Thinking about listing your home for sale? Enlist the services of a good realtor and get their advice.  Also, before you allow the showings to begin, remember the three P's:

1. Power washing - Wash the exterior of your home especially the front door entry and any back patio areas to make them dirt free and squeaky clean.  Weathered wood decks and fencing can be made to look almost new with a good power washer.

2. Painting - Paint the inside and outside to give it a fresh bright appearance.  Use colors that harmonize throughout the house and stay within current trends for maximum appeal.  Minimize the number of rooms with different colors.  In fact, a single neutral tone is probably best.  Paint your front door either red or green to create a welcoming entry way.  Red has the greatest overall appeal.  Take your time and do it right since most buyers can tell a professional paint job from that of an inexperienced hand.

3. Packing - Since you're anticipating a move anyway, it's a great excuse to start packing now and get rid of all of the personal effects (photos, books, etc.), miscellaneous clutter and excess furniture.  Minimizing clutter helps buyers visualize their belongings in the home.

By following these helpful hints to beautify your home, you will increase your chances of getting a higher price for your home in a shorter amount of time...and your agent will be happy too!

Good Luck!

Bernie

If you're an investor and you're a little shy of the real estate market because of the negative hype currently prevailing in the media, you could be missing the boat by waiting.  I can personally vouch for the fact (as can many other established reputable realtors) that the number of investor calls that I have received recently has dropped off dramatically compared to what it was only six months ago.  Yes, there is a noticeable downward shift in the number of ready and willing investors which is mostly due to the availability of certain types of loan products for investing. Providing you have good credit and at least a 20 percent down payment, financing should not be a hurdle that would rain on your parade. The other issue seems to be the fear factor.  Considering there are fewer investors in the market at present, this would tend to make for more opportunities for the remaining investors out there.  Right now, there is nothing wrong with the market that should keep you waiting it out for another day.  If the market goes up, that is great for sellers, and not so great for buyers.  So you might say, "Bernie, I hear what your saying, but if I want to flip a house, it seems like I would then in the same position as any other seller trying to unload property in this market"?  I tell sellers who become buyers (typically after the sale of their home), "One buys in the same market one sells in".  That is to say...hypothetically speaking, if upon the sale of a home in a down market the seller takes less for it than he otherwise might have taken at the top of the market, he could also have a reasonable expectation that he could (I believe within a three month period) purchase another home for less than top of the market price.  I said three months because markets can shift quickly and without warning for either a good or bad market.  Nothing is entirely risk free but we can follow certain methods and procedures and manage or reduce the risk to an accetable level.  However, the above concept applies in reverse for a "good market".  The result is that in either case, if you are a smart buyer who later turns seller you should receive a deal on at least one of the two properties (the one you just sold or the one you're about to flip).  Notice I said "smart".  Smart = you hire an agent that knows what they are doing, followed by listening to their advice.   Don't be a speculator and try your luck at flipping real estate.  You might as well go to Las Vegas and put boat load of money on the table, and "knock on wood".  If you're lucky you might be a winner!  Consistent winners follow a process and benefit from experience.  Rather, be an investor and partner up with an agent who will guide you in making a wise purchase!  A "yes agent" won't do because they will tell you what you want to hear.  They cave in, and agents who cave do not make good negotiators.  Guess what else you need?  That's right, you need a good (preferably great) negotiator to land you the best deal.   Why don't you consider giving me a call and lets talk about investing in the Fort Worth Real Estate market.

