den boer homes: Here, There, and Everywhere
- 02/25/19 11:30 AM
People tend to move around alot these days. It used to be that most people were born, raised, and died all within a few miles. Not so much anymore. I was looking at a Facebook page of someone I went to High School with and realized they are living in the LA area. Last I heard they were in NC.
I also heard recently that on average, most people live in 11 different homes during their life. I thought, no way, and then started counting up all the residences I have lived in. Yep, just about 11.
You would think that with all … (7 comments)
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den boer homes: Hire a professional, then listen to them.
- 02/15/19 05:41 AM
Sometimes I think about things a bit too much. Like, why would I take my car to the shop and explain to them how to fix it? I am sure my Doctor would be amused if I walked in, told him my diagnosis, and asked for the pills I believe would fix the issue. Or better yet, doing an operation on myself because I watch how to do it on You Tube.
This is something that happens quite often in Real Estate. I am working with a friend and customer to ready her home for the market in April. We have been … (6 comments)
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den boer homes: Technology Strikes (Out) Again!
- 02/13/19 06:35 AM
Seems like every day I find examples of agents mis-using technology. Don't get me wrong, I fully embrace using technology for the right reasons. It is when it is mis-used that I get my hackles up.
I recently wrote an offer for an investor on a piece of residential property. Boy was it a clean one. We offered full price, asked for nothing, not even closing costs. The listing agent told me before we wrote the offer that it was a short sale, but the list price was preapproved. What could go wrong? Plenty.
This agent required me to access a portal and … (3 comments)
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den boer homes: Lights, Camera, Action!
- 02/06/19 07:55 AM
Our brokerage maintains 2 separate Video studios for their agents to use free of charge. Agents come in and spend about an hour recording messages they wish to share on social media or email campaigns. My job is to help coach these agents and get the best out of their time in the studio. I also help with all the equipment and set up. Its a lot of fun...for me. I see agents come in to the studio though, that are scared to death.
It takes a bit of work with the agents to get them to be more comfortable in front of … (2 comments)
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den boer homes: What Super Bowl? Oh, that one.
- 02/04/19 05:44 AM
First off, let me say that the only football I watch every year is the Super Bowl. And to be quite honest, I do so for two main reasons, 1) I like to watch the commercials, and 2) its the only time my wife lets me pig out on chips and dip.
So this year, my routine was changed a bit. I had 2 different sets of clients want to see properties this past weekend and another want to write an offer on a commercial property. I knew I needed to get this done before my commercials, I mean the game started.
Missions … (11 comments)
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den boer homes: The power of a phone call.
- 01/31/19 08:04 AM
I have clients looking at properties this weekend so I called the agents involved with the listings. The first agents phone rang and rang and rang...Until I finally was able to leave a message. The second picked right up.
I spoke to this agent about her listing that was currently under contract and asked if her clients would entertain a backup offer. The reason I asked this was two-fold. 1) the home has a fairly lengthy closing date, and 2) my clients asked about the home.
The agent was very forthcoming about the condition of the home and we even spoke about the … (2 comments)
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den boer homes: Snow! Head for the emergency shelters!
- 01/29/19 06:19 AM
Atlanta and snow don't mix well. While we do get some snow each year, it hardly ever amounts to much. But when we get those huge 2" blizzards, we can be socked in for hours!
Seriously, we have very little in the way of snow removal equipment since we hardly ever need it. They do apply a brine solution to the roads and that seems to help. And even if we did have the equipment, more often than not we get ice instead of snow.
Today they are calling for about an inch of snow. The roads have been treated, all the bread … (4 comments)
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den boer homes: Rental Aversion
- 01/22/19 05:50 AM
I admit it. I have rental Aversion. This is a disease that afflicts many real estate agents. It starts with someone asking for help finding a rental home. It quickly progresses to an eyelid twitch, followed by a neck spasm. The ability to speak can be affected as well, with the afflicted stammering and making no sense. It is a rough disease to deal with.
Why did I come down with this horrible disease? Well it all started when leasing agents started offering $100 or less to agents who bring qualified renters to their property and end up renting. $1500 per month … (1 comments)
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den boer homes: After 250 days on the market, Sold. Darn!
- 01/18/19 05:11 AM
Real Estate can often be a baffling business, even to real estate agents. To explain, I am working with an investor that buys a home each year, fixes it up, and rents the property. We are usually looking for properties under $100,000 that needs much work.
In the past, we have found and made offers on homes most others did not want. Today, however, the times seem to have turned against us. Several times in the past 3 months or so we have located a suitable property that has been listed for months and months. We like these because they do need … (4 comments)
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den boer homes: Chin up Dude! , He Said!
- 01/17/19 06:53 AM
"Sign, sign, everywhere a sign..." goes some lyrics to a song from ages ago when I was younger. Little did I know then it would mean more to me so much later.
Somehow, whenever times are tough, and if you pay attention, signs will appear. The above picture was taken this morning on my cell phone as I pumped gas into my car and contemplated life in general. Usually I reserve these moments for my morning shower, but today it was at the local gas pump.
As I was pulling up to the pump I was thinking mostly negative thoughts, and I happened … (3 comments)
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den boer homes: So Now You Don't Want to go Into Real Estate?
