Hickory NC Real Estate Info

8 Restful Lane - Hickory NC Homes for Sale

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:43:10 -0500

Hickory NC Homes For Sale

8 Restful Lane, Hickory NC

3 Bedrooms, 2 Baths

Vinyl Ranch

City amenities, Country Living and NO CITY TAXES

CLICK HERE - For more Info Photos - Hickory NC Homes

Call Roger A Johnson 828-270-9330

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Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Budget Bathroom Staging: Before & After Photos

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:32:48 -0500

Staging doesn't have to be expensive to make your room really POP! In this article, Kristine Ginsberg gives a fine example of how by spending just a little money, you can make a BIG difference in appearance. And appearance is everything when selling your home. So, check out this bathroom makeover done for around $50.00 and see what you think.

Looking to sell in or around the Hickory, NC area? Give me a call so we can get your property SOLD

Via Kristine Ginsberg (Morris County, NJ: Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC):

Budget Bathroom Staging: Before & After Photos

We’ve all heard that kitchens and bathrooms sell homes…..but that doesn’t mean you have to do any renovations – you won’t get your money back. There is a much better alternative. You’d be amazed at what a little paint and added accessories can do to transform a bathroom all for under $50.00!

Painting is cheap! It’s the most cost effective way to clean and update a bathroom. Elite Staging and Redesign painted this bathroom in a cool blue/grey and added some accessories. It was easy, and yet the transformation is remarkable…

Before:

After:

Opposite View:

After:

Close-up:

After:

We added a litte storage space in this unused nook...

Contrary to popular belief, home staging is about working with what you have, spending the least amount of money while transforming a space. Great home stagers pride ourselves on being resourceful to keep the cost to the bare minimum while transforming your home for the market.

Elite Staging and Redesign - Staged to Sell, Designed to Live

Elite Staging and Redesign - Kristine Ginsberg - 201 602 2562

Home Staging Morris County - Staged to Sell, Designed to Live!

Elite Staging and Redesign (201)602-2562

You have 90 seconds to make a great first impression once your home goes on the market. Consult a Morris County professional home stager serving Union, Essex, Sussex Counties for that competitive edge so your home stands out from the competition, selling faster and for top dollar!

Elite Staging and Redesign offers home staging services to North Jersey homeowners, real estate agents, banks, builders, and investors in preparing homes to stand out in today’s real estate market. For a consultation on vacant staging, lived in homes or interior redesign projects call Elite Staging and Redesign.

We will use proven home staging techniques to create warm, inviting, updated spaces that will appeal to the masses. In today's competitive market, every home can use an edge. For a free home staging proposal, call us today at 201-602-2562.

Home Staging Website: Elite Staging and Redesign

Morris County Staging Before/After pictures: Portfolio

Email: Kris@elitestagingandredesign.com

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

What is a buyer's agent?

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:33:09 -0500

I often get asked by prospective buyers "What does a buyer's agent do and why do I need one?" Bryan Robertson as written a great article clearly explaining what is a buyer's agent and how we can help you with the home buying process.

The home buying process can be a daunting task, but with a quality agent in your corner, it'll make all the difference.

If you're looking for homes in or around the Hickory, NC area, give me a call and let's see how we can help you find your home today.

Via Bryan Robertson, Los Altos REALTOR Los Altos Real Estate - Homes For Sale (Sereno Group - Los Altos):

As a home buyer, the buyer's agent is there to advocate your interest in a real estate transaction. They have a fiduciary duty to represent you and your wants/needs when buying a home. Unlike the seller's agent who care's about getting the most for the seller, the buyer's agent is working to get you the best home at the best price. They are (or should be) loyal to you. Among the many services your agent will do for you include:

Offer knowledge and expertise about the neighborhoods you're considering living in

Help find any home on or off the market that meets your needs as a buyer

Advise you on pricing and negotiating offer terms, as well as negotiating with the selling agent

Assist you with obtaining and understanding disclosures and inspections on your desired home

These services involve significant amounts of time that encompass phone calls, emails, reading, writing, and lots of paperwork as well as a fair amount of data analysis. This work on your behalf is NOT simply a matter of print out MLS data and showing you a home. There's a lot of value in what your agent gives you in each of these areas:

Neighborhood Expertise: A buyer's agent will talk to you to find out what you want in a neighborhood. Their expertise will direct you to the neighborhoods that best suit your needs. At the same time, they can compare and contrast several neighborhoods to help you narrow down the best 1-2 for you.

Help Find A Home: Sure, home buyers spend hours on the Internet searching for homes but a buyer's agent will point out what you can't learn online. We'll find expired and cancelled listings that might still be for sale, "off MLS" listings only agents know about, and other opportunities you'll never find online.

Pricing and Negotiating: Don't trust the Zestimate for your offer price and don't plan on automatically offering 10% below the listing price either. A buyer's agent will review recent sales and come up with a price that reflects current market value. We'll help advise you on how to then get the best possible deal and negotiate that with the seller.

Disclosures and Inspections: There can be hundreds of pages in a disclosure package on a home and your agent will help point out how much of that is important and how much isn't. Many reports have "boilerplate" text, while others make "suggestions" that may not be relevant. Your agent will point out what matters so you can negotiate repairs, if necessary.

The bottom line is that a buyer's agent is working in your best interest as a home buyer. The listing agent, working for the home seller, will NEVER give you the guidance you need because they can't tell you what the seller's motivation or position are. Having a buyer's agent gives you the edge you need to get the best home at the best price.

I represent several buyers and offer unique services in finding your ideal home. If you're looking for a home in Silicon Valley, give me a call.

If you have enjoyed reading my blog, please subscribe HERE!

Want to know more about me? Just Google Me!

Bryan Robertson, Broker Associate | T: 650.799.9951 | Email: bryan@serenogroup.com | Website: http://www.BryanRobertsonHomes.com |CA License: 01191946 | Sereno Group - Los Altos branch | 369 S. San Antonio Road | Los Altos, CA 94022

Find Me Online!

