Five People You Will Meet at Your Next Open House

by Katie Weismiller On April 9, 2014 (abbreviated version)

1.) Qualified Buyers:

Watch for serious buyers during your open house.  These buyers come prepared with thoughtful questions, so be familiar with important property information. How to Make the Sale: Follow up within 24 hours to increase chances of an offer.

2.) Seller’s Family and Friends:

Your sellers may invite their family and friends to make the property look more popular to other guests.  Don’t discount these visitors, they may be looking to move in the future or might have friends that could become potential clients. How to Make the Sale: Treat these guests as you would any other potential buyers. They will notice your dedication and increase opportunities for future referrals.

3.) Next-Door Neighbors:

Neighbors often visit open houses because they are curious and want to compare property prices and details. No one knows the area better than local residents, so use their insight to your advantage.

How to Make the Sale:  Pre-open house, introduce yourself and extend an invite to your open house. Ask their opinion on the local area and their favorite neighborhood places. Use this information during your open house to give potential buyers an insider perspective on living in the neighborhood.

4.) “Not Yet” Buyers:

You will meet plenty of people at your open house who are browsing or not seriously considering buying. These visitors could become future clients, so ask if they are working with an agent or looking to buy in the near future.

5.) Other Local Agents:

Real estate agents often visit open houses to see how their listings compare or if they are representing a buyer who is unable to attend. Give them a brief overview of the property and let them walk through solo.

Courtesy of Kansas City For Sale By Owner – The FSBO Store – FSBO-KC.com

KC FSBO-KC.com Spring Homes Tour 2014

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Please visit our Homes For Sale in the Greater Kansas City and Lawrence areas for this years Kansas City FSBO Spring Homes Tour!

Many of our KC FSBO-KC Homes for Sale have been former Models and shown in previous Parade of Homes events both Spring and Fall. View our Homes For Sale.

And for homes with that little something “extra,” please visit our Distinctive Lifestyle homes.

Please note: Coinciding with the Kansas City Spring Parade of Homes, April 26-May 11 making for the ideal time to get out and view the best homes, builders, neighborhoods and HOME VALUES in our area.

Home of Kansas City’s BEST HOME VALUES online and in your neighborhood in the Greater Kansas City Area!

The FSBO Store
10635 Roe Avenue
(NE Corner of I-435 & Roe)
Overland Park, KS 66207
Phone: (913) 498-3726 (FSBO)

Home staging 101: Stash the nudes

Feb 28, 2014

When you’re selling a home, you don’t want to put off potential buyers with edgy art like a nude painting on the wall, say a handful of agents interviewed on the subject by the Wall Street Journal.

Though homeowners sometimes push back, ”No nudes is good nudes,” Re/Max agent Lyn Sims told the Journal.

A 2011 Duke University study cited in the article backs up Sims’ assessment: Getting rid of edgy art like nudes is one of the most effective things owners can do when staging their homes, receiving a 5.98 ranking on a 7-point scale (7 being considered a highly effective action) by the study’s 457 participants. Home shoppers tend to remember the stand-out art rather than the home itself, the study showed.

Source: Wall Street Journal

KC FSBO Fall Homes Tour 2013

“Kansas City’s Trusted Leader in Private Home Sales Since 1996”

Please visit our Homes For Sale in the Greater Kansas City, Lawrence and Topeka areas for this years Kansas City FSBO Fall Homes Tour!

Many of our KC FSBO Homes for Sale have been former Models and shown in previous Parade of Homes events both Spring and Fall. View our Homes For Sale.

And for homes with that little something “extra,” please visit our Distinctive Lifestyle homes.

Please note: Coinciding with the Kansas City Fall Parade of Homes, September 28th through October 13th, making for the ideal time to get out and view the best homes, builders, neighborhoods and HOME VALUES in our area.

Home of Kansas City’s BEST HOME VALUES online and in your neighborhood in the Greater Kansas City Area!

