dallas tx: Mr and Mrs Seller, Open Houses do NOT Sell Houses!!
- 09/18/07 01:00 PM
I will state right up front that I understand that this is different in the different markets across the Country and Canada. I'm writing this blog focusing mainly on my market, here in the Dallas area. Mr. and Mrs. Seller, here is my marketing plan for your house. Will I do Open Houses? Did you see Open Houses as part of my marketing plan? Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I do NOT do Open Houses. In today's market, qualified and approved buyers are not the ones walking into Open Houses. If a buyer is serious about buying a house, 94% of them start their … (10 comments)
dallas tx: Price Reduced or Reduced Price
- 09/11/07 02:08 AM
Do you hang swingers on your yard signs when you adjust the asking price of one of your listings? I, personally, do not do this because I think it screams out to the consumer "Look!! I priced this house wrong to begin with, but come by and check it out now!!" Yes, I understand that in today's market, as a listing sits longer and longer, we need to be providing our sellers with updated comps at least once a month, in which that might warrant a price adjustment. I never use the word "reduce" when talking with my sellers. I always say … (22 comments)
dallas tx: Offer Submitted to My Sellers and Buyers Disappear
- 09/10/07 11:45 AM
An offer was submitted on one of my listings a couple of weeks ago. The showing consisted of the buyers and their entire family. I know this because they didn't make an appointment and just knocked on the door in which my sellers let them in because they were with an agent. They arrived in 3 different cars, that's how many people there were looking through the house!! I received an offer on the property the next day, YEAH! Along with the offer, I received a pre-approval letter. Great!! I read through it, and it had the terms of the loan, including mentioning … (19 comments)
dallas tx: Showing Properties with Appointments
- 09/10/07 03:35 AM
I've been reading a lot of blogs lately about how people are having problems controlling their sellers and getting showing on their properties for some reason or another... Why do you allow this? When I list a property, I tell the sellers how it works, I don't allow them to tell me how it's going to work. I'm the professional and I know how to get people into looking at their house. They don't understand how Realtors and Buyers actually work and how they want to make appointments. In the listing agreement, there is a place to enter the showing information. I tell … (44 comments)
dallas tx: Texas is Out of the Top 10 of Foreclosures!!!
- 08/22/07 08:22 AM
All Texas cities are finally out of the top 10 areas for foreclosures. What a huge jump. Texas, as a whole, has been at number one and number 2 a few times... Dallas is ranked 17th and FtWorth-Arlington area is ranked 13th. So, we're not out of the top 10 by very far, but it's definitely a turn in the right direction! Compared to the first half of 2006, Texas filings were actually down by 13%. All major Texas big city areas were down, except the Ft Worth- Arlington area, which was up 5%... again, it's the lower end properties where the people are typically first time … (2 comments)
dallas tx: Texas Electricity is DeRegulated... for the most part
- 08/21/07 05:22 AM
A few years ago, Texas became deregulated to help promote healthy competition between some electric companies in the hopes of bringing down the cost of electricity. Within this deregulation, instead of 3 main companies in the area, there are now probably close to 100. Even with the main ones in the area, you could only use the company that covered the area you lived. There is a great website that consumers need to know about where you can go and compare all the different rates that are charged and view what the terms and conditions are. This website is http://powertochoose.com/. This site has … (3 comments)
dallas tx: Allstate Insurance Trying to Pass Rate Increases Again...
- 08/21/07 03:18 AM
After everything that happened about 6 years ago with the Black Mold stuff and Allstate having to refund all their policy holders for unfair increases, Allstate is trying to raise rates again. Last month, Allstate submitted a plan to increase rates by an average of 6.9%. They claimed it was the "cost of doing business." Haven't we all heard that? Well, that plan got rejected because of the large increase and not enough justification for it. Here we are a month later, and they have submitted a new plan for a 5.9% increase. That still seems fairly high to me. This increase will … (12 comments)
dallas tx: OakPoint TX upholds English as Official Language
- 08/21/07 03:04 AM
A couple of months ago, the small city of OakPoint, TX voted to have English as the Official language of their city. With much uproar, the appeal process started. Yesterday, the law was upheld with a 2-3 vote. Oak Point is a tiny little city in Denton County off Lewisville Lake, just NorthWest of Little Elm, TX. The population is under 3500 residents. With such a small population, it's hard to imagine that they've hit the news as much as they have with what's going on there. Maybe it's a publicity stunt to increase their population. This new law does not apply to … (4 comments)
dallas tx: Why is Everyone so Sue-Happy?
- 08/20/07 08:45 AM
Why is everyone so Sue-Happy? When did our society turn into a society where you can sue someone just because you're unhappy with something? I think it started with the hot coffee spilling in the lap and the massive reward outcome that came with it. Since then, it's lawsuit after lawsuit. This blog is inspired by all the Q&A questions with people asking if they can sue the Seller for this and can they sue the Seller for that and can they also sue the Inspector for this and that. We all know that with home ownership, comes responsibility... at least every home owner … (21 comments)
dallas tx: Why You Shouldn't OverPrice to Sell
- 07/19/07 07:54 AM
Many sellers like to test the market. When doing this, they overprice their properties in the hopes that an unsuspecting buyer won't look at the neighborhood history and just offer the full asking price. Here is an example:There is a property in Rowlett, TX. I interviewed for the listing back in March 2006. At the appointment, we discussed many updates to the house that would need to be done in order to warrant top dollar. I told them that if they updated the kitchen, removed the wall paper, a few other things, along with allowing me to stage the property, a … (31 comments)
dallas tx: Email or Phone? What do Internet Consumers Want?