Regards,

Bernie

You would be hard pressed to find a seller or even most agents for that matter, who understand the relationship between time on market and list price vs. sales price.  Considering Area 109 (which is geographically centered in and around the Eagle Mountain Lake Area), below is some data from the Multiple Listing System (MLS) based on all single family detached home sales that occurred since May 1, 2007, to present.  Also, the data includes all home prices large and small.  As you can see, from the chart, it is important to note that the longer a home stays on the market the less the sales price will be as a percentage of list price.  List price is considered the original price of a given home when it was placed on the market.  The sales price is that price at which it actually sold.  For instance, a home listed at $100,000, would be expected to sale within 0-30 days at approximately $97, 820 (97.82 x 100,000).  I said approximately  because of the simple fact that every home and every situation is unique.  This figure could vary higher or lower.  However, statistics can be a reliable aid to the planning process.  If the same home were sold between 61-90 days, the seller would likely have sold his house for $97,000 or $800 less than the 30 day period in the previous example.  Studies show that buyer interest is higher in the first 3 weeks a home goes on the market and it steadily declines thereafter.  The message is, work with your agent to price your home to sell within 30 days in order to maximize your profit and/or highest sales price.  Homes on the market for extended periods of time become "Shop Worn" and buyers can easily find time on market information from the agents that represent them.  Ok, if you were to hold out 120 plus days you could get a higher price according to the chart.  If you are in the Eagle Mountain Lake Area this might work for you, but it is statistically weak since it was only based on 11 sales.  I would not place my eggs in that basket by holding out for so long.  Timing the market is unwise since a lot of negative factors can have an adverse effect on home sales prices beyond 120 plus days out.  Also, consider your personal goals and the cost of staying where you are vs. selling and moving on.

	0-30 Days	31-60 Days	61-90 Days	91-120 Days	120+ Days
No. of Listings	146	86	54	29	11
Breakdown %	44.79	26.38	16.56	8.90	3.37
Avg % SP/LP	97.82	96.56	97.01	96.64	98.95

Regards,

Bernie

It's Friday after Thanksgiving and real estate is kind of slow.  I did call one of my buyers today to congratulate them that the seller had accepted their offer.   Another person called to inquire about a 2.4 acre commercial property we have listed for sale in Weatherford, Texas.  Terri receive a call about a property we have for lease.  People are visiting with family and friends and shopping for the holidays.  We are in Kansas City with friends.   We will be back in Fort Worth either Sunday or Monday.

Enjoy your time off!

Bernie

Although we are waterfront property specialist on Eagle Mountain Lake and Lake Worth in Texas, we also list and sell most of our properties in other parts of Fort Worth and the surrounding areas.  In addition, we sell and list properties in counties adjacent to Tarrant County.  There is no one single lot or property too small or humble in appearance, nor one too large for our interest.  We love all types of properties from, lots, single family residential, multi-family, etc.  We are a full service real estate team and we take a serious and aggressive approach toward marketing our clients' homes.  We believe that it is important to ensure that our properties are marketed on the internet and in printed media and more to ensure maximum exposure to potential buyers and the public at large.  We utilize the latest and most effective internet and other high tech tools available to bring buyers and sellers together.  We study the housing market and make it our business to know our local market better than any other real estate brokerage, individual agent or team working in the Fort Worth area.  This commitment to the highest standards led us to close over 150 real estate transactions in 2006.  We always work hard to attend training and to educate ourselves to ensure that we maintain an edge over our competition.  We believe in honesty, integrity and doing the right thing.  It is because of these commitments that we have been the number #1 Group with Keller Williams Fort Worth during the previous two calendar years.  As I write this article, The Christian Group is currently No. #1 for 2007, and we believe that we will maintain that lead through the rest of the year, making us the number one real estate group in Keller Williams Fort Worth for 3 consecutive years running.  We take pride in our team, its members and our ability to provide our customers and clients with the first class service that keeps them coming back to us over and again.  As you consider selecting an agent to either list your home or to help you find one for purchase before or during the holidays, we hope that you will choose The Christian Team to assist you with all of your real estate needs!

Terri and I wish you a happy and safe Thanksgiving!

