Holy Moly - Great Guacamole

Fresh Ingredient Spicy Guacamole

My wife and I love Mexican food. One of our favorite Mexican restaurants in the Athens area is Agua Linda. I did a blog post about it here. One of our favorite appectizers is their chunky guacamole. I have tried to duplicate the recipe at home and have come very close. I do mash the avocado and blend it rather than leave everything in chunks. But we both beleive it is very tasty. So, if you are out on the town in Athens and crave good Mexican food, go to Agua Linda. If you like good guacamole at home, try this recipe.

1 Avocado - coarsely mashed or chopped

1 medium tomato (a Roma does well) - diced

or about 6 - 8 cherry or grape tomatoes - diced

1 slice red onion - chopped

2 green onions -sliced

5 - 6 sprigs fresh cilantro - chopped

Juice of 1 key lime

fresh Jalapeno pepper - chopped

a dash of fresh crushed garlic

Blend all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Adjust the amount of jalapeno pepper according to how hot you like your guacamole. I do about 4 slices, chopped. You can cool the jalapeno a little by removing the seeds. If you don't want to cut a fresh jalapeno, you can get by with about 4 slices of canned or pickled jalapeno, chopped. All other ingredients should be fresh. Refrigate until ready to serve.

Serves 2. We use this as a dressing to make quacamole salad, as a dip for chips and to put on top of our chimi's, quesadillas, empinadas, taquitos, etc.

We hope that you will try it and enjoy it also.

So You Want to Sell Your Home – Part 5: Security

So You Want to Sell Your Home

Part 5 – Security Tips: Forewarned is Fore-armed!

You are setting off on an adventure. You are going to sell your home, and you want to do it yourself, or with the help of a limited-service agency. You have just studied up on all the wonderful information I provided on pricing and marketing. Now you are ready to stick out that sign, put ads in the paper and sit back and wait for the calls.

But what do you do when you receive that call? How do you make sure that the person calling really wants to look at your home as a prospective buyer and not for something a little less benign? You don’t, but you can take some steps to increase your safety and security and that of your family and your possessions.

The following is a list of precautions to take before allowing strangers into your home:

• For your own safety, never set an appointment with anyone to see your home unless they have given you their name and number and you have called back to verify that number. An easy way to do this is to say. “Let me check with my husband/wife for the best time and I will call you back.” Use this method even if you are not married.
• If the caller says he/she is a real estate agent, call his/her office to verify the information. You can also often check out a Real Estate Company website and find a picture of the agent. When he or she comes to the house, get a card. For instance:
• I may call you asking to preview your home. I will give you
• my name
• my company name
• my cell number
• You should ask for my office number; I will give it to you. (You could verify it by looking it up in the yellow pages, assuming you have the same yellow pages we are listed in).
• You should ask if I/we have a website. I would give you:
• My website address www.theathensrealestatepage.com
• My office website address: greaterathens.yourkwoffice.com where you could then click on “Associates” and find my picture and a link to my website.
• The corporate link, if you want it, www.kw.com where you can click on the agent or office search to find both me and my office. (If you search for me you would need to search for Michael Saunders).
• Leave the name and phone number of the person requesting to view your home either with someone, such as a neighbor, or in a location that is out of sight but known by someone else.
• Never let a caller or looker know your schedule. Don’t ever tell them when you won’t be at home, when your spouse won’t be home, when you pick up the kids, when you work, when you will be on vacation, etc.
• Never provide a caller with information about your home’s security such as deadlock bolts, security systems, and so forth.
• Always have a back-up plan when you allow strangers into your home, especially if you have children. Have a neighbor look out for you until the lookers have gone.
• Never let a stranger into your home without seeing some identification. Keep a log of everyone who has looked at your house. Get their name, telephone number, address, car description, tag number, and any additional information that could be helpful in the event of a future burglary. All of these people would be suspects.
• If you make a flyer to advertise your home, don’t include any information that might breech security.
• Remove from sight all valuables, including guns, jewelry, silverware, and collections.
• Remove any prescription drugs from your bathroom and put them somewhere else.
• Never leave strangers alone, and watch their every move while they’re in your home.
• Never allow yourself to get cornered. Always have an opening to an exit. Do not turn your back on people you let into your house. Let the lookers enter rooms first. Maintain a distance between yourself and the lookers.
• Try to always have someone else with you when you show your home. There is strength in numbers.
• Instruct children not to give out information over the phone. Just have them ask for a name and call back number.
• If you are using a push button or dial lock box, only give out the code to a Realtor® or real estate agent that you have verified the identity of.

Every one showing a home, man or woman, young or older, should take care and remember these security tips. While not epidemic, there are enough cases of fraudulent buyers that are really only cases of con artists looking to find some valuables they might steal, or worse.

