In today’s fast-paced world, where answers are a Google search away, there are some who may wonder what the benefits of hiring a real estate professional to help them in their home search are. The truth is, with the addition of more information, comes more confusion.
Shows like Property Brothers, Fixer Upper and the dozens more on HGTV have given many a false sense of what it’s like to buy and sell a home.
Now more than ever, you need an expert on your side who is going to guide you toward your dreams and not let anything get in the way of achieving them. Buying and/or selling a home is definitely not something you want to DIY (Do It Yourself)!
Here are just some of the reasons you need a real estate professional in your corner:
There’s more to real estate than finding a house you like online!
There are over 111 possible steps that need to take place during every successful real estate transaction. Don’t you want someone who has been there before, someone who knows what these actions are, to ensure you achieve your dream?
You Need a Skilled Negotiator
In today’s market, hiring a talented negotiator could save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars. Each step of the way – from the original offer, to the possible renegotiation of that offer after a home inspection, to the possible cancellation of the deal based on a troubled appraisal – you need someone who can keep the deal together until it closes.
What is the home you’re buying or selling worth in today’s market?
There is so much information out there on the news and on the internet about home sales, prices, and mortgage rates; how do you know what’s going on specifically in your area? Who do you turn to in order to competitively and correctly price your home at the beginning of the selling process? How do you know what to offer on your dream home without paying too much, or offending the seller with a lowball offer?
Dave Ramsey, the financial guru, advises:
“When getting help with money, whether it’s insurance, real estate or investments, you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman.”
Hiring an agent who has his or her finger on the pulse of the market will make your buying or selling experience an educated one. You need someone who is going to tell you the truth, not just what they think you want to hear.
Bottom Line
Today’s real estate market is highly competitive. Having an experienced, top performing professional who’s been there before to guide you through the process is a simple step that will give you a huge advantage. Make this a easy and simple process by reaching out to one of the Top Agents and Certified Residential Specialist Pete Veres at 505-362-2005.
December Market Update - Track your local market states at www.AbqMarketinfo.com Home prices were consistently up again in most markets in 2018 but at reduced levels compared to recent years. High demand for few homes for sale fueled price increases, but evidence is mounting that inventory will finally improve in 2019. A fourth interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve in 2018 spooked the stock market to close out the year. The Fed has indicated that the number of rate increases in 2019 will be halved, which may be of little comfort to an already compressed consumer.
In today’s market, as home prices rise and a lack of inventory continues, some homeowners may consider trying to sell their homes on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). There are several reasons why this might not be a good idea for most sellers.
Here are the top five reasons:
1. Exposure to Prospective Buyers
According to NAR’s 2018 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 95% of buyers searched online for a home last year. That is in comparison to only 13% of buyers looking at print newspaper ads. Most real estate agents have an Internet strategy to promote the sale of your home, do you?
2. Results Come from the Internet
Where did buyers find the homes they actually purchased?
50% on the Internet
28% from a real estate agent
7% from a yard sign
1% from newspapers
The days of selling your house by putting out a lawn sign or putting an ad in the paper are long gone. Having a strong Internet strategy is crucial.
3. There Are Too Many People to Negotiate With
Here is a list of some of the people with whom you must be prepared to negotiate if you decide to For Sale by Owner:
The buyer who wants the best deal possible
The buyer’s agent who solely represents the best interests of the buyer
The buyer’s attorney (in some parts of the country)
The home inspection companies, which work for the buyer and will almost always find some problems with the house
The appraiser if there is a question of value
4. FSBOing Has Become More And More Difficult
The paperwork involved in selling and buying a home has increased dramatically as industry disclosures and regulations have become mandatory. This is one of the reasons that the percentage of people FSBOing has dropped from 19% to 7% over the last 20+ years.
5. You Net More Money When Using an Agent
Many homeowners believe that they can save on the real estate commission by selling on their own, but they don’t realize that the main reason buyers look at FSBOs is because they also believe that they can save on the real estate agent’s commission. The seller and buyer can’t both save the commission.
A study by Collateral Analytics revealed that FSBOs don’t actually save anything, and in some cases may be costing themselves more, by not listing with an agent. One of the main reasons for the price difference at the time of sale is that,
“Properties listed with a broker that is a member of the local MLS will be listed online with all other participating broker websites, marketing the home to a much larger buyer population. And those MLS properties generally offer compensation to agents who represent buyers, incentivizing them to show and sell the property and again potentially enlarging the buyer pool.”
