Tech Realty® » Damion

Selling Tips: 4 Ways to Sell Quicker

Damion — Thu, 07 May 2009 05:48:23 +0000

The average homeowner who has lived in their house for a few years may not know the best way to present it to buyers because it is hard for them to imagine things in a different order, but here are some tips to get you moving in the right direction: 1. Declutter Your House In some houses it is easy to see where you can remove a few items, in others it may not be so easy. Removing some unnecessary items and arranging your necessary household items and furniture in a way that is more conducive to the flow of the home (think Feng Shui) could be one of the most important things you can do to improve the showings on your property. 2. Replace those light bulbs & Increase your Natural Lighting Old, dingy looking light bulbs (or missing/burnt out light bulbs) can make a home look dark or dated. By replacing with some brighter bulbs or fluorescent bulbs, you can really open lighting up to the potential buyer. While I know you don't like the glare of the sun on your TV, it is important to open those blinds and let some natural lighting show through. This will make the home feel more inviting and open. 3. Get your Projects out of the way! Unless you are looking to give away your house, it is time to knock out that "honey-do" list. Remember that baseboard that is missing in the hallway? What about that hole in the wall where your teenager slammed the door open too far? Minor tasks that you can repair for pennies could cost you thousands on your bottom line and could also cost you a lot of time on the market. Make the repairs that you would not want to have to do when buying a new home. Even items that you consider to be minor could cost you big $$ in time and in your offer. 4. Stage to show When your house is on the market, you have to have it show-ready almost all the time because you never know when you will get a call from another Realtor® who wants to show it because they are "in the neighborhood". Making sure that your home has a nice flow to it is important. Your furniture should be laid out in a way that people can almost instinctively walk through the home. When someone walks through the front door, they should first be drawn to the kitchen, then to any special feature rooms, followed by bedrooms, and then back to the kitchen. Light furniture, well placed plants or floral arrangements are always a plus, and something that adds a pleasant aroma (avoid candles and incense unless they are non-alergenic such as soy candles. If you have carpet, a light deodorizer may do the trick (make sure you hit the closets too). Other items that may work are Febreeze or similar fabric spray, floral scents (honey suckle is great) or sweet food smells (cookies are almost always a sure winner). At Tech Realty®, ...

The Right Time to Buy

Damion — Wed, 06 May 2009 01:48:53 +0000

How do you know when it is the right time to buy? For less-volatile markets, you do not have to worry as much about your timing because there is a steady appreciation to help keep you in your comfort zone. In questionable markets, the answer may be more important than you think. If you are in a downward cycle in the real estate market and you buy on the declining slope, you could have issues selling in the future if you have not reached the upward spike yet (imagine a roller coaster here). While the Mississippi Gulf Coast Real Estate Market has had its slight ups and downs, we have been fortunate enough to miss out on the huge spikes they are seeing elsewhere in the country. Fortunately, many experts have agreed that NOW is the right time to buy. Real estate experts from all over the country have stated that the bottom has hit in most areas and is back on the upswing in others. If you are considering buying a home in the Mississippi Gulf Coast market, some of our areas are forecast to be the top appreciating real estate in the country over the next couple of years, which are tied into local market conditions, federal monies from Hurricane Katrina, and an explosion of investment dollars and new businesses in our area. Top it off with three military installations, numerous strong employers, some awesome improvements to the Port of Gulfport, and the Casinos, and it is no wonder we have such a strong local economy. If you are wondering if the time to buy is here yet - well, you guessed it. Give us a call or email to let us assist you in finding the right home at the right price!

