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The saying goes “what you do on the first day of the year will dictate what you will be doing the rest of the year”  UNKNOWN

Well, I was out and about visiting family as well as negotiating an offer on a property here in Wetumpka.  What were you doing?

 

Now I have completed the 60-hour broker class and now I have some more studying to do before I sit for the exam.  I am SO EXCITED to be able to help all of you on a more sophisticated level with all the knowledge I have gained over the past two months. 

 

Do you have any real estate questions for me?

Misc

House Hunting Tips from ME!

Well, here's the dealio. In the greater Montgomery area, we are experiencing a HIGH VOLUME of homes on the market. If your area also has a large number of inventory, or homes for sale, this advice can help you as well! Don't waste your time looking at homes you can't afford or won't buy because of location, condition or size.

GET PRE-APPROVED if you aren't already.

Choose a REALTOR who you like, and who either has experience, or has access to another REALTOR with experience. When you are just looking for a home, all you need is someone who can open the doors for you - but you also need a REALTOR who knows which doors to open!
When it comes time to writing an offer, you can ask to have your REALTOR's mentor present to make sure all facets are taken care of.

OK. On to home searching....

Decide your criteria. This is a time when you can be ULTRA-picky. How many floors, how large a lot, what kind of street, size of home, size of garage, fence or no fence, pool or no pool, gas or electric heating, etc. Think about ALL the details in a home that matter to you. Even construction - brick, wood, or stucco? After you list out the criteria for your next home, decide which are MUSTS and which are WANTS. Don't worry about price right now.

Go online to REALTOR.COM or your local MLS and do as detailed a search as you can to find the homes you want to see. OR have your REALTOR do a filtered search on the MLS to select only the homes that truly meet your specific criteria. This is when you will see what these homes are priced at. Depending on how many results you get, narrow your search to include homes priced as high as $25K over your pre-approved price. For your first viewing day, start with the homes below your pre-approved price range. Get the BEST deal by looking at the less expensive homes first. You will find it easier to increase your equity.

Based on the most recent sales of similar homes, determine what the "appropriate" sales price should be. Then look at all the homes with this price range in mind. You may discover that some sellers are asking too much for their homes, and when you find the right home, you just might be able to negotiate a price that you can afford!

Appropriate Sales Price is really what a buyer is willing to pay. You will decide what price YOU are willing to pay for these homes as you go through them. However, the Seller still must agree! So the price will be whatever the Buyer and Seller agree to! This is best determined by looking at SOLD similar homes in similar neighborhoods.

I do not recommend buying above your budget. It's always best if you can find a home that's well within your pre-approval amount. This way, when it comes time to move in and redecorate, you'll still have the extra money for dining out and movies, other entertainment. You don't want your new home to imprison you!

I hope my advice proves helpful. Please email or call me with your questions!

Happy Holidays!

As the year comes to a close, I know you’ll have a lot on your mind. I am here to serve your real estate needs, whatever they might be.

SERVING YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS
Are you looking for a home or planning to sell a property in the near future? Please call me at your convenience and let me work for you!
Do you know someone who would benefit from my services? Please give me his or her contact information and give my number to him or her!

REFRESH
If you have contacted me about a home in the past, and you are still trying to find that perfect property, please let me help you again! Bring me up to speed and I will hit the ground running for you!

SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS SERVICES
If you offer services for homeowners, please let me know about it. I would be happy to include your information in my BLOG http://www.forsalebykat.blogspot.com and also provide a reciprocating web link to your website from mine http://www.KatParker.com.

INNOVATION
I am always considering new ways to “get the word out” about me and the unique real estate services I offer. If you see something you think I should know about, don’t hesitate to contact me about it! I love hearing your ideas!

CONTACTS THROUGHOUT THE US
I am licensed in California and Alabama, and I can help your friends and family choose a professional REALTOR ANYWHERE in the US and Canada. Aside from the Alfa Realty network, this year I have joined WCR which is a nation-wide network consisting mainly of women REALTORS. WCR is comprised of full-time professional Real Estate Salespeople who will focus on your needs. My personal business focus is on residential real estate in East Montgomery, Pike Road, Wetumpka, Eclectic, Lake Martin, Holtville, Titus, Lake Jordan, Millbrook and Prattville. I receive rewards for referrals and I would be more than happy to share these benefits with you, my cherished customers. If you are relocating to another part of the US or Canada, please let me know. I can help you locate the area’s MLS website and connect you with a professional REALTOR.

