Andy Werner, Jr Gaithersburg, MD, Real Estate

A quick search online will provide you with numerous “Pros and Cons” lists for hiring a Realtor to sell your home. I’m not attempting to reinvent the wheel with this blog post, the arguments for and against REALTORs are pretty much the same as they’ve always been. What I’ve addressed below is how Andy Werner & Associates responds to some of the most common reasons that sellers want to be FSBOs.

You want to save money.

As REALTORS, we are constantly fighting against the misconception that all we are all mustache twirling villains hoping to sell your home at a rock bottom price so that we can make a hasty getaway with our commission check. For our Team, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Approximately 80% of our transactions are referrals from past clients, friends and colleagues. Not many REALTORs can say that! We are able to maintain this high number because we consistently sell our clients homes for top dollar.

We know that in this economy every dollar counts and we understand the belief that selling your home yourself will amount to massive savings. This option works for some experienced sellers but what is your time worth? Prior to listing your own home you should ask yourself the following questions,

- Where will you advertise? Online? Sure, but what websites provide the most exposure? As a FSBO, your home will not be listed in the MLS which means it will not appear in internet searches for many buyers. In addition to listing your home in the MLS, Andy Werner & Associates will post your home on dozens of other websites, send print mailings announcing your listing and provide you with a dedicated website and 24 hour 800# just for your home!

- How will you qualify buyers? Are you prepared to follow up with potential buyer’s lender to see if they are qualified? Are you sure your home qualified for that buyer’s specific loan program? If a purchaser is not properly qualified up front, settlement delays or loss of the contract could cost you thousands in additional mortgage payments as you search for another buyer. Prior to bringing you a contract we will check with the buyer’s lender and make sure that the loan application process is well underway and that the loan officer has verified the information provided by the purchaser. There are many things in a Real Estate transaction that cannot be predicted but due diligence early on will save time and money later.

- Are you familiar with the sales contract and closing process? Do you know what you are required to disclose about your property? You might not think it's a big deal that a small amount of water comes under your back door during torrential rain but you'd be wrong not to tell potential purchasers about it! The average sales contract for a home in Montgomery County MD exceeds 50 pages. That is 50 pages of instructions, conditions and consequences. We live in a litigious world and mistakes such as delaying an escrow deposit or failure to respond promptly to a buyer’s home inspection addenda can be disastrous and cost a seller thousands of dollars.

No one knows your home like you do.

Absolutely, but no one knows your local Real Estate market like we do. Most homes need some degree of sprucing up prior to going on the market. Should you paint and replace the carpet? Maybe you just need someone else to explain to your spouse that their ventriloquist dummy might freak people out, or that the living room would look larger if their clown figurine collection was in storage – our Accredited Home Staging Professionals can do that! It can be difficult to price your own home because you have an emotional and financial attachment that is nearly impossible to completely set aside. As Real Estate Professionals we know how your home stacks up against the competition in your area. Andy Werner & Associates has over 70 years of combined Real Estate experience in Montgomery County and the surrounding areas. It’s our job to know that the house down the street doesn’t have an addition but that they do have updated bathrooms, hardwood floors and a first floor master bedroom. We bring you the information you need to make the right choices for your transaction. This brings us to…

You want to be in complete control of your transaction.

Our sellers are always in control. We act on your behalf and in your best interest alone. Nothing happens without your say-so. PERIOD.

If you are considering selling your own home, call us today for a no obligation in home consultation. We’d like to opportunity to discuss your goals and address any concerns you may have about hiring us as your REALTORs. We’re not interested in convincing you of the merits of hiring ANY Real Estate Agent. Our interest is in showing how our Team can meet your specific needs. Our clients resoundingly agree that hiring Andy Werner & Associates was money well spent!

If you don’t spend much time North of Rockville or Wheaton you may have forgotten Montgomery County’s rich agricultural history. Might I suggest you refresh your memory by attending this year’s Montgomery County Agricultural Fair? The Fair began in the 1940s as an opportunity for 4-H members to showcase their labors to the community. You can brush up on your Fair history HERE. Today, agriculture remains the foremost theme of the Fair but over the years there have been a few additions. Here’s a sampling of what you can expect this year:

4-H Livestock Shows and Demonstrations

Monster Truck Show

Demolition Derby

Bunny Burkett Funny Car Racing Team

Hermit Crab Races (always a nail-biter)

Cheese Carving Contest

40+ Carnival Rides

Arts & Crafts

All Your Favorite Fair Foods including Italian Sausage, Kettle Corn, Deep Fried Oreos and Funnel Cakes!

And so much more!

Full List Available HERE

The Montgomery County Agricultural Fair runs from August 12^th to the 20^th. General admission tickets are $10 and children 11 and under are free. More information, including discount tickets and special event prices are available HERE. I hope to see you there!

This neighborhood consists of approximately 300 single family homes built in the 1970s. It located just a few minutes from the Kentlands and I-270 but it feels very secluded. The main entrance to the neighborhood is located alongside Diamond Farms Park which features a playground, basketball courts, tennis courts and a skate spot. The resident’s pride of ownership really shows – lawns are beautifully manicured and the homes are well maintained. It’s everything an established subdivision should be.

Before you accuse me of over-selling this neighborhood I have a confession - I have been a West Riding resident since 1996. Initially, I moved to West Riding because I liked the location and the style of homes. I’ve stayed in West Riding because I love the community. We have an active but not intrusive Citizens Association that sponsors our newsletter, Neighborhood Watch Program , Moms Club, concerts and other social events. The organization dues are extremely reasonable at just $10 per year. You’ll find more information about The West Riding Citizens Association on their website, http://www.westriding.org/ You can also read the opinions of other West Riding residents in this article from the Gazette.

