My New Outside Blog

NEWSFLASH:  Buying a Home May Be One of the Best Ways to Achieve Happiness!

The pursuit of happiness... It's what we all seek isn't it?  After all this ideal finds prominence in the founding document of our country thanks to Thomas Jefferson who borrowed from John Locke and changed property to "pursuit of happiness."

People try many things to try to find happiness.  And there are many paths to achieving happiness.  You may find it at church, at synagogue, on the sports field, or the dance floor.  Some find it through charitable endeavours and others pathways include Zen meditation.  Helping others, finding new and exciting challenges, life-long learning... any of these things can lead to a happy life.

It's been said that "Money Can't Buy Happiness!"

Well, last week I read an article called "8 Ways that Money Can Buy Happiness" and I concluded that buying a home for the reasons I'll cite below may just be a great way to help achieve happiness!

Why Buying a Home Can Make You Happy:

"Buy more experiences and fewer material goods." -- the article states that:

Asked which of the two purchases made them happier, fully 57% of respondents reported that they had derived greater happiness from their experiential purchase, while only 34% reported greater happiness from their material purchase.

What?  You might say that a home is a material good!  Whatch'a talking about Brian?  And yes, technically a home is a material good -- it's made up of bricks and siding, a roof, plumbing, electrical systems, appliances, etc.  However a home is much more than that.  Homes are much more than the sum of their material parts.  You make memories in your homes.  You raise your families in your homes.  You have good times (and bad) in your homes.  You entertain, you wine, you dine.

Before you buy it, it's a house -- you have an inspection, you make sure everything's working, you negotiate a price.  Once you've been living there, it becomes a home -- or the sum of all the experiences you have there.  No wonder selling it can be such an emotional experience.

Ready for some happiness?

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By: Lani Rosales /AGBeat

Advertising to Millennials

For years, we’ve written about marketing to Millennials not only because several of us are actually in the Millennial/Generation Y category, but because it is a highly misunderstood generation. Only 20 percent of people 30 and under are married, and Millennials are the least employed of any age demographic. Most reports or opinion pieces we come across are a joke, as they misinterpret data or assert assumptions on to the generation that are completely false.

Today, comScore has released highlights from their upcoming report on advertising to Millennials and we are enthusiastic that their findings are spot on. They define the generation as having a high comfort-level with new technologies and cultural diversity, as well as being accustomed to on-demand access to entertainment, continual stimulation and extreme multitasking.

The report notes that television ads work substantially less effectively on Millennials than on older generations, but were able to retain a much longer lasting impression of a television advertisement. The 30 and under crowd will most likely remember an advertisement, but it does not necessarily convert to a sale. Interestingly, television ads (that are not forwarded through) are 30 seconds, which is a short time to devote attention, and Millennials as digital natives are used to processing millions of rapid packets of information, thus retention is higher and reception is lower. Predictably, digital advertising performs better than television on Millennials.

The comScore reports that Millennials tend to be less interested and more difficult to connect with, capture attention, impress, convince and entertain. This is an assertion we made years ago and were scoffed at – it is nice to see data to back up the idea that attention spans are short and because of growing up around constant advertising, our generation is difficult to impress and on top of everything, Millennials are price conscious.

How to reach Millennials

For all generations, but especially Millennials, comScore notes “the presence of key creative elements in advertising were shown to relate strongly to successful advertising.”

The good news is that when a Millennial chooses to engage with television or digital content, engagement has been shown to amplify the effectiveness of advertising, so comScore says that when targeting Millennials, it is important to utilize engaging content to help boost returns from investments in advertising.

Millennials are natural researchers, are thoughtful and when they chose to move beyond an observer and become a lead, they engage more highly than any other generation and opine publicly (positive and negative) than others. If you can win over a Millennial and have their contact information, you’ve moved beyond what many advertisers (particularly your competition) have been able to do.

Boomers Top 10 Tips To Let It Go! 

