September 5, 2010

Pergola

Too many of us have a long list of things we would like to do to improve our homes. Some of those items on the list are repairs that really should get done and others are things that we desire to do for the sole purpose of improving the home or making our lives more enjoyable.

Not knowing how to get started, lack of time, lack of money are all reasons we put off getting these things done. But I think the most common reason is simply procratination. Isn’t it in our nature to just put things off, knowing, or hoping that tomorrow will be a better day. However, it never is. Life continues to pile things onto our schedules, inundate us with menial tasks which cause us stress and make us want nothing more than to vege out on the couch in front of the TV if and when we do finally find a minute.

Of those that have sold a home, how many of you put “the list” off the whole time you have lived in your home, then when the time came to sell, hurried to get them checked off?

I raise my hand… I am guilty too.

We decide to put our homes up for sale then race to finish all those things we could have done sooner and actually have enjoyed them while we lived in that home.

We have a fantastic deck at our house. I often joke about how we bought that deck …and it just happened to come with a house too. However, it faces the West and has, through the years, to our disappointment, been nearly unusable because of the heat in the summer months. We talked about different solutions when we stumbled upon the idea of Pergola. We decided that was the right option for us but never got around to it for the same reasons mentioned above.

This Spring, we decidIMG_2211ed it was time. We did it. We invested in the Pergola and have since wondered why we didn’t do that sooner. We have used our deck more this summer than all the other years combined. While the Pergola may not have added a monetary value to our home in the event we need to sell, I know it will make my home more appealing than the competition. It is like we have added a new room, a fantastic room.

So, my point today is, don’t procrastinate those little things you’ve always wanted to do to your home. Get them done while you can enjoy them. You know they need to get done, you know you will race to get them done if you need to sell so why not invest in yourself while at the same time making your home investment better. Life is too short to put off enjoying the little things.

p.s. I am sitting on my deck, enjoying the view of the valley and the lake as I write this.  Are you jealous?

Filed under: Blogroll, Luxury Home Market, Personal, Real Estate, Selling — Susan @ 8:12 am




October 17, 2009

Medication Abuse

drugsI was looking over the City of Orem’s newsletter today and was surprised at some facts that were quoted. The article was on cleaning out your medicine cabinet.

**It stated that Utah leads the nation in prescription pain medication abuse.

**70% of those who get caught or admit to abusing prescription pain medications say they get them
from friends or   relatives—usually without their knowledge.

**In 2007, unintentional prescription pain medication overdoses were the #1 cause of injury deaths in Utah.
That is more than motor vehicle crashes.

The article suggests that we all go though our medicine cabinets and throw out any medications that are expired or no longer needed.  The City of Orem has installed a Drug Drop Off Box at the Orem Police Dept at 83 E. Center St. to provide us with a safe place to dispose of these drugs.

I see a connection on this problem with Real Estate in that when your home is for sale, you have people that you do not know coming through your home.  I think most agents do a good job of staying with those clients and keeping an eye on them while showing homes, however, I have been in situations where the buyers acted a little…weird.

I was once with buyers in a very nice home and I was lucky to have an agent friend along with me.  The potential buyer brought friends with him and eventually, they all kept trying to split up and wander around the house. I don’t think they counted on me bringing another agent because between the two of us, we did a great job of not letting them out of our sight.   I commented to my agent friend afterward that I had the feeling they were intentionally trying to split up to get out of our sight so they could do something.  He said, “I know! Me too!”

I have heard of people posing as buyers to find opportunities to search medicine cabinets for prescription pain medications. People that are abusing these drugs get desperate and creative to find them.

I think Orem City’s suggestion to get rid of the unnecessary drugs that may still be in our medicine cabinets is a good one.

Filed under: Blogroll, Buying, Community, Real Estate, Selling — Susan @ 10:23 pm




October 1, 2009

New Keybox for Utah County REALTORS®

Insist your agent use this keybox!

Insist your agent use this keybox!

Utah County has changed their Lockbox system recently and even though I’ve written on this subject already, I want to write again to stress the importance of this issue.

Utah County Association of REALTORS® (UCAR) has switched from using Risco to Supra boxes. These boxes are what we agents use to store the key to the home so that other agents can bring their buyers by our listings for showings when the buyers are not home.

This makes it more convenient to get more showings on a home, increasing the likelihood of the home sellling.
(A home will not sell if buyers can’t see it.)

I noticed a trend when we switched our system last time. Many homes that I took buyers to for showings did not have the UCAR approved boxes. Too many agents were choosing to use a cheaper “contractors” box that can be easily purchased at home improvement stores. These boxes can be opened by using a 4 digit number code. Agents that want to show these homes must call and get the code from the agent or sometimes these agents publish the code on the internet so we can get access. Once the code is learned, the home can be entered as often as desired and the listing agent may not know how many times the home has been showed by the same buyer’s agent.

