Easter Egg Hunt
Thursday, April 17, 2014
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Displaying blog entries 491-500 of 860
Location: Baileys Harbor AND Sister Bay
Selling Tip #3 - Access and Showing Facts
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Access and Showings Facts
Top selling agents will not show your home if the key and access to your home is not readily available. Lock box entrances are key to your success.
Imagine having to drive all over Door County to pick up keys and then having to drop them off at the real estate offices after the showing occurred. REALTORS do not want to do this, they want to show and sell houses. The greatest way to show a house is to have your agent install and electronic lockbox for easy access to the property.
While some agents guarantee that they will be present for all the showings, in most cases, this is not necessary. What is necessary is to prepare the house for sale, and select a good REALTOR whose knows the ins and outs of making the property easy to show.
When you property is being shown please do the following: Keep all the lights on. Don’t worry if the REALTOR turns them off after the viewing, you want the REALTOR to focus on the buyers who are previewing the house, not running around turning the lights off. Keep all drapes and shutters open at all times. I cannot tell you how many houses I walk into where they lights are not keys on (they are shut off at the electrical box) and every drape is closed. Therefore, the REALTOR goes into every room to turn on the lights and open the drapes. By this time, the buyers have looked at the house by themselves and are ready to leave. It really helps to leave soft music playing and it is imperative that you leave the house with your children and your pets. The worst thing you can do is be present during the showing.
And lastly, let the buyers be at ease and let the agents do their job. There is nothing that a REALTOR dislikes more than having the sellers follow them around during the showing, let go of everything, and let the real estate agents do what they are being paid to do.
Baileys Harbor Brown Trout Tournament
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Brown Trout Tournament
Location: Throughout Baileys Harbor
Dates: Apr 12 2014
Cast your luck to see if you can catch the big one. Baileys Harbor’s Brown Trout Tournament is April 12th. DETAILS HERE!
Selling Tip #2 - The Clean Factor
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
The Clean Factor
Most people are turned off even by the smallest amount of uncleanliness or odor when buying an improved property. Sellers lose thousands of dollars because they do not adequately clean. If your house is adequately cleaned you will be able to sell your home faster and net hundreds if not thousands of dollars more.
In preparing a house for sale, I encourage my sellers to attend to the small items, as that is what a major impression. Ceiling fans should be washed and sparkling. In going into the mechanical areas, I tell my sellers that if these mechanics are washed off with soapy/sudsy water, it gives the buyer the impression that this seller really takes care of their home. Light fixtures are another area of extreme visibility, and rarely one which sellers clean on a regular basis. Not only should this be done inside, but also on the outside lights of the property. It is also important to clear and eliminate the spider webs.
Unless your property is sprayed by a spider man on a regular basis, I have found that the windows, and screens, become coated with spider webs and small pieces of debris like leaves. Additionally, spiders have a tendency to defecate on the frames of the windows, and leave little spots all the way around. Again, this attention to detail makes a huge difference. Most agents have difficulty addressing odors in the house to their sellers. One of the particular difficulty is that of pet odor. Sellers who have pets in the home do not smell them. Cat urine can be even more offensive in nature, Sellers today are even removing the pet food dishes at the time of the showings. While most people loves pets, they are totally turned off by pet odors, and whether we as pet owners realize it or not, those smells do exist in your home.
If you are a smoker, it is a kiss of death. A smoker’s house, in most cases, will stay on the market forever.
BUTTERFLY GARDENING
Monday, April 7, 2014
Door County Master Gardener Program
Location: Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay
Dates: Apr 8 2014
"Butterfly Gardening" presented by Chris Daubner of the Door County County Master Gardeners. Free. DETAILS!
Planting and Seed Collecting Class in Egg Harbor
Friday, April 4, 2014
Lunch and Lesson
Location: Greens N Grains in Egg Harbor
Dates: Apr 5 2014
Join Door County's organic gardening guru, Linda Cockburn for an informative class on planting and seed collecting. $5/class only. $9/class with a bowl of soup, roll and coffee or tea to follow. DETAILS!
Door Peninsula Astonomical Society Meeting
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Door Peninsula Astronomical Society Meeting
Location: Crossroads at Big Creek in Sturgeon Bay
Dates: Apr 4 2014
The video "My Favorite Universe" by Neil deGrasse Tyson will be shown and discussed and the monthly Milestone in Astronomy will be presented. Use the Utah St at Cove Rd entrance to the Astronomy Center. Guests always welcome. DETAILS!
5 Facts That Determine Whether Your Property Sits or Sells
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
The 5 Facts That Determine Whether Your Property Sits or Sells:
While I have discussed pricing before, there is nothing more important than correct pricing. I can take the property in the worst condition, in the worst location, and keep reducing the price. I guarantee, eventually, that it will sell.
Study after study shows that the longer a property stays on the market, the less the Seller will net. The property becomes shop worn, and REALTORS pay little attention to it. While the Door County Market is still a buyer’s market, it is more important to price your property at a competitive market value at the time that you sign the Listing Agreement. Because the second home buyer has less motivation to sell (they never had to buy), often times this is not what is done at the initial placing of the property on the market.
Correct pricing can becomes so competitive, that if you overprice by even a few dollars, it will mean that your property will sits and not sell. Additionally, your first offer is always your best offer. I cannot tell you, how many times in my 30 year career, that this has been demonstrated over and over again.
An overpriced property minimizes offers, lowers agent response, limits qualified buyers, lowers showings, lowers prospects, limits financing, waste advertising, waste marketing dollars, and nets less for the seller.
Door County YMCA's Wisdom Wednesday
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Wisdom Wednesday
Location: Door County YMCA - Sturgeon Bay Program Center in Sturgeon Bay
Dates: Apr 2 2014
"Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Eating Local." Meet Meg and Adam Goettelman of Steep Creek Farm (www.steepcreedfarm.com) and learn more about what a CSA is and how you can be reap the health benefits of eating local foods that are grown using sustainable and organic practices. DETAILS!
5 More Things You Need to Know Before Buying Door County Real Estate
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
5 more things you need to know before buying Door County real estate:
- Working with a seasoned REALTOR like myself (going into my 3rd decade!), enables you to take advantage of my vast amount of knowledge which aids you in the purchasing decision.
- In Wisconsin, a REALTOR is a member of the Door County Board of REALTORS and as such, participates in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). A REALTOR is an extension of the seller through this association with the MLS and therefore, represents the seller. You can, however, contract with an Agent to represent you in a Buyer Agency Contract. I highly recommend this.
- In hiring a home inspector, you should choose one who does inspections in the area where you are purchasing. The home inspector’s job is to point out problems that could require costly repairs now and down the road. We have excellent inspectors in Door County, and typically the Inspection Contingency addresses structural, mechanical and safety and health issues. If you need any testing performed (ie: radon), you must mention that in the “Testing Contingency” in the Offer to Purchase. This is not covered in the “Inspection Contingency”.
- Aim for a property you can actually afford. Have an initial consultation with a REALTOR to discuss your buying power. It is a total waste of your time and the REALTORS to look at properties that are too expensive…..not to mention how unfair it is to the Seller who takes the time to prepare the property for your viewing.
- In my opinion, there has never been a better time to buy Door County real estate.
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Displaying blog entries 491-500 of 860
