...and some as low as $45,000!
Yep you read this correctly. As of yesterday, 6/26/09, there are over 300 homes listed for sale in San Diego for under $100,000. There are several homes listed under $50,000. Who would have thought that one of the most expensive markets in America would finally deflate and become affordable again to the masses. Check out all the homes for sale in San Diego at www.FreeHomeSearches.com.
Ready to jump into the San Diego market? Contact me before you do anything. There are alot of things you need to know about "Short Sales" and "Foreclosures". There is a definite strategy you need to follow in order to get your offer accepted. Most "distressed properties are receiving "mulitple offers" and you need an agent that knows the market and knows how to structure an offer in order to have the best chance of being accepted. Your offer needs to stand out against the other dozen buyers who are competing with you. Check out more about Armstrong & Associates at www.DwellSanDiego.com. Let's find you the "deal of the century". Let's find you a great first home or investment property!
Questions to ask your Realtor
Tip #1:
Don't just list your home with the first agent you meet at an Open House. Interview at least 3 agents to determine some very critical and important information about how that 
agent is going to perform. Ensure you write your questions down and tell each agent what your expectations are. How do you want to communicate? Email or phone calls? Make sure it's clear between you and the agent.
Lack of communication and poor follow-up is one of the biggest complaints I hear about other agents. Test your agent to see how fast they return emails and phone calls. Again, this goes back to your expectations from the agent. Let them know up front. I always give a weekly summary about showing activity and market changes every Monday and provide up to date important info throughout the week as needed. Hammer out all the details for the listing. Don't forget items like lock boxes, showing times, open houses and your ability to keep the house clean 24/7.
Tip #2:
Ask if your agent is a Realtor. There is a difference between a sales agent and someone who has earned the title of Realtor. Have them tell you the difference.
Tip #3:
Ask them how much experience they have representing sellers in this market. Some agents are strictly "buyer's agents". You want someone that is an experienced "listing agent". How many homes have they sold in your neighborhood?
Tip #4:
Ask them, "How are you going to sell my home and what is your marketing strategy?" Ask them to show you specific examples of their printed marketing materials, direct mail examples, flyers, etc... Most importantly, ask them about their internet marketing strategy. 87% or more buyers start and do almost all their research on the internet FIRST. If your agent does not have a great website, digital flyers, email blasts, virtual tours, Squidoo and a host of other technologies, then I would recommend moving on to someone who does. If you want to see how tech savvy your agent is and how well they understand the importance of the internet in marketing your home, just go to Google, Yahoo, or MSN, type in, "the agent's name + Real Estate" and see what comes up about them. This will provide you an idea on how well they market themselves and their listings on the internet. There a literally dozens of websites that "Your Home" should be posted on. If your agent is only relying on newspaper ads, open houses , yard signs and the MLS to sell your home, then move on to someone else. You have to do a lot more than the basics.
Tip #5:
Do your research on the value of your home. Not what you think its worth but rather, what the current market value is. I might "think" my house is worth a million dollars, but the real current market value is $825,000. Know the difference. Homes values are based on what a buyer TODAY would be willing to pay for a home similar to yours. I don't care what you paid for it 2 years ago. That fact is irrelevant. This is why you need to pay attention to the facts. The facts are current comparables that have SOLD near your home recently. (Within 3 months is best). No, Zillow is not that accurate with home values. Have the agent show you all the comparables to your home. These are homes that are very similar in size and condition to yours. Your agent should be able to adjust pricing and come within 2% to 5% of your home value. It's important to have an agent that is familiar with your neighborhood too. An overpriced home will NEVER sell. It's always better to price it right from the beginning. This brings me to my next tip.
Tip #6:
Don't let the agent buy the listing. This means don't go with the agent that tells you the highest list price. It's not always the best option. There are top agents out there that will continually take listings because they LIE to the sellers and quote or agree to an overpriced listing. You might be saying, "Well, the Top agent in my neighborhood says it's worth way more than what other agents are saying." Well, chances are, if I told you a higher list price, then I have the best chance of getting the listing. That's why they lie. The quickest way to see if an agent "buy their listings", just ask them to provide you statistics of ALL the previous homes they have SOLD in the last year. But here's the kicker, ask them to show you what the original list price was versus what it actually sold for. This will show you how many times they had to go to the sellers and ask for a price reduction. It's much easier to price it correctly from the beginning. Overpricing tends to get a lower price later.
