Bjorn 's Blog

Finding the right Real Estate Professional

Bjorn Soolsma (Keller Williams Results Realty) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:45:58 -0500

Finding the right real estate professional requires doing a little research and asking a few questions.

You need to know everything about the selling process. What is the marketing strategy?

What kind of advertising will be done?

Is the realtor capable and willing to communicate effectively?

Can the realtor effectively present and sell the less-noticeable assets of the property?

Real estate professionals also need to be knowledgeable about the community. They need to have a feel for the history of the area and the approximate price that people will be willing to pay.

Also, real estate agents should know what the competition is and how much it will effect your sale. NEVER choose a realtor on price alone.

Remember that a realtor cannot magically raise the selling price of the house.

Consider the buyer. The purchaser won't willingly pay too much; it's most likely that he or she will do research on the market and try to find the best product for the best price.

The facts simply cannot be changed, no matter which realtor you select. In spite of these unchangeable factors, the realtor you select must still be diligent and knowledgable.

If your property does not elicit attention within several weeks, the cause can most likely be attributed to one of these three factors: location, condition, and price. The location obviously cannot be changed.

You should consider examining the conditioning of your property and reevaluating the marketing strategy. Ask your realtor to offer an explanation of the competition and your pricing strategy.

A Guide To Your Hassle-Free Home Purchase!

Bjorn Soolsma (Keller Williams Results Realty) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:26:30 -0500

Buying a home can seem like a frightening prospect. Whether it's your first home or your fifth, so much is at stake-your savings, your credit rating, and you're financial freedom. It's difficult to find the courage to sign on the dotted line even if you want that home very, very badly. How do you determine whether the purchase of a home makes sense? What's the easiest way to examine the whole picture from emotions to economics? We suggest that you read this entire report before you go house hunting. You'll learn how to separate whims from true needs. You'll discover how to prepare a game plan for your real estate venture, how to research effectively, choose wisely, finance appropriately and survive the whole procedure with your smile in place.

SEVEN STEPS FOR SUCCESS

STEP ONE: ESTABLISH YOUR NEEDS AND WANTS Begin your search for a perfect home by making a careful assessment of the kind of home you need and want. We recommend that you write it down. Take time, right now, to be as specific as you can about your particular requirements.

STEP TWO: DETERMINE HOW MUCH YOU CAN AFFORD Set up a budget for yourself. Decide how much you can really afford to invest for your monthly house payment. Be realistic. Most lenders suggest that your payments be no more than 32 percent of your total monthly income. see www.mortgagebybjorn.com for calculator.

STEP THREE: GET PRE-QUALIFIED OR PRE-APPROVED BY A LENDER You can save yourself time and heartache by meeting with a lender before you start your search for a home. A lender can let you know what specific loan programs would be best for you. He can also help you understand what it takes to qualify for the loan that you want. By taking a look at your financial situation and looking at your credit history, a lender can usually give you a good idea if you can qualify for the loan amount that you want. Many lenders call this 'Pre-Qualifying A Buyer'. To be absolutely certain that you can be approved for a loan, you may want to ask to be pre-approved. In the approval process, all of your documentation is completed and submitted to an underwriter. The pre-approval that you will receive is an actual loan commitment from a lender - your guarantee of loan approval. For more information about the Pre-Qualification or Pre-Approval process,go to www.mortgagebybjorn.com.

STEP FOUR: FIND A GOOD REAL ESTATE AGENT TO HELP YOU You can learn a lot about an agent by just letting him/her talk to you about how he/she helps her buyers. Within a few minutes, you will probably be able to determine if his/her style is in line with yours. Ask as many questions as you can up front. Finding a good agent will save you huge amounts of time and effort. www.bjorns.ca

STEP FIVE: FIND A HOME THAT MEETS YOUR NEEDS Five tips for successful house hunting: 1.Keep an organized record of all your research data. Write down comments about the homes that you see. Keep track of your likes and dislikes. 2. Make sure that your agent is aware of your time schedule and your expectations. Do you like to look at one or two homes in a session? Four? Eight? Discuss all of this with your agent. 3. Tell your agent about any homes that perk your interest and those you'd like to know more about. Include those homes you discover as you explore the area yourself or those you see advertised in the newspaper. 4. If you want to spend time driving around looking at homes for yourself, ask your agent for a list of drive-by homes, which you can consider first from the outside. Your agent can than make appointments to show you the interior of those that appeal to you. 5. Express your likes and dislikes to your agent after you see a home. Honest communication is essential. Some buyers are shy and hesitant to tell an agent what they really think of a house. They think the agent may take it personally. Remember that the homes don't belong to the agent! You must be straightforward about your likes and dislikes to enable the agent to do the best job for you.

