Real Estate Decoded

Most every Realtor will tell you to list now. They will all have different reasons for why. And they will all be guessing. Granted they may have a very educated guess...but I think we should be more transparent about our reasoning instead of claiming we know for sure. The reason they are guess is because not one of us can predict the future. The Real Estate market reacts based on many other factors going on in the economy. Considering we have yet to have anyone know the future of the economy with 100% accuracy... We are all at the mercy of human behavior determining the state of the economy. Here is what I  know for a fact. There is no way to tell you what will happen with 100% accuracy at any future moment other than this moment. That holds true for Real Estate and almost every other aspect of life. I believe we are doing the best we can for ourselves and our families if we take a look at our current condition and make a judgement call rather than take a ga

Despite the fact that we are looking at 2016 being a sellers market. That does not mean that you can expect a top heavy deal in your favor homeowners. Here is the truth of the market: If the "deal" does not produce a mutual gain for both parties it will probably fall apart after a lot of work on your end. Though buyer demand is high, people are not going to overpay for your home. Can you expect a full price offer if you are priced correctly? Probably. Can you expect $20,000 over what our market data shows is fair? Probably not. Realtors that have sold homes through many economic conditions will tell you... If it seems unfair to one side in the deal... then something isn’t right and you will pay with the most important factor in getting a profit out of your home.... time. Time changes the way people see your home ESPECIALLY in this market where buyers outnumber sellers. You do not want to be viewed the ugly duckling home because your home isn't selling quickly in

Photo Credit-Yutaka Seki Lets place you in a scenario... You have decided it is time to move. You know what kind of home you are looking for. You also know that your current home will sell quickly because there are more buyers in the market looking to buy a home than there are homes for them to buy. But wait... Will this scenario not be a problem when you are the one on the buying end? Doesn’t this all mean that you could potentially sell your home in record time and have nowhere to go? Where does that leave you should you take advantage of this being a sellers market? Homeless? As a Realtor, I understand the worry. In my career I have assisted many people in a similar situation and I hope I can put you at ease with the following: You won’t be homeless. Not with the right Realtor as a partner. The only real risk in this situation is if you let fear hold you back from making a great profit on the selling end of your move. You may never get the home you really want

Knowing the following 4 points will save you a lot of potential frustration.  #1. COST may equal VALUE to you the seller... but  buyers don't care. At first this sounds harsh but think about it. If you were a buyer would you consider it your obligation to pay a seller 15k more because they upgraded their kitchen last week when the neighbors bought the identical  kitchen and are not asking for 15k more?  No.  The reason is because the market dictates the price buyers are willing to pay and not the cost you incurred to get the home upgraded. I know it doesn't feel fair but it is a reality you should be aware of.  Because of this... don't upgrade unless you KNOW you can recoup the investment on the sale. Ask a Realtor prior to starting the work. #2. There is nothing magical about spring. Listing in the spring is something society created a story around. In fact, the magical time is a few weeks before spring because you will have less homes to compete with and the Spring buyers