The FSBO Store
10635 Roe Avenue
Overland Park, KS 66207
Phone: (913) 498-3726 (FSBO)

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Please visit our current Listing Packages for FSBO-KC.com and HomesByOwner.com.

Buyers are wanting your FSBO Real Estate Listings Now!

Your friends at…

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Johnson County, Kansas
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www.FSBO-KC.com

 

Don’t confuse “pre-approved” and “pre-qualified” with a Loan Commitment

For Real Estate Buyers and Sellers:

When you are “pre-qualified,” the lender is making an educated guess about how much you can borrow based on information you’ve provided. When you are “pre-approved,” the lender has verified everything you’ve provided and is offering to lend you up to a given amount at current interest rates — under certain conditions.

It’s much better to be pre-approved when shopping for a home because both you, your real estate agent and the seller know what you can afford. Whether pre-qualified or pre-approved, final clearance and a check at closing — a loan commitment — are subject to an appraisal satisfactory to the lender, good title, a last-minute credit check, and other verifications.

When meeting with lenders, always ask what additional steps will be required to obtain a loan.

And for Buyers…ALWAYS:

Postpone any big-ticket purchases until after you buy your house.

 

Excerpts from “Ten Mortgage Mistakes You Can’t Afford from Realtor.com” By Lew Sichelman

Copyright © by Move, Inc.

Advice for Homebuyers and Sellers

TODAY Chat: Advice for homebuyers and sellers

By Herb Weisbaum, TODAY contributor

Ilyce Glink

It’s a seller’s market in many parts of the country right now. That’s a big change from the past six or seven years. With buyers competing for the same property, home prices are going up. It’s a good thing mortgage interest rates are at historic lows.

“If you want to get the home of your dreams, you need to be really serious,” advises real estate expert Ilyce Glink, author of the book Buy, Close, Move In. “You’ve got to get pre-approved, not pre-qualified for your purchase. You have to know what you want and how much you feel comfortable spending (it may be less than what the bank suggests). If you know what you want and how much you want to spend, and you’ve spent a lot of time in your neighborhood of choice, when the right property comes up, you can pounce.”

During a TODAY Money web chat on Wednesday, Glink, shared some great advice.

TODAY: What do you say to all of the people who still find themselves underwater? Will they ever get back to the plus side again and have some equity in their home?

Ilyce Glink: We’re seeing tens of thousands of Americans get back to positive equity every month, as home prices rise. In some places, like Georgia, about 40 percent of all homeowners are underwater. But the national average is now 20 to 23 percent.

Those who bought in 2005 to 2007 might not go positive for the next 10 years, if they were in the hardest hit areas, but most other people will or they will do short sales and have the debt be forgiven.

We will get most of America right-side up again and probably by 2015.

TODAY: What’s the biggest mistake buyers make?

Ilyce Glink: Buyers often make the mistake of buying in the wrong location. The think they can live somewhere, but don’t really take the time to thoroughly investigate the neighborhood. They don’t walk by the school or visit local stores or dining establishments.

They might check out the school district for the age their kids are today, but not the schools they’d go into 5 years from now.

And, speaking of the future, buyers often forget that they’re supposed to live in this house for 5 to 10 years – they think they’ll flip it in 24 months and triple their money. NOT!

TODAY: And what’s the biggest mistake sellers make?

Ilyce Glink: Most folks think that their home is worth much more than it is – even if it is in great shape. It can really get in the way of selling your home.

When I tell people that homes values are rolled back to where they were in 2003, a full 10 years ago, they don’t fully comprehend what that means. But think back. Your home was probably worth 20% less than it is today – or even less.

Published in Today.com – 9 May, 2013, 1:44pm, EDT

How FSBO-KC Can Help:

Low Home Equity – FSBO-KC has the best FSBO programs available to help you market and sell your home with no commissions!

Buyers – Our FSBO-KC listings have an Interactive Neighborhood Map showing the surrounding amenities for each listing including enhanced Google Maps!

