Tag Archives: Selling

So cool…

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So it’s Friday night and I’m sitting here watching…Garth Brooks live from the Wynn in Vegas!  I’ve missed this man, his music and his personality!  I saw him in concert 3 times, twice with his wife Trisha Yearwood…she is my all time favorite female artist and loved it each and every time!  He is a true showman and made enough money from 1989 to 2001 to retire!  Imagine, making enough money in 12 years that you don’t ever have to worry about money again.

Yeah, he made a few missteps…the whole Chris Gaines thing was a little strange, but this guy is amazing! He has many influences and heroes across the genre’s, this show is filled from the beginning with all this amazing stuff!  Tricia joined him and switched his hat and we got pure Garth from there on…so much fun!

One of the most amazing things about him is he still seems humble, despite divorce from his daughters mother, maintained a relationship that allow them to grow up as normally as possible and signed off the show with “thank you for my life”, understanding that without the fans willingness to pay for the shows, cd’s and dvd’s, he has none of what he achieved in these last 25 years.  What an enjoyable 2 hours, they just flew by!

For those of you who know me, I listen to all music, love the 80’s hairbands, the 70’s rockers and all the way back to the 50’s and 60’s as well as the “old” country that I grew up with – Conway and Loretta, George and Tammy, and of course, Elvis – all invokes memories of home and family.  So what music brings it all back for you?

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Vicki Reed

Thinking of Selling in the Spring?

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You do realize that if that’s you, you need to think about how you do your final yard clean-up to insure you are ready to go in February/March – before you even get the mower out of the garage!  I know, I know February/March seems early to be part of the “spring selling season”, but that’s when homes start hitting the market and if you are thinking of selling, you need to be ready!

I would love to work with you!  Let’s talk…we can look at a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) and see where you are falling now, look at what projects you can work on this winter will increase your homes value and then look at the numbers again in February and get it going!  Now…about that fall clean-up…

Proper fall yard maintenance lowers the risk of plant diseases next spring. Raking the lawn ensures your grass won’t smother under a burden of fallen leaves. Of course, fall yard maintenance means winterizing: putting your plants to bed properly, all the hard work on those perinnials can pay off when spring has sprung and your yard is in bloom.

What needs doing in the fall yard before you can call it a year and start relaxing? Well, it would almost be easier to ask what does not need doing. You have your work cut out for you, especially if you have a big lawn. There’s more to fall landscaping than decorating for the Holidays. Consult this checklist to make sure your yard is in proper shape before the snow starts falling!

Beginners have some vague notion of having to “put the lawn and garden to bed” for the winter, but they are foggy on the specifics. This resource answers some commonly posed queries about fall yard maintenance. For example, how deep into fall do you have to continue mowing? What about watering your grass in fall?

Think about it, when you own a home, you always want anything you do to add value…what better way to make a good first impression as to have the best curb appeal…even in the winter.  Call me…let’s talk!

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Vicki Reed

Is your Realtor serving you?

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As I work with Buyers, I’m often baffled by the lack of information on listings…you know, the Multiple Listing Service or as it is know in Indy, the Broker’s Listing Cooperative (BLC) or just MIBOR (Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors).  Information from this source is what feeds the internet…Trullia, Zillow, Realtor.com and a host of others…95% of Buyers find their next home ONLINE!  Are you certain your agent is getting your home online in the best possible way?

In addition to active properties, I am often trolling the expired listings in specific neighborhoods that my clients are interested in…who knows, it may be the perfect home for my Buyers and the Homeowners may still be interested in Selling!  I recently found an expired listing in the mid $200,000 price range, over 2,500 square feet and the agent had only 8 pictures of the living area, nothing upstairs, backyard and no virtual tour…and you wonder why this property never sold?

When considering who to hire when Selling your home, ask a lot of questions, not just about what they do to sell homes in general, but specifics!  How many pictures do you use?  Do you use a virtual tour?  Do you work with a lender partner?  Besides putting a sign in my yard, what will you do to sell my home?  ASK THE QUESTIONS!  Remember, YOU are hiring ME to represent you in the best possible way in the sale of your biggest asset!

The BLC allows for 24 photos AND a virtual tour…how many photos has your agent put on your listing?  The quality of those photos?  It is not necessary for your agent to hire a professional photographer, we’ve been in the business a while and understand the best way to take photographs and are generally quite good at it.  There are only 500 characters available for describing you property, but we want to make everyone count!

