Gary White~ Grand Rapids Real Estate, FlexIt Realty, a call or click away!

Something Old Something New...What Do Ya Do?

When buyers find the right property they are emotionally charged with excitement. Sellers are thrilled to have an offer...but then again not always.

I wrote a listing and it never made it to the board as a listing.....why? I sold it the same day! Well I wrote an offer for my clients the same day. The second day I had a bank commitment for the full price we had negotiated. So you might say it was one day.

My clients have lived on this farm property for over 50 years. I sold the parents property last fall after the father had passed away at 102! That too sold in 1 day.

Now I list the son's home and it is over before we even get a sign in the yard! I use a bit of psychology in selling farms and so far it has worked like a charm.

Here is what I do....I go to the surrounding farmers and pop the question! I have a farm that is going to be going on the market. I mention that I have a few city folk that were looking for some hunting land. In my little bombshell I also say, "Hope they don't mind the smell of cows!"

They look at me in horror knowing they could have a real complainer moving in right next door! Before I can say another word they say how much do they want? We work out an acceptable price and off we go! I have sold 9 farms over the years all using this "farmer next door" method of promotion. Sometimes the farmer that actually purchases is a few farms away but just a tractor ride.

My clients...signed the listing agreement...and I call them and share with them the offer. I had priced the property and home prior to discussing the sell price...but at the same time I prepared my clients for a lower sell price in this market. I told them I could get more if they would throw in the tractors with the property!

It was a tongue in cheek comment. The newest tractor is 1954 but it has been painted this summer does that count? My client retired 18 years ago and became a collector. Yup he collected anything that didn't run and didn't cost much. He has 4 more tractors that don't run and they range from 1922 to 1939 vintage and all have some kind of attachment that will go with them. Did I mention he has 7 lawn mowers and 9 snow blowers a large assortment of chair hanging from the barn walls too.

When I questioned him about the chairs he said, "we may have a family reunion sometime and I will have chairs". I couldn't help myself I asked....when was the last family reunion? He says, "25years ago or so". ReallyJ, I said, you'll have chairs...he has 35 or 40 hanging from the walls of the barn and they probably have not been moved since he hung them! I look in another corner and there is a stack of 8 or 10 tents...."You do a lot of camping?" He is in his late 80's...he laughed. He says, NO I buy then cheap a auctions or yard sales and use them to throw over trailers or tractors to keep things out of the weather. Now I hadn't thought of that.

You never know when you represent a client you may find "something old" and the buyers always feel it is "something new" So What Do Ya Do?

Many agents have chosen not to work with banks or short sales. This can add another income option for many agents.

It takes a bit more calmness and listening to get the listing of a short sale. These are people that have been struggling to make ends meet and now have come to the decision that foreclosure is just around the corner.

The option is the short sale process. What do you have to do? Simply the agent has to be allowed to talk with the lender. The seller needs to provide paperwork to the lender as well.

Another issue that sellers have to face in a short sale is the very likelihood the sellers will not get a dime from the sale of their home. Showing the numbers to the sellers and having them accept them is all you can do. If they choose to not go along hoping they can find a buyer to make a profit means you have a decision.

Many times sellers have that last gasp of hope and you are it. They want to sell or try to sell before having to convert to a short sale and concede it is over. Who can blame them?

Some lenders have policies that are very restrictive dealing with short sales. The lending officer is not the person that you will be dealing with in a short sale situation. For the pros that are dealing short sales they know the mitigation department is where you will be working. If you work enough short sales you will even get to know the members of the mitigation team. They will slowly help you help them in geting rid of non performing loans and properties.

How do you feel about working short sales?

Can you believe it, I was just informed I won 350,000 pounds from the United Nations. I even have notification From the Attroney General. To bad it isn't the real Attorney General.

I love these scams. I wonder how many people respond to these things. Look at the information they ask you to give them.

Scams take many forms email, direct mail, phone, door to door solicitation and even television.

