Hello again! KW continues to soar with its incredible sales organization. Excellence in organizational operations is a key goal for the company, so this is great and big news. While it continues to be the fastest-growing franchise in the US, it is also, once again, recognized as one of the best run. Big benefit for KW clients. Read on why....
Often not distinctly recognized as a benefit by buyers and sellers is the superior team and organizational force which stand behind their agents. This is of extreme importance every step of the sales process. When there are resources one's agent needs, they are readily available for the asking. This enables an extremely professional and smooth transaction as the client engages in one of the most important and financially largest sales they will make in life. Details on the award...
Keller Williams Realty wins Stevie® Award for Real Estate Sales Organization of the Year
Keller Williams Realty was recently honored with a Stevie Award in the Best Run Sales Organization category as the Real Estate Sales Organization of the Year at the second annual Selling Power Sales Excellence Awards in Las Vegas, Nev.
The awards were jointly presented by Selling Powermagazine, the leading sales management publication with 145,000 subscribers in 67 countries, and The Stevie® Awards, which have been hailed as “the business world’s own Oscars” (the New York Post, April 27, 2005).
More than 400 entries from companies of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted for consideration in more than 40 categories this year.
Courtesy, KW, December 16, 2007
So, congratulations, KW! And congratulations to KW's clients! You win!
Going Green (or is it red) on the frozen streets? You bet!
I am fortunate to be doing my civil duty as a court juror. As I was leaving the courthouse today, a county employe and I commented on the fact there must be something other than salt to help with icy sidewalks. Voilla! Tonight, one of our local news stations reported that the DC government will be using beet juice to help with winter street conditions. Excellent!
I believe this is one more confirmation that there is/might always be a means of problem-solving using non-environment-harming products. We can make our lives better without harming our environment - not to mention harming our good shoes! Cudos to the person or persons who thought deeply enough and/or cared enough to come up with this wonderful option! And if we are lucky, perhaps it will be available some day soon for us to use on our homes' driveways and walks! Thoughts?
Enjoy the snow!
Ken
Ken Courtade, Keller Williams Realty, Arlington, VA
What can one say, Westover is simply wonderful! If you are not familiar, the hub is at McKinley Rd. and Washington Blvd.
Yes, I do live and work in Westover, so I certainly have and in-depth understanding and overwhelming affection for our area. At the same time, when comparing areas along the Orange Line in Northern Virginia, I believe nothing comes close to the coziness and value! Note the following points:
-Ease of every-day living with conveniences at our door step: Post office, grocer, hardware store, several great restaurants - even a consignment store
-Convenience to commuting - a short walk to Metro or catch the bus right in Westover and you are at the Metro in a few minutes, 66, Rt. 50 and the parkway, among others, right nearby for vehicular travel
-Small town atmosphere: You've got it - holiday parades, costume contests, seasonal websites, neighbors who look out for each other's homes and pets when their neighbors are on travel, progressive dinner parties and caring for our older, historic homes
-Lack of congestion -- as Metro is not right in "downtown" Westover!
-Low turnover of homes when compared to other Arlington neighborhoods - so people tend to live and enjoy our area for a long time!
So, come check out our neighborhhood! If you need assistance in checking out the special aspects - do give me a call!
Ken Courtade
Yes I Ken!
Keller Williams, Arlington
KenCourtade@gmail.com
www.KenCourtade.com
703.981.4646
P.S. See this link for more on Westover: http://www.commuterpage.com/art/villages/westover2.htm
If your furry friend has a case of the fleas, try a less-toxic method of flea control such as ANTidote or Bio Flea Halt. If fleas have already invaded your home, applying Borax to the carpet is a fairly low-risk way to kill them off. (But be careful, Borax can be an eye irritant and should not be ingested in large amounts by your pet.) Or replace the chemical flea dip with this natural recipe from Care2: Cut up four lemons and simmer for about an hour in one quart of water, adding more water if necessary. Cool and strain the mixture before rubbing it into your dog's coat. Be sure to avoid your pet's eyes and exercise appropriate caution -- citrus-peel extract products like this one can be very strong. Ventilate the room properly and do not use this solution if you're asthmatic. And do not use this flea bath on cats!
COURTESY OF: SIERRA CLUB, NOVEMBER 7, 2007
Our homes are our places of solitude from the outside world. Keep the critters off your critters to have a pest-free and cozy abode. Especially as colder weather and the holidays approach, when we are indoors more, keeping our spaces free from unwanted "villains" becomes ever the more important!
"Protect yourself and the environment from harmful toxins by switching to organic hair-care products. Some studies suggestthat Methylisothiazoline (Mit), a chemical found in many name-brand shampoos, may be linked to neurological damage. And this kind of stuff is certainly not great for our groundwater or soil either. Learn more about what's in your shampoo and which brands are safe athttp://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/."
Source: Sierra Club, October 25, 2007
Green hair is in! Look closely at what you use. Also, think about our fellow creatures and buy products which specify that animals/lab animals were not used in the testing of a product. What more could we want than products that safeguard our bodies, animals, our environment and our homes?! Why not buy some for your Christmas gift recipients - the holiday is just two months away!
Everyday, more local utility companies are providing customers with options for alternative sources of energy. If your power company isn't doing this, let them know that you would like the choice. Click here to find out if greenpower is available in your area.
