Good Housekeeping Tips!

Ever wonder how people years ago kept their homes clean? I mean, they didn't have our science or technology, so they must have had problems with general cleaning, right? Wrong!

The Allen Tate blog (http://athome.allentate.com) has a great post today about common household items and how they can be used for cleaning. Check it out here!

You Mean I Have to Sell it TWICE??

So many people contemplating selling their homes these days are just blown away when their agent tells them they have to sell their house twice. What???

Not only do we have to find a ready buyer who is willing and able to pay a price agreed upon by both parties, BUT the home has to appraise. It doesn't matter if a buyer is willing to pay $315,000 for your home... if they're getting financing (and most are), and it doesn't appraise for $315,000, they will not get the loan. Appraisals take into account active competition but most importantly sold competition, and foreclosures throughout the marketplace have compressed prices to the point that appraisals are getting TIGHT. Appraisers, mortgage lenders, brokers, etc. are all feeling the repercussions of looser lending standards and appraisal guidelines of the past, so if an appraisal falls short, it falls short. Gone are the days of an appraiser pulling a few thousand out of the sky to reach contract price.

So then Mr. Potential Seller says "well if they really like my home they will make up the difference". Possible, but unlikely, especially in today's market. How many of today's buyers (especially buyers with diligent and thorough agents representing them) are going to be willing to pay more for a home than it is worth?? People are uncertain of their futures, and inventory is too high for this to happen.

So, selling to a buyer is one thing, but the REAL test is selling it to the apprasier. Consult your trusted Realtor before you name your price. You may feel as if you are losing $$$, but you will actully be SAVING money in the long run in the form of carrying costs, lost time, and the inability to purchase yourself, by pricing it realistically from the get-go!

Lightning DOES Strike

Lisa and I were fortunate to list a home last week in Clemmons that has already gone into due diligence. Luck? Maybe... but this seller knew the market. She had been subscribing to my neighborhood newsletter for a couple of years, in which I kept residents informed of recent listings and sales in this particular Clemmons neighborhood. When it came time for her to sell, she and I sat down and reviewed the latest comps. Honestly, the numbers were very disappointing to her, so she had to think about it for a few days. She considered renting but decided the hassle and potential problems of being an absentee landlord just weren't worth it. She put her home on the market in show ready condition and at the recommended price. We had 9 showings in 8 days, one offer that was negotiated and then accepted, and a potential back up offer coming. No matter what the media would have you to believe, lightning DOES strike in Clemmons in the form of education, research, and being an informed consumer!

How Cool is That??

Allen Tate now has a dedicated channel on YouTube... how cool is that? This is just yet another way Tate is superior. As a consumer, this matters to you because it shows that Tate is on the pulse of what consumers want! Do you want to be represented by someone doing the same ole same ole... or someone who pays attention and knows how folks are searching for properties? The choice should be crystal clear! Visit http://www.youtube.com/theallentatecompany TODAY!

Do Your Research!

I was googling Warren's Gate today to see what would come up, and I decided to go a step further and google "Clemmons real estate" and "Clemmons Realtors." I was VERY surprised by what I found. One of the first sites that came up was Realtor.com. I am not knocking Realtor.com at all, as I have been using it for very effective marketing for a couple of years. But what surprised me was that under the supposed "Clemmons specialists", I didn't recognize half the names! I don't claim to personally know every agent that works that area, but I can say with confidence, as long as I have been working in Clemmons, that if I haven't at least heard your name, you haven't been around long. If you havent been actively engaged in selling real estate in a certain area for long, how can you be an expert? My point in writing this is just to warn consumers when choosing an agent. Just because an agent markets himself or herself as a neighborhood expert or city expert or expert for a certain niche, that doesn't make it so. Sit them down and ask them to show you a resume, explain their ties to that particular market, provide examples of homes they have marketed there, etc. The internet is wonderful, but it just isn't regulated. I could call myself an expert on blue Italian frogs, but that doesn't make it so.

Warren's Gate for Active Adults

Lisa and I have just taken over as the marketing team for Warren's Gate, Clemmons' only TRULY maintenance free community. It is located conveniently on Hwy 158 near Tanglewood Park, I-40, and the heart of Clemmons. There will be a total of 34 twinhomes priced from the low 200s. Numerous floor plans are available, and if you take the time to compare you will see that the most basic standards for D. Stone Builders exceeds the highest standards of most! The model is manned by a member of our agent team M, Th, & Fri from 1-6, Sat from 12-5, and Sun 1-5. You may also make an appointment to view them at any other time. Four are currently available (ranging from $219,000-319,000), but you may customize your plan and customize your price on any of the remaining 28 lots. Click here for a sneak peek!

The Bigger Picture

I am closing a home today with a sweet young family with a sweet dream... they have 3 children and currently live in a 3 bedroom home, but their heart's desire is to get something bigger. They don't want it for prestige, or appearance, or stature... no, they want to foster children, and a bigger home will make that possible. It's nothing fancy, though it is beautiful. It's an older home with 5 bedrooms on the main strip in Boonville, and it has an extra lot with it. The first time we saw it the husband jokingly said "oh man thats a good place for a shop", but then his wife said "oh no, I see children running and playing." What a selfless dream! And the fact that homeownership plays such a huge part of it brings such peace. I am so thankful to have been placed in a careeer by God that really CAN change people's lives!