remax fort wayne: My Hairdresser Said I Should Offer 60% Of List Price. - 12/15/12 12:25 PM
After getting Deb pre-approved I showed her some homes in South West Fort Wayne. After four showings we found "the one". She asked if we could see it again the following day, and asked me to bring a purchase agreement because she was ready to make an offer.
I ran my comps and found that the home was priced pretty well for the area. Since we were asking the seller to pay for Deb's closing costs, a survey, and a home warranty, I recommended offering around 92% of list price. I thought that if we offered that we could … (102 comments)
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remax fort wayne: Should I Get A Sitter? Yes. Yes Please. - 05/06/12 04:45 AM
I'll never forget the day I met Jack and Jill and their two young hellions... I mean kids. The son was six, the daughter was four. They were both out of control.
It was cute at first. Then as the son knocked the vase off of the coffee table in the living room because he was practicing wind sprints, and then the daughter decided to stand on my feet, grab my pockets, and look up at me and scream bloody hell...
The cuteness quickly wore off. :)
This time around I was only showing them one … (78 comments)
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remax fort wayne: If You Find It... JUMP ON IT! - 04/28/12 05:59 AM
I am not a fan of pushy sales people. Not one single bit. When I walk through the mall (the two times a year that happens) I get so annoyed at the people in the kiosks trying to push things on to me. No... I don't want a massage. No... I don't want my eyebrows plucked. No... I don't want to try that skin cream.
When Amanda and I bought our home in Fort Wayne our Realtor was pushy. She tried to talk us into buying one of her listings that wasn't even close what we wanted.
What's my point? … (10 comments)
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remax fort wayne: Why. Even. Bother? - 04/07/12 07:01 AM
We listed a cute little ranch last year in South West Fort Wayne. After our initial meeting with the sellers, we knew that we needed to list it at the top of the price range for that area because of how tight they were on what they owed. The selling price wasn't unrealistic, but we knew it could take a little while to sell. We all agreed and then put it on the market.
We had a fair amount of showings, but no offers. Not a huge surprise. Then Agent X showed it. She told us that her buyer was … (39 comments)
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remax fort wayne: An Open Letter To Lenders That Keep Asking For My Business... - 04/05/12 05:58 AM
Dear Lenders that keep asking for my business,
First off, I want to say that I truly respect what you folks do for a living. I couldn't do it.
Second, I work very hard to generate buyer leads. I spend countless hours blogging, working Facebook and Twitter, on the phone, and talking with my SOI.
When I do get these leads, I cherish them. They become my clients, and it's my job to do what is best for them.
Even though it is their choice on which lender they use, they often ask me for … (17 comments)
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remax fort wayne: Are You Even Listening To Me? - 03/26/12 06:15 AM
Hi. This is Jared. How can I help you?
(Speaking very loud and fast) Hey Darren. This is Scott with Super Duper Real Estate. Listen, I have some kids that want to see your listing on 123 Main St right now. Is it vacant?
Sure is Scott. Do you have a pen ready? Oh, and It's (spoken slowly and loudly) Jared.
Great Jerry. So what price is this home?
It's priced at $139,000. My name is Jared. J. A. R. E. D. (I really did spell it out)
Okay great Gerald. I'll give you a call … (25 comments)
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remax fort wayne: New Listing! Completely Remodeled 3 BR Ranch in Waynedale! - 03/16/12 05:41 AM
… (4 comments)
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remax fort wayne: I Can't Remember Who My Realtor® Was... - 03/15/12 04:39 PM
I can't believe how many times I have heard this from a new client.
"I bought my home a few years ago. I used um... uh... wait..."
"We were going to call the guy that helped us sell our last home, but uh..."
"Who did I used to use? Let's see... his name started with a P. Paul maybe? Phil? He worked with that one company over on W. Jefferson... You know what..."
I can't remember who my Realtor® was.
My competitive side wants to make a snide comment like "This is music to my ears!!" Instead, my … (18 comments)
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remax fort wayne: The Greatest Phone Call I Ever Received. - 03/13/12 06:15 AM
Yesterday my phone rang. The conversation was legen... (wait for it)
Ben: Hey Jared! It's Ben. I'm one of your Facebook friends. Do you have a minute?
Me: Sure Ben! What's going on? How can I help you?
Ben: Well, I'm in the market to buy a home. I was wondering if you would like to be my Realtor?
Me: Absolutely! Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?
Ben: No need. I have been reading your blog and your little tips on Facebook. I am not working … (18 comments)
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remax fort wayne: Did The Listing Agent Just Hurt Seller #1? - 03/11/12 07:05 AM
There is a local agent that does the same thing every time we show one of his listings. (And usually within MINUTES of setting up the showing.)
Agent XYZ: "Hey Jared. Agent XYZ here. Listen... I saw that you are showing my listing over there on 123 Main St. Well here's the deal. I have another listing over at 127 Main St. that is similar in size and just a few houses down. I really think that you should go ahead and show that one as well. What do you say??"
Me: "Well Agent XYZ... I'm very … (73 comments)
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remax fort wayne: Knock Knock. Who's There? NOT ME! - 03/06/12 07:12 AM
I just read a blog over on Trulia where a Realtor was excited to start door knocking for business again. He said he hadn't done it in over five years, but was anxious to get out there and get to work!
I cringed.
