Mr and Mrs Seller, Open Houses do NOT Sell Houses!!

I will state right up front that I understand that this is different in the different markets across the Country and Canada. I'm writing this blog focusing mainly on my market, here in the Dallas area.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, here is my marketing plan for your house. Will I do Open Houses? Did you see Open Houses as part of my marketing plan? Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I do NOT do OPEN HOUSES!!
In today's market, qualified and approved buyers are not the ones walking into Open Houses. If a buyer is serious about buying a house, 94% of them start their search Online looking at pictures and price ranges. They will then do a couple of different things.

One of those things is they will contact a Realtor and ask to view some of the houses they saw online. Pretending that they contacted me, my first question to them is if they are approved for a loan. They then get flipped to one of my mortgage guys for full loan approval, not just pulling the credit and giving a thumbs up.

Another scenario is that the buyers then turn around and call a mortgage person and tell him/her that they have seen some houses online and were wanting to make sure they were approved and for what price range. This mortgage person will then flip them to a Realtor who will direct them in the right direction.

When one of the above steps doesn't happen, you have people aimlessly driving the streets on a Sunday afternoon, seeing a sign and thinking, "I wonder if that house is in our price range..." They walk in, hear the price, and they grit their teeth while smiling and nodding trying to leave but the agent in the house tries to keep them there as long as possible.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, do you want unqualified and unapproved buyers walking through your house? If the house is shown by appointment through a buyer's agent, 9 times out of 10, that buyer has already been approved for a loan as most Realtors don't like to spend gas money these days by putting a buyer in their car to show them houses unless they're able to buy.


Mr. and Mrs. Seller, do you want all your neighbors walking through your house? For the most part, you won't really even see any buyers in your Open House. What you'll see are your neighbors wondering how you decorated and wondering what price you're asking and things like that.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, do you want me to spend my time generating leads for your property? or do you really want me to spend 3 hours on a Sunday sitting in your house while you have to leave and entertain yourself?

That's a rhetoric question, because no matter how you answer it, I will NOT be doing Open Houses as part of my marketing plan for your house. I rather have approved buyers walking through your house, not unapproved. I rather people walking through your house that have already been pre-screened with a credit check at minimum, rather than someone just off the street who might be looking for the good stuff and come back later to rob you.

Mr. and Mrs. Seller, I understand Open Houses used to be the way to go, but with the technology of multiple photos and virtual tours for your listing, buyers rather sit in the comfort of their own home in their underwear looking at houses than drive around aimlessly as they usually don't want to waste gas either.

Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

ARE YOU PACKED YET?!

Dallas Real Estate- Garage Sale before Moving

Is there too much clutter in your home? It can be a shock to see all the stuff most of us have accumulated through the years.

One of the best ways to clear out clutter is to have a garage sale. Here are some tips to making your garage sale effective:

* Advertise your sale on Craigslist. Make sure to include your address and what days and times the sale will take place. You might want to try to newspaper too, but Craigslist is FREE!
* Place directional signs at nearby key intersections.
* Place smaller items on tables.
* Be prepared in case of inclement weather.
* Put price tags on everything, but be flexible and ready to negotiate.
* Be prepared for early arrivals. Decide whether you want to allow early birds or if you will begin only at the specified time.
* Start with an adequate amount of change and small bills on hand. Decide whether you will accept checks.
* Have plenty of help--it's more fun that way!

Try to look at your home through a prospective buyer's eyes. Lack of clutter will help your home show better, and it will ease your move to a new place. And even if you are staying put, getting rid of clutter will allow you to enjoy your home more comfortably.

Please don't hesitate to call or email me if you'd like additional tips or suggestions. Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

Dallas Real Estate- Remodeling Investment

Are you thinking of remodeling your home? Consider the return on your investment before remodeling. Not all remodeling projects yield the same return in increasing your home’s value.

Updating your kitchen and baths is your best remodeling investment, returning a nearly dollar-for-dollar increase in home resale value. An updated kitchen and bathrooms make your home that much more attractive to potential buyers when you do decide to sell.

By contrast, converting a basement into a family room (if you're are has basements) or adding outdoor recreation facilities, such as a swimming pool or sport court, yield the lowest return on your investment.

Sometimes the cumulative effect of several smaller projects can yield a higher resale value than one or two larger ones. Smaller projects tend to be more cosmetic--new paint, doors, or windows. Larger projects that upgrade or add living space may cost more, but almost always add less resale value for the dollars spent, like converting space over the garage to a media room.

Whatever you do, be careful of over-improving for your neighborhood. Remodeling that significantly improves your property over neighboring homes won't return as much when it comes time to sell. People don't just buy a house, they're buying a neighborhood as well.

