For most that know me, I am not one to beat around the bush when it comes to my opinion. However, I do
feel it is important to be discreet while doing this. If you are trying to sell your home, there are numerous things
you can do to make your home show better which will aid in a higher price and faster sale — something all
homeowners desire. In this market, it’s vital sellers do whatever they can. There is a handful of advice a real
estate professional will provide for a seller that the seller may not have known. There are also quite a few items
that are pure common sense . . . or so one would think. Here are my top 4 “common sense” items that I feel
every seller should know WITHOUT me having to tell you. And if I have to tell you one of these 4 things, there
simply won’t be a way for me to put it discreetly. So here you go; the indiscreet, cold, hard truth.
I hope everyone had a wonderful 2010 full of happy memories to reflect on!
As most of you know, this past year has definitely proved to be another challenging one on the economy and our local real estate market has continued to see a downward trend. Overall, we continued to see prices drop and foreclosures increase. The least hit areas of Puget Sound have lost 20% of their value from the 2006/2007 peak, and many outlying areas are off by as much as 40%. Sad to say, the slide is not finished. Although prices are lower than they have been for at least 7 years, we are poised to lose another 10-15%, conservatively, in the next 18 months. If you need to know how this could affect any plans you have as a buyer or seller, please contact me for a consultation.
How does Alise manage to complete so many short sales, when the national average for short sales that actually close is hovering around 60%? She takes it seriously. Alise doesn’t look as short sales as a way to get “leads” for buyers looking for a bargain- all the while hoping to direct their attention to an easier close. She treats homes that are short sales with the same 5 star service as every other listing she takes on. That service often includes professional photography, staging, graphic designers and ad copywriters. why would she spend thousands of dollars before your home is even on the market? Simply because she knows she can sell the home, and she is confident it will make it to the closing table. What’s the difference between Alise Roberts and the average agent trying to make this happen? We’ve identified several common speed bumps that keep contracts from reaching a successful conclusion, and developed a solution or prevention for the most common issues. What are they?
I have heard this sentiment expressed over and over again the last few months. From the outside, it may seem a reasonable question. After all, a lot of the traditional “hold ‘em or fold ‘em” rules say “Hold”. Prices are (hopefully) settling at the bottom of the pre-boom 2003 pricing. Inventory is high, really high. A lot of that “inventory” includes short sales and already foreclosed homes at even lower prices. Is there any reason for someone who is NOT is dire straights to throw their hat into the frenzied ring? Unequivocally, yes.
Gardening does not come naturally to me. I can say this definitively, because I have several family members who do not own worn copies of Potted Plants for Dummies. Somehow, their begonias continue to blossom, while mine curl into grayish blobs. Their philodendrons remain firm and green, while mine shed leaves as if every day is Autumn. Yes, I know that philodendrons are not deciduous, that’s on page 93. So the idea of tackling an actual garden, one where the result is something that is meant for human consumption, had me understandably tense.
The clean dishes are stacked up, high. Not in an orderly, space maximizing fashion. Like some twisted game of Jenga, they are precariously stacked with odd shaped jutting out from every side. I can’t ascertain where to start. I do know that if I choose the wrong piece, the entire stack will clatter into the sink and onto the floor, and we will actually have fewer plates than people in our house. I also know what caused this fiasco of flatware and dishes. It’s my kid’s unmatched skill at attaining the minimum standard.
A ton of rumors and half truths have been flying around this month regarding changes the banks are required to make in the handling of short sales. I have gotten several calls from potential sellers who believe that the process is now simplified. While that CAN be true, there are a number of factors that determine whether or not your home will qualify for the expedited processing.
Last week, as I began my weekly calls to the short sale departments of a couple dozen banks, I believed I was fully armed. A stack of files with any and every possible document the negotiator might request. The same documents open in electronic form on the computer. The laptop was open and ready to make notes in the crazy shorthand you do when you dont want to miss a thing and you are SURE you will remember what “Eco no, 34 xts $544″ means later. A huge cup of green tea; both to refresh me and help me pretend I am in a place without stress. The tether for my cell phone which would no doubt die while I sat on hold without it’s handy charger. 
Winners are notified by the 5th of each month.
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The new Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program has some really helpful new guidelines for the short sale process. As a short sale specialist who has had to navigate the shadowy, poorly regulated short sale halls for the last few year, I think most of these guidelines will really speed up the process if implemented.
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