If I'm sitting in my dining room having dinner with my lovely bride, and I see somebody approaching my door... I know this person is either:
1. Selling something.
2. Selling something.
Nobody has ever knocked on my front door to say hi, to introduce themselves, or to give me money. I … (24 comments)
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remax fort wayne: 2011 Market Report For Bridgewater Subdivision In Southwest Fort Wayne. - 03/05/12 12:03 PM
Fort Wayne Homes Sold in Bridgewater Subdivision in 2011
Homes Sold: 29
Highest Price: $418,143. This was a 4 BR 3,082 SQ FT home.
Lowest Price: $184,200. This was a 3 BR 1,729 SQ FT home.
Average List Price: $322,690
Average Sales Price: $311,248
Median Sales Price: $312,000
Average Days on Market: 149
Fort Wayne Homes Actively For Sale In Bridgewater Subdivision
Number of Active Homes Listed: 14
Number of Pending Homes: 3
Highest Price: $439,900. This is a 4 BR 2,536 SQ FT home with a daylight finished basement.
Lowest Price: $254,900. This is a 4 BR … (3 comments)
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remax fort wayne: Step By Step Process of Buying A Home In Fort Wayne, Indiana. - 02/27/12 10:37 AM
Are you thinking about buying a home in the Fort Wayne area and have questions about the home buying process? Here is a quick breakdown..
1. Call A Fort Wayne Realtor®. Of course we want you to call The Christiansen Team so we can help you, but if you don't call us, call a local Realtor®. You need a professional to guide you through the process.
2. Get pre-approved with a Lender. It is very important that you know not only that you can qualify for a mortgage, but how much you can comfortably afford. We can … (5 comments)
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remax fort wayne: Fort Wayne, Indiana Isn't THAT Big. - 02/24/12 07:56 AM
I got a call from a seller yesterday. He asked the normal questions. How much real estate did you sell last year? How long have you been selling real estate in Fort Wayne? Do you prefer to work with buyers or sellers? What was the average days on market for your listings last year? Plus a few others.
I love interviews like this. I didn't always. I used to cringe at these questions when we were new agents, but now that we have 3 years experience, I welcome them.
Back to the story. After … (15 comments)
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remax fort wayne: What's The First Step To Selling Your Fort Wayne Home? It Might Surprise You. - 02/06/12 01:33 PM
What do you think is the first step to selling your home in Fort Wayne? Go ahead and think about it. I'll wait.
Did you say Find a good Realtor® in the Fort Wayne area that has had recent success selling their listings? That's towards the top of the list, but not #1. (I was so tempted to insert a shameless plug there!!)
Getting your home in tip top shape and market ready? That's up there too, but not quite #1.
Still can't figure it out?
In my opinion, the first step to selling your … (9 comments)
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remax fort wayne: 17 Ways To Make Sure Your Home WON'T SELL. - 02/03/12 01:05 PM
17. List it for 200% of it's true value.
16. List it as a four bedroom instead of a three. When the buyers get there... SURPRISE! Only three!
15. Paint the entire inside bright yellow with a Sponge Bob theme throughout.
14. Get three giant angry dogs and leave them loose during showings.
13. Require one full week's notice for showings.
12. Draw three outlines of bodies with police tape across them on the living room carpet.
11. Stay home for the showings and sing show tunes to the buyers and their agent the entire time they are … (102 comments)
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remax fort wayne: I Had The Coolest Dream Last Night... - 01/30/12 06:44 AM
My dream started with me waking up in the morning. I went to the bathroom mirror and the bags under my eyes were gone. All of my gray hair had turned back to dark brown. I knew it was going to be a good day.
I went downstairs and guess what? The dogs had let themselves out. They even remembered to wipe each other's paws when they came back in. They did give themselves a little more to eat than normal, but I let that one slide because... well... because they fed themselves.
I opened up my … (11 comments)
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remax fort wayne: I'm Glad We Started When The Real Estate Market Sucked. - 01/24/12 11:54 AM
I was having a very interesting conversation yesterday with an agent that has been selling real estate for a lot longer than I have.
She was telling me about the good ole days. You know, the days when:
You would list a house in the morning and have a SOLD sign on it by that afternoon after multiple offers.
Anybody with a pulse could get a mortgage.
Appraisals weren't an issue.
The phones in the office were always ringing off the hook with more and more buyers.
Sellers could pay for the buyer's down payment!
As she was … (13 comments)
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remax fort wayne: Some Inappropriate Behavior At Showings. - 01/05/12 02:56 PM
Can I bring my mom, dad, brother, sister, cousin, neighbor, mailman, and my dog to the showing tonight? Inappropriate.
I know that our showing time is between 4-5, but is it okay if we hang out in the living room for an hour or so and discuss the homes we saw today? Inappropriate.
Do you think the sellers would mind if I looked in their fridge and cabinets? Inappropriate
I know the sellers asked us to take our shoes off, but my socks stink. Can I leave my shoes on? Inappropriate on two levels.
… (52 comments)
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remax fort wayne: Why Do I Still Love Selling Real Estate In Fort Wayne? Here Are A Few More Reasons. - 12/20/11 07:12 PM
This is the second in my series of why I love selling real estate in Fort Wayne. The first blog can be found HERE.
Ashlee and Ronnie. These two first time home buyers were a lot of fun to work with, even though we had our struggles. We had an offer accepted on what they thought was their dream home. It turned out to be a nightmare during the inspection. They were heartbroken!
Thankfully we were able to get out of that first deal and just a short time later we found their REAL dream home in the Huntertown … (8 comments)
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