If more buyers see a home, the greater the chances are that there could be a bidding war for the property. The study showed that the difference in price between comparable homes of size and location is currently at an average of 6% this year.
Why would you choose to list on your own and manage the entire transaction when you can hire an agent and not have to pay anything more?
Bottom Line
Before you decide to take on the challenges of selling your house on your own, sit with a real estate professional in your marketplace and see what they have to offer.
Meet with a realtor like Pete Veres, CRS – Certified Residential Specialist & ABR – Accredited Buyers and Seller Representative who can help you navigate thru the process and get the job done for you. He can provide you with a Free Market analysis when you are ready. Pete Veres has had over 25 years of Sales & Marketing experience, excellent negotiating skills and a superb track record.
You can contact him by calling or texting him at 505-362-2005 or by emailing him at [email protected].
He has a great website full of the latest information at www.NMElite.com
Here are also some Free Sellers resources. VIP-Seller-Resources
As we approach the end of the year, many homeowners find themselves asking the question, “If we’re currently in a strong real estate market, why won’t my house sell?”
Below are the 5 most common reasons why a listing contract will expire:
1. The Price
Sometimes when the market is hot, homeowners attempt to set their listing price higher. Their hope is that a motivated buyer will be willing to pay any price for a house in their desired neighborhood! Sellers must remember, though, that in today’s market a house must be sold twice; first to the buyer and then to their bank.
A buyer can agree to pay the homeowner’s asking price, but after the bank conducts their appraisal, the price might need to be adjusted. The bank will only give the buyer a mortgage for the value of determined in the appraisal.
Sellers must also keep in mind that today’s homebuyers are well-educated. Before they look to buy a house, they have already seen many houses online. They’ve done their research on the neighborhoods they are interested in, including information on the school districts in the area.
They will know if your house seems overpriced and will not waste their time considering it. This is why it’s so important to make sure that your home is priced right from day one on the market!
2. The Condition of the House
In many areas, builders are taking advantage of the lack of inventory of homes for sale by building new houses. These newly constructed homes create competition for existing homes in the market. For this reason, many homeowners are making renovations and updates to their homes to compete with the new construction in their marketplace.
Most agents recommend that homeowners declutter their houses before putting them on the market. Buyers want to be able to imagine themselves living in the home instead of focusing on the current homeowner’s decor.
It’s important to take care of the small problems like dripping faucets and torn screens, while also remembering to remove any posters hanging in your teenager’s bedroom. Making sure your home is in perfect condition will make buyers fall in love with it and will ultimately help you get the right price for your house!
3. Seller’s Motivation
Why did the seller put their house on the market in the first place? Is the seller’s motivation still the same as it was when they first listed?
If homeowners are really motivated to sell, they will make sure their houses are both priced right and in good condition. The seller’s motivation will push them to consider all offers and help them make the right decision for their family’s future.
4. Marketing Plan
Having a marketing plan is important! According to NAR’s 2018 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 95% of buyers searched online for a home last year. The days of looking for a newspaper ad or yard sign in your preferred neighborhood are over.
If you want to sell your home, you need a real estate professional who understands your local market and knows how to promote your home online. Something as simple as using pictures taken by a professional photographer can make a huge impact in advertising your home!
5. Lack of Communication with Your Agent
Keeping an open line of communication with your agent is crucial in getting your home sold with the least amount of hassles, in the right amount of time, and for the right price! From the beginning, establish a continuous line of communication with your agent, and make sure you review your agreement often to see if any changes need to be made. For example, adjusting the selling price!
Bottom Line
There are houses selling every single day because they are listed at the right price, have the right marketing plan, and are staged for the sale. If for some reason your home didn’t sell and you’re still motivated to get it sold, contact a local real estate professional who can help you figure out the reason your house isn’t selling!
Every year around this time, we take time to reflect and plan for next year. If you are renting your current home but have dreams of homeownership, your plan for the new year may include buying, and you wouldn’t be alone!
When those same renters were asked why they disliked renting, 52% said that rising rental costs were their top reason, and 42% of renters believe that their rent will rise every year. The full results of the survey can be seen below:
It’s no wonder that rising rental costs came in as the top answer! The median asking rent price has risen steadily over the last 30 years, as you can see below!
