buyers: Home Sellers! What do buyers first see when they ring your Door Bell ?
- 04/07/16 12:18 AM
First impressions of a house are critical, and while that might begin as you drive up, those seconds at the front door while you are waiting to enter can say alot about a home.
Sellers should think about what buyers and agents see when they arrive at the front door, especially if the front door lock doesn't work well and more time is spent looking around the front entry while the agent struggles with the lock (and what message does THAT send?!).
Please stop by Gita's original post and share your thoughts there, too!
It is important to … (5 comments)
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buyers: Buyer Agents - Are You Preparing Your Buyers Appropriately?
- 02/28/16 10:25 AM
Are You Preparing Your Buyers Appropriately?
I previously wrote about how listing agents should be preparing their sellers. It made sense to do the same for buyers.
Being a buyer in today’s market, well, any market, is tough. It’s a huge financial decision to purchase a house worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more, and one certainly wants to go about it appropriately so you can accomplish the goal. There’s a ton of stuff to know, and in many cases the right way and the wrong way to go about it.
As a buyer agent we play a huge role with our buyer … (8 comments)
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buyers: 10 Things Your Realtor Can't Tell You
- 02/25/16 09:44 AM
You may be frustrated by the fact that there are some things we simply can't tell you, even if we have an opinion or perhaps a specific answer.
Mimi does a great job of shedding light on these questions buyers often want to know, but agents can't (or shouldn't) answer.
I hope you will stop by her featured post and comment there, too!
Over the past few decades of selling real estate, people often ask questions I can't answer, either because of laws preventing disclosure, or because so many of the questions are subjective and change from person to person or situation to … (17 comments)
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buyers: Waiting, Waiting & More Waiting – Patience Is a Virtue in Real Estate
- 08/26/15 02:14 AM
Waiting, Waiting, and More Waiting
Patience Is a Virtue for Buyers in Real Estate
Many of us don’t like to wait. Some are more tolerant of waiting than others.
We wait in line for food, or paying for groceries, or to return an unwanted item at some retailer. We wait on the phone, or wade through seemingly endless automated menus to hopefully reach the final destination…someone to help with our problem. We wait in traffic, we wait in the doctor’s office, and we wait in the security line at the airport.
Like it or not, sometimes you have to wait. If you don’t, you can’t … (22 comments)
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buyers: Is Something Wrong with That House or Are You Making an Assumption?
- 08/10/15 01:35 AM
Is There Something Wrong with That House
or Are You Making an Assumption?
Everyone makes assumptions from time to time. Sometimes you’re right, sometimes you’re wrong.
Happens in our business all the time. And both buyers and sellers can lose out.
Take pricing for instance…a big one for assumption mishaps.
Sometimes sellers list their home for more than they should. We see it often.
Despite information gleaned from a knowledgeable agent (presumably) based on market data and conditions, they list the home at a price too high for the market anyway, confident it will sell; they assume a buyer will come along, love the home, … (39 comments)
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buyers: Do You Know What Your Buyers and Sellers Know?
- 08/06/15 08:11 AM
Do You Know What Your Buyers and Sellers Know?
This is not a rhetorical question.
Nor is it about testing you to see if you have more real estate knowledge than your clients do. Presumably your experience and training provide that, although there may be exceptions.
It is being aware of what your buyers and sellers are doing online – what they are searching for, where they are searching, and what information they are finding.
There are a plethora of websites out there providing information to consumers about everything real estate. And no lack of major sites for searching for homes for sale (e.g., Realtor, Zillow, … (111 comments)
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buyers: Let's Go, I Don't Like This Place
- 05/16/15 01:05 PM
Let's Go, I Don't Like This Place
I really enjoy working with decisive buyers.
You know, those who know pretty quickly whether a home is right or not for their needs. You walk in, they look for a couple of minutes, and before long they know it's not right and they are ready to leave.
Sometimes buyers are apologetic about this approach.
