Real World Real Estate – VS – Reality TV Real Estate!

Happy Friday Readers! I hope you’ve made it through the week in tact!

Today I was in the office finishing up a closing file from a condo I closed on in German Village yesterday. We were talking about all of these Real Estate Reality TV Shows, and how they are absolutely NOTHING like Real Estate in the real world! If you’ve ever bought or sold a home… you know exactly what I’m talking about! I wish that everything the good ole TV said was true, but it just is not the case! Let me show you a few examples of why you should not “buy” into the Home Buying/ Home Selling/ Home Flipping – Reality Shows!

REALITY TV SHOWS BUSTED!

1)Buyers look at 3 homes, and then choose 1 of the 3 to buy – FALSE
The majority of buyers look at more than a handful of homes before making a decision to buy one of them! If you only had to take all buyers to three homes, all real estate agents would be jumping for joy, and fighting to the death to represent buyers!

2) The “Buyer” on TV, has not yet made their decision – FALSE!
There is no way to show the entire home buying process in one thirty minute episode. Buying a home can take 30 to 60 days! TV shows select consumers who are already completed, or almost completed with the buying process to simplify the show. Sorry… it really is all make believe!

3) All Real Estate Agents regularly make six-figure commissions – FALSE!
Trust me… no one wishes this one were true more than me!!! What the TV doesn’t explain is that the listing, and the buying agent split the commission 50/50 (in most cases) and then split that split again with their brokerage, and then pay office dues, marketing fees, and taxes out of that! It’s not all that it’s cracked up to be folks! A career in Real Estate isn’t for the faint of heart!

4) When you buy a home to “Flip It”, the only expenses you need to worry about are the repairs – FALSE!
This is probably one of THE most common TV lies! The storyline goes something like this: The buyer buys a super cheap house, fixes it up in 30 days, and then gets $30,000 more than what he invested… and there were no other costs! Boy oh boy… who could pass up such an easy deal? Sorry folks… when you buy a home that you want to make a quick buck on, there are still other costs to think about! Investors still have to take into account taxes, utilities, closing costs, insurance, interest, and in some cases commissions! While investing in Real Estate is a very smart decision… doing so blindly, and because you think TV makes it look easy… that’s a very bad decision!

Before making any kind of Real Estate decision, contact an expert; preferably me 🙂

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To find out why we would be Happy To Meet You… click here!

Still A Great Time To Sell!

Happy sunny Saturday folks!! Today’s article is going to be short, sweet, and to the point! We’ve met with a lot of sellers over the past couple of weeks, and some have seemed a lottle anxious to list their homes. When I got to the root of the problem, the anxiety is coming from a make-believe place! Sellers are worried that now that Summer is wrapping up, which is had to believe in July, that it’s too late to list their homes for sale. If you’ve had this same notion, you are wrong too! While the common thought process is to list in spring or early summer… if you are backed by a great agent, it’s NEVER a bad time to sell your home! We just listed another new home for sale in Grove City today, and will be holding an open house on it tomorrow! If you’d like to stop by, and meet me in person… I’d be Happy To Meet You!

Check out our newest listing!

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The Realtor you choose… it matters!

Happy Monday Readers! I trust that you had a glorious weekend, and are hitting this Monday head on! I know I am! We had quite a busy weekend in Real Estate transactions ourselves! We got a condo in contract in German Village, and also got another new listing in Grove City. We are taking on a ton of business this year, and looking to double the business that we had last year.

While meeting with clients over the weekend, we got to discussing,  “what makes a difference in the Realtor you choose to represent you?” Well, I have hundreds of reasons you should choose us 🙂 but in all seriousness… what are the key things I find that clients are looking for when they are choosing us to represent them? I’ve thought of a few that I’m going to list for you here, but just remember… these are just a few of many!

HONESTY – Having an agent that is honest to you is extremely important. What is a great way to tell if an agent is honest, and a good choice? Ask for an address and contact info from a recent past client. Keep in mind that the seller/or buyer must give their permission to give out their contact information. If your agent cannot even pull one good reference out… it may be time to move on to someone else! (We have plenty of great references 🙂 )

STRONG NEGOTIATING SKILLS- As Realtors we wear many hats. We represent buyers in one transaction… and sellers the next. When you are choosing a Realtor it is important to have an agent who can understand both sides of the transaction to get you the best bang for your buck! When representing a seller, our job is to get the most money for our clients in the least amount of time. When representing a buyer, our job is to get them the best deal on their dream home, while negotiating things like: appliances, possession date, and whether or not that hot tub stays or goes. It is our job to be a voice for both sides. Your agent has to not be afraid of conflict, and needs to have the negotiating capabilities to get you what you want/need to the best of their abilities!

