Why are Some Homes in Your Neighborhood Not Selling?

There are three reasons a home will not sell.

1.  PRICE

One reason a home fails to sell is price.  Right pricing is critical to a making the sale versus having a listing.  Though you and I didn’t create the market, the market controls price.  In every market, right pricing is important.  Pricing reflects the perceived and true values of a property and is based on many factors including location, condition, method of build, curb appeal, floor plan desirability, and materials used, to name a few.

Within a given neighborhood, prices range depending on all the factors mentioned above, including recent sales values established by buyers, supported by appraisers.  A property is only as valuable as what a buyer’s willing to pay for it.

 

2.  SHOWINGS

You have maximum control over showings, with the ability to prevent and counter all showing objections.  The greater limits you put on showings, the fewer buyers will be able to see your property to consider it for purchase.  Ideally, you’ll have no restrictions as to when and for how long a showing is scheduled, with no advance notice needed, but sometimes life doesn’t work that way.  If you do need to block off times or require advance notice, such as 24 Hours Notice, before approving a showing, be flexible when possible.  When an agent schedules a tour, you might have a problem with agents who have tight tour arranged for clients whose schedules might not permit revisiting your listing before a decision is made.

It’s always best to live by the 10 Minute Rule when listing a house for sale.  That means, if you can’t put it away in 10 minutes, don’t bring it out.  And while you’ll most likely still need to cook, eat, entertain, and well, live, while your property is listed, keep in mind that holidays bring in a lot of visitors who are interested in moving and who might find a holiday the perfect time to tour.   If you’ve decorated for the holidays, what better way to show off your property!  Flexibility and readiness are the keys to a successful showing.

3. Marketing

The National Association of REALTORS® study shows nearly 90% of buyers begin their home search online before they consult a REALTOR®.  37% found the actual house they purchased online.  It’s been nearly a decade since LA Times discontinued its real estate section of the newspaper.

My job is to expose your listing with the best possible photos and copy to the agents and buyers who are ready, willing, and able to make the purchase.

Great exposure includes Agent to Agent marketing, including electronic and paper flyers, virtual tours, REALTOR and office meetings, and constant communication.  Once your property is shown, follow up is essential.  If not on the buyer’s top 3, I ask this question:  “Is there a price at which your clients would buy this house?”

My Buyer-Targeted online marketing includes my brokerage website, the local MLS Board members-only website, and over 320 local, national and international portals such as Zillow.com, Craigslist.org, etc., and social media outlets such as twitter, linkedin, facebook, blogs such as wordpress, ActiveRain and others, signs and flyers, Open Houses, and neighbor-to-neighbor advertising, and other networking, in addition to strategic print advertising.   The goal is to get your listing in the top of google and other search engine searches.  I’m specially trained to do just that.

I know you’re thinking that because of everything that I do, much more than what other agents do, that it would be more expensive.  It doesn’t cost you anything more to list with me than with an agent who only puts the listing in the computer.

If you’re in my market and are seriously considering hiring a real estate agent who specializes in getting homes sold quickly and for a high price, give me a call.  You’ll be glad you did.

 

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I love what I do, I’m good at it, & I’d love to work with you! My personal best is 8th with foreclosure bid; we not only won (it was NOT more $), but listing agent complimented me on my complete package, & asked permission to use my secret weapon!

My listing was on Google, first page, number three position, ‘above the fold’ within minutes of my blog post featuring it!

Chrystal is a REALTOR® and principal of The Safari Group, a local, homegrown real estate firm, specializing in all phases of the residential and small business real estate market, including New Construction, Finance, Marketing, Objection Handling, Relocation, Technology, Foreclosures, Short Sales, and Luxury Homes and GREEN Features.  Contact her at 704.562.1030  TXT/PH or Chrystal@TheSafariGroup.com

TheSafariGroup.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHRYSTAL SAFARI ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF HER NEW REAL ESTATE FIRM, THE SAFARI GROUP

May 12, 2010 (Charlotte, NC)  Chrystal Safari, real estate broker and principal, announced today the launch of The Safari Group, a local, homegrown real estate firm, specializing in all phases of the residential and small business real estate market, including New Construction, Finance, Marketing, Objection Handling, Relocation, Technology, Foreclosures, Short Sales, and Luxury Homes.

