Comments that make us think: what if the market has already declined more than the numbers tell us?
(LAKE TAHOE REAL ESTATE BLOG) What is that old saying about statistics? We’ve heard it came from Vin Scully, the famous announcer and voice of the Brooklyn and then later Los Angeles Dodgers since 1950.
Maybe too Vin heard it from somebody else, the originator of the adage perhaps. Nonetheless, in this case it’s what was said, rather than who said it first that’s important.
We’re sure many of you have heard it, but the old adage about statistics is this: “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.”
We frequently discuss the data we report here. There’s not a lie in the lot, but there are statistics, lots of them. And you can also be sure that anything we report that has a number in it is fact-based, and we can show it to you. There is no other way.
As we all know, though, there are many ways to look at data, particularly real estate data, where interpretation is often swayed by point of view rather than not. A Seller will interpret identical real estate information differently than a buyer. As we say in the article above this one (here), this is something we see all of the time.
Comments: (The Hue and Cry)
As most of our readers know, we track the median sold price in South Lake Tahoe over time. It is from the median sold price that comes our market reports for you (here).
When we publish these reports, usually any reader feedback we get either thanks us for our work or asks something about a particular listing. Recently though, we’ve heard the hue and cry below.
These are comments from only a few readers. They tell us something. and all are in response to the median sold price in South Lake Tahoe having stabilized since June of 2008 (here).
These are comments from buyers, potential buyers. We can tell every time. In general, a buyer’s interpretation of current South Lake Tahoe real estate market statistics these days is prices have not gone down far enough yet, and there is more reduction to come.
Conversely, and again there is no surprise, a Seller’s take on the same information goes something like this: “prices have come down, but not that much, and it doesn’t affect my house, and prices are going back up any minute now.”
The Buyer: A Successful One, or a Professional One?
There is a common denominator to be found in these comments. Their subtext is “I’m not buying until I see the bottom of the market.” This is understandable. It addresses the fundamental issue of all buyers in any real estate market, up or down, and it is “fear,” the fear of having paid too much.
These days the fear of paying too much, and how that applies to South Lake Tahoe in particular, is primarily fueled by predictions found in national real estate news... that do not apply in this market.
What these national reports predict is national home values may decline another 20% in value.
The key reason why this will not happen in South Lake Tahoe is predictions found in a recent broadside of national real estate reports can not be specifically applied to second-home resort markets.
If one does not accept that South Lake Tahoe market forces and price trends may be different than those of the country at large, this could well be the difference that separates the successful buyer from the professional buyer (this being the buyer who actually owns a piece of South Lake Tahoe, and one who is always looking, justifying, rationalizing, waiting, getting ready, knowing the market better than anybody and never does.)
A Deeper Point: (The “Us” Difference)
It’s possible some real estate folk could look at buyer comments like these above and deduct that they come from buyers who are not serious about buying. Those that from such conclusions normally ignore the comments altogether, discard them, and move on (discarding the buyer with the bathwater).
That’s unfortunate. It’s from comments like these where we have the opportunity to inform, explain, distinguish ourselves, earn trust and be both comforting and helpful at the same time. (They can also cause us to learn, which is what happened here. Lets call that the “us” difference.)
In a market like this, at this time, Is there a deeper meaning to the reactions of some buyers when they see current South Lake Tahoe real estate information?
What these comments say more than anything is “the numbers are different than what I thought they would be!”
We have two thoughts about this, and one great question:
One is that some buyers do not understand why South Lake Tahoe home values are what they are. What this tells us is one of two things, either a buyer does not want to understand it, or we have yet to explain it sufficiently.
This is why we are constantly honing, refining, adapting and repeating the message about South Lake Tahoe home values.
Second, and this thought is the kicker, our “eureka” moment! Maybe, just maybe, the median sold price reports are right (they are), and the buyers expectations of a lower number are right at the same time.
