Boost Your Brain Power

AARP published 50 ways to boost your noodle. One of those ways was to redecorate your home!!!! Yeah baby! Redecorate and redesign your environment from ideas such as planting flowers in front of your home, redecorate your kitchen, rearrange your drawers and closets (don't we all need to do that-get more organized) to changing the candles in your living room to different scented ones. Supposedly this alters motor pathways in the brain and encourage new cell growth.

If you are planning to sell your home, these things are necessary anyway. Plus, it will make your home look more spacious when you get rid of the clutter and when buyers look in your closets they'll see how organized you are and think if they buy your house, they can be organized too.

Now go redecorate!

January 09 real estate stats

I'd like to say things are picking up. I'd like to say that, but January 09 stats on sold single family homes in Leon County, Tallahassee, are 69 as compared to 111 for January 08. There does seem to be increased activity, but buyers are still looking longer, trying to find that house that works for the money. They typically are shopping longer now. If their rental lease is up in a few months, they are looking now, instead of waiting until it's time to move.

Some sellers are also recognizing if they want to sell, it must be priced right. This having room for negotiation isn't really required if the price if lower than any of the competition and if it's not lower than the competition, they are not getting offers.

So sellers, don't price on the high side, price on the low side and get a price close to your asking one.

State of the Tallahassee Real Estate

I wrote a recent newsletter to my sphere giving information about the 2008 state of Tallahassee real estate and projections for 2009. In this past Sunday's paper, a competitive real estate office had a surprisingly similar article in the real estate section.

I'm in no way suggesting plagiarism, I'm delighted to see what I wrote confirmed by other Realtors in the area.

In a quick synposis, this is what I said: Tallahassee sales of single family homes, townhomes and condos were lower in 2008 than any year for the past 5 years. Sales may have been lower than 2003, but I didn't go back that far. Still there were over 2500 sales in 2008.

Expectations for 2009 are that these resales will be slightly higher in 2009, but new construction is not expected to gain for the year.

Mortgage rates couldn't be better, local banks are lending and there are some fabulous buys out there, many sellers are willing to negotiate.

Of the sales for 2008 and 1500 Realtors with the Tallahassee Board, only 1000 brokered a transaction during the year. Of those 1000, with the help of repeat customers and customer referrals (the bulk of my business) I finished the year in the top 20% of sales. Thank you all very much for your referrals and business.

Wish to know more about Tallahassee's real estate market or want information about foreclosures or short sales, check out my website at www.agoodmove.us.

Are You In?

The web has changed our world. While I'm still adjusting to websites, even taking a recent on line class to creat web pages-what fun, I'm still quite the novice at all this electronic gadgetry overtaking our world. I've never been one to "chat" on line with friends, but feel the necessity for business and for staying on top of some of this that I be in on some of the social networks. Plus, since over 80% of people check properties on line before ever calling a Realtor, a web presence for real estate is a necessity.

Are you 'linked in'? How about a presence on facebook, or twitter, or activerain? I heard of something new the other day, haven't checked it yet, called 'stumbled upon'

While you don't have to be IN, it's to our advantage to at least be a little versed with the web. I understand that Costco and was it Walmart? when they opened on Mahan were only taking applications on line. Now AARP is going to on line registration and soon payment for their Safe Driving Classes.

No, most of us don't like change, but learning is good and can be very fun. Stay young, stay in touch, learn something new and get in the 21st century-get IN on some of the social networks or at least learn something about the web.

First Time Homebuyers

I mentioned in an earlier post about my upcoming First Time Homebuyers Class. I thought I'd clarify for some folks what a first time home buyer is. True, if you've never owned a home and want to buy one, that would make you a first time homebuyer. You'd also be classified a first time homebuyer if you have not owned a home for more than 3 years. So let's say you owned a home 5 years ago, but your situation changed, got a divorce, moved and were unstable as to where you were going to live and decided to rent, then you'd still be considered a first time homebuyer if you have not owned for 3 years.

The advantage for some first time homebuyers are the programs available to assist in closing costs and down payment, although down payments guidelines have changed with the mortgage meltdown and in fact, mortgage guidelines are frequently changing.

There will be an experienced Wells Fargo lender available at the class to answer those questions about financing.

Tell everyone you know about this class and call me, Angie Goodman at Keller Williams at 850-321-4666 to join us on November 8, 2008.

Buy now-January, 2009 changes things

FHA homebuyers now have to come to the closing table with 3% down payment in order to get an FHA loan. Sellers can pay for some closing costs, but the buyers still have to provide their own 3% to purchase. As of January, 2009 this 3% changes to 3.5% so if you know buyers who have been sitting and thinking things will change, they will, but not necessarily to the buyers advantage.

Knowing the real estate market is vital for selling and buying today. Call me if you know someone considering buying or selling.

Real estate value

With rising gas prices, the higher cost of food, looming increases for taxes, insurance and more, finding value in our transactions and interactions with businesses, professionals and vendors makes good sense.
Using a Realtor is a great way of generating value for your time and money. An experienced Realtor will be able to help a buyer with assistance in finding a lender they can trust, a reputable inspector for that potential new home and look out for your primary concerns. I can't say for all cities, but here in Tallahassee, Realtors access to the Multiple Listing System allows us to send automatic notifications of properties of potential interest to buyers based on the criteria the buyer is looking for, such as bedrooms, baths, square footage, quadrant of the county and more. This alone is a value for the buyer, giving the opportunity to view homes from the internet instead of driving (and wasting gas and $$) to help determine if a house is one they want to see.

From a seller's viewpoint of value, especially in today's market, find out what the Realtor plans to do to sell your home. Over three quarters of buyers are looking on the internet first for a home and then calling a Realtor. A large web presence is essential to getting exposure to buyers. Marketing entails even more so ask what the Realtor plans to do to market your home.
Once a buyer is found for the home, there's much more work (much that goes on behind the scenes) that buyers and sellers are unaware that Realtors are ensuring are taking place to get a sale to closing. From contacting vendors for repair work to talking with lenders and title companies, and often times even more such as coordinating with movers, inspectors, appraisers to ensure everything that needs to happen does, in time for a smooth closing.

Using a Realtor, one of the best values around today!