Recent Articles from Bryan's Blog

Los Altos Neighborhood Tour - Old Los Altos

Los Altos Neighborhood Tour - Rancho

The Definitive Guide to parks in Los Altos

New House Construction Costs in Los Altos

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Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

"Snort Sale" - The "Highs" and Lows of the MLS - 2011

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 11:39:46 -0500

Gwen Banta's excellent tale of some listing agents serious lack of proofreading skills (and apparently, inability to use spell-check as well). Remember folks, it doesn't matter how great a write up it is if the buyers can't understand it (or are too busy rolling on the floor laughing at it). Funny stuff. Enjoy!

Via Gwen Banta (Sotheby's International Realty):

Well friends, this is my last blooper post of the year, and I still have not run out of material. I don’t know whether to thank these hapless agents or to flog them. At the very least, Perhaps I should commend them for sending us off into 2012 with a lot of laughter. Enjoy these bloopers, and have a Happy New Year everyone!

For Those With Hang-Ups

“Kitch with breakfast hook” (Heehaw - hook ‘em, book ‘em and cook ‘em!)

“Indescribable wildlift” (How are those diet pills workin’ out for ya, sweetie?)

“Bif gym fully equipped” (Who’s more fully equipped – Bif or the gym?)

“Brig bonus by New Year’s day” (Yay – a prison party – at last I’ll find a date!)

“Pets wilcome” (Ahhh, a veternarian’s Field of Dreams.)

From Those Who Should Be Hanged

"Snort Sale" - (Okay Scarface, that explains the teeth grinding)

“Christmas crab bag” (I think there’s an ointment for that.)

“Big troy drive” (Methinks this is an ancient Greek ad for a Trojan horse...)

“Nice entertainment arena” (Proudly offered by Ringling Brothers Realty.)

“Fully rehabilitated upper level” (Let me guess - ”Twelve Steps” to get there?)

“Breakfat room” (Lapband, anyone?)

“Come to holiday patty” (This is Hollywood, pal - if you pay Patty, she’ll come to you.)

“Enjoy the egg nod” (That explains why your keyboard is affixed to your forehead.)

Can You Hang Somebody Twice?

“Celebrity hose” (Who did they belong to – J. Edgar Hoover?)

“You’ll like dip in pool” (I will if he’s cute and buys me dinner…)

“Ned addition” (Is Ned the dip floating in the pool?)

“Hug play area” (Ned again?)

“Please ignore big hole in yard” (Should I also ignore the casket with the dead flowers?)

And The 2011 Dufis Award Goes To…

“Buyers will flock like bees to hiney” (Okay, let me first stop laughing long enough to pen a smart-mouth comment. …Oh hell, I can’t….this is killing me…seriously, this has me on the floor, folks. Okay, let’s try again: “Buyers will flock like bees to hiney.” I’m sorry, I just can’t top that one other than to say:

”They must know an ass when they see one!”

For more real estate humor, please visit Gwen at www.sherlockofhomes.blogspot.com/ or Agent Genius. For all your real estate needs, please go to www.LAhomesite.com.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS!

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Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Clint Miller: The Greatest Man I Never Knew - Rest In Peace

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:41:08 -0500

It's taken me all day to come to terms with the news of Clint Miller's passing. My thoughts and prayers have been with his family and the struggle that he went through with his battle with cancer.

Would it be a shock to learn that I never personally met Clint? To many on ActiveRain members, it wouldn't. They know full well how he could reach out from cyber space and make you feel his love and respect. I met him first through ActiveRain, then we connected on Twitter. If you never read his blog, I'd suggest you go there now. He had a way about with his writing that really drew you in.

In my on again, off again relationship with Twitter, it was Clint that showed me what you could really do with the platform. Just watching him with his Twitter account, @TheRealClint, I saw that it was far more than just spamming links at people. It was even more than responding to people. It was about making real relationships. Clint made it look easy. His last tweet, just a day before he died, was wishing a person that they have a great day. Clint was really a special person.

For those that think social media is a waste of time, all I have to say is that you weren't a social media friend of Clint's. I never met Clint personally. To be honest, I wasn't as close of an online friend to him as many of you were. Yet, when we did speak (usually through

Twitter), he still made me feel like I had his attention, that I was important to him, that I mattered. That's difficult for most to do in person. He could do that through a computer. That takes a really special person.

I hope that one day, I can be half as good as Clint was online (and I can only imagine his impact in person) at touching people's hearts. Clint, you will be missed and I am sure that you affected far more people than you could have ever imagined in your short time on earth, my friend.

Clint Miller: The Greatest Man I Never Knew - Rest In Peace:

Mar 9, 1971 - Dec 11, 2011

Here is a link to Mimi Foster's post about Clint: In it, she lists a few ways that you can donate to the Miller family if you'd like to do so.

Here is a link to the band, Anchored: They are donating a portion of their DVD sales to the Miller family.

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Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Are You Contributing to Internet Trash?

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 10:40:34 -0500

Are You Contributing to Internet Trash?

I recently read an article that summarized that 90% of Facebook business pages could, or as the author said,should, be deleted because they were of poor design, low traffic, no updates and basically (or literally) abandoned by their creators. From my experience looking at Facebook business pages, he may have a point.

But, it's more than just Facebook business pages. If you look around the Internet, you'll find hundreds of dead, inactive or unused accounts. We hear about the "next great thing" like Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Facebook, ActiveRain, etc and we jump on it. We play around with it for a few days or months, then move on to the next great thing.

It's extremely easy to create a website or blog these days. You've got places like Activerain, Blogger and Wordpress.com where you can have a blog in as little as 15 minutes or less. And there are literally hundreds of "Build a Website" places where you can start up a basic website on the fly. This has also created a lot of Internet Trash. These easy to create sites are usually free and so, unless the user chooses to delete them, they stay out on the Internet forever. What generally happens with these sites is that the creator gets bored with them, doesn't think it's working, or decides to improve and goes to a self-hosted or some other platform.