Tip #7:
Ask for client referrals. If they are experienced agents, they should be providing you referrals from previous clients. Ask them to provide at least 3 previous clients that you could call and ask their opinion. I have dozens of referral clients that I provide to my prospective clients. They are also posted on my WEBSITE at www.DwellSanDiego.com.
Tip #8:
Will they be doing any open houses? Open Houses do not usually sell a home, but it does allow lots of buyers an opportunity to look through your home. I only prefer to do open houses on Sundays. I've found Saturdays not as productive. Don't equate your agent doing a lot of open houses as "marketing your home" for the reasons stated above. Many agents use open houses to gather new buyer/seller leads. Nothing wrong with that and it does allow people driving around a chance to check out your house. I've only sold a few homes lately from a direct result of an open house.
Tip #9:
What does the agent recommend to get your home ready for sale? You should love the agent that "does not hold back" and is honest with you about how to prepare your home for sale. They should be able to tell you directly that your pink walls and Grandma's yellow, lacy curtains from the 1920's have to go. They should have the know-how to stage a home or at least have someone they worked with previously that assists them with this. I provide before and after pictures of previous homes I've sold that show what a home should look like BEFORE I put it on the market. Most changes are simple and inexpensive. New paint, cleaning, de-cluttering and staging are some of the easiest things you can do to prepare the home. Curb appeal should also not be over looked. Clean your landscape up, mow the grass, put new sod down, pull weeds and paint as necessary. Add some color by planting blooming flowers. Create a good first impression. I've driven numerous buyers to homes that did not even want to go inside because the curb appeal was so bad.
Tip #10:
One of the most important issues for a seller is Commission. I never compromise on my commission. It is very expensive to market a home and I am worth every penny of my commission. I am a professional. I don't ask my professional doctor to reduce his fees or my attorney to reduce his fees, so why would you feel it's OK to ask a Realtor to reduce his? It all boils down to the age old adage, "You get what you pay for." You want to hire the most qualified, professional, honest and ethical agent you can. If he compromises on his commission, what do you think they are going to do when they are negotiating the price of your home?
Todd has been representing buyers and sellers in San Diego for the past 10 years. From multi-million dollar, elite properties to modest condos, Todd has negotiated his way to a highly successful real estate career. See more about Todd Armstrong & Associates at www.DwellSanDiego.com.
NO, they are not really stupid, they just need to do more research on their agent before they list their home.
Is it me or do you sometimes ask yourself why the "Top Agent" in your neighborhood has so many listings? I wanted to find out so I researched 3 of the top agents in my neighborhood of Mission Hills in San Diego California. When I say "Top Agents", I'm only basing that on the number of listings they have and the number of homes they sell in that neighborhood. Personally I do not consider them as Top Agents.
During the research I found the reason they have so many listings and sellers continue to list with them, THEY LIE TO THEIR SELLERS. If sellers were smarter and did more statistical research on these agents they will find some startling facts.
What lie are the telling? They lie about how much their home is really worth. They inflate the price so they get the listing. Why wouldn't a seller believe an agent whose name is everywhere and they have sold many homes in that neighborhood? Sellers will almost always pick the agent that tells them the highest list price. It's just a fact. What a waste of everyone's time and effort!
If the sellers would ask to see the agent's initial recommended list price versus what the home actually sold for, they would be shocked to see that the price had to be reduced several times in order to get the home sold. I see this as unethical and unfair to those of us that are honest about home values right from the start. I don't like smoke and mirrors, "opinions", and "hunches", etc... I base my pricing on facts, appraisals and CMA's. I know I have lost several listings over the years because I was honest to the sellers about pricing. Some sellers like honesty and can see through the other agent's charade.