 

Larry and Sheila do a considerable amount of business working with seniors who are either downsizing or thinking about it.

 

When deciding if it's time for Baby Boomers to leave their family home for a smaller place, there are many things to think about. Of course, for most, it is never an easy choice to make.

 

You don't need your large house anymore.

 

You don't want to clean your large house anymore.

 

You don't want the financial burdens that are attached to owning a large house.

 

You also don't want to think about how difficult it might be to sort through everything in your large house to get ready for the move.

 

However, Larry and Sheila are finding that many consumers do want to simplify their lifestyles, less maintenance, more travel, more leisure time. In other words, they want to free up their time and energy for more creative pursuits.

 

To help Baby Boomers prepare for the downsizing move, here are 10 Tips to help de-clutter your home. By the way, for those of you "youngsters" who don't know who the "Baby Boomers" are, they are those who were born just after World War II and are called so because of the boom in the number of babies born during that period.

 

1. Start Slow ~  Start with a room that is not often used anymore, like a basement, a formal dining room, or those extra spare bedrooms. This way you avoid cluttering the areas of the home that are used regularly.

 

2. Sort Everything ~ While still in your current residence, sort through everything. Look around the house and toss everything away that you genuinely don't need. Put aside the items that you can sell or donate and take care of those before you move.

 

3. Closets ~ Assort your clothes and really look at the things that you haven't worn in a long time, or don't even fit you anymore. If you haven't worn something in a couple of years, it's time to let go.

 

4. Furniture ~ Really look at all your furniture and think about the space you will have in your new place. When you start with the large items like furniture, you will feel you are  more progressive. Then you can move towards the smallest items like knick-knacks or collectibles.

 

 

5. Let The Family Have Stuff ~ If you still have things that belong to your children or other family members, see it they want them. Otherwise get rid of it. If they don't want it, why are you holding onto it?

 

6. Storage/Attics/Garages ~ Look at your tools, mowers, storage, outdated anything, or whatever else is stored in your garage and get rid of what you don't need. If you move into a condo, chances are they provide all the yard maintenance for you, so do you really need this stuff? There’s usually good items to sell in a garage sale. Why not make extra money, while cleaning out the home.

 

7. Personal Papers And Photographs ~ These often take the most time to go through. Take your time and decide whether to keep, save for your children, or shred. You don’t need to discard photos, but you do need to consider how to organize and store them.

 

8. Gifts And Sentimental Items ~ If you're still hanging onto your children's school papers, and old clothes, ask yourself why? Also as to those gifts that you have received for all kinds of occasions, it’s okay to let go of well-intended but not-quite-on-the-mark gifts. Maybe keep a clear plastic “memory box” for the very special items you want to keep.

 

9. Keep, Sell, Donate, Or Trash ~ Although it maybe difficult to part with possessions, doing so is often a must for anyone planning to downsize. Begin by dividing belongings into keep, sell, donate, and trash categories.  Knowing that others will appreciate these things might make parting with the items a bit easier.

 

10. Let Things Go ~  Don't be afraid to let things go. After all, they are just material things and you might feel a little better living a little lighter. Start to de-clutter your home ahead of the move, you will be able to move into a smaller home easier, lighter and ready for the new excitement ahead!

 

And, of course, #11 would be to call Larry and Sheila, Realtors with Charles Rutenberg Realty at 631-805-4400, if you are downsizing on The North Shore Of Long Island!

 

http://www.suffolkexperts.com

Email: sheila@suffolkexperts.com

 

All content, including text, photographs and images, remains the exclusive property of Suffolk Experts.  Only with written permission of Larry & Sheila may anything be used by others. All information is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed. Suffolk Experts and Larry & Sheila make no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability or validity of any information on this site and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, delays in information, any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.   

If you or anyone you know is considering to sell their existing home on The North Shore Of Long Island, or is purchasing their first home, dream home, step-up home, or retirement residence, we would appreciate the opportunity to serve them, and we can also recommend a relocation professional in the destination of choice outside our Long Island area! 

