Eric's Blog

Happy 4th. of July from the Helmers Group!

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:34:56 -0500

Happy Independence Day from The Helmers Group

We would like to wish you and your family a happy and safe Independence Day!

Click the www. button of the tour to view Minneapolis Police brochure on fireworks.

Photo Credits: Shin-T, Semnoz, Ondrejk, Alex Sims, Sparky R, Brad Mills and Unknown Artists.

OPEN HOUSE 5/22/2008

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:09:25 -0500

PLANNING AHEAD! We will be conduction an open house (1-3PM) at this wonderful home 5/22/08. With Fathers Day this coming weeekend, we felt we could plan ahead and get the word out on this special home. If you or someone you know may be interested in theis home but would like to see it sooner, please feel free to give us a call and set up a private showing.

DIRECTIONS>>>http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=rfsb8476nc0y&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=12722536&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

Giving Back to the Community Through Public Services

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:39:36 -0500

The Helmers Group has represented several banking institutions in the sale of their foreclosure/REO property inventories. While foreclosures and banks have not always received positive press, they have been a part of several occasions in which some of these financial institutions have made properties available to benefit communities through donation of land for low income development and the use of property for the training of police and fire departments. Watch the video for a look into some of the training the Brooklyn Park Swat Team recently received due to the donation of property by one of our lender partners.

Buyer Representation Gone Bad or Just a Bad Relationship??

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:40:35 -0500

I was at CE event recently and I was approached by an agent I had worked with at a Brokerage House I had worked at in the past. Nothing unusual about that, we all interact on a daily basis and do a little chit chatting at these events. But as I was talking to him he received a phone call and proceeded arguing profusely with the person on the other end of the line. They continued going on and on for about ten minutes. I ended up just walking away because it was obvious the agent could not communicate with the person on the other end of the line. A few minutes later, the agent approached me and asked if I would mind helping him out with a problem he was having. I said sure, what's seems to be the issue. He said, "You probably overheard the phone conversation I just had?" I said of course. Seems as though you and your client are really having trouble communicating whatever the issue is between you. He said, "Yes we are, the problem is, that it is my wife"! I said you're kidding me right? He said, "No, we just sold our house and are purchasing another and my wife is refusing to sign the buyer representation agreement." Needless to say, I was doing everything I could to keep from falling to the floor in laughter to actually feeling bad for this poor guy. I've only had a few clients that even felt uncomfortable about signing this document, but I've never had one refuse to after I explain the pros and cons the document presents. Generally, clients feel it is necessary and understand the need for such a document to exist. It clearly helps identify the role each participant takes outlines for the buyers what can be expected of the Real Estate professional. As funny as I found this incident to be, I am curious to get feedback pro or con from fellow agents and buyers past and present as to your take on the buyer representation agreement.

Memorial Day Wish!

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:09:39 -0500

Stop to Remember on Memorial Day!

We at the Helmers Group would like to wish you and your loved one's a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. Please take a minute to stop and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many in order to protect our freedom and the rights we so often take for granted!

Special thanks to the following for use of their stunning photography.
dbking, soldiersmediacenter,Kamoteus Ron Miguel,Randy Son of Robert,Jardmoo,Jeff Kubina and the IwoJima Memorial staff.

Walkout Rambler on Scenic Credit River Valley!

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Fri, 23 May 2008 15:50:24 -0500

Scenic Credit River Valley

13717 Princeton Ct., Savage, MN 55378 View Map

Feel at home in this breathtaking walkout rambler on the Credit River! Enjoy the privacy and shear comfort from the large deck or relax the day away in the huge cedar gazebo.

Enter the living room with it's gas fireplace surrounded by custom oak built-in mantel and bookcases, solid hardwood floors and one stunning view.

Owners suite w/ private bath, separate shower & spa sized whirlpool tub, bay window, quite sitting area & large walk-in closet give the feel of true luxury.

Other features of the home include formal dining room w/ French doors to sun room, informal dining room off the kitchen with it's newer appliances and granite counters, main level laundry, massive family room with wet bar and more A truly rare opportunity!

Details

Asking Price:

$539,900.

MLS:

3543851

Sq. Feet:

3,767

Lot Size:

.35 Acres

Bedrooms:

Bathrooms:

# of Floors:

Garage Size:

3 Car

Subdivision:

Deer Run

Year Built:

1986

Property Amenities

Contact Info

Eric & Corey Helmers
Realtor, ABR,GRI,E-Pro

Cell 612-581-5375
Dir 763-463-7557
Email | Website

It's Time to Buy in Wright County

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:29:27 -0500

Attention buyers! Buy on weakness for perceived weakness? Recently the StarTribune ran a three part series on property values and other issues related to homes in Wright County. The article did not shine brightly on the County as a whole, which is interesting. There are indeed some areas of the County were builders ran their business more like prospectors, rather than that of sound investors and it has caused some areas to see significant pricing decreases. Well, as the buyer I am currently working with said, "I could not ask for anything more"! Currently he is in negotiations to purchase a 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 3 car garage two story built in 2005 in the price range of $230,000. Wow! Could he ask for more? Rather than looking at the situation negatively, my buyers are exited to be able to afford what two years ago seemed unattainable. If you are looking for a wonderful home at a great price, now is the time to strike! Rates and home prices are low and there are wonderful homes to be had. Call Eric at 763-463-7557 to get started on your home search or visit our site at htt://www.HelmersOnHomes.com.

Check out some of our property virtual tours while you are here!

Rogers: Town Home, Split Entry

Brooklyn Park Two Story

Champlin Two Story

Buying REO Properties-Be Patient!