Bernie 

Earlier this year, my wife, Terri, decided that we were going to fight property tax increases on two of our personally owned properties.   Being busy on other matters, I of course supported the fact that she would take the lead on this and I would show up, sign and say a few choice words in the matter.  Then came the day we had to show up at the tax appraisal board.  We sat down in front of the board and at the appropriate moment Terri was prompted to make her arguments why our taxes should not be raised.  One property was our personal residence and the other was an investment.  Before our presentation to the board, we believed that we had the weakest arguments against raising our taxes on our personal residence and had the best argument against on the investment property.  The board then presented their side in favor a raising our taxes.   Afterward, there was about 5 minutes of deliberation amongst the board members.  When they were through they announced that our taxes for our personal residence would remain unchanged but the investment property would increase.  Well, I was glad since my personal residence was the largest of the two properties in question and the largest tax increase would have been with that one.  However, when I realized that they had increased the tax basis from $80,000 to $92,500 on the investment property, I could have flipped right there like a fish fresh out of the water!  That one was the property where we had the best argument!  The board was clearly wrong and they were using comparables from an adjacent neighbor hood that was relatively new and had larger homes.  Also, our investment property had a closed Supermarket building right up next to the back yard and alley and property line which we felt adversely impacted its value.  I knew that we couldn't have put the home on the market and sell it for what they were claiming the tax value should be.   A few weeks later, we were sent a form requesting whether we wanted to appeal the increase in tax basis on the investment property.   However, to do so we had to send $500 in advance of the meeting to pay for the arbitrator's fees (in case we lost).  If we were to win, we would get $450 back less $50 for administrative fees.  Terri felt strongly that she wanted to go the second round and fight it.  So we sent in our check and waited to hear back for a hearing date.

About three weeks later, we were lying on the beach in Florida and I answered my phone.  It was an appraisal board employee wanting to settle up with us for a lesser tax appraisal value.  He offered us $82,000 as the basis which I instantly accepted.  After we returned home, I went to the appraisal board, signed the acceptance form, and received back the $500 check we had written just weeks before.  

It never hurts to spend a little time to fight against a property tax appraisal increase, especially if you know that the increase is based on flawed assumptions.  And don't be too shy about going the second round if you lose in the first.  The appraisal board has every incentive to negotiate with you because they don't want to lose and pay the arbitrator's fees either.  However, always consult with your realtor first because you should have very good comparables and arguments just in case you have to go before the arbitrator.  Having to pay the increase in property taxes and a $500 arbitration fee ...priceless!

Good Luck!

Bernie

If you are looking for active foreclosures on the market, The Christian Group can help you find them! In fact, by providing us with your email address, we can set you up on a drip email from our Multiple Listing System (MLS).  Once it is setup, the drip email will automatically send you any foreclosures that are listed in the MLS plus it will continually update and send you any new listings that afterwards come on the market.  It really is easy to do!  You provide us the parameters ie: price, location, no. of bedrooms, baths, garage type, acreage, square footage, etc., and we direct the MLS to find homes that match your specific criteria and send it to your email address.  The reports come with one or more photos and the particular information you'll need about a specific property.  When you find one or more properties you want to see, contact us and we will set up an appointment to show you the house.  However, because lending requirements, debt and salaries are always changing, it will be very useful to ensure that you are prequalified for a mortgage prior to beginning your search.  We recommend Ms. Linda Mister, at W.R. Starkey Mortgage, to assist you with your mortgage.  For practical reasons, you simply need to know how much house you can afford so that your home search is realistic and financially within your means.  When real estate agents present contracts for their buyers to purchase properties, sellers want to know whether the buyer has been pre approved and can afford to purchase their home.

Please let us know how we may serve you!

Bernie

We, The Christian Group, are taking a lot of listings and are expecting several more within the next couple of weeks.  I'm gladdened and excited that our economy is chugging along quite nicely.  We also have several buyer's wanting to see properties all around Fort Worth and Tarrant County.  The market seems to be very stable in Fort Worth, even though we have all felt the impact of the shrinking sub prime market loans and the effect these are having on real estate market across the nation.  If you are a Fort Worth resident or are local in the area, please don't buy into some of the negative hype that is going around in conversations at work, parties, etc.  If your are thinking of buying a home or selling a home, please don't sit out the market waiting for a better time.  Trust me, you cannot time the market.  If interest rates go up and you waited out the market, your payment will go up too!  Then how much longer will you wait?  Rates are low now! Prices are stable but increasing, there is no good reason to wait...give us a call so we can help save you from yourself!  Be in a home by Christmas time!  Celebrate New Years Eve in your new lake front home.  Soak in your new hot tub in the chilly winter evening!  Save on electric bills in a new energy efficient home.  The possibilities are endless but you need to let me know your a player and give us a call - 817-480-8425 (my direct line).

You can even respond to our blog if you like!

