Choosing the Right Home Builder For Your New Home

Not every person likes to buy an existing home when shopping for that dream spot on earth. For those who want to be the first one living in that new home, a home builder will pose the first obstacle in the building project.

In order to choose just the right builder for your project, you will first need to decide which type of house you will want to have constructed. There are two types of builders. The production builder and the custom builder.

The Production Home Builder

The production home is one that is designed on a large scale and mass produced as a „model“. These models are often changed up a bit with available customizations and upgrades to the home. These upgrades are offered as part of a package added onto a base model home.

Production homes are often offered at a base price with additional costs being added to the final price for those last minute touches. When choosing a production home builder, it is best to buy the home as a package with all of the appliances and upgrades included. Adding these items individually can drive the price up higher than the market value may allow; leaving the owner with immediate negative equity in the home.

The Custom Builder

For the potential home owner who wants to build a home from scratch, a custom home builder will be able to help you along the process of planning the home and attaining all of the permits needed for the build. The potential home owner will have to purchase a plot of land, have the land surveyed and choose a set of plans for their home.

When choosing custom plans for a home, remember that these plans are only a guide. A custom home builder will be able to adjust the plans to your specifications before the final plans for the home are set in stone.

As the home progresses, the extra costs associated with incidentals will need to be taken into consideration when pricing the home and staying within budget.

Real estate is an investment and while many people love the immediate nature of buying an established home, for those who want to own a home of their own that is customized to their wants and needs of a builder is one of the best options.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

Houses For Sale in Jamaica – Transfer Tax and Stamp Duty

The transfer tax and stamp duty are fees that are attached to your cost when you are involved in a transaction for houses for sale in Jamaica is usually at a percentage value of the land. Normally the value is in line with the sale price.

The transfer act states that transfer tax is 7.5%. There is a relief an amount of $10,000.00 relief where the value of the land is $150,000.00 or less. The type of home does not matter. It is usually a misconception that Jamaica beachfront houses for sale attract a much higher transfer. This is simply not true. However there are some exemptions to these Jamaican property taxes.

Exemptions

1. Transfers of property by Jamaican Government and Local Authorities.

2. Transfers to government or Local Authorities of Jamaican land for purposes such as roadways and other reservations in sub-divisions.

3. Transfers by way of gifts to approved institutions of property to be used exclusively for charitable purposes.

4. The Principal place of dwelling of spouses (Joint Tenancy or Tenancy in Common) In the event of death only.

Stamp Duty – Payment of Stamp Duty is governed by the Stamp Duty Act. The stamp duty payable on land is approximately 5.5% of the full value of the land/dwelling.

Certification of title:

Once a property is registered it is given identification by way of Volume and Folio numbers in the Register Book of Titles. The original Title is kept at the Office of Titles and entries are made thereon whenever something affecting any interest in the land is brought to the attention of the Registrar of Titles. For example, a transfer, a mortgage, death of a part owner, grants of easement and so on. This is standard for all houses for sale in Jamaica.

The land owner gets the duplicate Certificate of Title on Registration. Duplicate Certificate of Title has to be submitted to the Registrar for endorsement of all transactions affecting the land.

The Conveyance or Transfer of Houses In Jamaica For Sale Exercise

This normally begins either between seller (vendor) and buyer (purchaser) or between either one of the aforementioned parties and a Jamaica real estate dealer or Jamaica property agent. Purchaser or an attorney should inspect the Duplicate Certificate of Title. This is vital as some homes in Jamaica for sale come without sale agreements and hence no transfer might have taken place. A title proves exactly who the owner of the land is.

The usual form of Purchase and Sale Agreement sets out inter alia:-

(1) The legal names, registered address and gainful occupation of the contracting parties.

(2) Full description of the house in Jamaica for sale – including size or actual dimensions, registered location, and the identifying folio and volume numbers of the Certificate of Title, in the case of both registered Jamaican buildings and land. In the case of land with a Common Law Title, the size, description, boundaries and other relevant details.

(3) Purchase Price – in words and figures to avoid mistakes and misunderstandings.

(4) Completion – the effective date when the final payment for transaction is anticipated to be collected and the full sale completed, that is, transfer effected, cheque and titles exchanged.

(5) Cost of transfer – unless otherwise agreed, this usually states that each party should bear half the cost of Stamp Duty, Registration Fee and Attorneys Costs.

Payment of Jamaica real estate agents commission – paid on the Completion of the transfer of title and the closing of the transaction.