Using a Realtor® should eliminate many of these security and safety concerns. I will pre-screen all persons wanting to view any home, doing everything in my power to make sure that they are potential buyers, not lookers. I will verify that they are both sincere in their search and financially qualified to purchase your (or anyone else’s) home before even showing it.

Best of luck on the sale of your home. Please feel free to call me at 706-207-5290 if you have any questions that I might be able to answer or email me at athensrealestate@hotmail.com with those questions. I will give you my best answer with no obligation. Although I would love to sell your home, I will not give you a listing presentation unless you ask me to.

What’s in a Word?

Be Careful What You Write in Your Real Estate Ad

The comedian George Carlin had a routine about The Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV. It is somewhat dated. There are at least 2 that are now heard regularly on broadcast channels. You can hear all seven of them on some cable channels. If you really want to know what those words are/were, you can go here.

When you, or your Realtor®/agent, place any advertising for your home there are many more than seven words that can get you in trouble. Federal and state Fair Housing laws regulate against and define any practices that might be considered discriminatory in the sale and purchase of real estate, regardless of intent. These regulations do not normally apply to the sale of your own home unless you advertise. It doesn’t matter the type of advertising, whether newspaper, Craigslist, flyers on a community cork board or any other form of advertising.

What are some of these words? Seemingly benign words can be found to be discriminatory. The word adult, unless it is used to describe a certified adult community, is determined to be discriminatory. So are bachelor, Christian, unemployed, and singles, as well as dozens of other words. Phrases and groups of words such as no children, single person, mature couple, mature individual, and not for disabled can all be considered discriminatory.

There are many words and phrases that are iffy, that depend upon the context in which they are used. They could include executive, handyman’s dream, close to synagogue, and membership approval required.

When you submit an ad to a newspaper, the person reviewing the ad might counsel you on the use of words and suggest alternatives. However, when using internet marketing you are usually on your own. Online service providers are generally considered not responsible for the user-submitted content.

Now, is somebody going to review all advertising and come and fine you or take you to jail? More than likely that will not happen unless there is a complaint filed. Even then it will more than likely be a warning to change your wording.

For a list of words and phrases that may or may not be considered discriminatory go to the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity Fair Housing Advertising Word and Phrase Usage List. Just be careful what you say.

If you would like to find out what I can do for you, or, if you just have a question I might be able to help you with, email me or call me at 706-207-5290.

NOTE: The above is not to be construed as legal advice. For legal advice please consult with a lawyer or contact the Georgia Commission on Equal Opportunity.

So You Want to Sell Your Home – Part 4: Marketing Your Home

So You Want to Sell Your Home – Part 4.

Marketing Your Home

In Part 3 I talked about how you get the most exposure on your home for sale, entice agents, get it listed in the MLS. But how do you attract buyers? The simple answer is the same way a Realtor® or real estate agent does: you market, using one or more venues.

Signs – of course. You want people to see a sign in your yard--it lets all the passersby know your home is for sale. But, if you live at the end of a cul-de-sac, there are not a lot of passersby. But the sign is still a good thing. It lets your neighbors know, and they might tell someone who wants to buy a home. Believe it or not, there are some people who don’t want a sign, who don’t want the neighbors to know. Your for sale sign should show clearly how to contact you, or your Realtor®. Your (or your Realtor’s®) phone number should be large, prominently positioned and readable by people driving by. The sign should be about 24” wide and 30” tall, with colors to attract attention.

Information tubes or boxes. Yes to them, also. Make sure your Realtor®, or you if selling yourself, places a weather-tight information box or tube on or adjacent to the sign. It should be positioned so that someone passing by will see it and hopefully stop and pick up a flyer. Speaking of flyers, keep the box stocked, but not too full to get a single flyer out. Make sure your Realtor® supplies you with extras in case the box runs out before she (or he) can get back to refill it.

Newspaper ads – if you are having an open house, definitely. For any other occasion, if you want to spend the money, go ahead. You pay for the ad each week based upon the number of lines and column inches. A picture will also be extra and is usually in black and white. The ad may also be found on the newspapers web site. These ads sometimes attract buyers, but, the first place most buyers look today for information on homes is….

The Internet – absolutely a yes. Recent studies have indicated that over 90% of buyers first use the internet to search for a home. And what is the most effective internet tool? At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it is the MLS. Not just for Realtors® or agents but also for buyers. Many MLS systems today now have public search capability where all the real estate “civilians” can search by state, county, city, neighborhood, street, etc.

However, the bonus to this is that many Realtor® MLS listings are also fed to other internet sites, including the Realtor’s® own web site. You can search the local MLS at my site, as well as review my featured listings if you want. But, people can search and find your home on almost every local Realtor’s® web site.

There is another bonus. Many Realtor’s® MLS listings are also fed to large national real estate and home search sites, such as Realtor.com and Trulia.com. I, and many other Realtors®, also forward these listing to many other real estate home search sites with both local and national (even international) exposure.