Also, there have been documented cases around the country where the wrong people get access, somehow, to these “contractor” box codes and homes are being robbed and even gutted in some cases. Often, an agent has mulitple listings and uses the same code on all of them. Once one home is violated, several more usually follow.

The new approved Supra boxes store the key securely, can only be accessed by REALTORS® who own a computerized code key, keep a record of who uses the key to gain access to the home, and electronically informs the agent that his/her listing has been entered.

If your agent is not using the approved Supra boxes, you are not getting the necessary information about the number of showings on your home, and your valuables and your home are at risk! You should insist that your agent get a Supra box and use it for your home.  

If you are considering hiring an agent to sell your home, ask him/her if he/she uses the Supra keyboxes.

If they do not, that should be reason enough to consider using a different agent to list your home.





August 4, 2009

Curb Appeal

hidden-curb-appeal-2 

 

 

 

Things are gradually picking up  for homes under about $300,000 but there are still more homes for sale than buyers which means the competition is stiff for sellers.

By listing with me, you ensure your home will get more exposure to more buyers than you could possibly get on your own. Call me to talk about how I can do that.

If you need to sell your home, you need to make sure your home is the best home in it’s price range and make sure you do everything possible to give yourself the advantage over the competition.

Curb appeal is the first impression a buyer will have of your home. I’ve written other posts on this subject and I suggest you look them up to find more tips on what you can do to make your home stand out above the competition. 

This post, I want to address trees.  I have recently seen too many homes for sale that have little or no curb appeal because the home is hidden by too many or overgrown trees.  When you are living there, it may be comforting and peaceful to have the privacy a lot of trees can afford.

I love trees and it saddens me to cut them down, but when you need to sell your home, it is time to make some sacrifices to give yourself every advantage possible.

You need to stand on the curb or across the street from your home and decide if your trees and shrubs are enhancing the look of your home or hiding it. Sometimes, it may not be a matter of cutting down but maybe only trimming some of the branches to enhance the visibility.

When you list with me, I can give you an evaluation of your curb appeal and give you suggestions on what you can do to enhance it and get your home sold when so many others are sitting on the market.

Give me a call today.

Filed under: Blogroll, Buying, Community, Luxury Home Market, Real Estate, Selling — Susan @ 10:25 pm




July 10, 2009

Service

 I had a closing this week and when everything was all in place, the Buyer’s agent asked if I could swing by and give the Buyer the keys since he was out of town. I agreed, and when I showed up, the Buyers were there waiting for me.

I was giving them the keys and relaying one last message about the furnace from my Seller when they told me how everyone in this transaction had very nice things to say about me and added, “You must be a top-notch agent!”

I was so surprised that I think I stood for a second with my mouth open…wondering who said what and why. I came to the conclusion, as I mentally went through the last few weeks, that I had not done anything special which only added to my astonishment.

I was very touched as I drove home thinking about how we seem to influence others even when we don’t realize we are. In spite of how touched I felt, I couldn’t pinpoint anything special that would have made me stick out.

I had offered my standard, professional services, as usual. That is it.

I mentioned this experience to a co-worker who commented that, unfortunately, there are enough bad agents out there that when an agent like me comes along, someone that conducts themselves professionally, it stands out.

I think that is a sad commentary for our industry. I am sure that most client-service based industries can probably say the same thing.

I for one, plan to continue to offer the best, most professional service I can.

 

If you are planning to buy or sell in the near future, please give me a call.

Filed under: Blogroll, Buying, Community, Luxury Home Market, Personal, Real Estate, Selling — Susan @ 11:03 pm




July 3, 2009

REMARKABLE REALTOR®

 wonderwomancartoon

 

 

I was going through old emails and I ran across this one from a past client, and still friend.
I thought it was funny so I will share:

 

 

 *Here are the top ten reasons for hiring a good realtor:

 10)  She will take you to see 1,567,899 homes and never complain.
 9)   She will take you to meet her cat and her dog, and anybody else around,
       once you have closed on your home.
 8)   She will take her industrial broom and sweep tires, boxes, ironing boards,
       or anything else off of your property.
 7)   She feeds you a lot.
 6)   She brings you chocolate.
 5)   She gives you more chocolate.
 4)   She makes you bread and gives you more and more chocolate.
 3)   She sends you pictures of her kids, husband, vacation places and cries
       when she can’t go on vacation with you.
 2)   She invites you over for dinner with the family, and dog and cat as
       mentioned in #9.
 1)   She will spackle, prime, paint a wall in your home and doesn’t complain if she gets paint on
       herself or her hair.
 
