What's it Gonna Take???

During a session of our SHIFT BOOK CLUB at Keller Williams, someone commented that they tell their clients, that there's never a day that they look at the HotSheet of homes and do not see a home sold or closed.  That is so true!  Homes are still selling today! Why are some homes selling but others aren't?  What's it Gonna Take to get your home SOLD?? The million dollar question....


Some great SELLERS of mine were in town the other day and they asked to take me to lunch.  Of course, the subject was mostly about real estate and selling homes.   One of the ladies said that a friend of hers has been trying to sell her home for a long time now, but hasn't had any offers on the home because it looks like GRANDMA'S HOUSE.  It's one thing to look Vintage, but it's another if your home is so dated that it's referred to as Grandma's house.  The best thing you can do for a quicker sale is to get rid of the wallpaper, put a fresh, warm neutral color on the walls, and pack up the doilies and nik naks.    You want to appeal to the largest pool of buyers you can so LESS IS BEST.  My clients had their home listed with another Realtor before me with not a lot of luck.  They have taken all my suggestions, and have done pretty inexpensive updates to get their home show ready.  They've been awesome to work with! I LOVE clients like that.  It's amazing how much can change with just some paint on the walls & cabinets, and some new inexpensive drapes.  I think with the Paint (Throughout most of the house, including the 2 story entry & two vaulted ceilings, and lots of trim), the new laminate counter tops, the new hardware, new drapes, some minor projects and a cute little table, we probably had $5000 in the whole thing, and it looks so much better!  With simple improvements you will get that back with less time on the market and also final purchase price.  We've had great feedback and we have our fingers crossed for a potential offer SOON. 

What does the statement "Original Owners" communicate to you? To me that says DATED!  


Your house can look great and is TIP TOP show ready, but you're still not getting an offer?? Why not?  If you have a home that's getting showings, but no offers, then you have your home priced too high.  The MARKET determines the price.   It doesn't matter what you need out of the home, or what the neighbor sold for, or whether you feel you have the best home on the block... the value of your home is only based on the current market and what homes that compare to your home are selling for.... APPLES TO APPLES.    Determine the price of your home by looking at what SOLD (not listed) in your neighborhood, but also looking outside of your neighborhood that buyers are buying in.    Buyers want value and value is Price per (perceived) Square Foot.   A perfect example is, if you are a 3 bedroom home and you're priced equally to 4 bedroom homes, your home is NOT going to sell.  If your home doesn't a have a basement and you're priced equally to homes with a basement, your home is NOT going to sell.   If your home doesn't have a Den or a Mud Room and your home is priced equally with homes that have those extra rooms, your home is NOT going to sell.  Obviously there's always an EXCEPTION to that rule.   If you have a unique, fabulous home that overlooks the lake, or has some other special feature a buyer is looking for, then your home may sell.  I'm talking Apples to Apples.

Side Note.... Any amount of clutter is your worse enemy when selling a home.  Clutter will sabotage a sale. Buyers CAN NOT get past the things to see the home.  Pack it up and put it in the garage or the basement.  Less is ALWAYS best!  Your home may sell better vacant if that's your case. 

My personal PET PEEVE is how the home shows online.   As a Realtor, I hate going online to search for homes for a buyer and seeing listings that have pictures of the front of the house only, or worse yet.. no picture at all.  Also, nothing is worse than seeing pictures of peoples STUFF or the Toilet seat up!  I work hard at capturing the room.  The whole room from ceilings to walls.  What is the focus of the picture?  Is it the Flowers all over the room, and the red rugs on the floors, or are you looking at the Vaulted ceilings and the Hardwood floors?   I'm not an EXPERT photographer by any means, but I will retake my pictures multiple times, until I can capture the room the best I can.   I also update my pictures as the seasons change.   Who wants to look at a home with snow and dead greenery in the middle of the summer, when you could capture the home with green grass, colorful flowers and blue skies.  99% of buyers SHOP online for homes.  How your home shows online is top priority when it comes to getting buyers through the door.  I recently helped a young couple find a rental after they spent months trying to sell their condo with another Realtor with not 1 showing!!   Unfortunately, I met them late in the process of selling their condo because they were already in the process of doing a DEED IN LIEU.    I asked them why they didn't try to  Short Sale first, they said they did.  Hmm... well that seemed odd to me?  After talking with them and asking them why they felt their condo didn't sell,  I told them that I would go online to check their listing and look at their pictures and give them some suggestions as to why I think they haven't got any showings.  They said.. "Oh we don't have any pictures online".   When I asked them, why they didn't a have any pictures, they said their Realtor NEVER took any!!  Can you imagine?  That Realtor was neglectful and didn't represent the client well.  In fact, he's partially to blame for the client NEVER getting any showings and losing their home.  I felt terrible for these people.   They are an awesome couple, and they worked so hard to do the right thing and work with the bank.   SAD SAD SAD!

