Archive for the 'Buyers' Category
Why Our Annapolis Area Home Sellers Are Opting For Pre-Inspections
May 13th, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Sellers
In This Twitchy, Competitive Real Estate Market, You Need Every Advantage You Can Get. Pre-Inspecting Gives You a Clear Edge
Last night we listed a home in one of the area’s choice subdivisions, the sort of lovely home any agent would be proud to market and sell. The owners have wisely chosen to follow our suggestion and have a pre-inspection done - that is, an inspection prior to getting a contract on the home.
Why now, you may ask. Isn’t that the buyer’s responsibility, once an offer has been accepted?
Indeed, it is. At least that’s the way it’s typically done. But this is no typical market and sellers need to do everything they can, and as early as they can, to pave the way for a smooth settlement. Thus, a pre-inspection.
A Pre-Inspection Identifies Potential Problems Early, Takes Pressure Off the Seller and Reassures a Buyer
A lot of home sales fall apart during the inspection process, especially these days when buyer demands are, well, pretty demanding.
For example: seller accepts what he feels is only a so-so offer - this, after several price reductions already. The buyer orders an inspection and several problems are uncovered. The buyer submits a list of items to the seller that he wants fixed - that, or a $10,000 credit to fix them after the buyer moves in. The buyer needs to settle in 30 days. Read the rest of this entry »
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The Whole World is Waiting for Ourselves
May 6th, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Sellers
In Annapolis, as Elsewhere, the Real Estate Market Has Scared Some of Us Into a Holding Pattern. Maybe It’s Time to Land the Plane
Is it just me, or does it seem like the entire world is on hold lately, waiting. Yesterday I showed a home to a young woman who needs to move soon. Nice house, meets her needs, beautiful neighborhood. Would she be interested in making an offer?
No thanks, I think I’ll wait.
Wait for…?
Prices to drop some more.
How can you be sure they will?
Someone on TV said so.
Perhaps you should consider offering less than asking price. Just think of it as accelerated waiting.
No thanks. I’ll just wait wait.
And so it goes. Buyers are waiting for sellers to lower their prices. Sellers are waiting for buyers to make offers. And agents are waiting for their phones to ring.
Even My Barber is Waiting
Apparently he’s in line somewhere behind the housing waiters. I ask him about business. Not good, he tells me. People are waiting much longer between haircuts.
Really?
Yes, he tells me, especially families. Mom is buying electric clippers and doing it herself. Who’d have imagined that one sign of weak consumer confidence was a nation of kids running around with bad haircuts?
My brother - who manufactures model trains - reports that waiting is alive and well in his industry, too. Track is selling. But people are waiting to buy the expensive stuff like locomotives. Read the rest of this entry »
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What Dinner at the Chart House Says To Us About the State of the Annapolis Real Estate Market
April 30th, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Neighborhood Sales & Stats, Sellers
April Real Estate Market Sales Statistics for Anne Arundel County Will Be Released in 10 Days and We Will Publish the Numbers Here. Until Then, Here’s Our Almost Totally Unscientific Market Story and We’re Stickin’ To It
If the local dining scene is a somewhat reliable barometer of consumer optimism, then our dinner at the Chart House in Annapolis this past Friday would lead one to believe that all the talk of a sagging economy and a housing/mortgage meltdown is falling upon deaf ears.
Indeed, judging by the throngs of diners ordering up $35 steaks, succulent shrimp, good bottles of wine, and $9.00 chocolate lava cakes - our personal favorite - you’d have to say the mood was downright festive, that nobody’s much worrying about their wallets, and things are looking decidedly up.
Who knows? Maybe people are just getting a head-start on spending their tax rebate checks, and exercising their civic duty to stimulate the economy according to our President’s hopes.
Our Boots-on-the-Ground Perspective of the Annapolis Real Estate Market
Then again, maybe - just maybe - things really are starting to turn around. Word on the street - what we’re seeing and our industry colleagues are reporting - is that the local market ”feels” like things are beginning to turn around.
I say “feels” because we can’t really quantify it yet. But phones are starting to ring and showings are up. Gun-shy buyers are starting to pull the trigger and make solid offers. And sellers are getting real about listing price. Together, these factors are breathing life and hope into the local housing market.
But Could This be a Momentary Seasonal Upswing in the Annapolis Area Market?
Sure it could be. But it could also - as I heard one analyst put it on NPR the other day - be the inevitable beginning of the end of a down-turning real estate market. Read the rest of this entry »
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Is Your Real Estate Agent Trustworthy?
April 23rd, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Sellers, The Realtor's Life
In a 2006 Poll Published by Harris Interactive, Real Estate Agents Really Took It On the Chin. Maybe We Can All Learn a Little Something From the Results.
