Greensboro, NC Real Estate Larry Story's Blog of the Triad!

As with most search engines and listings sites you need to freshen those listings as often as possible and rise to the top. Now what some agents do not realize you can freshen up your listing with more then just new pictures. Although I will admit that pictures are one of the best ways to accomplish this task. For example take advantage of color whenever possible. So if it is spring get those flowers blooming. Or in the case of our present season I waited until the peak of color from the leaves changing.

So as you can see quite the dramatic change. Now granted I did not take into account the spring picture. You can see though the drastic change and that with a little different view and all the color it does not even look like the same listing.

Now back to the reasons for freshening the listing. Now even though there is the obvious reason every time you change your listings and update them that will have them rise back up to the top of many searches simply because they have new information. That is the same reason for constantly updating you websites. The more activity these posts and sites get the more google juice you will earn.

So just changing your description of the property itself will also help. Simply rewording and coming up with a fresh look at the property will also "update the information". That is your main goal you need to change them in order to rise up. I definitely am an advocate of the changing some of the photo's though for the most impact. As we all know most buyers are very visual in their search. They want to see pictures and lots of them. You always need to max out the photo's available to you for your listings. Some sites may only allow nine while others may allow eighteen. So make sure you take plenty. Now for many listings I do use a professional photographer. Now I do not always have him go back out to freshen a picture unless it is a high end listing. Even though I may not have the photographer go out I will go out myself and take the pictures. For example the first picture from the first of this year was taken by my photographer I took the second picture.

So just remember to keep everything fresh and stay on that listing!

The Author:

Larry is a Greensboro Residential Broker, CARTUS Certified Relocation Specialist, Previews luxury homes trained, SRES & CHMS who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in the Piedmont Triad Area that include but, not limited to Greensboro, High Point, and Winston Salem, NC. If you're relocating to or from any other area of the country, Larry connects you with a member of our national team of relocation specialist in your destination or exit city of choice. The destination service is of no cost to you! As your Personal Concierge Realtor Larry provides customer service that is equal to none. Your complete happiness is our top priority! Larry Story - Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors - 336-327-1841 also at http://www.storybookhomes.ws

Copyright© 2009 By Larry Story, All Rights Reserved...

In Buying or selling a home Negotiating is work and knowledge is the key to a successful strategy. How much homework and research you do is going to directly translate into how well you do. I am still amazed at agents that simply walk in to a home and then call to ask "Well I know the list price is $XXX but how much will they really take?" Are you for real? The sad part is that there are agents out there that will throw their clients under the bus to get a deal.

My home sellingclients and I always start out the process by discussing strategy for the negotiations that will be coming once we start getting offers. We do our homework and spend time working on the calculator to see where their bottom line is and preparing them to walk away if someone does not come up to that dollar amount. We also need to be aware of everything about the home and what they may ask for. Take a good detailed look around the home (maybe even pay for a home inspection) you can spot small things that will need repairs and head off any complaints or repair requests. The hardest thing to do is to try and take the "personal factor" out of the transaction. If the sellers can remove themselves from the transaction and not take any criticism of their home personal they will be able to negotiate and close the deal much easier. Now none of this addresses all the issues to do with marketing and exposure of the home that is up to the Realtor after all that will be a whole other blog.

In home buyingit is the same basic plan. I do my homework in order to discover what the seller's break even point is going to be. A simple search of the register of deeds site to see what mortgages they have on the home. Then to do a little reverse magic to see what their approximate payoff is. Then of course you have to add in commissions, taxes, and deed prep fees. Now we know about what their absolute bottom line is to walk away without paying. Of course not all sellers are desperate to get out of their home and onto the next. Noticing somethings in the home help. The most obvious is the home vacant? So are they now carrying two mortgages? Coaching is a big part of this we must condition our buyers to also be ready to walk away from a home in case the sellers are not willing to come down to our price. I always try to keep my clients from becoming "house rich and cash poor". While I do like return clientele I do not want to have to come back a short time later and help them with a Short Sale.

Many of these points help but just paying attention to details around the home and also listening closely to the other side can sometime tell you volumes of the parties on the other side of the negotiating table.

The Author:

Larry is a Greensboro Residential Broker, CARTUS Certified Relocation Specialist, Previews luxury homes trained, SRES & CHMS who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in the Piedmont Triad Area that include but, not limited to Greensboro, High Point, and Winston Salem, NC. If you're relocating to or from any other area of the country, Larry connects you with a member of our national team of relocation specialist in your destination or exit city of choice. The destination service is of no cost to you! As your Personal Concierge Realtor Larry provides customer service that is equal to none. Your complete happiness is our top priority! Larry Story - Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors - 336-327-1841 also at http://www.storybookhomes.ws

Copyright© 2009 By Larry Story, All Rights Reserved...

Buyer's Update for Greensboro, North Carolina and the Triad beware the market is heating up! As the time passes by on the way to the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer's Tax Credit deadline. All those buyers waiting on something better will lose out. Many people have forgotten about Thanksgiving. You know that wonderful day of football and turkey. The banks, lawyers, and county employees at the register of deeds office will be off work with us eating turkey. That on top of the fact that there are so many people jumping into the game that the lenders are asking for sometimes 45 days to close not the usual 30. I am telling all the first time home buyers I am working with that you need to be under contract in the next two weeks.