If you have any questions or you'd like additional information, please don't hesitate to call or email me. Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

Dallas Real Estate- Minimize Stress in Moving

For most people, moving to a new residence is a stressful event. Here are some things you can do to minimize tension and worry when you sell your home:

* Choose a real estate agent (REALTOR®) who communicates clearly and frequently, keeping you up to speed on every step of the process.

* Price your home accurately for market conditions. Homes that sell quickly leave their sellers wondering if they set the price too low, while sellers whose homes sit on the market unsold wonder if they'll ever find a buyer.

* Decide whether you want to move yourself or have professional movers handle the job. If you hire a moving company, make sure to book well in advance.

* Think about cleaning services. After everything is packed and moved is a great time to have someone come in and clean.

* Arrange at least two weeks in advance to have utilities and phone service disconnected at your old house and reconnected in your new home on the move-in date.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions or provide additional information. Remember, I work all of North Dallas County and Collin County including Richardson, Plano, Allen, Frisco, Carrollton, Garland, Rowlett, McKinney, etc... my car will take us anywhere you need to go!!

Dallas Real Estate- Internet Marketing

Have you wondered what it would take to sell your home for the highest price, in the shortest amount of time, and with a minimum of inconvenience?

Besides accurate pricing and an effective marketing campaign, posting your home on the Internet can make a huge difference. The Internet has largely replaced newspapers as the advertising medium of choice for real estate listings.

Why? Posting listings online costs almost nothing, information can be changed or updated almost instantly, listings can be screened by price or area, and the information is available to prospective buyers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

According to a recent survey, almost 88% of all buyers use the Internet to search for a new home. They like the ability to see pictures and obtain additional information. Plus, buyers who search on the Web spend an average of $22,600 more for their new home than other buyers. To accomplish my goal of selling your home for the best price in the least amount of time, let’s use one of the most effective marketing techniques--the Internet.

Please don’t hesitate to call or email me if you would like additional information.

Dallas Real Estate- Pricing is Key

According to a recent report, nearly 82% of potential buyers use the Internet to refine their home search. Broker Web sites let buyers browse by house size, style, area, and price.

Because many buyers look only at those homes within their price range, it's important to accurately price your home for the market. The higher a home's price above market, the fewer the number of interested buyers, and the longer it will take to sell.

The key to selling your home quickly at the greatest return is to price it at market value right from the start. A fairly priced home will capitalize on the flurry of buyer interest a home enjoys during its first few weeks on the market. Plus, you're wanting to SELL your house, not just LIST your house, right?

Please don't hesitate to call or email me if I can answer your questions or help with additional information.

Dallas Real Estate- Showing Your House

I have found from experience that the activity during the first two weeks a home is on the market tends to predict how long it will take to sell. Potential buyers eagerly jump on new homes on the market.

I am an ASP, Accredited Staging Professional. This means that I've taken the classes to become certified in better helping my sellers STAGE® their homes in order to help them sell faster and for higher dollar.

Here are some “STAGING®” tips you might find helpful:

* Keep your home in “show shape.” Make sure that beds are made, dishes are in the dishwasher or put away, everything is picked up, and the kitchen and bathrooms sparkle. Let your counter space show, so put things away.

* Decorate with fresh flowers. Many home sellers use potted flowering plants that last much longer than cut flowers. Place them inside and out. They really add cheer!

* Turn on lights; replace all burned-out bulbs. Open blinds and draperies. Let the natural light in.

* Confine pets and keep them out of sight when possible. They can be distracting, and some people have allergies.

* Create a relaxed atmosphere with soft background music. Do not think the music in the family room needs to be heard in the back of the house if you don't have speakers in the various rooms. Loud music is distracting.

If you have any questions don't hesitate to call or email me.

Dallas Real Estate- First Impressions

As you prepare your home for the market, one thing to keep in mind is that you have only one chance to make a first impression. It is absolutely vital that prospective buyers form a good impression of your home--beginning the moment they drive up.

You can help create that good first impression by presenting potential buyers with a well-cared-for yard including a mowed lawn. Your front door and porch should be clean and neat, preferably freshly painted.

These first, important encounters create a positive impression that carries through to the rest of your home. An inviting atmosphere implies that your house has been well maintained and taken care of. Homes that convey pride of ownership frequently receive the best offers.

If your home appears disheveled or uncared for, prospective buyers may quickly conclude it's been neglected and is in need of repairs. Such a negative impression can result in a less-than-generous offer--or possibly no offer at all.

Try viewing your home through a potential buyer's eyes. Would YOU buy your home? What changes would you make?

