Time to Move

Moving is hard. Whether it is a new job, a transfer, different home, school, or church it is hard to say goodbye.

However moving brings about a new excitement to our life.

After 6.5 years at The Norton Agency of Cumming GA, The Wells Team has made a move. We are now members of Keller Williams Community Partners.

Keller Williams is the largest real estate company in Forsyth County Georgia (North side of Atlanta). We have an office in both Cumming GA and Dawsonville GA. Both of these offices are better located for The Wells Team and our clients. We will be able to more effectively serve our clients in the North Metro Atlanta area all the way to the North Georgia Mountains.

The change also gave us the "kick" we needed to jump start our business.

Even with our new partner The Wells Team will not change its overall recipe for success: Working hard for our clients. It is a simple recipe but has been the reason why we are where we are today.

The Wells Team and Keller Williams: A great combination.

Communications, Still a Real Estate Basic

Yes communications is still a basic in the real estate world!

This is another lesson learned from dealing directly with clients.

Our sellers had asked us to lower the price of their home. Months later we received our FIRST offer! After submitting this offer to our seller we were met with a less than enthusiastic response! Our seller was not coming down off of his price! Matter of fact he had a change of strategy and would be taking the home off of the market!

This was a big breakdown in communications!

Lesson learned: Before I make any changes to any of our listings, at the request of the seller, I will make sure that there is a clear understanding of the ramifications!

6 months worth of work gone!

I am Tired of Solicitors

This is starting to happen me on a daily basis. I am busy, driiving in my car, spending time with my family or a client, working around my home, taking a real estate class, or just trying to relax.

Then the phone rings. I answer anticipating a new client, a listing inquiry, or an offer.

Instead: LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT THE KEYWORDS THAT WE HAVE RESERVED FOR YOU! WOULD YOU LIKE TO INCREASE YOUR CLIENT BASE? IS YOUR WEBSITE RECEIVING ENOUGH HITS?

I respond that my business is fine, our team was #2 out of 145 agents for 2010, and my website receives enough hits.

The script continues and I struggle to get a word in edgewise.

Finally I am able to say that I will give you five minutes. At the other end of the line I hear that they want 30 minutes in order to give me a full presentation.

I don't have 30 minutes. Frankly I dont have 5 minutes.

But the script continues.

I grow tired.

Finally I say this is not a good time. Can you email me the necessary information so I might have the time to review it at my leisure. Silence followed by a sullen voice at the other end. I have killed another potential sales for a hardworking sales rep.

Here is my comment: To all of you real estate solicitors. Talk a little slower when you call, listen, realize that we are also very busy, and be flexible about future conversations.

If you don't mind please don't call me for a while. My ear hurts and I am out of air time.

The Foreclosures Are Killing My Neighborhood!

I have to admit that The Wells Team has benefited from the sale of foreclosure properties in the North Atlanta area!

At the same time my level of disappointment is increasing with respect to my own neighborhood.

I purchased my home in 2001. This was well before I entered the real estate industry, before the real estate boom and the real estate bubble.

The results: My home is worth less today based on the same model that sold down the street. It was a foreclosure!

We have 342 homes in our neighborhood. At this time there is only 1 active foreclosure but there are two being advertised for foreclosure, and another 3 or 4 personal situations that I know will result in the same.

Yes I admit I feel bad when I see the homes being advertised for sale. It is the result of a failed business, personal issues, or the loss of a job.

However I looked up 5 or 6 homes that I know are in, or will be in foreclosure soon. The numbers killed me! The average loan amount (usually multiple loans) was 122% of the sales price!

This is my personal opinion not the opinion of a real estate professional: My parents both grew up poor. They worked hard and ended up successful. They also saved their money and were cautious when it came to buying unwanted items. They lived within their means! They pushed work and most of all saving my money. What they emphasized to me was this: IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD DO NOT BUY IT! HAVE EMERGENCY MONEY SAVED JUST IN CASE!

