Are you serious about selling your home?

Topping the list of head scratching wonder at what-a-seller-is-thinking is without a doubt when the potential buyers arrive to see a messy, dirty home.  Imagine the first impression of dirty dishes, gross bathrooms and unmade beds greeting someone looking for their dream home!

When I'm showing homes prospective buyers wonder aloud what the seller is thinking to show their home in such a state. "Aren't they serious about selling?"

Another show stopper is the finicky seller who turns down showing times as inconvenient again and again.

The question is once again begged:  "do they really want to sell?"

On the messy issue I can assure you that people don't "look past" the mess.  They rather assume that you've taken care of your furnace and other infrastructure with the same care, or lack thereof you display with your housekeeping.  If they move ahead with an offer; it is not a premium priced offer.

On the issue of access, buyers simply get fed up and ticked off.  So much so that if your home was the last available home on the planet they would settle for a cave instead.  The message if you never allow access is that you respect only your own time and efforts and the rest of the world simply will have to revolve around you.

Selling your home is a process that requires your robust participation to achieve maximum results.  It means you'll have to be cleaning when you'd rather be playing and making your home available for showing when its "not the best time."

Buyers will happily accommodate sleeping babies and shift workers.  Not so much though that you didn't want your Sunday disturbed.  They have devoted their Sunday to tromping around looking at homes after all!

If you really don't want to participate in prepping for sale then you must price accordingly!  You can't have your cake and eat it too -- play ball or leave money on the table!

Oh....and a final tip.  Scent sells!  Great scents (not overpowering, masking sprays) are very inviting.  Invest in some oil sticks or potpourri!

Strata living pros and cons

For a variety of reasons many people at one time or another consider moving to or investing in a strata development.  For my U.S. readers I think you use the term HOA for home owners association.  For many this option is attractive and I'll start with the pros of strata:

1.  Shared risk; in a full strata situation you share the risk of all repairs and maintenance of building envelope and common areas with your fellow owners.
2.  Outside work managed for you; most strata fees cover landscaping, road maintenance and snow removal.
3.  Safety; many people like the idea of the security of a close knit strata and some are gated; some have secured entrances.
4.  Travel ease; for snowbirds or people who travel a lot, they take comfort in living where neighbours are close and keeping an eye on their home while they're away.
5.  Buy in costs; often strata initial costs are more modest that a single family dwelling.
6.  Location; often stratas are located near recreation and public transport
7.  Rules and regulations; these are in place to make sure, for instance, dead cars are not littering the neighbourhood or people aren't opening up day cares within ear shot.

For some, strata is an exercise in frustration.  For example if you have a condo building needing repairs and require a 75% vote in favour, one person can lobby the building and come armed with enough voting power to veto any forward movement.  And, you can't legislate stupid.  If there are owners more interested in keeping monthly fees low so they can keep a larger portion rental income, for instance, they will never be in favour of building upgrades.  Other cons include:

1.  Rules and regulations; not everyone likes to be told what they can and can't do in their own home.
2.  Pet, age or rental restrictions; often strata dictates matters on these three important elements.
3.  Less resale flexibility; if a building has significant restrictions the pool of buyers is more select.
4.  Escalating building costs if maintenance has lapsed; as mentioned above, if some owners aren't coordinating a good schedule of overall repair and upgrades there can be costly building issues.
5.  Strata tyrants; stories are not uncommon of one person in any strata who is always making trouble and frustrating all other owners.
6.  Lack of choice for contractors; unlike a single family home, the strata council will arrange for all strata repairs with whomever they choose.  If you are making changes to your strata lot, often you need approval of the strata council before proceeding
7.  Lack of restrictions; if there are not rental restrictions, it might be easier to resell, but you might have a transient group of inhabitants.

The good news is that working with a great Realtor, she will provide you with 2 years of minutes, all financials and reams of other information about any strata you decide to put an offer on.  She will coach you on pros and cons as suited to your lifestyle and temperament.  Information is power and a well connected Realtor will provide what is already recorded on the building as well as any relevant potential "issues" not yet recorded.

 

Herding Cats!

Occasionally efforts in the real estate world can best be compared to herding cats!  Just when you think you're moving forward a quick change in direction occurs; or the buyer just stops looking for a spell.  Rather like when a cat is bored with the chase and chooses to nap and groom instead.  Decisions are put off, second guessed and change.  While it makes answering the phone exciting, it doesn't best serve the long term strategies of some buyers.

Over time, a good Realtor becomes more adept in not pushing the river.  Given good communication and follow though, you simply trust that when its time to resume you'll hear back.  There is always a fine line between being proactive in communication and stalking!  And, it is so true, switching animal examples:  you can lead a horse to the most amazing pool of crystal clear, cool, luscious water...but you can't make him drink! 

This autumn for some reason; the phase of the moon, the beauty of the weather, the constant uncertainty the news thrives on creating, many of my colleagues and I are wondering when the fall market will kick into gear!  We're all dressed up ready to go!

In the North Okanagan it is a great time to buy real estate!  And a fair time to sell as well.  Where's the action?

Generally people shift into gear when they see others doing so.  People buy when the prices are rising instead of times like right now where we've seen the bottom and prices and volume of sales are just starting to tick up.

I've quoted Warren Buffet before, but for those that missed it, heed this fine advice:  When people are crying you should be buying; when people are yelling you should be selling.  In other words, act when conditions are right instead of when everyone else is doing it!

Don't for a moment think anyone outgrows peer pressure.  We are all more comfortable sharing the same decisions as someone else.  But doing what everyone else does or suggests is not a formula for optimizing opportunities!  The best rewards in life are often gained when acting contrary to the masses!  Listen to that niggling voice encouraging you to move forward with your dreams and goals.

So, dear readers, in our neck of the woods, time to get off the couch and on the hunt!  Lead, don't follow!  The dozing time has passed and its time to shake a leg. 

Cooperation is critical to your home sale!

Newsflash:  the swaggering, gun-slinger image of a tough negotiator ripping the other side apart all the while growling fear mongering threats image as a good ally in your real estate sale should send you into the street screaming -- and looking for a better Realtor!  Ditto the zero service model.

Our entire system of organized real estate within "multiple listing service" is based in cooperation.  The adversarial aspect, of course, is still very much in play; but in a deft, intelligent and enticing manner. 

It is my job as a listing Realtor to entice every other Realtor, from every other company in the area to want to bring a buyer to your home!  It is of the utmost importance that over time I have established a reputation as a respected, fair and smart competitor and colleague.  We all know that people avoid dolts and self-serving wind bags.  We all know that people dislike cheapskates too.

It is my job as a listing Realtor to encourage you to offer as generous a commission as possible to the cooperating Realtors in our area.  Does this mean I'm more expensive?  Not in the long run.  It means your property is positioned in the best possible way to attract as many cooperating Realtors as possible and reward them and thank them for bringing the buyer.  You don't pay a cent until an acceptable offer comes in and the more interest generated in your property results in the highest price -- in my experience more than covering your commission costs and then some!

It's simple math.  Are you better off with just me trying to find your buyer or 300 local Realtors trying to find your buyer? 

To excel and stay educated and equipped with leading edge technology in our profession and have it as a chosen, full time career, is very expensive.  The last thing anyone wants is to lose the expertise of the most experienced and ethical Realtors.  Your best interests are served by honouring the best professionals in the business.

When considering who to hire to sell your home ask yourself this.  Who will position my home to most attract not just the Realtors from her or his office but ALL the Realtors?