How Much Do You Value A Free Home Warranty?

What value do we place on FREE? For the past 9 years we have placed free warranties on all the homes we list. Our team incurs the cost. In our listing presentations we highlight this feature as an added value to working with The Wells Team. We receive acknowledgment from the potential client but it does not add as much weight to their decision as we thought it would. That being said we continue to list of very high percentage of homes after giving them our marketing presentation. So here is my thought to all of the potential sellers out there: If the agent does not offer a free home warranty ask them why. If the agent offers a warranty ask about the details. Overall it is a great program as you sell your home. Looking in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier, or North Georgia area? Check out our website: www.randywellsteam.com

Home Listing Ideas for Spring

The last few weeks have been very busy. Why? It is listing season. We have listed two homes in the past week with the potential for four more! What are the discussions/thoughts that we are sharing with these sellers and potential sellers? •This is historically our busiest time for activity and sales. (March through May) •Inventory is still low in our area so this is a good time to list. •Work with us, and our experience, in determining a price for your home. We are providing a lot of data that needs to be used to help determine your homes value •Overall the North Atlanta market has improved but....activity still varies by county. Again reference our data. •In some cases updating, upgrading, is necessary to make your home competitive. Buyers are still demanding and expect updated, move in condition homes. This is especially true in the higher price ranges. •Work with your agent on what needs to be done before you list your home. DO NOT LIST IT BEFORE IT IS READY! •Do not expect to get a 100% price return on all upgrades that you made in your home. You did those for your enjoyment. •Have a general idea on where you want to move if you sell your home. What are the market conditions like in that area? •Have a plan if you sell the home quickly. Are you willing to rent, put your furniture in storage, or move in with family. When you are ready to buy or sell a home in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier area, let us know. We are here to help. www.randywellsteam.com

Another Great Year at Keller Williams

The link says it all! http://blog.kw.com/2014/02/17/keller-williams-reports-record-growth-productivity-and-profitability-gains/

Questions for your real estate agent, Internet marketing.

Unless you are in a cave, with no access to technology, then you know how important the internet has become to all of us. The National Association of Realtors tells us that approximately 92% of buyers start their search on the internet. If this statistic is true then why dont potential home sellers "grill" me about my internet marketing? Here are a couple of suggestions for the home seller as you interview real estate agents. •Ask the agent how the internet marketing works. In other words when the agent inputs your home in a computer how does it appear on other websites. •What are the top websites that are being used for real estate searches? •How do I know if people are seeing my home on these top websites? •How many pictures appear on the internet? •Do you, the agent, take your own pictures or use a professional photographer? What am I doing before a listing appointment? I email one of my listings to my potential client. I send links from four major real estate websites (Trulia, zillow, realtor.com, and yahoo.com) so they can see the quality of my listings. I also email the potential client the professional virtual tour I have done on my homes. I send them links where my virtual tours are located including obeo.com and youtube.com This gives my potential clients the ability to see my product before we meet in person to discuss other details. Final word to the sellers: After you choose your real estate agent, have them send you the links to your home on the internet so you can see the finished product. I say this not to bash my fellow agents. However I am amazed on how bad some homes appear on the internet. A picture of ceiling fan, an open toilet, or a picture so dark that it is a mystery, is doing the home seller a disservice. If you find yourself in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier or North Georgia area, look us up. We are The Wells Team, www.randywellsteam.com

Home Remodeling and Home Value

How much value does a home remodel add to my home? A very good question. I attended a seminar taught by a fellow Keller Williams agent and 29 year appraiser. We discussed the difficulties, as agents, trying to assist our sellers with the proper pricing of their home. For many sellers pricing becomes an emotional and frustrating issue. A couple of suggestions: Get a good idea of your competition from you agent. Look at all of the features of your competition's homes. Look for new construction in the area. Assess your homes value based on its current age of features Assess your homes value based on doing various remodeling projects Determine if you need to do some remodeling in order to be competitive with other homes. Try to look at your home through the eyes of a potential buyer. The same potential buyer who watches HGTV for the latest trends in housing and wants a "move in" ready home. Work with an experienced agent. The chart shows expected returns for various remodeling projects in the Atlanta area and the Southeast. If you find yourselves in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier, or North Georgia area look us up at www.randywellsteam.com

Our Monthly Real Estate Update for the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier, and North Georgia Area!