                    

 

  

I'm a private person.

When I began facebook it was a year and a half before I took down the photos of my dog, Roy, as my profile picture and actually put one up of me.

When I began my first real estate blog (probably 5 years ago) I never wrote actual content, I just wanted it to be a hub for useful websites, local events, etc.

Now I am on Active Rain, trying to blog away. I was lamenting the fact that I've been a Rainmaker for nearly a year and have no "Success Story" to tell (besides of course the great people I've met and the awesome information I have learned from reading others people's blogs).

I actually received more referrals BEFORE I was a Rainmaker, through the referral network, and I always read the Daily Drop before as well, so why, now that I have had a paid account and have been blogging (sort of) for nearly a year am I seeing no return?

What I realized is that I don't want anyone to read my blog. 

Now, I don't really mean that of course.  I wouldn't be part of this and trying to blog if I didn't really want people to read my blog and to find me on the Internet.  But the truth is, I'm a little bit afraid of people reading my blog.  I don't want to get too personal (remember, I'm a private person), I don't want to declare too many of my own opinions (of which I actually have quite a lot).  I don't want to open up my email one morning and find a thread of comments disagreeing with what I have posted (well if I did I'd at least be getting some extra points).  I don't want the public to read my blog and not like what they find.

That's it.  I don't want people to read my blog and not like what they find.

Basically, I'm scared of blog success. Because, to be successful the blog has to be something people want to read; something that is engaging, entertaining and informative.  And in order to do that I have to take some risks, I have to tell personal stories, I have to engage myself.

I slowly but surely ease my way into these kinds of things.

But, I can't be a blogging success if I don't want people to read my blog, now can I?

That's going to have to change.

Sincerely,

Kasey

 

Kasey & John Boles 

Jon Gosche Real Estate, Boise Idaho 

kaseyboles@boiserealtystore.com / johnboles@boiserealtystore.com

Associate Broker, GRI, REALTOR®, ABR, ePRO, SRS, SFR

Click on this link to take a look at all my featured listings

Search Like An Agent at kasey.BoiseMeridanRealEstate.com

This is not intended as solicitation if you are in contract with another real estate agent.

 

 

A Seller's letter of Love

Every now and then you see something that just hits home the sadness of families having to move from their beloved home.

I was showing property last week, and in one of the homes that was a short sale, there was a letter to the buyer on the kitchen counter. While we stood there reading the itemized list of what this family loves about the home, it really hit home the fact that for one reason or another, they have to move because they really have no choice.

The lists mentioned how they loved the kitchen..and my vision instantly pictured many family gatherings and dinners enjoyed together.

They mentioned how much they just love the neighborhood and how their neighbors are the best. I visioned the kids out playing together, the parents chatting with the others about lawns, kids sports, and bbq's.

The mention of the fantastic storage and closets brought me instantly back to the big closet upstairs with the toy action figures set up inside..a childs private space cherished.

That list to me was such a gift of generosity to the future family of this home. Knowing they have to leave there cherised home breaks my heart. I hope  a miracle happens and they can keep their home, but if not, the new owners know that this house is not just a box that people lived in, but it was a home.

A Seller's letter of love..this is the sad side of short sales and forclosures..seeing the reality of people losing their homes.

 

 

 

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Cindy Westfall ABR,GRI

Prudential NW Properties

5 Centerpointe Dr, Ste. 150, Lake Oswego, OR 97035

Cell: 503-819-5241      

E-Mail: cwestfallportlandrealestate@gmail.com      

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 Disclaimer: All views on my blog are my own and may not reflect that of Prudential NW Properties. All pictures and content are my own unless otherwise noted. Please No Copying without my permission.

Be the glue, not part of the puzzle!

As a REALTOR® I feel my role in a transaction and in advocating for my clients is somewhat that of working through a jigsaw puzzle.  There are many intricate pieces to the big puzzle and each must fit perfectly and interlock with the others to create the final picture.