The home was not right and they were ready to move on but they feel badly that we ended up there.
I have no issue with that at all.
I'd rather know so no one wastes time and we don't dilly dally … (25 comments)
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buyers: How to Sell a Home – Video Tips for Sellers (Is Your Home Available?)
- 05/05/15 01:30 PM
How to Sell a Home
Video Tips Series for Carlsbad Home Sellers
Availability of Your Home for Showings
Selling a Carlsbad home is complex, and time consuming, no matter how experienced you might be. This is true even in our busy market where inventory is low.
My “How to Sell a Home” tips and advice video series is designed to provide quick answers to some of the most important issues you face when selling your Carlsbad home, BEFORE you get started. You can view these on your iPhone, SmartPhone, or Tablet while you are on the go.
See the video below to learn why making your … (4 comments)
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buyers: I Hate Having to Cross Qualify My Buyers – Do You?
- 04/06/15 12:51 PM
I Hate Having to Cross Qualify My Buyers – Do You?
We are seeing more and more listings where at the request of the Listing Agent, and sometimes it’s stated as “at the request of the seller,” the buyer must be cross qualified with a particular lender.
This has been fairly common with short sales and REOS over the last 6 or 7 years, but it now becoming more frequent in “normal” sales.
In some cases a particular agent ALWAYS requires it, and of a particular lender. Hmmm.
I understand concerns about pre-approvals of … (17 comments)
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buyers: Sometimes You Don’t Know You are Being Unrealistic Until You are Told
- 02/12/15 11:11 PM
Sometimes You Don’t Know You are Being Unrealistic Until You are Told You Are
With the low inventory and great interest rates, plus pent-up demand, activity for buyers in our area is vigorous. Homes that are well priced disappear quickly, but despite being a seller’s market, some homes languish on the market.
And there is always a reason – location, price, and condition are the primary ones
Buyers have wish lists for their home searches. Sometimes those lists are realistic, given prices and neighborhoods of interests, but often they are not.
It may be … (29 comments)
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buyers: Is ListingRoad.com the RIGHT Road For YOU to Take?
- 11/25/14 01:13 PM
Is ListingRoad.com the RIGHT Road For YOU to Take?
The following full page ad for Listing Road appeared in our local paper recently. I thought it was pretty brazen.
Really? Are that many agents truly going to pay thousands of dollars to a buyer or seller who accepts their bid for a buyer or seller posting and who may NOT sell or purchase through them, thus forfeiting the money?
The premise, based on selling over 8000 homes (hmm, over 12,000 sell per day, that stat is not all that impressive), is that top agents who put … (10 comments)
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buyers: Carlsbad Buyers Prepare for Your Closing with a Contingency Plan
- 09/07/14 06:05 AM
Carlsbad Buyers Prepare for Your Closing with a Contingency Plan
Contingency plans when buying a new Carlsbad home are often necessary, and important, during the transaction..
This is especially true with closing, since this is such a critical date with the transfer of title, and for many buyers an exciting move into your new home. Buyers normally want to get access as soon as possible, which is perfectly understandable.
While it doesn’t happen often, closing CAN get delayed.
The most common reason I have run into is the lender not getting the funds wired … (3 comments)
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buyers: This Home has Central Air Conditioning. Not!
- 08/30/14 05:18 AM
This Home has Central Air Conditioning. Not!
A common question from buyers in my area is whether a home has central AC or not.
Near the coast it is often not necessary, except for limited times during the year when the Santa Ana winds blow. But with coastal breeze and being near the ocean the temps are much milder, even in the summer, thank further.
Of course having AC and feeling it is necessary is very much a person choice, and often buyers want to have the option to use it or not.
I always tell buyers that it is … (17 comments)
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buyers: Staging Your Offer
- 08/17/14 02:33 AM
Staging Your Offer
Yes, it can be done. And probably should, in particular if there are multiple offers and you want your offer, like a home, to show its best.
