Real Estate Decoded

An improving economy and steady job market signals an improving housing market. In the natural order of real estate, one stimulates a rise in the others. This factual phenomenon will remain virtually unchanged by the most recent rate increase for the foreseeable near future. How does this impact housing prices?  Well, if the average home price is $225k, this would mean on a 30-year fixed rate loan, the increase would reflect a predicted drift to a $26 a month increase on buyers. This is clearly not enough to stop people from buying a home when home values are on the rise. Interest rates increasing is actually a sign that the economy is improving and showing no signs of slowing.  When the Federal Government raises interest rates, the masses will always shudder. Here is the reality: #1. Interest rates are still low -- even after this raise. #2. Buying a home still makes sense in America. #3. The dollar is strong. #4. Buying property is still one of the safest ways...

We all want to get the best deal. The only time we settle for less is when we do not care about the thing we are trying to buy. These are the things we consider both low in price and low value Items that fall into the high price and high value category are ones that we think through before we buy them. Not only because of the higher price, but also the long term value justifying the cost. Here is an example: You are traveling to a foreign Country for a business meeting. You decided to leave your tooth brush at home because it is a $200 dollar Sonicare. You advised your spouse you will buy a cheap one when you go to the hotel. Before arriving at the hotel you ate an onion bagel. Now that you have realized you are behind schedule, you are in a panic! You think... “Why didn’t I just pack that tooth brush?!” You look at your watch and you have five minutes until you meet the CEO of a company that can potentially offer you the best deal of your life. In this moment y...

What is buyer's remorse?   To me  and my closest colleagues, it is the most logical instance of experiencing doubt in the world. Here is what I mean... We second-guess ourselves when deciding if we want whipped cream or a splash of vanilla flavoring in our daily coffee. Doubt happens every day. It is as human as  breathing. In my position as a Realtor, I have always found it interesting when I hear other Realtors say they see buyers feeling ashamed or reluctant to admit they are experiencing buyer's remorse. I am of the opinion that if you the buyer feel ashamed about remorse, it is a failure of your Realtor for not preparing you to likely feel that emotion. Buying a home and picking the one for you and your family is a major decision.  When you purchase a home you’re not only physically uprooting your family and putting them in a different location...  You are also putting a major chunk of money behind the decision.  I t...

The rules of competition turn  grey  when the competition gets  personal . Competition works best when people compete to receive a fair deal for both sides. A win-win result both can live with. The goal should always be to create a win-win situation. Showing the opposing party a clear win-win option by being fair and picking a Realtor partner will give you the best odds of getting “picked”. With that in mind, the parties to a deal need to constantly gauge what is going on in a situation to determine what tactics should be implemented to ensure this happens. The question should always be: “what tactics should I use in this situation to be picked?” In other words, what makes my offer the most reasonable and attractive. Is it better to be cooperative or competitive when entering the market? The answer: It usually boils down to the facts concerning resources and demand for those resources. The fewer the resources, the more cooperation you want to display. The...

Most every Realtor will tell you to list now. They will all have different reasons for why. And they will all be guessing. Granted they may have a very educated guess...but I think we should be more transparent about our reasoning instead of claiming we know for sure. The reason they are guess is because not one of us can predict the future. The Real Estate market reacts based on many other factors going on in the economy. Considering we have yet to have anyone know the future of the economy with 100% accuracy... We are all at the mercy of human behavior determining the state of the economy. Here is what I  know for a fact. There is no way to tell you what will happen with 100% accuracy at any future moment other than this moment. That holds true for Real Estate and almost every other aspect of life. I believe we are doing the best we can for ourselves and our families if we take a look at our current condition and make a judgement call rather than take ...

Despite the fact that we are looking at 2016 being a sellers market. That does not mean that you can expect a top heavy deal in your favor homeowners. Here is the truth of the market: If the "deal" does not produce a mutual gain for both parties it will probably fall apart after a lot of work on your end. Though buyer demand is high, people are not going to overpay for your home. Can you expect a full price offer if you are priced correctly? Probably. Can you expect $20,000 over what our market data shows is fair? Probably not. Realtors that have sold homes through many economic conditions will tell you... If it seems unfair to one side in the deal... then something isn’t right and you will pay with the most important factor in getting a profit out of your home.... time. Time changes the way people see your home ESPECIALLY in this market where buyers outnumber sellers. You do not want to be viewed the ugly duckling home because your home isn't selling quickly in...

Photo Credit-Yutaka Seki Lets place you in a scenario... You have decided it is time to move. You know what kind of home you are looking for. You also know that your current home will sell quickly because there are more buyers in the market looking to buy a home than there are homes for them to buy. But wait... Will this scenario not be a problem when you are the one on the buying end? Doesn’t this all mean that you could potentially sell your home in record time and have nowhere to go? Where does that leave you should you take advantage of this being a sellers market? Homeless? As a Realtor, I understand the worry. In my career I have assisted many people in a similar situation and I hope I can put you at ease with the following: You won’t be homeless. Not with the right Realtor as a partner. The only real risk in this situation is if you let fear hold you back from making a great profit on the selling end of your move. You may never get the home you really want ...