A recent Google search really threw this out for me. I was looking for a computer repair shop in the area and clicked on the top search. It pulled up a website, but all the links were bad (even Contact Us). I went back to the search and clicked further down. It was the same company, different website. Here's where their cheap starter website was ranking better than their new and improved site. And this was a computer company. You would think that they would understand this.

How bad is Internet Trash? Look no further than right here at AR. Activerain boasts over 200,000 members, but anyone that has been around here for a bit knows that the "active" number is less than 10% of that (and I'd wager closer to 5% or less). A quick look at my small area of the map and I can spot a half dozen or more agents that aren't even in the business anymore, let alone keeping their blog supported.

Just imagine how much better the Internet would be if we could clean it up a bit? I know I've been guilty of Internet Litter. What about you?

Have you contributed to Internet Trash?

photo courtesy of MyNameMattersNot

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Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Short Sales Are Distressed Sales! Please Prepare Your Buyers

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 09:30:06 -0500

Short Sales Are Distressed Sales! Please Prepare Your Buyers

Like many agents around the country these days, short sale listings are becoming a large portion of my business. I have listed and sold many of them over the last few years. Admittedly, I had a leg up on most agents, as I've been engaged in short sale negotiating for the past 10 years, before most others even knew what a short sale was!

One of the most frustrating issues with short sales is NOT dealing with the sellers or even working with the all too often uncooperative bank negotiators. Yes, sometimes both can be issues, but I find that the most frustrating aspect of listing a short sale is the buyers and their agents.

Yep, you heard right! Actually, I feel that it's the buyer's agents more than the buyers. From the feedback I get on short sale listings, it's very clear that the agent did not prep this buyer at all about what a short sale is or what may be required.

The most common feedback is "Too much work required for my buyer." In most cases, short sale listings generally require some paint and carpet (or flooring). If this is "too much work" for your buyer, then you probably shouldn't be showing them any short sale properties.

The best feedback is when it goes something like, "House needs to be staged, painted, new roof, etc, etc, etc," When I get these, I'm tempted to respond with "did you look at the price" as we've taken all those into consideration already.

I really think it boils down to a lack of preparation from the buyer's agent. A short sale is a distressed sale. I wonder, do these same agents show foreclosures and give the same type of feedback? I doubt it. We all know that foreclosures are distressed sales and are generally sold "As Is, Where Is" and we prep our buyers for that. Yet, when (at least from the feedback I get) some agents show Short Sales, for some reason, those properties should be in pristine condition, require no work whatsoever AND be priced lower than other comparable homes on the market.

Please, if you're going to show short sale listings, make sure that you're educating your buyer on the process, including the fact that a short sale is a distressed sale and it may not be in perfect condition!

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Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Principle Write-downs Not an Option According to Fannie Mae Exec

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 07:55:32 -0400

Principal write-downs have been discussed as a possible option to reduce foreclosures and help the ailing housing industry for at least the past two years. According to a recent Bankrate.com article, Forget loan forgiveness, the gods of housing loans, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have spoken and the answer is "No Way!"

The reasons:

a) It doesn't make financial sense to do so

b) "principal write-downs would be a bailout...to borrowers who took out loans they couldn't afford"

Let's examine those "reasons"

Financial Sense:

Assuming that a borrower now has the ability to make the payments on a newly modified loan on the home that includes a principle reduction and interest modification, it somehow makes more sense to foreclose on the home than keep someone in the property that can now make the payment? I don't see it.

A foreclosure means that the house will sit vacant for a number of months (or years) before going back on the market. In that time, it will run down and require a level of repairs in order to get back to "sale shape." So, either the lender has to foot that bill OR has to reduce the price even further in order to sell it. In either situation, the sale will be for LESS than what a principle write-down would have been. Even assuming that it wouldn't cost the lender MORE to foreclose, the end result is the same: we get a new loan for the current fair market value or LESS. If the current borrower can now perform, how can a foreclosure make better financial sense?

Bailout to Borrowers:

This one really gets me. We can bailout the banks. We can bailout Wall Street. But we can't even consider the idea of bailing out the borrower? Big Government at it's finest. As an added insult: "who took out loans they couldn't afford"

I got news for the Big Boys on the Hill...these borrowers were told by the lenders that they COULD afford these loans. In fact, government encouraged lenders to make sure that more and more borrowers could "afford" these loans. Everybody had to be a homeowner. Now, it's the borrower's fault that they couldn't afford it? They're not solely to blame.

If a principle write-down puts them in a house that they can afford, then you've stopped a foreclosure AND you've kept a house off the market. One less house on the market is one more step to helping stablize the housing industry.

For those that are going to say, "what about those that are paying their mortgage or don't have one at all? Why should a person be rewarded for not paying their mortgage?" or similar thought...

First, a principle write-down should only be considered for those borrowers that could actually afford the new terms of loans. So, it's not going to be for everyone that 'didn't pay their mortgage.'

Second, it's an indirect benefit to everyone that owns a home. Anything that could make a strong impact on stablizing the housing market is going to help ALL homeowners by keeping your equity in place.

Thoughts?

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Another Reason For A REALTOR Vs. Being A Do It Yourselfer

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 10:30:53 -0400

A simple, yet great, post by Gary Woltal on why you should work with a local professional REALTOR. Save time and effort and find exactly what you want in a home by using the right agent.

If you're looking to buy property in or around the Hickory NC area, give me a call.

Roger Johnson, 828-381-9245.

Via Gary Woltal - Assoc. Broker REALTOR® SFR Dallas Ft. Worth (Keller Williams Realty):

Many fairly sophisticated people question why use a REALTOR to help them buy a house?

Why not do the research on your own and try to negotiate with the Seller's agent? Quick answer: The REALTOR gives you

THE DEEP DIVE.

Not even counting their professionalism and their training and experience. All the crown jewels of software search lie with the REALTOR.

Directly tied into the MLS, REALTORS can zero in on what you want deep diving better than anyone on the planet with school zone search, foreclosure and bank owned and short sale search, search by defined boundaries like polygon or rectangle, even search by keywords in pubic or private remarks. Find all that and plot it on a map, build a table and print it out and even email it to you as a link or file. Even give you tax information, demographics and market trends.