As a country we keep trying to point fingers at who caused this housing mess. Again my opinion was bad financial choices and a certain amount of greed.

It will be a while before I will sell my home. Guess I will enjoy instead!

The AJC: A Thing of the Past

Like many of you I am an “addicted internet browser”. The internet has become my sources of knowledge and I know I am not the only one.

Last week my neighbor gave me her Sunday Atlanta Journal and Constitution. It took me a while to realize that it was a newspaper that you read. (It has been a while). I enjoyed the sounds of the paper crumbling as I turned pages, the feel of the paper in my hands, and the fact I could read it without being in a WiFi hotspot!

In the past the AJC Homefinder section was your source for all the Atlanta area real estate news. Homes for sale, mortgage data, open houses, vacation properties, all in one spot.

6 Pages! The entire section was down to 6 pages! At least I knew I would finish the entire section!

I am not picking on our local newspaper. The size of this once coveted section reinforces the fact that the internet is taking over more and more every day. I see it statistically by the number of “hits” I receive on various real estate websites including our own www.randywellsteam.com site.

One day in the very near future I will fondly tell my son about the “old days” when we use to read something called a newspaper. I am going to miss the sights, sounds, and even the smells of the news press. Time to make new memories with my laptop!

Highlights of the 2011 Norton Agency Annual Forecast

The 2011 Norton Annual Forecast marked the 24th year of this successful presentation. We had a full house at The Georgia Mountain Center where Frank Norton Jr. shared the 2011 trends.

They are:

1.Headed to Evolution not Recovery
2.Mythical Multiple Bottoms
3.The First Law of Cash
4.A Paradox of Ownership
5.The Million Dollar Dilemma
6.Medical Overtakes Poultry as #1 Industry
7.Out of the Ashes Rises the Phoenix
8.Phantom Real Estate
9.Our Holographic Government Collapses
10.To The Survivors Belong the Spoils
If you would like to read the details about these 10 trends along with an in depth summary of The Norton Georgia region let us know. We can email you a copy of the 2011 Norton Native Intelligence. Just go to our website wwww.randywellsteam.com and send us an email.

Barb and I are very proud to be associated with The Norton Agency. The information provided by Frank Norton Jr. strengthens our knowledge which in turn allows us to better serve our clients.

Check out The Wells Team of The Norton Agency at www.randywellsteam.com

Should you Update or Upgrade Your Home?

Should you update and upgrade your home prior to selling? That is a difficult question to answer but is a question worth examing.

I wanted to lead by example. My family is living in a 10 year old home. During those ten years we have updated the Kitchen, painted, installed new carpet, and additional hardwoods.

We just completed remodeling the Bathroom (my wife designed the entire project). I have attached before and after pictures to show you the difference.

Why do we do it? There are many reasons. Future resale would be one reason. However we did it to enjoy it!

Our situation is slightly different than our present clients. We are not going to sell our home for quite a few years.

However my suggestion to our present and future home selling clients: Strongly consider doing some upgrading and updating to your home!

Here is my reasoning:

Decorator allowances, agent bonuses, and other "give aways" do not work

Atlanta has limited new construction. However buyers are demanding new home style in a resale home.

Buyers continue to lack imagination, time, and money to do their own upgrades.

Our feedback continues to be consistent. We have homes that show well but lack the latest that separates it from the rest.



Barb, Sue, and Randy make up The Wells Team of The Norton Agency. Let us help you prepare your home for sale in the North Atlanta area. We also offer redesign services free to our clients!

Where is the Professionalism?

We spent last night with one of our clients updating them on our local market.

They understand what is transpiring in the economy and the housing market. What they do not understand is the lack of courtesy shown by other real estate agents.

The past few showings have frustrated them. A 3pm appointment actually took place at 4:30pm. Another appointment actually transpired over two hours late. Others scheduled and did not show.

Why?

