Realtors' With A Lot of Listings-Good For Realtors, Not Good For Home Owners

Realtors' With A Lot of Listings-Good For Realtors, Not Good For Home Owners
Posted by Renee Porsia at 5:29 PM

Sad that most people don’t really get the concept of what a Realtor does. Everyone thinks they know and most will even make comments like “my Realtor didn’t do anything for me. They didn’t bring anyone by to see my house” “oh, use so and so, they are a good Realtor, I see their signs all over my neighborhood.” “Its a great time to sell but not a good time to buy.” “The real estate market is horrible right now.” Oh, and they ask questions like “are you going to have open houses once you list my house.” And they will make demands such as “you will be here whenever there is a showing!” Seriously? Fact is, if people really understood the real estate market or what a Realtor’s role really is, such comments, statements and demands would never be made.

It’s funny because I talk to people all the time and I ask them questions to get an idea and an understanding for the way people think and know about Realtors and what I have found is that most people know nothing about what a Realtor is, does, doesn’t do, why we do what we do, why it’s important to hire one and what is most disturbing to me is that most do not care.


I asked the question, “do you think a Realtor is good if you see a lot of their for sale signs in your neighborhood?” What I found out is that, yes, people equate “for sale” signs to mean “good” Realtor. I also asked what people thought about the Realtor who has a lot of listings? What I found is that people equate lots of listings to mean “good” Realtor. This saddens me because the public has been deceived for years and brainwashed into this type of thinking.

Fact, a Realtor who has a lot of for sale signs in an area or neighborhood means that they know a lot of people, take a lot of over priced listings because they just do not know how to say “no” when faced with confrontation from the seller who thinks their home is worth more than anyone else’s which also means they are not a good negotiator which means they won’t be doing you any favors when faced with an offer from a buyer. Why? Because they can’t say “no.” It means that they can’t get rid of the homes they already have. Now I know that a lot of Realtors who have a lot of for sale signs in an area or neighborhood like to tell people that it’s great advertising for you and other listings will help sell your listing. Ok and if you believe that, I have some swamp land I’d like to sell you. The only person who it’s good for is the Realtor because their phone rings and they get more business which means that they take more listings to add to their already big black hole of listings they can’t sell. How is the fact that a Realtor who has two listings on the same street going to help them sell each other? What it’s going to do is force one owner to take a lower offer because I’m sure one of those two over priced homes doesn’t have something the other does so a buyer will compare, and choose the lessor of two evils and once the one home sells for less, what do you think the other owner will eventually have to do, right, lower their price the longer it sits. Come on now, how does this not make sense? How can people not get this or understand this? What is that Realtor going to do differently with your listing that they haven’t been able to do with all the others? Wake up people.

The goal is to hire the Realtor who knows what they are doing, has a plan to get your home sold quickly, for the highest price the market will allow. Not guess at a price, not give in to a price, not wait for a price.
What needs to happen is for people to stop this “old school” way of thinking, ask questions of the Realtor who you are considering hiring and when you ask those questions, take time to listen. If you want to seriously sell your home, you need to be motivated to sell and none of this “oh, we have some time.” What time? Time for your home to sit in the abyss of all the other over priced homes of that Realtor with all the other owners who also said they had “time” and eventually become just another statistic? We all have time people but it’s what you do with that time that matters most because the one thing you can’t do is get time or money back once it’s gone. Time is money people. This all makes sense if you really take some time to think about it.

So, the next time you see a lot of for sale signs in your area, ask yourself if you want to be that Realtor’s next advertisement or do you want to be some other Realtor’s sale?

Posted by Renee Porsia at 5:29 PM

Buying and Selling a Green Home in Thomasville

A greener world is not just a dream like some people in the real estate industry seem to think. Building codes have changed and continue to change towards a more energy-efficient method that includes the way a home is constructed, type of windows and even the type of insulation used. Consumers, now more than ever are more aware on what amenities are available to them besides just buying the biggest home on the block.

The problem arising in the real estate industry, especially in small towns like Thomasville where a limited amount of knowledgeable Green professionals realize how the real estate industry has changed. Real estate agents and firms that once thought that the introduction of green, energy efficiency, and smart home technology construction by Capital Home Builders, Inc. ( a local builder) was just an outsiders sales gig. This innovative and insight of an unheard type of construction was not well received by the local real estate industry.

