Valerie's Belfair WA Real Estate Blog

When IS the right time to sell your home?

I receive a lot of calls with this and other questions this time of year.  

• When is the right season to sell?
• Should I wait til spring to put my home on the market?
• Should I take it off the market during the holidays? 
• Will the market change? 
• Isn't it better to sell in the spring and summer? 

So when IS the right time to sell your home?  

The right time to sell your home, is WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR YOU!!

First - there is no wrong or right time to sell seasonal wise.  The question and the answer falls with

  "when is the time right for YOU?" 

 Second- if you want to sell your home, it needs to be actively marketed. It Needs to be seen to be sold!

That's when its the right time to sell - when its right for YOU and your personal and financial goals. 

And how do I find that answer?

Get the FACTS and information on your local real estate market from a real estate professional.

Get a comparative market analysis on your home specifically from a professional local real estate professional.  A local real estate professional is going to know specifically what is going on in your market, which may be totally different in a neighboring market!  All real estate is local!

Discuss your goals with a professional real estate professional. Determine whether it is the right time for you to sell. For some, it very well may not be the right time. It is and should be a personal choice and decision after reviewing all of the facts of the market and your goals.

If you are waiting for the market to change - be careful! Especially if you are considering moving up, downsizing or relocating.  When homes for sale prices increase, it is going to decrease your purchasing power on the buying end.Typically you will be able to buy MORE home in this type of a market. 

During the holiday season and the fall and winter months, we tend to see the homes for sale inventory reduce considerably.  this means that there are fewer comparable homes for sale that you are competing against!

With the real estate market being as competitive as it is, wouldn't you rather have LESS competition in the sale of your home?  The fall/winter and holiday period offers LESS COMPETITION!  

Are there fewer buyers out there this time of year? It may seem that there are fewer buyers out looking at homes during this time of year and there very well may be. THERE ARE BUYERS OUT PURCHASING YEAR ROUND,  BUT what we typically see during this time of year is a more serious buyer and not so  many "lookie lou's, dreamers, or what ifs."  

It is a fairly serious buyer that is out looking at homes in the cold, wind, rain, possibly snow.  They also see your home at its worst (which is not necessarily a bad thing); this can take allot of questions out of the buyers mind as to how the home will "fair" during rain, wind, snow and so on.  A home can still have good curb appeal especially during the Christmas season when the decorations bring a warm, cozy and inviting feeling to the homes. 

With fewer homes on the market during the fall/winter/holiday seasons, the buyers have fewer choices which brings more attention to your home. You could very well miss YOUR BUYER and delay a sale by waiting for a "season to sell" rather than selling when the time is right for you.

Have questions? Give me a call.  I offer a FREE, NO OBLIGATION comparative market analysis for your property/home.  I would love to provide you factual information re the current real estate market for the Hood Canal, Belfair, Allyn and surrounding areas to help you determine your goals and help answer "when is the right time for you to sell your home."

And remember - My success is YOUR success.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM MY HOME TO YOURS!  

I am not a mind reader. Are you? 

How many people do you know that are mind readers?  That's my question of the day or week or whatever....

Why?   Well because this past month has been the same situation with a few sellers... we all know it is definetely a tough real estate market out there, but you can be successful if you take the "trying to mind read" part out of it.

 Here's the scenario:

A seller receives an offer- it, of course is a "low ball" offer that turns the sellers face red with furry, makes fire come from their eyes,head spin, feet stomp, teeth grit, incoherent language I can't understand as he/she then says to me :

 "I will NOT respond to this ridiculous, how dare you @#$%^&*(&*(!   offer!!!!!!!    Double emphasis - double emphasis - Fists clenched ready to kill me seller.....!!!!!!!"

I know I've got my work cut out for me.  

Breathe Valerie - remain calm - let's talk him through this.....Help him take the emotion out of what is obviously going to be a negotiation process...  (oh and by the way, I LOVE a good solid negotiation process).... 