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 15:38:50 -0500

Deciding to help a client to buy a Bank Owned (REO) property or assisting them in dealing with a short-sale purchase will in many cases require you to have a great deal of patience with both the selling agent and your buyer(s). Banks and Title companies are currently overwhelmed with the number of foreclosures hitting the market. With properties switching hands from bank to bank due to insolvency issues, deeds are taking longer to track down and update, REO managers are feeling the pressure to get inventory numbers down and yet still meet the banks bottom line. It all leads to extended wait times for answers on offers and final Title work to be completed.

Buyers are also convinced that they can get bargains due to T.V. and radio commercials for companies generally using foreclosures as a way to real in prospective buyers and then re-sell those leads back to agents willing to pay for leads.

SAMPLE RADIO SPOT IN OUR MARKET (Buy foreclosures at huge discounts! Learn how now! Get your free list of foreclosures now! If your last name start with the letter A-F, call today. All others call tomorrow for your free list of foreclosures.) GREAT LEAD GENERATION!

Lowball Offers lead to extreme delays! As with any seller, banks are easily anoyed with low offers and have in some cases just shelved the offer with no replay for weeks. We see offers coming in 20-30% below list. Fact is over the last 6 months our group has achieved a sale to list price of 93% on our REO inventory. We also have a 98% sale to suggested list price. There are so many flippers and investors out there that the competition has helped list to sale prices stabilize. Also, the banks have multiple Broker Price Opinions and at least one appraisal done on these properties so their original list price is not determined by the practice of simply throwing a dart at a board.

Suggestions for having a smooth transaction when dealing with these transactions- Read the MLS print out (agent/financial remarks) thoroughly! Understand how to explain AS-IS to buyers. Have paperwork completed thoroughly. Banks often reject PA's due to missing information from buyers. Coach/Prep. your buyer(s) before hand, that they need to be realistic with offers, flexible with their closing dates and patient throughout the process. Calling banks or agents contantly asking "Any word yet"? will only slow the process down. Banks hate being bothered over and over again. Follow these steps and your transactions will flourish.

Rental Market Shrinking-Rents Rising

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 16:47:21 -0500

As home prices cool, rents are heating up

•· By Alex Markels Posted 7/13/06

Just when you figured that putting off buying a house was a prudent move, the price of renting is going up.

After years of slack demand and "one month free!" incentives from many landlords, apartment rental markets are tightening in many parts of the country, especially areas like Los Angeles, Miami, and Washington, D.C., where home sales have begun to slow amid increasing mortgage rates and talk of a housing bubble. Rents are expected to increase nationally by 5.3 percent this year, about twice what they did last year, according to the National Association of Realtors. And they're growing even faster in places like Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; San Jose, Calif.; and the Washington suburbs of Maryland, where luxury apartment rents increased by 11 percent last year.

Real-estate experts credit a strong economy, low unemployment, and sky-high home prices that have boxed out many would-be buyers. That's not to mention those who have decided to put off a purchase until the market cools off. "A year ago, people may have expected some upside in house prices, but now they're not so sure," says Sam Chandan, chief economist with REIS Inc., which tracks the national real-estate market. "So people are less willing to pay a premium to be a homeowner and more willing to rent."

Combine that with recent strong employment growth (which typically increases the number of renters), and it's easy to see why vacancy rates have plummeted. With more people in the rental pool, apartment vacancies in Washington, D.C., have fallen by nearly a third over the past year to a rate of just 1.7 percent, according to real-estate market researcher Delta Associates. (The national average is 5.7 percent.) Not surprisingly, landlords in the city of Washington have taken full advantage, raising rents there by about 7 percent.

Meanwhile, the supply of rental apartments in many areas has been eroded by the recent trend toward condo conversions-transforming rental units into condos for sale. This trend decreased the nation's stock of rental units last year, according to REIS figures.

That could change if the home-buying market continues to cool, which is already pushing some developers who'd planned to sell condos to add the new units to the rental pool instead. But even then, "a handful of conversions back to rentals won't take up the slack anytime soon," says Delta Vice President Grant Montgomery, who expects rental prices to increase strongly for at least the next year or so.

Real-estate economists say the increase may actually be a good sign for home prices, which have risen in some areas to what many say are unsustainable levels. With monthly rents still well below what an equivalent property would cost in monthly mortgage payments, "increases in rental prices [combined with moderating real-estate prices] will help bridge the disconnect and firm up the fundamentals," REIS's Chandan says.

So does that mean it's time to buy? YES!

Stay tuned.

Fastest growing rents
Metro Area	Annual rent increase	Average monthly rent
1. Fort Lauderdale, Fla	8.71%	$1,023
2. Orlando	7.87%	$ 795
3. San Jose, Calif.	7.79%	$1,287
4. Palm Beach, Fla.	7.36%	$1,036
5. San Francisco	7.24%	$1,541
6. New York	7.07%	$2,407
7. Miami	6.83%	$1,016
8. Orange County, Calif.	6.43%	$1,374
9. San Bernardino, Calif.	6.42%	$ 978
10. Tampa	6.35%	$ 754

Source: REIS Inc.

Cave? Do You Practice This

Eric Helmers (Keller Williams Classic Realty N.W.) — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 01:17:50 -0600

According to a recent article in the Boker Agent News, there is a new trend to watch for when searching for homes in 07'. It's called "Caving". or as my father called it, "Time Out". Caving. Man caves and Mom caves are coming out of the closet. Personal dedicated space for one person in a household can go and work on projects or "chill" without being disturbed and if so only in an emergency. Author: Mark Nash

I'm interested in knowing if you or someone in your family is a Caver or if this is a trend in a market you live and work in. Have a great day! Eric