Maybe the decline that buyers are expecting is hiding in plain sight, and it is to be found in current listings, rather than only in past sales. What, is this double talk?
No, it isn’t. Lets ask this question, and it’s a great one, “if one can get 20% more house for the money now than before, and it’s true, then is this the 20% further decline that buyers are expecting?
If assumptions are correct, that one can get more house now, and we quantify that in terms of size, age, condition and price, we’re hoping this can become an additional resource for you, and all buyers, to better understand current trends in your South Lake Tahoe real estate market.
(LAKE TAHOE REAL ESTATE BLOG) We did this one earlier too, after a boat load of questions about, well you know, "what do you think the market is going to do?"
(We'll call this our "duh" interlude here, its stating the obvious, but we're going somewhere with this one... to set up our next detailed study.)
There are basically three avenues the South Lake Tahoe real estate market will take in the foreseeable future. The numbers tell us we’re close to stabilization. Like that or not, it’s what the numbers, using median sold price, looking behind us over six months, say.
Is it possible we will see further home value decline? Certainly, but we are not picking up statistical evidence of that presently (here). We do have a good question coming, though, about the possibility that more decline is already here, hiding in plain sight.
Our foreclosure study indicates, it should be noted, there has actually been less decline in South Lake Tahoe home values than was originally thought (here). What this data shows is the importance of isolating the effect of foreclosed home sales out of the rest of the South Lake Tahoe market.
Is it possible the market will go up? This too is possible, anything is, but this is about as unlikely, for example, that the South Lake Tahoe real estate market will follow prognostications in the slew of national real estate reports earlier this month of 20% further declines in the median sold price.
(LAKE TAHOE REAL ESTATE BLOG) I don't know how may times we've reported about the importance of providing accurate real estate data here on this blog. It's certainly one of our most discussed themes.
We found this in one of our feeds from the Huffington Post not long ago and thought you might appreciate it.
Entitled, "Quality Reporting Is Key When Writing About The Housing Market", it's written by Pauline Millard, a New York City real estate professional and a teacher of creative writing.
Though New York City real estate is vastly different than that of our South Lake Tahoe market, Pauline hits many of the same concepts we painstaking provide, and routinely report to you. We hope you enjoy.
(LAKE TAHOE REAL ESTATE BLOG) We got this email from one of our readers this some time ago. It's a good example of both how our blog attracts readers who participate, and our interactions with them. We thought it might be nice to share it with you.
Below is what came to us. Our response to it follows thereafter. We hope you find it of interest.
Rich / Gary, ...the median prices for houses posted their steepest monthly drop in four decades, according to reports released Tuesday. Sales of existing homes declined 8.6 percent last month, to a seasonally adjusted rate of 4.49 million, according to the National Association of Realtors. The median price of a home plunged 13 percent from October to November, to $181,300 from $208,000 a year ago. That was the lowest price since February 2004. Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Association of Realtors, said that 45 percent of all home sales were so-called “distressed sales,” meaning that the sellers faced foreclosure, or they were forced to sell their home for less than the value of the mortgage. The numbers released Tuesday show that the housing market, which is at the center of America’s financial crisis, is displaying no signs of a quick recovery. “They’re about as god-awful as they can get,” said Robert Barbera, chief economist at ITG. “This is pretty breathtaking stuff.” The Commerce Department also reported that new home sales dropped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 407,000 in November, from a downwardly revised rate of 419,000 in October. Housing values have plummeted since the peak of the market in July 2006, when the median home price in America was $230,200. But the housing bubble burst, sales declined, credit dried up and a flood of foreclosed homes hit the market, a toxic combination of events which pulled median prices down 21 percent to their November levels. “It’s probably the largest price drop since the Great Depression,” Mr. Yun said. “There needs to be some measure to counter this pessimism. Without housing market stabilization, it’ll be very difficult for the economy to recover.” I'm an eternal optimist, but I gotta say - I don't think we're anywhere near the bottom. There are no fundamentals in place to propel a housing/economic turnaround, or indicate a bottom. Over HALF of all Las Vegas homes are now worth less than their mortgage value (!). I've learned that Tahoe trends tend to amplify the national markets. When the national markets heat up, Tahoe explodes. When the markets slow, Tahoe gets even slower - recall the early-mid 90s when some SLT values dropped nearly 40% from their prior highs. I'm surprised that Tahoe continues to do as well as it has in recent months. But I think this is an aberration, and I think we're going to see another 15 to 20% drop in SLT values over the next couple years. In fact, I'll bet you lunch on it. Keep up the excellent statistical work.
