Success With Sonya

So I am sure if you are like me you are wondering what new invention, product, great listing presentation tool, closing technique, etc someone has thought of now that you just have to make time to learn about.  Actually no, it’s just the opposite.  You need to MAKE time to enjoy yourself.  That sounds so easy to do doesn’t it…but when???  My days start at 6:30 and as a roll out of bed and I make a beeline for the coffee pot thinking of how short my time in that super, cozy comfortable bed (that I worked hard to pay for) was.  After a few sips of coffee I begin to decide what to wear to work, what my son might want in his lunch, make sure all his homework got put back into his back pack the night before, do a quick pick up of the house, feed the cats, feed the fish, plan dinner for the nite, pack my own lunch and get us out the door by 7:40.  After I drop him at school its on the run to possibly do a few personal errands like hitting the ATM (because what real estate agent has time to go to a bank during normal business hours), going thru the car wash, etc.  Then on to either the office to enter listings, update websites, make follow up calls, check the expired listings, prepare CMA’s, work on BPO’s.  Then since it’s 2:00 pm it might be time to take a minute for lunch.  Maybe if I’m lucky I’ll get a sneak peek at the PerzHilton.com website but then it right back at it.  Don’t forget the clients you need to meet to show 5 houses too, pick up a sign off a sold listing, take pictures of a new listing and be at the school at 3:15 to get your son.  Oh, and today is the PTO meeting because you are a faithful volunteer at your son’s school, then it’s time for a quick snack and then football practice.  During this time my phone rings, I check email, network a bit with the other moms and panic when I think of all that I need to do when I get home….cook supper, homework, finish my desk work that didn’t get done, etc.  So that is just one day of my life, after doing this for many, many days in a row I realize just how important it is to MAKE time for yourself.  My husband (oh you didn’t think I had one did you…well he works just as hard!), my son and I are going out of town for a day…yes a WHOLE day to go salmon fishing.  There will be no phone, no email, no texting, no nothing but the sound of the river and the birds chirping.  And while I had to refer some clients out to make this day happen I know it will be worthwhile as I feel brighter and happier already just thinking of going!  Well, gotta get back at it!!!

With school back comes back session, when the air gets crisp letting you know that Autumn is on its way and when Friday night football games begin I always feel like it is a time for new beginnings, a time to re-group and a time to re-energize.  Summer is the busiest time of year for me in my market and the time when my son is out of school for the summer.  I find it difficult to balance all of my responsbilities and when the end of summer is approaching I get excited to begin again!  It seems that when I’m working I feel guilty that I’m not at home enjoying summer with my son but when I am at home doing just that I feel guilty about not working!  It seems to be a never ending cycle and a balancing act of my priorities.  When my son settles back into school I can devote 6 solid hours to hard work while he is gone and not feel the slightest bit guilty!  I begin to finish projects around the house that I put off to spend time with him and my whole life seems to get more organized.  So what season is your favorite…mine is definatley Fall!

There isn’t really anything more gratifying than sitting at the closing table watching the sellers that you have helped accomplish their goal sign the final documents and move on to the next chapter of their life.  It is a nice feeling to know that you have helped someone achieve their desired end result and you know you really helped someone.  Those are the days that remind me why I work such crazy hours, endure endless phone calls and emails and give up much of my weekends to work.  I have to admit though some of my best seller experiences are when I am not only the agent but the seller as well.  My husband and I buy houses (usually bank repo’s) and do the rehab oursevles, then I list them and usually sell them as well.  I have to tell you that after months of giving up our “free time” to work on the current project house and seeing the progress from a run-down, filthy eyesore to a home that I would move my family into is one of the most satisfying things I know I’ll do in my life.  When I get lucky enough to work with the buyers of one of our houses it is even better!  I have had two great buyers that have left great impressions on me, but one of the best is the gentleman that contacted me thinking there were no homes he could afford on his fixed income.  I explained to him that his fixed income could allow him to live comfortably in this area and that I had a particular house in mind that I would like to show him.  He was thrilled at the prospect of potentially owning his own home again.  You see he lost everything to hurricane Katrina and at the age of 45 was living in his sisters basement in southern Michigan.  When he came to see the house, he fell in love and truly appreciated all of the hard work we had done.  Just before closing I took my 9 year old son to town and we bought him a cart load of items that would allow him to set-up house again.  We bought pans, kitchen utensils, saran wrap, napkins, cleaning supplies, laundry hampers and more.  This man was so grateful for the gesture we had made and both of us couldn’t have been happier with the arrangement.  These houses become my “babies” if you will and I love it when I am lucky enough to meet the new owner and even luckier when I know they were meant to be the next owner.  Some of them, like this man who survived Hurricane Katrina I’ll never forget!