On another note the interest rates are at least holding around the 5% mark. They fluctuate on a daily basis and actually even hourly. So if you are working on buying a home please be speaking with or to a lender. Once you narrow down your choices you will want to lock in your interest rate.

Now those of you looking hard if you are keeping track of your "favorite" homes then you might start to notice that they are actually disappearing. They will no longer be available and are now either sold or under contract.

My listings are actually showing sometimes 3 to 4 times a day. So don't wait to long to jump in if you want to see one of these in front of the home you want;

The Author:

Larry is a Greensboro Residential Broker, CARTUS Certified Relocation Specialist, Previews luxury homes trained, SRES & CHMS who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in the Piedmont Triad Area that include but, not limited to Greensboro, High Point, and Winston Salem, NC. If you're relocating to or from any other area of the country, Larry connects you with a member of our national team of relocation specialist in your destination or exit city of choice. The destination service is of no cost to you! As your Personal Concierge Realtor Larry provides customer service that is equal to none. Your complete happiness is our top priority! Larry Story - Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors - 336-327-1841 also at http://www.storybookhomes.ws

Copyright© 2009 By Larry Story, All Rights Reserved...

The Print-Works Bistro at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina is one of the newest and brightest stars in Greensboro's long list of great places to eat. Besides being a "Green" establishment and part of the "Greenest Hotel" in America The Proximity Hotel.

As you can see the wonderful setting for the Bistro with plenty of outdoor seating and windows on three sides to give excellent views. In a smoke free environment you can enjoy some of the best local organically grown foods and extraordinary flavors in Greensboro. Anywhere in the restaurant you are no more then 16 feet away from the seven foot tall windows that surround you.

Then as a Green establishment they also take advantage of all of the technology that is available whether it is the online reservation site to their Facebook page The Print-Works Bistro is one of THE places to be. Believe me I have had many a wonderful meal there sampling their take on the traditional and very modern versions of the classic European and American dishes. They even do an excellent job of catering. I have attended wedding receptions and other functions here and always been impressed with their level of service and quality of food.

I will leave you with their latest post on Facebook of some of their newest menu takes on a traditional favorite Mac n Cheese; they have definitely improved it by including Black Forest ham, Mornay sauce and shallots! Bon Appetit!

As always I would like to thank Mark File of Quaintence Weaver Restaurants and Hotels for his help and wonderful pictures.

The Author:

Larry is a Greensboro Residential Broker, CARTUS Certified Relocation Specialist, Previews luxury homes trained, SRES & CHMS who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in the Piedmont Triad Area that include but, not limited to Greensboro, High Point, and Winston Salem, NC. If you're relocating to or from any other area of the country, Larry connects you with a member of our national team of relocation specialist in your destination or exit city of choice. The destination service is of no cost to you! As your Personal Concierge Realtor Larry provides customer service that is equal to none. Your complete happiness is our top priority! Larry Story - Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors - 336-327-1841 also at http://www.storybookhomes.ws

Copyright© 2009 By Larry Story, All Rights Reserved

Greensboro's Proximity Hotel is the Greenest Hotel in America. In Greensboro, North Carolina the newest hotel is the Proximity Hotel one of the crowning jewels in the Quaintence Weaver Group.

Of course the first thing I noticed after soaking up the clean lines of the design are the solar panels covering the roof. Then there are all the state of the art "green" construction techniques and designs used. The hotel was built to use 40% less energy and 30% less water then other hotels. The Proximity Hotel is a AAA Four Diamond rated hotel. The Proximity Hotel has attained the USGBC's highest rating, LEED Platinum. One remarkable energy saving feature is the first installation of a regenerative drive for Otis' Gen2 elevator, which reduces the energy used by feeding the energy that is recaptured when the elevator is coming back down during the braking process back into the buildings internal power grid.

So take a look at what the Quaintence Weaver Restaurants and Hotels calls "New World Moxie and Old World Hospitality.

Then the new feel of the "City Suites" just check out that view!

So whether you are coming to town or would like to just take a night or weekend away from home this is one hotel you must simply experience to understand. I am already making plans for my getaway surprise for my wife.

My thanks again to Mark File of the Quaintence Weaver Restaurants and Hotels company for his help and the photographs.

The Author:

Larry is a Greensboro Residential Broker, CARTUS Certified Relocation Specialist, Previews luxury homes trained, SRES & CHMS who can assist you with the purchase and/or sale of real estate in the Piedmont Triad Area that include but, not limited to Greensboro, High Point, and Winston Salem, NC. If you're relocating to or from any other area of the country, Larry connects you with a member of our national team of relocation specialist in your destination or exit city of choice. The destination service is of no cost to you! As your Personal Concierge Realtor Larry provides customer service that is equal to none. Your complete happiness is our top priority! Larry Story - Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors - 336-327-1841 also at http://www.storybookhomes.ws

Copyright© 2009 By Larry Story, All Rights Reserved...