Making Sure The Home is Ready To Go
Set the home stage! We have the tools to give the property market presence, but something we can’t do is make it look desirable. Sellers that will be living in the property while selling should focus on depersonalizing and decluttering. The idea is that the potential buyers need to be able to “see themselves” living there. If the home is too personalized or cluttered with too many objects and furniture, it can easily throw a wrench into their subconscious desire to be in the home. If the price is at fair market value but the house doesn’t set the right stage, the buyer may not go to the point of top dollar when making an offer. It’s a fine line to have the property staged correctly without over-improving, and with the first impression you need to cause the right reaction in the buyer’s mind. Lastly, clean the house! Almost every car on a sales lot has a fresh wax and wash. Why? Because it may cost the dealer $300 to wash, wax, and detail the inside of a new car, but will usually easily add that much and more to the perceived increased value of do so. Houses are no different.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Topic Of The Month: Considerings When Listing, Part 4
Can My Agent Handle the Workload? Why choose the Team concept.
Top agents with many active marketing systems in place, will often need assistance making sure that they are running effectively, efficiently, and that leads created from those systems are captured. The Steve Bock Team uses five people, for example to carry the weight that any single agent could not. The two exclusive buyer agents (Nate and Steven) handle the generated leads coming in via phone and email, they perform showings, host open houses, qualify home buyers, and educate them on the process of purchasing a home. We have a Client Service Coordinator (Lori) that is our webmaster, updates coordinator, follows up and calls back on showings of properties, creates media advertising ads for properties and much more! Our promotions and accounting specialist Tonya makes sure the major promotions go smooth and the accounting is in place. The Lead Realtor (Steve) works on maintaining listings, systems, networking, and other proactive things that cause properties to sell. A good doctor’s office could never run smoothly with the doctor playing the roles of the nurse and receptionist at the same time. This holds true with a powerfully marketed real estate service. Let a team of five give you more and better for the same price of one agent.
Top agents with many active marketing systems in place, will often need assistance making sure that they are running effectively, efficiently, and that leads created from those systems are captured. The Steve Bock Team uses five people, for example to carry the weight that any single agent could not. The two exclusive buyer agents (Nate and Steven) handle the generated leads coming in via phone and email, they perform showings, host open houses, qualify home buyers, and educate them on the process of purchasing a home. We have a Client Service Coordinator (Lori) that is our webmaster, updates coordinator, follows up and calls back on showings of properties, creates media advertising ads for properties and much more! Our promotions and accounting specialist Tonya makes sure the major promotions go smooth and the accounting is in place. The Lead Realtor (Steve) works on maintaining listings, systems, networking, and other proactive things that cause properties to sell. A good doctor’s office could never run smoothly with the doctor playing the roles of the nurse and receptionist at the same time. This holds true with a powerfully marketed real estate service. Let a team of five give you more and better for the same price of one agent.
Tip of the Week: A Family Decision
Question: In your opinion, how much of the home-buying decision should be a family process?
Answer: It is desirable that house-hunting be done by husband and wife whenever possible. However, in the case where a move over a considerable distance is involved, the best arrangement is for either the husband or the wife to look separately and then for both to get together to make the final decision-making inspection. It is not a good idea to involve very young children in the initial house visits. It generally works out that children are happy with a house that makes their parents happy. Good luck on your move!
Let us know your questions so that we can include them in future Weekly Updates: team@bockrealestate.com
Answer: It is desirable that house-hunting be done by husband and wife whenever possible. However, in the case where a move over a considerable distance is involved, the best arrangement is for either the husband or the wife to look separately and then for both to get together to make the final decision-making inspection. It is not a good idea to involve very young children in the initial house visits. It generally works out that children are happy with a house that makes their parents happy. Good luck on your move!
