Hey fellow realtors!  Do you think it is a mistake for lenders to get back into financing mobile homes?  We have so many of them to sell here in the Spartanburg, SC area but so few lenders and the restrictions are tight!  Any suggestions from folks out there to make the sale of a mobile home go smooth? 

Three year ago was the last time I did it right her in Spartanburg, South Carolina.  It's something that many of us, both real estate agent and humanoids alike, HATE to do.  If I had a quarter for every time someone said to me "you changed your hair" or "you are not blonde"....At least is hasn't been a decade for me like some of my counterparts have waited.  It's won't be glamor shots for sure, nor picture perfect, but I intend, if nothing else to have a darn good time doing it.  I am a lover of fun, silly at times, a pretend cheerleader of sorts.  Back in the day- (my kids hate when I start a sentence with that- HA!) I didn't mind posing but something changes when we get older.  I think to myself "how can I hold my head so you don't see my nine chins" or "can you photo shop my arms into greatly sculpted works of art?" OR "if I hold my breath in for too long with my face look blue in picture?".  So look out Spartanburg, here I come to get my new pictures done so that I can bring REALITY to my new real estate headshot/bodyshot/marketing, with maybe a touch of photo shopping:)  Cue the make up artist and hairdresser please!

Today I really starting with work with my FLIP video camera to see how and where to set it up and I am almost ready to start my Real Estate Parking Lot" video blog:)  Should I say "so long print advertising?".  I am ready to take my real estate business to the next level.  My new website is almost complete, a have my blog up and running, a YouTube account started, my  Facebook business page is currently under construction and I am networking with folks everyday in every form of communication possible: phone, snail mail, email, text, social media, Skype, instant messaging...how do you like to communicate or be communicated with?

PS I am NEVER too busy for any of your Spartanburg, SC area referrals!

Let's hear what other real estate agents think about offering bonuses or incentives to buyers agents in an effort to make your listing more attractive.  Thank you in advance for you feedback!

In the land of being on call 24/7 so to speak, I find myself feeling uneasy that in the near future I will be taking a vacation that will not include cell phone service or an internet connection.  While I could pay exbitant fees to have these services, I am choosing not to.  For the first time in 8 years of selling real estate full time, I am taking a real vacation!  I have a an agent to field my calls on my listings, my BIC to address any issues that arise with my pending contracts and the great staff at Century 21 Blackwell that support my decision to take this much needed vacation.  So, could someone please tell me why I feel so guilty?

Sometimes buyers get great deals and sometimes they don't.  Why you might ask?  It all depends on how motivated the seller is to move the property and what the buyer is willing to pay for that same property. 

I made one offer last week that we could not get within $5,000 of what the buyer and seller would both agreed to so they both decided to declare the offer dead and that property had been on the market for over six months. 

Another offer I wrote this week was worked out for $13,000 less than list price on $123K listing=great deal!  The property had been listed for just a few days.  My buyers made an offer but clearly had a plan B if this one did not work out.  If they did not get what they wanted from this seller they would simply move on to the home down the road but this was their 1st choice.

So, for all of the sellers out there- you can help sell your neighbors home and take your chances that the next offer will be better.  Just remember, the longer the home sits on the market, it has been proven time and time again this will reduce the amount of money you will sell it for.  Unless of course you are willing to wait years for the values to come back up. It doesn't matter how much you paid for it or even worse, how much you "put into it".  It's only worth what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

Buyers out there- try not to insult sellers with your declaration of take it or leave it offers because some sellers will not take a low offer if they are not truly motivated to sell or can't afford to bring money to the closing table to get out of a house.  As real estate agents we want to see home prices on the rise again and low offers being accepted are only prolonging the housing recovery. A happy medium can be reached in almost all circumstances.

To all-  let's make a reasonable deal where the buyer gets a good deal and then the seller will become a buyer and find their good deal too!  I always do my best to educate my client, represent their best interests above my own and make the process of buying and selling a fun one. 

Word of the day- COMPROMISE

Just back from our Century 21 Spring Rally in Myrtle Beach and filled with even more knowledge of how technology is at the forefront of our industry.  I am currently striving to streamline my technology efforts to maximize exposure for my clients properties and with so many choices out there, this task can be daunting!  The next week or so will be filled with experimentation of new programs and figuring out how to use some of my new tech toys.  Sellers need to remember that technology is a great benefit to them when used properly, however, nothing is more important in today's market than positioning your home correctly to sell.  Hiring a professional that will truthfully advise you on the most valuable home improvements to complete and how to get you the most traffic in your home.  Selling doesn't happen once in a transaction- it happens three times.  Once to get the realtor to bring the buyers to the home, second to get the buyers interested enough to make an offer and third, sell the value to the appraiser so you do make it to the closing table.  Don't delay- hire a realtor today!

I had my first closing with the new HUD1 form and it sure was different!  Even the paralegals are having issues with the software.  Luckily for me and my client, I was diligent in reviewing every line and now I feel like I have a better understanding.  I still fail to see how this improves anything for our clients.  I represented the seller and on the third page of the HUD was all of the buyers loan information and that seems like it should be private information?  I am sure we will continue to see many changes along the way this year as they work out the "bugs"!