were the customer. To operate truthfully, honestly and fairly in all aspects of business and life. To earn your business through hard work and dedication."
Motto: "To always be honest and trustworthy in all I do."

If you want to know more about me! Contact me!!!