Let us know your questions so that we can include them in future Weekly Updates: team@bockrealestate.com
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Topic Of The Month: Considerations When Listing, Part 3
Choosing The Best Agent For The Job
Possibly the hardest decision in listing your home is selecting the proper agent. Each agent will have different marketing tools available to them. Some agents have created a handful of these marketing channels themselves, while other marketing methods are provided by the brokerage or franchise. Very few sellers have the exact same needs, but almost all sellers are looking for maximum exposure. Make sure you have an agent that can custom tailor their marketing plan for you specifically, while having the tools to make your home easy to find. Nowadays “for sale by owners” have the ability to hold open houses, create signage, brochures and even advertise on the internet and other digital media sources. All of these abilities are good, but when lacking the professional touch, buyers going through such a complex process lose confidence and typically won’t pay as much as in a listing situation with real estate professionals involved. Nowadays over 80% of homebuyers are starting their search online. Make sure your agent has a good professional website that will show off the full appeal of your home, and keep it exposed to other smaller websites. The agent may also have marketing ideas that might normally seem trivial, such reflective yard signs, brochure flier boxes, interactive voice response (IVR) systems, video tours, and upgraded websites that get higher traffic. The last important thing is your agent should be easily accessible via phone and email, for your ease of communication and for potential buyers.
Possibly the hardest decision in listing your home is selecting the proper agent. Each agent will have different marketing tools available to them. Some agents have created a handful of these marketing channels themselves, while other marketing methods are provided by the brokerage or franchise. Very few sellers have the exact same needs, but almost all sellers are looking for maximum exposure. Make sure you have an agent that can custom tailor their marketing plan for you specifically, while having the tools to make your home easy to find. Nowadays “for sale by owners” have the ability to hold open houses, create signage, brochures and even advertise on the internet and other digital media sources. All of these abilities are good, but when lacking the professional touch, buyers going through such a complex process lose confidence and typically won’t pay as much as in a listing situation with real estate professionals involved. Nowadays over 80% of homebuyers are starting their search online. Make sure your agent has a good professional website that will show off the full appeal of your home, and keep it exposed to other smaller websites. The agent may also have marketing ideas that might normally seem trivial, such reflective yard signs, brochure flier boxes, interactive voice response (IVR) systems, video tours, and upgraded websites that get higher traffic. The last important thing is your agent should be easily accessible via phone and email, for your ease of communication and for potential buyers.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Current Event:: Ames is Awarded over $8M in TIGER Recovery Funds from US DOT
The following Press Release gives more information about the TIGER Recovery Funds. Check out the link below to see the details.
-----------------------------------
AASHTO.org Press Release
For Immediate Release
February 17, 2010 Contact: Tony Dorsey
202-624-3690
States Awarded $777 Million in TIGER Recovery Funds from U.S. DOT
Grants Issued on First Anniversary of Recovery Act Will Create More Jobs
WASHINGTON-State transportation agencies received $777 million today from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help fund 22 state-sponsored projects including several that will improve freight connections. State DOTs and affiliated agencies from 23 states were awarded 52 percent of the $1.5 billion made available by Congress through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the TIGER grant program.
"We are particularly pleased to see nine TIGER grants awarded to states for freight and intermodal improvements," said AASHTO President Larry "Butch" Brown, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, whose emphasis areas this year include improving freight transportation. "These investments will unclog bottlenecks that delay freight shipments, reconstruct ports, improve rail lines - producing long-term economic benefits well beyond the initial construction work."
States also received grants for seven highway, three bridge, and three transit projects. A complete list of all projects and their descriptions can be found at http://www.dot.gov/documents/finaltigergrantinfo.pdf.
"The federal economic recovery TIGER funds awarded today to states will support a total project volume of $4 billion when state, local, private, and other matching funds are combined," said John Horsley, AASHTO executive director. "State DOTs have already started or completed work on 12,250 recovery projects worth $26.4 billion. On today's one-year anniversary of the recovery act's signing, states are once again ready to create thousands of new jobs in the short term during design and construction of these TIGER projects while building critical infrastructure that will benefit generations of Americans to come." An AASHTO report outlining the first year of state successes in spending the transportation portion of the recovery act is available at http://recovery.transportation.org.
