Make sure you Drive by it at different times of the day and night!

  During one of my many showings this week, I was very surprised (mouth gaping open and all) at a very unusual site.  My clients, who are an adorable couple, took sometime to become aware of the situation.  Since I had been outside waiting for their arrival for a few minutes, I had plenty of time to scope out the neighborhood.
  The property we were previewing was lovely, great curb appeal in a well established neighborhood surrounded by homes of greater or equal value, somewhere in the low to mid $200,000.00
  As I sat down on the step to wait, I noticed the neighbor across the street was sitting in his driveway, open garage door and all, just relaxing. I thought to myself; "he's probably working on something and is resting in between breaks" until....I noticed his lovely wife drag a SECOND chair out unto the driveway to sit next to him, now I was intrigued.  See, they were both staring into the garage from the driveway, and from my limited view into their garage, I couldn't tell what it was they were looking at so intently.  I kept waiting for them to close the garage door (believe me it wasn't a pretty site), thinking "they'll be done soon, and they probably don't want me, and everyone else looking into their messy garage"...I was wrong.  Two minutes later, their son drags a THIRD chair out from the garage, unto the driveway...now I had to look.  So I got up and walked up to the side yard of the property we were going to preview, and that's when I saw it...a BIG flat screen TV  on the Garage Wall!!!!  I couldn't believe it!!  They were watching TV from their driveway! Apparently this must be everyday, they get home from work, pop open the garage door (with the cars in the driveway of course) and pull chairs out to watch the tele, while the whole neighborhood watches them.
Here's my point; When you find a property that works for you, and you think this is the one....DRIVE BY IT! drive by it at different times of the day and night, so you'll have a better feel for the activity in that neighborhood...you don't want any surprises on move in day.
  So go for a drive before you buy, you'll be glad you did.

It's been a long time

Haven't blogged in some time now, too long really.  I've been busy with life, work and family.
I must say that this year, the market has taken a turn for the better.  Homes are moving as always, but a very welcomed change has been the come back of our commercial clients ready to invest in our Market.  Leases are moving and major retailers are still flocking to our City trying to get their own piece of the pie. Home leases are still going strong, high demand and small supply keep prices up.  Homes are moving a little faster, they're not staying in the market as long as they used to, and are selling closer to their asking price.  Of course, location and condition of the home as well as price have a lot to do with this.  Overall, in my opinion, this has been a better year for Real Estate.  There's a lot of information when it comes to Real Estate, to be put into a few words, so if you ever have a question or comment that I can help with, let me know it's great to hear from you!

Want to help Sell your House?

What is the best thing you can do during showings of your House?

Make yourself scarce!

If you've ever shopped in a store where the employees are hovering and seem to lurk in the background, watching your every move.... then you know what I'm talking about.

It can be uncomfortable exploring a home when you feel you're being watched. Making buyers feel comfortable when looking for a home is absolutely essential. Buyers tend to have little interest in asking questions about your property because th answers you provide will certainly be biased in some way. This is why you have hired a Real Estate Agent to represent you and your home, who better than a qualified professional to be the spokespoerson for your home!

You've carefully selected and hired an Agent to sell your house, now is the time to step back and let them do just that!

Need some input..

A client is looking at some Land to Develop for Apartment Complex development, and I would love to have some input from my readers, especially if you're currently leasing or will consider leasing in the next year or so. What is the preference between 1 and 2 bedroom apartments? I've come across too many customers lately that tell me they're looking for a 1 bedroom apartment but just can't find one, so I'm starting to wonder why we don't have more to offer if the demand is there. I know that a lot of clients will lease a two bedroom just because they can't find a one bedroom apartment, but is the demand really that high? I've even had calls from clients looking for a small apartment for their parents who wish to downsize, and just can't find a nice, one bedroom apartment where they would want their parents to live. It'll be interesting to know what the consensus is. Look forward to hearing from you.

Would you consider a listing that had just a couple of pictures?

Going through our Multiple Listing Service today, I noticed yet another new listing worth close to 1/2 million dollars with just two pictures. As a Realtor, I've always tried to promote my clients properties to the best of my ability, and that includes as many pictures as can fit in a listing, so that when our system is promulgated to other websites my client's property will have the best chance to stand out in a sea of properties. So why do sellers not follow up on their listings and see them through a buyer's eyes? I think that mostly, Sellers don't take the time to review a listing after it's been uploaded to the Internet, they just assume that all is well. I've asked buyers if it makes a difference whether or not a listing has pictures or even a virtual tour, and their response has been that; when a property has a couple of pictures, or no pictures of the interior, they dismiss them, they assume the property doesn't show well and they'll pass it up and go to the properties that have outdoor as well as indoor pictures, or better yet, virtual tours. They just don't give that listing a second chance, and unfortunately in this business, if you don't get them to look at your property on the first try, you many not get a second chance.

Why Wait?

Are you still waiting for the perfect time to buy a home? Well the time is now, with the exhistent buyer's market a lot of good deals are waiting for you, not to mention the fact that most sellers are willing to contribute towards buyers closing costs or negotiate their sales prices in order to make a sale.
Another great reason to buy now is the First time Home Buyer Tax Credit, which has been extended to include current Home Owners, but you have to hurry because the Tax Credit Expires April 30, 2010.

Call me to set up an appointment, I'd be glad to sit down with you and go over the details.

Victim of Circumstances

I received a call from one of my clients the morning before I went into the hospital, asking me to talk to her Landlord on her behalf, because she could no longer afford to pay the rent, and she would be vacating the premises soon.
I leased her a property after I sold her home, and she and her son moved in soon after. They were both very happy with the condominium. It's a beautiful condo in a gated community. The landlord gave her a deal on the rent and she ended paying $150 less per month than the rest of the tenants. Because of the discount, she decided to sign a lease for two years, so she wouldn't have a rent increase after one year.
Here we are, a year later almost, and like everyone else in the country, she's having a hard time meeting all her expenses. Now that her son is in College and as a single Mom, although she's tried to keep it together she can no longer afford to pay for the place. This is not a person that takes her responsibility lightly. She understands that breaking a lease is not in her best interest, but it's either that, or declare bankruptcy. I've talked to the Landlord and although in no way has she told me that she will hold the tenant harmless, She's agreed to let me put the property on the market. I've tried explaining the situation to the Landlord and she tells me all she cares about is leasing the property, if the tenant can find someone to lease it, she'll take her off the lease. So I hope that I'll be able to lease it immediately and have everyone happy. My client is a great person, and I know that if circumstances had been different, she would have honored her contract.