One listing presentation I had was for a luxury condo over a million dollars. After we talked about the sour market and current pricing, he looked at me and said, "XYZ agent says he can get 1.3 million for my house and he sells a lot in this building". I turned to him and said, "I can tell you I can get 1.4 million for your place, but it just isn't going to happen." "My pricing is based on facts in the current down market. List your condo with XYZ agent and after your listing period expires, please call me to talk again."
Six months later, he called me back and I'm in process of listing his condo at the correct price even though it lost more value since he waited.
Sellers: PLEASE DO YOUR RESEARCH ON AGENTS BEFORE YOU LIST YOUR HOME! The Top Agent or #1 Agent does not always mean Top Service. Pick the agent that is honest with you and has a proven track record. See more about Todd Armstrong & Associates at www.DwellSanDiego.com
By Bernice Ross, Monday, February 23, 2009.
(This is Part 2 of a two-part series. See Part 1.)
Where should you concentrate your marketing efforts in 2009? What strategies work with today's consumers and which ones should be discarded? The NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers for 2008 provides some important clues that you cannot afford to ignore.
1. Increase your online advertising budget
If you're throwing your money into newspaper advertising, magazines or buying guides, you may want to shift some of those print advertising dollars to online advertising. According to the survey, only 1 percent of consumers found their agent through the newspaper, Yellow Pages, direct mail, or specialty advertising such as calendars and magnets. Furthermore, the number of people finding their homes through a newspaper, a home book or magazine, or directly through the sellers declined by 50 percent. Part of this is due to how people begin their real estate search. Eleven times more buyers now begin their search process on the Internet (33 percent) than they do in print (3 percent).
2. Fewer buyers use real estate agents to locate their homes
In 2001, 48 percent of all buyers found the home they purchased through a real estate agent, compared with 38 percent in 2008. During the same period, the number of buyers finding their home online rose from 8 percent to 32 percent. Nevertheless, the number of people who found their homes through other traditional approaches has remained stable since 2001. Fifteen percent of all buyers found the home they purchased from a yard sign or an open house sign. Another 7 percent to 8 percent located their home through a friend, relative or neighbor. Bottom line: Put your advertising dollars into Web marketing while continuing to market your listings using yard signs, open house, circle prospecting and referral strategies.
3. Internet usage trends
According to the survey, "Eighty-seven percent of home buyers used the Internet to search for homes, up from 71 percent five years ago. Not only has the trend in overall usage risen, but the percent of buyers using the Internet frequently increased from 42 percent in 2003 to 69 percent in 2008." Even though buyers actively search for homes on the Internet, a whopping 77 percent then drove by or viewed the home in person.
4. Value of Web site features
Buyers overwhelmingly cited that photos (86 percent) coupled with detailed information (84 percent) and virtual tours (68 percent) were the most useful Web site features to them. Two studies conducted by Point2Agent in 2007 and 2008 showed that having 16 photos (as opposed to 15 photos), resulted in 33 percent more page views. Based upon the Point2Agent study, the optimum number of photos for lead conversion is a minimum of 20.
5. Your local MLS Web site trumps all competitors
While social networking can help you build your online reputation, the best place to display your listings for maximum exposure is still your local MLS Web site. Only 1 percent of all buyers surveyed used Facebook, MySpace, YouTube or other social networking sites to locate properties. In contrast, 60 percent used the local MLS Web site, compared with 48 percent using Realtor.com. Individual agent Web sites (43 percent) garnered nearly as much traffic as brokerage sites (46 percent). To reach the greatest number of potential buyers, market your listings in all of these venues.
6. Disintermediation is dead
A few years ago, Web marketers proclaimed that the Web would eliminate the need for real estate agents (disintermediation). The exact opposite has occurred. In 2001, 69 percent of all buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker. In 2008, that number was 81 percent.
7. Foreclosure sales represent only a small fraction of all transactions
Despite the nonstop press about foreclosures and short sales being the only types of transactions currently closing, only 3 percent of purchasers acquired their homes through a foreclosure or trustee sale. Nevertheless, that's still triple the 1 percent number from 2001 through 2007.