Nevertheless, as overwhelming news media embraced the necessity of a more sustainable way of life came to light these real estate agents and firms find themselves now jumping on a bandwagon they know nothing about or care to admit is a reality. But in order to be competitive, and with the gaining consumer knowledge on green or energy efficiency of a home these agents & firms are resorting to (GREENWASHING) by misrepresenting their property listings calling them energy-efficient when in reality they are not in order to compete with a true green Energy Star home which is only being built by Capital Home Builders, Inc. But what is the advantage they are trying to push? The answer is simple, square footage, square footage and more square footage with misleading claims.

What does this all mean to buyers looking for energy-efficient homes in Thomasville?

Simply this: Buyers looking for green or energy-efficient homesin Thomasville soon will be surprised to find limitations to their request because only one home is truly Energy Star Qualified in Thomasville, GA. With this limited selection, buyers are presented with larger square footage homes that are misrepresented by their listing agents and real estate firms as energy-efficient when in fact they are not. Buyers are being misled by their agents that are not qualified to advise their clients of the difference between the two.

Professionals lacking the knowledge of the meaning of energy-efficient homes will argue that qualified green or energy efficient homes should be comparable with other homes, and why would they be?

This is the simple analogy: For every $1.00 saved annually by the homebuyer results in a $20.00 increase in home value. So, how in the world would an Energy Star Qualified home be comparable to any standard run of the mill spec home?

Energy-efficiency and green homes are not a fairly new market like some people seem to think. Home efficiency has been around since 1996. It has only become popular in recent years because the United States has encountered astronomical energy price increases on a daily basis and has become a hot news topic and a major concern for consumers. So, this market is by no means considered new or a niche.

An Energy Star Qualified home affect prices because qualified homes are worth more than a standard spec home and appraises higher and qualifies buyers with more buying power by large lenders. Spec homes and existing homes that only offer consumers heavy millwork and more square footage are priced at a lower rate, and appraise lower.


Green Buyers

Buyers find themselves with a dilemma in their search for a green home in Thomasville. With the lack of availability of qualified green or energy efficient homes, buyers end up with the untrained real estate agent pushing (steering) a home that is misrepresented as energy efficient at a lower price with more square footage and fewer amenities in order to compete with the Energy Star Qualified home. Agents will soon convince buyers that their investment would be better spent on a larger home because buyers get more for less but neglect to tell buyers that on resale they will loss between 10-20% from their purchase price simply because the only thing they have to compete with is square footage like every other house on the market.

Sellers will hold firm on their price for their Energy Star Qualified homes and the educated buyers will recognize the benefit that comes with the prestigious blue label logo because they will enjoy the following:

Lower utility bills
Stronger construction,
Healthier indoor quality
Lower maintenance
Quieter homes
More amenities
And most of all higher resale value because contrary to what other local real estate professionals may believe or think they know about green or energy efficient homes they are oblivious to the fact that qualified green or energy efficient homes do appraise higher and lenders will provide for higher buying power. You just need to talk to an Eco Certified Agent and with a lender that provides these types of mortgages for example like Bank of America.

Unlike statements made by others that green or energy efficiency has no weight on appraisals or on lenders are mistaken and misinformed and incorrect on their statements.

They may be speaking of homes that are misrepresented as green or energy-efficient that will appraise lower because they are homes that are not documented as being true Energy Star Qualified homes and the reason why statements are made that these features have no weight.

In other words, is a Mercedes Benz equal to a Ford?

So, why would you the buyer think or expect for an Energy Star Qualified home be equal to a minimum standard spec home?

Green Sellers

A seller that owns a qualified home (by qualified I mean a home that has been rated by an independent third-party verifier) trying to sell these type of homes would contact an appraiser that has the training for appraising qualified green or energy-efficient homes in order to incorporate these values into the appraisal.

Like everything else, these qualified green or energy-efficient homes are treated differently than standard minimum spec homes. A regular run of the mill appraiser that has no training on these types of homes would not be called upon by any lender providing green or energy-efficient financing. This type of financing is called EEM (Energy Efficient Mortgages), FHA EEM’s and VA EEM’s for information log on to www.EcoHomesGA.com/mortgages.html

A lender providing buyers seeking EEM financing provide buyers with additional monetary incentives for their purchase and a larger buying power. Unlike, local lenders will soon tell buyers they do not have any idea of what you, the buyer, are talking about and that there is no such thing.

The only difficulty a green seller may encounter in a small town like Thomasville with their qualified home is hiring a real estate agent in an agency that lacks the knowledge on green or energy-efficient homes. These professionals will soon tell you their famous words “they need to be comparable” and soon tell sellers what standard square footage pricing is in the area. In other words, if you insist and provide support to the value of the home and demonstrate to them that you know more on the subject you will soon find out the hard way as your property will lack the showings oppose to other homes in your area.