I'll offer additional suggestions and tips from time to time. Please contact me by email or phone if I can be of further assistance.

Dallas Real Estate- My Personal Message

Recently, I was in Chicago for a video shoot for a company. At the end of the interview, they allowed me to make a personal commercial. I had to quickly think of something to say that didn't sound stupid or scripted. It took me a couple of minutes, but then I remembered my Mission Statement that I have on my website and my Blog profile, and then it was easy. I've been using the same statement for almost 7 years now, so I had it down pretty well.

Watch my Personal Commerical here!!

There are a couple of new shows on HGTV that I've watched a few times, House Hunters and Hidden Potential. These shows really tell me how much my buyers choose houses that THEY love and not choose houses for themselves that I love.

House Hunters is where they take people out and show them house after house. I remember when I first saw it, the people were given the choice of three houses and they had to make a decision. The last time I saw it, they made a comment to the effect of, "three weeks and several houses later, choice #4 is such and such house." That's great that they're now acknowledging that it takes more than seeing just a couple of houses to make a decision.

Hidden Potential is where you take a couple that has looked at several homes already and they're just not finding what they like in their price range. Typically, these buyers are trying to get into a pricey neighborhood for the lowest end of the price range possible and then they're not happy with the condition of the homes. Hidden Potential takes them to three houses with a designer and he completely redesigns the houses on his computer. Then the buyers go "WOW!" The problem with this show is that you take someone's budget of 300k, and you show them houses around $200k, but you show them $100k worth of improvements to the house. What they don't acknowledge is that if you're buying a house in a $200k neighborhood and you're putting in $100k of repair, you just over updated your house and there's a huge possibility that you're never going to see that money back on resale.

Anyway, back to the point of this post... On both of these shows, I listen to what the buyers are saying that they want and watch intently as the hosts are explaining the different features and the Hidden Potential of each house. I then make my educated guess on which house they should choose. I have been correct ONCE!! That's right, only once! Can you believe that?! This is my job, and it takes into account my degree in Psychology and I've been picking the wrong houses for these people all these years! It's no wonder why I get so shocked sometimes when my buyers call and say they want to write an offer on such and such property though I'm prepared for them to say the other property.

No matter how much training you've had over the years with reading people, most are still going to shock you with their decisions. I mean, a family that keeps talking about how they need more space and an extra bathroom actually "settles" for a 2 bedroom, 1 bath home just because they liked the designers plans... I don't get it. If I was the agent working with them, I would keep reminding them over and over again about resale and how 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths will resell so much better than a 2 bedroom with 1 bath any day of the week! My job is also to remind them that the point of their move was for more space and how does 2 bedrooms accomplish this. I wish they would do follow ups on these people later to see when they resell and why.

Does anyone do any better when guessing which houses these people are choosing on the shows?

The Sense of Accomplishment

I have the sense of a HUGE accomplishment today!

Whenever I would show 2-story houses that had a "dust collector" above the front door, I would tell myself that if I ever had a house like that, I was going to decorate it, and it would involve one of those treasure chests. When we bought out current house about a year and a half ago, it actually has the "dust collector"! I was so excited. For those of you who don't know what a dust collector is, it's a plant ledge that just collects dust, mainly because it's too high for you to dust it.

I wanted to decorate it, but when it came down to it, I didn't really know what I wanted to do for that spot. My husband was very much against putting anything there because "who is going to dust it?" I told him that the point is that no one dusts it, the stuff just sits there and looks pretty. So, all this time goes by, and I had secretly been looking for a reasonably priced chest and I would build around it. I looked several places, but I was not going to spend $100+ on something to collect dust.

I received a referral last month from an agent in California. They came into town and we were looking at many houses. While looking, I had mentioned my plans for the "dust collector" but hadn't been able to find any chests worth the price. Before these buyers left town, they stopped in a store and called me. They said they were there and that they had tons of chests at 50% off! It's weird because I had gone to that store, but not that location. It turns out that the location they were at was one of the biggest in the area so they carried more things.

The next day, I drove up there, and I got my chest for only $34!!! I brought it home, and my husband was like, "we're not putting that up there!" I was like, "Oh, yes we are!"

I bought that chest about a month ago, and yesterday my husband looks at me while watching TV and asks, "Are you ready to put that stuff on the ledge?" I immediately jumped up and got my jacket on so we could bring in the HUGE ladder from the backyard.