- 01/15/19 05:48 AM
Several days ago I wrote about what it takes to get into Real Estate. You can see this blog by clicking Here.
This blog was prompted by a past client asking me about getting into the business. I gave her some information on how to get started and last night she texted me with this question..."So, what are the starting salaries like in Real Estate?" In this simple question I found a ton of information about how the general public perceives Real Estate Agents.
I wrote her back and explained that most agents work on commissions only. Her reply was basically Oh, then no … (1 comments)
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den boer homes: Shortorder Cook or Marketing Manager?
- 01/15/19 05:35 AM
The Marketing Manager at my office has been overrun by requests from agents. This is a good thing as more and more agents are finding out what resources we have to offer them. The problem the manager faces is keeping up with individual projects. He now has a solution!
The picture above shows a clip system similar to those found in diners that hold customer orders. He put this up on the wall today and is using notes that he designed himself to keep track of ongoing projects. On the left are the more urgent requests.
I thought this was a pretty cool … (0 comments)
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den boer homes: So you want to go into Real Estate...
- 01/14/19 05:46 AM
Interestingly to me anyway, over the past several months I have had a few past and present clients ask me how they can get into real estate. For a variety of reasons, people I speak to are restless and looking for another career. They believe, I think, that real estate is an easy way to improve their lot in life. For many, it is.
For many it is not. For those that are looking to get into real estate, some things are required. For one, patience. For another, the ability to work without much supervision and to have the discipline to work … (4 comments)
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den boer homes: Sellers left a what?
- 01/08/19 08:36 AM
Interestingly, sometimes Sellers leave behind things that they think the buyer might want, or is just too difficult to get rid of. For example, I have often seen paint cans left for the new buyers. In theory, this helps the new buyers identify what the colors are in the home if they need to repaint. For sellers, paint is notoriously hard to dispose of so in a perfect world, this works for both sides.
The problem is that often the paint is years old, moldy, and/or dried up. A paper list of paint color information works much better. The buyer ends up trying … (4 comments)
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den boer homes: Did you hear me?
- 01/07/19 06:20 AM
Good agents pride themselves on how well they listen. Good clients should listen as well. Here is a case in point.
I recently spoke to a good friend who was looking to sell their home and purchase a single level home to get rid of stairs. They wanted to go look at homes right away. I asked, do you need to sell before you can buy? They surprised me by saying, no, their loan officer said we are approved for $650,000 with a VA loan and did not require them to sell their current home. I immediately suspected a problem, but realized … (10 comments)
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den boer homes: January Challenge -Giving Kudos
- 01/03/19 05:00 AM
This is an esay blog challenge for me. We all know that good vendors really help agents do good business. I think its the great vendors that make our clients raving fans!
About 5 years ago I was looking for a creative outlet and joined the local Photography club. I made friends with the president and he helped me progress to a better photographer. About that time I had made the decision to stop shooting my listings and get a professional to do it. Enter the new found friend, Kim Bates.
Kim is an architectural photographer and a great one at that. I started … (6 comments)
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den boer homes: New Home Sales - It's all About the Builder
- 12/18/18 05:32 AM
New homes are much like new cars. As soon as you enter either one you see a beautiful clean home, with everything new. You are also surrounded by that wonderful aroma of newness. That smell that we also always say, If I could just bottle that smell and sell it!
New is wonderful too in that it usually comes with a handful of warranties. The home could have a 10 year structural warranty, all the new appliances have their original warranties. What could go wrong? Cue the dark clouds across the sun with creepy background music.
The contract you sign to buy a new … (3 comments)
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den boer homes: Hidden reasons to hire a professional real estate agent
- 12/17/18 05:41 AM
Did you know your real estate agent has superpowers that you are unaware of? It's true. Now, you usually won't find us in a cape looking to fly out a second floor window unless a deal has gone bad. But we do have hidden powers.
For instance, it is critical during negotiations that your agent and the Buyer/Seller agent on the other side of your transaction get along. I have seen too many deals go sour, not because the buyer and seller can't agree, but because the agents are trying to out do each other thumping their chests. Professional agents learn quickly … (1 comments)
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den boer homes: What do you mean it won't close?
- 12/10/18 05:14 AM
Ever had to tell a Seller right before closing that the deal has died? These can be terrible words to hear especially if the Seller has already moved out and is anticipating the purchase of another home. I have seen this domino effect cascade through many closings, with the first default causing a chain reaction down the line.
Does this really happen? Yes, it does. Fortunately, if a deal is going to fall through, it usually does so in the first week to 10 days after the contract is signed, or the due diligence period. Deals might end for many reasons including Buyer … (4 comments)
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den boer homes: Technology Fun!
- 12/07/18 07:49 AM
Oh what fun technology can be! When it woks, it is great. When it doesn't, well, it can bring out the inner monster in all of us.
It seems to me that as long as I don't absolutely need my various forms of technology, it works just fine. On those days where I am under a tight deadline to get something done, those are the days that everything breaks down. Nothing seems to work, or it has slowed to glacial speed. These are the times that the Hulk comes out to play. I start to grunt and throw buildings around. Not a pretty … (3 comments)
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People tend to move around alot these days. It used to be that most people were born, raised, and died all within a few miles. Not so much anymore. I was looking at a Facebook page of someone I went to High School with and realized they are living in the LA area. Last I heard they were in NC.
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