- 07/12/07 07:35 AM
I received an internet lead in October of 2005. It turned out that the owner had just bought the house a couple of months earlier, in August. I grunted a little, but sent him some information anyway because you just never know. I sent him listings on a monthly basis and also had him on an automatic drip campaign for once a month contact. Some time in 2006, he emails me asking me to update his email address. Why not.... I guess that means he's looking at the emails and listings, so I updated his information. In May, I received an email saying he … (24 comments)
dallas tx: What's Hot and What's Not
- 03/01/07 06:43 AM
I got my new REALTOR® Magazine today, and I've just started thumbing through it. I landed on a chart of "What's Hot" and "What's Not" for current trends. On the list, there were some no-brainers like the fact that people are liking Earth tones instead of the cold, modern look. Multiple photos within the listing are hot instead of just one picture, DUH! Here a few that surprised me. I've read several places that Bamboo flooring was just a phase and that they don't hold up as well as once thought, but the research is saying they're hot. Another thing on the list is … (10 comments)
dallas tx: Remodeling Investment
- 03/01/07 06:16 AM
Are you thinking of remodeling your home? Consider the return on your investment before remodeling. Not all remodeling projects yield the same return in increasing your home's value.Updating your kitchen and baths is your best remodeling investment, returning a nearly dollar-for-dollar increase in home resale value. An updated kitchen and bathrooms make your home that much more attractive to potential buyers when you do decide to sell.By contrast, converting a basement into a family room (if you're are has basements) or adding outdoor recreation facilities, such as a swimming pool or sport court, yield the lowest return on your investment.Sometimes the … (1 comments)
dallas tx: Minimize Your Stresses when Moving
- 02/28/07 07:35 AM
For most people, moving to a new residence is a stressful event. Here are some things you can do to minimize tension and worry when you sell your home:* Choose a real estate agent (REALTOR®) who communicates clearly and frequently, keeping you up to speed on every step of the process.* Price your home accurately for market conditions. Homes that sell quickly leave their sellers wondering if they set the price too low, while sellers whose homes sit on the market unsold wonder if they'll ever find a buyer.* Decide whether you want to move yourself or have professional movers handle … (2 comments)
dallas tx: Dallas Real Estate- Moving Day
- 02/27/07 01:58 AM
Most buyers and sellers consider moving day a real hassle. Here are some things you can do to make it more manageable:* Cut back on your possessions as you pack. Make separate areas for items to be discarded, sold, or donated to charity.* Label all boxes and color-code them by room, whether you pack yourself or have help. Otherwise, you'll never remember what's in each box.* Have the outside door locks on your new home changed and the garage door opener reprogrammed.* Get referrals from your doctors, dentists, and veterinarians for new providers near your new home. Take your files with … (0 comments)
dallas tx: Internet Marketing
- 02/23/07 07:03 AM
Have you wondered what it would take to sell your home for the highest price, in the shortest amount of time, and with a minimum of inconvenience?Besides accurate pricing and an effective marketing campaign, posting your home on the Internet can make a huge difference. The Internet has largely replaced newspapers as the advertising medium of choice for real estate listings. Why? Posting listings online costs almost nothing, information can be changed or updated almost instantly, listings can be screened by price or area, and the information is available to prospective buyers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.According to … (4 comments)
dallas tx: Why Choose Tech Savvy Realtor
- 02/22/07 01:35 AM
When you choose a real estate agent, you're selecting someone to represent you in one of the largest financial transactions you may ever undertake. As the Internet continues to simplify the way people research buying and selling homes, there are many good reasons to choose a REALTOR® who can harness the power of technology to provide you with exceptional service, including:· Sending up-to-date information by email for you to review at your convenience.· Providing you with an online home evaluation to stay on top of current market value. · Emailing new home listings to you as soon as desirable properties hit … (4 comments)
dallas tx: Dallas Real Estate- Price is Key
- 02/19/07 11:53 PM
According to a recent report, nearly 82% of potential buyers use the Internet to refine their home search. Broker Web sites let buyers browse by house size, style, area, and price.Because many buyers look only at those homes within their price range, it's important to accurately price your home for the market. The higher a home's price above market, the fewer the number of interested buyers, and the longer it will take to sell.The key to selling your home quickly at the greatest return is to price it at market value right from the start. A fairly priced home will capitalize … (0 comments)
dallas tx: Dallas Real Estate- Showing Your House
- 02/16/07 03:09 AM
I have found from experience that the activity during the first two weeks a home is on the market tends to predict how long it will take to sell. Potential buyers eagerly jump on new homes on the market.I am an ASP, Accredited Staging Professional. This means that I've taken the classes to become certified in better helping my sellers STAGE® their homes in order to help them sell faster and for higher dollar.Here are some "STAGING®" tips you might find helpful:* Keep your home in "show shape." Make sure that beds are made, dishes are in the dishwasher or put … (2 comments)
dallas tx: Dallas Real Estate- First Impressions
- 02/14/07 06:47 AM
As you prepare your home for the market, one thing to keep in mind is that you have only one chance to make a first impression. It is absolutely vital that prospective buyers form a good impression of your home--beginning the moment they drive up. You can help create that good first impression by presenting potential buyers with a well-cared-for yard including a mowed lawn. Your front door and porch should be clean and neat, preferably freshly painted.These first, important encounters create a positive impression that carries through to the rest of your home. An inviting atmosphere implies that your house … (2 comments)
This blog is to help educate Buyers, Sellers and even other Realtors across the country. Each market is different and the way Real Estate is done is different. Austin Real Estate is completely different than Dallas, California and Florida and everywhere else in between. Some times there will be other things besides real estate as I like to rant and rave as much as the next!! Come back often!
I will state right up front that I understand that this is different in the different markets across the Country and Canada. I'm writing this blog focusing mainly on my market, here in the Dallas area.
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