 
Author,
Sheryl
*I reserve the right to deny any and all allegations
:)
_________________________________________
Filed under: Blogroll, Buying, Humor, Personal, Real Estate, Selling — Susan @ 12:15 pm




June 12, 2009

Interesting Letter

destinations

 

 

Taylor Oldroyd, the CEO of Utah County Association of REALTORS®
 recently sent this letter. I thought it was interesting enough to pass on.

 

Message from UCAR CEO, Taylor Oldroyd
 
 
Thank you for meeting with us to discuss the loan limit situation in Utah County during the National Association of REALTOR® conference in May.
 
As we mentioned and as the data below demonstrates, the housing market between the counties along the Wasatch Front is historically similar; the loan rates should also be similar. The Wasatch Front, as the area west of the mountains is called, runs north and south, not east and west like the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) boundary. The map we left you is remarkable in demonstrating the fact that whether you’re analyzing population, economics, transportation needs, or housing, you would factor the Wasatch Front and the Wasatch Back as two separate markets.
 
The use of the MSA is not a wise boundary to establish loan limits because it reflects commuting patterns and is not good for housing price comparables. Therefore, we seek immediate relief from the negative unintended consequences from the use of the MSA boundary. The huge loan limit disparity between Utah and Salt Lake Counties is placing down-ward pressure on our market and neutralizing the simulative benefit intended by recent Congressional action.
 
Given that the Federal Housing Finance Authority has the administrative ability to adjust the loan limits, please adjust our limit to match that of Salt Lake County. We are prepared to demonstrate that without immediate relief, our market will continue to suffer. We have real-life gathered examples of lost deals and other negative impacts on our market. Our Congressional delegation is also prepared to provide whatever political support you might need.
 
I recognize the administrative challenges to making these adjustments. However, please consider the real-life challenges and negative market impacts that will continue if you fail to act.
 
Thank you for your prompt attention and please let us know if you have an questions or concerns.
 
Sincerely,

 

 

 

Utah Co.

Salt Lake Co.

Davis Co.

Weber Co.

Tooele Co.

Summit Co.

2005

 

$165,000

 

$175,000

 

$168,000

 

$127,500

 

$134,500

$728,892

2006

 

 196,000  

  208,400 

 

192,900 

 

139,900 

   159,900

952,170

2007

 

222,000  

 230,000 

 

220,000  

156,479

 

190,000

1,105,824

2008

 

  216,500  

   229,000

 

215,000 

 

160,500

 

$183,750

972,127

2009

 

207,300

  

224,000

 

209,500

 

160,000

 

174,950

1,223,644

 

Taylor Oldroyd, CEO Utah County Association of REALTORS®





June 8, 2009

Realistic Listing Price

house-shaking-money-out-of-buyer2I often have sellers call and talk to me about listing their homes. Normally, the first thing we do is walk through the house and discuss the features of the home before we talk about getting it sold.

When it comes time to talk about the listing price, the seller usually has an idea of what he/she would like to get for their home. Too often that price is based on misinformation and it is hard to have to break the news to them.

Most sellers understand what “market value” means once I explain it to them and show them recent comparables, but occasionally, there are sellers that refuse to believe me when I give them the disappointing facts. The definition of Market Value is “What a buyer is willing to pay.”  I use statistics from the Multiple Listing Service to find what similar homes have sold for in the area and most recently.

Some  of the ways sellers come up with a price on their own:

  • They take the price they paid, add in every dollar they spent to improve the home while they lived there and determine a fair profit which they add their cost.
  • They ask their neighbors who sold their homes what price they got and figure they can get the same amount. The problem is, neighbors often lie. The most common answer is “We got what we wanted” which leads others to believe they got their listing price when in fact they took much less but came close to their bottom line.
  • They determine how much they need to pay off their mortgage loan, credit card debt, down payment on the next home, closing costs, a new car, etc. I’ve literally had sellers tell me, “That is what we need,” as if they think they can pass their poor money management habits on to the next buyer. Buyers don’t want to rescue you, they want a good home at a fair price.

Realistic pricing is the way to get your home sold. I can help you determine what that is. If you are thinking of selling, I would be happy to help.

Filed under: Blogroll, Buying, Community, Real Estate, Selling — Susan @ 9:26 pm




May 29, 2009

Here are a few stats to give you an idea of how the real estate market is doing in Utah County. I have only included a few cities, so if I missed your city, feel free to email me or say so in “comments”. I would be happy to get any city in Utah County for you.