The agent who was 90 minutes late decided to show other vacant properties first. This individual did not put together a plan keeping in mind the inconvenience of our sellers.

The agent who was two hours late did the same thing. This agent showed his client empty homes first not keeping track of the time.

The ironic part is that the empty homes, as well as, our listing were in the same neighborhood!They could have easily gone back to the empty home after they kept their appointment with our listing!

We do not ask for much just some professional courtesy.

If you make an appointment be there on time. If you are running early or late give us a call.

If you drive up to the home and your clients do like the home call us. Do not leave us waiting.

Give us feedback on your showing.



A little professional courtesy in this tough market goes a long way!

What are you Looking at in your Next Home?

You are looking at houses. Over the weeks you have seen many of them and they start to look the same.

How do you remmember the difference? Stainless Steel appliances, Crown Molding in the Dining Room, nice furniture, or maybe a built in television.

If that is how you remember one house vs another you need to look at the houses in a different way.

What is the square footage of the home?

Does the floor plan work?

Is the driveway/lot acceptable?

How is the location?

How is the price compared to others in the neighborhood?

Is it propane, all electric, all gas or a combination?

What will HAVE to be done on the home ie, new air conditioner, new roof, new furnace, etc.

We have seen too many people get zoned into the superficial part of the home. We all like the latest upgardes when we find a home. Unfortunately this is not the case with a resale home.

Bottom line: Be realistic!

If we can help you find a home in the North Atlanta area please let us know.

We are The Wells Team of The Norton Agency. www.randywellsteam.com

They were not interested in my home. Why was it shown?

Who is looking at my home today?

What do you know about these potential buyers?

Why did potential buyers look at my home when my did not suit their needs?

These are commom questions we receive from our sellers when it comes to the showing of their home.

What does The Wells Team do differently?

When we are first contacted by a buyer's agent we ask:

• Why this home?


• What is your client looking for in a home?


• Are you familiar with the neighborhood?

We then tell the buyers agent the attributes on the home, the neighborhood, and the local area. If the particular listing is in our neighborhood we discuss homeowner's dues, amenities, and any other questions they might have.

Even if we provide all of the information it might not guarantee results.

The buyer's agent is looking out for the best interest of their client. They can become hesitant to give too much information.

There are buyers who do not have an exact idea on the type of home they wish to purchase. These buyers have not purchased a home in many years. They are entering a different stage in life which makes their home priorities different. In other words they need to see what is available.

Ultimately the buyer's agent is the one expending all of the energy on behalf of his or her clients. It is in their best interest to do the necessary research on homes before they "waste their time" showing homes that do not fit their criteria.

As for our sellers: When we have the chance to show your property we need to do so. It can be inconvenient, frustrating, and might not give you the results you desire. However one thing is for certain: If we do not show your home then we know it will not sell.

If you are looking for property in the North Atlanta area, Lake Lanier, or the Norton Georgia Mountains, give us a call. We are The Wells Team of The Norton Agency.

http://www.randywellsteam.com/

SHOULD WE CHANGE OUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESS INTO A 501c NON PROFIT?

We have a dilemma on our hands? Do we change our real estate business into a non profit? We ask this question because we have recently been asked to cut our commission by 33% on a recent sale! This is in addition to the never ending request for real estate help requested by the
For Sale by Owners!

The Wells Team is not in the real estate business because we needed a hobby! This is how we make our living!

For some reason many people cannot make the same conclusion. As far as they are concerned we are a service they want to avoid using because of the commission. At the same time they have no problems asking us to use our limited free time to assist them in the selling of their For Sale by Owner property.

We also see no end in sight to the request to cut our commissions by 1 point which equates to a 33% overall commission cut!

Our marketing expenses, board dues, gas, desk fees, and marketing have not declined by 33%!

Simple conclusion: If we take the commission cuts that are requested and work for free, then why continue in the real estate business? A simple solution would be to ask for non profit status. At least we get a tax break!