There is a long-standing rule that a household should not spend more than 28% of its income on housing expenses. With nearly half of renters (48%) surveyed already spending more than that, and with their rents likely to rise again… why are they renting?
When asked why they haven’t purchased a home yet, not having enough saved for a down payment (44%) came in as the top response. The report went on to reveal that nearly half of all respondents believe that “a 20% down payment is required to buy a home.”
If the majority of those who believe they haven’t saved a large enough down payment believe that they need 20% down to buy, that means a large number of renters may be able to buy now!
Bottom Line
If you are one of the many renters who is fed up with rising rents but may be confused about what is required to buy in today’s market, contact a local real estate professional who can help you on your path to homeownership.
Anywhere cold air blows on a pipe, it creates the potential for freezing. To make sure your pipes are well-insulated, close crawl space vents and stuff insulation over the openings. Even a tiny hole can let a lot of cold air blow in; make sure you fill in all the cracks.
A bathroom or laundry room located above or next to a garage can be particularly vulnerable, so keep the garage door closed to maintain maximum heat.
If your bathroom pipes run along an outside exterior wall, try keeping the vanity door(s) open to allow heat inside. If you’re anticipating a deep freeze, consider using a fan to help circulate the air near the pipes, or purchase a small space heater for some extra temporary heat.
If the overnight temperature is expected to drop below freezing, letting your faucets drip overnight will eliminate some of the pressure that builds up in your home’s pipes. As a result, pipes are less likely to burst, even if they do freeze.
Finally, never turn off the heat when you leave home during the winter. Instead, set the temperature to at least 55 degrees F (higher if you’ve had problems in the past or live in an area of extreme cold). If you have multiple heat zones, be sure to adjust all thermostats appropriately.
Outside Your Home
Disconnect and store garden hoses. If your home has a separate shut-off for external faucets, turn it off and drain the water from those faucets.
Turn off and drain sprinkler systems. You may want to call in a professional company to blow out any leftover water in the underground lines. A broken sprinkler pipe can do damage to the delicate components that make up the entire system, increasing the cost of repair.
Insulate exposed pipes with insulation sleeves, wrapping or slip-on foam pipe insulation. Do not leave any gaps without insulation as cold air can affect the pipe in these spaces. Plastic piping is more tolerant of freezing than old copper or steel water pipes.
Know where your main waterline shut-off is before problems arise. Depending on the age of your house, it can be inside a garage, basement or laundry room, or underground in your yard. After turning the water off, turn on faucets to allow the water to drain and release the pressure in your pipes.
Signs You Have Frozen Pipes
You turn on the faucet but nothing comes out. Look in the most likely places and gently thaw the area. Whatever you do, do not use a blowtorch to warm up a frozen pipe. Many homes have been set on fire this way.
The water is turned off but you hear rushing water running anyway. This could be a sign that you have a leak somewhere. You should turn off the water lines immediately and investigate.
Everyone knows that housing affordability has been negatively impacted by rising prices and increasing mortgage rates, but there is another piece to the affordability equation – wages.
How much a family earns obviously impacts how easy or difficult it is for them to afford to own a home. Because of an improving economy, wages are finally beginning to increase – and that dramatically affects home affordability.
After applying current salaries, home prices, and mortgage rates to their Home Affordability Index equation, the index, though still lower than this time last year (160.1 to 146.7), increased over the last month (141.2 to 146.7). For the complete methodology used by NAR, click here.
The percentage of income needed to own a home has also decreased each of the last three months. It currently sits at 17% which is substantially lower than historic numbers.
Bottom Line
If you are a first-time buyer or a move-up buyer who believes that purchasing a home is not within your budget, check with a local real estate professional to find out if that is still true.
Meet with a realtor like Pete Veres, CRS – Certified Residential Specialist & ABR – Accredited Buyers Representative who can help you navigate thru the process and get the job done for you. Pete Veres has had over 25 years of Sales & Marketing experience, excellent negotiating skills and a superb track record.
You can contact him by calling or texting him at 505-362-2005 or by emailing him at [email protected].
He has a great website full of the latest information at www.NMElite.com
Meet with a realtor like Pete Veres, CRS – Certified Residential Specialist & ABR – Accredited Buyers Representative who can help you navigate thru the process and get the job done for you. Pete Veres has had over 25 years of Sales & Marketing experience, excellent negotiating skills and a superb track record. You can contact him by calling or texting him at 505-362-2005 or by emailing him at [email protected].