The poll’s intent was to measure the trustworthiness of various professions; real estate agents came in near the bottom, right up there with lawyers, auto mechanics and stockbrokers.
Unfair? To those of us in the industry who put our hearts, heads and soul into this business, and work diligently for our clients - sure, it seems unfair.
But unexpected? Not really. The fact of the matter is, not all agents are created equal. Some set the professional bar extremely low and when they trip over it they make the whole industry look bad.
Marc Davison, a blogger at www.1000wattblog.com had some interesting thoughts on the subject and those things that set trusted and untrustworthy agents apart.
“Are agents untrustworthy? Some are, some aren’t. But most paint themselves with the brush of mistrust by adhering to modes of marketing, branding and verbiage that fail to set them apart and distinguish one from the other.
Untrustworthy agents hear what their clients say. Trustworthy agents listen.
Untrustworthy agents make deals happen. Trusted agents help people buy and sell homes.
Untrustworthy agents work hard and make a case for it. Trusted agents work smart. They perform magic and do it quietly, with grace.
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Annapolis Area Homebuyers: Is Your Real Estate Agent Helping You Find the Shiny Pennies?
April 17th, 2008 Categories: Buyers, The Realtor's Life
We Try Not to Toot Our Own Horn Too Much - Nobody Likes a Braggart. But We Love It When Our Clients Do It For Us, When They Notice and Say Thanks for The Things We Do. Here’s One Such Story.
When we work with an Annapolis area homebuyer, the first step of the process is a meeting at our office that we call the “buyer consultation.”
It’s our opportunity to introduce ourselves, talk about how we work, and to listen. Listening is a big part of this business. My dad used to say that God gave us 2 ears and 1 mouth so we’d listen twice as much as we talk, and that’s a good thing for a Realtor to remember.
One of the things we ask our buyers is to describe, in detail, their dream home - number of bedrooms, bathrooms and all the other obvious stuff. But also the stuff of their dreams. White picket fence? Window seats? Arched doorways? If it means something to you, we want to know. Makes it easier to find you the perfect home.
If a buyer is urgent - and needs to find a home in short order - there’s a good chance they won’t have enough time to preview all the possibilities themselves. Or, the
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In the Market for Annapolis Area Real Estate? Here’s an Easy Way to Get Your First Home for Free!
April 9th, 2008 Categories: Buyers
That Would Be YOUR FIRST HOME: The Proven Path to Home Ownership, a new book by Gary Keller - Visionary Co-Founder of Keller Williams Realty
Let’s face it: buying a home, especially your first one, has to be one of the most perplexing, exhausting, and exhilarating experiences you’ll ever have.
We know: we work with first time homebuyers on a daily basis and most of them start out perplexed, and end up exhausted and exhilarated. It almost can’t be helped. There’s a lot of money involved, financial commitments, not to mention the well-meaning and often contradictory advice of family, friends and colleagues.
Now throw in a market that’s as wild and crazy as the current one is, and buyers’ heads really start to spin.
What’s a first time homebuyer to do?
Go out at once and get a copy of YOUR FIRST HOME, by Gary Keller. It’s the perfect road-map for keeping a steady course in unfamiliar territory.
Nobody can deconstruct and then reassemble the subject of real estate as clearly as Gary Keller can. His is a calm, experienced voice that first time homebuyers will find reassuring.
He takes homebuyers by the hand and leads them through the 8 steps to home-ownership: deciding to buy; hiring your agent; securing financing; finding your home; making an offer; performing due diligence; closing; and protecting your investment. What could potentially be some pretty dry reading isn’t at all, thanks in large part to his engaging style and plenty of real-life anecdotes and informative sidebars.
Gary really wants you to take the leap to home ownership. “Owning a home,” he says, “will not only lay a solid foundation for your financial future but will also set the tone for your own personal lifestyle. It truly enables you to live the ultimate dream. And while it may quite possibly be the most expensive investment you’ve ever made, it will also be one of the smartest.”
Anyway, we’ve just received a case of these books in hardcover and we’re making
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This Guy is Way Smart, Eats Lazy Realtors for Breakfast, and Knows Precisely Why Your Home Isn’t Selling. He’s Happy to Tell You. Anybody Wanna’ Argue?
April 1st, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Faces In The Crowd, Sellers
Tony DiCello is the Vince Lombardi of Keller Williams. He’s Taught His Coaching Clients - Other Realtors - How to Sell Literally Billions of Dollars of Real Estate in Markets Just Like This One. Do I Have Your Attention?
