My New Blog

So, you're ready to buy or sell, are you?  If you haven't yet found a REALTOR® to work with I hope you will read this first. 

You have a right to expect certain things from your REALTOR®.  Basic things.  None of the things I am going to list are unusual or off the wall. They are, in my opinion, the basics that every buyer, seller, tenant or landlord should expect and receive from their REALTOR®. 

Unfortunately, some agents are not providing these basics.  I don't really know why, they just aren't.  It is important that you find a REALTOR® that you are comfortable with and that will provide these things without a second thought.  There are many REALTORS® out there that will fit this bill, and you need to find one of them.

I could try to give you this list in order of importance, but what is most important to one, may not even be a blip on the radar to another.  So I will list the things I believe are fair, reasonable and required from your REALTOR®.  You can decide which, if any, are most important.

KNOWLEDGE.  Your REALTOR® should know the local market, the laws in your state, county and city as they pertain to the business of Real Estate.  They should know the basics of mortagages.  They should understand the contracts well enough to explain any part in great detail.  No, they are not attorneys, but they take classes on these contracts and they'd better know the intent of every paragraph and how to explain each one as to the impact on your transaction and your potential liability.

PROFESSIONALISM.  Your REALTOR® should at all times comport themselves with PROFESSIONALISM.  It should be on display whether they are dealing with you, another agent, a buyer or seller, a loan officer.  You get the picture -- everyone.  I'm not talking stuffy, that would probably get old pretty fast.  I am talking about good old-fashioned PROFESSIONALISM.  They should show respect to you, themselves, their profession and to others with whom you may come in contact during the transaction.

COMMUNICATION.  Your REALTOR® should maintain regular communication with you.  Should you have a question, you should not have to wait days for a response.  Granted, your REALTOR® is probably a busy person, but you are their Client.  Part of displaying PROFESSIONALISM is being available and responsive to your needs.  Decide up-front what will be the most common way to communicate.  Maybe you prefer email to phone calls, or the other way around.  Be sure to work with a REALTOR® who understands and respects how often you wish to hear from him/her.  

HONESTY.  Your REALTOR® should at all times be up-front and honest with you.  But keep in mind, they have Fair Housing Laws to follow, so just because you would like an answer and they are unable to give you the one you want, they are not necessarily being dishonest, they are being PROFESSIONAL.  If they cannot answer your question they should be able to point you in the right direction for getting it answered.

FLEXIBLE.  Your REALTOR® should be flexible about appointments and calls.  Yes, your REALTOR® has a life outside of Real Estate and it is just as important to them as yours is to you.  But Real Estate is not a 9-5 job, it requires some flexibility from all parties.  Find out in the beginning if the REALTOR you are talking with is on the same page as you.

ETHICAL.  Your REALTOR® should not only follow the law, they should follow the Code of Ethics from the National Association of REALTORS®.  This is important, it dictates the REALTORS® duties to Clients, Customers, the Public and other REALTORS®.

This is a very brief list.  There are many more things that you will find to be important to you and you will need to discuss them with your REALTOR®.  He or she should be open to your needs and wants and never make you feel as though you are an intrusion.  Interview a few before you decide which one to work with.  And don't settle for anything less than what you consider to be the best!

If you are looking to buy or sell in Wrightsville Beach, NC, give me a call, I would be delighted to work with you!

An Open Letter to the Sellers I am Blessed to be working with:

You, my dear Sellers, are the greatest thing since sliced bread!  I love working with you!  That you trusted me, out of all the qualified REALTORS® out there, to list your home is the greatest compliment! 

I remember well the day we met about listing your home.  You gave me the grand tour and told me all about the updates you've done or had done.  I could see your pride in this home.  We talked about your reason for selling, what you needed to net, what your goals were once you had sold the home.  We discussed market conditions and pricing. 

We went over some ideas for making your home more appealing to the public -- they can be finicky, so it's rare that there isn't something a Seller can do to help with the saleability of their home.  We talked about cleaning up the yard and how important that first impression would be to Buyers.  We discussed how I would market your home, the where, when and why.  We went over how important it is to keep the home in showing condition.  We talked about showing instructions, --  the key to getting your home sold is getting it shown! -- and I agreed that notice is important.  But, please remember I explained that does not always happen, and the more flexible you were with it, the better it would be for YOU!

I left with a signed Listing Agreement, my promise to you that I would do everything in my power to get your home SOLD, and your assurances that you would do your part to get the home ready, and keep it ready, for showings.

Imagine my surprise when I received a call this morning from another Agent who had shown your house (after trying for 2 days to get the okay), and she reported that while her Buyers thought the house had good bones, they just couldn't get past the mess in the house or the uncut grass.  She wasn't calling to tattle, she was calling to do me, AND YOU, a favor. 

Now, I have been out to your home any number of times since we listed it, and it has always looked fine.  So I have to assume this is a one time aberration.  But this may have been the one time we could have SOLD your house! 

I want to SELL your house.  You want to SELL your house.  We are a team, and we must work in concert to get it done.  I have done, and will continue to do everything in my power to get your home SOLD.  But -- and this is really important -- you MUST do your part as well.  You must make it available for showings, you must cut the grass and sweep off the front porch, you must NOT leave a pile of dirty dishes in the sink, you must NOT leave items strewn about the floor.  If potential Buyers have to step over your teenagers clothes or your tot's toys, they are going to ignore the room and move-on to a home where they can navigate easily. 