"Mr./Mrs. Seller," I calmly respond, "I fully understand your furry and fire, but let's respond with what you feel IS acceptable. I am pretty sure neither one of us is a mind reader; come to think of it, the buyer is not either, so let's respond in a professional manner with a price that is acceptable to you, as well as give the buyers the facts of how your price was obtained."  

Mr./Mrs. Seller stomps his feet with:"I absolutely refuse to respond to that no-good,no life, $%^&* son of a gun buyer - who thinks he's going to "steal my house....!!!!"

"Mr./Mrs. Seller," I calmly respond, "I can appreciate your anger and again, I fully understand your fury and fire, but lets send this buyer a counteroffer with what is acceptable to you."

Mr./Mrs. Seller say "NO ! This person is not serious and just wants my house for nothing. They can come up to my price or just go away."

"Puuurrfectt Mr./Mrs. Seller. How about you TELL the buyer that with a COUNTEROFFER in WRITING; unless you or the buyer are one of those mind reader people - how is the buyer going to know exactly what is acceptable?  If you don't ask the buyer to come up to your price, well, you will never know what he would say."       

After another few minutes of mumbling and grumbling, the seller agrees albeit reluctantly.

"Well Okay, but I shouldn't even respond.....@#$%^&*()," 

 I stand with pen in hand poised for his autograph on the counteroffer...and reiterate -  "Let's not rely on trying to 'mind read' the buyer and possibly lose a good solid honest to goodness approved Buyer."

After presenting the facts of comparable properties for the sellers neighborhood and home, along with the sellers' counteroffer, the buyer and seller have come to a mutual agreement.

 Thank goodness I gave up mind reading a long long time ago. You never know where something will end up or go if you don't ask or tell.  None of us are mind readers!

Take the mind reading out of the picture and you too can be successful. Utilize the knowledge and experience of a professional real estate broker.  

Selling a Home in the Allyn, Belfair, Hood Canal & Grapeview, WA Area

 Successfully Marketing Your Home Online

Selling a home is always an important task that has a lot of risks and rewards involved with it.

With more than 89% of home buyers using the internet to do research and look at homes, the online marketing of homes for sale in Allyn, Belfair, Hood Canal & Grapeview, WA Area is critical.

In this article we will look at the 3 most important factors in online marketing of real estate and how they can be used to better market your property and get more people to contact your agent and then physically see your home.

According to the National Association of Realtors 2010 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the 3 most important features of a real estate website for buyers are:

1.      Photos of your home

2.      Detailed information of your home

3.      A Virtual Tour of your home

The key to successfully marketing your home online is to get potential buyers off the computer and into your home is using proven strategies of online marketing that are so often missing in real estate!

The first goal is to get buyers to contact your agent about your home; the second goal is to get buyers to contact your agent period so that the agent can schedule a showing of your home with the buyer.

Marketing Your Home to attract buyers

1.      Make sure that good pictures of your home are taken so that when buyers see your home online, that the pictures show your home to its’ fullest potential. Tips for this include to make sure that there is good outside lighting and that interior lights are turned on, that everything is picked up so that there is no clutter in the kitchen, bathrooms, living room, etc. and that multiple pictures are taken of every room so that the best of each can be selected for the marketing of your home.

2.      Be sure that all the details of your home are given to your Realtor and that they use this in their marketing. More and more, buyers want information and data, and making sure your Realtor and buyers have all the information and data for your home is critical.

3.      Bring both the great photos and information about your home alive by having a virtual tour created that lets buyers get a sense of your home in a way that is impossible except to actually be there themselves.

A serious flaw that most Realtors make when creating a virtual tour is including music with it!

Many people look at homes while at work or while doing other things, and having unwanted music blasting over their computer while they are just trying to look at the photos and information of your home is a great  way to lose them immediately the one time they will see your home’s photos and information! Do not risk getting the dreaded back button clicked or the internet browser closed all together during the best opportunity you have for showing off your home to potential buyers.