This is our last update for 2013. Thank you for a successful year! If you are in the North Atlanta area, Lake Lanier, or North Georgia area, please look us up. www.randywellsteam.com http://www.icontact-archive.com/yiOThMH64xldx9FOWSbirLWk2f5QXs2H

Sorry But You Have Closed

I write this brief blog based on my experience representing a buyer, a seller, and purchasing my own home. You close on your home, move into the home, and find a problem. What do you do? Recently I closed on a home representing the seller: The buyer had the home inspected. My seller complied with the inspection report and had items repaired. Seller provided buyer with all receipts. The buyer had concerns about the roof. My seller provided the buyer all receipts showing recent repairs. The buyer's agents did a walk through to confirm all repairs had been made. The buyers did a walk through the day of closing to check the home. Closing proceeded normally. The next day I received an email from the buyer's agent saying that the home was filthy and there appeared to be roof issues. Two weeks later I received another email from the buyer's agent showing me a roof leak in the attic. The home has closed. My seller is not under any further obligation to the buyer. My thoughts: Regardless of a proper home inspection, due diligence on the part of the buyer, and their agent, homes can still have problems. I would consider buying a warranty for the home. I would also make sure I had a very thorough home inspection. Home inspectors cannot see everything but I have seen buyers go for the lowest price inspector instead of the most experienced. My seller did not do anything to mislead the buyers. Unfortunately the buyers, and their agent, felt differently. It was a bad situation but: Sorry we have closed

Know Your HOA

If you are buying, selling, or living in an Atlanta area neighborhood, you are familiar with a Neighborhood Homeowners Association. (HOA) The HOA is a fact of life. The intention of the HOA is simple: •Keep the integrity of the neighborhood •Have a written plan for violations of covenants •Promote transparency of finances •Help to keep home values up I live in a very unique neighborhood. The developer is the architectural committee. He approves new construction and improvements to existing homes. He also owns the common assets including the pool, tennis courts, and pavilion. We have an elected board. They make covenant decisions, financial decisions, and make more day to day decisions. We have a management company. One hour away from my neighborhood we have a professional management company. They send letters for violations and provide legal help Confused? You should be because the majority of my neighbors do not understand this very unique situation. And in many cases they do not care. Moral of this story: Your house represents your largest investment. How your HOA performs will have a great impact on your investment. GET INVOLVED, STAY INFORMED, & DO NOT BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS! If you find yourself in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier area give us a call. We are The Wells Team of Keller Williams Community Partners. www.randywellsteam.com

New Lake Lanier Listing

Take a look at our new, deep water, Lake Lanier Listing

Selling Your Home, Back to Basics

We are nearing the end of a very busy 2013 housing market. What a change from previous years! Even though houses are selling at a much higher rate than last year, I need to caution the sellers. The selective buyer is alive and well! They watch HGTV, keep up with the latest trends in design, and have particular criteria. There is also new construction available which is used as a benchmark. Preparing your home for sale is still a crucial part of the marketing process. Putting a little money into the home will help sell it that much quicker. Interior paint in neutral colors New hardwoods, carpet, or other updated floor coverings Latest counter tops or fixture To the sellers: Put yourself in the situation of a buyer. Look at your home in their eyes. Be willing to invest a little in order to sell your home quicker. Work with your real estate agent not against them. Their advice is based on experience. GO BACK TO BASICS! If you are in the north Atlanta area look us up! www.randywellsteam.com

IN THIS MARKET DO YOU HAVE YOUR HOME APPRAISED?

