The REAL World of Real Estate

I recently re-entered a Business from which I have walked away not once, but twice in the past.

Now, I must say in both of those instances there were extenuating problematic situations which made the Real Estate Business extremely difficult.

I first sold Real Estate for Help-U-Sell and another Brokerage (which I won't mention because they were unbelievable crooked) in the Orlando, Florida Area.  At that time the interest rates soared to an all time high of18.5% in the early 80's! Oh my, people couldn't afford those rates, so it became a challenge of hunting for every single Assumable, Non-Qualifying Mortgage a Realtor could find and that made the competition for listings a dog-eat-dog proposition!  Ugh.  I'm not good at that environment.  I will say that for the year and a half I sold Real Estate in Florida I managed really well.  In fact, I was top Sales person in the month of DECEMBER (not a good month for Real Estate anywhere).  But, following a serious auto accident, I decided that I would change careers again and went to work as a Registered Nurse/Marketer for VNA.

I didn't sell Real Estate again until I moved to Georgia in 1996.  I first accepted a job for a builder which did not require a Real Estate License.  That worked pretty well, until I met a Broker/Owner of a local Real Estate office who convinced me I would make more money and be happier working with her.  We became great friends and things were rocking along and then came the Housing CRASH!! Nothing selling but foreclosures and short sales...and believe me that is NO FUN in any way.  Unhappy Sellers...Greedy Buyers...Ugh..once again, I decided it was easier to be retired.

Fast Forward:  Utah 2016.  Moved from Georgia in 2013 and have looked for various jobs, but because of my age, it is difficult to get hired. Tried a couple of things which were awful.  Then a Broker/Owner moved in across the street from me.  It took about a year, but she finally convinced me to come back to Real Estate. I actually love working with Buyers and helping Sellers to get the best price for their homes.  I got my Utah Real Estate License in March.  Then I got certified to sell Distinctive/Luxury Homes and Stage them.  It's been fun, but kinda expensive.

It's been challenging lately, however, as it has become a Seller's Market and some of these sellers don't understand that just because you get three offers, your house isn't necessarily worth $20,000 more than it's Market Value! I have written FIVE contracts for one poor guy, and he still hasn't been able to close on a home.  He was outbid by $20,000 on a $140,000 home because the other buyer had cash so the appraisal didn't matter.  Outbid on another...same reason.   Horrific inspection on another caused it to fail for financing reasons and seller wouldn't do repairs; yet another with a bad roof and the owner is at least $10,000 over Market Value and won't replace the bad roof! We are in negotiations with yet another Seller who is priced Waaaaaaay over market and it isn't going well.
The house won't sell for what she has it listed for...nothing comps in the area any where near that!

Plus, now the market is flooded with a bunch of "newbie" agents who don't have a clue about negotiation, pricing, etc.  Talk about making the market difficult...this is a nightmare.  I am attempting to ignore all this and hang in there!

Really people, everyone thinks Realtors make big money...FYI they don't.  When a Realtor lists a home and it sells, half that 6% or whatever listing money goes to the Broker...then the Realtor has to pay for their own SIGNS, POSTS, Marketing, MLS dues, license fees, Board Dues (more than $1000 a year)...gasoline...computer ink, paper....on and on and on.

Don't get me wrong, I really do like being a Realtor...even at age 69!  I just wish that one time the market would be somewhere toward NORMAL when I am doing it! Realtors work HARD! Please be sure and tell yours that you appreciate all they do!

PEACE, LOVE & JOY

Linda

Staging Your Home - Secret To A Quick Sale

I have been a Realtor in two states...Florida and Georgia.  I have also bought and sold quite a few houses, and one thing I can tell you for sure is that staging is primary if you want a quick sale and a good price for your property.

I have listed homes where owners just refused to listen to my advice on making their homes ready for sale.  You don't have to go out and spend a bunch of money, you just have to take these common sense suggestions to heart and use them to make your home ready.

1.  Clear the Counters -  if your kitchen countertops are cluttered and messy, people will think there is not enough storage or work area in your kitchen.  The less you have on your counters the better.
2.  Take down all those refrigerator magnets and objects hanging on the fridge/walls, etc.  Clutter keeps houses from looking welcoming and clean.
3.  Remove all those pictures, yes grandma, even you need to remove all those cute little grandchildren from the walls, tables, counters until after the sale.  People want to visualize their OWN stuff in a room, not yours.
4.  If you have too much furniture in a room, store some of it off site.  A cluttered room is going to look smaller.
5.  Clean out those closets and make it look like you have room to spare...I have had sellers who refused to straighten out closets and when you opened doors, things fell out and landed on you!  Guess what NO SALE.
6.  Put away the kids toys.  I actually had one seller who had a truly lovely dining room, but not only was it filled with the little girls toy stove set, but a treadmill!  Bummer...NO SALE!
7.  Clean up the yard and plant a few brightly colored (yellow is nice) flowers in your border or pots on the doorstep.  This will add that all important curb appeal.
8.  If you have questions about whether your home needs some "rearranging" to help sell it, don't hesitate to ask your realtor for advice. 
9.  You may love that red accent wall, but it may be a tough sell to a buyer.  Consider going for something more neutral.  Paint just isn't all that expensive.
10.  Have your carpets cleaned.
11.  Light a fresh smelling candle or bake some cookies or have some potpourri out.. good smells help sell! 

These are just a few suggestions to help you in your process to sell your home, but all of them will help you sell your property in record time and at a price that is fair. 

Good Luck!