The finished work of art being a picture of an elated seller and thrilled buyer hugging each others necks in front of the “Just Sold Home” Here are the many pieces to this puzzle.

Puzzle Pieces; AKA Those involved in the transaction

*Buyer(s) Spouses, Kids and Other family members i.e. Father, Mother, Brother etc
*Seller(s)  Spouses, Kids and Other family members plus 1 cat and two dogs

*Co-Agent and any assistant plus their Managing Broker
*Loan Officer and their assistant
*Lenders processor
*Loan Underwriter
*Loan Investor
*Appraiser
*Insurance Agent

*Home Inspector
*Termite Inspector
*Other pertinent inspectors i.e. Well, Septic, Radon, Lead Paint, Mold, Duct work etc.
*Contractors or Trades (Repair People) Plumber, Electricians, Roofers, Flooring
*Escrow/Title Officer and assistants
*Attorneys (some states)
*Surveyors
        *And if things don’t go perfectly maybe the seller or buyers attorney..Yikes!

Anyway, a lot pieces to a complex and often difficult puzzle.  The border is typically created by the buyer and seller (the contract) while the guts of the puzzle is fulfilling the contract terms, making the necessary contacts and managing objections.  There is one final and very important component to this complex puzzle and that would be the REALTORS®  We are the architect of this awesome puzzle and the GLUE that keeps it all together.  

Just be sure you're the glue and not part of the puzzle!

Are your looking for a seasoned Realtor® that can manage the many pieces of your real estate puzzle.  Call me, John McCormack at Albuquerque Homes Realty and AlbuquerqueHomes.com I will gladly be the glue to keep your transaction on track and on time.

Albuquerque Homes and Lifestyle Blog

www.AlbuquerqueHomes.com

********************************************************************************

John McCormack    Owner/Managing Broker,  e-PRO

505-980-4576 / John@AlbuquerqueHomes.com

Search Albuquerque Homes For Sale *  Search Albuquerque Homes & Lifestlye

If your considering Buying, Selling or Relocating  to Albuquerque or Rio Rancho, NM and need a Professional Realtor It would be my pleasure to help you!

Be sure to visit my AlbuquerqueHomes.com website for total access to all available homes in the following New Mexico communities:  Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Los Ranchos, Placitas, Bernalillo, Tijeras, Sandia Park, Cedar Crest, Bosque Farms, Los Lunas & Belen.

Come On Back and Visit My

ActiveRain / Adobe EchoSign Challenge: What Does Trust Mean to You?

This month Active Rain challenge is about Trust. We have to share some serious thoughts on this subject. I am originally from Brazil and arrived in the US in 2007. Since then I have worked on effectively communicating through proper English. I realize that being in a country that the language is not native to me, will and has drawn attention to me and possibly an element of distrust.  I trust that the relationships that I have developed in my personal & professional life are not judged by my accent, but by my personality.  I am a person that genuinely cares about the people that surround me.  I would like to participate and share with you my feelings about trust.

My every day goal is that my FRIENDS BECOME MY CLIENTS AND THAT MY CLIENTS BECOME MY FRIENDS! With this life philosophy I have made a lot of friends in my 4 years as a Real Estateagent and at the same time earned their trust as a person that genuinely cares about them. Using this philosophy, I have had a lot of referrals from both friends and clients! For me that is the most rewarding part of my job.

As a R/E agent I realize that the home buying process is difficult and at the same time nerve racking for my clients. The home is where you hang your hat and it’s a lifelong investment! Keeping that in mind, developing trust cannot be over stated!! My clients trust  me to guide them through the home buying process with their specific needs first and foremost and my friends that refer me trust that I will do a good job and not embarrass them, as its their “word” that is at stake.  In my job Trust is the key that opens everything. Trust is something that grows every day based on my actions. Trust is something that I strive to earn.

A long time ago, in my last day of Century 21 New Millenniumtraining school we received a C/21 motivational guest speaker:Kent Eley, life time Top Producer. He shared his experiences with us, and I never forgot what he said about Trust. As a matter of fact, I have his top 10 Keys to Success in a picture frame on my work desk.