I’ve been a Gaithersburg Real Estate Agent for 23 years and a West Riding resident for 15 years. During that time I’ve noticed something about West Riding – the homeowners that live here rarely move! You’d be surprised how many original owners are still in the neighborhood. In the last 12 months only four West Riding homes have been listed and sold in the MLS. These listings averaged just 22 days on the market before receiving a contract. The average sales price is $452,407. Inventory is very low and there are only two active listings as of 07/09/2011.

While this is great news for sellers in West Riding, what does it mean for buyers? If you see a For Sale sign go up in West Riding, contact a Realtor (preferably me!) right away to schedule a showing. Better yet, call me to be placed on my West Riding Buyer List so that you’ll receive an update the instant a home goes on the market. Despite what is going on elsewhere in the Gaithersburg Real Estate market, listings in West Riding won’t last long!

Team Member Spotlight- Tina Grohowski

Tina was the first Salesperson to join my Team and I consider myself very lucky to work with her on daily basis. She is intelligent, organized, and dependable. Most of all, she genuinely cares about her client's satisfaction. It's been a pleasure to watch Tina build her career over the last 11 years and I'm proud to have her as member of Andy Werner & Associates. In this Team Member Spotlight, Tina explains in her own words how she began her Real Estate Career and gives advice to buyers and sellers in 2011.

Why did you choose to become a Realtor and how did you get your start?

It was 1999 and I had just finished a year of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with Melanoma and was re-entering the job market looking for a new profession. I earned a Bachelors degree in Business Marketing in 1990 and had an 8 year background in retail management as Store Manager at Victoria's Secret. I wanted to find a way to marry my people and time management skills with my degree from The George Washington University. My cousin referred me to her RE/MAX Sales Consultant and mutual friend who happened to be looking to hire an Assistant to help with his and another fellow RE/MAX Agent's businesses. Agent, Ruth McArdle was preparing for retirement and wanted to find someone to help organize her business so it could be sold to another Agent seamlessly, with her systems in place, while maintaining a very healthy stream of business. Suffice to say, I had a lot to learn in a short amount of time; I caught on quickly. After a year of processing transactions for Ruth McArdle and Doug Lewis, handling all of their marketing needs, etc...I got a crash course in Real Estate 101; I knew this was the career path for me!
Ruth's hope was to have an experienced female REALTOR® step in and take over to help her future clientele. I possessed the desire to be this person but didn't have the experience necessary to take over the successful business she had built over the years. Long story short, Ruth McArdle eventually sold her thriving business to my current Team Leader and mentor, Andy Werner. However, I was written into the contract and was appointed the woman that was to help the clientele that was generated from Ruth's sphere of influence. I received my Maryland Real Estate License in 2000 and joined Andy Werner & Associates and have never looked back. By and far, it was the best career choice I have ever made.

Prior to becoming a Realtor, did you have a career that provided you with any unique experience or skills that you apply to your current profession?

As a Retail Sales Manager, I had grown accustomed to a non-traditional work schedule. I was already used to working odd hours, nights, weekends and holidays. In order to be truly successful Sales Consultant, you have to be flexible and willing to work when your clientele is available. If I had a normal 9-5 job coming into this profession, I think it would have been very difficult for me to acclimate myself to what amounts to a somewhat hectic and sometimes unpredictable work schedule. I feel like I had a head start in terms of preparedness for what it takes to be a successful real estate professional.

Is there anything about being a Realtor that has surprised you?

Yes, that more people don't know how rewarding a career as a REALTOR® can be. "I want to be a REALTOR ® when I grow up", is not often something you often, if ever, hear. It is our best kept secret so shhhhh, don't tell anyone!

What sets RE/MAX apart from other Real Estate brokerages?

Entrepreneurial- Excellence - Experience. Since RE/MAX agents have a desk fee and owe money at the beginning of every month whether they sell something or not, it takes an exceptional person with a strong business ethic and motivation for success to take on that kind of risk. Most Agents do not begin their career at RE/MAX; they aspire to be a RE/MAX agent as they are building their business to be big and strong enough to join the ranks of the RE/MAX professionals.

In what areas do you specialize?

As a Montgomery County native, most of my experience is there. I grew up down county in Silver Spring, lived in Washington, DC for 11 years and now reside up-county in Germantown for 12 years so I can honestly say I'm an expert in the entire County as a whole. Due to rapid increase in sales prices in the early 2000's, many of my clients looked to move further north into Frederick County because it was more affordable so I have become very familiar with the neighborhoods there as well. I am now licensed in Virginia so I will be venturing across the river to represent buyers and sellers over there as well.

Do you think there are unique challenges to buying and selling Real Estate in your market area?

We live in a unique, diverse and rapidly changing environment which in great in some respects and challenging in others. Montgomery County is a very litigious so it is a constant battle to keep up with all the changes in legislation and rules that pertain to selling real estate. This is wonderful in that our elected representatives pay due diligence to their constituents by insuring that their rights are protected. However, by doing so it means that the real estate environment and the rules that we need too .Thankfully, I am associated with a Brokerage firm, RE/MAX Realty Group, who is committed to staying on top of this ever changing environment and helps to provide the education and tools necessary to insure that their Agents remain on the cutting edge of the marketplace.

What advice do you have for buyers and sellers in 2011?

Stop relying on the news, your co-workers, friends and family for answers to your real estate related questions. Instead, talk to a licensed REALTOR® for your real estate needs. There are too many people who believe they are experts in real estate but are not licensed to sell. Plus, the media often reports only the negative aspects of the market place and in many instances they are reporting statistics from other parts of the county which do not necessarily apply to what is happening in our market. Pick up the phone and call or email and experienced RE/MAX Sales Consultant, preferably me!

You can contact Tina at grohow@mindspring.com