The Safari Group consults on all aspects of real estate ownership from acquisition to liquidation, portfolio development, and property management.  As an internationally recognized Certified EcoBroker®, Chrystal offers guidelines to assist home buyers and sellers in evaluating true green features and their benefits to real property value, home ownership, tax savings and mortgage closing table capital contributions.  Chrystal is backed by certified and insured professionals to assess and protect your energy utilizing investments based upon your personal needs.

Seasoned homeowners Rick and Scherel Fisher shared, “Chrystal’s suggested listing price had us a showing and an offer within hours of the house being listed.  We had no trouble getting an adequate appraisal for the house and added on closing costs.  She helped us get to closing with difficult buyers with bad credit that we could have never managed on our own.  We highly recommend her real estate services.”

About Chrystal Safari:

Chrystal Safari has over 16 years experience in personal property management and residential real estate sales and is a licensed REALTOR® in North and South Carolina.  As a MASTERS Designation holder, she is a specialist in New Construction, Finance, Marketing, Objection Handling, Relocation, Technology, and is a multi-million dollar producer.  Chrystal is a member in good standing of the Charlotte Regional Association of REALTORS®, North Carolina Association of REALTORS®, and National Association of REALTORS®.

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Contact:

Chrystal Safari
The Safari Group
PO Box 1192
Pineville, NC 28134
704.562.1030
http://www.ChrystalSafari.com

Tips for Getting the Highest Appraised Value for Your Property

Daily Real Estate news reports Chicago Tribune, Mary Umberger’s (08/02/2009) findings on how to assure the highest value is calculated for your home by an appraiser.

Maureen Sweeney, a Chicago-area owner of an appraisal firm, gave several tips on getting an accurate and fair appraisal of your property. This is more important than ever due to our declining market-influenced neighborhood values and since foreclosures are now included among the comparables.

No one knows your home better than you, so naturally you should be present during the appraisal. Follow the appraiser around, pointing out improvements you’ve made to the home and provide him with a written list to take with him as well. Provide a copy of the most recent tax bill, any pending assessments, an HOA declaration which shows the amenities and HOA responsibilities to your community, and a copy of the survey to the appraiser.

No one knows your market better than your REALTOR®. Make sure your REALTOR® is present during the appraisal and is asking good questions. Your REALTOR® should make sure the appraiser is aware of the correct neighborhood boundaries and that the appraiser is truly comparing the home to similar properties. Your REALTOR® should provide his or her own list of comparable homes most like yours in the same condition, neighborhood, size and type that have sold and closed in the last 6 months. Your REALTOR® is the best person to offer a professional opinion about what makes your property worth more than any other properties in the immediate area.

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Chrystal Safari’s job? she gives great advice! She is a full-time real estate broker with Peters & Associates, a boutique firm in Charlotte, North Carolina, specializing in luxury homes from $700,000 and up, and is a MASTERS Designee specializing in New Construction, Finance, Marketing, Objection Handling, Relocation, and Technology. Visit ChrystalSafari.com for more information on luxury real estate, and Mark it your new Favorite!

Can pending home sales in the Northeastern U. S. impact our market?

 

Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 11:00am EDT  |  Modified: Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 5:30pm                     

Lower prices and attractive mortgage rates are breathing new life into housing, with one measure of sales posting its fourth increase in the last five months reports the Washington Business Journal’s staff reporter Jeff Clabaugh.

Pending sales of existing homes, or contracts signed but not closed, rose 6.7 percent in April, according to the National Association of Realtors. April’s pending sales were up 3.2 percent from a year ago, the NAR says.

The biggest increase in April was in the Northeast, where pending sales jumped 32.6 percent from the previous month. 

This is great news for our real estate market because many of the folks who have already relocated to the Charlotte area from the Northeast areas where pending sales bring promise of closure are renting and will soon be free to move forward in the purchase of their Charlotte home, added Chrystal Safari of Peters & Associates, Inc.

The NAR’s pending home sales index is a forward looking gauge, and the group cautions that it is more volatile than actual closed sales.

