jasper: “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
- 05/15/16 01:50 AM
Somewhere back in time there was a group called “The Clash” that was pretty popular for some time. The recorded a song called “Should I Stay or Should I Go”. I would like to say it was about real estate, but that would not be true. It was about human relationships, and deciding whether to end one or move on.
The lyrics actually do have some use in a decision to sell a home, especially one facing some age and wear issues, and moving to a new home that may have a higher mortgage, or downsizing and fitting all your “stuff” into … (1 comments)
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jasper: What Should You Do If Your Home Isn’t Selling?
- 01/24/16 04:35 AM
It can be very frustrating to put your home on the market, expecting a fast sale, only to find that after six months you’re still waiting for an offer. What can you do?
First, determine if it’s a result of timing. You may have started worrying too soon. If it has been only a month and you haven’t gotten a bite, not to worry. The time a home stays on the market is related to the market’s strength, which varies regionally. According to The 2003 National Association of REALTORS® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, two-thirds of all homes sold in the … (3 comments)
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jasper: The Listing Agreement ... Watch the Details!
- 01/09/16 09:29 PM
Now that you’ve chosen a real estate professional to sell your home, you’ll need to work together to complete a listing agreement. This legally binding contract authorizes a broker and his or her real estate professionals to find a buyer for your home, according to the conditions specified in the contract. Depending on the type of listing agreement, you can expect to see most of these terms detailed in the document. In Georgia, we are fortunate that the agreement has been simplified by putting most of the moveable parts on the front page, but here is an overall recap of what … (2 comments)
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jasper: Strategies for Selling a Vacant Home
- 01/07/16 11:59 PM
Consider these two scenarios:
A) Robert has accepted a job in another state. Although his home has not sold, Robert must leave soon because his start date is in a few weeks.
B) Diane built her dream home across town. She expected her present home to have sold before completion, but it is still on the market.
Both Robert and Diane are concerned about having to leave their unsold homes vacant. They know that a vacant house can imply that the owner is desperate for a fast sale, and that it can be targeted for vandalism.
What can be done? Homeowners like Robert and Diane … (3 comments)
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jasper: Old House? New House? Weigh the Options ...
- 01/07/16 11:52 PM
Maybe it has something to do with a childhood home we fondly remember. Many of us long for old homes built with solid construction, quality craftsmanship and beautiful details. We wax poetic and wistfully recall the hand carvings, plaster walls and eyebrow dormers of homes we’ve known. On the other hand, how do the old homes we admire compare with newly minted models—and what should we consider before deciding which to buy?
Typically, old homes sit on generous plots of land in or near town. The neighborhoods are established and usually more central to schools and shopping. Mature trees and plantings … (1 comments)
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jasper: Interest Uptick
- 01/04/16 10:31 PM
We now have an entire generation, born since the middle ‘80’s, that believes they are entitled to mortgage rates just above free. Ironically, they were actually born when mortgage rates ran as high as 18%! During the Carter administration, if you had a 7% mortgage, you were not only lucky, you were considered to be a financial genius. That would now be considered highway robbery. They were stunned when the federal rates went up a quarter percent recently.
They will likely wait around for rates to go back down. They also waited around for all the cheap houses to disappear before starting … (0 comments)
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jasper: Laryngitis and Listings
- 12/09/15 09:34 PM
I’ve had laryngitis for a couple of days. I only had it once before in my life, and that was in high school. It’s rather inconvenient, especially for someone who supposedly talks to work.
Since I’m not contagious, I decided to go ahead with a prelisting appointment.
I found out that I learn more when I talk less! I asked a few questions, got the answers I needed, answered a few questions, and by the end of an hour they were lauding how much experience I had!
… (3 comments)
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jasper: Are You Violating the Law or Ethics?
- 11/01/15 09:06 PM
Between real estate law and the code of ethics, it’s very easy to step out of your comfort zone.
Does anyone remember the part about putting your client’s best interest above your own? How about the part on staying within your field of expertise? If you do single family residential homes as your main service, are you even qualified to do large tracts of land? What about a multiunit apartment? What about a warehouse or big box anchor shopping center?
Many people think land would be easy. After all, it’s just lying there, right? How tough is that? Do you understand mineral rights? … (81 comments)
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jasper: My Agent Is Worthless ...
- 05/30/15 10:17 PM
My friend and neighbor has his home listed. Probably better to avoid that listing and preserve the friendship, but I get to hear all the reasons why the three agents they've had so far are worthless.
The home is beautiful, but in my opinion over-valued. It's been on the market for over two years. They keep hiring miracle agents that don't live in the area on the pretense that their home is special, and local agents are somehow not worthy or capable to handle the sale. Apparently no one else is either!
The latest is that the last agent didn’t show the property … (8 comments)
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jasper: New Listing Technique ...
- 05/26/15 10:17 PM
A couple of years ago, I was doing a little maintenance in my neighborhood. Actually, I was trying to keep the kudzu from getting any worse until my neighbor got moved in, which is a common southern chore.
I happened to be on the side of a very steep hill. Four ladies came driving down the hill in a brand new red golf cart. I waved as they passed, even though I didn't know them. After a few minutes, I realized the cart had stopped at the foot of the hill.
Two of them were older, and one of them was struggling to … (2 comments)
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jasper: What Just Happened?