Just attended a continuing education class hosted by DS Murphy and Associates. They do appraisals, as well as, consultation appraisals. There is no doubt that the Atlanta metro market has seen a well deserving swing upwards in pricing. What that has done for homeowners is give them a sense of optimism. It has also made some homeowners revert back to unrealistic expectations. Despite the climbing prices, we are still below prices of 2007, when the market started its considerable decline. As agents we are finding ourselves in situations where the homeowners are putting our market analysis to the side. We call it yeah....but syndrome. In other words, yeah I see the market in my neighborhood BUT.....(you can fill in the blank). This might be a good time to consider having an appraisal done on your property in order to get an unbiased opinion on your homes worth. If the homeowner truly believe that his home is worth more than the market he should welcome an appraisers expert analysis. At the end of the day price still drives our North Atlanta market. If you are priced above the market, you receive less interest, and no offers. Potential buyers do not believe you are motivated to sell. The Wells Team represents our sellers to the best of our ability. That includes giving them expert market analysis. As a homeowner remember this: The real estate agents do not dictate the market If you doubt you agents price analysis then call in an appraiser. If you are in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier, or North Georgia area look us up. www.randywellsteam.com

Do Garage Door Maintenance

Some words of wisdom from my Dad: Be a good husband and father Be kind to other people Tighten down the nuts and bolts on your garage door????? I happened to look at my own garage doors today and noticed how many nuts were loose. Matter of fact a couple of the nuts were missing. Lack of maintenance could cause problems with the door and potential damage to the door opener. So this weekend change your clocks, change the batteries in your smoke detector, and tighten the hardware on your garage door. Thanks Dad! If you are in the north Atlanta, Lake Lanier area, come see us.... www.randywellsteam.com

Is There a Time Not to List Your Home???

It is that time of year when I hear the following from our clients: • Time to take my home off of the market. • Don’t want my home on the market during the holidays. • Nobody looks at homes this time of year. • I will wait until spring to relist the home. I decided to run some statistics from my home county, Dawson county. I took the two slowest back to back months and compared them to the two busiest back to back months Nov-Dec July-Aug Homes for sale Avg 267 Avg 339 Homes sold Avg 20 Avg 35 Percentage of sale/vs sold Avg 7.5% Avg 10.32% In other words a mere 3% was the difference between the busiest back to back months and the slowest back to back months. During the busiest time 3% LESS in sales would have resulted in 1.05 less homes being sold During the slowest time 3% MORE in sales would have resulted in .6 more homes being sold So what I want to convey to my clients is this: The difference between the slowest time of the year and the busiest time of the year is very small in terms of statistics. And: IF YOUR HOME IS NOT LISTED YOU HAVE A 0% CHANCE OF SELLING! If you are in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier, North Georgia area look us up. www.randywellsteam.com

North Georgia Events for November and December

Some great local events in North Georgia. Come up and see us! www.randywellsteam.com

Keller Williams Community Partners, Forsyth County, #1 in Sales

Know your Pipes!

How well do you know your pipes? If you know them as well as I do then you need a professional to help. Yesterday a representative from BPG Home Inspections spoke at our KW Team Meeting. He did a quick overview, with pictures, on some plumbing issues that they encounter. His emphasis was the new, and old, types of non-copper pipe that are being used in the home. PBE or Polybutylene “blue pipe”- This pipe was used in the US for a majority of homes built prior to 2000. Because of problems with the pipe it is no longer used in the US for home building. Numerous lawsuits took place because of the failures of the pipe. This appeared to be caused by a chemical reaction between the pipe and chlorine in the water. PEX or Cross-linked polyethylene- Used as an alternative to copper pipe, this pipe is flexible and cheaper. It continues to grow in popularity because it can be used easily in home construction. PVC or Polyvinylchloride-Also used an alternative to copper pipe, this pipe is less expensive to install. A good home inspector should educate you on the type of piping in your home and the potential benefits/pitfalls associated with it. The moral of the story: Do not hire a home inspector based on the cheapest price. I have seen this many times before and the results were not good. Call the inspector; ask for their qualifications and experience. Ask for references. Make this one of the most important factors in purchasing a home. If you find yourselves in the North Atlanta, North Georgia, Lake Lanier area, give us a call. www.randywellsteam.com

Yes Redesigns Still Work!