Here is what he told us about earning Trust and the Keys to Success:

1. 1.      Be nice to EVERYONE!
2. 2.      Be thankful for the business and let your clients know
3. 3.      Do what you said you’re going to do and make your commitments
4. 4.      Return all phone calls promptly
5. 5.      Stay in touch with the client and keep them informed; you can never over do it
6. 6.      Always be on time, and call ahead if you are running late
7. 7.      Respond to all leads within 10 minutes
8. 8.      Start your day early
9. 9.      Prospect, prospect, prospect
10. Don’t forget your clients or they will forget you!

This post is a submission to the ActiveRain / Adobe EchoSign Trust Contest. I could possibly win a prize. You can find out about the contest by clicking here

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If you are interested in selling or buying a home in Southern Maryland, St Mary's County please feel free to contact me with any questions or visit my website to search for homes in Southern Maryland or obtain a FREE market Analysis

       

  

Gabriela Agostinelli

CENTURY 21 New Millennium

Cell - 305-797-1171

301-737-3633  office / 301-862-2179 fax

gabriela.agostinelli@c21nm.com  http://gabrielaagostinelli.ismyreagent.com/

 

 

 

Have you ever gotten an appraisal back on your home for a refinance (or sale) and found that it did not appraise for what you thought it should?  Unfortunately this does occur on occasion.  You may chuckle and say this occurs more times than not and you may think the appraiser is just a "deal killer", however you must realize that appraisals are based on actual market data and not a spin of the appraisal "value" wheel.  Please don't blame us, we don't make the market, we just report it.  Most people don't understand how we arrive at a value so I thought I would fill you in on some of the top reason where there could be confusion on what you think your house should be worth.  So here are some top reasons why your house may not have appraised for what you thought it should, drum roll please:

1. Bad real estate market- As you probably are already aware, the real estate market in most areas is down.  You may not be unaware of how much depreciation is occurring in  your area.  The large number of foreclosures and short sales is affecting "normal" properties; this is unfortunate but a reality in today's market.  We are likely to see this continue until the inventory of foreclosed properties is depleted.
2. Cost does not equal value- This is a common problem with homeowners who have invested a lot of money in improvements and renovations.  In a previous post I noted a website that will give you an estimate of how much of a return on your investment you could expect on some common home projects.  Just because you spend $50,000 on home improvements does not mean your homes value will increase by that amount.  It could be more, less, or the same.
3. Your neighbor did not tell you the truth- I had a client one time that was selling their home themselves.  They had priced their  home based on what their neighbor (who recently sold their home and moved) had supposedly sold theirs for.  The neighbor exaggerated a little and said he had sold his home for around $15,000 more than he actually did.  My client figured that since their home was very similar to the neighbors they would list theirs for a similar amount.  Because it was overpriced my client could not sell their home, which is why they called me.  Always verify through public records before you take someone for their word.
4. Tax assessment is wrong- In some areas the tax assessors have not revalued your property recently, so its tax assessment is based on old sales from several years ago, when prices were higher.  It is not a good idea to estimate your homes value based on its tax assessment.  In addition, you could be overpaying in property taxes.
5. The real estate appraiser may not know your market- Last year a law went into affect that regulated how mortgage companies could order appraisals.  Because of some confusion, most lenders are utilizing third party "Appraisal Management Companies" (AMC's).  Some of these AMC's use fee as a main criteria in choosing an appraiser.  The appraiser the AMC is using may be from out of the area and not know your market.  It is always a good idea to ask the appraiser where they are from, how long they have been appraising (ie: experience), and if they have any experience doing appraisals in your neighborhood.

These are by no means the only reasons your  house may not have appraised for what you thought it should.  If I can answer any of your questions please give me a call and I will be glad to help.  I can be reached at 205.243.9304.