- 03/26/15 10:03 PM
Last Friday something happened to me that doesn't happen very often. I didn't get the listing.
I can't remember the last time I made a listing presentation and lost. Frankly, sometimes I get them and I don't even try that hard! If I have an appointment, I usually just assume I have a new listing.
This time I was dealing with a widowed senior. She is a charming but starchey lady, so I ironed my shirt and shaved. I was once told that half the job is won when you show up on time, and look and smell as good as … (4 comments)
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jasper: Another Shot at Real Estate Agents
- 02/28/15 11:55 PM
I just read an article in "Consumer Reports" that was very disappointing to me. For a magazine that is supposed to rely on credibility to attract readers, this article was all bad advice and hyperbole.
It encourages sellers to spend thousands of dollars getting a home ready to sell, promising they will get their money back and a 20% additional profit! While I agree that their suggestion to paint the front door, and possibly some rooms, and clean out the clutter are fine, they go on about how much money sellers will get back by remodeling bathrooms! That's just bad advice, … (6 comments)
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jasper: Is Your Broker Ethical?
- 02/24/15 09:08 PM
I have a broker's license, but I don't expect I'll ever be a managing broker, simply because I no longer have the patience to listen to people who would rather whine than work. Surely that does not apply to the majority of agents, but to the ones it does apply, I just don't have time anymore.
The other thing that would cause me consternation is competing against my own agents. Were I in that position, I would probably give away transactions just to make sure that the other agents were being treated fairly. Fortunately, I work in an environment where the … (3 comments)
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jasper: Pickens County Real Estate Wrap 2014
- 01/14/15 09:43 PM
Here is a brief overview of the 2014 year end numbers in Pickens County compared to a year earlier.
While there are still naysayers on the return of the real estate market, I think most would agree that sales and activity are much better than a couple of years ago. There are a lot more statistics available than most people care to see, so just focus on these for now:
Also consider that the months of inventory based on sales in December was 7.9, compared to 15.5 months last year. The rule of thumb is that … (0 comments)
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jasper: "So This Is the Kitchen?"
- 10/29/14 09:15 PM
I have a philosophy about being a Realtor® ... NO ONE EVER SOLD A HOUSE.
But Ron, you say, I just sold a house last week. I can show you where MLS has it's status as sold, so you're wrong.
Let me ask you, did you sell it, or did you set the stage for someone to become interested in buying it? We as Realtors® are marketers, not salesmen. The old days when agents were the gatekeepers to what was for sale are long gone. In those days, people walked into the office looking for a home, so the agent would … (7 comments)
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jasper: You Do Want to Sell, Right?
- 07/31/14 09:00 PM
Showing homes yesterday, I ran across a listing my clients wanted to see. The owner has had a homemade sign on the highway since the Korean War, so he obviously needs some help here.
I called about showing. The agent, who is excellent, told me it would probably be fine but she would check. She further explained that they would insist on being present for the showing, and not only would they not become invisible, they would follow us around on a guided tour with narration. She further said we would probably get stuck listening to them talk, so she suggested … (28 comments)
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jasper: Disclosure Is Your Buddy
- 07/12/14 09:13 PM
So often when I am doing the paperwork for a listing, the seller complains about filling out the disclosure statement. They whine because they are selling the property “as is”, so why do they have to disclose anything, which is the opposite of the point of disclosure. They ask me to fill out the form and let them sign it, which means if they don’t tell me the facts correctly, I’m the one in trouble because I filled it out. Or they reluctantly agree to fill it out and send it to me, and then somehow just forget to … (3 comments)
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jasper: Pricing Your Home to Sell
- 06/29/14 10:13 PM
As a Realtor®, telling a seller the price he wants to hear may get his listing, but it won’t sell the home. We’ve all heard that real estate is all about location, location, location. It’s really all about price and condition first, and then somewhere location enters the mix. To sell homes, you need traffic coming to the property, and nothing kills traffic worse than overpricing. Correct pricing depends largely on the absorption rate in the area where the home is located.
The overall absorption rate is published on several sites available to agents. Here is a simplified … (0 comments)
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jasper: I'm Just Too Busy
- 06/15/14 08:53 PM
I recently had a listing, which happened to be one of those old homes that eventually morphs into a commercial application because of location. I was approached by a prospect to view the property. He immediately liked it, and wanted his wife to see it. She also liked it, as did the daughter and her boyfriend. By now a couple of weeks and three showings have gone by.
He told me he was very busy at work, but was really interested in the property. He also decided that he had checked me out, and rather than work with another agent, he … (3 comments)
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jasper: It's 'Mater Time!
- 05/20/14 08:46 PM
I grew up in Indiana, on a farm. We had a huge garden, and at the ripe age of 15, I hated that thing! My mother would tell me to pick a bushel basket of green beans, when I'd much rather be in town with some cute girls at the pool. Do you have any idea how long it takes to pick a bushel of green beans?
The other thing is that my refined taste for hot dogs, chocolate ice cream, and onion rings did not reflect an appreciation for home grown tomatoes as an alternative.
I overcame that illness, and … (3 comments)
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Somewhere back in time there was a group called “The Clash” that was pretty popular for some time. The recorded a song called “Should I Stay or Should I Go”. I would like to say it was about real estate, but that would not be true. It was about human relationships, and deciding whether to end one or move on.
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