MS Coast Real Estate Market Update

Damion — Tue, 05 May 2009 19:09:56 +0000

The real estate market is constantly changing. The local real estate market has not been hit very hard compared to other areas around the country. In fact, our market has seemingly stayed pretty stable over the past year. While sales are down slightly, it is also important to know that MANY people bought homes shortly after Hurricane Katrina. If the average family moves every 4-5 years, it would be safe to estimate that many people who bought then would be looking to move again over the course of the next year. Currently, we are in a slight buyers market but sellers are already pricing low to compensate so it is unlikely that buyers are going to get any sort of special discounts below existing listing prices if the sellers are already priced competitively. Sellers should note that pricing is one of the sole determinations of whether their house sits on the market for 6 weeks or 6 months. Buyers are actively looking for property and those sellers who live in desirable areas and are priced to sell will win. My general opinion of the market over the next month is that we will see an increase in people looking, especially those that were waiting until the kids were released from prison, um.. school, for summer vacation. For sellers looking to get a jump on the market, give us a call. As always, we always look forward to helping buyers find their perfect home as well!

Tech Realty Moving Forward

Damion — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:53:14 +0000

Tech Realty® has been a dream of mine since I received my real estate license back in 2003. after seeing how grossly inadequate the technology average real estate agents use, I felt compelled to create a brand and a backbone to push real estate into the technological era that we live in today. The average real estate agent is fairly (some barely) able to use their email efficiently and talking any sort of advanced technology, no matter how easy it is to learn, just scares most. As a prior computer consultant and trainer, I have found it very easy to teach the basics to agents and am now vamping up Tech Realty to be a national brand in a couple of years with the help of my real estate business partner, Andries. Tech Realty will officially "take off" on, or about May 15th (2009) and will be the start of a whole new way of doing business for those that we are able to save from traditional brokerages, both agents and clients alike. Contact us today to see what we can do to help you.

Understanding Agency Relationships

Damion — Tue, 05 May 2009 18:06:06 +0000

You have been driving around, looking at homes, calling every agent you see a sign for, finally write an offer on a house and you get to the agency disclosure and find out that the agent you have been friendly with for the past week - the one that knows every intimate detail of your financing, and the one that KNOWS you are willing to pay top-dollar for that new house - is not your agent! The above scenario happens a LOT in our industry and while agency laws vary from state to state, the major gist of all of them is that the agent with the listing represents the seller first and foremost. Sure, you may run into a dual agency or implied agency relationship with a Realtor® that you deal with, but it is important to get the details of your representation up front as it could save you thousands of dollars and a lot of headaches. There are many types of agency relationships but we are going to focus only on the ones that are relevant to Mississippi since that is the target audience for this post. There are Ultimately 4 different ways you can be represented in a real estate transaction in Mississippi, as a Seller’s Agent, Buyer’s Agent, in a Dual Agency, or as a Customer. Seller’s Agent: A seller’s agent represents the best interest of the seller only and it is his duty to procure the best price and terms for the seller. A seller’s agent owes the seller, and only the seller, the fiduciary responsibilities of loyalty, confidentiality, obedience, disclosure, full accounting and duty to use skill, care and diligence. To the buyer in a transaction, the seller’s agent must exercise a duty of honesty and fair dealing as well as disclosure of all known facts to the buyer or buyer’s agent which materially affect the value of a property which are not known to, or readily observable by the parties in the transaction. Buyer’s Agent: A buyer’s agent represents the best interest and terms of the buyer only. The duties of a buyer’s agent are the same fiduciary responsibilities of loyalty, confidentiality, obedience, disclosure, full accounting, and the duty to use skill, care and diligence. The buyer’s agent still owes the seller a duty of fair dealing. Dual Agent: Dual agency relationships must be fully disclosed to all parties in the transaction. While all agency relationships should be fully disclosed, dual agency is kind of like an attorney representing the husband and wife in a divorce case. Each party has differing wants, but the dual agent walks a fine line between the two. A dual agent should never represent the interest of one party to the extent it would create a detriment to the other. Customer: A customer in a real estate transaction basically has no representation and the agent can only ask you what you want in the terms without giving advice. The duties of fair dealing must still be there but ultimately their duties and responsibilities lie elsewhere. A customer is ...