Get on the Buyers Short List….or at least get them to contact your agent!

Buyers will look at hundreds of homes online and it is impossible for them to see every one of them, even ones that might be exactly what they are looking for. By the time even a short number of homes have been viewed, it is easy for buyers to miss the fact that your home is one they should schedule a viewing with to see!

This is where using the principals of online marketing can help sell your home.

By offering buyers more information they likely want, your agent can get buyers to contact them and then schedule a showing with the buyer for your home. If the buyer never contacts your agent in the first place, then it is impossible for your agent to even attempt to schedule a showing of your property with potentially the perfect buyers!

This is why offers of other important information should always be made in the Virtual Tour and the other online marketing tools your Realtor uses.

Imagine a typical case of buyers looking at homes online in Allyn, Belfair, Hood Canal & Grapeview, WA Area.

Having looked at 25 other homes for sale in Allyn, Belfair, Hood Canal & Grapeview, WA Area, a buyer sees your home online, but is tired from seeing so many homes and quickly glances at a few pictures and almost instinctively clicks the ‘next’ button. Does this sound familiar?!

A way to get the buyer to stop and make contact with your agent is to make a number of offers for other information that will then allow your agent to schedule a showing of your property with the buyer.

Offers such as a list of homes for sale that meet their profile in Allyn, Belfair, Hood Canal & Grapeview, WA Area, a free list of foreclosed homes for sale (buyers in all price points love deals and do not realize the issues with buying foreclosures and most quickly give up the notion and buy listed homes for resale), a home market analysis (most people selling are doing so to buy another!) and so on.

By combining good photos of your home with all the information about it and creating a virtual tour and then putting that virtual tour all over the internet via the MLS and other online marketing channels available to Realtors combined with additional offers prompting buyers to contact your agent, the process of selling your home can be made easier and faster than otherwise possible.

And since so few real estate professionals market homes this way, you will be at an advantage over all the other sellers currently in the market trying to sell their homes!

It truly pays off to strategize and come up with a plan to "get a head" of the competition when selling a

home. How do you get ahead of the competition?  Getting your home ready to sell and marketing it at the right price right from the beginning. 

I recently met with meticulous sellers in the Belfair area who had the desire to "move up" as well getting closer to the big city to cut down on commuting time as the kids are getting older and more time seems to be spent on the road... 

The market they were going to be moving too was considerably higher priced than where their current home is located in Belfair; so there was some real wants, needs and expectations along with some serious number crunching.

 When I sat with them to go over their goals,expectations and desires to accomplish selling their home in the Belfair Real Estate market - I listened hard and I have to say that  I educated "hard."

Because I work every day in the Belfair real estate area, I know the market and the numbers and what was going on with homes sales here;  Even though my magic crystal ball cannot do it all - it does not need to if we use the facts that are there in black and white and provide an exemplary pricing strategy and education for homeowners wanting to sell.

These sellers had a great product to put on the market but if they were not careful it could easily be priced in a range where it would just sit and sit and sit in competition with the other similiary beautiful Belfair homes for sale that were just sitting- with an occasional sale here and there but no urge for a buyer to see the solid value in the price of the home and make an offer.

Back and forth and back and forth we went over pricing. With the hard facts of yep another 20k and you just lost 50% of your buyers and about 5 more months in the market. Is it worth it?

 Time is money and money builds with time.  Your rate of return is going doooowwwnnnn with each day the longer you are on the market if your homes values are not increasing.

Why not price it right from the beginning, GET AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION in your pricing strategy, and get it done!  Don't waste TIME which means MONEY. 

It worked.

Six days we received a full price offer and in two more cleared the inspection; The sellers are now moving on to their ultimate goal of moving up and closer...

A seller needs to know that his decision to allow me to market his home for sale and the price he wants me to market it at, directly affects my business and my business decisions as well.