Unfortunately, some real estate professionals and agencies still believe that the old ways they use to sell real estate 20 years ago still works in today’s market and sadly become upset and maybe even stumped when a specialized Realtor designation is introduced by their own National Association of Realtors as a sign that in fact this is the future of real estate and a new form of home construction.

If you’re looking for a green or energy-efficient home in Thomasville or trying to sell a home that has energy efficient features contact your local Ecobroker Certified Agent. An Agent that is certified on green and energy efficient homes and can verify for you, the buyer, claims of homes advertised as being energy efficient and for sellers the proper way to market the energy efficient features. Remember distinguishing between the both can eliminate the utility bill shock for the buyer once already in the home and the seller avoid possible litigation for false advertising.

If you’re trying to find an environmentally friendly home and why these homes are superior to standard spec homes contact Marlene Bienes Ecobroker Certified Agent @ Rose City Realty, Inc (229) 289-0139. Buyers and Sellers take the risk of being mislead and misinformed when dealing with an uncertified professional in the Green arena.

Marlene Bienes-Ecobroker Certified Agent @ Rose City Realty, Inc.
May 1, 2010

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Chinese Drywall Firm Ordered to Pay $2.6 Million

REALTOR® Magazine-Daily News-Chinese Drywall Firm Ordered to Pay $2.6 Million

Chinese Drywall Firm Ordered to Pay $2.6 Million
A federal district judge in New Orleans last week ruled against a Chinese drywall manufacturer, awarding seven Virginia families $2.6 million in damages.

The Chinese firm, Taishan Gypsum Co. Ltd., which is owned by the Chinese government, didn’t appear in court or even acknowledge the lawsuit. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., said he hadn’t been informed of the specifics of the case and couldn’t comment.

It is not clear whether Taishan can be compelled to pay the judgment. Nevertheless, observers say the court’s decision will set the tone for dozens of similar pending cases.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, M.P. McQueen (04/09/2010)

2010: The Year of the First-Time Buyer?

According to the Chinese calendar, 2010 is the Year of the Tiger. But in real estate, 2010 may come to be known as the “Year of the First-Time Home Buyer.”

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com, says there will be 1.84 million homes sold to first-time home buyers in 2010, compared with 1.73 million in 2009.

These buyers will invariably make some mistakes that they will come to regret a few years down the road, some experts say, including failing to use a real estate professional to help them manage the transaction.

Real estate professionals have the time and the knowledge to sift through thousands of listings, creating market analyses to judge pricing and other key features, points out Ray Boss Jr., a practitioner with RE/MAX Realty Group in Maryland.

"I would want someone who is going to look out for my interests first and foremost," says Boss. "Someone who knows the contracts, who has experience negotiating, and who can walk me through the entire process smoothly — step by step — and make sure I get the house that's right for me."

Source: U.S. News & World Report, Kimberly Castro (02/18/2010)
Realtor Magazine Daily News

The Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit | WAHomeowners.com

Watch the New and Improved Home buyers tax credit

Living Big in a Small Home

After years of upsizing, Americans are enjoying the benefits of more modest living spaces
By Maggie Sieger | February 2010
With the average home size declining, owners are cleverly doing more with the square footage they have.

Years before house staging came into vogue as a sales tool, Howard Hoffman was helping sellers rearrange their furniture to maximize floor space and enhance a home’s beauty. Hoffman, GRI, SRES®, now owns Stage & $ell, a home staging and redesign company in Indianapolis.

Chances are he’ll have a lot more business in the years ahead from people needing to resize their lives. With baby boomers entering retirement, young adults delaying marriage, and the economy improving by fits and starts, Americans are starting to embrace the idea that less is more when it comes to their square footage. The average size of a new house decreased last year for the first time in nearly three decades.

"Home buyers have been changing," says Fran Litton, a planner with Evans Group, an architectural firm in Orlando, Fla. "They still want the luxury and toys, but they’re putting them into a smaller space."

Although the average square footage of a new house is still double what it was in 1960, in the last year, it decreased slightly to 2,215 square feet from a high of 2,277 square feet in 2008, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. While the decrease doesn’t approach mid-20th century levels, it is the first drop in house size since the recession of the early 1980s.

Smaller houses can mean bigger challenges for real estate professionals. "Eighty percent of people appreciate only what they can see," says Hoffman, who also works as a sales associate with F.C. Tucker Co. in Indianapolis. "You have to make sure you’re showing them what you’ve got." That means making sure each room is easily identified. "Get rid of that desk and computer in the dining room," he says. "Make sure buyers can see it’s a dining room."

