Hello All!
Our team has been in dialogue regarding open house - the traditional "do they really work" conversations. In this competitive market I am finding that the sellers are yearning for that "touch." On the flip side, statistically open houses rarely sell that house and at best are lead generation tools for the agent to find prospects for other..(read more)
You’ve watched the news and read about it in the papers. You know, the “credit crisis” and how buyers need 20 percent down in order to buy a home? And even if you found a buyer with 20 percent down, lenders aren’t making loans anyway. So, why bother, right? Wrong!
We’re right smack in the middle of what just might be the biggest disservice ever perpetrated on potential..(read more)
Green is Good!
The Rivers team has recently “gone green” by changing our method of Marketing. Now instead of mailing out post cards to our clients informing them of new socials or community fund raising activities, we now notify our clients by email. At first, our clients gave us some grief; who doesn’t like getting fun mail mixed in with your monthly bills? ..(read more)
The Up’s and Down’s of A Home Owners Association (HOA)
Home owner associations or HOA’s have become very common and can be a valuable tool for the maintenance of the community. HOA’s are created by a developer of a community for the purpose of managing and enforcing the covenants and restrictions. These bylaws keep the community appearance the same no matter..(read more)
Ever want to get inside the head of a buyer? As a buyers specialist with the rivers team, sometimes I feel like I know exactly what they are thinking.
Here’s the scenario:
We drive up to house A, in the neighborhood they want to live in. The first thing you see when you drive into the driveway is the front yard is over grown with weeds and the roof has leaves scattered..(read more)
Hello All,
I have had a whirlwind 24 hrs and thought I'd share. I was contacted a few months ago by some folks thinking of selling. They have a beautiful home in a great neighborhood and have kept it in relatively good shape. We met and had a conversation about price and condition. The end result was a hard pill for them to swallow as I strongly recommended some fairly significant..(read more)
So what can you do to give your house super appeal?
For starters, you should:
Set your price competitively.
Offer incentives. If your carpet is old or outdated, offer a carpet allowance up front. If a potential buyer knows this right off the bat, they might be able to overlook the unattractive carpet - probably the first thing they'll notice when they walk in the door. Or, offer to include..(read more)
Remodeling Magazine has released its 2007 cost versus value report [www.costvsvalue.com].
So where is the value?
Across all projects, the share of construction costs recovered is down compared with last year, although the rate of decline has slowed. And some parts of the country are doing better than others.
That said, remodeling is still a pretty good investment. Two-thirds of this year's..(read more)
"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood....."
If we took a pole in Tallahassee, I bet the majority of people would know how to finish the song. Mr. Rogers will forever remind us of the quintessential "friendly neighbor", and I think we sometimes forget how important it is to pay attention to those things when choosing a home.
I have stumbled across a wonderful new..(read more)
Real Wood Floors: Add Value to Your Home
Did you know that homes with real wood floors sell faster and for more money than homes without wood floors?
It's true. In a survey of real estate agents across the country, 58% of agents surveyed agree that homes with wood floors sell for more money than homes without wood floors -- up to 10% more. In addition, 46% agree that homes with wood floors..(read more)