EXPERIENCE & PROVEN RESULTS- It is very common for a seller to choose an agent because they are a friend, a workplace spouse, or an usher at church. Sure, any one of these could be a GREAT agent…. but how do you really know? Selecting the first agent that you know, just because you are close to them could be a big mistake, and cost you thousands! When potentially choosing the person who you know closely think about these three things: Are they full time agents? Do they have experience selling similar homes? How many expired listings do they have, and why do they have them?  You will want an agent with experience, and proven results representing you, so think of those things before going with your cousin’s uncle twice removed!

FREQUENT COMMUNICATION-  Without a doubt, this is the #1 complaint I hear from the public regarding their current agent, or past agent; lack of communication. “My Realtor didn’t return my call for 5 days,” “The last Realtor I had didn’t explain anything to me!” … and on and on. Selling/Buying a home can be very stressful, and when you are not getting proper communication from your agent, matters can go from bad to worse quickly! It is very important to be on the same page with your agent in regards to how communication will work in your relationship. Some of our clients prefer calls, other texts, and others email. While communication styles are different… it must still be apart of the agent to client relationship! I recently picked up a cash buyer client, because an agent they were trying to pursue previously wouldn’t return their call. What a horrible way to represent yourself, and your business.

In summary… it is important to pick an agent that will be your biggest backer, your strong armed negotiator, and a salt of the Earth person!

Thank you for reading and to learn more about using us as your selling/buying agents… click HERE!

We would be, “Happy To Meet You”!

The Importance Of Curb Appeal!

Good Wednesday Afternoon!

I spent the majority of my evening out showing homes yesterday, and those showings helped to inspire today’s article. CURB APPEAL! My clients viewed several homes yesterday, and they expressed their displeasure in the curb appeal for at least two of the homes.

Now, when my partner and I list a home for sale, one of the first things that we encourage our sellers to do, is to walk in the home using the front door. Does that sound a little fishy to you? Well, if you think about it, when you pull your car into the garage, and walk into your home from your garage…. how often do you really even see your front door? The front of your home is the first visual a buyer sees before entering! Sure, they may be blown away by granite in every room or that full finished basement… but if when they are standing on the front porch while the Realtor is opening the door, and they look around and see chipping paint, broken porch railings, and a bird’s nest above your front porch light… it’s going to take away from some wow factor and the over all price they’ll dish out for your home!

So — before you think about selling your home… THINK CURB APPEAL! Here are a few things to check for:

1) Roof and Chimney (if applicable) – Your shingles should be intact with none missing, and the mortar between the bricks should be secure. Although expensive to have to replace… a roof or chimney in bad shape will discourage potential home buyers!

2) Gutters – You should repair and clean your gutters regularly! Nothing says, “poor home maintenance” better than weeds sticking out of a gutter!

3) Windows and Trim – Check the paint around your windows. If the paint is peeling, scrape and repaint! Replace any broken glass, and clean the windows from both the inside, and out!

4) Get Nice, New Numbers For The Home Exterior – Replace those old digits on the outside of your house, and give your address a makeover! Stop by a Home Depot or a Lowe’s and find something that matches your house!

5) Power Wash Your Home – Buy, rent, or borrow a power washer and give your home a good cleaning!

6) Rid Your Front & Back Porches Of Any Unwanted Residents – If while walking the perimeter of your home you notice a bird’s nest above your front porch light, or a bee hive hidden in your back deck… remove the unwanted guests immediately!

As always thanks for reading and to find out more about us… click HERE!

We would be Happy To Meet You!

Sorry “Yahoo! Finance” – You’re Wrong! FSBO is NOT a good way to go!

It has been a busy week, and now that it’s Friday — the world of Real Estate is really heating up! After all… we are the most busy when everyone is off work because that is when we do listings, showings, and open houses! Even though it is Friday, I cannot get an article out of my head that I read on Yahoo! Finance. I gave it a whole week before deciding to tell the world why they got their article on, “Why it’s such a great time to be a FSBO”,  all wrong! I read that article up and down multiple times, and came to the conclusion that someone who has never bought or sold a home in their lifetime must have written it. So, that calmed my nerves a little! How do I know that the author has never been involved in a real estate transaction? They made the idea of selling a home, your biggest lifetime investment, as easy as selling a 1992 Ford Temp for $600 on your front lawn. Sorry folks… it just isn’t that simple, or that easy. Being a FSBO you are automatically working from a disadvantage; a lack of qualified buyers. That sounds like a pretty big deal, right? Because it is. Most SERIOUS, and pre-approved, homebuyers work with buyers’ agents, and those agents work with listing agents. These buyers, and buyers’ agents get their home prospects from the MLS. So if you’re going the FSBO route, and even buy a website or links from sites like Zillow, and maybe even plaster it all over Craigslist… you are still at the very large disadvantage to your homebuyer audience. If you don’t have an agent to input your home into the MLS Listings… you, and your FSBO home might as well be invisible! The scary thing about this is that this isn’t the only disadvantage you have, and isn’t this a big enough one? If not… I’ve got many more!