Well... You get the point.  I could go on and on about this subject because there's so many factors that contribute to getting a home sold.  That's why you hire a professional, full time Realtor.  If you want to hear more, feel free to call me or ask me any questions.   I'm always happy to help!  YOU ARE LOVED!

Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with me.  Rev 3:30 

Jesus Christ

The Truth....

This morning I was reading, The Journey by Walk In The Word, and the topic was Dependency.   This honestly is a subject I struggle with because it often comes up at any Realtor Convention you attend.

Not too long ago I went to a training session for Keller Williams called Quantum Leap (side thought... I love all the training and energy Keller Williams bring to their agents.  It's Awesome!) there were a lot of good points, in fact one of the first quotes in the book was, "True wealth is not about money, it's about abundance and great plenty.(and then.....)  An abundant life is a life marked with Great Plenty in your THINKING, in the ACCOMPLISHMENT of your PERSONAL PURPOSE, in the habits that make your daily life, and in your key relationships.  It's a life in which you ACHIEVE harmony, because YOU know what the important elements are and you actively counterbalance them.   I struggle with those things because I honestly feel that no (blessings) just happen.   The first thought that popped in my mind was, "Seek first His kingdom and righteousness and all these things will be added unto you" if you read that verse further it says.. "So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of it's own".      I have to be honest and say I fail at the "do not worry" part of it sometimes, but as soon as I banish those thoughts and really start trusting again... I'm always blessed.  I see His blessing all the time.   Anyway... back to my original thought while sitting in the class.   I guess for me, I don't ever want to get to a point where I feel like I have control and it's up to me to "Steer my life"... Can you imagine??  I guess that's why Carrie Underwood has that song, "Jesus Take The Wheel".    I know I can't ACCOMPLISH anything on my own, and my PERSONAL PURPOSE is to Glorify God in all that I do.     If you've NEVER read the Bible it's the best user manual available on the shelves!  God designed us and He gave us the best instructions for life ever... for relationships, parenting, marriage, communication, finances... you name it, it's in there.

I'm dependent on God.. but actually it's so much more than that, because that's only a small part.  You have to have the Holy Spirit.   The Journey states... "Part of the Holy Spirits ministry is to lead us into truth.  The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:14 that the man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit.  They are foolishness to him".  Understanding God is not learning practical logic like one would learn Algebra  or Geometry (Thank God!! I wouldn't learn anything then) or even history.  We do not know the things of God without the work of the Spirit of God to open our eyes and give understanding.  Spiritual truth does not make sense to the human mind that is Detached from God.    In our everyday lives, when we depend upon Christ (Not ourselves), we are drawing upon the grace, presence, and power of His indwelling Spirit.  We learn things about Him we never would otherwise, and in areas where we wouldn't normally feel capable, we discover the complete sufficiency of Christ.  Jesus will ALWAYS meet the NEEDS of every heart in which He dwells.  LOVE THAT!!!  That takes me back to my original thought about Life isn't about money... there's so much more, and the really awesome thing is I don't have to worry about it, because God promises he will provide all my NEEDS... and he does.   I'm so Glad I GET THAT.   Because these are scary times and I'm not going to worry about it.    So if you are feeling worried, stressed, sick, poor, lonely, .... check out the best manual out there, the Holy Bible, and know YOU ARE LOVED!

Love,

Heidi