Perhaps the subtitle should be "Dressed for Success!"
Let’s face it – you want your offer to look great! You’ve made an effort to get pre-approved, have looked at a number of homes, decided on one you really like, and you want it. Bad!
So of course you want your offer accepted, right?!
Granted, the bulk of the responsibility for making the offer look great rests … (104 comments)
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buyers: I Got Asked to Take Down a Post Yesterday
- 08/11/14 11:37 PM
I Got Asked to Take Down a Post Yesterday
This has only happened one other time, a little over 6 years ago, but yesterday I received an email asking me to remove a post.
The email was from a new home builder in the San Diego area.
They found a post I had written about a new home community in the Leucadia area of Encinitas that I posted a few months ago.
As a real estate blogger with a keen interest in my local housing market, keeping tabs on and sharing information about new homes has … (137 comments)
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buyers: The San Diego Climate Impact Plan – Applaud It or Criticize It?
- 08/11/14 02:06 PM
The San Diego Climate Impact Plan – Applaud It or Criticize It?
There is a new plan that has been submitted to the San Diego City Council for approval. It could have significant financial consequences for home owners when it comes time to sell, depending on what is approved and mandated.
On the one hand I want to applaud that the Climate Action Plan, spearheaded by City Council President Todd Lorio and presented to the City’s Mayor after its creation in February 2014, is an effort to impact the negative effects of global warming.
Whether everyone agrees … (6 comments)
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buyers: Do I Need Proof of Funds (POF) in My Relocation?
- 08/08/14 12:01 PM
Do I Need Proof of Funds (POF) in My Relocation?
When buying a new home in your relocation, you should expect to provide proof of funds (video), often abbreviated in the real estate world as POF. This is essential if you are paying cash, but a smart thing to do even when you are getting a loan.
Sellers want to know that you are qualified to purchase (e.g., have a current written pre-approval) and that you have the funds on top of the financing for the purchase (i.e., the deposit, a.k.a. earnest money deposit; the down payment, and the … (48 comments)
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buyers: Handling the Closing on Your Home in Your Relocation
- 08/08/14 01:41 AM
Handling the Closing on Your Home in Your Relocation
I often get asked by people who are moving to Carlsbad, or nearby, from out of the area – How do we handle closing? Do we have to be here?
You might also know it as settlement, if you are from another state, but closing here in Carlsbad, and throughout Southern California, is pretty easy to handle.
[see the video at the bottom of the page]
You don’t sit around a table, sign papers and exchange keys as they do in some states. It all happens behind … (6 comments)
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buyers: Carlsbad Sellers, Get Rid of Those Hazardous Waste Items Before Closing
- 08/03/14 01:19 PM
Carlsbad Sellers, Get Rid of Those Hazardous Waste Items Before Closing
It’s pretty common that buyers will request that all personal items belong to the sellers be removed before closing, as they are not part of the transaction.
Even if not explicitly stated in the contract, the assumption is that all non-fixtures are to be removed.
A common set of stuff that is probably in most homes, and not so easy to get rid of, are the hazardous waste items.
I find that in most cases buyers want these gone. And you often do … (29 comments)
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buyers: The Value of an HVAC Inspection - Time for That Furnace to be Replaced
- 08/01/14 02:33 PM
The Value of an HVAC Inspection - Time for That Furnace to be Replaced
A home inspection is essential, and sometimes additional inspections are important.
A recent home inspector recommended an HVAC evaluation because of concerns about the furnace in a Carlsbad condo.
The HVAC company did an inspection (quickly, I might add), and recommended that the furnace be replaced.
Seems the current furnace was a Premier, which was a model that was discontinued some years ago because of fire hazards (do a Google search for Premir furnaces and you'll see what I mean).
There was … (8 comments)
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First impressions of a house are critical, and while that might begin as you drive up, those seconds at the front door while you are waiting to enter can say alot about a home.
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