Fees on sale and purchase of land

1. Transfer tax – 7.5% of market value (Vendor only)

2. Stamp duty – approximately 5.5% of Market Value

3. Registration fee – Approximately 2% of Market Value (or $2.00 per 1,000)

4. Attorney’s costs – As per Scale – Jamaican Bar Association (effective 1st June 1991)

5. Surveyors Identification Fees:

(i) Values up to $500,000.00 = $1,500.00, thereafter, 0.1% up to 1 million, thereafter, $1,000 per million. Plus Research and Title fee/charge of $400.00.

(ii) Properties in excess of 1 acre or Irregular Boundaries a traversing fee is added. Fee depends on length of traverse.

(iii) If land is outside the corporate area $6.00 per mile.

6. Valuation Fees:

Kingston Jamaica Corporate Area

Corporate Area: Cost $3.00 per 1000 of the market value and $150.00 for travelling and incidental expenses. Minimum fee of $1,000.00 plus travelling and incidentals $1,150.00

Outside Corporate Area – (Beyond 15 miles from Kingston Jamaica) 3.50 per 1,000 of the market value plus travelling @ $3.50 per mile minimum fee of $1,500.00 plus travelling.

7. Mortgage Costs: (Building Societies)

(1) 1% application fee (Saver)

(2) 2% application fee (non Saver)

(3) Life Insurance – amount differs according to age.

NB. No longer will Compulsory Society take an assignment of Existing Policy.

(4) Mortgage Indemnity: 7% of sum being Insured applies when Mortgage in excess of the standard two thirds – 90% Mortgage.

(5) Stamp duty on Mortgage

(6) Registration Fees on the Mortgage

(7) Attorneys Costs

(8) Valuation Fee

(9) Surveyors Identification

(10) First Month Mortgage Payment

Mortgages: – $1.00 per 200 x 25% or 0.65%

These outline all the costs associated with buying houses for sale in Jamaica. It is important that both the vendor and purchaser understand the fees associated with this Jamaica real estate transaction.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

Should You Buy a Home Near an Airport?

On occasion you may find yourself in a new home and become increasingly aware of the annoying buzz that occurs around the same times each day, growing louder and then softer. Unfortunately you may realize too late that you are on the flight path leading towards your local airport or, even worse, the nearest big airport that sees much air traffic in and out each day.

However, if you are in the process of looking for a home to buy you may be considering homes that are in neighborhoods close to an airport. This isn’t always a bad thing! There are pros and cons to houses near the airport which you should take into consideration if you are currently house hunting. If you are wondering if you should buy a home near an airport, here are a few things to consider.

The pros of living near an airport are that you are able to get easily to and fro from the airport without having to spend hours fighting traffic. Additionally you might find that the places you need the most are more conveniently located, like grocery stores and restaurants. You will probably have an easier time convincing a friend or family member to drive you to the airport when you need to take a flight, too! Neighborhoods located near airports are also great for picking up visiting friends and family without having to worry about long lines and fighting hours of traffic to get back home.

Neighborhoods near airports often have lower rents because of the airport noise and traffic. Depending on your location relative to the airport you may find that the noise of the airplanes and the traffic isn’t as much of an issue as you may have previously imagined. These neighborhoods also usually have increased options for public transportation which you can utilize for more than just getting to the airport.

On the downside, living near an airport can mean lots of traffic and noise from aircraft flying overhead. Your home can be harder to sell as well because it is in the vicinity of an airport, which is not always desirable among real estate investors. Not all homes have good soundproofing so the flight path of the airplanes could prove to be a deal breaker.

While some noise is easy to adjust to (think of the traffic on a busy street level of sound) if you are sensitive to noise and know that the house you are looking at doesn’t have good sound proofing, living near an airport probably isn’t for you.

Weigh the options and see a few potential properties before deciding if living near an airport is right for you or not. The location of your house near to the airport can be a major factor in the amount of noise you might have to deal with, as homes closer to the airport and not directly under a flight path report less noise pollution than other homes.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

Real Estate Agents – Strengths and Weaknesses in Listing Commercial Property Today

In this commercial property market there are some real pressures and challenges that confront a lot of property owners when they want to sell or lease their property. They need the help of top agents that really understand the local area, to help in moving the property.

Contrary to popular belief, it is in markets like this that good agents can make a lot of commission. It all comes down to the way in which they package their services and help their clients.