Could you go the FSBO route? Sure… you could. But at the end of the day, why? I mean… you COULD try to go sky diving for your very first time, and pack your own parachute… It could open correctly, or it may not. Would you really put yourself in that situation? Or would you hire an expert to help guide you, and pack that lifesaving tool for you? Just a thought.

Well that concludes my rant 🙂

For more information about us… click HERE!

For more information on while FSBO’s are the devil… click HERE!

10,890 Homes For Sale In Central Ohio!

Happy Tuesday Fellow Readers!!!

I can say HAPPY TUESDAY — because today, right now, while sitting in my office and doing some work on one of our new listings for sale in Grove City… I see that in the greater Columbus area we have 10,890 homes for sale! If you’ve ever thought about buying or selling a home, I can confidently say to you, “There is no time like the present!”

• If you have been looking for a home in the country with a little bit of land – I have it.
• If you have been looking to move to a home with more square footage to fit the needs of your growing family- I have it!
• If you are an empty nester looking to sell your large family home, and downsize to a smaller ranch home, or a condo – I HAVE IT!

Right now, there are homes ready to fit the needs of any buyer.

Contact me today if you have thought about buying or selling a home in Central Ohio… I’d be happy to meet you 🙂

Click HERE for our contact info – or if you’d like to get started on the search for your dream home today – email me at:
kayla.staup@herrealtors.com

5 Things You’ll Never Hear A Good Realtor Tell You!!

I recently I read a comical article about things that a Realtor would never, ever say. I took my chuckles from that article, and internalized them into my own version of “5 Things You’ll Never Hear A Good Realtor Tell You!!” – As stated in my, “Happy To Meet You” article, humor is the spice of life! This piece will be filled with facts, mixed in with a little bit of funny! Hope you enjoy 🙂

1) “I’m sure the potential buyers, and their children will love your collection of Bull Mastiff dogs!” – While, we may actually love your dogs, and some buyers out there will too… most of the time the proper thing to do is to remove your animals from your home for showings. There are a few exceptions, and we know this is hard to hear for all you pet lovers out there to hear! Moving your pets from the home is just a smart move for your home sale. Not only does it distract buyers, but it may also imply that there were accidents in the house, and may make buyers more prone to nit-picking around!

2) “Just go ahead and stick around for the showing, home inspection, and might as well stay at home for your appraisal too!” – No, no… and NO! An experienced agent will tell you that you need to vacate your home for all showings, inspections, and appraisals! A homeowner can get in the way for an agent trying to show their buyers your home! Not to mention, if they have to critic your home, or ask questions… it can get a little awkward for all parties involved!

3) “I think you should just sell your home by yourself. You can just learn everything you need to know online, it is just as good as an agent, and you’ll save money!” – First, if you’ve read any of my previous articles… the golden rule is to NOT BE A FSBO… you will not save time, and you certainly will not save money. Those are just the facts. But, the reality is that real estate agents have the training and experience that can get a home sold, for top dollar, and in the least amount of time possible. Agents have an understanding of the housing market, and have connections to other agents that you just don’t have.

4) “Buyers don’t care about the outside of your home… so don’t waste your money on landscaping” – Have you ever heard the phrase, “First impressions are everything?” I’m not saying you need to drop thousands of dollars on fresh landscaping, but the outside of your home does need to be presentable. Go to Lowes and buy a couple of bags of mulch and fill in those flowerbeds like you’ve been meaning to! It will go a long way, I promise!

5) “Ohh– you want to price your home for $35,000 more than all of the other homes in your neighborhood? AND – You want it sold in 30 days? Wonderful… sign here!” –  I can tell you with the utmost certainty… You won’t here those words come out of my mouth! Pricing a home is one of the most important jobs that a Realtor has. Pricing it competitively is necessary if you want to actually sell your home! For some homeowners the competitive, and accurate price is not always the same price they’ve imagined their home to be worth, and that is okay! A good Realtor (like me) will take the time to break everything down, including price per sqft. A home that is ridiculously overpriced will only sit, unsold, and at the end of the day, just depresses everyone!

I could probably throw a few more out there… but I think that you get the picture! If you or someone you know has been thinking of selling/buying a home in Central Ohio contact us today!

To find our more about us, and our contact information click HERE!