He has a great website full of the latest information at www.NMElite.com
With home prices on the rise and buyer demand still strong, some sellers may be tempted to try and sell their homes on their own without using the services of a real estate professional.
Real estate agents are trained and experienced in negotiation and, in most cases, the seller is not. Sellers must realize that their ability to negotiate will determine whether or not they get the best deal for themselves and their families.
Here is a list of just some of the people with whom the seller must be prepared to negotiate with if they decide to For Sale by Owner (FSBO):
The buyer who wants the best deal possible
The buyer’s agent who solely represents the best interests of the buyer
The buyer’s attorney (in some parts of the country)
The home inspection companies, which work for the buyer and will almost always find some problems with the house
The termite company if there are challenges
The buyer’s lender if the structure of the mortgage requires the sellers’ participation
The appraiser if there is a question of value
The title company if there are challenges with certificates of occupancy (CO) or other permits
The town or municipality if you need to get the CO permits mentioned above
The buyer’s buyer in case there are challenges with the house your buyer is selling
Bottom Line
The percentage of sellers who have hired real estate agents to sell their homes has increased steadily over the last 20 years. Meet with a professional in your local market to see the difference that he or she can make in easing the selling process for you.
Meet with a realtor like Pete Veres, CRS – Certified Residential Specialist & ABR – Accredited Buyers and Seller Representative who can help you navigate thru the process and get the job done for you. He can provide you with a Free Market analysis when you are ready. Pete Veres has had over 25 years of Sales & Marketing experience, excellent negotiating skills and a superb track record.
You can contact him by calling or texting him at 505-362-2005 or by emailing him at [email protected].
He has a great website full of the latest information at www.NMElite.com
Home Sales Tumble 12% as Prices Remain at Record Levels
DENVER – The RE/MAX National Housing Report for September 2018 showed the trends of fewer closings and stabilizing inventory continued through September, punctuated by a surprisingly big 11.6% year-over-year drop in home sales. At the same time, the RE/MAX National Housing Report for September 2018 posted a Median Sales Price of $241,000 that marked the 30th consecutive month of year-over-year price increases. It is the highest September price in the 10-year history of the report.
The decline in home sales year-over-year was the largest since May of 2011, as September became the seventh month of 2018 to record lower sales than 2017. Even so, year-to-date 2018 home sales resemble 2017’s.
“The big drop in September closings catches your attention. The market is clearly rebalancing as buyers and sellers continue to process the increasing interest rate environment and what that means to them,” said RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos. “The slower drop in inventory – a visible trend for nearly half a year – further illustrates the ongoing shift toward market equilibrium, and that’s healthy in the long-term.”
Active inventory dropped for the 119th consecutive month, the decline of 4.7% from September 2017 was the smallest year-over-year decrease since August 2014. In addition, the September year-over-year inventory drop was the fifth consecutive month in 2018 to post single-digit percent declines rather than the double-digit monthly drops consistently seen over the previous three years.
“It’s a little surprising to see prices staying so strong, but it’s hardly shocking in such a tight market,” said Contos. “The headwinds of rising prices and interest rates amid already tight inventory levels have been crimping affordability and slowing sales for most of the year, but it varies by geography. In circumstances like these, where the market is tricky to navigate, both buyers and sellers can benefit by aligning themselves with a professional agent – a local expert who can cut through the noise and advocate on their behalf.”
Other highlights include:
Home prices rose by 5.6% over September 2017, more than twice the year-over-year price increase of 2.3% from September 2016 to September 2017. That reversed a trend seen in the previous three months, when year-over-year price increases trailed 2017’s rate of growth.
Months Supply of Inventory totaled 3.7, which is the second-lowest for September in report history, second only to 3.6 months in September 2017.
Days on Market of 46 was a September record for the report – three days less than September 2017.
Closed Transactions Of the 54 metro areas surveyed in September 2018, the overall average number of home sales is down 24.4% compared to August 2018, and down 11.6% compared to September 2017. Six of the 54 metro areas experienced an increase in sales year-over-year, including Orlando, FL, +17.2%, Tampa, FL, +8.5, Miami, FL, +6.8% and Birmingham, AL at +4.0%.
