Green Philadelphia

I wish my buyers would Drive By houses First.

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Wed, 01 May 2013 06:21:58 -0700

Blame the Internet and our busy lives. Buyers don't like to drive by the houses before we make appointments. But it sure would save us some time. Colorado realtor Mary Douglas recently described the result: We arrive for an appointment and the buyers know just by looking that they don't want to see the inside. Douglas asked: Should we the realtors drive by first? It definitely helps. However, ultimately, how can we know how the buyers will react to a house? Sure, we can tell that the street might have a lot of traffic, or that the block looks a little shabby....but, there can be other factors that make it worth showing. It is really up to the buyers...unless we have so many potential homes to show them that we need to rule some out.

Giant Banks treat Buyers like Potential Terrorists

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:52:46 -0800

That line got a laugh at Inman Connect in NYC last month. It is funny because it is so painful. I have a buyer with a 770 credit score who has been sweating the mortgage process for 6 weeks now. The listing agent kept nagging me to get the client to use the medium-sized agency-affiliated lender that her chain agency uses. But my client liked her giant, national bank. I defended her right to use them. Wow, was that a mistake. The Giant bank defends the checking and re-checking by saying they are "audited" after different steps. They have lost things and gotten mixed up. Very well-meaning and pleasant, but still no full mortgage approval--just several commitment letters. Remember 30-day mortgage approvals? Are they history?

Repeat after me: A contractor is NOT a kitchen designer

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:13:43 -0800

They think they are though--even though lots of contractors are men who don't cook!!! Smart kitchen design makes a kitchen work right: Think "storage"...think "easy to clean"...think "pleasant to be in." Tile floors can be inexpensive, but standing for a long time on a hard surface can be tough on your legs.

Contractors cheap out and have bad taste...

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 07:07:15 -0700

Darryl Davis says "Buyers want the shiney penny." Why don't contractors get that? Contractors offer Big Box store run of the mill. Buyers want something special: cool bathrooms, closet systems, cool kitchens. Believe me, they notice when you cheap out. Flippers are 45 year old guys. They keep renovating to please themselves when the "which-house-to-buy" decision gets made by 25-to-40 year old women. Get this please, contractors: Realtors can sell the shiney penny faster and for more money. Here is the maddening thing: The shiney penny does not have to cost more. But you need good taste!!! MAKE FRIENDS WITH ARCHITECTS. VISIT IKEA. It will pay off BIG TIME.

Baby Boomers aren't moving!

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 06:17:10 -0700

Ten years ago all the talk was about how the baby boomers would sell when they retire. Surprise? They/we are not retiring and are staying in our homes. What that means for the market, I'm not sure. Here in the Northeast, 1st floor living....even a powder room on the main floor, are rare. When people remodel, I tell them about Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. Thoughts?

Access = $10,000 or even more!

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 10:21:09 -0700

Tale of two houses on the market: House #1 was a clean, dated "granny house." It needed new kitchen, bath and updating, but it was a nice property at a realistic price. Easy to show on lockbox. No notice. It sold and settled in 3 weeks. One block away, House #2 had comparable sq footage with updated kitchen, bath, new windows and new heater. It was painted in contemporary colors. The block was a little cuter than House #1's. The architecture was more charming and distinctive: a Cottswold inspiration. Asking price for House #2 was $9000 more than House #1. Clearly house #2 is a better value and a more desirable house than #1. BUT HOUSE #2 IS STILL ON THE MARKET after 75 days!!! Why??? Restricted showing hours and 24 hour notice. SELLERS: DON'T MAKE THAT MISTAKE! The seller of House#2 is handicapped and has an adorable, high strung dog who nips people. She has great reasons for the limited access. But So What? She hired an agent who lives 45 minutes away. If I were her agent, I'd be there to help with the dog so that the house could be shown. I'd explain to the seller that 24 hour notice hurts a sale in this market. Result: My persistent buyer may get the house for $10,000 less than the sellers got for House #1. WHAT A SHAME!

Did a bank reject your electronic signatures?

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 07:22:55 -0700

I LOVE electronic signatures. Alas, the listing agent just told me that Chase Bank would not take them. I'm not sure if I believe him. Has anybody run into this?

Your dog can cost you $10,000 or $20,000 dollars!

