peter den boer: Getting ready to list your home?
- 08/20/15 11:59 PM
So, you have decided that it is time. The kids are finally gone and the house seems too big. Or, that raise finally happened and we can afford more house. Whatever the situation, one of the biggest decisions you have to face is, how much will my home sell for?
A professional real estate agent will be able to give you a range based on what your market is currently experiencing. But how do they really know? Your agent likely has all the facts and figures they need at their fingertips to make an educated guess. But should you be looking for more … (2 comments)
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peter den boer: Do I always expect the worst?
- 08/18/15 10:43 PM
I do have a tendency to plan for the worst case scenario, then feel relieved when the best happens. This may be a part of trying to keep my clients safe. Always looking for the potholes ahead, and trying to guide my clients around them for a smooth ride.
Yesterday, I spoke to a client whose home is closing today. We both knew that we were just squeaking by on costs, but the HUD statement confirmed that he was going to have to bring a check to the table. I got on the phone with him to discuss.
In my head I had pre-played … (2 comments)
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peter den boer: On Call...
- 08/17/15 01:32 AM
I am Dr. Pete today, apparently. I am on call. Not for Brain Surgery or anything else like that. As part of my job as a listing agent, I will meet and work with any and all contractors that come to the house for work.
As part of this terrific plan, I have been told that I will get a call 30 minutes before the contractors get to the house. I am expecting this call sometime in the next 4 hours. Just a small issue, I am about 45 minutes away from the house. I hope the contractors don't mind waiting.
This is … (4 comments)
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peter den boer: Let the next owner take care of it.
- 07/30/15 11:10 PM
Let the next owner take care of it. I hear this occasionally from sellers. It usually has to do with something like cleaning the carpets when you leave, or keeping the yard looking nice up to closing. I cringe when I hear this.
As a buyer, you expect to find your new home that you just closed on in the same shape as when you made the offer on it. Here in Georgia, the contract actually states this. Unfortunately this does not always happen.
For instance, I have a Seller whose closing in this coming Monday. Tenants moved out of their home June 1 … (31 comments)
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peter den boer: Make sure you know who you are working with.
- 07/22/15 12:54 AM
Wow, the title of this blog could go in some many different directions. I guess the one I am thinking about would be the people you hire to do jobs around your home. People like painters, carpeting, handymen, etc. I am working with an irrigation company today.
They showed up right on time, got right down to work and are making good progress. The first guy I called showed up at the wrong time. I was not even home. Did nothing while he was here and charged me for an hour and a half of his time. He was summarily fired.
Both … (4 comments)
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peter den boer: Does it make sense to rent instead of sell?
- 07/21/15 01:09 AM
You just moved out of state and left your home that needs to be sold. Unfortunately you did not have time or the money to get it into pristine shape. It needs a bit of this and a little of that, but who has the time?
If you find yourself in this position, you might want to consider renting your home. If you can cover the carrying costs of the home, this includes mortgage payments, taxes, HOA fees and a management company to look after your home, you might do well to rent.
By renting your home, you will gain time to get … (1 comments)
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peter den boer: What do you mean they didn't accept our offer!
- 07/14/15 12:26 AM
There really are two sides to every story. These are the stories of the buyer and the seller, and these stories don't always mix.
I have buyers who made an offer for a home this week right at the sweet spot of what the comps tell us the home should sell for. We were incensed that the seller responded back at list price! What, they don't want to sell? How could they not see how fair we are being with our offer? Can't they see that we did not even ask for any closing costs? How dare they!
I really don't know the story … (3 comments)
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peter den boer: Want to be sold or educated?
- 07/13/15 05:27 AM
Some real estate agents consider themselves sales people. Fewer of us think of ourselves as educators. I tend to live in the educator camp. The things in this business that tend to stop me in my tracks are the things I thought everyone knew. Have you ever mentioned something to a client and watch their eyes glaze over?
Ever heard the saying that people like to buy, not be sold. I agree with this notion 100%. So, for those that like to buy, I see my job as providing my clients all the information they need to make an educated decision. This … (3 comments)
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peter den boer: It was a good day, but...
- 07/08/15 11:39 PM
Yesterday was a very good day. It was a great one for my clients who sold their home in the morning, and closed on their new home that afternoon. It was a great day for the buyers in the morning and the sellers in the afternoon. It was a great day for all the agents involved as well. At the end of the day, all were pleased.
Ok, so?
Well today will be spent handling paperwork. Yuck. I have various websites that need to be updated, paper files to be filed, digital files to be archived, signs to be cleaned and stored, accounting to … (6 comments)
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peter den boer: "There is a key for every lock"
- 07/05/15 11:45 PM
I like this quote. I would love to tell you that it was from some obscure book I read or from some great person from the past, but no, it is from a line spoken by Sheldon's mother on a past show of Big Bang Theory.
In essence, there is some one for everyone out there. There is also a buyer for every home. Sometimes it just takes a while and requires patience. I have 2 listings in mind. One is in a great neighborhood, on a cul-de-sac, with a great golf course view. For months we have had agents telling us that … (5 comments)
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peter den boer: Why is that home so expensive ( cheap) ?
