11 years ago

We will never forget.

Proven methods to sell your house

1. Home Warranty Policies

The thing that is most attractive to buyers is a home warranty policy. The good news is that this is also the most cost-effective incentive option for sellers, too.
Sellers can assure buyers that any unexpected repairs that fall under the warranty policy will be covered. A home warranty typically costs only a few hundred dollars for the seller and can offer the buyer a tremendous amount of peace of mind. There are a number of home warranty providers out there, so make sure you do your research to find the best provider for the home in question.

2. Assistance With Closing Costs

The economic and lending environments have created a situation in which many prospective buyers don’t have the cash required to cover their closing costs. Many times, the difference between a buyer being able to buy a home or having to pass it up can lie in the closing costs.
Sellers who are willing to contribute to the closing costs stand a much greater chance of attracting a larger pool of buyers. Sellers can decide how much they want to offer based on what makes financial sense for them and the prospective buyers. While this might be a bit more costly option than the home warranty, it can be equally as effective in sealing a deal.

3. Remodeling/Repair Credit

If your listing has a feature or flaw that repels buyers, consider offering a credit towards repairs or remodeling. If you are receiving feedback that buyers consistently don’t like a particular aspect of the floor plan or condition of a listing, then consider a credit. This gives you and your client a way to overcome a potential objection right up front. The more objections you can remove, the closer you get to a sale.
These were the top 3 most attractive incentives in according to people who actually purchased homes in 2011. For more, download this great handout on attractive buyer incentives.
The next time you are trying to sweeten the pot for a prospective buyer, consider these options with your sellers. These just might be the incentives you need to land that perfect buyer and close the deal.

Mad Dash

Back in 2007 I wrote a piece about how brokers needed to take advantage of the wealth in China. A Better Tomorrow It looks like someone was reading my article Why Brokers Study Chinese The article profiles Kevin Brown and Nikki Field in the efforts overseas to find more buyers. They have gone as far as learning Mandarin and making trips to China to hunt for buyers. They do have their detractors which include notable real estate figures Dolly Lenz and Janet Wang. I have to agree with them. Kevin and Nikki have the right idea but their execution is the issue. Because of the complexities of doing business in China requires a lifetime of experience, what they should have done is hired a power broker to make introductions for them into these circles of wealth. The DIY approach is not recommended. One could say they have been successful, according to the article out of 37 clients, 9 either closed or signed contracts for properties. With the amount time, money and effort needed to just learn the language and culture, one could argue that this was all one big sunk cost. If they had hired a power broker, they may have been able to close all 37 clients, maybe even more. Brown and Field's strategy would have been better executed if they had actually had begun preparations at least 10 years and not when the s**t the fan. If their focus was on developing relations rather than making deals the yield would have been far more impressive. This mad dash to China is not something that everyone wants to be a part of. The article mentions that invitations were extended to Wang to go on these trips to China which has turned down. And honestly, I would have done the same thing too because these banks and organizations will treat her like a lead generator. And why should she make money for them? China's heyday is ending soon. For the last couple of years there has been chatter that the sleeping giant that awaken would be suffering from a major hangover. It appears that will come to pass very soon. China, Big Slowdown Is Tied to Slow Construction

Real estate Update

Steve Tyson’s Real Estate Update for 4 Subdivisions

Neuse Harbour  Active homes for sale by price range Current number of homes on the market=10 Pending sales=1 Active homes for sale by price range $190,000-$250,000=3 $295,000-$320,000=2 $,660,000-$1,095,000=5 There was 18 home that sold and closed in Neuse Harbour in the last 12 months. The most expensive house sold was $399,000.	Stately Pines Current homes on the market=6 Pending sales=0 Active homes for sale by price range $139,000-$200,000=4 $270,000-$699,000=3 There were 12 homes that sold and closed in Stately Pines in the last 12 months. The most expensive house sold was $244,000.
Carolina Pines Current homes on the market=15 Pending sales=3 Active homes for sale by price range $119,000-$$150,000=5 $169,000-$200,000=3 $200,000-262,000=6 $305,000=1 There were 20 homes that sold and closed in Carolina Pines in the last 12 months. The highest priced home sold was $255,000.	Tucker Creek Current homes on the market=3 Pending sales=2 Active homes for sale by price range $165,000=1 $259,000 $260,000 There were 10 homes that sold and closed in Tucker Creek in the last 12 months. The highest priced home sold was $229,000.