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:50:03 -0700

"No showings during the week because of the dog." Are you nuts? I had some great cash buyers from out of town who gave me one day's notice to set up some showings. The house that met their needs exactly could not be shown because the owners were at work and their dog was home alone. Those sellers have no idea that they missed the perfect potential buyers! I showed the buyers 7 other houses and offered to preview the house w/ the dog and send photos, but their lives are complicated and they could not come back. Pay a neighbor, a friend, a dog sitter to wrangle Fido for last minute showings. Ask your agent. I'd do it myself because I know how critical each showing can be. Otherwise, your dog is going to cost you because your house will sit on the market longer. As each month passes, you will lose $10,000.

Let us in.....Please!

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 08:37:36 -0700

I know it is a pain to have your house on the market, but we can't sell your house unless we can show it!!!! Seems obvious, I know. Beautiful summer day. Maybe you are at the Farmer's Market? Or off to the beach? Lots of buyers call us at the last minute. It is a buyers' market. Buyers are king. Don't miss one single buyer. It is a major pain, I know. But especially on the weekends....especially in the evenings, accept last minute showings. Please answer your cell phone and say, "OK". Making your house very easy to show will get it sold faster and for more money! Your pain will be over sooner than later.

Replace that carpet...lower the price too...

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:37:13 -0700

http://bo.st/Kh3brJ Link to an article in today's Boston Globe. Frustrated seller has the same mustard-colored carpet upstairs that was there when she bought her home. She's put $25,000 in improvements and she's asking basically the same price as when she bought her house. She has a credit for new carpet in her mls write up. I get why she draws the line at new carpet. Really I understand. But when feedback from buyers stresses that the carpet is a turnoff, after 4 months and 7 open houses, it is time to hear that. Don't give buyers any reason to "pass." Put your best foot forward and dangle a price cut too. Tough medicine but smart sellers bite the bullet and get the sale.....

NY Times digital. What do people think?

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:48:44 -0800

My listing is in the PA countryside in the tiny town of Durham, 70 miles from the Holland Tunnel, in a scenic, rural small town in Bucks Co. PA. My beef with NY Times is that if people don't know the name "Durham"--which most people don't, and they aren't searching the zip code, how can they find the house? I need the house/farmette to come up when people search Bucks County. Anybody else have tips or beefs with NY Times digital?

Any tips for selling a historic property?

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:31:57 -0800

This is a side view of the main house at Sunrock Farm, circa 1790, in Durham, PA, near Rieglesville. It is 70 miles from the Holland Tunnel, 1 hour from Center City, Philadelphia, 17 miles from the Frenchtown bridge to NJ. In addition to the 4 bedroom, 2 bath house, there is an exquisite PA Bank Barn, smoke house, spring house and rain garden on 4+ acres. Much of the electricity for the house comes from a very cool solar tracker. Price $450,000. I have had the house in NY Times digital, National Trust, featured in realtor.com, mls and all the usual sites. I need ideas. Anybody?

First Floor Powder Room--dealbreaker?

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:02:29 -0800

Things come in waves. My buyers are all asking for 1st floor powder rooms. In the average, 60-year-old houses that I sell, some have them and some don't. I get it that some people have elderly relatives that need them, but these days it seems everybody wants one. I don't think they make sense unless they are designed into the space. Who wants to hear a toilet flush during a party? Is it worth cramming one in by a kitchen?

add insulation to boost resale.....

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:40:09 -0800

Ihttp://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/house-watch-to-boost-resale-value-consider-the-quality-of-your-insulation/2012/01/17/gIQAkMrvDQ_story.html

f you don't believe me, read the article in the Washington Post.

Better picture or realistic picture?

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:13:56 -0800

Here is the debate that I am having with my seller: He has a beautiful, 200 year old stone Colonial farmhouse on 4 acres that has been on the market for more than a year. I'm the 3rd agent in. In olden days, many Colonial homes were built right next to the road. His is no exception. The view of his house from the curb is a tangle of brush and shrubs and a not-keeping-with-the-era carport. The client's solution is to post of picture of the rear of the house, which overlooks the scenic acreage. Naturally, that picture is much more attractive than the curb shot. But I maintain that the letdown that buyers will experience when they realize that the house sits right on the road rather than in the middle of the lot will ruin the showings.

Say "No" to candles and plug ins.

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 13:11:10 -0800

I hate candles and plug ins. I don't think they help homes sell.

New series: Getting your house ready for the market in NY Times...

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 17:22:48 -0700

http://nyti.ms/nr5U0U If the house has red walls, should you paint before you go on the market? See what NY Times says! They also suggest some really nice paint colors.

In a tough, crowded market, it is crazy not to stage....