If you only could see the difference between basic search and DEEP DIVE search. Well you can.

Call a REALTOR.

Find EXACTLY what you want !!

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Have You Checked Your ActiveRain Bookmarks Lately, Part II

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:56:33 -0400

Last year, I posted, Have You Checked Your ActiveRain Bookmarks Lately?. Well, it's that time of year again where I go back through all of my AR bookmarked posts to do some fall clean-up and re-read those great posts that I bookmarked for a reason.

Not familar with the bookmark feature? It's the little "bookmark" icon near the middle of the screen at the bottom of every post. If you find something you'd like to read later or keep around for easy access, simply click the link and it'll be saved into your bookmarked AR posts which can be accessed via your "My Home" AR page. Not an AR member yet? Sign up today! It's great!

Below are some more posts from my bookmarks that are really worth a second look (NOTE: some of these are AR Member's Only Posts):

Facebook Marketing Secret #1. The Big Photo Banner. By Bartley Wilson

A Fun, Free and Practical Resource for Every ActiveRain Member!. By William Johnson. Great App for Photos

Tranforming your appliances for under $100 By Deb Waters

How To Put Links On Your YouTube Video (members only) By Fernando Herboso

You Have a Listing Presentation...What Do You Offer BUYERS? By Kate Elim. Have you thought about a Buyer's Presentation?

Three Awesome FREE Photo Sites That You Can Use For Your Blog Posts. Happy Thanksgiving.. By Judi Barrett.

Selling the 45 day listing agreement. By Broker Bryant Tutas. How confident are you with your current listing presentation?

Using 3rd Level Domains To Market Your Listings (members only) By ROSSI Speaks. How to create property websites using your own domain name.

Let's Get Blogging - 101+ Ideas for Your Real Estate Blog (Part II) By Kerry Lucasse. Part I was great, too, but it seems to have disappearred from from AR

How to reverse engineer your competitors back links to beat them at SEO (video) By Reil Rousopoulos. Ninja style SEO for your blog or website

Should You Have Your Picture In Your Business Card? (members only) By Fernando Herboso. An excellent post that truly answers the question

Get Great Wide Angle Photos without a Wide Angle Camera From Yours Truly. This is a great little gem of an app to really make some stunning photos

Hope you enjoy some of these great posts from the past.

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

New Group on Facebook! I Think It's Important to Fix The Housing Market!

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:16:25 -0400

Are you frustrated with the current condition of the housing market (and the economy, in general)? Tired of politicians getting in the way of really fixing the issues? Are you ready to be heard?

If so, take a moment to pop over to Facebook and check out Stacie Whatley's new group.

Via Stacia Whatley StaciaSellsHomes (Hawkins-Poe Inc.):

New Group on Facebook! I Think It's Important to Fix The Housing Market!

I have started a new group on Facebook to share with everyone who wants to make a difference about our housing market. We haven't been able to leave it up to the politicians or the banks so I want to reach out to make sure WE stand up and make a difference on our own. I hope you will come and join the group and share it with your Real Estate Professionals and friends and families. There is only one last hope for the Housing Market and I think it is US!

Stacia Whatley

Hawkins-Poe Inc.

REALTOR®

253-426-8785

staciawhatley@hawkinspoe.com

www.staciasellshomes.com

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

230 Wildwood Circle - Taylorsville NC Homes for Sale

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:35:53 -0400

Taylorsville NC Home For Sale

4 Bed, 3 bath

Split Level on 1.79 Acres

CLICK HERE - For more Info and Photos - Hickory NC Homes

Call Roger A Johnson 828-381-9245

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

QR Codes are NOT for the Internet!

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:09:25 -0400

QR Codes are NOT for the Internet!

This Links to Nothing!

QR codes are all the rage in the real estate world right now. Apparently, real estate professionals love them. If you're on the QR bandwagon, I have one request for you.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE learn how to use them!

Don't know what I mean. Take a look around ActiveRain at the various blog posts sporting those fancy little designs. Look great don't they? The problem? Well, with few exceptions...

THEY SHOULDN'T BE THERE!

QR Codes aren't meant to be put on websites pointing to other websites. Think it through for a minute. What's the point of putting a QR code to your website in an AR post? Do you think that a reader sitting in front of a computer will decide to flip out their phone, open up the QR app and try to snap a photo of your spiffy QR code so that they can read it on their phone? Or, do you think that they'd simply prefer a link that they could click (remember they're already in front of a computer)?

QR Codes are meant to be used on your printed materials so that people who have them can get to your online info.

But it's more than that. QR codes are meant for mobile devices. If you're using them, make sure that you're sending people to mobile-friendly web pages. You might want to make sure that you NEED a QR code for the web page your trying to get people to view. For example: my website is HickoryNCHomes.com. On almost all mobile devices, I can type that in far faster than I can open up a QR reader, scan the code and wait on the phone to read it and get to the website.

Make sure you are sending them to the RIGHT web page. Remember, we're going after the mobile user. If you're QR code is on a flyer about a house, make sure you are sending them to the web page about that house, not to your homepage or search page.

Likewise, if you're advertising search for homes, send them to your IDX search page.

QR codes are great when used properly. If you're going to be using them, use them where they are needed.

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

5 Myths About Working With Real Estate Agents

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:03:27 -0400

Looking to Buy a Home in Today's market but you haven't yet got with a local real estate professional? Maybe you've heard some things or think some things about real estate agents that simply aren't true.

Below, Erica Ramus has a great post exposing 5 Myths about Working with Real Estate Agents.

Remember, if you're in or around the Hickory NC area, call me to help you get into your Dream Home. We help you through the process from start to finish.

Roger Johnson 828-381-9245

Via Erica Ramus - Realty Executives / Pottsville PA Real Estate:

I read a post online from a writer who was warning buyers about the dangers of working with a real estate agent. So here is my reply to that post. I'm not going to link to it because I don't want to give the writer any good SEO or “google juice” from a link. But you can guess what he said as the “gospel truth” by my 5 MYTHS.