If you collect please be nice enough to send me a thank you!

How many of these do you get a week?

From: Ms. Joyce Anderson [joyceanderson@myway.com]
Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 8:05 PM
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Very Important...

http://www.una-uk.org/ypn/business_mdgs.htm
Reference Number:UNDP/WS68768P/68

Your email has been selected by the United Nations Organization(UNO)for a cash
grant award of 350,000.00GBP(Three Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great Britain
Pounds Sterling). The united nations authorities has decided to give this
award to 15 beneficiaries from all over the world to help facilitate the
preparation of submissions to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental
Shelf for developing States, in particular the least developed countries and
small island developing States,and compliance with article 76 of the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.This grant is been aided by the
united nations development programme and the united nations trust funds for
human security.Your cash grant pin number is (UNO154/4456/011) Reference
Number:UNDP/WS68768P/68 Our corresponding office in the (EU) European Union
will give details on how your funds would be remitted to you.

Do contact our payment office immediately with the informations below.

THIS FORM SHOULD BE FILED BY THE BENEFICIARY OF THE STATED FUND FOR
VERIFICATION BEFORE PROCESSING:

FULL NAME:...................................
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS:.........................
OCCUPATION:..................................
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:.....................
COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE:.
TEL NO:..
FAX:.........................................
EMAIL:.......................................
PIN NUMBER:................................
REFF NUMBER:.................................

Payment Officer:
CITY/ COUNTRY:

UNDP Office Fax:+4-48715033901
Office Tel:+4-4702 4070423
Email: collection.dpt@hotmail.com

Regards,
Ms. Joyce Anderson
(UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL).

Selling the Farm

I helped these people sell their family farm about 9 months ago after the passing of their father. It was smooth for me but I didn't have the emotional ties to the farm. My client not 78 years old grew up on the family farm.

We sold it and everything leveled out. Now I get a call from my former client. They want to sell the farm he currently lives on and move to be closer to his daughter in Montana. That is something many seniors do...they move to be closer to their children in the later years.

I meet with them and find they have already placed an offer on a home in Montana. They ask if I would review what they have done. I explain the licensing laws and obvious issues...but look over the paperwork and check the home values. It seemed to be in order the offer was no bargain but wasn't out of the market price range either.

Then I ask a more immediate question. When are you planning on moving? Oh next year around May 2009, my client responds. I was stunned....I have to ask, "Why are you buying now?" My client tells me the house looked nice and they liked the neighborhood. OK, "Why are you buying now?" They looked at me like I was hard of hearing ...they are 76 and 78!

So I explained what are you going to do with the home until next May? He says, "we are going to close it up and move in the spring, we have to sell this home before we move."

This is where explaining the current market is a delicate issue. All my clients can see is the Montana sky. Not all markets are the same. Montana is not the same market as Michigan. In Michigan waiting until the sprint to buy if you weren't moving until then might be a good thing. You might find the market to be a bit softer and offer more bargains. Montana may not have the same issues. The population isn't as dense, less movement and therefore less homes for sale on the market. Conversely, the spring may bring more homes like it does in any spring market and more selection and price points too.

I called a local broker to get a better feel for the market based on the city they are going to move too. My feelings were substantiated by the local broker. The consensus....wait to buy in the spring, why have an empty home you are paying taxes on, insurance that is higher because the property is vacant and maintenance issues that you may not be able to respond too.

Senior clients need a bit more time to absorb issues. They are just like other buyers...they act on emotions and impulse. The home by the way was a bi-level....wrong type of home for elderly people. Steps everywhere, today they can do them but in a year would they like the steps? I showed them ranch designs and they are very happy with their decision of waiting and the idea of a main floor laundry and master bedroom. They feel spoiled like they shouldn't have or deserve these features. That too passed with a little more conversation.