The first time home buyer tax credit that is part of the recently signed into law Housing & Economic Recovery Act could be very beneficial to first time buyers.  But just what are the details and who is a first time buyer and do you really get this $7500 tax credit? Well, I had to do quite bit of digging because the specifics regarding the bill don’t seem to be readily available.  Here is the short version and I have also provided a link to a FAQ page that goes in depth….

The tax credit if for first time home buyers only BUT a first time buyer is defined as someone who has not owned a principle residence for three years prior to the purchase!

The MAXIMUM credit is $7500….for home buyers purchasing a home less than $75,000 the credit will equal 10% of the purchase price.  However, there are income limits placed on the credit which may reduce the amount you can receive.  Single taxpayers with incomes up to  $75,000 and married couples with incomes up to $150,000 qualify for the FULL tax credit.

 The tax credit works like an interest free loan and must be repaid over a 15 year period.

Click here for the full First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Frequently Asked Questions Page.

There are probably many more than 10 ways that a seller can guarentee that their will home expire off the market with little to no interest but here are what I have found to be the top 10. 

1.  Not serious about selling:  Actions speak louder than words in this market.  Discretionary sellers should wait for a less competitive environment to list their house.  When you hear “we don’t have to sell”, “we thought we’d see what happened” those are sellers who are not serious about selling.

2.  Improper pricing:  A home that is propertly priced is halfway to being sold!  No amount of full color ads, glossy flyers, multiple photos, virtual tours, agent luncheons, cheerleading squads or Saint Joseph statues will compensate for a listing price that is too high.

3.  Sellers that don’t listen to their agent:  Doctors don’t self-diagnose…professionals use professionals.  Full time Realtors usually know what’s best and should be listened to very carefully!

4.  Micromanage the marketing:  Just because a seller sold plastics in Pittsburg, Tupperware in Tuscon and carpet in Clio does not qualify them to second guess thier agent.  Definately they should share thier concerns and timelines but leave the details to the pros.

5.  Don’t stage the property:  Someday shag carpet, southwest decor, orange counter tops, avocoda appliances will come back but for now they should be removed to make the home show better or it should be priced accordingly.

6. Letting the dogs run loose:  Need I say more?

7.  Talking to the buyers:  Life gets lonely at times, why not ask the buyers where they grew up, how much they qualify for or tell them about all the neighbors and your medical condition?  Suggest that your sellers talk a walk if they want to be there to let you in.  Sellers need to be gone so that a buyer feel comfortable in looking.

8.  Selling personal items: Real Estate professionals should be selling real estate not personal items.  Banks don’t like to provide financing for the boat, patio furniture, couches, etc. either.

9.  What’s that smell?:  A seller needs to be aware that their house smells like ped odors, baby diapers, garlic, fried fish, cigars, etc.

10.  Avoid feedback:  Listen to the buyers feedback and learn from it, especially if you have heard it more than once.

There is a new go kart track in Edenville!  The track is an 1/8th mile dirt oval and races every other Sunday afternoon.  Gates open at 12:00, qualifying is at 1:30 and racing at 2:00 pm.  It is free for spectators and there is ample parking and bleachers to sit in.  If you want to check out the action in the pit area admission is $7.00.  The Mills Township Little League holds a concession each week as a fundraiser for new equipment.  There are several classes of kart racing ranging from the youngsters racing in the purple plate karts all the way up to the senior class, including the ladies class!  If you want to see some great racing action and enjoy the beautiful summer weather check out the Coyote Hole Raceway on M30 in Edenville behind Rumors Restaurant.  The tracks website it:  www.coyoteholeraceway.com and the next race is this Sunday, July 27th!  Hope to see you there!  If you do stop by say hello to the Green Gator Racing Team, its the number 15 kart driven by my son Chandler Grove!