Several states shared grants for regional projects including $98 million for Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia's National Gateway Freight Rail Corridor. The project will enhance transportation service options along three major freight rail corridors owned and operated by CSX through the Midwest and along the Atlantic coast. Improvements will allow trains to carry double-stack containers, increase freight capacity, and make the corridor more marketable to major East Coast ports and shippers.
Other significant freight awards given to state-sponsored projects include $105 million for intermodal facilities in Birmingham, Ala., and Memphis, Tenn.; $100 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation for a package of 78 projects that address freight rail congestion in the Chicago area; $33.8 million to the California Department of Transportation to eliminate a grade crossing in Colton that has become a chokepoint for freight trains coming in and out of the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles; $24.5 million to the Hawaii Department of Transportation to reconstruct a container yard at Honolulu Harbor; and $20 million to the Mississippi State Port Authority for rail improvements at the Port of Gulfport.
Funding for substantial improvements to New York's Penn Station; construction of a new border crossing between Port Huron, Michigan, and Canada; several light rail projects; the first multi-modal bridge in Tulsa; and a new divided freeway in Spokane was also approved through the grants.
Forty-two percent of the TIGER grants went directly to cities, metropolitan organizations and other entities. Overall, the competitive grant program received more than 1,400 applications from all 50 states and the U.S. territories for more than $56 billion worth of projects. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the grant awards today in Kansas City, Mo.
###
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the "Voice of Transportation" representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation.
-------------------
Just another why Ames is a great place to live!
Steven Bensema
Exclusive Buyer Agent
515.451.9421
steven@bensema.com
www.bockrealestate.com
-----------------------------------
AASHTO.org Press Release
For Immediate Release
February 17, 2010 Contact: Tony Dorsey
202-624-3690
States Awarded $777 Million in TIGER Recovery Funds from U.S. DOT
Grants Issued on First Anniversary of Recovery Act Will Create More Jobs
WASHINGTON-State transportation agencies received $777 million today from the U.S. Department of Transportation to help fund 22 state-sponsored projects including several that will improve freight connections. State DOTs and affiliated agencies from 23 states were awarded 52 percent of the $1.5 billion made available by Congress through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the TIGER grant program.
"We are particularly pleased to see nine TIGER grants awarded to states for freight and intermodal improvements," said AASHTO President Larry "Butch" Brown, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, whose emphasis areas this year include improving freight transportation. "These investments will unclog bottlenecks that delay freight shipments, reconstruct ports, improve rail lines - producing long-term economic benefits well beyond the initial construction work."
States also received grants for seven highway, three bridge, and three transit projects. A complete list of all projects and their descriptions can be found at http://www.dot.gov/documents/finaltigergrantinfo.pdf.
"The federal economic recovery TIGER funds awarded today to states will support a total project volume of $4 billion when state, local, private, and other matching funds are combined," said John Horsley, AASHTO executive director. "State DOTs have already started or completed work on 12,250 recovery projects worth $26.4 billion. On today's one-year anniversary of the recovery act's signing, states are once again ready to create thousands of new jobs in the short term during design and construction of these TIGER projects while building critical infrastructure that will benefit generations of Americans to come." An AASHTO report outlining the first year of state successes in spending the transportation portion of the recovery act is available at http://recovery.transportation.org.
Several states shared grants for regional projects including $98 million for Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia's National Gateway Freight Rail Corridor. The project will enhance transportation service options along three major freight rail corridors owned and operated by CSX through the Midwest and along the Atlantic coast. Improvements will allow trains to carry double-stack containers, increase freight capacity, and make the corridor more marketable to major East Coast ports and shippers.
Other significant freight awards given to state-sponsored projects include $105 million for intermodal facilities in Birmingham, Ala., and Memphis, Tenn.; $100 million to the Illinois Department of Transportation for a package of 78 projects that address freight rail congestion in the Chicago area; $33.8 million to the California Department of Transportation to eliminate a grade crossing in Colton that has become a chokepoint for freight trains coming in and out of the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles; $24.5 million to the Hawaii Department of Transportation to reconstruct a container yard at Honolulu Harbor; and $20 million to the Mississippi State Port Authority for rail improvements at the Port of Gulfport.