What do you think? Dealing with senior clients can be very rewarding and testing at the same time. You have to think in terms of mobility and function. When I spoke with the daughter she was in tears...she had not been able to get them to understand that waiting could be a good thing. My day was made complete...she still maintains contact with childhood friends here in Michigan. The want to sell and she called them and told the story of helping her parents. I received a call this morning to go list their home next week. You never know where your next referral is going to come from.

If you have a senior relative or friend in Michigan that needs help buying or selling and is not under contact with another agent give me a call. I will be happy to offer my services to meet their needs. It takes knowledge, understanding and patience to deal with seniors.

Call Toll Free 877-667-4699,
Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com
Website: www.FlexItRealty.com

You, your family member or friend are never pressured, and of course all communications are confidential. Call Today.

Sellers who have lovely homes in top condition are struggling to find the answers of how to sell. Many agents have never seen a market like this because there hasn't been one!

Yet we have seen similar markets and continued to sell homes when interest rates were 18-21%! So what changed?

Here is a market update of a different kind...it is more than numbers. It affects people's lives, dreams, hopes and aspirations.

First the facts:

The Grand Rapids market showed nearly 54% of the area homes sold in September were foreclosures. This was reported by the Grand Rapids Association of Realtors.

What's in the numbers? 728 homes including condominiums were sold in September in the Grand Rapids Area. The Grand Rapids Real Estate market covers the whole metropolitan area along with some of the outlying cities as well. So this means that 393 homes of the 728 sold were foreclosures. This also means the non-distressed property that isn't a short sale or foreclosure only accounted for 335 homes sold.

So what's in the numbers? A year ago the average home in the Grand Rapids Real Estate market sold for $147148 versus September of this year...$116,135.

The headline read in the Grand Rapids Press, " Prices down 21 percent from last year with only one home selling above $700,000!

So what's in the numbers for the average home owner? More than ever before choosing the right Realtor to sell your home is very clear. You have to be in one of the 335 homes sold! We have over 10,000 homes listed for sale in the Grand Rapids Real Estate Market.

Does the selling price affect home values? Of course...So it requires something that everyone knows but nobody but a few want to do, price your home competitively within your neighborhood and market.

Is that all it takes? NO! It takes a marketing plan that creates buyer interest to see your home. It takes a marketing plan that offers huge market and buyer exposure and it takes being priced right.

Here is the bottom line...the facts. Homes are selling, not as many and not for as high a price but nevertheless selling. Not a news flash but it is the market. Realtors don't set the selling price, Realtors don't control buyer offers...they work with them, skillfully negotiating a price that is acceptable to both parties. This never happens if you don't get the buyer exposure or offers.

So What can you do to make sure your home is one of the 335 homes that sold?

Six Things:
(1) Create Curb appeal....so your home is inviting to buyers when they drive by.
(2) Make sure your home is top condition to get top dollar!
(3) Make sure your home is ready to show.
(4) Make sure you are priced right.
(5) Choose your Real Estate Agent based on marketing skills that offer your home the market exposure it needs and you deserve. Not all agents are created equal or market homes in the same manner.
(6) Review your marketing efforts to see what is working to attract buyers and what isn't working. Make adjustments, keep buyers coming until you get offers.

This is a quick overview but you get the idea that in difficult times the answers to the questions change and so do the methods to get the desired results.

Remember when you sell for less than you expect you are going to be purchasing for less than you expected too! You'll have the home you want and need with the future to enjoy.

If you are thinking of selling or your homes real estate listing has expired, give us a call and see how your home can be one of the 335 homes sold. We offer marketing plans that work! Ask about our "30 Day Fast Track Marketing Plan"© 2008

Call Toll Free: 877-667-4699 or Local 616-784-2360 Email for a confidential review of your properties value Email: garywhite@FlexItRealty.com Visit our website for over 30 Free Reports that could save you thousands of dollars in your next real estate transaction. Reports for both buyers and sellers. www.FlexItRealty.com