Did you know that opinions are formed about people and things in the first 30 seconds of seeing or meeting them?  Wow!! And 87% of the opinion when meeting people is based on non-verbal cues.  So, you have smiled, shook the clients hand(or other form of culturally accepted greeting) and establised some rapport as the local real estate expert but how do you provide exceptional customer service to your clients so that remain your clients for life?  Well, I happen to pride myself on exceptional customer service and while working in some version of customer service for the last 18 years I have developed a list of 17 things that you can do to succeed!

 1.  Communicate Everything!

2.  Listen Actively!

3.  Follow Up, Follow Up, Follow Up!

4.  Return Communication Timely

5.  Respect your Customers Needs

6.  Go the Extra Mile!

7.  Be Honest!!!!!!!!

8.  Be Educated

9.  Be Depdendable

10.  Be Enthusiastic

11.  Promise to Perservere

12.  Have Compassion for your Customers Situation!!

13.  Make Intentions Actions or They Don’t Count!

14.  Keep a Positive Attitude!

15.  Have Drive and Desire for What You Do!

16.  Learn From Your Experiences!

17.  Have Humility, Admit Mistakes and Don’t Be Egotistical!

Share some of your receipes for success and lets all provide the best service we can!

Condition is not staging.  Staging is a marketing tool and part of preparing your home for sale.  It is a process that helps you communicate your best possible message.  Staging is not decorating; it turns your home into a house into a product that can be bought  When you decorate your personalize and when you stage you depersonalize.  Staging doesn’t have to cost a lot of money but may require an investment in your largest asset (your house!).  The seven C’s of successful home staging are:

Clean - Inside & Out.  The inside should be q-tip clean!

Clutter Free - Deaccessorize, decide what to pack up and what furniture will stay.  Clutter will eat equity!

Color - use colors as accents in fabrics, towels, etc.

Compromise

Creativity

Committment (to the process)

Communicate

The investment into staging your home to sell is typically cheaper than a price reduction.  You have nothing to lose…try it!

If you will be moving soon remember to:

1.  Give your fowarding address to the post office two to four weeks ahead of the move.

2.  Have utilities disconnected at your old home and connected at your new one.

3.  Notify your bank, creditors and magazines you subscribe to as well as friends, relatives and business colleagues.

4.  Have a “first open” box with the things you will need most - like toilet paper, soap, trash bags, scissors, hammer, screwdriver, pencils and paper, cups and plates, water, snacks and toothpaste.

 5.  Check insurance coverages for moved items.

6.  Cancel your newspaper delivery.

 7.  Remember this hectic moving time to shall pass and you’ll be settled into your new home soon!

You think you can sell your home yourself?  It will be no problem at all and you’ll save all kinds of cash in the process?  Not so….a Realtor can be the most valuable part of the transaction when it comes to selling your home.  They will help you:

Set Your Price - pricing your property is a balancing act.  You want the highest price possible but don’t want your home to sit on the market.  A Realtor knows what properties like yours have recently sold for.  The Realtor can tell whether your home - with its particular location, features and condition can get more or less than similar listings.  And a salesperson knows whether or not the market is heating up or cooling down.

Be Objective - Selling your homes can be an emotional experience.  A Realtor can help keep you focused and provide valuable feedback on changes or repairs that are necessary to help the home sell.  The Realtor will also act as a buffer during negotiations.

Qualify Buyers - A Realtor can determine whether buyers are serious by asking the right questions about the buyers motivation, purchasing power and mortgage pre-qualification.

Provide Extensive Marketing - Homes don’t sell themselves.  A Realtor will market your home to the widest audience possible through ads, websites, brochures, etc.  A Realtor will also place your home on the multiple listing service and from there Realtor.com.

Finalize the Deal - Selling a home is complicated.  It involves disclosure forms, inspection reports, deeds, mortgage documents and insurance policies.  A knowledgeable Realtor will help you avoid delays in closing and costly mistakes.

To get the most money for your home, the best marketing and qualified prospects looking at your home….use a Realtor!

And remember you can speed your sale by:

Pricing Your Home Right!

Being Flexible About Showings!

Being Ready For Offers!

Drop The Price if Necessary!