Real Estate Information

Most states now have either statutes or precedent court decisions that require home sellers and their Real Estate agents to disclose, in writing, known defects with the residence. However, some sellers and realty agents have "selective memory," meaning they forget to reveal some defects, hoping the buyers won't discover them.

When a home buyer can prove the seller and/or realty agent knew or should have known about a home defect, the buyer's legal recourse is to either (a) seek rescission of the sale or (b) sue for monetary damages. However, the buyer's difficulty is proving the defect was known before the sale closed.

Fortunately, most on-site problems with new houses are correctable, such as paint scratches or doors that don't close right. buyers of new houses should (a) understand the terms of the builder's warranty; (b) hire a professional inspector to thoroughly check the house before the sale closes; and (c) inspect the house with the builder (called checking a "punch list") so both parties are aware of problems needing correction under the builder's warranty. Realizing the importance of having satisfied customers, the best builders promptly take care of any defects reported by the buyers

Myth #1:  You should always price your home high and negotiate down.

Truth:  Pricing too high can be as bad as pricing too low.   If you list too high, you'll miss out on buyers looking in the price range where your home should be.  Offers may not even come in, because buyers who are interested in your home are scared off by the price and won't even take the time to look at it.  By the time you correct the price and list your home at its fair market value, you will have lost that window of opportunity when your home draws the most attention from the public and Real Estate agents; i.e. the first 30 days that it is on the market.  A well-trained Real Estate agent who looks out for your best interests will consult with you on your home’s fair market value and different pricing strategies for the current market.

 Myth #2:  Minor repairs can wait until later. There are more important things to be done.

Truth:  Minor repairs make your house more marketable, allowing you to maximize your return (or minimize loss) on the sale.   Most buyers are looking for homes that are ready for them to move into.  If your home happens to attract a buyer who is willing to make repairs, he/she will begin asking for repair allowances that come out of your asking price.  The amount of an allowance that you have to offer a buyer is usually more than what it would cost for you to make the repair (or hire someone to make the repair).  Remember, buyers are comparing your home to other homes that are currently on the market.  Your home should be inviting so that everyone who looks at it can see themselves living there. 

 Myth #3:  Once a potential buyer sees the inside of your home, curb appeal won't matter.

Truth:  buyers probably won't make it to the inside of the home if the outside of your home does not appeal to them.   buyers and their agents often do drive-bys before deciding whether a home is worth their time to look inside.  Your home’s exterior must make a good first impression so that buyers are compelled to stop and come inside.  All it takes is keeping the lawn mowed, shrubs and trees trimmed, gardens weeded and edged, and clutter put away.

 Myth #4:  Your home must be every home buyer's dream home.

Truth:  If you get carried away with repairs and replacements to your home, you may end up over-improving the house.   There is a point where improving your home doesn’t pay off.  The key is to consider what competing properties feature and look like.  A highly-motivated Real Estate agent will consult with you on what competing properties have to offer – he/she can even show you competing properties so that you can make sound home improvement decisions.

Myth #5:  You are better off selling your home on your own and saving money on the commission you would have paid to a Real Estate agent.

Truth:  Statistically, many sellers who attempt to sell their homes on their own cannot consummate the sale without the service of a Real Estate agent.   Homeowners who succeed in selling their home by themselves usually net less than if they had a Real Estate agent working for them.  The National Association of REALTORS_â surveys consumers every year, including homeowners who succeeded in selling their home without a Real Estate agent.  Over 70% of these homeowners say that they would never do it again.

Myth #6:  When you receive an offer, you should make the buyer wait. This gives you a better negotiating position.

Truth:  You should reply immediately to an offer!  When a buyer makes an offer, that buyer is, at that moment in time, ready to buy your home.  Moods can change, and you don't want to lose the sale because you have stalled in replying.

The Market/Property Profile Formula

     When you’ve kept your home show-ready, left for showing appointments and anticipated an offer for months, it can be quite frustrating when your home listing expires without a sale, or possibly even an offer.   It’s tempting to want to place blame on marketing, your listing agent, a bad local market or other factors.  It could be any of these or a combination.  Let’s look at this situation as a very straight-forward analytical formula:

                                                   Supply   +   Price

   Time on Market  =     ___________________________

                                        Product Quality   +   Marketing

• If the supply of homes increases without a corresponding increase in demand, the time your home stays on market will increase.
• If you increase the price, the time on market will increase.  If you decrease it, the time on market will decrease.
• If the quality of your home (appearance, staging, cleanliness, paint, maintenance) increases, the time on market will decrease.
• If the quality of marketing increases, the time on market will decrease.