I have a huge sense of accomplishment that I had been wanting for many years and finally did it. Yes, it's something simple, I didn't cure cancer or anything, but it's my own creation and I like it. It's a chest, a chair, a throw blanket, and a plant that was just sitting around the house. All for under $65!
As for Mike, he thinks it blocks out too much sun, but we'll just have to open the windows in the front formals! I told him I would climb up there twice a year to dust, but that means he's going to have to bring in the big ladder from outside! I wonder if that's going to happen....

Real Estate is like Learning Golf from the Pros

My husband, Mike, has decided to take up Golf again. He used to play, but got frustrated with it, but now he’s falling apart (38 years old) so he gets more frustrated with the Wakeboarding (knee, wrist, ankle, shoulder, and back injuries) and has decided Golf would be good again. So, he’s gotten new clubs (several times over so he could find ones he likes), new clothes, new bag, and he’s probably going to ask for new golf shoes for the Holidays.

TiVo has been very busy recording Golf. Each infomercial says you must have this or you must have that to be successful. Hmmm, each seminar I go to about real estate does the same thing.

The thing that really hit home was when Mike was watching the Pro Lessons last night. He’s been watching a lot of the professionals give lessons so he can take bits and pieces and see what works for him. All of a sudden he says, “Each Pro does something completely different than the other and I’m more confused than ever!”

With that comment, I related it to Real Estate. Take a new agent, for example. A new agent comes into your office and asks to pick your brain. If you’re online reading this, you’re probably telling this new agent about all the online presence you have and how you are going to concentrate your efforts on marketing and advertising online since you know the latest reports show that over 80% of buyers are looking online for properties before contacting an agent. You’re telling them about creating their website and SEO and how to drive traffic to their own site in order to pick up leads.

However, that new agent, trying to gather as much information as possible, then sits down with an agent who has been in the business 30+ years, because we all know that agent should know how to get business in his/her sleep. Well, that agent then tells the new agent about his/her experience with door knocking and cold calling (even with the Do Not Call rules, eliminating those not to call) and farming a particular neighborhood for the same 30+ years.

As our new agent finds another agent to talk with, this other agent just talks about taking as many phone-duty shifts at the office as possible and holding Open Houses every weekend in the hopes of getting new buyers to walk through the doors.

Which agent do you want to be like? I know which one I am, and I know which ones need to get into the 21st century. However, different things work for different agents. Is there a wrong way to do real estate if you’re successful with it? I would only say you’re way is wrong if you can’t show any production.

As a new agent in a weird market, you need to look at all the information given and try each way and see what will work for you. Maybe you like sitting inside a house by yourself and a good book for a few hours on the weekend while you wait for buyers to approach you. Maybe you’ve been in your neighborhood for years, and knocking on doors makes sense for you for the face to face contact. Maybe you like to make contact with as many people as possible within a short amount of time, so you find the internet is the way to go for you. Whatever you chose, make it your own.

Back to Golf, my husband has tried to take tips from several different pros to see what will work for him. However, a friend of his is a golf pro himself and he doesn’t know how to teach anyone how to swing a club who doesn’t swing it the way he wants. So, Mike is left with the dilemma with learning how to swing a swing that is productive and works well for him, or with learning a swing that works well for someone else, and not feeling comfortable with the swing himself.

Which way should he go?? I’m sure more advice will only help him!!

Cell Phone Taxes Too High in Texas

I briefly heard on NBC news a couple of days ago that, on average, Texas has one of the highest taxes on cell phone usage. The average is 20% which is about $12 on an average user's bill. My cell phone plan is $39.99, but each month, my bill ranges from $48-49. That's $8-9 in just TAXES, and I live here!! I'm not an investor buying cell phones to use them out of state!

The news video is here. It basically talks about how the state of Texas gets over $700 million a year just from cell phone taxes alone!! That's a heck of a lot of money.

What are your cell phone taxes where you live?

Snow in Dallas

People say it never snows in Dallas!! Lookie here!! It's not really sticking on the streets because it was 80 degrees yesterday so there is still heat built into the concrete, but it's looking nice on the roof tops and in the flower beds. I guess I'm lucky that Pansies like cold weather, but I'm not too sure what's going to happen to all my cabbage and kale. Hopefully they're strong enough to handle the cold, as the temps continue to drop to 25 degrees tonight.

Texas- First Property Tax Arbitration Case

I'm so excited! I took the Arbitration class in October and I just got my first case! There was a gentleman in the class who was taking it for the second time as a refresher because he took the class over a year earlier and has yet to be chosen. I've been on the registry for about 2 weeks and have already received my first letter.

I was so excited that I didn't want to mail it back, so I scanned and emailed it back to their office. I just received a returned receipt showing they received my email. Now, I get to sit and wait to make sure I'm actually the person chosen for the case!

I'm looking forward to this new and exciting experience.