REMEMBER
I want feedback. I am committed to providing you with the best service I can. I am here to help you from 10am to 7pm, Monday through Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on Sundays and other times, by appointment. If you would like me to set aside time for you to look at properties, it is best if I can have 48hrs notice to clear my schedule. You (customers) come first, but I can only be in one place at a time!

THANK YOU
Thank you for the opportunity to serve your needs this past year! Whether I have provided information on properties or helped you through a closing, it has been my pleasure to serve you and your family.

PLEASE
Let me know how I can help you in the coming months and New Year.
Update me with your new and preferred contact information (email, telephone, address)!

I am so excited about this season and the New Year!

What's New Before Thanksgiving

Showings at last minute - Kat's philosophy
Well, most buyers and sellers are preparing for Thanksgiving along with those who aren't planning a move right now. So, there won't be quite as many showings this weekend and next. However, there are SERIOUS buyers looking for homes YEAR ROUND. So, if someone does ask to see your home this weekend, I would JUMP THROUGH HOOPS to accomodate. You never know when the "right buyer" will walk through your front door, so try to allow all showings.

Unless your home is overly fragrant from a meal made of curry or is filthy due to messy guests or family, let people in! And if it is not quite "show-ready", ask for 15 minutes to make it presentable then clean up the biggest mess and leave the rest. Most folks LIVE in their houses and will understand - especially if their agent did not have foresight to call ahead.

Settling on what's available / Getting what you WANT
Did you GET what you WANTED when it came to a wedding location or apartment or were you required to take what was available, without regard to needs and dreams? The real estate market is GREAT for Buyers right now. There is more inventory in the Montgomery MLS than there has been in a very long time. This means you have more homes to choose from! The majority of the homes are priced between $170,000 and $220,000 so if you are prequalified for any number in this price range, you've got your work cut out for you! To help you narrow down the list and save time looking at only homes you'll love, get pickier on your first few showings. Think about "deal breakers" such as: two-story, no carport, no yard, undesirable location for schools or job commute... Pick homes that meet all your criteria "needs" and "wishes/dreams" to see first. If you don't like any of them, then you can get a little lenient on some facets of your next home. OR if you have a little time on your hands, then get a REALTOR(R) who is willing to WORK for you! If you know EXACTLY which neighborhood you want to be in, then choose a REALTOR(R) who will talk to neighborhood residents and find out who might be convinced to sell. You'd be surprised! A REALTOR (R) who isn't afraid and has time to knock on doors and meet people in your desired neighborhood may be able to save you money and get you what you need!

SELLING A HOME IN A COMPETITIVE MARKET
This is a competitive time for Sellers. You might have a gorgeous home with all the up-to-date appliances and color schemes, but is it getting seen? How do you ensure your home is seen by 85% of all qualified buyers? PRICE IT RIGHT! You might think, well I can lower my price in a month or two if I don't get a reasonable offer by then. BUT in the first 4 weeks, which is the most crucial time to have your home correctly priced, you might have missed the buyer who was ready to make a move on your home! Think about it.... Let's say your opinion is that your home is worth $300,000, so you price it for $310,000 to give negotiating room. Buyers are looking for homes in the price range they can afford. Your home will be compared with homes priced from $285,000 to $325,000 because some buyers will be preapproved above $310K and others might not be. But with luck, they'll look at your home anyway. Now your home is being compared against homes that are more expensive, and probably have extra amenities that your home doesn't - otherwise, you'd price your home even higher!
Example: Buyer 1 is approved for $325K and they look at your home to see if it has what they are looking for but they find it is not quite as nice as the home around the corner. Now they decide if they want to make a concession to save money, or not. In this price range, most buyers are inclined to get every bell and whistle they can afford. YOU'LL MISS OUT!
Buyer 2 is approved for $305K and they tell their REALTOR(R) not to show them any home priced above their budget, and they'd prefer to look at homes priced under $300. YOU MISSED OUT!

If you are selling a home in the Montgomery Tri-County or Lake Martin area, you need to call me. I have worked in competive markets and in every case my residential home sellers have received offers within 30 days of listing. So - call me if you are READY TO SELL your home!

Visit www.alamls.com/kat or http://www.katparker.com/index.shtml to see my latest listing!