As a Realtor, one of the skills I bring to the table is helping my clients determine the investment value of their purchase.

This doesn't always work the way that we expect (the bursting real estate bubble caught almost everyone by surprise), but it is something that every purchaser should consider.

There is more to evaluating an investment, than just how quickly your equity will grow. One of the most important things to consider is how quickly you could sell your home, if your personal situation changes.

At any given time there is a pool of buyers looking at homes in your local area. Sometimes this pool is larger and sometimes there are more homes for them to evaluate. One thing that remains constant, however, is that the more of these buyers who will consider your home, the more likely you are to sell it in a timely manner.

For instance, if you bought a 3 bedroom, one bath condominium and now need to sell it, the number of buyers who will consider this purchase will be likely (but not always) be limited to a single person looking for a guest room and a study, or a couple. Most people who have children, or who want to rent out rooms, will look for at least a 1.5 bathroom property, but would prefer a 2 bathroom (the gold standard in Northern Virginia condos is a 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath, as this is the most popular configuration for buyers). 

I showed a property this weekend where I talked to my client about this very subject. It was a lovely 2 story, 3 bedroom townhouse. It had high ceilings, a spacious kitchen and opened onto common ground. So what was the problem? It will be my client's first home purchase and he hopes to rent out rooms and build equity.  The issue, beside the fact that it was a two story townhouse in an area where most TH are 3 levels,  was that the top level was an enormous Master Bedroom and the rest of the home was on one level. While this would make for a great roommate situation, it would result in  a resale that appealed to a smaller pool of buyers. Most parents of young children (often townhouse purchasers) would not be comfortable with 2nd and 3rd  the bedrooms on a different level than the MBR. This, combined with the fact that it is a 2-story, would limit the pool of potential buyers and make it a harder resale. 

Keep in mind that anything sells at a price, but when you have a home that has features that are unique, the easiest way to equalize unique features is by lowering price. This can reduce the potential return on your investment.

As a purchaser, you might find a property whose unique features appeal to you. As an investor (and anyone who buys property is an investor), you owe it to yourself to evaluate how the property will appeal to other buyers when, in the future, you decide to sell. If you are willing to accept that these unique features will work for your lifestyle, and may mean a slightly longer sales cycle in the future, then you have looked at the property realistically and will be a happier, and more successful, investor.

 

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I believe that buying or selling real estate should be a GREAT EXPERIENCE. If I can help you, your friends or family buy or sell their next home in Northern Virginia, please let me know!

If you need help with a home outside of Northern Virginia, I have an extensive network of referral agents and will make sure you are working with the best!

The contents of this blog may not be copied or reproduced without the permission of Holly Weatherwax.

What Will I Find If I Google Your Business Name?

As many of you know, we have recently listed our house for sale. Shortly after listing, we started receiving solicitations from moving companies....post cards in the mail and phone calls from movers who are looking for our business.

I received a call from a very friendly woman asking if I would like a free estimate.  She assured me that I would be very impressed with their representative, Dan...."everyone loves Dan!"  I agreed to have Dan call me to set up an appointment.

I decided to google the moving company before Dan called to see what I could find out about them.

Page 1 on Google:  The first link has 10 reviews, 7 are very negative.  The second link has 4 reviews, 3 are very negative.  Everyone may "love Dan" but not too many people love the moving company he represents.  

Two days later when Dan called I told him that based on the reviews I saw online, I would pass on the estimate.  He appeared to be surprised and said he would inform his manager that there are negative reviews out there.

 

I would hope that Dan's manager, and the owner of this company, already know about the reviews...if not, they should.  

I would hope that someone in this company has a plan to overcome the negative reviews and change their reputation for the better.

When a company rates as poorly as this one does online, it's pretty hard to overcome it. 

I google every service, company, and/or product I am considering.

 I take reviews very seriously.  Do you?

  Do you think a business can survive bad reviews on Google?  Would you have given them a chance?

What will I find if I google your business name?

______________________________________________________________________________

 

    

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