I've been watching Tahoe real estate for some years (since the 70's, when I lived and worked in SLT). I really like your blog and keep in on my RSS feed. Very helpful. We're approaching retirement age and will probably buy a 2nd home up there when the market finds its bottom.
Today you note: "And prices, while some $35,000 lower on average than they were last year at this time, appear to be near bottom."
As I try to understand how we got ourselves into this financial mess, I'm becoming less convinced that we are "near bottom."
Just today the NY Times reported:
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What our South Lake Tahoe real estate business is all about.(Lake Tahoe Real Estate Blog) We've been working with a particular buyer recently. It's someone we know who has bought from us before, but that was back in 2004 at the top of the South Lake Tahoe market both in terms of demand and price.
The Buyer contacted us again in September. What's somewhat singular about him is he lives in Jakarta. This time his instructions to us were rather simple: "I know the market is down, there's opportunity to be had, now find me the best deal possible to be had."
We started showing him homes just before Halloween. We spent 10 days with him and his family doing "research." That done, he went back to Indonesia, and as you can imagine the emails that followed were plentiful and informative.
He recently came back to look again last week. And look he did.
We just put the house he bought into escrow, and we'll tell you more about it when it closes, but it was not one of the houses he saw the first time around. More than suspicious that this was "the one", we showed it to him via email about a week before he got here to look the second time.
Now back in Jakarta, he just sent an email to us that we thought we'd share. It much addresses our approach to doing business, where making friends and being helpful is so much more our focus than just making a sale and getting paid. It's teamwork that always makes the difference. Here's that email, it's short, sweet and very simple, and we hope you enjoy:
Dear Gary and Richard,
I think we make a great team! We accomplished exactly what we set out to do. Amazing house. The best we saw. I am so excited and happy about this. And we will do more together, that's for sure. Thank you Richard and Gary.
Very truly,
Andy
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Search our site for South Lake Tahoe Real Estate and South Lake Tahoe Real Estate Information. Find all current South Lake Tahoe Real Estate Market Conditions at www.laketahoerealestateblog.com.
We are Brothers in Partnership:
Gary Bolen is OUR PEOPLE PERSON. He provides a winning combination of personal service skills and extensive sales and marketing experience to our real estate service.
A long-term Lake Tahoe resident, Gary Bolen excels in personal contact and service skills. Patient and friendly, Gary is a people person with a winning smile, a kind word and a pleasant conversation for everybody. Known for his sincere empathy and consideration of other people, you can count on Gary; he has exactly the character that you would want to represent you and your family's interests. Among Gary's experience and accomplishments:
• Long-term Lake Tahoe Resident. He has lived on Juniper off Kingsbury Grade for the last 12 years.
• World Traveled. From a military family, Gary has lived in Japan, France, Iran and Germany. He speaks some French,more Persian and a little German.
• Music Director. An accomplished professional musician, Gary was a guitarist and Music Director for two extended shows at Harvey's Resort Casino for 6 years.
• Business Owner. Before coming to Lake Tahoe, Gary and his wife Janie created a successful entertainment industry catering company in Los Angeles.
• Hobbies. An avid outdoorsman, Gary is quietly a great fisherman. He plays a good game of golf and likes to cook, but music has always been his passion. An accomplished songwriter, Gary has a recording studio in his home.
