What Does The Effort Really Cost?

Selling your house on your own is a great idea… it could save you some money, yes.  But could it cost you too??  This is the last part, of a 3 part discussion, on the advantages of partnering with a Realtor to sell your home. 

Part 3:  Offers, Negotiations, and Settlement.  Here is where a lot could go wrong.  How about the documents?  What is required?  Where will they come from?  Who will manage the process?  Who will evaluate offers?  Who will be the responsible party?  There is a lot at risk.  That’s why there are Realtors.  They have knowledge, tools, relationships, and experience to market the sale from listing to settlement. 

Not to mention, Realtors have to adhere to a code of ethics.  Legally, there is a great amount of liability on the part of a Realtor.  They have been trained how to handle many situations, and above all… they have  a unified timetable to keep everything on task, along with making certain that all the correct paperwork is filled out so that nothing will fall through the cracks. 

Utilizing a Realtor’s expertise at optimizing marketing, price, and pace of the sale of your home is the surest way to achieve maximum equity preservation.  Against the potential costs and risk of a FSBO, a Realtor’s commission is an easily understandable value, and maybe even an investment!

I would love to meet with you to discuss a partnership in selling your home.  I have a simple, 4-step presentation that includes a Variable Commission Menu that allows you to decide what the commissions on your home will be.  I also have a Saleability Checklist that will help get your house off to a competitive start!

Just remember… at the end of the day, if you are still wanting to sell your home on your own, that is fine.  I would still like to meet with you and walk through your home.  I have a number of buyers that may be perfect for your home, and I would love to bring them by to see it!  Call today  208-313-3951  and I look forward to talking with you soon

Answer:  I absolutely love working with First-Time Home Buyers!!!  It is such a fun time, buying you first home.  However, it can seem just a little scary… not knowing all the ‘ins and outs’ of real estate and not knowing the process of buying a home.

This is where I can step in and help!  Understand that for First-Time Home Buyers, my services are absolutely free!!!  We will sit down together, go over the home buying process so that you understand everything and you know what to expect.  We will also briefly go over the lending process and the time frames involved with that aspect of buying a home.  We will also go over representation, documentation, home searches, inspections, the closing and more!

Buying a home should be a fun and rewarding experience, and with me on your side… that’s exactly what it will be!  Please feel free to call me directly, at any time 208-313-3951.  I look forward to working with you

What Does The Effort Really Cost?

Selling your house on your own is a great idea… it could save you some money, yes.  but could it cost you too??  Welcome to part 2 of our discussion about the advantages of partnering with a Realtor to sell your home.

Part 2: But If It’s Not Priced Right, It’s Not Seen.  First of all let’s face the facts… real estate is not worth what it was 2 years ago, let alone last year.  The net worth of homes has gone down considerably.  For some seller’s that is a tough fact to swallow.  Without the involvement of a Realtor to act as an experienced pricing consultant, an owner’s wishful price expectations can lead to overly ambitious pricing that will not attract any attention to the property.  It will do nothing but take up time on the market, and add additional costs to the process (i.e., continuing monthly mortgage payments, utility bills, insurance, pro-rated taxes, etc…).  Add to that the other initial and one-time costs such as FSBO website utilization, property appraisal, a yard sign, fliers, generation of photos and brochure box fliers, ads in local FSBO publications and the local newspapers, and most importantly the owner’s personal time… and the Do-It-Yourself savings proposition begins to shrink considerably.

As you can see the potential costs involved in selling a home, it seems to make sense that a Realtor’s commission is an easily understandable value, and maybe even an investment.  Working in both the Rexburg ID and Idaho Falls markets, I can help you in correctly pricing your home.  I also have a Variable Commission Menu that allows you, the seller, to decide what the commissions on your house will be. 