Yes the market was a lot busier than we have seen in the past few years. The downside is that I see sellers thinking their house will sell because of the market, regardless of how it looks. The Wells Team disagrees with this premise. We disagree based on experience. In the last few months my partner Barb, and marketing specialist Sue, went into two homes and did an extensive redesign on each. They have providing this service to our clients for over 8 years and has brought a lot of successful sales. House number 1 had been for sale for over 3 years! A nice cozy ranch that just needed furniture moved and other items rearranged to give it a "larger" feel. A simple process that resulted in a sale in two months! House number 2 had been for sale over 6 months! We attacked this home the same way moving furniture, rugs from under beds, and moving other smaller items. The idea was to take this 3000 square foot home and open up the living space. Result? Yes we sold this one in a few months also. Buyers are busy these days, as a result, do not have the imagination to see the actual home. Having the home redesigned, or staged, gives these picky buyers a better visual presentation. Better visual presentation means quicker sale. If you need your home staged, or marketed in the North Atlanta area let The Wells Team know! www.randywellsteam.com

Selling your home, AS-IS, and Requesting Repairs

Yes a strange title for a blog but follow my thought process. Your seller negotiates his or hers bottom price for the sale of their home. They feel like they are "giving their home away" and will not go a penny lower. Then the buyer has the home inspected. A few days later the seller receives a list of items the buyer wants repair. Repairs that can run into the thousands of dollars. The seller becomes frustrated and is ready to kill the deal. As an agent representing the seller what do you do??? After seeing this happen, quite frequently, I am inclined to look at some different strategies when it comes to marketing/selling a home: •Market the home AS-IS from the beginning-Personally I do not believe this is a good strategy. From my experience buyer's see a home AS-IS and smell blood. They sense desperation from the seller and are inclined to put in a much lower offer for the home. The buyer bids lower in anticipation of putting money back into the home for repairs. •When negotiations are in progress, good communication needs to take place. In other words the sellers need to convey to the buyers that this is my bottom price and I will not do any repairs on the property. I think this is a better strategy but I believe you will lose a buyer who has no leverage in asking for repairs. So to my fellow agents: Be very clear with your seller. In other words make them aware that a buyer will ask for repairs on their property. Taking away that right, through AS-IS marketing, will cause buyers to look at your home differently. In the end I would advise my seller to anticipate paying for some repairs. Come see us if you are in the North Atlanta, Lake Lanier, North Georgia area! www.randywellsteam.com

Before You List Your Home Have a Plan!

Another recent incident that cost The Wells Team a good sale. We had listed one of our client's home. They were starting a new home that would be done next spring. They did not have to sell their home in order to complete the new home. Received a good offer on the home in early September with a closing at the end of October. Everything looked good then........ The sellers did not have a plan. They decided they wanted to rent a home close to the site of their future home. However... They wanted an unfurnished home with a specific floor plan available in one month! They wanted a home in an area that is rural and predominantly seasonal mountain homes. Those homes are empty in the winter but are furnished. Two days later they could not find the home they wanted to rent. Contract gone. Home withdrawn two days later. Before you list your home you need a plan! Where are you moving? Have you started looking in this area? Are you willing to rent if needed? Are you willing to put some items in storage while you are renting? Do you have any idea on the cost to move? to store your furniture? If necessary what is your plan regarding schools? Before you list your home, let your agent know your plan. Without a plan you might have to turn down a sale! If you are in the north metro Atlanta area, Lake Lanier, or North Georgia, give us a call! www.randywellsteam.com

Mutual Respect: What is it?

What a crazy year! Our local market is the busiest in years, homes are selling, people are buying, and agents are working 24/7. The euphoria comes with a price: A lot of stressed agents, buyers, and sellers! And with the stress there are issues with how we are treating each other. Overall the majority of our experiences with other agents, buyers, and sellers have been good. However we have seen an increase in the amount of "personality issues" we are having with fellow agents, buyers, and sellers. So a couple of thoughts: Agents-Whether you are representing the buyer or seller we still have the same goal: Putting together a deal while representing our clients. Negotiating is a two way street. Both sides need to feel that they have won. So work with the other agent, communicate, and respect the other agent Sellers-You hired us to represent you in the marketing and sale of your home. You hired us because you trust us, acknowledge our professionalism, training, and experience. Treat us as professionals. Yelling, swearing, and scolding us like children (personal experience this year) does not motivate us to work harder for you. Buyers-Believe us when we tell you we are continuously looking for the home that meets your criteria. We drive a lot of miles and spend countless hours on your behalf. Getting short with us (personal experience) does not help. Appreciate the diversities in other people instead of criticizing them In other words: Mutual Respect Come see us if you are looking for homes in the north Atlanta area! www.randywellsteam.com