It is not an easy task for me to come to you and tell you that your home is worth less than it was 2 or 3 years ago, but if we are going to give you factual information and in order to do my job correctly, it is necessary that you hear and see the facts. Don't just take my word for it - LOOK at and REVIEW the information I provide you, ask me questions, pick my brain. This is what I do for a living.

I put myself out there and am spending money and time on your home when I decide to market your home. My costs for marketing your home are paid up front by me before your home is even sold. I have already spent many hours without pay in your home educating you, informing you, showing you the statistics. I would not be making a wise business decision if I were spending money that is not going to bring results.

I am an objective professional in your local real estate market.

Don't be chasing the market down by just "trying" a price. Your home has to be seen to be sold and in order for it to be seen, it needs to be priced correctly which will target the correct buyer.  If you start off "chasing the market", and then lowering your price, you will never catch up and will have wasted time, energy, and a lot of extra emotion with a lesser rate of return than in if you had priced it accordingly from the beginning.

Remember MY SUCCESS is based on YOUR SUCCESS; I am not successful and do not make any money unless I am able to position your home correctly in the market to get you the highest return possible in the least amount of time for the CURRENT MARKET - Not 2005's market, not 2006, 7 or 8 - but for TODAYS current market.

Everyone's situation is uniquely individual just as the real estate markets are uniquely individual. Maybe now is a good time for you to sell and - maybe not...

Call me - let's discuss your options and decide whether now is the right time for you.   I build relationships for life.

~~Valerie~~

"Homes are where memories are made and people live..."  A house is not a home until people come. People come first...

If you would like more information regarding buying and selling homes, the $8000 1st time home buyer tax credit, or other real estate issues, drop me a line, or give me a call. I would love to help you achieve your real estate goals. Remember real estate is LOCAL.

I also offer a FREE comparative market analysis for sellers tailored specifically for your home or property. If you would like more information on selling your home in this market, please give me a call, drop me a line, or stop on in! I believe in building relationships for life... YOUR SUCCESS IS MY SUCCESS!

Windermere Peninsula Properties : My Belfair WA Real Estate Blog : www.BelfairWARealEstate.com

My Website : www.valspaulding.mywindermere.com           Email : vlsallyn@windermere.com

Direct Cell : 360-710-5622               Fax # 360-277-5006

Yes - The facts can be hard to swallowwhen reviewing your homes value in today's current real estate market. 

 It is important that you are looking at the statistics and numbers and not using your emotions as a seller to justify your price.

Even though it may seem as though it is  easy for me to say this to you, it is difficult and not an easy task for me to come to you as a real estate agent and tell you your home is worth less in our current real estate market.

But because I am not emotionally attached to the home and I AM in the business each and every day, I can see the "big picture" of the local real estate market and how it affects your homes value without the emotion.

I need to give you factual information and in order to do my job correctly, it is necessary that you hear and see the facts. Don't just take my word for it - LOOK at and REVIEW the information I provide you, ask me questions, pick my brain. This is what I do for a living.

Do not take it personally.Step back and look at the big picture. 

When you decide to sell your home, look at it as a business decision- not an emotional one that is going to place you in a position of "want" and "need." 

Place your home in a position of being priced correctly for the market right out of the shoot.

Trust me,there will be less emotion in the long run if you take this position rather than set yourself up for "what if" or maybes.... and or failure.

That is one of the most important reasons to speak with a professional, successful, knowledgeable, real estate agent LOCAL to your market. I DO have the numbers, I AM in the business, I KNOW what is going on locally both in our community and in the housing market. I am not out to "give you bad news."

I want to be able to sell your homeand achieve your goals just as much as you do. Think about it -I do not make any money unless I AM successful. 

I am an objective professional in your local real estate market.

Remember MY SUCCESS is based on YOUR SUCCESS; I am not successfulunless I am able to position your home correctly in the market to get you the highest return possible in the least amount of time for the CURRENT MARKET - Not 2005's market, not 2006, 7 or 8 - but for TODAYS current market.

Call me - let's discuss your options and decide whether now is the right time for you.  