Some of the help-to-sell-your-own-home companies will also include your home on their own web site listings. Before selecting any company, whether a full service realtor or a help to sell agency, ask how big of an exposure on the web they provide, whether just on MLS, on their specific site listings or to the major real estate search sites (ask which ones specifically) across the country.

You can also upload your homes information to many of the major national real estate sites. This will be on a one site by one site basis, contacting each site separately and uploading or entering data. Many are at no cost for a basic listing with fees for certain features like additional pictures, featuring (prominently positioning your home), etc.

There are many other alternate internet marketing practices you can take advantage of. Sites like Craigslist that offer free ads. On Craigslist you can list your home with up to 4 pictures at no charge. You need to refresh or even replace your ad at least weekly to keep it near the top of the list. Many people will only look at the most recent ads. You also need to be ready to get calls from people who might be interested in more than your home. Many may be trying to sell you something. Others might have different motives. Craigslist does have a comprehensive page of scams and warnings to look out for.

One final option I will mention is a “Single Address Web Site”. This is nothing more than a website you, or your Realtor®, or someone else you hire, can build that exclusively displays your home. All the information and pictures you want to include, all there at one site on the web with a URL in the form of www.yourhomeaddress.com. This is a relatively new service but does look very interesting.

So, there we have it, a myriad of ways to market your home. Each of these marketing tools requires work to initiate as well as constant tweaking and upkeep to keep fresh. You can do it your self, or you can use a full service Realtor®. Or, you can hire someone else to do all of the marketing work for you. The main thing to remember is to do what you can in order to get your information out in front of the broadest audience possible. Remember, the biggest audience is the population of local Realtors®, and, to some extent, every Realtor® in the country. Those Realtors® often know someone moving to your town or county and will help them become familiar with the properties available. Then there are the buyers. To be successful you need to reach both groups.

If you would like to find out what I can do for you, or, if you just have a question I might be able to help you with, email me or call me at 706-207-5290.

So You Want to Sell You Home - Part 3 - Getting the News Out There

You, on your own or with your REALTOR®, have decided what price to ask for your home. Now what? How do you get the word out? How do you reach people? How do your neighbors, the people around the corner, those who live across town, people in Timbuktu find out about your home. How do you get the greatest audience to know that your wonderful home, the place you raised your kids, remodeled with your own hands, landscaped, painted and kept immaculate is on the market? In other words, how do you get buyers to the door?

OK, I am going to skip listing all of the things you could do, which sometimes work and sometimes don't work. I am going to cut right to the chase and give you another question. Who should you be targeting in order to get that parade of buyers started? The answer is simple, REALTOR's® and real estate agents (yes, there is a difference) representing buyers. Well over 90% of all home purchases are by buyers using REALTOR's® and real estate agents. Whether you are selling on your own, using some sales assistance service or using a full service REALTOR®, the main target of your marketing should be those people who are representing the majority of buyers.

That's the secret, like I said, it's simple. To get the most buyers, get the attention of the professionals representing those buyers. But how do you get their attention. That is also simple, use the local Multiple Listing Service, or, MLS. The MLS is major tool of real estate professionals trying to match-up buyers with the homes of their dreams, and that could be your home. Yes, it is true, you cannot place a listing in an MLS on your own. You do need to use either a full service REALTOR® or a limited service help to sell company to get your home into the listing service.

In this area there are two primary MLS services. If you elect to use full service representation your REALTOR® should be placing your listing into both services. This assures the broadest audience of agents for your home. This will usually be at no cost to you the seller until when (and sometimes if) your homes sells. If you use a limited or partial service firm, you will usually pay up front for the listing. This usually averages around from $400 to $500, per MLS. Find out upfront which MLS the limited service firm will be using and for how long the listing will be valid.

But there is still one more thing you need to do to attract those agents. Again, it is no big secret, to attract agents you need to offer co-operation or protection. This can be a percentage of selling price or it could be a flat fee, but, it needs to be clearly stated. If you are using a full service REALTOR®, like me, for instance, this co-operation will be included in my fee for selling your home. I will fully disclose what that co-operation figure is before you sign any papers. Whether you use full or limited service representation to get your house on the MLS, that amount of co-operation will be listed (you will have to inform your limited service listing provider what figure to put into the agents co-operation). Either way, it is a contracted dollar amount or percentage and cannot be renegotiated after a sales contract is in place.

No, I am not trying to direct you into using a full service REALTOR® or even to use a limited service to assist your sale. However, studies continually show that homes sold through a full service REALTOR® sell for more and faster than purely FSBO. And, whether you use full service or limited service, homes sell faster when listed on local MLS.

To sell your home, you best bet is to attract a REALTOR® or agent representing a buyer. To attract that agent, you need to offer an enticement, the co-operation.