In simple terms, top agents and experienced agents can do very well today providing they work the local area and their database. A good database will always get you through any market conditions and frustrations. In saying, that I am a big believer that a salesperson’s database should not be delegated to the office administrative staff to control.

Every salesperson should take ownership of their database; in this way they will get good activities from it. In this market you need leads that you can do something with. When a database is passed over to the administrative staff to control, the inevitable result is inaccurate and old data. The database soon becomes redundant. The salesperson doesn’t keep it up to date.

Become Change Agents

So we are the ‚agents of change‘ when it comes to helping our property clients an owners get results in this market. We should know how to attract the right people to every property listing that we take on. Exclusive listings are more important in today than ever before. Some top agents will not take on ‚open listings‘ for the very reason that they are a waste of time and effort.

When you know the drawbacks of the industry and the listings today, you can offer the clients that you serve some solid solutions. So what are the drawbacks? Here is a list of some of the bigger ones:

  1. The time that it takes to sell or lease a property can be longer today. Every client has to be conditioned for the best price or rent so the time on market is not lengthened. The first few weeks of every marketing effort are the most important. Position the property correctly to get the best enquiry in this time.
  2. High prices and high rents will achieve nothing. The price or rent for the property should be optimised for enquiry. You have to do more with less when it comes to marketing and inspecting of properties.
  3. A larger number of competing properties can frustrate your marketing efforts and time on market. Check out these properties before you do anything with your listing.
  4. Buyers and tenants are slower to enquire, inspect the property, and then make a decision. Your skills with each stage of the listing should be optimised. Hone your skills accordingly.
  5. Limited finance can put some ‚brakes‘ on the larger deals. Find out where your prospects can get finance from and what the criteria of approval may be.

Whilst these may be drawbacks in the market, they are also opportunities for agents that can get focused and organised. Every problem is an opportunity in disguise.

Are you a solution provider in this commercial real estate market? Top agents are just that. You can be too.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

Buy House Insurance: An Overview of HO3 Policies and Online Insurance Providers

There are so many home / property insurance providers these days that it can seem a bit confusing for even those who are more knowledgeable about the industry. Whether this is your first time trying to buy house insurance, or you’ve done it in the past and want to look for a better policy, you’ll need to decide whether you want to shop around for quotes yourself or have a broker to help you.

The first step is to figure out exactly what kind of homeowner’s policy you require and what type of coverage(s) you need. Some of the things that are usually standard in insurance policies („HO3 Homeowners Policy“) include dwelling coverage, coverage of other structures on your property (garage, storage building, swimming pools, etc.), and certain items that are inside your home. This kind of policy can also cover instances when you have to stay elsewhere because your home because uninhabitable for reasons such as extreme weather damage, rodent infestation, broken pipes / flooded basement, etc.

The location will play an important role in rates when you buy house insurance. It’s just a given that some geographical locations are more expensive to live in than others. Those who live in a rural area with a low-crime rate, for instance, will almost always pay less for insurance than those who live in an urban area susceptible to crimes.

Buy House Insurance With a Known Policy Limit

In order to get an idea of how much your policy limit is going to be for dwelling coverage, you’ll need to determine the build price of the home, or your home’s „replacement value“. If you have to rebuild your entire home, how much will it cost? It might be a good idea to consult with contractors, roofing companies, builders, etc. to help you with the calculations.

If you want to protect certain valuables such as jewelry, antiques, art collections, etc… , don’t just assume it will be covered in the policy. In many instances, you’ll have to add „riders“ to the policy. Also known as an „endorsement“, these riders allow you to add coverage beyond what the standard insurance policy offers.

Today’s homeowners really don’t have to stick with the traditional insurance companies. There are some online companies that offer unique approaches that include „flat fee“ and „giveback“ services.

One A-rated online company you can buy house insurance from is Lemonade. It does offer a „flat fee“ model, and is known for paying out claims superfast. It’s also reinsured by some of the top reinsurers in the industry. Check out some Lemonade discounts right now to learn how you can get good, affordable home insurance.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

How To Buy The Best Real Estate Property For Investment

Many people are looking to buy a real estate property. They can use this as an investment or as a place to build a house. In any case, it is important for anyone to realize the importance of some buying tips. This way, you can easily get the most value out of your purchase. Of course, if you want to invest on a property, you have to make sure it is problem free. On the other hand, you could also use the property to build a new house. Usually, people are buying real estate assets for the family. Therefore, it is best that you could choose one without problems. Here, we will give you a few tips on how you can select a good real estate property.