STEP SIX: MAKE AN OFFER TO BUY A HOME Your real estate agent can help you make an offer to buy the home that you select. It is important to know beforehand whether your agent represents you or the seller. Some agents work only for the seller. In this case the agent may not be able to advise you in making a fair offer. By looking at homes selling in the area and the length of time is takes to sell, you should be able to get a good idea of value.

STEP SEVEN: SAVE AS MUCH AS YOU CAN ON YOUR INITIAL INVESTMENT There are only two major investments to consider when buying a home. These are the initial investment (including down payment and closing costs) and the monthly payment (including principle, interest, taxes, and insurance). Here are some ways to save on your initial investment: 1. Choose a low down payment loan. You do not necessarily have to put 20 percent, or even 10 percent, down. You can put 5 percent, or even 3 percent, down on some loans. 2. As part of your offer, ask the seller to pay some of your closing costs. Sellers are usually allowed to contribute to a buyer's closing costs. 3. Shop around for your home insurance. A little shopping can save you a significant amount of money. 4. You can deduct money paid for discount points from your gross income before computing your tax, which would effectively reduce the cost to you. Check with your CPA. Keep your monthly payments low 1. Get a loan with no monthly mortgage insurance premiums. You may be able to reduce or eliminate them by paying a little more at closing. By putting 20 percent or more down, you can eliminate them entirely. 2. Choose an Adjustable Rate Mortgage. ARMs can be up to 3 percent lower than fixed rates. Remember that interest payments on a primary residential mortgage are fully deductible in most circumstances. Your property taxes may also be deductible. Tax rates definitely favor homeowners.

Top Dollar in any Market

Bjorn Soolsma (Keller Williams Results Realty) — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:10:31 -0500

Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows
How To Get Top Dollar In Any Market!

The best chance for selling your property is within the first seven weeks.
Studies show that the longer a property stays on the market, the less the seller will net.
Below are 5 main factors to accomplishing this goal.
* Pricing Factor It is very important to price your property at a competitive market value right when you list it. The market is so competitive that even over-pricing by a few thousand dollars could mean that your house will not sell. It's interesting, but your first offer is usually your best offer. Here are reasons for pricing your property at the market value right from the start in order to net you the most amount of money in the shortest amount of time. An overpriced home: * Minimizes offers * Lowers showings * Lowers agent response * Limits financing * Limits qualified buyers * Nets less for the seller 80% of the marketing is done when we decide on what price to list your home. If you are unwilling to list at current market value, you would be better off not putting it on the market at this time.
* Clean Factor Most people are turned off by even the smallest amount of uncleanness or odor when buying a home. Sellers lose thousands of dollars because they do not adequately clean. If your house is squeaky clean, you will be able to sell your home faster and net hundreds, if not thousands of dollars more. If you are planning on moving, why not get rid of that old junk now so that your house will appear larger? Make more space. Odors must be eliminated especially if you have dogs, cats, or young children in diapers or if you are a smoker. You may not notice the smell, but the buyers do! Most agents have a difficult time communicating to their sellers about odor. If you employ an agent to get the most amount of money for you, please don't take offense if he must confront you about odor problems.
* Access Factor Top selling agents will not show your home if both the key and access are not readily available. They do not have time to run around town all day picking up and dropping off keys. They want to sell homes! The greatest way to show a house is to have a key. When your home is being shown, please do the following: * Keep all lights on * Keep all drapes and shutters open * Keep all doors unlocked * Leave soft music playing * Take a short walk with your children and pets * Let the buyer be at ease and let the agents do their job
* Paint & Carpet Factor Paint is your best improvement investment for getting a greater return on your money. Paint makes the whole house smell clean and neat. If your house has chipped paint, exposed wood, or the paint looks faded, it is time to paint. If your carpet is worn, dirty, outdated, or an unusual color, you may need to seriously consider replacing it. Many houses do not sell because of this problem. Don't think that buyers have more money than you have to replace carpet. They don't. They simply buy elsewhere.
* Front Yard Fact Your front yard immediately reflects the inside condition of your house to the buyer. People enjoy their yards. Make certain that the trees are trimmed so the house can be seen from the street. Have the grass mowed, trimmed and edged. Walkways should be swept. Clean away debris. Remove parked cars. This all adds to curb appeal. If a buyer doesn't like the outside, he/she may not stop to see the inside.