March 5, 2019
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Is HGTV Giving You Unrealistic Expectations?

By | Blog


HGTV may make for captivating television, but today we’re going to explain why it’s important not to take all your real estate lessons from this network.

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes for sale.
Selling your home? Click here to learn more about our home selling system.

HGTV is great. I watch it all the time myself, and I’m sure many of you are fans of the network, too. That said, this popular channel has gone beyond entertainment and has begun to leave buyers, sellers, and homeowners in our market with unrealistic expectations for their real estate goals.

First, there’s the matter of renovation financing. The simple truth is that not all of us have the same budget as Chip and Joanna Gaines. Even if an HGTV host claims to be working within a budget that might be attainable for your average person, they fail to mention how much behind-the-scenes work goes into making the pieces fall into place.

There are renovation loans out there, but these are generally intended to be used for bringing a home up to a livable standard per its neighborhood—not for taking out the kitchen wall to open up a property’s floor plan.

“Real estate is much more complex than HGTV may make it seem.”

Expectations related to price and condition, in general, are also misrepresented by these popular renovation shows. When purchasing a home, the best approach is to emphasize the things you can’t change about it over the things you can. Things like floor plan and location, for example. Don’t get too caught up in all the renovations you could make when you’re looking for the perfect property.

It isn’t just buying and selling that HGTV misrepresents, however. They also make real estate investing look much simpler than it is. In particular, HGTV programs make house flipping seem glamorous and easy.

In reality, house flipping is risky business. It’s an easy way to lose money if you don’t understand what you’re doing—which, if your sole exposure to the pursuit is through HGTV, you probably don’t.

Overall, the important thing to remember is that real estate is much more complex than HGTV makes it seem. Instead of taking all your lessons from the television, it’s best to consult with a real estate professional when you’re considering buying, selling, investing in, or even renovating a home.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give my team or me a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

February 18, 2019
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5 Tips to Help Sell Your Home in Less Than 30 Days

By | Uncategorized


Your home doesn’t need to sit on the market for months. Here’s how to sell it in 30 days or less.

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes for sale.
Selling your home? Click here to learn more about our home selling system.

If you want to sell your home quickly, there are five tips you should keep in mind:

     1. Stage your home. Home staging requires a few steps—start from the outside and work your way in. Your curb appeal is very important; put down fresh mulch, replace your old mailbox, and get a welcome mat. Inside the home, you want to remove family pictures and other personal items. Declutter living spaces so buyers can picture themselves, their own furniture, and their decor in your home. Deep clean the house by targeting areas you don’t normally clean, such as baseboards, walls, etc. Finally, clean your windows to let in a lot of natural light for showings.

     2. Keep an online presence. Around 95% of buyers find homes online, so you want professional photography that really makes your home stand out. You also want aerial shots that showcase the exterior, 3D walkthrough tours, and even a video of your home.

     3. Write compelling copy. Once you’ve grabbed buyers with your great pictures, make them stay with a great description of your home. Tell an enticing story about your property that will make buyers want to come and see. Avoid all typos and any grammatical mistakes, as these will detract from your message.

“95% of buyers find homes online.”

     4. Advertise on social media. Ads on social media sites are seen and heard more than TV, radio, and print advertisements. You want to showcase your home on sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. It’s a small cost considering the amount of exposure you’ll receive.

     5. Price correctly. List your home at the right price from the outset. You do not want to overprice it and have it sit unsold on the market. When it’s on the market for a long time, buyers will use it as leverage to get a lower price. Do your research on comparable homes and find the right price. This is where hiring an experienced agent comes into play.

If you’re looking to sell your home, have any questions, or need further information, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

February 4, 2019
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Avoid These 5 Seller Mistakes

By | Uncategorized


If you want to have an optimal home selling experience, learn from past sellers by avoiding these five common mistakes.

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes for sale.
Selling your home? Click here to learn more about our home selling system.

Homeowners in the past have made a number of mistakes in the process of selling their homes. Today I want to help you avoid their misfortune by telling you what mistakes to avoid and the potential costs of repeating them.

 1. Ignoring the competition. A lot of times, sellers focus on the specific characteristics of their home that they believe other homes don’t have. This overconfidence sometimes leads them to overprice the home. In reality, the best pricing strategy is based on your immediate competition. The special features your home has may indeed add value to it, but be aware of how much value, exactly, those features are likely to add when compared to other properties. You need to take a realistic view of your home that’s divorced from your emotions when you give your home a list price.

 2. Becoming too emotionally involved and unwilling to negotiate. Homeowners who have lived in their home for a long time tend to become really emotionally attached to it. This becomes a problem when they ignore sound advice from their agents and are unwilling to take a step back and negotiate with buyers from a purely financial perspective. Put your emotions aside and negotiate using tactics that don’t revolve around your personal feelings.

