Greater Hartford Online

Let's face it...a lot of Agents don't do them anymore.  They can be dangerous.  They can invite in trouble and they can be a waste of precious weekend time.  An in depth discussion with your Agent can determine if they are right for you and your family.

 

However, over the course of 12 years we've discovered the following:

Myth & Truth #1:  Neighbors are going to be in my house, nosing around.  And while initially this is true, they are also the voice of your community and since homes do sell often times to friends of friends in your neighborhood....why the heck not let them nose around?  Haven't you known someone that has been interested in living where you do?  Anything that may instigate a "showing" on your home is one step closer to a sale. 

Myth & Truth #2:  A real buyer would be pre-approved and looking with their Realtor this weekend and my home would get shown to them anyway.  True again and yet not everyone does the home buying thing in the right order.  Pre-approval first and so on and so forth.  Or maybe their Realtor is not available today and they are out just driving around.  Maybe they don't even know what they want yet and since home buying is "an emotional purchase" most of the time...well you just never know what can be accomplished when folks see the right house. 

And with all of the internet marketing available...homes are deleted from showing lists often due to misconceptions about the home based on photos or lack of information.  (Example later)

Myth & Truth #3:  Nothing ever comes of it.  Well I would beg to differ.  On our latest listing alone, 2 qualified showings resulted from open houses because the Realtors stopped by the open house and decided that the home in fact did match the criteria of the Buyer or...yep you guessed it...they had ruled the home out based on a misconception of the usability of the lot.

Myth & Truth #4:  My agent just wants to do an open house to get more business.  This may be the truest statement of all and yet it doesn't negate in any way the desire and goal to sell your home in the process.  And if number 1, 2 and 3 above hold true than isn't it worth it?

Quote from our latest open house "Well, I saw the pictures of this house when my Agent sent it to me but I thought it was somewhere else and further away from town than this and had ruled it out."  Hmmm. 

 

Voice of April Greer

"The Team To Trust"

(951) 522-0518

Temecula Valley Real Estate

 

 

I have been a buyer's agent in Colorado Springs for awhile now and each time I take a buyer into a home, they usually make a comment within the first 5 seconds of entering the home.

I have a theory that each home has a "Vibe" to it and that vibe is noticed immediately.

The questions is- If your home is for sale, which Vibe do you want to portray?

Here they are from the point of view of the buyer looking at your home.

Vibe #1- Home has been neglected and may be bank owned. This vibe shows through the curb appeal (or lack thereof) with the weeds and trashy yard. When you walk inside this home, you usually see immediate repairs that need to be tended to. Often times the heat and lights are off in this home and it gives off a really bad vibe. This home could also be a divorce situation where they just want OUT. This type of home has one hope for getting sold- PRICE. It must be lower than the comps in the area.

Vibe #2- I like to call this home vibe The Outdated Vibe. When you walk in this home, the first thing the buyer will comment about is the ugly color carpet or the old style fixtures. When you walk around this home, it may be clean, but it could have been built in 1970, 1980 or any other time that you FEEL when walking through the home. It may have window treatments that are nice, but in mauve and baby blue. Also, this home could have some really tacky wallpaper in the kitchen and bathrooms. There is really nothing WRONG with this home except the fact that it is living in a time warp. Some buyers can see past this and picture updates, but only if the PRICE is right. By RIGHT, I mean lower than the comps in the area.

Vibe #3- This home is what I call the "Weird Layout" Vibe. When you walk in this house you feel it immediately. It may even start from outside the home where you have to take a path to the door that is on the side of the house in a weird location. You may see a coat closet in the dining room or a weird shaped kitchen that doesn't allow any space for standing- much less eating. This home could have a huge formal living room and teeny tiny bedrooms. You wonder what the person was thinking who designed this home. The layout  is not practical for most of the population. Unfortunately, the ONLY hope for selling this one is PRICE. Again, it must be lower than the comps in the area.

Vibe #4- "Old People" Vibe. Now, I am not being mean here, I promise!  I have older parents, and many elderly clients that I dearly love, but buyers have commented to me on this vibe more than some of the others. They say "You can tell that elderly people live here."  When you walk around this home it is usually similar to the outdated vibe. Usually you see TONS of pictures on every inch of the walls and on every table imaginable. The grandkids are cute. However, the house smells a bit like Ponds Cream and usually is decorated with lace and doilies. There is some serious oldantique furniture throughout the home. I think this home is usually a very easy fix if you get a stager involved. It is sometimes hard to convince these sellers that you sell a house differently than you live in it. A stager will help these sellers appeal to all types and ages of buyers and possibly get them as much money as Vibe #5.

Vibe #5- "Smiley Face Vibe" When my buyers walk into this type of home I have seen a visceral reaction from them. They fall in love. They make comments like "OOOHHH, AHHHHH, This is SOOOO Nice." Now, this vibe often comes from brand new homes, completely remodeled homes or a home that has been staged to perfection. It is spotless and clutter-free.  When I walk in a home and feel this vibe, usually my buyer does, too. This home is the one you see when it is sold that brought the higher price. If I take my buyer to look at 5 homes, guess which one they want to put an offer on usually?

If you are asking yourself, "How do I make sure I give off that special VIBE to buyers?" I have your answer. Hire a Realtor that can help you by either suggesting improvements or pointing you in the right direction with a great stager. If the home needs TLC, it is easier to do it as it needs it, but an experienced Realtor can help before you put it on the market.

It is all about making a great first impression and presenting a winning VIBE!

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If you are looking for Real Estate in Colorado Springs call Kristi DeFazio at 719-459-5468

Kristi helps buyers find their dream home in Colorado Springs with that winning VIBE!

Kristi DeFazio

Realtor

RE/MAX Advantage

More about Kristi

Search for your Dream Home

 

For most people buying a home is the largest investment they will ever make. Because of this you need the guidance of an experienced real estate professional to help you avoid costly mistakes.

The advantages of using a real estate professional are many:

• Knowledge of the neighborhoods, schools and condition of the local real estate market. If they don't have first hand knowledge of an area then they probably know a fellow real estate professional who does.
• A real estate professional is experienced in negotiating price.
• By working with you, a real estate professional will know what interests you and watch for new homes on the market that match those interests.
• By knowing what you want, a real estate professional can help you focus on your needs and not let you get sidetracked by amenities that don't add value to your purchase.
• A real estate professional has working relationships with appraisers, inspectors, mortgage lenders, title insurers, movers, attorneys, etc. These relationships make the entire buying process much smoother than it would if you had to find all these resources yourself.
• Get you a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) so you know what comparable homes in the area are selling for.
• A great resource of information throughout the searching, offering, closing process and after you move into your new home.

As a real estate professional I'm thoroughly versed in all phases of the home buying process, be sure to use that experience to your advantage. I'm here to help.

There are 2 more things to consider when looking for an agent:

1. Not All Agents are created equally, so it is in your best interest to meet & speak with 2 - 3 agents to see if the chemistry is there first and foremost. Let's face it, we all have differences of opinion and you should feel comfortable with the person you want working for you.

2. Service is one of the key differences that will set us apart when it comes to meeting your needs. Some agents will be available more than others, maybe consider hiring an agent that specializes within a certain area as they may in fact provide better service than someone not as familiar with the locations you like.

The most important consideration no matter who you choose to work with is you will in most cases be far better off with an agent than without. When you find the right person for you it will take a load of worry off and save you lots of time when you have an expert that provides you the very best in service.

Please feel free to call or email me with any questions.

Steve Vitani - Power Realty, LLC

www.Stevesellsflorida.com