Turbulance in Selling, Buying, or Investing in Real Estate

Selling your home (buying a home, investing in a home...) is like taking an airline flight across country. When you start on your trip you have no idea how the trip will go. Neither does the pilot! You could run into 88 different types of turbulence, or you could have a smooth flight and land on time. Certainly the pilots will try to use their experience to navigate around the storms and go for the smoothest flight plan, but if they’re honest, they can’t promise a turbulent-free trip. Their job is simply to get you to your destination in the least time and with the least aggravation, while keeping you informed throughout the trip.

Turbulance can occur when the lender does not properly pre-qualify the borrower, when the buyer finds another property that is a better deal, when the Title Company does not find liens or any title problems until last minute, when the seller discovers hidden or unknown defects in the property, when the appraiser makes important mistakes on appraisal or brings in value is too low, or when the inspector delays the report. (For the full list, contact me, and I can get it to you)

The job of a real estate consultant (my job as your real estate consultant)is to be your pilot and assist you in getting your home sold for the most money (buy your home for the least amount), in the least amount of time, with the fewest aggravations. No turbulence can't be promised, but experience and expertise can and should be utilized to take you on the smoothest flight possible until the destination is safely reached.

7 More Reasons to Own Your Home

You've probably seen lots of financial arguments about why you should own your own home rather than rent. This includes budgeting (no rent increases) and the tax savings you'll most likely have. Now we're going to give you some reasons you probably haven't heard.

#1: Freedom to pursue other goals in life once the major goal of home ownership is achieved.

Strange as it sounds, many of our first-time buyers have told us that once they bought the house, other things in their life started to fall into place. It's as if not owning took so much of their mental energy that other goals were not worked on until that big goal was reached. So buy a home and get on with your life!

#2: A greater sense of belonging to the community.

Once you own a home, you feel more attached to the city in which you live. You're more interested in what happens in town, to the roads, schools, and shopping areas. Some people even become involved in local politics.

#3: A commitment to something, a sense of stability.

Home ownership is an anchor, something that cannot be pulled out from under you. You'll never get a notice that you have to move. You're kids will never have to change schools. It gives you freedom to plan years ahead.

#4: You can change things, a feeling of being in control.

It's your home. You can add to it, remodel it, change the landscaping, do whatever projects you want. You have a feeling of being in control of something in your life. At work we don't always have control of what happens, but your home is your castle and you have dominion over it. You can see what you're building take shape before your eyes.

#5: More control over the children than in an apartment complex

In a neighborhood, kids usually play in the yards or go to friend's houses a few doors away. Our clients have told us that in an apartment complex they never knew where the kids were. They could be in any of hundreds of apartments, doing who knows what. In a home you get to know the neighbors and watch out for each other's kids.

#6: Children do better in school and feel more secure.

This one surprised us, but buyers have reported to us that their kids calmed down in school after they bought a house. We don't know why, but it seems to work that way. We remember a single mom watching her son play in the yard, making steps in the slope and building things. She didn't have to tell him to leave everything alone, like she did at the apartment complex. I guess kids feel the same need for control we adults do.

#7: Time and money saved by not going to the Laundromat.

A small point, but if you have kids, you know the value of this one. You gain a whole evening a week when you buy a house! The wash gets done in between other things, or while you're at work. What would you do with the extra evening you'll have? How about going out for dessert with your spouse with all those quarters?

Ways to Make Home Buyers Hate Your House

If you are selling a home, did you know that you have the power to make home buyers with all different kinds of needs, wants, and desires to not just walk, but run out of your house? If you try hard enough, you might even be able to get some of them just to keep on driving as they approach your home.

1. Odors
The number one, most effective way to shorten their stay is to have home odors. Now I’m not talking about fresh cookies, scented candles and the like. They might give the impression you actually care about your home’s first impression. What we are looking for here are those pungent odors like cigarette smoke, pets, and mildew. Odors like these are sure to get them out holding their nose, covering their mouth, and wiping those watering eyes. The last thing we want to do is give a fresh, clean first impression.

2. Inadequate lighting
A man’s home is his castle right? I don’t recall any medieval castles being well lit, do you? Isn’t too much light bad for your eyes? I mean, really, can’t you find better things to do than trimming limbs on the tree outside, repainting rooms with brighter more reflective paint, taking down heavy curtains, cleaning windows, or putting in more light fixtures or lamps. You might get hurt doing some of these.

3. Busy Wallpaper
Keep it up! It’s retro! It’s a reminder of all the good times you have had since you moved in here 15 years ago. Grandma had some just like it in her house while she was raising mom. If someone really wants this house they can take it down themselves! You live here now, not them. You probably don’t have time to take it down and replace it with something tasteful or paint anyway. You’re concentrating on finding your new home.

4. Loose dogs
Now, we all know that dogs are a mans' best friend. This is the reason why you should have them waiting in the driveway, or even better, hiding behind the front door. There’s nothing better than that big surprise to reveal some agent’s or potential buyers fears than to have a dog yapping and growling at them. Besides, isn’t it cruel to crate them or take them from their home to another environment?

5. The Unclean Bathroom
You do actually live here right? Don’t people realize what you do in bathrooms? That little spot of mildew in the corner of the shower just serves as a reminder that the shampoo goes here. Besides, who would ever see it anyway? A scrubbed, freshly painted bathroom with a new shower curtain, rug, or towels just seems unused and unloved.

6. Damp Basements
Isn’t a basement kind of like a dungeon? People will need to just take your word that it doesn’t leak. You do live here. They ought to expect those damp smells in the basement and not just automatically assume that foundation leaks.

7. Unattractive Curb Appeal
This is the way you can get those home invaders to just to keep on driving and not even bother to step out of the car. If you’re spending all your weekends looking at houses then your yard just might be unkempt, and those plants growing in the gutter are just giving homage to your favorite restaurant Carrabba’s. It costs a lot of time and money to clean and paint the house. If you do this those shoppers may have to pay more for your house.

8. Insects and Bugs
Don’t people realize that roaches, spiders, and insect can get in your house? It’s nearly impossible to really get rid of them. Isn’t it cruel to kill animals? Won’t it disrupt the food chain?

9. Stick Around for Showings
Who knows your house better than you? Yes, the home buyers may feel a little awkward about opening closet doors and staying for a really good look at the house, but you can do this for them on a quick personalized tour of the home. Make sure you listen for any comments they make and give them the opportunity for questions. They should really appreciate the extra effort and time you are taking to show your own home.

Final Thoughts
If you are careful and sure to follow all of this advice you are sure never to sell your home, and if you do, you definitely won’t get top dollar. Yes, most of these “problems” can be corrected without spending a lot of money, but who really wants to do them. Your agent may tell you to do address these issues now, before you put the house on the market. If you work really hard your house can earn a reputation among agents as the smelly house, the dog house, or the house where the owner gives personal tours. And I guarantee that your house will be last on every agents list to show to their potential buyers.

Finally, I will hope that you see the irony in all of these suggestions. If you want your home to sell and sell quickly yielding a top dollar price address these issues immediately. Also, ask your agent what all needs to be done. If you are looking to sell your home anywhere in the Greater Birmingham Area you can link to Sell Your Home With Stephen on the right and request a copy of our Home Sellers E-Book How To Sell Your Home For Top Dollar Fast and we can get one to you right away.