Regards,

Bernie

After lunch with friends/clients at the Fort Worth Boat Club today, Terri and I took them to see some homes in the prestigious Montserrat community in west Fort Worth.  We had visited there last year (and it was very nice at the time) during an open house tour but it is so much more impressive now compared with then.  The only other community in Fort Worth that is comparable to Montserrat's ultra high end custom homes, in terms of a gated type community, is Mira Vista.  However, Montserrat is all new or newer, whereas Mira Vista has been around for several years.  Montserrat is conveniently located very near Loop 820 and is kind of central to either north or south Fort Worth, but it is so exclusive, that you will not find any convenience or retail stores close by.  The terrain is hilly and the part of the community at the foot of the hillside is where you will find a nature park with paved trails and lots of trees (used as a buffer to the freeway).  There is guarded (manned) access into the community.  There is a massive stone walled entrance with a pond and water feature which is lavishly landscaped.  As you go through the gate it does not take long for one to realize that he/she is in the land of very large, fine, luxury homes.  The homes in this community range from about $700K and up with some being well over $2 million depending on lot size and square footage as built.  Builders have taken great care with attention to detail and varying accents from wrought iron, multi stone applications, stucco, lighting, landscaping, etc.  In general, the inside of these homes have elevators (depending on size), grand staircases, granite countertopped kitchens, numerous fireplaces (including outdoor), grand rooms, media/home theater room, pools with water features and so much more.   When, we returned home from the showings, we felt as if we have lived a somewhat very plain and simple life style.  At least that's the way I think many people will feel if they are like us after a visit to Montserrat.  It was an enjoyable visit and I look forward to going back and showing more of these properties to our customers.  If you would like to view any of the properties in this community, please give me or Terri a call or send us an email requesting an appointment.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Bernie

If you're looking for a gorgeous but affordable waterfront property here in Fort Worth, perhaps you should consider a couple of our most recent listings on Lake Worth.  Only yesterday we listed 6617 Cahoba Dr., Fort Worth, Tx. 76179, and I was really impressed with its rustic feel and quality.  This home priced at $495,000, is a 3 bedroom, 3 bath, 2 car garage, with carport and workshop and a large boat dock.  It has richly stained concrete floors, granite countertops, a very large covered patio and a knock out view of the lake.  Our other listing located on 6817 Cahoba Dr., is listed at an unbeatable price of just $374,900.  This fabulous waterfront has over 250 feet of shoreline and a 180 degree view of the lake.  Here you will find original wood floors, and knotty pine paneling throughout.  There is an enormous den with a native stone fireplace.  Also, the spacious sunroom on the lakeside provides a wall of windows and wetbar for breathtaking view of the lake.  Furthermore, you'll find an oversized formal dining room, two bedrooms, two full baths. separate two car detached garage,  boat house with lift, fishing-sitting dock and side-tie area.  Please go to property search to find homes and view photos or take a virtual tour (sometimes called visual tours) of these and all of our other property listings.  Some of the newer listings may not yet have a virtual tour!

These homes are deeded property, whereas there are some properties on Lake Worth that are actually leased by the City of Fort Worth to the residents (they have an option to purchase if they desire).

Although Lake Worth is smaller and not as deep, it remains a viable and affordable alternative to homes on Eagle Mountain Lake in several respects.  Both of these lakes have boat clubs, sailing and motorboating and offer various recreational activities.  Lake Worth residents have the added benefit of being close to the great restaurants and entertainment in downtown to Fort Worth and are virtually next door to the ever growing City of Lake Worth and its large retail stores like Target, Kohls, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc., as well as franchise restaurants like TGIF, Chili's and much more.  If you love the ideal life of living on a lake and value a short commute distance to work, luxury living on Lake Worth is probably for you.  Come and check it out!

Please contact us if you would like to see these or other lake front properties.