One thing that you need to consider is to find a good location. The location of the property spells its true value. The more accessible it is, the better is the price. However, the initial buying price could be big for you to avail. This is normal because you are just investing on an asset. In the long run, your property will be worth more than what you paid for. This means you could increase the value of your asset so you can have better return of investment. Initially, a person needs to render a big amount of money to buy a property. If the location undergoes development in a few years, then the buyer could increase the value of his asset. Then he could sell it at a much higher price. Only this way can profits be realized.

Aside from location, it is also good to check if the property has no legal obligations. One of the basic problems of property buyers is legal problems. A property may have come from a bad owner who did not pay the previous tax requirements. This can be a pain to the buyer especially if the amount is too much to pay. On the other hand, there could be some foreclosure problems if the property has a built structure. This is also a concern for any buyers because it requires being resolved first. Upon solving it, one can then ask for the price of the property if it is for sale.

One more thing that you need to do is to find a broker or agent. We all want to save money when buying properties. However, we can save time and effort if there is an agent. A real estate agent will know everything that needs to be done. He can handle the legal issues of the properties if there is a problem. He can also let you bargain for the price when you want to buy or sell a property. Moreover, he can monitor the prices of the real estate so you can have better decisions. There are so many agents that you can find. Online, you may find them from real estate websites or those freelancers. It is best that you contact any of these agents so you can buy your property today.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

Five Neighborhoods Of Cincinnati

Cincinnati, an important city in the State of Ohio, is a great place to live in America. This city is home to the University of Cincinnati, colleges, public schools, several major sports teams, and a number of global companies. Moreover, it has a low cost of living and offers many reasonably priced Cincinnati apartments for rent. Cincinnati includes around 52 neighborhoods and all of these neighborhoods have their own unique features. This article describes five Cincinnati neighborhoods that provide several beneficial facilities and have quality Cincinnati apartments.

Clifton: This Cincinnati neighborhood has a diverse population with different races, ethnicities, classes, and backgrounds. The University of Cincinnati is nestled in Clifton and so naturally it has the presence of a large number of students. It is also only a few minutes away from Cincinnati State Technical Community College and Hebrew Union College. Clifton has many hospitals, including University Hospital, Good Samaritan Hospital, Shriners Burns Hospital, Deaconess Hospital, Select Specialty Hospital, VA Medical Center, and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Clifton is also noted for its pedestrian-friendly streets, magnificent mansions, gaslights, and many parks. There are many one and two-bedroom apartments near to the University of Cincinnati. Clifton is the best option for those who are looking for Cincinnati, Ohio Apartments.

Hyde Park: This is an esteemed Cincinnati neighborhood with walker-friendly streets, well-kept lawns, German single-family homes, Victorian buildings, shops, and many wonderful restaurants. This Cincinnati neighborhood is very close to Downtown and the Norwood lateral. Kenwood Towne center, the famous shopping and entertainment area, is near to Hyde Park. The real estate in this affluent area is little expensive, but Hyde Park also has many affordable Cincinnati apartments for rent.

Mount Adams. This neighborhood includes many bars, restaurants, cafes, and dance floors. This a perfect place for the party goers. Mount Adams is only a few miles away from many important places like Irwin M. Krohn Conservatory, Art museum, and Eden Park. If you plant to rent an apartment in Cincinnati, this area is a good choice.

Mason: The most important feature of Mason is its school system. This Cincinnati neighborhood has many excellent schools, including Mason High School, one of the largest schools in Ohio. Real estate is not costly here as it is a little away from Ohio. This neighborhood also boasts of many large business establishments. It also has many quality and spacious Cincinnati apartments.

Mariemont: Mariemont neighborhood is an excellent choice for those who are searching for Cincinnati Ohio apartments. This neighborhood also has a great school system and this is the main reason why many families prefer to live here. It does have Tudor style homes and tree-lined lanes. However, Mariemont is more expensive that many other neighborhoods of Cincinnati.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

How to Plan the Perfect Open House

Have you ever spent time and energy planning an Open House, just to have less than five people attend? Have you ever had a ton of people show up at your Open House, and been unable to convert a single one of them into a sale or a future client? Are you unsure about why your Open House failed?

Open Houses are now more important to the real estate agent than ever. A report in 2015 by the National Association of Realtors Home Buyers and Sellers indicated that 48% of home buyers cited the Open House as an important source for most of their information. The reasons for this are obvious, for many it’s the first time that they’re getting to smell, see, and feel the home in person. It’s also a way to see what other people think of the house, which is a powerful push in a person’s perception of a particular home.