Sellers – We provide our listed clients with a FREE Comparative Market Analysis to make sure the home is priced right in todays market!

Give us a call or come visit us at The FSBO Store today!

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NE Corner of I-435 & Roe
10635 Roe Avenue
Overland Park, KS  66207
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PH: (913) 498-3726
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http://www.fsbo-kc.com/homesforsale.aspx

KC FSBO Store
10635 Roe Avenue
(NE Corner of I-435 & Roe)
Overland Park, KS 66207
Phone: (913) 498-FSBO (3726)
http://www.fsbo-kc.com

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An Open House can Close the Deal

Spring is in the air and right now, many homeowners begin to consider putting their homes up for sale.

If you are one of those homeowners, it’s time to prepare your home for market.

You’ll have to examine your finances, begin to de-clutter, clean your home and repair and replace where necessary (but keep it simple).

Also consider the advantages of an open house.

Here are five common reasons an Open House might close the deal.

Eyes on the prize – And open house attracts potential buyers who would otherwise be too casual, lax, or unmotivated to book a showing.

The event also has one up on a simple listing.

Your friends and family can mention the event to every potential buyer they know. Neighbors who drop by might be angling to have someone amiable move into the neighborhood. Advertising and signage will catch the eye of both casual lookers and serious buyers.

You direct the drama – Some home shoppers give little if any notice if they stop by your home for a traditional showing.

It can be stressful keeping your home show-ready for the entire time it’s listed. It’s also time-consuming to keep wastebaskets emptied, floors routinely swept, vacuumed or mopped and the laundry washed.

Not so with an open house. You decide when the curtain goes up.

You can schedule the event and prepare for an event with the potential to bring in throngs of prospective buyers – all in one fell swoop.

There’s less stress to deep clean and stage when you know exactly when potential home buyers will arrive.

A scheduled event also gives you time to sweeten the deal with some fresh-baked goodies and aromatic vases brimming with fresh flowers.

Second time’s a charm – Typically there’s a limit to the number of times even the most interested buyer is willing seek for a private tour.

If your house already caught the eye of a potential buyer, he or she might feel less overbearing and be more willing to come back for a second look in a less formal setting.

An open house also gives buyers the opportunity to bring friends or family for their input. Walking through an open house also provides guests with plenty of time to look around – during your open house hours.

Buyers compare apples and oranges – On any given weekend, buyers are likely to visit several open houses in the same general location.

This gives buyers looking in your area the opportunity to comparison shop by attending several open houses. That gives you the opportunity to make your home stand out from the crowd.

Time is on your side – Many open houses are available some weekends, others, not so much. Springtime weekends are big.

This year April 20th and 21st is Nationwide Open House Weekend when you can bet it’ll be one of those big open house weekends.

April 20th is also the start to this years KC FSBO Spring Homes Tour 2013 which coincides with the Kansas City Spring Parade of Homes, April 20-May 5 making for the ideal time to get out and view the best homes, builders, neighborhoods and HOME VALUES in our area.

Make sure your listing is one of them!

Excerpts by Kim Clark-

KC FSBO Spring Homes Tour 2013

“Kansas City’s Trusted Leader in Private Home Sales Since 1996”

Please visit our Homes For Sale in the Greater Kansas City and Lawrence areas for this years Kansas City FSBO Spring Homes Tour!

Many of our KC FSBO Homes for Sale have been former Models and shown in previous Parade of Homes events both Spring and Fall. View our Homes For Sale.

And for homes with that little something “extra,” please visit our Distinctive Lifestyle homes.

Please note: Coinciding with the Kansas City Spring Parade of Homes, April 20-May 5 making for the ideal time to get out and view the best homes, builders, neighborhoods and HOME VALUES in our area.

Home of Kansas City’s BEST HOME VALUES online and in your neighborhood in the Greater Kansas City Area!

The FSBO Store
10635 Roe Avenue
(NE Corner of I-435 & Roe)
Overland Park, KS 66207
Phone: (913) 498-FSBO (3726)