Sarah & John Rummage

Unrealistic expectations in buying and selling real estate can sabotage results. If you intend to buy or sell real estate in six months or sooner the following information needs to be considered.

• You should price the real estate you are selling according to market conditions and the condition of your property.

If you are buying you should be willing to pay a fair price for the best choice of a home that fits your needs and expectations concerning quality and condition.

• Be clear on what you are trying to accomplish. This is particularly difficult for first-time-home buyers and sellers. You need to know where you want to buy, the minimum size and amenities that you need, the price you need to pay so that paying the mortgage will not change your present life style and unduly burden you financially. You also need to consider the distance required to travel to work, school, daycare, recreation and shopping.

When pricing your home to sell, you need to consider condition, competition and economic conditions in your area.

• You also need to be prepared to act decisively. There are more buyers than you out in the marketplace wanting to buy property. The best homes (location, condition and price) will always be bought first and quickly. First-time-home buyers are sometimes competing with buyers who have experience buying property. Experienced homebuyers know the rules and market place conditions, which gives them the advantage. The only way a first-time-home buyer can level the playing field is by having an experienced Realtor® who has your interest at heart and listening to and taking the advice they give you.

• Correct price for the local market is essential. You should not believe everything you read from ‘real estate experts' who do not live in your area. While national asking/selling price averages might seem useful, they are generally divorced from the reality of a local market. Real estate web sites do not guarantee or promise that information they present is accurate or up-to-date. MLS information is the only accurate way to judge price, condition or location. Generally prices vary across a market place and can vary street to street.

John in Nashville

Someone invited me to a lecture today at a nearby university. I went, but I wasn't sure in which of the many buildings on the campus the lecture would be. As it turned out, I parked across the campus from the location, but it was a beautiful day and the little walk was good for me.

When I found the location, there were lots of students and visitors in the stadium lecture hall. The lecture was semi-political in nature, and I was SO impressed at the polite attention the students paid and their courtesy to the speaker. Wow! I am not so sure that in my day, the students would have been this respectful. Made my day! What an upbeat experience.

Sometimes it is good to go somewhere and get totally away from real estate and have an experience that give you hope that some of the world is going in the right direction.

Now I am ready to go list a house tomorrow!

Sarah in Nashville

Human nature is that we want to KNOW. We want to read, research, dig out the facts on things that concern us and are of interest to us.

For instance, if a buyer wants to buy a home and they see statistics that homes in their town sold, on the average, for 20% less this year that the same period last year, does that mean that the seller of the home they want to buy will take 20% less than list price? It's possible, but probably not....especially if the home is in a popular area of town and is in good condition.

Keep up with information, but don't think that it applies to every real estate situation. The seller may not be desperate, even these days. If buyers want a property, they may just have to pay close to list price, especially if the list price is competitive. Buyers can offer the discounted price, but it is up to the seller to agree to sell. It is not a given that this particular property will fit into the statistics.

Sarah in Nashville

In the Nashville, Middle Tennessee area.

I visited a new home site last weekend, and the on site sales person was very friendly and eager to 'make a deal' with our buyer. She hinted that our buyer might be able to get concessions, like a fence built, a refrigerator for the kitchen, etc., and she said that the prices on the homes are negotiable.

I asked her if management was being flexible because the end of the third quarter comes up on September 30, and she said 'yes.' Builders will close out their books for the quarter and would like to lower their inventory by having as many properties as possible be under contract.

If you are looking for a new home, we can move quickly in the next two days to pick a home and write a contract by the 30th. It is possible! Email me if you would like to find out what is available and if we can make the deadline.

And you should meet the deadline to close by November 30, 2009, and get the $8,000 rebate if you a first time homebuyer!

I had heard about Magic Jack on TV and from other Realtors. This is the little connector that attaches to your computer, and you attach your phone to Magic Jack. And you get really cheap phone and long distance service. I had heard raves about it.

Yesterday I went to Radio Shack and purchased one and the salesman said he also has one which he loves. So simple to install he said.

I plugged it into my computer and nothing. I clicked on the 'chat with me now' button and spent at least 2 hours trying all the solutions 3 customer service people suggested. Nothing.

This morning I searched online for a solution. Now, I am very careful to believe what I read online, especially when it involves serious changes in my computer registry. I read, but I am very careful to leap.

But I happened upon a solution which I thought I pass along that worked for me. PLEASE USE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I REPEAT. IT WORKED FOR ME. BUT YOU BE CAREFUL!

I clicked on START>SETTINGS>CONTROL PANEL>SYSTEM>HARDWARE>DEVICE MANAGER>DVD/CD ROM DRIVES. There I saw a device called Tiger Jet and clicked on it. Hurray! The Magic Jack started up and loaded.

Sometimes a little luck is the best plan of all!

Sarah in Nashville
Don't count on me for tech service--I just got lucky this time--but you can count on me for excellent customer service in real estate.