~~Valerie~~

"Homes are where memories are made and people live..."  A house is not a home until people come. People come first...

If you would like more information regarding buying and selling homes, the $8000 1st time home buyer tax credit, or other real estate issues, drop me a line, or give me a call. I would love to help you achieve your real estate goals. Remember real estate is LOCAL.

I also offer a FREE comparative market analysis for sellers tailored specifically for your home or property. If you would like more information on selling your home in this market, please give me a call, drop me a line, or stop on in! I believe in building relationships for life... YOUR SUCCESS IS MY SUCCESS!

Windermere Peninsula Properties : My Belfair WA Real Estate Blog : www.BelfairWARealEstate.com

My Website : www.valspaulding.mywindermere.com           Email : vlsallyn@windermere.com

Direct Cell : 360-710-5622               Fax # 360-277-5006

When are 2 heads NOT better than one?  I am going to be in discussion with a seller regarding just this question regarding co-listing his property on the Hood Canal (one of my market areas of expertise) with an out of area agent.

Is it beneficial for a seller to list with both an out of area agent and a local agent (co-listing)? No. It is not.

In the best interests of a seller, a professional real estate agent will REFER a client to a professional local real estate agent in the area where the home is located; Knowing that agent has had success and experience in the type of home being sold and that the local agent KNOWS THAT LOCAL MARKET!!!!

REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL TO ITS MARKET JUST LIKE THE WEATHER IS LOCAL TO AN AREA

When an agent co-lists with an out of area agent it generally complicates the entire home selling process more than it should and does not benefit the client. Why?

1.Real Estate is local to its market - Knowing the local Hood Canal market  -

• How is the best and right price going to be established if they do not have the local market knowledge of homes sold, listed, market times, and patterns of the market? How can they price it correctly for THIS market if they know very little about this market?  
• If a "would/could be" buyer contacted that agent:
  •  how much information is that buyer going to obtain regarding the Hood canal area itself or other properties in the area from an out of area agent?
  • Can they give good directions even to a restaurant nearby? Or shopping? Or how to get to the property from where the buyer is located?
  • Will they be ableto direct the client as to where to find the information for schools and other amenities?Can they recommend a local handyman, cleaner, carpenter, restaurant?

Buyers want firsthand information and do not want to have to make more than one call for their information.

2. Showing the home - is that agent going to be able to show the home on a moments notice or give good directions to the home?

3.Community Involvement - Is the outside area agent involved in the community? I have a stake in my community and its enhancement and improvements as well.

I attend local community meetings constantly because I LIVE and WORK  in the community so that I know what is going on in and with the local communities within my market and I  am on top of the "local happenings."

I believe a buyer has to know or already be sold on the area first and then the home.  Many, many questions will arise that more than likely that an out of area agent will not be able to answer.

4. Marketing and  placement costs can be an issue between the agents:

• Does an out of area agent know what marketing will work for this type of home in the local Hood Canal Market?If I am going to split the costs of advertising with an outside agent I need to know the home is being marketed correctly for this home in particular. How much time will the out of area agent put into my "time" duties such as

I have sold many homes in the Hood Canal market and I already know the costs and what I need for a marketing plan to get the job done. I don't need to reinvent the wheel here - I use what works and I know what works because I have already sold homes here!  so why make my job more difficult and time consuming (remember time is money as well) educating an out of area agent or paying for their marketing plan that does not have a proven track record?

5. How many homeshave they successfully listed and sold or brought buyers to in the Hood Canal Market?

Ask me - my resume is full of sold homes on the Hood Canal and surrounding market.I have a proven track record here locally.

6. The short end of the stick - The local agent generally gets the short end of the stick especially when it comes down to the share of the workload and costs (remember TIME is a cost to an agent as well).