MYTH #1

Contrary to what the national ad campaign put out by NAR, basically the real estate industry's “labor union,” now is NOT always the right time to buy. Yes, right after the real estate market started tanking in 2007, NAR ran national ads stating “Now is a great time to buy!” Some agents bought it hook, line and sinker. But many many agents never bought into the company line. Good real estate agents don't just parrot back the NAR lines, and don't jump up and down screaming “Now is a great time to buy!” no matter what the truth is, no matter what is going on with pricing trends, interest rates or local inventory.

The best real estate agents have their own brains, their own opinions, and put the needs of each buyer first. If a real estate agent parrots back this line to you, run for the hills and find a different agent if they cannot explain WHY it is a great time for YOU personally to buy.

I doubt in 2007 NAR had any clue that this housing slump would last so long or be so bad. So their national campaign now looks foolish, to me, and hopefully they get that that campaign didn't do much to help our image with the public.

MYTH #2

Calling the listing agent will get you a better deal. FALSE. The listing agent – you know, the person whose name is on the sign that you call – works for the seller! Not you! Unless you specifically have a buyers' agent agreement with an agent, that agent does not work for you. That means everything you tell that agent about you, your situation, etc, the listing agent is able to, and obligated to, report to the seller. This kills your negotiating power!

If you don't have a buyer's agent, GET ONE. The buyer's agent's job is to negotiate the best deal for YOU, not the seller.

MYTH #3

The agent has only two missions:

To get you to buy something

To get you to pay as much as possible so the agent make the largest commission possible

Real estate agents sell houses, yes, but they also do so much more. They counsel, advise, and are there to guide you through this sometimes complicated process.

There are good agents and bad agents, just like in any profession. The GOOD agent isn't there to push the buyer to buy something, anything. The GOOD agent cares about the buyer and wants to find the perfect house for that client, at the best possible price.

Top agents work mostly by referral. What that means is that the agent lives off of REFERRALS from their friends, past clients, and people they refer in to the agent. Do you think the agent would be in business long if the agent did a disservice to the buyer and sold them an overpriced home? Nope.

Oh, and as for point 2 there, the larger commission argument, it doesn't hold water either. The extra money received by making a buyer pay more for a house is small in comparison to the future referrals happy clients send my way.

An extra $10000 you might pay on a house if I am a poor negotiator, or only out for the bigger buck, results in maybe $300 to the broker. And then the agent splits that with the broker. So that extra $150-200 in the agent's pocket looks pretty small in the offset of future business lost. Good agents don't even consider this an argument. We think about our clients and their needs/results first, not ours.

MYTH #4

Anything the agent says that is GOOD or POSITIVE is a result of that agent wanting to sell you a house, any house. Take it with a grain of salt.

Yeah, right. There might be some buyer's agents who LOVE all houses they walk into and urge their buyers to put an offer in on ANY house just to make a buck. Again, those agents are not the majority of agents out there, and they won't last long in this business.

A good agent tells you the truth – flaws and all – positive and negative – because the buyer needs to have truthful input to make a good decision.

MYTH #5

Agents will leave negative information out, and only disclose the flaws or problems if they are legally required to do so. For example, if the agent does not say anything about the school district, it is probably a poorly rated school district. Seriously??? If I don't talk up the school it must be a bad school?

Agents don't rate schools or crime rates. We don't look up in the State Police database to see if any sex offenders or drug dealers live next door. That's up to the buyer to do, via his or her own research. We cannot legally tell you “this is a great school but one district over is bad.” That's a value judgement, and could be considered steering or discrimination so most realtors run for the hills if a buyer asks this. We point you at the proper website or give you a phone number to call, but we cannot and do not make these kinds of judgements.

Please take into consideration that ALL professions have good and bad people. Some people will always be out for their own best interest and will try to sell anything to anyone for any price. You need to interview several buyer's agents and pick the one who seems to be honest, experienced, knowledgeable, and works well with your personality.

--

Erica Ramus, Broker/Owner

REALTY EXECUTIVES

Schuylkill Real Estate

300 Mauch Chunk St. A

Pottsville PA 17901

Phone 570-622-6006 ext 301 Private fax 1-866-734-4256

Click for Pennsylvania Consumer Notice

PA License RM420589

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Erica Ramus is Broker/Owner of Realty Executives in Pottsville, PA. If you're looking for a PROFESSIONAL to represent you in all of your Schuylkill County real estate needs, call Realty Executives at 570-622-6006. Serving all of Schuylkill County ... Pottsville, Orwigsburg, Schuylkill Haven, Auburn, Pine Grove, Frackville, Minersville, Ashland, Shenandoah, Port Carbon, Palo Alto, St. Clair, Barnesville real estate. Click on the link above to search Pottsville PA homes for sale or anySchuylkill County homes for sale. We have all properties listed for sale in theSchuylkill MLS on our website -- free search! No registration is required!

We also run Schuylkill Appraisal Services, for all your appraisal needs in the area. If you need an appraisal, we are your Schuylkill County appraisal source.

And for all your commercial needs in Schuylkill County check out Schuylkill Business for your Schuylkill County commercial real estate.

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

FREE Tool to Make Your Twitter Stream SIZZLE!!!

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 08:34:14 -0400

FREE Tool to Make Your Twitter Stream SIZZLE!!!

Are you currently using Twitter or thinking of trying it out? One of the coolest things about Twitter is being able to share content with your followers that you find interesting. But it's never a good idea to throw a bunch of tweets out back to back to back. Overflow your friends' stream like that too often and you'll start to lose followers fast!

So what to do? Try out BufferApp.com that's what!

BufferApp.com is a great free little tool that you can use to schedule tweets throughout the day. Yes, there are other apps and programs on the market that do that, too, but what makes BufferApp so much better is you can quickly setup a tweet to an article or post you find interesting by simply hitting a button!

