No open? No worries

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

Occasionally I run into home owners who believe that houses are sold at open houses and without an open they won’t sell. I once had a client demand that his home be held open every Sunday in June because he believed that was the only way to sell it.

In today’s sellers market it is possible to sell a home in a day without a for sale sign or an open house. The number one tool for selling houses these days is excellent photography posted in all the right places on the internet. It is like having a world wide open house seven days a week 24 hours a day.

Everyone including me has a story about a home that sold at an open house or it sold to someone who went through the open house. Often the buyers who bought it were already looking for a home to buy and they would have made an appointment for a private showing and would have purchased the house even if there wasn’t an open house.

Open houses can create dual agency as the agent who is holding the open writes an offer for a buyer. Home buyers who are interested in buying a home they toured during an open house should contact their own agent if they wish to write an offer.

The main reason for an open house are for the agent holding the open to sign up “leads” and occasionally the buyers come through the open house. The main reason for not having an open house is not wanting a bunch of noisy neighbors and strangers who may not be qualified to buy going through your home because they like to go to open houses.

Currently there are more home buyers than there are homes on the market. The sellers goal should be getting the best terms and having a successful closing and no litigation due to problems with the house or with the sale.

Not the agents fault

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

The other day someone was criticizing the agent who has a home listed that needs some work. He said “what is wrong with that agent? The house is full of junk. I can see it through the front window”.

It isn’t the agents fault. We often advise our clients to make repairs or to clean and declutter. Some will tell us they are going to have everything ready. We discuss pricing and make our recommendations based in part on what the homeowner says they are going to do before the home is put on the market.

Sometimes the work is done before the home is put on the market and sometimes it isn’t. When I list a house it is my job to sell it no matter what kind of shape it is in and I don’t have any control over the condition. I have to be truthful about the home but can find a way to market it in a positive way.

Most of the homes in St. Paul are smaller and older and they don’t look like the homes shown in the glossy magazines or on television and that is alright. I am happy to sell the most modest of homes. They are sometimes a challenge but there is always a buyer.

No Snow

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

It is Friday and Fridays are for fun. It sure was a close call with the snow. We stocked up on adult beverages and snacks but it looks like most of the snow is going to miss us. There isn’t any snow on the ground in St. Paul which is kind of rare for February which is why I had to take pictures of dried hydrangeas.

The blizzard effect

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

Few people look at homes for sale during snow storms and we get fewer offers on homes for sale. I like to call it the blizzard effect.

The warm weather we had last week was good for local home sales.

The spring home buying season starts shortly after the super bowl ends no matter what the weather is like.

A snow storm is headed our way but we got this. We will get somewhere between 3 and 18 inches in the metro area and it will start this evening or tonight or early tomorrow or possibly this afternoon and should be over by sometime on Friday.

Enjoy!

Pre-listed and coming soon

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

We are in a sellers market which means that it isn’t hard to find a buyer for almost any home.

There has been a shortage of homes on the market for a couple of years now.  Some homes are “pre-listed” which means they are for sale before they are listed for sale and are sometimes sold while they are still “coming soon”. People who drive by and see the sign have an advantage if they would like to buy the house which is why I want to give buyers this pro-tip.

If you see a boulevard with a bunch of colorful flags on it that can mean a for sale sign will soon be delivered. The sign companies have the utilities marked before they dig . . hence the flags. There are other reasons why utilities are flagged it doesn’t always mean the home is coming on the market but it doesn’t hurt to keep an eye on it because it might be for sale soon . . which isn’t like coming soon but it could be coming soon.

If you are a home owner who is thinking about selling and you want hire a Realtor who is going to “pre-list” your home and “pre-market” it give me a call.We won’t play games or play with your home. We don’t need to pre-list we can skip all of that and just sell it for you.

condition and location

Posted on by Teresa Boardman

There are actually three factors that greatly influence the value of a piece of real estate and they are size, location and condition. There is nothing a home owner can do about location. Most home sellers can only change the condition of the property.

I always recommend cleaning and decluttering first, minor repairs second and painting if needed. Small improvements can also raise the value. By small I mean a back splash in the kitchen, and some new light fixtures or maybe a new electrical outlet or two and smart thermostat. larger small improvements might include a new front door and some new flooring.

New hardware and towel racks can transform a bathroom. Throw in a new shower curtain, coordinating towels, rugs and curtains and the home owner will want to stay. 🙂

By small repairs I mean lose door knobs, anything that leaks, visible wires, and fixing windows that are hard to open of that don’t open. Replacing burned out light bulbs should be the first step in getting a home ready to sell.

Cleaning is a tough one for some. I have a list that includes cleaning inside the oven and cleaning the windows.

As a rule home buyers will want about $1000 dollars off the list price for every $100 in repairs that the buyer thinks are needed. Sometimes buyers ask for upgrades and call them repairs.