Stay tuned for the final segment of What Does the Effort Really Cost? Part 3…

Answer:  Yes, you heard right!  The tax credit for First-Time Home Buyers has been extended    The President signed the tax credit extension, which moved the expiration date to April 30, 2010.  The maximum amount of the tax credit did remain the same… $8000 for married couples, $4000 for those filing separately.

To be eligible for the credit, you cannot have owned a home for the last 3 years.  The income limits have been raised to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for married couples.  You must close your transaction before June 30, 2010.  The tax credit may not be used to purchase a home for more that $800,000

This is great news for First-Time Home Buyers that were not able to purchase a home by the previous deadline.  So those of you that are still wondering whether or not this is a good time to buy… well, it just doesn’t get any better than this!!!   Call, email or text me today and let’s get started finding you a new home!!!

What Does The Effort Really Cost?

Selling your house on your own is a great idea… it could save you some money, yes.  But could it cost you too??  I would like to discuss, in 3 parts, the advantages of partnering with a Realtor to sell your home.

Part 1:  If It’s Not Seen, It’s Not Sold.   It is the same in Rexburg ID and Idaho Falls as anywhere else in the country.  Effective marketing of your home is a must!  It must be pervasive and persuasive.  The selling message must be specifically developed, and published to all of the most-effective media modes.  The marketing must create a strong enough interest in your house to motivate prospective buyers to want to personally see it. 

 Seeing your home should be easy and convenient for prospective buyers to do.  For a Realtor-represented property, the lock-box, and cooperation of the sellers, makes showing the home an at-will function.  Owner-seller managed showings are less flexible and the pace at which a house can be personally viewed, and considered among other offerings, is drastically impeded.  A Realtor-represented house can be shown virtually any time.

Another important factor to consider, is that when a Realtor shows your home, the prospective buyers can comfortably look at the house and not worry about offending the home owner.  There have been a few times that I have shown houses where the owners decided to stay… they even went outside while we were inside and vice-versa.  Still, my buyers would only talk in a whisper, and they would not really “look” at the house at all.  They just wanted to quickly walk through it, and get out!  As we talked later about the showing, it was very apparent that they were uncomfortable, they really didn’t look at everything they wanted to and they had more questions about the house than when we started! 

Being a full service Realtor in both the Rexburg and Idaho Falls markets, I would love to meet with you to discuss my marketing strategies, and how they will help you in selling your home.  I have a Variable Commission Menu that allows you, the seller, to decide what the commissions on your house will be.  I also have a Saleability checklist that will get your house off to a competitive start! 

Stay tuned for What Does The Effort Really Cost? Part 2 and Part 3 to follow over the next week.

Great!  You have your home on the market and you are ready to sell.  The only thing is, without the right showmanship your house might not sell.  There are a lot of seller’s that are making some mistakes right now and in a buyer’s market, those mistakes could cost you the sale of your home.

When selling your home, you need to remember the importance of a first impression.  You only get one chance to impress potential buyers, in which most home buyers in today’s market are comparative shoppers.  With a little time and effort, you can increase the perceived value of your home.  Preparing your home for sale can include simple things, such as making sure that your home is clean, airy, uncluttered, light, fragrant and etc. 

So I am going to do my best to give you some great ideas to make your home more appealing to potential buyers.  I will call them “Showing Tips”.  I have previously blogged about two different tips, and I will continue to share more ideas.  Be sure to check back frequently, and leave any comments about what has worked for you.  Please feel free to call, email or text with any questions you may have about showing your home

What fun is a blog site without a giveaway?? 

 This month’s giveaway is a $25.00 Applebee’s gift card.  I would like to thank this month’s prize sponsor, Mike Cook from Legacy Network!!!  Cheers, Cheers!!!  Mike is a life insurance agent that is very knowledgable in his field, as well as creative.  He will search all over for the best plans and rates, to get you the best deal possible.  You can call Mike on his cell at 208-313-2847, or you can email him at mike.cook@tlnnet.com   Give him a call… maybe he can get you a better rate on your life insurance!