I’m Cindy Bishop of Cindy Bishop Worldwide. I pride myself not only on being a successful real estate agent with over 28 years of experience, but a knowledgeable and helpful trainer and coach. I’m committed to making everyone who comes into contact with me succeed, and have compiled the following open house tips for you, both from my own experience, as well as teaching and coaching friends of mine. Use them to succeed, and contact me if you have any questions at all!

Here are the best ways to make your Open House perfect:

1. Pick a unique property, that’s easy to find.

We often don’t have control over which property we’re showing, but when we are able to select a house at which to host an Open House event, we should look for properties with the following:

* A direct route to them with very few turns. Street names are easy, and street signs are visible.

* Properties that are well kept, and visually pleasing from both the inside and outside.

* A home with some kind of „conversation starter“. It has a unique feature, and is not just four walls. It might have an infinity pool, a walk-in closet, or a newly redesigned kitchen.

* Your signage should be larger than life. On the event day, you need something to make the signs stand out even more. Balloons are often used, or you could even try streamers, or pinwheels. Be creative, just try to find something professional, but that catches the light and people’s attention.

2. Have your Open House event at the right time.

* Don’t have your event after dark. Plan your event to end at sunset.

* Consider having a separate open house preview, for neighbors only. And then an open-to-the-public type of event later. Neighbors love this preview event concept, because it makes them feel special, and they love suggesting who should live in their neighborhood. It also allows them to start thinking of friends and family they want nearby, and they become part of your sales force for you, as well as your advertising force for the actual open house.

* If you do have an event only for neighbors, consider taking out a camera and interviewing and recording them talking about the neighborhood. This is something you can add to your website, or social media, or have on repeat loop during your Open House. For example, imagine how powerful it is to have a recorded testimonial from a mother in the area about the school district?

* Don’t pick a date and time where people are not available, for example, the majority of people work Monday through Fridays from 8am-5pm, and may not be free on a Wednesday at 3pm. Additionally, people are usually not free on holiday weekends.

3. Make your Open House event the right vibe, and the more exciting, the better!

* Entertaining music is a possibility, but be careful that it’s not distracting and that you avoid certain genres or language that may be offensive. Music may be seen as a way to cover up noises or mechanical failures in the house. Make sure that you’re sensitive to how the music is being perceived.

* Snacks are a must! Try wine and cheese, or beer and wings. The most important part about the food is that it needs to match what type of neighborhood you are in. Fried chicken and hamburgers probably aren’t appropriate at a million-dollar listing, but champagne and caviar probably aren’t appropriate in a first-time homebuyer situation, either. Just a word of caution; however, if you are serving alcohol, be very careful about who you serve. You may even want to get someone on your team to help you out with this. The last thing you need is for someone to drink at your open house as a minor, or someone to drive off over intoxicated and get into an accident. If in the right kind of setting, having comfort foods is especially welcoming and makes many visitors feel more at home. Careful to avoid foods with bad odors or smells, as you don’t want them attributed to the home.

* Consider leaving a hand-written sign to „Help Yourself“ along with a list of ingredients, so that visitors feel like they are able to eat the snacks provided without fear.

* Consider having a slideshow or interactive photo board featuring the home at various times of year. You may want to show the home off in summer months, for example, if it’s currently January and the garden and pool are frozen over.

* Consider making a table, desk, or station with local school information, neighborhood information, etc. The more resources you can provide, the better. You want the guest to stop at this station and pour over the resources, and ask as many questions as possible.

* Make sure to engage each and every visitor so they have are interested, and want to stay longer.

4. Don’t just advertise your Open House, create buzz around it.

* Create an event on social media, and share it with all of your friends and clients, as well as everyone on your e-mail lists. Facebook ads have become an amazing resource for reaching a ton of people in your area that wouldn’t have been in your networks otherwise. And it’s incredibly cost-effective, for what it does. You should filter the Facebook ad to include only people in targeted zip codes. You can also un-invite or exclude people who work for other realtors or competing brokerages.

* Flyer surrounding businesses and schools in the area of the listing. Knock on as many doors as possible.

* Visit neighbors‘ homes with nice newsletters or invitations. The nicer the invitation, the higher the chance that they will pop in to see what all of the fuss is about. Some agents even suggest using wedding style invitations.