Next time I will address marketing your home, whether on your own or with a full or limited service REALTOR®. Now that agents have been attracted, how do buyers get attracted?

So You Want to Sell Your Home - 2nd in a Series - Getting the Price Right

So You Want to Sell Your Home

Part 2 Getting the Price Right

In part one I finally got around to talking about what factors influence the price, or market value, of your home: location, condition, market. In this installment, I will demonstrate how to use those factors to arrive at an asking price for your home.

The best known method (bkm) for determining what your asking price should be is a CMA, Comparative Market Analysis, sometimes shortened to “COMPS” (comparisons). This is nothing more than establishing the current market value of your house by comparing it with the selling price (less concessions) of similar homes, in your neighborhood. To best reflect the current market, those comparisons should be from within the last 3–6 months and include current listings, listings that did not sell, as well foreclosure and short sales (homes that are in pre-foreclosure that require bank approval to sell for less than what is owed).

For the person doing it on their own, this could be a somewhat long and tedious process. You need to do the research on your own. Unless you have access to MLS data (Multiple Listing Service - you need to usually be a member of the MLS to directly access this information) you will need to access public records. In the Athens-Clarke County area, as well as each surrounding county these records can be found online. You will have to look up each property individually and determine whether they are valid comparisons. Tax information will not provide any concession information. (Concessions are items the seller agrees to provide for the buyer at closing; they could include paying all or some of buyer’s closing, allowances, etc.)

If there are not enough comparable properties in your neighborhood, you will need to expand your search to similar neighborhoods and search their recent sales and current listings for comparisons.

Once you have that information, adjustments will have to be made, up or down, to the selling price of the comparable homes. Do they have more or fewer bedrooms, more or fewer baths? What’s the difference in square feet? Do they have basements, what are their lot sizes, how’s the landscaping, what are their conditions? These are just some of the considerations we use when developing the comparisons.

After making all adjustments to the comparable properties, a weighted average will be made to determine the asking price of your home. By weighted average, I mean that the home that is most similar to yours will count most in the averaging process. The home that is least similar will count the least in the averaging process.

An alternate way to determine selling price is the square foot method. It is a quick way of arriving at a price. Basically, it entails dividing the selling price by the square footage of the homes being used for comparison. While it is quick, it is much less accurate (unless you are comparing condos, or other identical homes with external variables). However, it is a great tool for establishing replacement cost in the event of a fire or some other unfortunate event.

There are 4 ways to get this CMA performed:

1. Do it yourself.
2. Get a “Market Report” from some realtor site or a company that will help you, as an owner, sell it yourself.
3. Hire an appraiser.
4. Have your real estate, or listing agent, provide that as part of his/her service.

.

Do it yourself: You can do it yourself, but, again, unless you have access to an MLS system where you can get sales histories and all the data regarding concessions. This could be a time – consuming process. Tax records will provide sale price, but they will not provide concession information. Neither will they provide details on condition, amenities, etc.

Request a Market Report: Many realtor websites, as well as those sites that help you to sell, often have a link where you can click to get a market report. Find out what method is being used to generate these market reports. Some may just use the square foot method. Whichever process they use, it is almost always done remotely from searching MLS records. There is no first-hand knowledge of the condition of your home or the comparable homes. They don’t know the condition, they haven’t seen the yard, they don’t know the amenities. They are using only the numbers available to them. While this might get the pricing into the ball park, sometimes that park can be pretty big (remember the line from Major League – “There are some parks that wouldn’t have been a home run in.” “Yeah, name one.” “Yellowstone.”)

Hire an appraiser: You can pay an appraiser to do a market price evaluation for you. This will be for a fee which will vary depending upon where your home is located, the size, etc. The appraiser will use the CMA method described above (or something very similar) including capturing concessions, etc. He/she will tour the property and be very familiar with it, able to accurately include condition, amenities, landscaping, etc. in determining market value.

List your home with an agent: The listing agent (LA) will perform the same tasks as the appraiser. The agent will probably also have the advantage of personal knowledge of the comparative listings. Conscientious agents will have previewed many, if not all, of the homes that have sold, or are for sale, in the neighborhood that are being used for comps. This allows the agent to account for condition, landscaping, amenities, etc. in the comparable properties. This service is included in the commission the agent gets when, and if, the property sells.

Conclusion: In today’s market, price is extremely important. If your home is priced too high, you will have few, if any, lookers. If it is priced close, but still high, you will have lookers, but you will probably not get offers, or it may stay on the market for longer than a home priced correctly (or both). If it is priced correctly, it should sell. And, it should sell within the average days on market for homes in your area.

Whether you sell it yourself or with an agent, make sure the asking price is right. Asking price is the invitation that brings potential buyers to your home. The right price is what turns that potential buyer into an actual buyer.