BufferApp has extensions for all the major web browsers, smart phones and even in Twitter itself. Once installed, anytime you're reading something you'd like to share on Twitter, just click the BufferApp button, a little box will pop up where you can edit or add to the headline of the webpage or post, click 'add to buffer' and you're done!

So now you can read all your RSS feeds in the morning (or whenever you do) and schedule tweets from them throughout the day. You can setup your buffer timeline however you want, so you choose when your tweets are displayed.

And BufferApp comes with built in analytics, too. You can see how many times your links have been clicked on and shared with others.

Try out BufferApp and see what you think. Sign up (again, FREE!) here and start out with one additional space in your buffer timeline.

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

6223 Monford Dr - Conover NC Homes for Sale

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:57:28 -0400

Conover NC Home For Sale

4 Bed, 2 full and 2 half bath

Split Level on 9.74 Acres

NEAR THE LAKE!

CLICK HERE - For more Info and Photos - Hickory NC Homes

Call Roger A Johnson 828-381-9245

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Will Refinancing Underwater Loans Help Ease the Foreclosure Crisis?

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 09:45:03 -0400

Will Refinancing Underwater Loans Help Ease the Foreclosure Crisis?

This morning, I read an article on RISMEDIA, Executive Action to Ease Foreclosure Crisis? The basic summary of the post is that the President has the authority to change the rules to allow "responsible" homeowners to refinance their homes at today's low interest rates and also to basically compel the lenders to do the refinance. It would only help homeowners that aren't currently behind on their payments and the premise is that it would help stem the tide of foreclosures by stopping those considering strategic defaults. By reducing their monthly payments, it would also increase their spendable money, thereby helping the economy. Unfortunately, it's far too short-sighted in it's approach.

First, it's aimed only at those that are current on their mortgage AND who have a house that is "under water" (the loan amount is higher than the current value of the property). That's becoming a rarity, these days. So the amount of people it could possibly help is small in comparison to the amount of people actually needing help.

Second, it's aimed at people that already can afford the mortgage. The primary criteria for determining if you can qualify is that you are current on your existing mortgage. If you're able to pay your existing mortgage, chances are very good that you've already went the refinance route (if you were so inclined). Again, while there may be a few people who can afford their existing mortgage but for whatever reason, they could not get a refinance, that number is small in comparison to the number of people actually needing help.

Third, it totally ignores the primary reason people choose to Strategically Default: the house isn't worth what's owed. Does it really matter if you're paying 4% or 10% interest on the loan if the loan amount exceeds the value of the house to the extent that you are willing to considering defaulting on the loan? If you're considering that option, the hope of "saving" a few hundred bucks a month on your payment usually isn't going to change your mind as it's not the payment that is the issue (remember, we're talking about those that can afford their current mortgage), but rather the difference between property value and loan value.

Should the President move forward with this? By all means, most definitely. At least, it's a start. But there is more that needs to be done.

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

128 Primrose Dr Stony Point NC - Taylorsville NC Homes for Sale

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:06:06 -0400

128 Primrose Dr Stony Point NC

3BR/2BA Single Family

offered at $160,000

Year Built Sq Footage Bedrooms Bathrooms Floors Parking Lot Size

2005

1378

2 car garage

1.14

Description

WOW!
That's what you'll say when you visit this 3 bed, 2 bath all brick ranch home. House sits on .57 acre lot with an additional buildable .57 acre lot for over 1 acre total. Fully landscaped and ready to enjoy with a custom built Koi pond (fish included!) in the back, Sunsetter awning and waterfall for a relaxing afternoon. Over-sized garage not enough? No problem! Barn style 12x24 storage shed with a loft area is the perfect "Man-Cave" getaway.
Inside, you've got a spacious living room, open kitchen with lots of counterspace and a mastersuite with huge walk-in closet. Living room features a custom installed bay window to easily view the pond area from your easy chair. Setup your appointment to see it today. You don't want to miss this one.

For More Photos and Info, please Visit HickoryNCHomes.com

Agent Info

Roger A Johnson
828-381-9245
CENTURY 21
American Homes

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

2571 12th Ave SW - Hickory NC Home For Sale

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:15:26 -0400

2571 12th Ave SW, Hickory, NC 28602
Offered at $105,000

3 Bedroom 1.5 bath Single Family

Year Built     1970
Sq Footage 1300
Bedrooms    3
Baths          1.5
Floors          Ranch w/Basement
Parking        Paved Drive/Carport
Lot Size       0.28 Acres

Description

COMPLETELY REMODELED. 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath all brick home with a full unfinished basement has been completely remodeled. No work needed! New roof, new water heater, new heat pump, windows, the works! The home features a kitchen with huge pantry, big dining area, large living room with woodburning fireplace. Floors in the living and bedrooms is hardwood and laminate wood floors in the dining and kitchen areas. You gotta see the updated bathrooms to appreciate. Outside, there is a nice storage building with additional shed area attached and a single car carport. If you're looking for value for the money, you've found it!

More Photos

For more info and photos, please visit www.HickoryNCHomes.com

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Newton Conover Auditorium - The Duhks in Concert - Oct 6, 2011

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 17:59:22 -0400

Tickets are on sale for members starting Today

for The Duhks October 6, 2011 Concert

at the Newton Conover Auditorium.

That's right! If you're a member of the Newton Conover Auditorium, today is the first chance to get your tickets for this great concert. If you haven't heard the The Duhks yet, check out the video below or visit their website to hear some really cool music.

Tickets for members: $15 - $20 Tickets for non-members: $20-25

Interested in becoming a member of the Newton Conover Auditorium?

Visit them online or call 828-464-8100

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

The 3 Golden Rules of Marketing

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 17:26:57 -0400

Just read Chris Alston's post, He said to me, "I didn't know you were still in Real Estate"...When he sold with another agent whew! Breathe there Chris! :) His post reminded me of a similar experience and a discussion that followed.

A friend of mine, Stan Broesder, a business consultant of My Crossroads Consultants, and I were having a discussion about marketing and all the different things you could do. Together, we came up with 3 things your marketing should be doing for you. If it isn't doing at least one of the three, you should stop doing it.