Funding for substantial improvements to New York's Penn Station; construction of a new border crossing between Port Huron, Michigan, and Canada; several light rail projects; the first multi-modal bridge in Tulsa; and a new divided freeway in Spokane was also approved through the grants.
Forty-two percent of the TIGER grants went directly to cities, metropolitan organizations and other entities. Overall, the competitive grant program received more than 1,400 applications from all 50 states and the U.S. territories for more than $56 billion worth of projects. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced the grant awards today in Kansas City, Mo.
###
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is the "Voice of Transportation" representing State Departments of Transportation in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association serving as a catalyst for excellence in transportation.
-------------------
Just another why Ames is a great place to live!
Steven Bensema
Exclusive Buyer Agent
515.451.9421
steven@bensema.com
www.bockrealestate.com
Tip of the Week: Hesitation Can Be Costly
Question: I’ve just put my home up for sale. The very first prospect offered to buy it at the asking price. Should I raise the price or accept his offer?
Answer: Once you put your house on the market, you have to make up your mind to sell when the right offer comes. The right offer may be your FIRST offer. If you turn it down, you may never get another as good. The best prospects usually show up early. However, the offer should be a written one – the only kind that has any real significance and be accompanied by “earnest” money. Never take your property off the market on a verbal promise.
Let us know your questions so that we can include them in future Weekly Updates: team@bockrealestate.com
Answer: Once you put your house on the market, you have to make up your mind to sell when the right offer comes. The right offer may be your FIRST offer. If you turn it down, you may never get another as good. The best prospects usually show up early. However, the offer should be a written one – the only kind that has any real significance and be accompanied by “earnest” money. Never take your property off the market on a verbal promise.
Let us know your questions so that we can include them in future Weekly Updates: team@bockrealestate.com
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Topic Of The Month: Considerations When Listing, Part 2
What's The Biggest Mistake When Listing a House?
The biggest mistake that is commonly made when selling a property is trying to capture a price that is too far above the true market value. When your home doesn’t stand out for the price, it causes others that yours is competing against to look even better, and sell faster. A properly priced home’s best friends are overpriced neighbors! An educated buyer, working with a real estate agent will not only know what other similar houses are selling for, but their agent will provide them with recent supportive market data to show where the price of any house of interest might be. One of the hardest things for owners to do is to go against human nature and price their home competitively instead of hope it will sell for more and put more cash in pocket. The second disadvantage to over-pricing is time. When the home sits on the market for an extended amount of time, buyers even more so question the price, and a downward spiral of time and price reductions usually ensues, which often would have been avoided by a correct pricing during it’s introduction to the market. This is one of the hardest steps to get right and it’s critical that your agent can establish correct market value right away. Be wary of agents telling you they can sell your house for more than the competition, as they may be working to get your initial commitment at the cost of stretching the truth.
The biggest mistake that is commonly made when selling a property is trying to capture a price that is too far above the true market value. When your home doesn’t stand out for the price, it causes others that yours is competing against to look even better, and sell faster. A properly priced home’s best friends are overpriced neighbors! An educated buyer, working with a real estate agent will not only know what other similar houses are selling for, but their agent will provide them with recent supportive market data to show where the price of any house of interest might be. One of the hardest things for owners to do is to go against human nature and price their home competitively instead of hope it will sell for more and put more cash in pocket. The second disadvantage to over-pricing is time. When the home sits on the market for an extended amount of time, buyers even more so question the price, and a downward spiral of time and price reductions usually ensues, which often would have been avoided by a correct pricing during it’s introduction to the market. This is one of the hardest steps to get right and it’s critical that your agent can establish correct market value right away. Be wary of agents telling you they can sell your house for more than the competition, as they may be working to get your initial commitment at the cost of stretching the truth.
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