Richard Bolen is OUR BUSINESS GUY. His success as a corporate sales and marketing consultant adds depth and experience to our real estate practice.
Complimenting his brother's personal skills, Richard Bolen adds business depth and experience to the Bolen & Bolen real estate team. Richard created and was SR VP Marketing of a national public company in the 1980's, and later formed his own business as a corporate marketing, advertising and design consultant In Los Angeles. Richard developed clients and experience in the entertainment, health care, financial services, publishing, resort hotel and cruise ship industries. In 2001, the hectic pace of Los Angeles became an easy trade-off for the peace and tranquility of Lake Tahoe. He and his wife Maxene own a home on Pine Drive off Kingsbury Grade. Among Richard's accomplishments:
• SR V.P. Marketing. Richard led the marketing efforts for a national health care corporation, two publishing firms and a cultural museum.
• Advertising & Marketing Agency. Richard has directed and produced national advertising campaigns, national public relations efforts and trade show productions. He has also produced and distributed millions of pieces of direct mail across the country, where in one such effort alone, Richard doubled a corporation's national sales and cut selling costs by 50% at the same time.
• Graphic Designer. One key to Richard's success is that he is a skilled, hands-on graphic designer and copy writer. As a designer he has worked for Disney, Buena Vista, Paramount Pictures and Holland America Line and more.
• Internet. Richard was a marketing consultant and content programmer for a successful internet venture by an international entertainment and retail conglomerate. He was also involved with an internet start-up that at one time had as much as 10-million hits per month.
• Hobbies. Richard's hobbies take the form of work. "Creativity is what's most important to me," he says. Richard has produced music, managed successful rock and roll bands and was one of three producers of the reggae motion picture feature film "Rockers."
BUYERS:
Teri and Mark: Mid Kingsbury, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
"We worked with Gary and Richard for almost a year." They showed us house after house in all areas around the Lake including some houses in the Carson Valley. It took a long time for us to find exactly what we were looking for, we probably looked at something close to a hundred different houses. We feel any other realtor would have given up on us but Gary didn't. We ultimately found our "Dream Home" and we couldn't be happier. We thank them for their tremendous patience and would highly recommend them to anyone.
Christine: Tahoe Paradise, South Lake Tahoe, CA
I had been vacationing at Lake Tahoe since I was a little girl and I always wanted a place I could call my own in the mountains. When I finally had the opportunity to purchase my "dream getaway" I contacted Richard and Gary to begin the search. The first place they showed me was perfect and I made an offer. My heart sunk when I found out I was a little too late and the property went into escrow. Though very disappointed I continued the search and was shown many other properties. None could compare with my "dream cabin." Gary and Richard told me that sometimes escrows don' t work and even though it was a long shot my cabin might come back on the market. As fate would have it the property did in fact fall out of escrow and I was contacted immediately. Richard and Gary got my offer accepted and after a smooth transaction I got my piece of paradise in the mountains. I am deeply grateful the the Bolen brothers for all their hard work and tenacity in staying with me through a very emotional time. If you are considering buying or selling in the Tahoe area, call the Bolens. I'm so glad I did.
Rod and Serena: Upper Kingsbury, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
Richard and Gary showed us a number of properties and we were quickly impressed by the depth of their knowledge of the Tahoe market. We knew we were safe in their hands. When we did purchase our house their service didn't stop there. They were most helpful in our discussions about remodeling plans. Richard and Gary, unlike most real estate agents who disappear after a sale, have stayed in touch with us on a regular basis for the last three years. We look forward to their frequent market updates and other detailed information about the Tahoe market and our neighborhood specifically. We highly recommend Gary and Richard and they will represent us when we buy or sell again.