Source: Sierra Club, October 11, 2007
As a homeowner, you want the best bang for your buck. And as a concerned conservationist, choosing the best energy source is a means to helping our world. Speak up - and choose!
Ken
Ken Courtade, Yes I Ken!, Keller Williams, Arlington
If your geographical area is now considered or perceived as a declining market, you must consider this in your home sale pricing strategy. You must have a STRATEGY (this is where your expert Realtor comes in) to effectively and efficiently win - or to win at all usually! If your market is adjusting, or some might call it declining, here are a few important steps that you can take to not become a "victim" of downward price pull.
1. Don't "Test the Market"
This is a mondo (big) misstep. Many sellers wrongly think that the initial activity on their property will continue throughout the entire listing period. Note true. When you first list your property, there is pent-up demand among current buyers in the marketplace who haven't found the home that fits their requirements. Once this initial surge of possible interest dwindles, showings will decrease to only NEW buyers coming into the marketplace. And this might be a small number, especially considering your seasonal timing. Missing this initial out the door period which generally is a maximum - and often less - of the first 21 days your property is listed, OFTEN results in longer market time (DOM - Days on Market) and a SUBSTANTIALLY lower price. Do not make this COSTLY mistake.
2. Price your home BELOW the comparable sales for a given period
List your home property slightly below comparable sales (Also not at what the current listing prices of active listings are - these are not comparable "SALES" because they have not sold yet.). Today's comparable sales represent what the prices were for whatever period you have considered them within - IN THE PAST. Because you can only pull sales for actual sales - which are always in the past. Keep in mind also that a sale price is set at the contract ratification date - NOT the date it settles/sells. Some adjustments may have occurred, but many homes sell for the original contracted price. The settlement date can be a month to many months later than the date that the buyer and seller agreed on a price! In a market that is adjusting downward and is not static, the homes sold could already be valued at a lower price based on market value when the next comparable homes sell - hopefully yours.
So, simply stated, if the market is adjusting/declining, then your property is actually worth less than what comparable home sales have acquired. So, have your Realtor determine your market's average percentage adjustment and build it into your list price.
3. When you consider a needed price reduction, reduce to win the game - remember the competition next door
When property values are declining and you are mistakenly above the current market value, reducing your home sales price to current market value is not going to "cut" it (HA). You need to be slightly below market value to actually engage a buyer to purchase your home NOW. Beat out the competition before it beats you out and leaves you with no buyers. Only so many buyers are in the game for a LIKE property at any given time. You want to win those buyers over - over the neighbor's home offerring!
So, price and play to win - - and you will - - - in this OR ANY market! Best to you in your home sale! Comment here if you are a home seller or Realtor - let's hear additional input and recommendations!! Thanks!!
It is not everyday that such a wonderful website and service comes our way. NOW, an incredible website exists for rating your - or any - neighborhood for its walkability!! Here it is:
Take the wesbite for a walk (HA!) now! What did you learn about your neighborhood? How can this be useful in your every day life and for real estate?? Let's hear your creative applications and thoughts!
Think before you act to help save our environment! Think before you dry!
Electric hand dryers in restrooms are twice as energy-efficient as paper towels, even towels made from recycled paper. The production of the electricity that powers electric dryers generates greenhouse gases, but the production of paper towels is twice as energy-intensive and creates more greenhouse gases overall. Additionally, the manufacture of paper towels emits pollutants, and many paper towels are produced from virgin wood - not recycled material.
Source: Sierra Club, October, 1 2007
Start with small things to make a big difference for our world. Start by thinking first - then acting!
Do you have more tips?
Ken Courtade, Keller Williams Realty, Arlington, VA
Please, CNBC - leave the announcement to Realtors - to those out in our markets every day. Let's bring people to the table, not encourage (discourage) them away.
On the Today Show, recently, during a segment covering the national real estate market, CNBC's Jim Kramer stated with strength, "Now is the absolute worst time to buy!"
Homeowners, buyers, Real Estate Professionals - everyone - should be concerned that remarks like these from "experts" might be pushing potential buyers and sellers to the sidelines. In effect, it might have a self-fulfilling prophesy and help stall the market - which drives SO MANY related markets. Just the oppposite of "Build it, and they will come:" "Tear it down and they will leave."
Gary Keller, co-founder and chairman of Keller Williams Realty had this to say about waiting out the current market:
"First, residential real estate is not a national market product - it is a local one. To say from a national position that this is either a good time or a bad time to buy real estate is like saying the national forecast for the U.S. today is 92 degrees - it is a useless and irrelevant perspective. What is happening in your local market is all that matters.
Second, trying to predict when it is a good time to buy, or not, means you're trying to time the market. Staying on the sidelines is the surest way for most people to never time anything correctly.
Last, and maybe most important - there are always two markets in every market. There is the market of properties that are good buys and there is the market of properties that are not good buys. Interestingly enough, this is true in either buyer or seller markets. To categorically say that this is the time to buy or not is absolutely ignoring the fact that every market really has two markets inside it."
Let's keep a broad perspective while maintianing a close look at our individual markets. If you are a consumer, have your Realtor run numbers for your area. A great realtor will be adept at laying out the look of the market for you. Realtors, let's be prepared to give honest and thorough assessments of especially our individual markets. Realtors, what do you do that is especially helpful for your clients?
Ken
Ken Courtade, Yes I Ken!, Keller Williams Realty, Arlington
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Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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