 3. Failing to declutter and depersonalize. Many don’t seem to understand how clutter and personalized decor can distract a buyer. Homebuyers can be looking at multiple properties in a short span of time, so it’s vital to make a good first impression on them when they visit yours. The best way to do that is to remove all personal items from the home—photographs, memorabilia, etc.—and clear up all your clutter. The goal is to give your home clean, simple flow so that your buyer can have the best experience (and by extension, so that you can get the most from your home sale).

“You need to take a realistic view of your home that’s divorced from your emotions when you give your home a list price.”

     4. Over- or under-improving your home. Sometimes, during their efforts to get a home ready for sale, sellers go too far with their updates and don’t get a good return on their investments. A lot of times, all a seller really needs to do is spruce up their curb appeal and maybe update some outdated features, rather than remodel the whole home. On the other hand, some sellers don’t do enough. A lot of home preparation is just small repairs and purchases, so failing to shell out the necessary expenses is a wasted opportunity to make the biggest possible impact on the buyer. Some very simple projects can go a long way in your home sale.

     5. Limiting showing times and not being accessible. Everyone has a personal life, and few want people coming in and out of their home at all hours. This is completely understandable. However, I’ve seen a lot of sellers who just aren’t willing to allow short-notice showings or are generally restrictive about when they’ll do a showing. This really limits the buyers, as some may be coming from out of town with only a small window of time to actually do the showing. To avoid pushing away otherwise interested buyers, be flexible and cooperative with your schedule.

If you have any questions about selling your home, you can always reach out to us. We’d be glad to give you expert advice about how you can sell your home for the most money possible and in the shortest amount of time.

January 18, 2019
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6 Easy Tips When Buying a Home

By | Blog


If you want to buy a home but aren’t sure where to start, follow these six steps.

Buying a home? Click here to search all homes for sale.
Selling your home? Click here to learn more about our home selling system.

Buying a home may sound like an intimidating prospect, but today we’d like to share six tips that will make it much easier.  

     1. Get pre-approved. Not only will this help you nail down your budget, but it will also strengthen your credentials and make your offers more attractive to sellers.

     2. Talk to more than one lender. Different lenders will offer different rates, programs, and deals. Therefore, talking to a few different professionals will help ensure that you wind up with the best loan option for your circumstances.

     3. Research the location. The old saying that real estate is all about location, location, location is absolutely true. An area’s crime rates, school districts, and available amenities should all play a role in your decision between homes. A home’s location will have a huge impact on your life in the time you live there and will also play a major role in the property’s resale value down the line.

“Working with a professional who knows the ins and outs of the process will ensure that your deal goes smoothly and that you earn top dollar at the end of it all.”

     4. Understand the costs associated with buying and owning the property. The expense of buying a home is important, but don’t forget the money it will take to live there after closing. HOA dues, property taxes, utility bills, and other important expenses should all be kept in mind.

    5. Research comparable properties. This will help you understand whether you’re getting a good deal, as well as what other similar homes are available in the market.

    6. Hire an experienced real estate agent. This tip is one of the most valuable of all the ones we’ve listed today. Working with a professional who knows the ins and outs of the process will ensure that your deal goes smoothly and that you earn top dollar at the end of it all. The agent will help guide you through every step, from staging to negotiating and beyond.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

January 4, 2019
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Problems With Real Estate Licensing

By | Blog


Getting your real estate license is a pretty easy thing to do. Here’s why that’s a problem.

 

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Selling your home? Click here to learn more about our home selling system.

In the state of Florida, practically anyone can get their real estate license. I think that’s a major problem, and here’s why.

All you have to do in order to get your license in this state is take a 63-hour pre-licensing course, an exam at the end of the course, and a state exam. It doesn’t require any type of prior experience or knowledge. Essentially, you just have to be 18 years or older.

I have a friend who went to cosmetology school. They had to do 1,200 hours of hands-on training to get their license. With real estate licensing, that 63 hours can be done online or in the classroom. You can get it done within a week and have your license within two weeks. I think that’s absolutely crazy.

“When you hire an agent, make sure they have the necessary experience.”

For 99% of the population, buying or selling a home is going to be the largest financial commitment they ever make. In order to get qualified to help someone with that investment, all you have to do is complete a simple course and pass a 100-question multiple choice exam.

I’m talking about this as a warning and a service to those of you out there who are thinking about buying or selling a home. I got my license in 2010 and I can tell you I knew absolutely nothing about buying or selling real estate after taking that class, even after coming from a family of real estate professionals and going to the University of Central Florida for four years.

So when you’re out there looking for an agent to hire, make sure they have the necessary experience. Anyone who has just gotten their license won’t have that experience. It’s not their fault—it’s just too easy to get a license, and a brand-new agent isn’t going to have the proper experience and training to help you successfully navigate a real estate transaction.

If you have any questions for me about my experience or what you should be looking for in a real estate agent, don’t hesitate to call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.