- 06/29/15 09:54 PM
I find it very interesting when someone asks me why a particular property is priced the way it is. Much goes in to the value of a property. Things like location, condition, special features. Other things the owner may value but others will be unwilling to pay for are the special rose bush in the back, the outdated appliances that have rarely been used, the cute lines on the door frame chronicling the growth spurts of the seller's 5 kids. Value can be tough to accurately measure sometimes.
A seller who loves golf and lives on the prettiest spot on the golf … (3 comments)
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peter den boer: Enough already!
- 06/29/15 09:38 PM
Investors. I am really sick of them at the moment. If I never have to deal with another one ever, I will be happy. If you are not aware, there is a game that investors have been playing and I believe that someone is going to get sued over it.
Here is how it works. You have a listing for sale and an agent or the investor company direct sends you an offer. The offer is a bit low but is ultimately accepted by the seller. Everything goes along fine until the afternoon of the last day of due diligence. Then, all … (6 comments)
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peter den boer: Communication: Lack thereof
- 06/12/15 12:45 AM
Several things have popped up on my radar in the last several days that involved communication, or the lack thereof. The Real Estate business is one where good communication skills are so important. Without these skills, you can find your deal falling apart, and not even knowing why.
I sent an email to the buyers agent last night letting them know where the house key was located, because I took my lockbox away. The closing is today. The agent responded, thanks and oh by the way, the closing has been moved back 2 1/2 hours. What? No one told me this until … (2 comments)
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peter den boer: I'm sorry, that home is under contract.
- 05/21/15 11:48 PM
Sometimes we have crossed all the "T's" and dotted every "I", yet things still fall apart.
Here in the Atlanta area, as with many other parts of the country, we are experiencing a "Seller's Market". This means that there are more buyers vying for fewer properties. This can cause multiple offer situations and tends to push prices up. There is also another issue that we run into. Paperwork.
Huh? Paperwork? What in the world does this have to do with a Seller's market you ask? Well, let me tell you. When I pull properties to show clients, I check to make sure they … (16 comments)
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peter den boer: We will just negotiate and then call the agents...Not!
- 05/07/15 12:19 AM
I have a client that called me the other day with the news that they wanted me to list their home, and they had the buyer already! Great, I said! I am always leery of done deals because they really aren't, until they are!
The expected buyer had off-handedly suggested a sales price and my clients had agreed to it. All smiles, until the buyer started adding on. The price really needed to be lower...how about closing costs too? The grass in front needs some work. Oh, and did we mention...My clients started getting hot under the collar!
This is one reason why agents … (2 comments)
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peter den boer: You are a class act, he said.
- 05/03/15 11:49 PM
Saturday afternoon was spent doing a final walk through with some buyer clients. Usually these take me about half an hour. This one took 2 hours! But it was well worth it.
I met my clients at the house and we walked through checking the repairs and the house in general. Things looked great and as we stood talking about how excited they were to buy this home. About then the listing agents showed up.
We spoke to the agents for about half an hour and everyone had a good time. The listing agents left and as my clients and I stood in the … (4 comments)
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peter den boer: There is someone living in my vacant listing!
- 04/29/15 10:21 PM
I heard this story this week and was astounded. I have had to deal with squatters in a home before, but this one was really scary. Several doors down from a listing I have in my own neighborhood is another listing priced at $500,000. The agent who has this listing lives next door to it. A couple of days ago she noticed her yard sign was missing and went over to take a look. She found out the vacant home no longer was!
A mother, father and 2 kids were in the process of moving in! They had some of their possessions … (5 comments)
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peter den boer: No problem, my Dad is a home inspector.
- 04/20/15 10:10 PM
Home inspection are a necessity when buying a home. Once you are under contract, the home needs to be inspected by a qualified home inspector. This process is intended to either uncover potential problems with the home or give it a clean bill of health.
The process begins to break down when relatives or close friends step up to do an inspection. I had a buyer once tell me a good friend would do her inspection. He came in and measured the rooms for her and left. Some inspection.
Today the father of my client will be conducting the inspection. I hope he … (5 comments)
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peter den boer: The siren song
- 04/20/15 05:36 AM
Many parts of the country are subject to violent storms in the Spring. Whether it is hail storms, thunder storms, or even tornadoes, people living in these areas are trained by the media to watch the weather stations or listen to radios to keep informed of where these dangerous storms are. Here in the Atlanta, we have early warning sirens that blare when the weather turns dangerous. Early warning means minutes, or less.
These sirens are common place throughout the southern tier of the united states. I used to hear them every Summer in Des Moines Iowa when we visited my grand … (3 comments)
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peter den boer: It's the hardest thing an agent does
- 04/09/15 05:33 AM
I think there several things that real estate agents do that can be difficult. Telling a client that they did not get the home they wanted due to multiple offers is tough. Explaining why the cat urine smell in the house needs to go away to a seller can be awkward. For me and many other agents though, I believe that pricing a home for sale is one of the hardest things we as agents do, if we are doing it right.
In the Atlanta area we have a multiple listing service that gleefully advertises that they have made doing a cma … (40 comments)
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So, you have decided that it is time. The kids are finally gone and the house seems too big. Or, that raise finally happened and we can afford more house. Whatever the situation, one of the biggest decisions you have to face is, how much will my home sell for?
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