Median Sales Price – Median of 54 metro median prices In September 2018, the median of all 54 metro Median Sales Prices was $241,000, down 3.2% from August 2018 and up 5.6% from September 2017. Only three metro areas saw a year-over-year decrease in Median Sales Price; Birmingham, AL, -2.1%, Anchorage, AK, -2.0% and Honolulu, HI, -1.7%. Seven metro areas increased year-over-year by double-digit percentages, with the largest increases seen in Boise, ID, +17.9%, Manchester, NH, +13.4% and Salt Lake City, UT, +11.9%.
Days on Market – Average of 54 metro areas The average Days on Market for homes sold in September 2018 was 46, up three days from the average in August 2018, and down 3 days from the September 2017 average. The metro areas with the lowest Days on Market were Omaha, NE, at 19, San Francisco, CA, at 26, Seattle, WA, at 27, and five markets tied at 29 –Denver, CO, Cincinnati, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Las Vegas, NV, and Salt Lake City, UT. The highest Days on Market averages were in Augusta, ME, at 90, Burlington, VT, at 87, Hartford, CT at 81 and Miami, FL, at 79. Days on Market is the number of days between when a home is first listed in an MLS and a sales contract is signed.
Months Supply of Inventory – Average of 54 metro areas The number of homes for sale in September 2018 was down 1.0% from August 2018 and down 4.7% from September 2017. Based on the rate of home sales in September, the Months Supply of Inventory increased to 3.7 from 3.0 in August 2018, and increased compared to September 2017 at 3.6. A 6.0-months supply indicates a market balanced equally between buyers and sellers. In September 2018, all but two of the metro areas surveyed – Miami, FL, at 8.0 and New York, NY, at 6.0 – reported a months supply less than 6.0, which is typically considered a seller’s market. The markets with the lowest Months Supply of Inventory are San Francisco, CA, at 1.9, Boise, ID, and Denver, CO, at 2.0 and Manchester, NH, and Omaha, NE, both at 2.3.
Feel free to contact me and I can help break down exactly what these numbers mean for our local market and for your neighborhood. And lastly, If you or anyone you know is thinking of buying or selling a home - please call or email me. I'm here to help!
Peter Veres
Associate Broker,CRS,ABR,CLHMS,SRES
Elite Asset Management Team - RE/MAX Elite
www.PeteVeres.com
Cell: 505-362-2005
Feel free to contact me and I can help break down exactly what these numbers mean for our local market and for your neighborhood. And lastly, If you or anyone you know is thinking of buying or selling a home - please call or email me. I'm here to help!
The lack of inventory, at least a portion of it, has been blamed on baby boomers. Should they really be blamed for it?
Here’s what some of the experts have to say on the subject:
Aaron Terrazas, Senior Economist at Zillow, says that “Boomers are healthier and working longer than previous generations, which means they aren’t yet ready to sell their homes.”
85% of baby boomers indicated they were not planning to sell their homes, according to a study by Realtor.com.
It is true that baby boomers are healthier and are thus working and living longer, but are they also refusing to sell their homes?
Last month, Trulia looked at the housing situation of seniors (aged 65+) today compared to that of a decade ago. Trulia’s study revealed that:
“Although seniors appear to be delaying downsizing until later in life, as a group, households 65 and over are still downsizing at roughly the same rate as in years past.”
Trulia also explains that,
“5.5% of households 65 and over moved, pretty evenly split between moves to single family (2.7%) and multifamily (2.4%) homes. In 2005, these percentages were virtually the same, with 5.5% of senior households moving, including 2.5% into single family and 2.5% into multifamily homes.”
What is the challenge then, if these percentages are the same?
Recent reports tell us that the older population grew from 3 million in 1900 to 47.8 million in 2017.
In addition, the Census recently revised the numbers from their National Population Projections:
“The aging of baby boomers means that within just a couple decades, older people are projected to outnumber children for the first time in U.S. history…By 2035, there will be 78.0 million people 65 years and older compared to 76.7 million under the age of 18.”
If you’re a baby boomer who’s thinking of moving to a warmer climate or downsizing locally and have questions about the process, meet with a realtor like Pete Veres, SRES, Senior Real Estate Specialist & CRS – Certified Residential Specialist who can help you navigate thru the process and get the job done for you. He can provide you with a Free Market analysis when you are ready. Pete Veres has had over 25 years of Sales & Marketing experience, excellent negotiating skills and a superb track record.
You can contact him by calling or texting him at 505-362-2005 or by emailing him at [email protected].
He has a great website full of the latest information at www.NMElite.com
