Where Do You Want To Live ?

So, you’ve met with an agent and you are ready to start looking at homes.  You call him or her up and give them a list of 10 homes you want to see on Saturday, OK – oh my, they are 4 different cities and within a 50 mile radius!! STOP – you need to sit down and think about “where” you really want to live, because at this point, you have no idea at all, even though you think you do.  When Saturday is over you are going to be even more confused about what you want, here is a short check list to think about prior to going out and looking at homes on the market.

1) WHAT TYPE OF LIVING IS IMPORTANT TO YOU?  Do you want to live in the country or the city? Is suburbia the place you want to be? Once you decide that, then you can narrow it down even further.

2) WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU? Are schools important to where you live? If so, then research the best public school systems.  If schools are not important but public transportation is or maybe your commute, then find out what areas have the amenities you need.

3) NOW YOU CAN NARROW IT DOWN TO ONE OR TWO COMMUNITIES !  – Good for you, you have now made your life so much easier and you can actually focus on finding the perfect home for yourself and or your family.

Yes, these are all simple questions that can be easily answered and or researched, but by doing your homework and asking for the answers from your Realtor, you will actually speed up the process of finding the home you want to live in.  Good luck ~

What To Avoid When Selling Your Home

What to avoid when pricing your home

What To Avoid When Pricing Your Home

People often make a huge mistake when deciding on a price for their home. Rather than answering the question What is my house is worth?, they answer What is my house worth to me?. The difference between those questions is more than two words. Their are many factors that go into  determining the value of your house that will bring a price that’s in line with what the market and the neighborhood will bear – and usually results in a quicker sale. There is an old saying, “They only thing that sells a home, is price, if it’s not priced right, it will not sell”, that really is a fact.

So what doesn’t matter when you determine a price for your  home?

What you paid

Unless you bought your home a month ago, your sales price has no bearing on what a buyer should pay. The real estate market changes constantly. Comparable sales should be no older than 12 months and sometimes that is even too far back.

How much you spent on repairs

You just paid $2,000 to fix the plumbing? Good for you. Buyers will no doubt appreciate that there is now hot water in the master bathroom. That doesn’t mean, however, that you can add the cost of your repairs to your asking price. Running hot and cold water in a home is generally considered a given, not an enhancement that increases the price. Everyone deserves hot and cold water in their home.

What a home just like yours sold for … in a different location

The same builder who constructed your house may have built 300 identical ones across the state. However, unless the other 299 are on your block, their sales prices do not affect the price of your house. You are buying a neighborhood and a community, not just a building – this in my honest opinion is why so many homes are over priced.

What a home just like yours in your neighborhood sold for 18 months ago

As mentione earlier real estate markets change constantly. It’s useful to know the sales price of that house, but take it in the context of what’s selling today. Maybe your area was a seller’s market then, and that price was the result of a bidding war. If your area now is a buyer’s market, you likely won’t approach that price.

How much you need to purchase your next home

Whether you’re flush with cash or broke, your home is worth the same. Your financial situation isn’t relevant to a buyer or to the bank when it comes time for the appraisal.

Your 25 years of memories in the house

Those memories are priceless to you and mean nothing to everyone else.

What the Web says your home is worth

Web sites that estimate your property’s value offer a good starting point when you’re trying to decide on an asking price. Most home-valuation Web sites will tell you the same thing themselves – that their information is just a starting point and no substitute for specific market knowledge in the area.

If the neighborhood generates sales of homes between $400k to $500k and you put $200k of upgrades in your home, I assure you it won’t sell for $750k

You made the decision to put in all the wonderful upgrades in your home, if it was a mistake, you need to move on – any agent that tells you they can sell that home at $750k is lying to you to get the listing, it will sit on the market.  It’s a hard pill to take, but it’s the medicine you have to take if you want to sell your home.  Bottom line is they want that huge listing price under their name, and when they tell you to reduce the price either do it or continue to sit on the property and pay the taxes.  When I walk away from your listing because I refuse to sell it at that price or list it at that price, do you think I don’t want to sell it at $750k? Of course I would like to – who wouldn’t? But I would be lying to you and to me, it’s unethical for me as a Realtor to take that listing and invest time and money into it, when it doesn’t sell – that is something to think about, what Realtor would walk away from a listing like that – I would, it’s not fair for me to tell you something that I can’t produce on.