We have priced your home competitively, we are advertising it in all the right places and it is being shown.  What a shame to do all of that and then not have a home show well. 

Remember when I told you that if you didn't keep it up while it was being shown you may still get an offer, but it would probably be a low-ball offer based on their impression that the home has not been cared for?  We both know that you have taken great care of your home, but Buyers are not aware of that.  And when they see a home which is untidy and a yard that is unkempt, they assume the Seller has ignored all issues and wonder what else may be wrong.  They will also most likely assume you are desperate and will take any offer.

You have a beautiful home, and there is no reason to think that it can't be SOLD fairly quickly -- unless you have decided that you don't want to sell and you are sabotaging our efforts?  I hope that's not the case.  I hope that I am correct in believing that this is a one time thing.  But even if it is a one-time-thing, it may have been one time too many. 

Now, I am going to do my best to see that your home is in top showing condition.  Then I am going to contact the Agent who called me this morning, and beg her to take her Buyers back out there.  I will do this because getting your house SOLD is my goal.  I hope that it is your goal as well.

I hope you will read this letter in the spirit in which it is intended.  I want to work with you.  I want to SELL your home.  But, I need you to be on the same page, and we need to be working together to accomplish this goal. 

So, are we?

Respectfully,

Your REALTOR®

UPCOMING PROGRAMS AT

FORT FISHER AQUARIUM IN KURE BEACH NC

Get ready for some fun at Fort Fisher Aquarium!

Extended Behind the Scenes Tour  --  multiple dates through the month of September.  $22 per person

Surf Fishing  --  Sat. 9/11/10 3 hour workshop for ages 10 and up.  All equipment and bait provided. $12.

Aquarist Apprentice  --  multiple dates through the month of September.  $25 per person.

Canoeing the Salt Marsh -- Sun 9/12 & 9/26  Must be 8 or older.  $25 per person.

Most of these programs have age restrictions, require Pre-Registration and group size is limited.  Call 910.458.7468 to register and get in on the fun!

While you're there, be sure to stop in and say hi to Luna!

Fort Fisher Aquarium

900 Loggerhead Road

Kure Beach, NC  28449

910.458.7468

An Open Letter to the Buyers I am Blessed to be working with:

I like you.  I enjoy working with you to find that perfect home.  Your enthusiasm is contagious and I appreciate that you have chosen me to help you with such an important decision.

Do you remember that first time we met?  It was so recent, though now it feels like I've known you forever!  We talked about how being VERY specific about your wants and needs would help us in finding your new home with as little stress as possible. We sat down and discussed, at length, what your wish list included.  We made a list of requirements you had for your new home.  You were very clear, and I was very attentive.  I explained that it was not necessary to see EVERY SINGLE listing in your price range, as so many of them simply would not meet your requirements.  And you said you understood.

But something has gone horribly wrong!  Suddenly you are calling and asking to see EVERY SINGLE listing in your price range.  And even some that are so far above your price range as to be ridiculous.  All based upon the advice of your co-workers cousins sister-in-laws next door neighbor who bought a home in 2008.  Whew!

I get that sometimes it's fun to see some of those higher range homes, but I can't take un-qualified buyers into them just to satisfy some voyeuristic urge.  It's against the rules.  As I told you in our first meeting, I follow the law and play by the rules.  That's what a professional does. 

But back to the ones that are in your price range:

There are currently 402 single family homes in New Hanover County NC for sale in the 200K - 250K range.  You do NOT need to see all of them!  How do I know this?  Well, for starters, it's my job.  And I have seen many of them, so I know they are not what you are looking for. 

That's right, I have seen many of them.  You thought you were the only buyers I'm working with?  Excellent!  I'm doing my job and treating you with the attention and respect you deserve.  Not only have I shown them to other prospective buyers whose needs are different than yours, I have previewed many of them for you.  My goal is to not waste your time or mine in looking at homes that simply will NOT work.

If your needs/wants have changed.  TELL ME!  We'll start the search over.  If you are just kicking tires, well, I understand, but I'm not going to be able to help you.  I am in the business of selling homes, not playing tour guide.  No matter how much I like you personally, this is a business for me and I have to treat it as such.  I'm sure you understand.

If you have completely lost confidence in my ability to help you find the home of your dreams, well, I'm sorry about that.  If there is anything I can do to re-gain that trust, tell me what it is and if I can do it, I WILL!  But if there is nothing I can do, please, just tell me.  I will release you from the Buyer Agency Agreement we signed.  Right now is such a GREAT time to buy a home, I don't want you to miss out.  And if working with another REALTOR® is best for you, then that's what I want you to do! 

I really do enjoy working with you, and I hope that we can continue to work together.  But if we can't, please know that I wish you the best and that should you ever need my assistance all you have to do is call. 

Respectfully,

Your REALTOR®

BATTLESHIP ALIVE!

BATTLESHIP NORTH CAROLINA

September 25, 2010

8 ~ 5

Interact with WWII living history Interpreters as they bring the Ship to life

with re-enactments of daily duties and drills.

The Battleship is open every day of the year, including Holidays. 

The Battleship North Carolina is located at

#1 Battleship Road  Wilmington, NC  28402

Winter Hours (Labor Day to Memorial Day):  8 ~ 5  except Christmas Day - ship opens at 12P

Summer Hours (Memorial Day to Labor Day):  8 ~ 8

Tour is self-guided.  Plan on approximately 2 hours.