Here are the rules:

1. You must be 18 or older.

2. Everyone who leaves a comment on my blog site, during the month of November,2009, will be entered into a drawing for the Applebee’s gift card. 

3. If you ask a real estate related question, then you will recieve 2 entries into the drawing.

4. If you subscribe to my blog, then you will recieve 5 entries into the drawing.

5. Within the first few days of December, I will not only announce the winner of the drawing on my blog, but  I will also email the winner.  The winner will then have 5 days to reply back to me, so we can make arrangements for the delivery of you gift card.  If there is no reply within 5 days, then a new winner will be chosen.  

That’s it!!  I just can’t make it any easier.  Good luck to everybody, and I look forward to reading your comments

Selling your own house can be quite an undertaking!  There are many of you that have sold your own home and have been successful, and for many of you the outcome has not been as good.  Welcome to real estate!!!!  Along with the job market, the economy, and the price of potatoes, real estate has its ups and downs too.

As a real estate professional that works in both the Rexburg ID market and the Idaho Falls market, the ups and downs of real estate are ever so prevalent.  There are so many houses on the market.  A high inventory means your house has to stand apart from the crowd.  Your presentation has to be pristine.  You have to be priced with the market.  And most importantly, you have to have a top notch marketing plan.

Winter is fast approaching.  With that in mind, remember that many buyers will turn to real estate professionals and the Internet to do their searching.  I would love to meet with you and discuss a partnership in selling your home.  I present in 4 simple steps, I have a saleability checklist that will aid in the sale of your home and I have a great marketing plan in place.

And at the end of the day, if you are still wanting to sell your home on your own, then great!!!  I wish you luck   I would still love to meet with you and view your home.  Remember… I  have a number of buyers that may just be looking for your home, and I would love to bring them by to see it!

Just yesterday I explained that Congress was close to passing a bill that includes an amendment to extend and expand the home buyer tax credit.  As of yesterday, that bill has passed and will be sent to President Obama for his signature.

Here is a quick summary of the changes:

When the President signs the bill, the expiration date for the credit will move to April 30, 2010.  First-time buyers who have not owned a home for the last three years are still eligible, and the maximum amount remains the same – $8000 for married couples, $4000 for those filing separately.

Current home owners, who have consecutively maintained the home they want to sell as their primary residence for five of the last eight years, are also eligible.  However, the maximum amount for those homeowners is lower: $6500 for married couples and $3200 for those filing separately.

The tax credit may not be used to purchase a home for more than $800,000.  All buyers who want to get the credit must include documentation of the purchase on their tax returns.  The income limits for both tax credits have been raised to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for married couples.

This is a HUGE victory for consumers and the housing market!!!!  So those of you wondering whether or not to sell your home, let’s get it on the market today!!!!  And those of you that are still wondering whether or not this is a good time to buy… well, it just doesn’t get any better than this!!!!  Call, email or text me today and let’s get started finding you a new home!!!!

In a recent post I blogged about the extension of the First-time Home Buyers.  Realtors across the nation are positive and hopeful that the extension of the Tax Credit will be extended.

Today we are even more confident!!  The Senate voted 98 – 0 to pass the Tax Credit (within the Unemployment Bill).  Now it will go to the house.  It is expected that the Democratic leadership will place the bill on a fast track for passage today.  With an approval in the House today, the bill could be on the President’s desk as early as tomorrow!

What does that mean for home buyers in Rexburg, ID and Idaho Falls, ID????  First time home buyers can expect an extension of the current tax credit.  In addition, for current home owners that have been in their house for a minimum of 5 years, there will be an additional tax credit for you.  Possibly up to $6500 when you sell your current home and then close on another.  It is rumored that the new deadlines will be to have a signed purchase & sales contract by the end of April 2010, in which each transaction will have the month of May to close.

Stay tuned in for more updates!  And as always, feel free to call, email or text any questions that you may have on real estate.  I would love to discuss ways to help you in your real estate efforts