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/

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

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

Percentages!

After 8 years, and multiple listing presentations, I can throw out a lot of statistics. In a listing presentation the most important statistic is: How much am I going to receive for my home? In my experience, 90-92% seems to be a general average. However I am going to have to reassess that percentage based on the current market, and the price of homes. This year we have sold two homes in the high $600K price range. They both received 96% and 97% of asking price. Why? •Because the sellers had priced the home below their original purchase price. •Because a sales price at 90% of asking price represents a significant amount of money. (approximately 60K) •Because the market is allowing them to hold out for a slightly higher price. This is also the case with homes priced in the $130,000-$170,000 price range. Of course that is a direct effect of the demand for homes in that price range. So how do I answer that question from the beginning of the blog? How much will you receive for your home? I now dispense with the generalizations and provide the potential seller with more specifics on solds in their neighborhood. This is now allowing us to be a little more precise and realistic. Bottom Line: Provide your potential seller with the most precise numbers possible instead of using a generalized statistic.