Bernie

Since some of you have taken the time to visit my blog, I hope that you will come back to it again because you either found it useful in your property search or found it helpful in your decision to list and sell your home.  It is my pleasure to try and provide content that is enjoyable and informative.  Ultimately, I hope you will use The Christian Group as your agent (team) of choice.  According to 2006 data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR); When choosing a real estate professional, the reputation of the agent was the most important factor for over one-third of sellers (35 percent) while the agent's honesty and trustworthiness was the most important criteria for over one-fifth of them.  Fifteen percent of sellers mentioned that the agent they worked with was a friend or a family member, which prompted their decision, and 11 percent reported that the most important factor they considered was the agent's knowledge of the neighborhood.  My wife and business partner, Terri has often repeated the words, "My reputation is all that I have".   What she meant was that we place great value on our personal integrity and we strive to maintain high moral and ethical standards in our business practices.  Much of our business is referral based and repeat customers.  We became No. 1 in our community because people have trusted and relied on us to help them find or sell a home.  And of course, there is the consumer's importance placed on an agent's knowledge.  The Christian Group closed over 150 sales transactions throughout the Fort Worth and Tarrant County area in 2006.  I hope you will agree that it takes a lot of specialized knowledge about the communities in and around Fort Worth to sell so many homes.  If you're about to select an agent to help you buy or sell a home and you value honesty, integrity, experience, and knowledge, please consider our team as the only choice to help you achieve that goal.  Call me now at 817-480-8425 or email me at rbciii@earthlink.net.  If you're not ready to talk with an agent at this time, you are welcome to search properties at  http://terrichristian.com/property_search, or give me your thoughts about this or other articles I've written in this blog.  I'd love to hear from you!

Regards,

Bernie

We have a luxury home best buy that you should check out if your thinking about living on the lake someday.  Maybe someday is sooner than you might have believed possible.  The property address is 9321 Dosier Cove and it is located on the west side of Eagle Mountain Lake.  Please check out the rotating photos located in the right margin of this page.  You may visit the visual tour for this property at http://terrichristian.com/homes_with_visual_tours by scrolling down till you find the property info for this beautiful home, then click on the tab for the tour and the information.  If you would like to see it, please give me a call at 817-480-8425.

Bernie

People are always asking me, "Bernie, what do you think about the real estate market?"  I really love it when people ask that question because it gives me a chance to talk about real estate with them and perhaps even change their paradigm (little did they know what they were getting themselves in for!).  The surprising thing about this question, is that most people seem to be convinced (even determined) that the market has turned bad, and this notion inexplicably tends to lead people to shy away from buying or selling property.  Many of us have read something negative about the real estate market in the news paper or on the Internet or maybe learned something just through casual conversation with a friend.  It is no wonder that this has led to the prevailing perception that anything having to do with the housing market is negative and should be avoided.  Bad news, always travels fast!  Because of the Internet, people are now more educated than ever before about the purchase and sale of real property.  But this knowledge is mostly acquired for a specific purchase and the duration is usually short lived, unsustained and incomplete.  Even so, statistics show that buyers usually used the services of a professional realtor to help them validate their decision and facilitate acquisition of the property.  Most people who are unfamiliar with the market know even less about the macro and micro aspects of real estate (which is relevant if you're making a sell, no sell or buy, no buy decision).  Indeed, many real estate professionals are somewhat deficient in understanding what is really happening to the market around them.  Simply speaking, if you're going to be great in the real estate business you must have a good grasp and working knowledge of these things and how they impact buyers and sellers. A little knowledge or an erroneous assumption, may lead buyers and sellers to make hasty uninformed decisions that could cost them time and money on the sale or purchase of the biggest investment they may ever make in their lifetime.  For instance, many of today's buyers are convinced that they should wait until the market improves before they buy a home.  Well...I don't know about you, but if its a "buyer's market" then wouldn't it make sense that the absolute best time to BUY a home is probably...right now?  I recommend that you don't wait for interest rates to go up before you buy.  Earlier today, our preferred Mortgage lender, Ms. Linda Mister, WR Starkey Mortgage  http://terrichristian.com/preferred_mortgage_provider advised that she expects interest rates would likely go up as early as tomorrow.  Many of today's buyers have never experienced double digit mortgage rates like those of the 1970's and may have a false sense of comfort if they believe that today's rates will always remain so low.  Perhaps we are too accoustomed to low mortgage interest rates!  Can you imagine waiting the market out for a better day only to later discover that a dramatic upward shift in rates occured and having no idea when the market might adjust downward again?  Actually, what you need to know, is that market conditions are favorable for buyers to ACT, right now!  Buyers, would you rather wait for another "seller's market" before you buy?  That's when sellers are considered to have the most leverage to sell on their terms.  If you're hesitant to buy in this market, when do you think you should buy? Alternatively, a "buyer's market" can be an opportunity for a motivated seller to take advantage of renewed buyer interest (I didn't say all buyers were turned off with today's market). 

