A very 80s Christmas

If House Doesn’t Sell, Interview New Agents

There are three main reasons why a home doesn’t sell : price, marketing and condition. 

        I want to offer some good advice to home sellers who may be in the market for a new real estate agent.

When interviewing for a new agent, find out what kind of marketing plan they offer and what they focus the majority of their marketing efforts on — print ads, internet, mailings? Remember, the majority of buyers, over 90% according to the National Association of Realtors®, find their listings online. 

What kind of presence will your home have online?  Do they take their own pictures?  Most agents do; ask for a sample of their three most recent listings to see what kind of pictures they take.  How many pictures do they have available for buyers to view?  Great pictures get showings, and the more the better!  Do they offer virtual tours of the property?  Curbside information via text to a potential buyer’s smart phone? 

As the seller you decide the price, but what kind of information are they providing about current market conditions in your area?  Are their views on price realistic or are they promising you the sky?  After a showing of your property, how will they communicate feedback?  How often do they keep in contact with you and how (email, phone call, marketing report)? 

Do they have any suggestions for the property such as staging, repair, de-clutter, etc.?  Go online and checkout their website, current listings, and blog; see first hand how they market their listings. Do your homework.

Also, pay attention to the questions they are asking you.  If your listing previously expired, then they should be interviewing you as well to find out what went right and what went wrong.  By doing so they will be able to evaluate the situation better and tweak their marketing plan accordingly…

Thank Kelly Flynn for the information.

Call me today to evaluate your situation and determine how to help you sell your home faster.

What will help me sell my home faster?

When someone’s going to sell the house, the best investment you can make is on the exterior, whether it be landscape or paint or driveway or windows or the backyard.  People are incredibly forgiving on the inside if they fall in love with the outside.  It’s very similar to going on a first date.


If someone’s wowed by the outside, they walk inside and they’re completely forgiving. Very rarely is it the opposite where they’ve got this ugly outside but they’ve fallen in love with the inside.  So if you can make someone fall in love with the house before they walk through the front door or even in the backyard, with the exterior, the interior doesn’t need to be completely done.  People are willing to do that work.

Thanks Gary Gold for the article.


With over 18 years of experience, I want to work with you to help you sell your home.  Looking forward to doing business with you.

8 Ways to Increase Curb Appeal

Want to improve the view from the other side of the curb? Here are a few tips:

1. Look at the big picture. Some things should go without saying. But the truth is that after you've lived with fading trim -- or that shutter that hangs at a jaunty angle -- for a year or two, you probably don't even see it anymore. "People are not going to look at it the same way you will," says Myra Zollinger, an owner/broker with Coldwell Banker Realty Center in Chapel Hill.
Ask your real estate agent or a trusted friend to look at the front of your home with a new set of eyes. Would they be interested in the home if they didn't know you? If not, what are the turn-offs?
And always do the obvious: keep the lawn mowed and the gutters clear. Trim the bushes, get rid of any dead branches and fix anything that's hanging or broken. And keep outdoor lights on in the evening and in good working order, the better to show off your house 24-7.

2. Shine. Got a brass doorknob?

For all the 8 click the link: 8 ways to Increase Curb Appeal

Beware of “We Buy Homes!” Offers

Everyone knows financial distress has become mainstream news these days, and like weeds after a wet spring, signs reading “We Buy Homes!” begin to bloom like dandelions on street poles.

I would like to points out that posting ads on public utility poles is illegal, so where will it lead those who seek this sort of “help” with a possible distress situation?

Well for those choosing to explore what exactly happens when you call, I’ll save you the anxiety, and tell you what you’ll hear. Usually, like any good scam starts, you will hear a robot recorded message giving you a host of options like: press one if your behind in your mortgage or in pre-foreclosure; press 2 if your home is in disrepair or you leave overturned garbage pails on the lawn; press 3 if you like to leave your wallet on the mailbox next to the sign you saw while taking down this number…etc. I guess I’m laying it on a bit thick, but I’m sure you get the point.

A point of note: Do ‘We Buy Homes’ cash companies actually buy homes?

The answer is maybe, but likely much below market value, and in some cases only 50% of market value. If you’re in a pre-foreclosure situation and need to short sell a home, banks do a separate appraisal in approving the sale. Most banks will not approve a short sale significantly below market value.  As a matter of fact, they might not even approve a short sale below the appraised value. If the bank disapproves the short sale, they may request the buyer come up with more money. If you’re locked into a contract and the bank disapproves the short sale, it may ultimately lead the buyer to walk. You may lose precious time in completing a sale prior to auction. I understand the short sale process will be able to quickly navigate the sale of a home when necessary.  

When you need to sell your home I encourage you to use a professional Realtor.  Give me a call today to show you a strategy to help you sell your home faster and for the value you will be satisfied.  Looking forward to doing business with you.

Thanks to  Anthony Licciardello for the information.

20 Tips to help you sell your home faster

1. Make room. Clear out as much furniture as you can. Put it in storage, give it to Goodwill Industries or have a garage sale.

2. Use counter intelligence. Go through the house and clear off all the horizontal surfaces like kitchen and bathroom countertops. Old magazines? Toss 'em. Knick-knacks? Pack 'em. Counters need to be clear and clean.

3. Follow your nose. A home should smell good. That means no noticeable odor -- no pet scent, no stale cooking smells and no cigarette smoke. "People just don't realize how much odor plays into this," says Scott Griffith, president of ERA Griffith Realty in Brighton, Mich.


For all 20 tricks click the link: Here are 20 tricks to selling your home

Dos and Don’ts for an Open House

When you have an open house, details make the difference.

My advise is to leave the the marketing details to my team – flyers, signage, listings in the newspaper and online.

I encourage my clients to focus on the little details around their home that you never think about on a daily basis.  I often bring in an interior designer to make evaluations such as some of the items listed below:

Any place that you have lots of cords, you’ll want to bundle them up. Sure, you never look behind your desk or your entertainment center, but buyers might and, even though they’re not buying your furniture, seeing a cluttered mess of cords can give them negative feelings of chaos and disorganization when they remember your home.

Have a file drawer or portable file cabinet for recent papers.  Give everyone in the family their own file folder so that all stray papers can be stored temporarily out of sight.  This way you don’t lose or accidentally throw away any important documents during the confusion of selling your home, but they aren’t out cluttering your home and distracting buyers either.

The bathroom is a haven for extra stuff with all the creams and sprays and cotton balls, etc., etc.  Obviously, you need to use these on a daily basis, but you can’t have them all sitting out and you can’t just toss them in a cabinet.  Try buying a little plastic tub that can hold everything and will slip easily under the sink.

The same rule goes for your closet.  A few closet organizers go a long way.  Potential buyers will be looking inside everything in your home so there is no place you can just toss all the extra stuff.  If you have extra stuff to store, just make sure you put it in tubs and cubbies and neat plastic boxes so it all looks clean and uncluttered.

In an open house, you are trying to make the most of all the space you have and create a calm and comfortable atmosphere where buyers can see themselves fitting right in.  Chaos and confusion are the polar opposite of that.  These are just a few of the tips that I offer my clients to help them sell their homes faster with a better value.  Call me today for a free evaluation of your home.

Thanks Robin Jones for the information.