 

 

Orem

2007  
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price  
1st Quarter 176 $201,500 $235,800  
2nd Quarter 215 $210,000 $225,605  
3rd Quarter 211 $211,000 $233,493  
4th Quarter 129 $212,000 $236,564  
Total Year 731 $210,500 $232,866  
Change -32% 17% 13%  
     
2008  
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price  
1st Quarter 118 $183,000 $219,213  
2nd Quarter 162 $205,000 $230,721  
3rd Quarter 200 $194,700 $211,271  
4th Quarter 36 $200,100 $211,289  
Total Year 516 $197,400 $218,124  
Change -29% -6% -6%  
     
2009  
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price  
1st Quarter 92 $194,400 $230,449  
2nd Quarter        
3rd Quarter        
4th Quarter        
Total Year 92 $194,400 $230,449  
Change -82% -2% 6%

 

 

Provo

 

2007
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price
1st Quarter 242 $177,240 $197,262
2nd Quarter 328 $187,000 $212,114
3rd Quarter 269 $185,000 $254,807
4th Quarter 149 $189,900 $208,301
Total Year 988 $186,000 $218,121
Change -23% 9% -4%
   
2008
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price
1st Quarter 133 $200,000 $220,661
2nd Quarter 220 $195,000 $221,163
3rd Quarter 251 $188,250 $221,635
4th Quarter 45 $195,000 $211,225
Total Year 649 $195,000 $218,671
Change -34% 5% 0%
   
2009
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price
1st Quarter 132 $200,000 $248,034
2nd Quarter      
3rd Quarter      
4th Quarter      
Total Year 132 $200,000 $248,034
Change -80% 3% 13%

 

Alpine

 

2007  
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price  
1st Quarter 14 $615,000 $648,071  
2nd Quarter 23 $573,185 $783,607  
3rd Quarter 17 $853,950 $932,606  
4th Quarter 6 $580,000 $658,735  
Total Year 60 $597,500 $755,755  
Change -35% -5% 14%  
 
2008  
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price  
1st Quarter 5 $473,621 $441,546  
2nd Quarter 14 $439,000 $514,579  
3rd Quarter 17 $567,500 $605,255  
4th Quarter 1 $350,000 $700,000  
Total Year 37 $456,311 $565,345  
Change -38% -24% -25%  
 
2009  
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price  
1st Quarter 15 $522,750 $678,900  
2nd Quarter        
3rd Quarter        
4th Quarter        
Total Year 15 $522,750 $678,900  
Change -59% 15% 20%

 

Lindon

 

2007
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price
1st Quarter 15 $311,250 $385,817
2nd Quarter 16 $438,000 $430,006
3rd Quarter 15 $502,000 $496,413
4th Quarter 11 $309,500 $310,536
Total Year 57 $374,625 $405,693
Change -16% 10% 16%
   
2008
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price
1st Quarter 8 $310,000 $324,887
2nd Quarter 10 $331,650 $356,395
3rd Quarter 12 $285,353 $315,701
4th Quarter 6 $336,400 $311,367
Total Year 36 $320,825 $327,088
Change -37% -14% -19%
   
2009
  Units Sold Median Price Average Price
1st Quarter 5 $372,500 $306,200
2nd Quarter      
3rd Quarter      
4th Quarter      
Total Year 5 $372,500 $306,200
Change -86% 16% -6%




May 7, 2009

Message from UCAOR

Utah County Association of REALTORS® 
Monthly Statistics  
     
     
From: Taylor Oldroyd, CEO Utah County Association of REALTORS®    
Subject: Monthly Statistics- March 2009    
 
  1 Onward and upward. March stats demonstrate our market is moving in a positive direction.
Home sales are up 11 percent compared to Mar of 2008.
 
  2 This comes on the heals of a 13 percent bump from January to February alone.  
  3 Challenges still exist as we see YTD sales are down 8 percent to 817 units sold, median
sales price slipped 6 percent to $210,000, and DOM are 23 percent higher to 96 days.
 
      4 But homes priced above $500K showed significant recovery with March experiencing a 7 percent
increase from last year and YTD up 13.5 percent. Homes above $1 million are way up as we have
had 8 homes sold already this year and last year only 15 sold the entire year.
 
  5 Listings of all types are down 5 percent to 4,542    
Summary: The perception of a weak market has always been one of our challenges. I’m confident that with
positive news in March, we can begin to turn some of the perceived concerns and help give needed
confidence to potential buyers. Clearly the weather is improving and sales are up.

 This is good news from the Utah County Association of REALTORS®. For more information on this go to   http://ucaor.com/statistics.htm

Filed under: Blogroll, Buying, Community, Real Estate, Selling, Utah County Statistics — Susan @ 3:19 pm




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