Total homes sold January 1-August  23 2007=1377

Total homes sold January 1-August  23 2008=1033

Total homes sold January 1-August  23 2009=751

Total homes sold January 1-August  23 2010=828

Total homes sold January 1-August  23.  2011=822

Total homes sold January 1-August  23 2012=835

There are currently 1360 homes listed for sale in our multiple listing service. We are selling homes at a rate of about 107 a month. .

Feel free to call or email me if you would like to have a customized absorption rate or a Comparable Market Analysis for your property. Home sales in each neighborhood can vary greatly.

Any suggestions to make this article better would be welcomed. I can be reached at SteveTyson@NCmove.com  And remember you can always visit me online at www.NewBern-NC.Info

                                      

Realtor Steve Tyson
The Tyson Group Realtors

Real Estate News

I would like to say the Real Estate Market is improving but to do so would not be accurate. In July there were 117 total sales in our MLS. Sales ranged from $27,000-$532,000. All this adds up to about a one year absorption rate, still a buyers market.

However, I am feeling some resistance to further decreases in prices. Seems like things were in somewhat of a free fall for several years and I think in many price ranges today prices are close to the bottom. Only time will tell.

With prices reasonable for the most part, and interest rates at historic lows, with a modest down payment you can buy a home cheaper than you can rent a home.

When will home prices start improving?

This question comes up quite often in my conversations with real estate prospects. My answer is always the same.
Real Estate prices will start improving when the economy starts growing and jobs are being created. The population of the US is growing and the growing population will require additional housing. Sooner or later, hopefully sooner, the demand of the additional growth in the population will put upward pressure on prices. But first, we need jobs and a growing economy.

The Food and Real Estate Connection

There have been some changes on Blogger and I am still adapting to them. Please excuse the current format. Three years ago, I blogged about a controversial landlord who had sold his portfolio of buildings right before the real estate market imploded, leaving the new owners holding the bag. Harlem tenants put landlord on notice - New York Daily News 'Worst landlord' puts bldgs. - & violations - on the block - New York So what has he been up to? Two years ago he was launching a new real estate fund.He was flipping real estate in his hometown. And even bought one of his sons an apartment Other than that there has been no reports of any real estate deals. What is interesting is that one of his sons has gone into the frozen yogurt business. So proud of this venture, he claims it is the first self service yogurt shop of its kind. Yogoberry 16 Handles , Red Mango and other self service frozen yogurt chains would beg to differ. But besides this inaccuracy, what’s the big deal about his child opening up a frozen yogurt shop? First of all self service frozen yogurt is a great business since and the markups are huge on the product itself and platform allows a lower overhead since it reduces labor costs significantly because the customer is doing most of the work. The son has been rather aggressive in opening up shops from Westchester to as far as Connecticut and Massachusetts. And the son is well versed in the real estate business so he has probably been able to get some sick deals on the rent. But there is no way he could do this on his own so it is very likely his father is fronting the money. Perhaps this a case of looking too hard at something but when a real estate investor has 200 million dollars burning a hole in their pocket, they are usually not looking to invest in a chain of self-service frozen yogurt shops. My theory why he is abstaining from the market, is that he has decided to sit on his cash because the real estate market has not spawned the deals that he seeks. At the same time, he's got to eat and so does his kids. The yogurt shops are just another revenue stream for the son to tide him over when things get better. He is also not alone Real Estate Agents With a Lot on Their Plates Restaurants and real estate go hand in hand since restaurant usually requires the services a very skilled broker to find the appropriate space. The real estate agent has replaced the waiter as the primary job for artistic professionals. The hours are just as flexible and although there is no salary, a good real estate agent can make more in a month than a waiter. Artists, particularly actors are ready made for sales. Although the overall tone of this article is quite hopeful for these real estate restauranteur, yet there is a very hidden yet ominous message in this article. It is not uncommon for real estate brokers or anyone to invest in any particular type of business. But what makes restaurants appealing to real estate brokers is the cash flow. A real estate broker gets paid on commission and even though those commissions can get very fat, they may have to wait months maybe years to close a deal. In the meantime they need another source of income, and currently I do not know of any firms giving out draws to their brokers at this time. A good restaurant is a license to print money and in these times all real estate brokers want that license. 2012 near the end, but it is still enough time for the Mayans to prove themselves right. So real estate brokers are hustling have no choice but to diversify their revenue streams.