You could do worse than to have Tony DiCello as your real estate agent. Not only has he earned the distinction as one of the top agents in the country, and one of the top 3 in the Denver area during the 90’s. He’s also coached some of the top producing agents in the country, one of whom sold just under $1,000,000,000 a year in real estate. Today, he’s the “head coach” for Keller Williams agents across the country.
After listening to him speak to a packed house of Keller Williams agents last week at the University of Maryland, it’s easy to see how he could have achieved legendary status. He’s forceful, articulate, and knows the real estate industry inside out. And he’s a straight shooter, straight as they come. Among other things, he’s fond of saying, “Always tell your clients the truth about price, no matter how uncomfortable.”
If Tony DiCello told you your home was not selling because it was overpriced, you would not argue. If you did, he’d probably thank you for your time and hand you a list of agents who’d be happy to take an overpriced listing. He says there are plenty out there.
The following is a collection of Tony DiCello-isms, culled from his recent talk, writings, and other seminars. Whether you’re a home seller, buyer, or agent, you should listen up:
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Buying a Home in the Annapolis Area? Don’t Let a Little Credit Repair Stand Between You and Your Dream Home
March 24th, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Real Estate News
This Free Class Will Take the Mystery out of Credit, Help You Repair Yours (If Necessary), and Raise Your Credit Score by as Much as 100 Points…in Just 45 Days!
As you’re probably aware, banks are being very careful these days with their loans, going over loan applications with a fine tooth comb. As our friend David Win of Mortgage Associates puts it, “Lenders are getting back to basics and looking at credit scores closer than ever.”
If you think marginal credit is hampering your ability to buy a home. Or, if you’re mystified by the whole credit thing - and who isn’t? - here’s help: a free class to be held at Keller Williams Select Realtors of Annapolis on April 2nd.
David and his colleague Ken Kingsbury, will be teaching the 1 1/2 hour class and they’ll be covering just about everything you ever wanted to know about credit scores and how they impact the home buying process. David deals with these issues day in and day out, so he’s well qualified to speak on the subject. Among other things, he’ll be discussing:
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If The Annapolis Real Estate Market is Really So Bad, Then Why Are These Realtors So Hoppy?
March 21st, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Sellers
8 Things You Won’t Hear About on the Evening News That Annapolis Area Homebuyers and Sellers Can Be Hoppy About
Fridays are for fun. I learned that from a fellow Realtor-blogger, Teresa Boardman, who always devotes her Friday posts to not-so-serious stuff. I think I’ll start doing the same.
For the benefit of those who haven’t met us, (and who, no doubt, will now never want to) this is a photo of myself and my wife/partner Bev, the Haedrich and Moss parts of The Moss Haedrich Team, Keller Williams Select Realtors, Annapolis. The other 4 members of our team - Kathy, Carol, Jeremiah and Nikki - suddenly had other things to do when we posed for this photo.
This was taken yesterday at a Easter Egg Hunt Broker Open House at 1006 Boucher Ave in Eastport, a gorgeous new-construction listing of ours. You wouldn’t be wrong if you suspect we had a little time on our hands. (There are still some un-found eggs there; stop by at our open house this Saturday, between 1-3, and you might find one.)
Contrary to the impression this photo may leave, we are a serious, well-established real estate team, with actual homebuyers and sellers who trust us to help them buy and sell homes. And we’re pretty good at it. Maybe we can help you, too. Call us.
Anyway, Hoppy Easter to you and yours. Here’s our list of 8 things homebuyers and home sellers in the Annapolis area can be hoppy about.
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Diary of an Annapolis Open House: 7 Red Balloons and Other Tricks of the Real Estate Trade
March 14th, 2008 Categories: Buyers, Sellers
What’s it like being a real estate agent?
What do you DO at open houses? Say to people?
Do open houses really work?
We get these and so many other questions about open houses from so many people, that I thought a blow-by-blow account of a real one, with actual people photos and not models - like in those Geico ads - might be of interest. This open took place on Sunday, March 2nd, at a listing we have in Eastport, 1006 Boucher Ave - one of the best buys anywhere in Annapolis. We join the action 15 minutes before the scheduled 1PM start time…
12:45PM: - Pick up seven red balloons at office. Seven is my lucky number this week. Fellow agent - his lack of faith in balloons and other marketing props no secret - asks what my strategy will be if the red balloons don’t work. I tell him we’ll try white ones next week.
1:15PM: - First car pulls up, looks like BMW - always a good sign. False alarm: it’s Richard Rainford (left), a lender I know from Countrywide. I like Richard: he’s persistent, not a pest, a thin line some lenders trip over. We talk shop. He casually wonders aloud if any buyers might fall out of my sky and into his lap. I tell him you never know.
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