“The relationship between contracts on pending home sales and closings on existing home sales is taking longer than in the past for several reasons,” says NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun. “Mortgage processing time has increased, it is taking many months to close on those homes requiring short sales with lender approval, and some sales are falling through at the last moment.”

Still, Yun says he believes the housing market has already bottomed out in some areas.

The group last week reported closed sales of existing homes rose 2.9 percent in April.

The NAR’s housing affordability index was also at its second-highest level on record in April.

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Chrystal Safari has over 15 years experience in personal property management and residential real estate sales and is a Luxury Home Specialist and licensed REALTOR® in North and South Carolina.  As a MASTERS Designation holder, she is a specialist in New Construction, Finance, Marketing, Objection Handling, Relocation, Technology, and is a multi-million dollar producer.  Chrystal is a member in good standing of the Charlotte Regional Association of REALTORS®, North Carolina Association of REALTORS®, and National Association of REALTORS®.

Charlotte Area Showings Trends

I spoke with a rep at Centralized Showings today to ask the showing trends, appointments that have been made by agents to show buyers homes, in the Charlotte market. 

Great news!  Our market has officially begun!

Here are the stats:

FOURTH QUARTER 2008

October had 50,461 scheduled showings

November had 46,160 scheduled showings

December had 38,829 scheduled showings

FIRST QUARTER 2009

(Numbers still being gathered as we complete March)

January had 61,822 scheduled showings

February (shortest month) had 59,034 scheduled showings

     The numbers speak for themselves that buyers are back on the move, making appointments with agents to view real estate. 

     These numbers don’t include the visits to new construction communities where buyers, with and without agents, tour model homes, negotiate contracts, begin building and close.

     For sellers, this is great news that buyers are actively searching for homes with agents.  And for buyers, it should be motivation to make that offer since more buyers are moving into the market.

     Rates are still low, inventory high, and lenders and builders are making nice concessions because it’s end of month, end of quarter.  If you’ve been thinking of making your next move, email me.  I can help you negotiate your best deal.

chrystal.safari@gmail.com

Ways to Make Your Home Sell Faster and For More Money

In addition to right pricing, condition, condition, condition is the watch-word for selling a home faster and for more money.  Simple fixes and staging practices can focus buyers’ attention in the right places and keep them from getting sidetracked by personal items in the home.

  

 

Remember, you are preparing your home to become a product for market; one that appeals to the broadest market.  Don’t feel offended that your REALTOR^® insists your coveted widget collection is stored, away from view.  How your live in your home and how you prepare and keep it market-ready are very different.  The 10 minute rule applies: if you (or the kids) can’t put it away in ten minutes, reevaluate whether you must take it out.

   

 

The front yard and door are the buyer’s first impression of your product.  If buyers won’t leave the car, you can’t make the sale.  Clean the gutters, paint the front door, pull weeds and spent flowers, polish the hardware, and power-wash walkways and siding.

 

Be prepared for a white glove inspection. Prospective buyers pull open drawers, look in closets and peek behind the shower curtain, and inspect the oven. Mop, dust, vacuum, clean baseboards, wash windows. Make sure the house looks fresh and smells neutral.

 

Remove furniture that makes rooms feel crowded or décor that will distract buyers from your home’s architectural features.  

 

 

Use furnishings to give each space a logical identity.  If it worked best for your family to use your formal dining room as a home office, get rid of the desk and computer, and bring back the dining table and chairs.

 

 

Eliminate countertop clutter. A countertop covered with small appliances and utensils looks crowded, not spacious. Store personal items, including toiletries; stash family photos and team and religious memorabilia.  Make the place look suitcase ready.

 

 

Dripping faucets, burned-out light bulbs, and squeaking hinges become a distraction and can falsely magnify a home’s need for routine care and maintenance and tend to make the buyer question the condition of other items that can’t be seen, such as the HVAC, roof, and other expensive items.

  

  

The buyer is mentally subtracting thousands of dollars from your list price with every flaw he sees.

 

 

Finally, ask yourself, “Is this property’s condition what I would like to see when I go house hunting this afternoon?”

 

For a checklist on how to prepare your home for market, or a list of preferred and proven vendors, email your request to: chrystal.safari@gmail.com

 

 

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