What better time to sell.....The Holidays

My husband asked me when would be the best time for us to sell our house. Good question. I have sellers ask me this all the time. So, what is the correct answer?

The best time is any time of the year. Yes, certain times of the year are busier but usually during those times the inventory of homes for sale is greater. As any real estate agent can tell you, they have sold homes when it is -30 degrees with 2 feet of snow on the ground and they have sold homes on a beautiful sunny day with flowers blooming in the yard.

One of my favorite times of year to show and sell homes is during the holidays. We all tend to get a bit more organized because of entertaining and decorating our homes. I will admit I have shown a few homes that a bit of restraint could have been used but even so, it was fun to see. I have yet to have a buyer complain. They recognize the sellers joy in the season.

Seeing a home decorated for the holidays gives the buyer an opportunity to see it in all its glory. Exterior lights welcome them in and additional lighting inside makes it glow.

If you do need to sell your home during the holidays, be patient. With parties and visiting family and friends it can be a challenge showing your home. Have options open for places to go during the showings. Catch up on last minute shopping, take visitors on a tour of holiday lights, stop somewhere for a treat, go to a movie. Lots of options. More than anything focus on the goal, selling your home.

So, if you need to sell your home during the holidays, think positive. All that extra cleaning and decorating you do for the season can now do double duty.

Here is wishing everyone a joyous and hopefully successful selling holiday season!

Price It RIGHT the First Time

One mistake you see happen again and again is over pricing a home when first listed. We agents can be just as guilty when we try and sell our own homes. The emotional aspect of selling can cloud your judgment. Take a step back and remember what your goal is.......sell your house.

Here is a link to a great article on HGTV's Front Door website. It covers all the reasons why you want to have your home priced correctly when it first goes on the market and how to accomplish it.

Pricing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Information is the key. Having an agent that provides you with accurate market data is a must. Do not be swayed by the agent who comes in with the highest price. Really look at the data that is given to you. Every month your home is overpriced you pay the price, in money and time.

Personally I have recently had two properties I own in a partnership appraised. WOW! Big disappointment when the appraisals came in. Substantially lower than what was anticipated. The one appraiser provided extensive market data. Not the news any of us wanted to see but it is the reality of today's market.

The Art of Listening

"Hear me for my cause; and be silent, that you may hear. "            William Shakespeare

I have always loved this quote. Listening and really hearing what someone is telling you is an art that many of us are unskilled at. Watching the body language, understanding the small nuances in what is said, looking in their eyes as they speak and concentrating on that person, at that moment.

Here is my list of bad habits that I work on correcting.

• Finishing other peoples sentences. Hate when this happens because inevitably they don't finish it correctly. Equally annoying is when someone is telling a story and someone jumps in to finish it from their viewpoint.  Please, take a breath, let them finish. You can always add details after they are done. 
   
• Being distracted when someone is speaking to me. This includes glancing at my cell phone, looking at the clock, mentally listing everything I need to get done, reading text messages and the absolute worst offender.......taking a call! Unless someone is dying, injured or being attacked by mutant zombies, that call can wait. When I am with clients I turn my phone to vibrate. When I have a moment I will check the call list. If there is a call I absolutely have to return, I wait, excuse myself and make the call quickly. I also beg their pardon and explain why I need to return the call. Don't need to go into detail, just explain it is time sensitive. Remember voice mail? USE IT.
   
• Not asking enough questions. Sometimes people say something and their message is unclear. Rather than assuming I understand, (remember that old adage about "assume"), I try to ask more questions and really listen to their answers.
   
• Eye contact. When you are looking someone in the eye they know they are your focus and have your full attention. I don't mean staring but keep up good eye contact. I have to remind myself to do this because it is not easy to do.

I would love to hear what you think and your ideas on becoming a better listener. 

"Green" Packing Boxes

My nickname at home is the "recycling Queen". I am constantly nagging everyone to use the recycling containers. I have been know to get a bit short with someone when they throw things in the garbage that are easily recycled.

This was one more thing that when I saw it I thought, "Why didn't I think of this?" So simple and easy and when you think of the amount of cardboard that makes it way into landfills and the cost of moving materials, what a great idea.

This company is local to the Wisconsin area but I am sure there will be more opening up in different areas. You can reach their website here  www.madisongreenbox.com

Not only do they deliver the boxes, they also pick them up when you are finished. No more breaking down cardboard boxes!

I know I will be using these on my next move.

Cashing in on rental property

This is an interesting article from CNN Money. Sad but true that so many homeowners have had to resort to renting due to foreclosures.

I have always worked in real estate in the Midwest and when I started over 20 years ago this area had one of the lowest foreclosure rates in the nation. It was rare to see someone lose their home. Now it is all to common. I am starting to see a positive trend once again but it has been slow to happen. Maybe with investors purchasing these homes and getting them rented it will help push that trend.

The empty homes have had an impact on home values in so many areas. Having the homes rented and maintained would be a boost to those neighborhoods.

Read the article here:

Cashing in on rental property

Relocating Buyers

It always amazes me when I encounter buyers, moving here from out of state, who have dealt with previous real estate agents that did not take time to introduce them to the local market and/or have some patience with them as they explore their options.

I know personally that with each of my moves I have ended up buying something completely opposite of what I started out looking for. Call me fickle but each move gave me an opportunity to explore other options. Each city I have lived in has varied in size, public transportation options, school systems, public parks and libraries.

I grew up in Minneapolis, MN which has a great library with many satellite facilities , convenient public transportation and lots of neighborhood parks. It set the standard for us when my husband and I started buying our homes.

Our very first agent, our move to Denver, CO was impatient and not very helpful. We purchased a home but after the fact learned that there were several other neighborhoods which would have been a better choice for us. We were young and dumb.

Our second agent, our move to Rochester, MN was the complete opposite of the first. She sat us down and asked lots of questions. Schools were a priority since our son was starting Kindergarten. She provided us with excellent information. Parks were another priority since said son was extremely high energy and was used to walking to the park every day with us. She focused on our wants and found us the perfect neighborhood that gave us access to several great parks plus a good school for our son within walking distance.

Because of her I became interested in a career in real estate and became a Realtor®. Fortunately the company I started with provided mentors for the first 90 days. I was assigned to a very experienced agent who dealt with relocating buyers on a regular basis. From her I had the opportunity to develop my skills. So for those two ladies, thank you. You taught me that this career not only can provide me with an income but I can do so providing a service that buyers appreciate.

To all those other agents out there, continue being rude and impatient and you will lose your buyers to an agent who will take the time to calm fears, provide information and be willing to change gears quickly when the buyers decide that now they want to look at acreages after telling you that they only want to look at homes in town. Change gears and do so with a smile on your face!

Kindness of others

Today I went out to a rural property to start the process of listing it for sale. The elderly owner is in ill health and has no immediate family to care for him. A delightful gentleman with a sense of humor despite his health problems.

He is surrounded by friends who come out and care for him and his home. What a delight it is to see the unselfish acts of these people. All work full time, have families and homes of their own yet they have come together to be there for their friend.

When I see so many selfish and self centered acts on a daily basis this was inspiring. When we look beyond ourselves and see the needs of others and reach out to them we can only become better human beings.

For the friends of this man it is not a burden but a joy. A testament to what friendship is all about. Loving and caring for one another through good times and bad.

Another reason I love being involved in real estate, meeting wonderful people!