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Elizabeth Weintraub
Which is Better — Lockboxes or Appointments?
Which is better when selling a home — lockboxes or appointments? This is an article written by Elizabeth for another publication. It is a situation that hasn’t changed from a decade ago. Today, there are new companies like “Open Door” which do not use lockboxes at all, but that is another blog altogether. Enjoy…
— JaCi Wallace
Should a seller require an appointment or will a lockbox inspire more showings? Some sellers are uneasy about giving agents and their buyers access to a home when the sellers are not at home. However, unless a seller is at home during the day, without a lockbox, showings might not happen at all.
Homes where access is restricted or require appointments in advance often fall to the bottom of the showing list, especially in buyer’s markets when inventory is abundant. If your market has an oversupply of homes for sale, you might want to consider using a lockbox.
In some parts of the country, though, it is customary for listing agents to be present at all showings, and some agents never use a lockbox. But if security is an issue, modern lockboxes record who comes and who goes from a home. Moreover, it’s often a good idea to put a lockbox out of sight, on a gas pipe or on a back gate.
Read more about Appointments vs. Lockboxes.
We suggest you use a Supra lockbox on your home if you want to sell your home quickly and for top dollar. If you want to sell a home or purchase a home, please call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors with RE/MAX Gold. We can be reached at 916-233-6759.
— Elizabeth Weintraub
Negotiating as a For Sale By Owner Seller: FSBO Tips
Negotiating as a for sale by owner seller: FSBO Tips is an article written by Elizabeth for another publication. For sale by owners have the same challenges today as they did a decade ago or even two decades ago. It is not EZ no matter what the internet says. How can a person be an expert at something they have done one or two times? Our team has sold about 1500 homes now that expertise you can count on. Enjoy.
— JaCi Wallace
Selling your home by yourself can be a lengthy and time-consuming process. However, the real joy doesn’t set in until a buyer decides to make an offer. Because that’s when strong negotiating can pay off in spades.
When I sold one of my own homes, a buyer called me from the number on the sign in my yard. It was in MLS as a FSBO. The buyers’ agent gave the buyers a print out of all the homes available in the area, telling them to go drive by and call him when they were ready to make an offer. That’s just lousy service in my book. The agent didn’t even notice that my home was a for-sale-by-owner.
Needless to say, the buyers didn’t call their agent to write an offer for them. They dealt directly with me. And, quite frankly, I had my own interests at heart, not theirs, which meant the buyers paid list price and received no inspections, no guarantees, no protection plans, and they had to pay for their own title insurance. Buyers, if you’re reading this, always use an agent! FSBO sellers, read up on how to negotiate for yourself.
If you want to sell your own home always consult with a Realtor first. Negotiating as a for sale by owner doesn’t always work out the way you might think. Many Realtors earn a living calling on for sale by owners. To sell your property call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors with RE/MAX Gold. We will provide you a complimentary sit-down conversation about selling your home. We can be reached at 916-233-6759.
— Elizabeth Weintraub
A Home Can Be On The Market for a Year and Get Two Offers on the Same Day
A home can be on the market a year and get two offers on the same day. Excellent article. This was written by Elizabeth for another publication. Enjoy. –JaCi Wallace
A reader from my homebuying forum on About.com asked me why there isn’t more transparency in real estate. This buyer was in escrow on a short sale when the seller received another offer from an all-cash buyer. That second buyer offered to sell the home to the first set of buyers at a higher price.
The reader put the blame of the housing bubble on agents pushing multiple offers that drove up prices, and implied that listing and selling agents are working together behind the scenes, devising secret plans to get higher prices so the agents can earn more money.
In all fairness, I can see how consumers might believe that, but it’s not really true. As I pointed out to that reader, a $10,000 increase in price means the agent might pocket another 100 to 200 bucks. To somebody who earns $15 an hour, that might seem plausible. But to an agent who earns thousands on a transaction, it’s not an incentive.
Second, I don’t care how long a home has languished on the market, there’s a mysterious rule in real estate that says the minute a buyer wants to write an offer on that passed-over house, so will another. I have witnessed this phenomenon over and over.
I believe the reason is buyers aren’t always all that different from each other. Many home buyers are looking in the same price ranges and in the same neighborhoods at the same time. Where I work in Sacramento, a buyer who wants to look at homes in Land Park may also want to consider homes in East Sacramento or Midtown or Curtis Park. Especially first-time home buyers who can’t exceed a certain price point.
In areas of falling inventory such as Sacramento, home buyers may find themselves becoming increasingly desperate to find that right home. It’s not unusual for buyers to compromise on their lists of wants and needs, either. When we have many buyers out looking at homes, the odds that two buyers will want the same home are extremely high.
That’s why I tell my buyers: When you find a home you want, don’t sleep on it; don’t ask Tom, Dick and Harry what they think about it. Instead, examine the comparable sales and immediately make an offer. Then cross your fingers and hope that another buyer doesn’t beat you to it.
A home can be on the market a year and get two offers on the same day for so many reasons. Call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors to sell your home in the shortest amount of time possible, period. We will sell your home in record breaking time as well. We can be reached at 916-233-6759.
— Elizabeth Weintraub
Weintraub & Wallace
Price Reductions: When is the Time Ripe for a Price Reduction?
Today we present an article about price reduction when selling a home. Do you know when is the time ripe for a price reduction? This is an article written by Elizabeth for another publication. Enjoy. –JaCi
My feeling is sellers should price a home right at the get-go and forget about “testing” the market. Those who test the market often end up selling for a lot less after a price reduction than they might have received had they priced it right from the beginning.
Testing the market works only if you get list price. If you don’t get list price within a reasonable period of time, quite frankly, you’re hosed. Because once buyers see a price reduction, they immediately begin to wonder how much lower you will go. It’s just human nature. Is the time ripe for a price reduction on your property?
But before you immediately jump to a price reduction, consider these ten options first. Read more before you consider a Price Reduction.
If you are interested in selling your home, please call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors, with RE/MAX GOLD. We can be reached at 916-233-6759.
— Elizabeth Weintraub
How To Get Rid Of Fleas In The House
How to get rid of fleas in the house was written by Elizabeth on another website. Enjoy, JaCi .
Little is worse than showing a house to prospective buyers and discovering dozens of fleas jumping on you and your clients. I know, because I’ve been there. Even vacant homes can harbor fleas. Fleas live in the carpet and furniture, which means if you vacuum them up, they will still hatch from eggs. Fleas can multiply like crazy almost overnight, and before you know it, you’ve got a full-blown flea infestation.
In most parts of the country, spring and summer provide breeding grounds for fleas, but fleas can live through almost any season if it’s warm enough. You can bring back fleas from the beach on a sandy towel — you don’t have to own pets to get fleas in the house, although fleas thrive on pets. So, if you notice unusual scratching, your pets could have fleas and should be immediately checked. Because by the time you spot them on you, you may need to treat the entire house.
Before you put your own home on the market, make sure the interior is flea free and that you’ve eradicated any signs of fleas.
Read more about Getting Rid of Fleas in the House.
If you want to sell a property, call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors with REMAX Gold. We can be reached at 916-233-6759
— Elizabeth Weintraub