The 3 Golden Rules of Marketing

Golden Rule #1: You Must Be Remembered FIRST

How many of you have heard a friend say, "I just bought/listed a house with Bob from XYZ Realty," followed by "Oh, I forgot you were in real estate." Your marketing must stay in your potential client's mind so that WHEN they do decide they want to list or sell a property (or buy whatever you're selling), that they will remember you first (vs. simply the last person they called) and call YOU.

Golden Rule #2: You Must Be Remembered WELL

I'm sure we all know someone that is not only remembered, but not easily forgotten, regardless of how hard we try. How your clients, past, present and future, remember you is just as important as being remembered at all. Being well-known for all the wrong reasons is still not going to get you more business. Be remembered for the good things.

Golden Rule #3: You Must Be Remembered OFTEN

How about the buddy that says, "I was speaking with Bob the other day and he was thinking about selling his home. I wished him luck." Your friends and clients, especially your past clients, are a huge potential source for quality leads. However, if they don't think about you WHEN someone they are speaking with mentions real estate, they're not going to refer business your way, either.

I think that if you'll remember these rules when setting up your marketing campaign, you'll see both an increase in business and a decrease in unnecessary spending.

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

All You REALTORS Are Idiots!

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 11:15:27 -0400

Did you get that? All You REALTORS Are Idiots!

That's what a previous client said to my partner the other day. These clients have had their property listed with 4 agents now (we were the 2nd) and 3 times (currently and between listings) as For Sale By Owner. This property has been for sale for over 3 years now.

When we took the listing (waayy back when), we got to hear about everything the other agent didn't do, how it got no showings, etc., etc. Remember, they were currently a FSBO, so we already knew what price they thought it was worth. After explaining what we do and how we market, we got into pricing. We showed them the market analysis, the current trend in the price and suggested a $450,000 price (a $100k drop). After a lot of discussing (the cleaned up version of what happened) we settled on a start price of $500k.

Then we got the other demands. Showings would be limited to certain times, the listing agent must be present at all showings, and the dog would remain in the house. All of these, of course, over our advice that this will pretty much kill any potential showings.

No, it didn't sell. After only a short time, we mutually agreed to terminate the contract since it clearly wasn't working for either party. As you've already read, it still hasn't sold, so every time there is a change in status, we call.

We were told this last time that "All you Realtors are Idiots!"

I really had to laugh at that. All of the agents that have taken the listing did a good job of presenting it to public. I know that the seller refused to listen to any of my advice on selling, so I'm sure that was the case in all the other instances as well. The seller still hasn't come to terms with the pricing on the property. Currently it is being advertised FSBO at $479,900.

A big drop from the starting of $550,000, for sure. The problem. The market hasn't improved since I had this listing. If I were to list it today, my suggested list price would be in the $350-375K mark.

Folks, the housing market isn't as good as it was during the boom years. In the Hickory NC area, it takes a lot of market knowledge to get homes in the $300K+ range sold in a respectable amount of time. If you're a seller that simply refuses to listen to the marketing advice given or even the simple data reports showing the housing market numbers, it's not the agent's fault that you can't sell your property.

If you hire a REALTOR® for the knowledge and advice, use it. It really is that simple.

Image courtesy of EmilyRides

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Why We Want You to Get A Preapproval Letter BEFORE You Start Looking For Homes!

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:50:17 -0400

Interested in buying a house but haven't gotten pre-approved for a loan yet? Have you been calling agents up to see homes and are wondering why we ask (at least we all should!) if you've gotten pre-approved yet?

Your answer is below. If you're in the Hickory NC area and are looking to buy, contact Roger at 828-381-9245 and let him show you what a good buyer's agent can do to help you with your home purchase.

Via Liz and Bill Spear RE/MAX Elite Warren County Ohio: Cincinnati to Dayton (513.265.3004 www.LizTour.com):

Why We Want You to Get A Preapproval Letter BEFORE You Start Looking For Homes!

You might be of the mindset that you want to find that dream home before you start checking out getting a loan. We understand, you've heard the stories about credit scores dropping from getting checked, and "Hey, MY credit is totally great! I'm GOLDEN! I've never missed a payment on anything!"

But here's the thing, we'd be doing you a serious disservice if we DIDN'T recommend you get with a loan officer as early as possible in the process. Why you ask?

Glad you're interested in knowing!

Loan standards and programs are constantly changing! A good loan office can review your situation and determine the best program for you! And if there's something in your credit history that might put a crimp in your ability to buy, well they can tell you what you need to do to fix it!

Do you want to be taken seriously by the sellers? When you find that perfect home, chances are they're going to want to have a preapproval letter attached to your offer! They NEED to know you've demonstrated at least the minimal ability to get the cash! Put their hat on, would you feel comfortable taking your home off the market because someone said "TRUST ME! I'm good for it?". Trust us, we'd be advising our sellers to leave the home ACTIVE until you and your agent got us the letter!

We need to know the type program you'll be using for financing so we know how to prepare the offer. A week or two AFTER the contract is accepted is a little late to realize you need closing cost assistance! If we know what you need, we can build it into the original offer. Sellers HATE surprises like that later!

And lastly, this one is mainly for us! We don't want to be the bad guys. You think you can buy a home at $xxxxxxx price. We show you homes at $xxxxxxx price. You and your family find THE ONE, THE DREAM HOME. And THEN you find out you can't afford to buy it. Just a bit beyond what you can get a loan for. You're crushed, and it's OUR fault for letting you in the home to start with when WE didn't know if you were actually qualified to buy it.

So can you see WHY we feel it's critical to get that preapproval letter first? It REALLY is in YOUR best interest. Don't know a great loan officer? We can help find one for you! Just give us a call or email and we'll be happy to get the process started for you!