What about information packets in the home?  I always create a packet of information with the sales disclosures, a list of upgrades and features of the home, school, church and shopping information.  This same information is uploaded to the listing.  I also add a stand-up display for the home flyer along with bottled water and snacks for prospective buyers.

I want to Sell your home, I will work to serve you.  I am part of the Number 1 Real Estate Company in the Nation, you not only have me working for you, but every Keller Williams agent in the country.  Click here for videos about my service…then call me!

BDWFMwOCEAEeHw_

Vicki Reed

 

When was “you’re welcome” replaced with “no problem”?

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As a Realtor, I spend a lot of time out and about…coffee shops, restaurants, even drive-thru’s and have made a startling discovery…when I say “thank you” to someone for a service provided the standard answer is no longer “you’re welcome” or even “my pleasure“, it has been replaced with “no problem”…really?  My friend Don Allen of Union Savings Bank and I had this discussion over a recent breakfast and he made a comment to the wait staff about it and it went right over their head!

This happens frequently when a service has been rendered.  I don’t actually think that I create a problem for someone providing a service, I believe it is part of their job. When somebody says “no problem” or “not a problem” then it makes me think that person really did think that my request for customer service was a problem, and it’s irritating.  Saying “no problem” suggests that the customer was a potential problem and – thank goodness – things turned out okay. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like to think of myself as a potential problem customer or an interruption or a disruption or a hassle.

Sure, some customers always seem to have a problem. And some customers may not always approach with the respect deserved. They may let their emotions get the best of them, or may even let their bad moods impact their interaction, but the customers are not the ones getting paid to do a job.

We have jobs and careers because of our customers/clients, tasks and everything else we may be working on can wait. So, the next time a customer/client says “thank you”, say “my pleasure” instead.  If that doesn’t feel comfortable for you, stick with the tried and true “You’re welcome.”

As a Realtor, I try to always respond with “my pleasure”, because it truly is “my pleasure” to make certain that my clients have the best possible experience whether Selling or Buying (or both) a home with me.  Who do you know interesting SELLING a home…BUYING a home…or INVESTING…in real estate in the next 30 days?  Let me treat them the way a Client should be treated!

thank_you_you're_welcome

Vicki Reed

Ready to List your home FOR SALE???? NOW is the time…

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Are you someone who believes Spring is the “buying season”?  Many homeowners wait until Spring to list their homes for sale. Here are five reasons why NOW is the time:

1.) Demand Is High

Homes are selling at a pace not seen since 2007. The most recent Existing Home Sales Report by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) showed that annual sales in 2012 increased 9.2% over 2011. There are buyers out there right now and they are ready to BUY your home!

2.) Supply Is Low

The monthly supply of houses for sale is at its lowest point (4.4 months) since May of 2005. The current month’s supply is down 21.6% from the same time last year. Historically, inventory increases dramatically in the spring, increasing your competition. Selling now when demand is high and supply is low may help you get your best price.

3.) New Construction Neighborhoods are popping up EVERYWHERE!

For the last several years, homeowners selling their home did not have to compete with a new construction projects in their area. As the market is recovering, more and more builders are jumping back in. These ‘shiny’ new homes will again become competition as they are an attractive alternative to many BUYERS.

4.) Interest Rates Are Projected to Increase Slightly

The Mortgage Bankers’ Association has projected mortgage interest rates will inch up approximately one full point in 2013. Whether you are moving up or moving down, your housing expense will be more a year from now if a mortgage is necessary to purchase your next home.

5.) Timelines Will Be Shorter

The dramatic increase in transactions caused many challenges to the process of buying or selling a home in 2012. We waited for inspections, dealt with last minute appraisals and prayed that the bank didn’t ask for ‘just one more piece of paper’ before issuing the mortgage. There are fewer transactions this time of year. That means that timetables on each component of the home buying process will be friendlier for those involved over the next 90 days.

NOW is the time to contact me to list your home!  It is a great time to make the move!  Not sure you can get another mortgage?  Visit my website and complete a FREE, NO OBLIGATION Pre-Qualification from The Shanley Team at Inlanta Mortgage.  Not in the Indy area?  I can help you with that too!  We have great Keller Williams Realtors EVERYWHERE, let me make an introduction for you!

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Vicki Reed