• Will they be able to show the property at moments notice?
• Will they driveout to check and keep the flyer box filled?
• Will they be able to (or want to for that matter) drive by the home and check on it weekly?
• Will they be able to update the seller on the happenings locally as far as where the activity is in the local area currently; or the outcome of the most recent community meeting?
• Will the agents office be able to help "support" the agent with the listing, i.e. other agents willing to show the property or able to give out specifics regarding the area or home?

My job as a listing agent working for a seller is to get the home sold in the least amount of time for the highest price possible. The seller best interests and goals are my priority and to represent them to the best of my ability.

With that said it is not in my best interest or a good business decision on my part, nor my clients to co-list a home with an out of area agent who does not have proven success or the knowledge about the local area. Remember MY SUCCESS in the local market IS YOUR SUCCESS!

Now if you have a home or property in the Belfair Hood Canal area that you would like help with buying or selling - I am right here for you. I AM A LOCAL REAL ESTATE EXPERT. I KNOW THE HOOD CANAL BELFAIR WA MARKET - IT IS MY  MARKET! 

~~Valerie~~ 

Windermere Peninsula Properties

Don't forget- I offer a FREE no obligation real estate market analysis specifically for your home or property.I specialize in the Belfair Hood Canal & surrounding communities in Mason County WA. I believe in building relationships for life. People and homes are my specialty. YOUR SUCCESS IS MY SUCCESS!

Have you had your home on the market for awhile now and nothing seems to be working to get your home sold or shown for that matter? Or your agent has tried many things and it is still not being shown? 

Currently in our area it is considered a "buyers market." What does that mean and how do you get the word out to those buyers?

What it means is that there is A LOT of inventory of properties and homes out there for buyers to choose from. In a buyers market - buyers tend to be "more picky" because there is a lot of inventory and choices and if your home doesn't stand out, and right now it tends to be the "price" that needs to stand out as well as condition - you might not be getting shown or are getting shown but not getting the offers. What can you do about it? 

Talk to your agent! If you are not working with an agent, find a local real estate agent that you trust or is referred to you or call a few and talk with them. Don't be afraid to talk to us! Call me, there is no obligation and I love meeting and talking with people all the time. This is what we do and we love to educate people of the goings on in real estate.  Do not be afraid to Strategize and find different ways to accomplish your goals. Every sellers goals and situation are different and maybe what worked for other homes will not work for yours... Maybe you can't afford to drop your price - but make sure that you are not focusing on a "need price" as opposed to a fair market price. The difference being a "need" price is something that YOU need - the buyers do not purchase homes with that theory. Truthfully and it sounds harsh - they could care less what you NEED. They are buying homes based on what the value of the home is to them in comparison with other homes -not your need. They will compare shop (just like when you compare grocery store prices). "The value of your home is what a buyer is willing to pay for it."

Ask your agent to tell you how to make your home standout. You might not like what they have to say, but you need to know the truth or you could be on the market a lot longer than if you had heard the truth and did not do anything about it.   Be pro-active as a seller. You hired that agent and they are a professional in the field so you should be listening to what they are telling you and making any adjustments necessary accordingly again to reach your goals. If you can't maybe you shouldn't be on the market right now. 

It could be the price range that you are in. Are you realistic with the price? Again not what YOU need, but what the market statistics are telling you it will sell for.  What did the market STATISTICS show? Sold properties are a FACT of what a buyer is willing to pay for a home - those are the numbers that are going to give you a solid market value range - not the sellers need out of the home in dollars. 

It could be a matter of doing something simple such as painting a room. Many many things come into play. Possiby your price range is not seeing a lot of activity in sales in your local market.  

Again, keep in constant communication with your agent. They should be in constant communication with YOU. Not just saying hello either, but telling you what IS and what ISN'T going on in the market.  SO many things to know and understand in selling your home.

I hope that some of these thoughts help you as a seller. First and Foremost TALK TO YOUR AGENT. MAKE SURE you are both communicating effectively to get the job done.  If you aren't working with an agent, please feel free to call me if you would like to hear more or have more questions.  Information is FREE and there is no obligation to talk with me!  I am your local realtor and I would love to hear from you!