These statements are generalizations, but the ratios are such that increasing anything on top should increase time on market, while increasing anything on the bottom will generally decrease time on market.  The bad news is that you cannot control supply/demand.  You, or your listing broker, can control marketing, but it cannot overcome a supply overage or negatives in product quality or over-pricing.  The good news is that you have some control over Product Quality and total Pricing control.

Take action today and let us help you to control the process.  Call The Zwemmer Group  now at 800-880-9590 or email us  at info@thezwemmergroup.com and we’ll:

• Provide a comprehensive market supply/demand analysis
• Provide a Comparative Market Analysis to allow you to view your home’s condition, features and price in relation to the competition
• Provide an analysis of previous marketing and recommendations for future marketing and media tailored to your needs

Our Business is Helping You to Sell Your Home 

No Hype    -     No Pressure    -    Just Consultation 

Let us help you take control!

Renting vs. Owning

Although some renters believe that renting is “maintenance free,” they are actually paying for maintenance in their rent – whether they need it or not.  Renting offers you no equity, no tax benefit, and no protection against regular rent increases.  If you’re paying rent, you’re really just paying someone else’s mortgage.  Let’s compare.*

Rob Zwemmer’s seminar on How to work with Millionaire clients was a huge success.  Many Keller Williams agents along with other broker agents attended the seminar in eager anticipation and Rob did not disappoint. 

agents learned how to attract, work, and keep millionaire clients.  agents learned that mind-set is very important in all aspect of life.  Be it in business or personal life.

“Learning to work with and help Millionaire clients is all about mind-set” says Rob.  Rob’s seminar taught us how to use our skills and mind-set to re-program ourselves so we can breakthrough to the next level, no matter what level that may be. 

Rob also talked about the law of attraction.  Just like gravity, the law of attraction is always there, always working and never makes a mistake.   What you think is what you attract.

Many words of excitement and praises are still being passed along the hallways and emails.  Rob is quickly becoming a popular speaker among our Keller Williams family and we are looking forward to attending his next class… what we will learn next?

Rob’s expertise in working with the “high-end” client is well established.  Currently working with several multi-million dollar clients and investors, Rob knows the importance of honestly, reliability and listening to the needs of his clients.  Rob is a believer in “Raving Fans” and consistently works to make each every client a raving fan for life.

On Thursday, August 30^th, 2007, brokers and agents came together to view and showcase Mountain View Country club homes for sale. 

Priced from the low to mid 1 million dollar range, these homes are a true golfer’s delight.  The homes featured on the broker tour either had private settings or fantastic golf course views.  The Zwemmer Group’s listing at 80510 Via Talavera received many compliments on the incredible views of the lake, mountain and fairway.  Many agents spent an extended amount of time at our listing, amazed by the views along with the private setting.  This for Nolina Model home has over $300,000 in builder upgrades and includes the golf membership and is priced at $1,469,000. 

Again we thank everyone for their support and wish everyone a great and safe Labor Day weekend.

Ten Steps to Selling Your Home For-Sale-By-Owner

1. Define your goals, wants, needs and expectations. A good place to begin is by exploring your short and long term goals in life and how selling your home fits in. 

2. Determine the best price for what’s going on in the market right now. Assess the current state of the market and what comparable homes are actually selling for by reviewing a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) on your home. That way, you can objectively determine its fair market value and price it right.

3. Prepare your property so that it is in top-selling condition. Most of us don’t keep our homes in top-selling condition. Think about your home from a buyer’s point of view. Repair, replace or remove items in your home so that it makes a GREAT first impression.

4. Implement time-proven, research-based marketing strategies. Market your home to as many people as possible using for sale signs, flyer boxes, open houses, feedback tracking and web listings.

5. Show your property. Ensure that your home is always in top-selling condition. When you leave for work, make sure that your home remains in top-selling condition. You know what they say about first impressions!

6. Receive an offer. When a buyer decides to buy your home, an offer will be presented. Consult with legal counsel. 

7. Negotiate to sell. Most offers require some level of negotiation. Decide your parameters and be prepared to negotiate towards a win-win situation.

8. Have your home appraised and inspected. Once you have accepted an offer, work with the buyer or buyer’s agent to coordinate an appraisal, inspections and a survey (if required). If the buyer requires that certain repairs be made on your home, negotiate or make them to move successfully from contract to closing.

9. Prepare for closing. A few days before closing (also known as settlement), contact the title company and the buyer or buyer’s agent to ensure that all the necessary forms and documents have been prepared. Consult with legal counsel.

10. Close! At the closing meeting, ownership of your property is legally transferred to the buyer.