Tony and Lisa: Tahoe Village, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
We walked into the Bolen's office off the street. Gary and Richard listened closely to what we were looking for and in a matter of minutes we were shown exactly that. They took us directly to it. One house, one showing. That was it. We made an offer immediately and got a very quick acceptance. It was an incredibly quick transaction and we were soon the proud owners of our piece of paradise. Gary and Richard have stayed in contact with us on a regular basis for the last two years and are continuing to look for another piece of property that we can build on. We eventually plan to retire in the Tahoe area and will continue to work with Richard and Gary. These are the kind of guys you want working for you. If you are interested in Tahoe area real estate do yourself a favor, call the Bolens.
Manny and Carol: Hidden Woods, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
We had been looking for Tahoe property for some time before we met Richard and Gary. We originally met another agent, but felt we wanted more follow up and attention. The Bolens can follow up and they will pay attention to you. They also knew the market and we knew we would get the kind of service we expect from a professional. It turned out we bought a house we had seen before but this time our questions were answered quickly and thoroughly. Richard was a terrific negotiator and the trust he instilled made us very comfortable. His attention to detail and depth of knowledge made us feel safe in our decision to purchase our dream home. There were no mistakes here. When you make this kind of investment you expect no mistakes. These two brothers will deliver everything you want in a Realtor, and then some.
Gary: Mid Kingsbury, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
Richard and Gary came highly recommended from friends of mine who were very impressed with the service they had received in the purchase of their properties. "Gary has the patience of a saint and will show you properties till you drop, " said my friend. Fortunately he was a good listener too and I found the right property without going through as long a process as that it could have been. I was looking for value and I am not the kind of person who will let emotions blind me when it comes to making this type of decision. I found what I was looking for and I got the kind of service I would deliver. Richard and Gary are professionals. Gary has stayed in contact with me on a personal basis and has helped in many ways beyond what you would expect most realtors would do. I will recommend Gary and Richard to anyone interested in Lake Tahoe real estate.
Jeff, Cyndi and Beni: Upper Kingsbury, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
Richard and Gary were referred to us by a very good friend who Richard has been working with for some time. They came recommended as very knowledgable, thorough, and very dedicated to providing the best real estate service possible. This proved to be true for us as well. They found what we were looking for in no time at all and showed truly excellant negotiating skills through the offer and acceptance period. We had another out-of-state property we needed to sell in order to make our Tahoe purchase. Richard was right there in helping monitor that transaction as well. Our Tahoe property is now a dream come true and every time we look out our window to the stunning lake below we pinch ourselves to make sure we are'nt dreaming. Our experience with Gary and Richard and the purchase of our home was the very best and we will recommend the Bolen brothers to you and anyone else who is looking for a Tahoe piece of paradise.
John and Brenda: Round Hill, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
We like these guys. We were comfortabe with them from the start. They knew how to listen and then how to act. The house we bought had been on the market for a quite a while which we could not understand because it was perfect for us. It came professionally decorated and furnished with oustanding appointments...even down to the exquisite art on the walls...would you believe signed Dali prints and Tibetan thonkas? We were so glad the house we bought had somehow slipped through the minds of the other realtors in town. We later learned that it somehow it had been shown very seldom in the months prior. How lucky could we get! Anyway, Richard and Gary are now our friends and when we finally retire in a few months and make the permanent move to Tahoe we will see them alot more often. You would like these guys as neighbors as much as we do. You might want to become a neighbor too.
SELLERS:
Lynn and Larry: Summit Village, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
We called the brothers because of their newsletter with all the market stats. Nobody else does anything like that. We talked to them for about two years on and off. When it came time to sell, they were our only choice. They knew the market extremely well. They listened. They found a full priced buyer for my property within 24 hours. We closed in 30 days. What more can we say?
Harvey, Elaine and Satoshi: Montgomery Estates, South Lake Tahoe, CA
OTHERS TRIED TO SELL IT, BUT COULDN'T !