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 11:41:32 -0700

I am thrilled that stager Starr Osborne and her firm Taylored Transitions www.tailoredtransitions.com has won Best of Philly Home Staging. I give Starr's book Home Staging That Works to all my sellers. Starr outlines all the steps in kind, doable language giving sellers a doable blue print for how to sell their home fster and for more money. Get the book for a very reasonable cost on Amazon or other internet sites. Well done, Starr!

My first text-only client....

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:38:55 -0700

It is not that she is not tech saavy. She has a computer. She found me on the internet. She found a bunch of potential houses on the net too. She just doesn't bother with email. I guess she has Facebook so Facebook and texting are all she uses. What is Facebook etiquette anyway? I barely know her. Is it too forward to ask to be her friend on Facebook so I can send her MLS listings?

upgrades, energy efficiency, home sales, new construction

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Sun, 15 May 2011 12:16:54 -0700

Penny Hull of Raleigh, NC recently wrote a post about how buyers these days are willing to go without some of the upgrades they had wanted in the past--like more sq footage and landscaping. However, one thing, she finds, is more important than ever: Upgrades that save you money every month on energy costs. That is great to see! One thing that kills me: HVAC manufacturers who still sell "cheaper" systems that are only 86% energy efficient, when for $500+ more, you can get 93% to 96% efficiency. Smart consumers realize that the higher efficiency system pays you back that premium quickly and then saves you money year after year.

Buy a home...find a husband!

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Tue, 10 May 2011 08:44:02 -0700

What is up with this scenario? Assured, together single woman decides to buy her own home. She doesn't need to wait for her prince! Then the prince turns up! Why is that? I just ran into a client from 7 years ago. She told me she met her now- husband at a dinner party the week before closing! I got a happy Christmas call from another. Two years for her, but again, first the house, then the fiance. Is this just me, or is this a phenomena?

I love Erie, PA!

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 08:47:03 -0700

Thank you to Natalie Washburn and the Erie Board of Realtors for sponsoring a Polley broker continuing education course on Real Estate Law. If you haven't been to Erie, I strongly recommend you visit. The beach is amazing! They don't call them Great Lakes for nothing. At my motel a few miles from the beach, I walked my dog at a small marsh. There were red wing blackbirds and I even saw several Great Blue Herons! Erie has lovely homes and warm, welcoming people. Close by is PA Route 6, with miles of beautiful scenery and antique, craft shops and art galleries. I had a great time with the Erie and Franklin realtors. I just wish I could have spent more time enjoying the sights and walking on the beach! Someday I'd love to go out on the lake in a sailboat.......

It's official. America is "over" the telephone.....

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 11:26:01 -0700

http://community.nytimes.com/comments/www.nytimes.com/2011/03/20/fashion/20Cultural.html?scp=4&sq=why%20we%20don't%20answer%20the%20phone&st=cse Wow. This article is called "Don't call me, I won't call you." It was in the NY Times last week. I thought it was just me: I consider phone calls a burden. As a realtor, my phone is my lifeline and I love "money calls". I am also relieved when routine business is text or emailed. Recently, one of my clients in a pending transaction kept avoiding my calls. We are friends. The deal was fine. It is just the phone. It is intrusive. Now we have alternatives. How is that changing our business?

It is a Tough, New Mortgage World Out There........

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 07:42:40 -0700

My buyer had an 840 credit score, 20+ years on his job and 20% down. Why couldn't he get a mortgage commitment? His wife of 10 years is from Bali. She has a "green card." Last year, they lent the wife's sister $6500 in cash. To buy the new house, the sister gave them $6500 back--in cash. No bank. The lender did not want to make the loan because there was no paper trail for that money. I'm still in shock. So is the mortgage broker. He wants the sister to fill out a "gift" letter and write a 2nd letter to the lender, explaining what happened. The sister already described the money as a loan, not a gift. She is afraid to look like a liar to the bank. Bottom line: Deal is Dead.

Watch out! Here come the NEIGHBORS......

zeta cross (Smart Green Realty) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 06:35:53 -0700

My deal just blew up. The out for the buyers was a little glitch with the financing that is easy to correct. They used it to bail the day before settlement after they had a long talk with the neighbors. As far as I know, the neighbors didn't put down the house or say anything bad about the sellers. They just made the shy, immigrant wife feel intimidated. The next- door neighbor came on very strong...advising the buyers about her plans for the adjoining yards and the block. When she stepped away, another neighbor sat down and ranted about his past problems with their soon-to-be next-door neighbor. Bottom line: Dead Deal. I hope the sellers will re-list with me. Then what? How can I deal with this toxic neighbor????