Serving Warren County's residential real estate needs,
Liz and Bill aka BLiz

The Liz Spear Team
Elizabeth & William Spear
RE/MAX Elite
Two locations: Lebanon & Mason, OH
Office direct: 513-248-3660 Liz direct: 513-265-3004
Bill direct: 513-520-5305 Fax: 866-302-8418

MailTo: Liz@LizSpear.com Visit: http://www.LizTour.com

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__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

Would You Rather I Lie To You To Make You Happy...

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:20:30 -0400

Brenda Mullen writes a great post on being truthful with potential listing clients. This is the way I run my business as well. When you're ready to sell your Hickory NC home, you need to know all of the facts and figures on the market in order for you to make the best decision.

Unfortunately, not all agents work with this way. Some will tell you want you want to hear just to get you list with them and only THEN will they worry about getting the property in the right price range, showing condition, etc.

I provide honest, straight-forward answers to your questions and needs as a home owner looking to sell. You may not like the answers, but I'll give you what you need in order to get your property sold as fast as possible and for top dollar, in this market.

If you're looking to sell your Hickory NC Home, give me a call or email today. 828-381-9245

Via Brenda Mullen, Realtor® Selling Guadalupe County Real Estate (Smart Moves Realty):

Would You Rather I Lie To You To Make You Happy...

and then watch as your happiness and hope slips away into disillusionment....

I received a call for a potential listing from a previous buyer client I had a couple of years ago.

When I first got the phone call, the initial request was that the seller wanted to break even and possibly have a few thousand to spend on another home to where he was moving. I thought back and remembered that they had just purchased the home a couple of years ago. Not really enough time to build up a lot of equity in the home and adding to that, it was a VA loan. For anyone who knows what a VA loan is, it is a 100% financed loan and usually the funding fee and some of the closing costs are rolled up into the loan so that these costs are financed over time. Great for purchasing initially, not so great for selling unless you have had the home for a significant amount of time and the market is in good shape. Neither of those instances were true in this case. So...what I said to my potential seller was that I would do an initial search of his area and see what I could come up with but as I left him I said best case scenario is that you may break even.

So, I looked and of course, the market in that particular neighborhood is not doing so hot.  There are lots of foreclosures, short sales, HUD homes and homes that are selling for waaayyy less than what he bought his home for a couple of years ago. My heart sunk for them. True to my nature and the way I conduct business, I gave them the call that told him that if we put their home on the market they would most likely be bringing thousands to the closing table and that they would probably be better off renting unless they had the funds to bring to the table. Now, they were happy that I was honest with them...but I haven't heard from them since I told them the news and I am a bit concerned that they might be getting a second opinion.

Trust me, no one wants to hear this news when they want to sell their home and no Realtor® wants to impart this news to a prospective client. In fact, my gut feeling tells me that there are agents out there who will tell a client that they can get more for their home with their marketing or who they know or a myriad of other tales just to get your listing and put their sign in your yard.

But let's think for a moment...why would I tell you this news if I knew deep down it would not get me the listing if it weren't the truth?  Do you think that I enjoy losing listings? Don't you think that I would like to list every home that came my way to earn a potential income? This is in fact what I do. I list homes for sale and I love doing it. It is probably in my best interest (not your's) to actually lie to you because although I won't end up selling your listing, I may potentially end up with buyer and seller clients from your listing. I may lose your respect, or maybe keep you on as a client as I just shrug my shoulders and tell you it's the market. But...it would be good business for me...

Unfortunately or fortunately (depending on how you look at it) I am not this type of agent.  I am honest to a fault and because of this, not only do I lose listings, I get to watch as you go into complete denial, list with someone else and your home sits on the market and you are used for the extra business for that particular agent. However, my philosophy is this...although me getting more business is good for me, listing and selling your home is ultimately about you and what is good for you, and shouldn't it be that way? Or...

Would You Rather I Lie To You To Make You Happy?

Would you like more information about the Guadalupe County Real Estate Market or do you need to sell your home in Schertz TX, Cibolo TX or Selma TX? Call Me, Brenda Mullen Realtor® Smart Moves Realty at 210-807-0819 or send an e-mail at brenda.mullen@sbcglobal.net. I would be happy to prepare a Free Comparative Market Analysis for you and show you the marketing that will set your home apart from the rest! Can't wait to hear from you!
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Brenda Mullen
Realtor®, ACRE®, ABR®, ePro®

Smart Moves Realty - Helping You Find Home
17156 I-35 N
210-807-0819
brenda.mullen@sbcglobal.net
http://www.findurwayhome.com

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

What is BREAKING NEWS in Today's World?

Roger Johnson, Realtor - Hickory NC Real Estate (CENTURY 21 American Homes) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 08:11:24 -0400

BREAKING NEWS!

We see it on TV news shows everyday. It's in the headlines of newspapers for the really, really big story, but in today's world, what really is considered "breaking news?"

On August 23, there was a 5.8 earthquake in Virginia. Like many other areas, we felt it here in Hickory, NC as well. The headlines yesterday and today on newspapers, TVs and the Internet are leading with "Breaking News."

Here's the thing. 1 minute after I felt the tremors, I checked first Twitter, then Facebook. In that 1 minute, I knew that there had been an earthquake in Virginia, roughly how strong it was, that it was felt from as far away as New York, NC and PA (and later up into Canada) and the reason WHY it was felt so far away. ONE MINUTE.

Yesterday, I read that in that same one minute, Twitter had over 40,000 (40 THOUSAND) tweets about the earthquake. That's huge.

What does this mean for Breaking NEWS? The TV news and especially the papers are usually way behind the story, it seems.

What does this mean to you? If you want to connect with people on a level that has been previously unheard of, you may want to get involved with Twitter and to a Facebook.

What are your thoughts?

__________________________________________

Roger Johnson is a Realtor with CENTURY 21 American Homes in Hickory, NC.

I service the Catawba and surrounding counties, and the Hickory, Newton, Conover, Taylorsville, Claremont, Statesville and Charlotte, NC real estate markets.

Visit us on the web at: www.HickoryNCHomes.com

You can contact me via Email or give me a call at 828-381-9245 or 828-568-2121 ext 310

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