We contacted Gary and Richard to see if they could possibly sell our vacation house. We were at first rather tentative because two other agents had tried to sell our house before and they couldn't. Gary and Richard made a very thorough presentation to us, and we discussed our concern about the obvious problem to the successful sale of our home; it had no front door and the only entrance was onto the second floor through the garage. We asked Gary and Richard if we built a new deck, planted flowers, painted and re-carpete...etc. They discouraged us from spending any more money because they thought it would not increase the value of our house. They suggested that the problem of selling our house was one of price and exposure. They told us that any property priced appropriately in today's market will sell, and sell quickly. Even if it had a design flaw as our house did.
In discussing price, Gary and Richard reviewed the previous strategy that had not been productive. Our home had been listed, then reduced, and reduced again and it would not sell. Gary and Richard suggested a listing price which was slightly higher than what we listed for the year before. We agreed and kept our fingers crossed. We thought our house would sell for much less and probably take a long time to do it.
We listed in late May. Four days later, Gary and Richard came with an offer that was $6,000 higher than our listing price. Four days! And we were in escrow. Six weeks later, it was sold without a hitch.
Obviously we were very happy with the Bolens. But we never thought of this: when we told them how happy we were with them, Gary and Richard instead told us how happy they were with us. They said the successful sale of a home is due to good team work of both owner and agent. "You are as much responsible for your happiness as we were, " they said, and we were certainly as happy with them as they were with us.
Tom: Tahoe Keys, South Lake Tahoe, CA
These guys really helped me out. This was a really stressful time in my life . My first buyer tried to buy my house without his wife knowing about it, so I wasn't surprised when it fell out of escrow. I wasn't happy about it either, but the Bolens were way ahead of the game. Their council very much helped soothe my fears by assuring me that another offer would come soon. It did immediately, much to my relief, and it was for $10,000 more money! Yea! The rest of the transaction went very smoothly.I feel I was in the best hands possible for this rather large listing and was very happy with the end result. These brothers are my friends and I could not have been treated any better.
Roger: Montgomery Estates, South Lake Tahoe, CA
I am a contractor and I met the Bolens while working on a house for one of their previous clients. I was told by my friend that Richard and Gary had sold two of his houses and they had a third listed with them at that time. I am by nature a very skeptical person and to be honest I have not been very impressed with my past dealings with Realtors. When I first met them I had a price in mind, but they told me my house would sell for $50,000 more than what I thought. Naturally I liked hearing that, but it didn't make me believe it. I took a look-see attitude and much to my surprise they produced. Long story short, the Bolens got me more money than I thought possible and they did it fast.
Paul and Mary: Pioneer Trail, South Lake Tahoe, CA
I build houses for a living and I build them almost entirely by myself. To say I work hard is an understatement. I would not turn over my investments to anyone I didn't completely trust. Gary and Richard have sold three of my houses and when I sell again that will make it four. I also referred the Bolens to another contractor friend of mine. He too got more money in less time than he thought possible. Do you want to talk to some real straight shooters about your property? Call Gary and Richard.
Randy: Summit Village / Tahoe Village, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
"I asked Gary and Richard to list our house because of their direct mail marketing." I had received scads of other realtor's "come on" mail advertising, which I promptly threw in the trash. Richard and Gary had something that caught my eye because it had real "substance." Richard and Gary always provide the best market information. It's something I could really use. I had an idea of what my property was worth but was pleasantly surprised when I was told they felt it was worth a lot more. My house quickly went into escrow at full price . They really had my best interest in mind and they made the sale of my home as stress free as possible. If you need to sell or buy real estate "hire them."
David and Lynne: Roundhill, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
We worked with Gary and Richard for almost a year before we decided to sell. They came highly recommended from a good friend of ours. They showed us the comparables and we were suprised to learn the Bolens felt we could get about $30,000 more for our house than what the comparables showed. They said it was because it was January and there was not much competition on the market . They sold our house at full price in five minutes!