Generally, it might be well to remember, that people's lives are constantly changing due to both fortunate and unfortunate circumstances.  For instance, a person may move from out of state to take a local job or maybe the death of an elderly parent could create a need for the purchase or sale of a particular property.  Because life and economic cycles are dynamic, it is a natural occurrence that real property is always changing hands.  Market values also shift according to supply and demand.  Realistically, there is no such thing as a good or a bad market but one that merely changes due to economic conditions in play either nationally or locally.  The most obvious and direct benefit may have (in many but not all markets) shifted from the seller to the buyer, but there is nonetheless a positive economic benefit that has occurred!  You may have heard the phrase, "Under all is the land".  Indeed, the land is under our homes, schools and businesses, etc., and there is always a driving need for it to change hands even under the most dire economic conditions which could be due either to direct action or unexpected circumstances.  Regardless of whether there are "bad markets" or "buyer's markets", land is indestructable and lasts forever.  Demand may wane but it never disappears.  So long as there are people, there will always be an economic need for someone to buy or sell property.  Perhaps (very soon) that someone will be you!

I hope this has been helpful to the indecisive!

Bernie

I guess we will leave tomorrow for training down in Austin.  We wanted to get there early and relax some today, have a nice dinner and so forth and be fresh for class tomorrow.  We have decided to leave early in the morning instead.  The day just became very busy and at first delayed and then later caused us to decide to cancel our departure till tomorrow.  We had several sign calls throughout the day today and one of those was about a commercial property on Fort Worth Highway on acreage.  Right after talking with him I had to go and show one of my own investment properties that is currently for lease.  Terri's on the phone now with a property call.  Anyway, it was such a nice day today and the weather won't be like this much longer.  I would have been great to have had the time to take the boat out on the lake today.  One thing I really love to do is cruise around and look at the water front properties on Eagle Mountain Lake.  You can get detailed information about the lake at the following link -http://www.trwd.com/prod/index.asp . Its just great seeing how people live when half of their home (their back yard) is on the lake.  Eagle Mountain Lake is very special and rare among lakes since it has so many luxury homes all around it.  It has an ambiance about it that really makes you appreciate the lifestyle of the people who live in the area.  In fact, we have taken numerous customers by boat on lake tours since the lake front side of these properties is a major part of what its all about.  If you love to watch people recreate you're on the right lake.  People have parties and family gatherings or they are just enjoying their property and the wonderful view of the water.  Since I've gone off on lakes, another lake to brag about in our area is Lake Worth.  Eagle Mountain Lake dam spills over into Lake Worth.  Both lakes have boat clubs and sailing and motorboating.  There are plenty of very nice luxury homes on Lake Worth.  We have numerous property listings on these lakes.  If you are considering buying a home, you might consider living on the lake.  If you're moving to Fort Worth from out of town or out of state, give us a call or do a search on our website to discover all things about lake living.  We'd love to give you a lake tour sometime!

Regards,

Bernie

I should have gone to church today, but Terri and I are trying go get ready to leave town for Keller Williams® Agent Mastermind Training down in Austin, Texas beginning tomorrow through Tuesday.  She has to make some changes to a purchase contract and submit an offer on a house before we leave on our journey.  So here I sit for the moment writing to you folks until she is through (I'm starting to like this blog thing).  One of the great things that Keller Williams® does well (and probably better than any other real estate company out there) is train its agents.  We had our licenses under a broker associated with another nationally recognized company a few years ago and believe me, the training was almost non existent there.  In general, real estate agents and educational requirements have changed tremendously over the years also.  Todays agent is required to have so much training every year to meet licensing requirements.  Keller Williams® encourages its agents to go beyond those requirements and helps them (us) actually be better at selling, customer service, listing, buyer assistance etc.  Agents go beyond merely selling real estate, they have become truly more and more professional due to the sophistication of buyers and sellers in today's market and due to the fact that standards and practices are so much more rigorous.  Now, our team closed over 150 transactions last year and we get lots of practice to add to our experience but Internet marketing and the expectations of buyers and sellers are changing all the time.  In real estate sales, its not too different from so many other things that people do...you never know it all and you're always learning something new.  I have a passion for this business since I want to do it so much better than my competition.  Also, The Christian Group was the top sales group in Keller Williams®, Fort Worth in 2005 and 2006 and I don't want us to loose our edge.  So, I believe in training, training and more training.  I'm looking forward to our visit in Austin this week and hope that Terri and I can come back and treat our customers and clients with an even higher level of service.  The reward of all this effort is receiving your business but it is our repeat customers that tell us we've done something right.  So I leave you with this quote (I just love it) by probably someone famous, "In the land of the blind..the man with one eye is king".