Hoffman also advises clients to remove rugs to show off hardwood floors and take pictures off the walls. "The less the eye has to distract it, the bigger a room feels," says Hoffman. "People buy what they see. If they can’t see the floors or the walls, they won’t buy the house."

Interior designer Roberta Lathrop agrees. She tells her clients with smaller kitchens to clear the counters. "You can’t have all the small appliances sitting on the counter," says Lathrop, who runs Designs by Roberta in Belmont, Mich. "It will start looking very cluttered very fast."

Smaller houses require owners to rethink what they have and how they use things. "If you have a smaller house, maybe you don’t need half a dozen different pans," she explains. "Maybe a single flat griddle that you can put over a couple of burners will do."

One of the first tasks she assigns clients is to go through their stuff—ruthlessly. "We all have too much stuff," she says. "Get rid of it. If you’re attached to an item, or think maybe you’ll need it, put it in a box and store it somewhere for six months. Then go back through it.

Have you used it? Have you even missed it? If not, donate it. Get it out of the house." That goes for clothes as well, she says.


Assess Furniture Size

Removing clutter is only one aspect of getting a smaller house ready to sell—or just living contentedly in it. Some big pieces of furniture, for example, won’t fit in modestly sized houses.


"Take a look at the scale of your furniture, and don’t forget depth," Lathrop says. "Things can be a lot deeper than you realize, and all of a sudden, there’s no room to walk because that deep, comfy chair you love comes halfway out into the room."


Hoffman frequently asks sellers to remove furniture from rooms that feel overstuffed. "If you’ve got a huge china cabinet in a small dining room, it’s distracting," he says. "At least take the hutch off."


The color palette is very important in a smaller house, says Matthew McNicholas, an architect with MGLM Architects in Chicago. "Loud colors make a space feel smaller because they jump across the room at you," he says. "You want the walls and your furniture to recede." That doesn’t mean everything has to match.


"Eliminate the high contrasts," he says. Lathrop says the same colors should move throughout the house. "Blend colors in more medium tones," she says.


McNicholas suggests installing a single type of flooring throughout the house. "Using the same color carpet or the same hardwood pulls your eye along from room to room, and maximizes your perception of space," he says.

Strategic lighting is another way to create the illusion of more space, the experts say. "Use corner uplighting and a room will feel much more open," Hoffman says. In fact, he adds, make sure the house is flooded with as much light as possible. That means trimming bushes or trees that block windows and tying back or removing heavy draperies that close in a room.

Another way to maximize space is to install as much covert storage as possible, such as pressing the furniture into double duty. Hoffman encourages clients with children to buy large wicker baskets that function as coffee tables and toy storage.


When selling a smaller house, he tells clients to keep a couple of large laundry baskets handy. Then, if they have to leave in a hurry for a showing, they can pack the baskets and take the clutter with them to the car.

Room Mapping

Before purchasing any furniture or accessory, it’s critical to map out a room. "That way you won’t discover you can’t open the door to the storage compartment in your new end tables," Lathrop says. She recommends putting a small console in the entry or living room and buying bookcases with a cabinet section.

And then there’s the closets: Clean them out. Kay Courtney, CRS®, GRI, a broker in Grand Rapids, Mich., encourages her clients to remove half the items from their closets to get ready for showings.


"If the closet is overstuffed, it says to a potential buyer, ‘There’s not enough storage space in this house.’ "And just to live comfortably, she recommends storing off-season clothing somewhere other than the closet, such as under the bed. And don’t forget the basement.


Courtney says adding a few inexpensive cabinets, even to unfinished basements, can create lots more storage for off-season clothes and infrequently used items from the kitchen.


Hoffman reminds his sellers not to forget the outside of a house. High bushes, overgrown trees, lots of outdoor furniture, and other yard paraphernalia can make a house look smaller. "People want the ideal," he says. "If you don’t have it, create it." Installing flower boxes or hanging a swing on the front porch adds a touch of charm and coziness to a smaller house.


For the more adventurous, McNicholas offers a few easy structural changes that give the illusion of more space. Higher ceilings make a room feel larger. In an existing house, building out a small soffit along the edge of the ceiling, creating a tray effect, tricks the eye into thinking the center of the room is higher than the edges.


"It feels bigger," McNicholas says. And lowering the ceiling in a hallway makes the rooms off it feel bigger and grander. "Even a few inches makes a big difference when you walk into the room and get the sense of that extra height," he says.


