Laura Ludwig's (lauralei) Blog

Sales on the rise

Laura Ludwig (Lauralei Properties, llc) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:27:57 -0700

Everyone I have talked to in the last few weeks is more positive about the economy and real estate sales. I have personally seen the rise in sales - the number of people viewing the properties and the number of contracts in is encouraging --- we have even had multiple contracts on the same property..... been along time since that has happened.

Why use a realtor

Laura Ludwig (Lauralei Properties, llc) — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 08:38:17 -0700

this article was put out by the National association of realtors:

Many consumers consider selling their home directly but eventually turn to REALTORS®. Smart home sellers realize they need the expertise in pricing their home, making connections with REALTORS® working with buyers, arranging and staffing open houses, and coordinating with other professionals in the sales process. Only about half of all real estate agents are REALTORS® -- the top half, in our not-so-humble opinion. REALTORS® work independently, for small agencies, or for large brokerages. They help people buy and sell residential or commercial properties, vacation homes, and land; they conduct appraisals; they operate in the United States and in other countries; some specialize in auctions; and others are buyer's representatives.

REALTORS® Are Experts

The home price for sellers who use an agent is 16 percent higher than for those who don't, according to NAR's 2005 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, and nine out of 10 home buyers use a real estate agent in the search process.

Why Use a REALTOR®? Real estate transactions involve one of the biggest financial investments most people experience in their lifetime. Here are 12 ways a REALTOR® will make your home buying or selling experience better.

REALTORS® Are Part of the Community

REALTORS® Work to End Housing Discrimination - during April, which is Fair Housing Month, and all year long. REALTORS® are active members of their communities.

REALTORS® Protect You

Only REALTORS® follow a Code of Ethics To be a member of NAR and a REALTOR®, a real estate agent must abide by a set of professional principles and serve clients fairly.

Learn how the Code of Ethics affects everyday real estate practices >

Specialty Mortgages: What Are the Risks and Advantages? A growing number of home buyers are deciding to use one of several new types of specialty mortgages that let them "stretch" their income so they can qualify for a larger loan. Before you decide whether a specialty mortgage is for you, read this brochure.

Flat Fee MLS listing in St. Louis for $195

Laura Ludwig (Lauralei Properties, llc) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 05:44:56 -0700

Retain the right to sell your house yourself paying NO commission if you find the buyer yourself - while at the same time getting the exposure your home deserves! Have your house listed in the MLS where tons of real estate agents and pre-approved buyers will see your house - this is the most cost effective way for you to market your houseStatistics show that the majority of buyers use real estate agents to help them locate a house to buy - and the real estate agent uses the MLS to find the right home for their buyer.List your house for a flat fee starting at$195COUNTIES SERVED

St. Louis	St. Francois	washington
St. Charles	Ste. Genevieve	madison
Jefferson	Reynolds	wayne
Bollinger	iron	franklin

Areas of ExpertiseListing specialist!In 1995, just 2% of home buyers used the Internet to look for a home. Last year, 77% of home shoppers went house-hunting online, and nearly one-fourth of buyers first found the property they bought on the Internet, according to the National Association of Realtors. Traffic on real estate websites jumped 8% in the past year - double the growth rate of Internet traffic overall, according to comScore Media Metrix. According to the National Association of Realtors, approximately 80% of all U.S. homes are sold through Realtors using the MLS and homes listed on the MLS average net proceeds of 7% higher than homes sold for sale by owner.Your property will be listed on www.realtor.com, www.lauralei.net and other real estate websites. These internet listings will give you national exposure to out-of-state homebuyers. Since many of your potential buyers will be from outside your local area, this exposure can be a vital component in selling your home quickly and for the best price. The independent websites, realtor.com and homes.com, will obtain your listing directly from the MLS. Keep in mind that they pick up whatever they wish from your MLS listing to publish on their websites. Thus, we have no control over these independent websites and we cannot change or edit their content.TestimonialsLaura is the best! "I had my house on the market with another company for two months and only had one prospect. I decided to list the house with Laura, and the very same day we began getting bites, she even showed the house and sent out postcards, emails and took pictures the first day! The house sold within a week! She is very organized and gets the job done right! I would recommend her and use her again!" Margie Breedinghttp://www.lauralei.net

Does Realtor.com help or hurt?

Laura Ludwig (Lauralei Properties, llc) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:51:51 -0700

My experience with realtor.com has not been too successful so far - seems that most of the sellers think it is a great place for them to get buyers -- the buyers i have heard from so far seem to be frustrated with how the search is laid out.... since they don't know that the realtors that pay get top billing, they are confused when it seems to go by price and then all of a sudden it starts over by price again! I would love to get realtor opinions - do you pay for realtor.com? does it really help build your business? is it a rip-off?