8. What buyers want most from real estate agents
A large proportion of the industry was worried that the buying public would have no need for agents once they had access to MLS information. Surprisingly, 48 percent of all buyers indicated that their top reason for working with an agent was to find the right home to purchase. In terms of what buyers perceived as being beneficial, the top three items were helping the buyer understand the purchase process, pointing out unnoticed faults or features, and negotiating better terms. The characteristics they found most valuable in their agent were honesty and integrity (97 percent), knowledge of the purchase process (94 percent), responsiveness (93 percent), knowledge of the real estate market (92 percent), and communication and negotiation skills (83 percent). Technology skills were considered to be "very important" by only 37 percent of the respondents.
9. The saddest finding of all
A whopping 70 percent of all buyers said that they would "definitely recommend" their agent to other buyers, and another 18 percent said that they would "probably recommend" their agent. Sadly, only 11 percent of all buyers said that they used the previous agent to buy or sell a home, while 43 percent relied on a referral from a friend, neighbor or relative. This finding underlines the importance of staying in contact with past clients, especially for both repeat and referral business.
Bernice Ross, CEO of RealEstateCoach.com, is a national speaker, trainer and author of "Real Estate Dough: Your Recipe for Real Estate Success" and other books. You can reach her at Bernice@RealEstateCoach.com.
Who pays for what?
The Seller generally pays for...
The Buyers generally pays for...
I specialize in representing Sellers and marketing San Diego homes for sale. Additionally, My team of buyers agents will assist you in finding you that perfect home.
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What's the difference with Armstrong and Associates?
We bring years of experience, effective marketing and proven results to sell your home and help our buyers find the perfect dream home!
A highly successful 22 plus year Navy veteran, Todd started his real estate career over 10 years ago where he immediately found success representing high-end residential clients in Rancho Santa Fe. His superb negotiating skills with multi-million dollar, elite properties set himself apart from his peers. He then started his own Real Estate Company and quickly rose to the Top Producer nd Number One agent in that company both in the numbr of units sold and total sales. His extreme deication to his clients, superb negotiating skills and proven marketing plan has been the key to his success. Click HERE to contact Todd. Check out my state-of-the-art website at www.DwellSanDiego.com "My Team of Professionals are ready to help you navigate through all areas of the complicated real estate transaction including Title, Escrow Services, Financing, Appraisals and more."
My Philosophy
"Armstrong & Associates was formed because I wanted to be surrounded by like-minded, goal oriented, successful professionals who also make this business FUN. I really enjoy working with all aspects of this business and it is truly one of my greatest passions." I specialize and live in Mission Hills, but also work the markets in Hillcrest, North Park, Downtown and University Heights as well as the high-end residential market of Rancho Santa Fe, Del Mar, La Jolla and the rest of San Diego County. I am also active in the community working closely with community leaders by contributing to the plight of the many homeless youth in San Diego."
Effective Marketing Gets Results!
Real results in real estate have one thing in common, effective and dynamic marketing! My aggresive marketing plan utilizing cutting edge technology, print ads and a saturated internet presence that is unmatched in the industry. Don't believe me, Google "Todd Armstrong real estate" then google my competition. See more about my marketing HERE!
Military Relocation
"One of our key areas of expertise is Military Relocation. After serving over 22 years in the US Navy, I know the in's and out's of a stressful Military move and transfer to a new duty assignment. I have served overseas, aboard ships and at shore commands throughout my career. I have helped dozens of Navy and Marine Corps families realize the American dream of home ownership. My team is well versed in all areas special financing options available to Military members. Give me a call and I'd be happy to help you out."
High-End Residential Homes
Marketing a luxury home is completely different from your average home. You need an agent experienced in handling complicated transactions, the "art" of negotiating and the proper marketing plan.I have had extensive experience working the market of one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the United States, Rancho Santa Fe. I started my career working at Fairbanks Ranch Realty; one of the first real estate offices established in "The Ranch". Additionally, I have represented several luxury buyers and sellers in my own neighborhood of Mission Hills. I offer "honest" assessments of property values. I give you facts backed up by data, not fluff and speculation.
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