Would love to hear from you!  Hope you're having a great weekend!

Bernie

Ok, I was on the treadmill trying to wake up this morning and I was wondering what I would write about on this blog before I left the house today.   I'm always thinking about what motivates sellers.  Sometimes I wonder why they put their homes on the market when after you've shown them the statistics they want to price their home above the market.  Most times its a figure higher than what is recommended. Yes, I know what some of you are thinking...they want room to negotiate...am I right?  How did I know that?  I've sold a few of my personal homes in the past, and (banish the thought)without a realtor.   Actually, I've made money on every house I've sold but let me tell you, It was just plain ole good luck.  One was on an adjustable rate mortgage and I signed up a young newlywed couple that had no credit but were willing to buy it above the market if I would sell it to them.  Another occasion my house was on the market for a year and a half.  That one was listed with a realtor.  I look back and think, wow...she was very patient.  I was not cooperative about lowering my price.  I did not have to move (I had another property I wanted to build on).  Actually, realtors don't mind this so much if the seller does not blame the realtor when it sits on the market without selling.  We're usually glad to have the listing and it helps us keep our name out in the neighborhood even though the printing cost for the tube flyers are sky high and drive bys in some areas are very active.  The amazing thing to me is when sellers become frustrated that their house has not sold, yet they have not lowered their price at the realtor's recommendation and they have virtually ignored the cold hard statistical facts.  Folks, if you need to sell your house, hire a good realtor, do some research of your own and compare what you find to that of your realtor's market analysis and put it on the market at a realistic price.  Your best chance to sell your home is within the first three weeks its on the market and after that buyer interest begins a steady decline and it becomes "shop worn".  Also, the average buyer is very educated about the market.  Statistics indicate that they do about 3 months worth of their own research on the internet before they even begin looking for a realtor.  They will not look at your house if it is priced out of the market for the area.  The reality check is this, if your home has set on the market for several months and you've had almost no traffic through your house, it is probably priced too high.  If its been on the market for several months but you've had lots of traffic, the price is probably right but there is something odd about your house that is turning people away.  In that case, work with your realtor to find out what it is and correct the problem.  In either case, the market has spoken.  It might actually save you money if you listen!

Bernie

Friday's are always fast paced for normally busy real estate agents.  We have to get our flyers together and take them to our clients homes to prepare for the weekend.  So I drove round town today delivering flyers (and putting them in the sign tubes), going to the bank and getting stuck in traffic for about an hour on my way to measure, put on a lockbox and plant a sign on a house we listed earlier in the week.  I returned to the office after sitting in traffic again which wasted a lot of time and set me back in checking off a few items on my laundry list.  So, it seems like I didn't get much accomplished and I didn't get any lunch in the process.  I did work on this website some early this morning and again later in the afternoon.  Now, I've got this blog going late this evening.  If your reading this (and I hope someone does), it is my first entry on this site.  This is sort of a victory for me since I'm not particularly web savy but I'm the defacto web master for this site in addition to all of the various and sundry duties that come with being a real estate agent.  Terri and I have a team of buyer agents that work with us to service buyer's and clients.   It has become a real business because we have two admin staff, Sheila and Dana on payroll.  Anyway, when you sell real estate and run it like a business, there are a whole lot of extra jobs that don't get done unless you do them.  I have a passion for this business and sometimes get frustrated when I don't get things done.  There's also the list that Terri wants me to do and she already has half my day planned for tomorrow.  That's all for tonight, I'm tired and Terri's asleep on th couch with her laptop in her lap.  I need to wake her to go to bed.  Night, night!

Bernie