Buyers also may need some extra coaching when looking at smaller houses. "You have to show them how they can repurpose rooms, like splitting that fourth bedroom they don’t need to accommodate a master bathroom and closet," Hoffman says. It’s not uncommon for him to bring along an architect or remodeling expert to help potential buyers see the possibilities.


"People want the perfect house immediately," he says. "When they’re buying a smaller house, you have to prep them. Let them know they may have to make a few changes, but that it’s not scary or overly difficult."


He also likes to highlight the benefits of smaller houses. "They tend to be closer to the city, which means easy access to public transportation," Hoffman says. "And they’re often single floor, too, which can be useful in so many ways, from cleaning to just getting around."


Another benefit of a modestly sized house is that it forces families to spend time together, says McNicholas. "When everyone has a room to be entertained in, you’re not interacting much," he says. "When you have a smaller space, it puts you together. You can rediscover your family."


But buyers do have to think differently. "It takes more thought and planning to live in a smaller space," Lathrop says. "You have to think about what you need, how you can be more efficient, and where can you add storage." The key is not to be afraid and to embrace the benefits, she says. "It’s much easier to take care of, and your electric bill will be lower. What’s not to love?"


Storage Smarts

If space is at a premium, home owners need storage that’s both functional and beautiful. These days, it’s not hard to find. "They’re coming out with wonderful furniture with storage built right in," says interior designer Roberta Lathrop. "There are storage ottomans, end tables—even chairs with places to store your remote."

When looking for pieces that can double as hidden storage space, pick designs that don’t skimp on the details.


"Traditional details like crown molding or base moldings make a room feel grander," says Matthew McNicholas, an architect with MGLM Architects in Chicago. The same can be applied to furniture. "A room is nicer when the details in it are nice," he says. "The trend in bigger houses is to use less expensive materials because you need so much of it." In a smaller space, it’s easier to upgrade the materials for a more elegant feel.


Don’t forget "found" storage, or space that isn’t obvious. Home owners can install bed risers, which safely lift a bed five or six inches to create storage space underneath.


Another example: spice risers for kitchen cupboards. The bleacher-like devices create three times the space of a single cabinet. Many companies now offer heavy-duty shelving that attaches to the ceiling in garages, basements, and laundry rooms.



Stashed Away

Small closets call for big ideas when it comes to maximizing space. Some are simple and relatively inexpensive, such as adding a second hanging rod or storing off-season clothes under the bed. Experts suggest adding a shelf or two above the rods, hooks on the back of doors and bedside tables with lots of drawers. Decorative hooks on the walls can be used for purses or belts and ties.

Of course, the simplest way to create more closet space is to reduce what’s going into it. "When it comes to closets, we just don’t realize how much we really have," says interior designer Roberta Latham. She suggests trying on each piece of clothing to see what fits and what still works.


If it doesn’t fit, donate it. If something needs mending or is stained—and has been that way more than six months—get rid of it.


"Do an inventory and determine how much space you need for tops, bottoms, shoes, and purses," she says. "Then identify your living habits. Do you like to reach in and grab, or do you prefer everything neatly folded away?" That can help determine what type of storage you need.


Target the closet doors. Replacing a sliding closet door with a regular double door can add six inches of hanging space. Changing to bi-fold or pocket doors can add even more space, Lathrop says.


Architect Matthew McNicholas says to look for empty or dead space to add built-in bookshelves or cabinets.


Other than the bedroom, the kitchen is probably the room most in need of storage space. "There are so many new, more efficient ways of storing things," Lathrop says. "There are rollouts [in the cabinets], spice racks, all sorts of things."


In terms of design, Lathrop says the trend is toward "a European look" that has more efficient storage than the traditional American cabinets. "The kitchen is one of the main meeting areas in a house," she says. "You should think about how you’re going to use the space and what you need to store."


Keeping Order

Coat Rack A line of decorative hooks hung on the wall can neatly store coats, purses, and scarves. Many sets come with a shelf on top, creating even more space.


Trundle Drawers For storing off-season clothes, large or odd-sized toys, or anything else that will fit under the bed or under a table. Be sure to look for rolling casters.


Trunks Trunks made of metal, wicker, or canvas can function as coffee tables or end tables with loads of storage inside.


Corner Cabinets These shelves slide into corners to turn dead space into storage. They come in a variety of heights, widths, and finishes, and many have doors to hide what’s inside. Try open, hanging corner shelves for a more modern look.


You can contact the staff of REALTOR® magazine by e-mail at narpubs@realtors.org.

State of the Union: Building Infrastructure and Creating Jobs at Home

This is our future. As a super power we should lead not follow. We waited 8 years to long.