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Kirk Holton Team
    Years of Experience: 35

Direct: (314) 406-6848

Office: 314-677-6014



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10936 Manchester Road
St. Louis MO
314-677-6014


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Archive for April 2011

First Time Buyer Priorities

Monday, April 25th, 2011

What are the priorities for First Time Buyers?

By:Vicki Holton-Kirk Holton Team

New job, new city, or transitioning from a rental situation? First time buyers have all sorts of circumstances that put them in this category.
What are they looking for?…or what should they look for?
It is difficult to address every situation, but here is a list of some of the priorities of “first timers.”
1) Location , location, location
There can’t be enough said here. Does the location have a history of good resale value? Is shopping and transportation convenient?
2) Affordability
A first time buyer should establish with a lender and ask for a good faith estimate of what costs are involved in buying a home/condo.
The lender will be able to guide the buyer as far as what price range he/she can comfortably afford.
3) Safety
Especially for single women, this is a huge issue.  A first time buyer should go online and study the crime statistics in the areas
he/she is interested in. Does the buyer feel comfortable coming in late at night,
taking a walk? Is the area comfortable for the lifestyle he/she will lead? Is parking an issue?
4)Proximity to work
Will the buyer have an easy commute, or will the area be tough to deal with commuting to and from on a daily basis? As Realtors, we often hear, “I love our home, but I need to be closer to work.”
5) Condition
Does the new home/condo require a lot of work?  If the buyer is out of town a lot, or spends many hours at work,
he should not buy a fixer-upper. Working all week ..then coming home to work on your home on evenings and weekends can get old quickly.
6) Sociability
Assuming that the first timer is young, or very social, an area should be chosen where there are activities and facilities such as a clubhouse, pool, parks, etc. to provide a feeling of community.
There is nothing more exciting than buying your first “home”…what is your most important priority?

The Building Inspection: Do’s and Don’ts of the Process

Friday, April 15th, 2011

Don’t be a building inspection bummer!

By:Vicki Holton-THE KIRK HOLTON TEAM

You found the house of your dreams! You are elated because you also got a great price and you consider it a “steal.”
Now on to inspections. You receive a referral from a friend for a good inspector. His prices are somewhat high so you call a few others. Also, you ask your agent for a few names….these are all good things to do. Finally, an inspector is chosen and a date set.
All is good. Here is a list of dos and donts regarding inspections.
-Do be present at the inspection
-Don’t expect your agent to meet the inspector and then interpret all of his findings for you. Many important facts can get lost in translation, and even though the inspectors take lots of pictures, there is nothing like being there for good communication.
-This is YOUR inspection time…and it will be YOUR home. The agent can’t begin to be responsible for the inspections or the findings. THIS part of the buying  process is between you and the inspector. Your agent is a bystander.
-Don’t bring the kids, grandma, or friends to see the home at this time. This can be distracting for you AND the inspector.
-Do rely on your inspector for the facts. Uncle Bob means well, but he doesn’t know everything about basements, plumbing, etc. That’s why you are paying a professional.
-Do call in other inspectors if needed. This is your one chance to go over things thoroughly, and if the inspector advises you to call in a heating and cooling expert, licensed plumber, roofer, etc. you should do just that. Your inspector is the general practitioner, the expert is the licensed contractor. Do sit down with your agent to go over the report. -Decide what you want the sellers to repair, replace, or perhaps give you a credit to fix yourself after closing.
-Do go for the truly necessary repairs.
-Don’t nit pick over a lot of details that a handy man can handle in an hour. If you got a great buy on the house, keep that in mind in the negotiations. Obviously, if you paid top dollar and there is a lot wrong with the home, keep that in mind too.
-Do ask for items that concern safety, and the general smooth operation of the home. (Air conditioner not working, leak under the sink, loose banister, etc.)
-Don’t ask for cosmetic items…..(repaint the exterior of the home a darker color, move the fence, etc.)  Obvious visual defects should be mentioned in the contract.
Do keep calm, and treat this procedure as a business transaction and not a personal confrontation. That way, both the buyer and seller usually end up happy with their agreement.

Dear Rita: Another Price Reduction?!?

Tuesday, April 5th, 2011

Dear Rita,

I have been trying to sell my home for several months now. We started at a price that was about $20,000 over the suggested range that our Realtor gave us. We reduced it by $10,000 30 days into the listing. We are now 74 days
on market and are wondering what we should do now. There have been no offers. Our Realtor has suggested another price reduction and has told us that anything under a 5% reduction is usually not effective. She also keeps saying that we are “chasing the market.” What do you suggest?

Frustrated in Missouri
Dear Frustrated in Missouri,

Your issue is very common, especially in this market. This is an example of why it is so important to follow price recommendations that your Realtor provides. Even when you do follow them it is still up to the BUYER (and the bank) to determine the ultimate sale price of your home. The feedback, offers, and eventual contract price you agree to ends up being your sale price. It is better to get to this likely sale price sooner than later. You run the risk of chasing the market and selling for less than you would have if you priced it correctly on day one of the listing. So at this point in time, the sooner you get to a price point that a buyer is willing to pay, the sooner you will get a contract. And, yes I agree with the statement about reducing by 5% or more. If you are going to reduce it you need to have it be an effective enough reduction that the new price is introduced to a new group of buyers. If your sale price is $300,000 and you reduce to $290,000 isn’t it likely that if someone was going to write for $290, 000 they would have done so at the $300,000 price point? By getting to 5% reduction or more…you will open up to the buyers in the $270,000-$280,000 range. In the end we know that this is not the news you want to hear. As listings agents we have two jobs…to get you the most for your property and to get it sold. Ideally both happen but in  this market you are lucky to get your home sold. Price or reduce your price as your Realtor recommends with the hope of getting a contract sooner than later. Days on market are your enemy. Best of luck! Rita the Realtor

Market Recap

  • Avg. Sales Price: 379,000

  • Avg. Days on Market: 69

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