So, what does matter when pricing your home? Among other things, the condition of your home, any recent upgrades, and the prices of comparable properties selling in the area all affect what you can ask for your property.

Why am I a Realtor?

Why would you want to be a Realtor ? I get asked this from some close friends now and then, and of course on message boards when they find out I am a Realtor, well I don’t know if bashing is really quite the term. I’ve (or my profession) has been called scumbags, liars, cheats etc - although I suppose in any profession you will find some individuals that fit that term.  I am going to show you below WHY I am a Realtor – these latest testimonials should and do speak for themselves. After you read them, wouldn’t YOU like to have people saying these things about YOU? and this my friends is why I am a Realtor…..

Testimonials

Colleen August, was an exceptional real estate agent. She is a caring and understanding woman, who genuinely wants to find the perfect home for you. As we looked through the ads, and multiple websites with home pictures on them, she not only let us know about the property but she was helpful by informing us about the typical things you would never think of for the future. How the neighborhood is, what types of schools are around you, resale value for the future, etc… I will admit to being a little bit high maitence when it comes to things getting done the way I like it. I myself being in the sales industry, can read sales people very well, and know when I am getting set up to be sold. Colleen, was available for me at the drop of a hat. She would answer my calls later in the night and would get back to me when I left her messages. She took us through multiple listings throughout the area and never pushed us into anything, not even a hint of a sales. Colleen, would point things out to us new home buyers, on why we should not make an investment “vs” sign a contract to get her commission. Not only, did Colleen help us find the perfect home, but she assisted us with all the wonderful little things you don’t know about when you want to buy a home; lawyers, inspections, insurance, etc… She had referred people who were just as helpful as she was, and if for some reason something went wrong, she called them herself and produced a result quickly. As a result of her professionalism, and drive to succeed, she has the incredible ability to make things happen. With this attribute as well as her intriguing personality, Colleen August makes the search for buying a home less frightening and puts you at ease. Hands down anyone who is a new home buyer or in the market to buy, or rent, etc…should utilize Colleen’s services. She comes with the highest recommendation. Best of Luck, Lacey S and Thomas P Tonawanda, NY ******************************** “We must have looked at 40+ properties until we found the right one. Colleen was so patient and determined not to let us settle. In the end we found our dream home!” “What impressed me most about her was just how thorough she was in viewing the properties. As a first-time home buyer we didn’t know what to look for. Colleen walked through the houses as if SHE were the one buying it” “As first-time home buyers, we didn’t know where to start. We looked for a while on our own until it was clear we needed a realtor. Looking back, working with Colleen was invaluable- it took so much stress out of the search and made it a pleasure.” “We looked at a few houses on our own at first and every realtor we ran into came off as a used-car salesperson- desperately trying to represent us. When we met Colleen she was warm, personable, and most importantly- genuinely knowledgeable. It was such a breath of fresh air!” Joe B and Lyndsey W Williamsville, NY ************************

To learn more about me, visit my personal website at http://www.colleenaugust.com

Summer In Buffalo and WNY

Again, I turn to the Buffalo News for some great insight on daytripping to local beaches. In the fall, I’ll write about some great winter trips, but for today, just for today – let’s talk about the sunshine and the great beaches within minutes of our beautiful home town and suburbs of, yup, you guessed it right – Buffalo, NY!!!!!

I am going to post the link for you, as the article is lengthy, however if you are looking for a great beach – take 5 minutes and read through this article…….enjoy the day!!

Lakes Erie and Ontario offer great sand, shells : Travel : The Buffalo News