We were concerned that our children, who still had a few months of school left, would have to change school districts in the middle of what appeared was going to be a frantic move. Gary and Richard negotiated a lengthy lease-back for us at no cost. This was a great relief because now we didn't have the pressure of trying to do so much in so little time. The extra months allowed us make our move smoothly and our children were not uprooted from their school.
Shortly after our house was in escrow some friends of ours told us that they were thinking of selling their house also. We got them in touch with Gary and Richard and guess what? They sold our friend's house almost as fast. If you are thinking of buying or selling, call the Bolens...they know this market!
Ron and Dyana: Lower Kingsbury, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
I had known Gary for some time before we decided to sell our house. Gary and I were fishing buddies and when we did decide to sell there was no question that we would call him. I had a general idea of what my house was worth but Gary and Richard felt it was substantially higher. I knew I could expect excellent service from the Bolens but just how fast I received a top dollar offer was surprising. If you want superb knowledge and marketing skills working for you and your family, get in touch with Richard and Gary....they will deliver.
Rich: Tahoe Keys, South Lake Tahoe, CA
I am a marketing professional. I called Richard and Gary because of their ability to market themselves. When I first met with Richard I was impressed with the approach and the materials he would use in the marketing of my house. When I learned of his extensive background in corporate level marketing, it all made sense. This level of professionalism is what I expect in any business venture. As a professional I like to work with professionals and the Bolen team is just that.
Chuck and Ida: Mid Kingsbury, Lake Tahoe (Stateline), NV
This story is pretty incredlible. When we called Richard and Gary to discuss listing our house we had only a vague idea of what the price should be. There were no comparables we could find anywhere. We were very impressed how quickly Richard found one because it had never been reported through the usual channels. We were also surprised to learn that Richard felt the house should be listed much higher than we originally thought.We felt the Bolens had done their homework and decided to list with them and we would sign the listing agreement the next day. The following morning we signed the agreement and were immediately handed a full price offer. For $20,000 more than we thought we would get. We were stunned! We didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't this good, that's for sure. What we got was more money with no hassles in no time at all. This was completely unbelievable. We cannot express how much we appreciate Richard and Gary's efforts and professionalism. We highly suggest that you put the Bolens on your team too.They turned an always stressful situation into an abslolute joy.
Suzanne: Tahoe Paradise, South Lake Tahoe, CA
I called Richard and Gary because of their marketing. I had been receiving their mailers for a long time and was impressed with the depth of their knowledge. They knew what I didn't and I felt completely safe in listing my house with them. My house sold in about an hour to a neighbor across the street that I had never met. The Bolens stayed in constant contact with me through the escrow period and my house closed without a hitch. These guys are very hands on professionals and I recommend them very highly.
Andy and Jutta: N. Upper Truckee, South Lake Tahoe, CA
It was time for us to move from our beloved "Little House in the Woods". We picked up one of the Bolens many pieces of mail and went to their office to meet them. We had a lot of questions about when would be the best time to put our house on the market. We thought late spring would be the best time, when our flowers were in bloom and our beautiful yard wasn't completely covered in snow. Richard and Gary explained why the best time was right now. There would be less competition in the winter because everybody thought the best time to put their houses on the market was the spring or summer. Now it was time to talk price. When we heard what they thought the price should be we couldn't believe it. We were very happy and a little bit skeptical at the same time. Could they really get that much for our house? We decided to take their advice and listed right away, with some conditions. We are very private people and we were living in the house at the time. It was very important to us that no lock box would be used and every showing would be by appointment only. Long story short,after five or six appointments the Bolens presented us an offer that was beyond our imagination. Were we dreaming? Richard and Gary just got us more money than had ever been paid for a house of our size in our entire neighborhood. To say that we are grateful and happy with the Bolens is an understatement. Our escrow went very smoothly and the Bolens were there with us every step of the way. All we can say is call Richard and Gary if you are thinking about real estate.
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