* Don’t just advertise on one channel. You can try Facebook events, Twitter, your own website, your e-mail list, your newsletter, NextDoor.com, and even Craigslist. Just make sure you follow all of the appropriate advertising and marketing laws as designated by your brokerage and state laws.

5. Logistics, Logistics, Logistics

* Make sure everything is in order so that you look your best, and the house looks it’s best. it should be clean, light bulbs should be new, dust should be gone, air fresheners should be working, the climate should be controlled. I’ve even heard of certain agents baking cookies in advance of the big event so that the house feels and smells extra homey.

* Consider removing clutter, which makes navigating the home difficult. You can also remove or hide offensive art, or anything that might make someone feel uncomfortable. But be careful- make sure the homeowner doesn’t just throw the clutter into closets or cabinets! People care more and more about storage these days, and if it looks like the cabinets and closets are busting at the seams with junk, they’ll automatically assume that the amount of storage space in the house is not sufficient

* Use natural light to your advantage. Make sure all window treatments are open and all curtains are drawn. All light switches should be turned on, regardless of where they are. You don’t want someone afraid to go in the basement, or thinking they aren’t allowed to enter the garage.

* Make sure the home owner is not present. The last thing you need is them having an emotional breakdown because they are going down memory lane, or answering a question incorrectly. People also feel uncomfortable freeing roaming when the person who owns the property is looking over their shoulder.

* With that said, valuables, if left in the home, should be secured. At the very least, you should know what they are and where, and make an inventory of them. I strongly advise you insist that the home owner take them out of the property before the open house, so you’re not held liable for them in case of damage or theft.

* Use your team. If you are alone at an Open House, you may be spread too thin. If you leave for a minute to check that a sign on the corner hasn’t fallen down, you may miss someone who pops in to find no one there. Have one person for signage and the guest book, one person on food and drink detail, and that leaves you free to talk to and engage guests.

* Have a loan agent or lender on hand, in order to answer any potential questions the home buyer may have about the process.

* Make sure you have the necessary paperwork required. You can print out a copy of the MLS but it’s strongly suggested that you make a booklet, flyer, or something more personalized to the property, and to yourself.

* Make sure you know the neighborhood, and have done comparisons of values in the neighborhood. You may lose credibility if someone asks you a question and you’re unfamiliar with this territory, and I’m sure you’d rather look like a pro!

6. Use the Personal Touch

* It’s not enough to have each visitor sign in. You should take detailed notes on your conversation with each person. If you can’t remember this, a helpful suggestion is to hide a notebook or tablet inside a kitchen drawer, and make notes as the day goes by.

* You should remember one thing about each visitor and bring it up at some point during their tour of the home. „Jerry, wouldn’t this be an amazing place to store your golf clubs?“

* Don’t try to sell anyone. They will come to you, and request the information they need, when they need it. This is a time to establish relationships. Your only objective should be to make this home (and yourself) memorable.

7. Follow Up

* Add all visitors to your e-mail list, as well as your newsletter list. AM Open House is a great app and resource to make sure you’re keeping on task with this.

* For those visitors who were seriously interested in the home or in you, handwritten cards should be sent out thanking them for coming, and encouraging their business in the future. Take out that handy notebook you stashed, and make personal notes in each card. They’re more likely to keep it the more personal it is. Above all, make sure your contact information is on each card.

* Some agents even send videos. You could forward on a Facebook live video of the open house, or send a YouTube video of the listing. You could even send some kind of greeting card video for a special way to say „thanks for attending!“ BombBomb is a great resource for this type of video.

* Text message is a wonderful way to contact people, and has a 95% open rate. It’s less invasive than a phone call, which people may avoid answering if they don’t know a specific caller. Send a very specific text message with a thank you, the property address, and more information on the property, or a link for more information.

* Send a follow up to the follow up starting with the subject header „I forgot to tell you… “ – You can then point out a feature you neglected to tell them about on the current property, or even point out other properties that you may have listed, if this one fell short for them.

Of course, the best resource for an Open House is a coach, who can suggest strategies unique to your community and clientele. Not only is this more effective, but a coach should follow up with you to make sure that everything went smoothly, and question each step if it doesn’t.

Cindy Bishop is the Managing Director of Cindy Bishop Worldwide, a real estate education company specializing in Business Enhancement and Growth training for the Real Estate Community. Cindy is an active coach specializing in real estate agent business development.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

Top 8 Online Side Hustle Ideas To Generate Extra Cash Every Month

Generating an extra $500 to $1000 a month may seem impossible right now. But in this article, I’m going to show you different online side hustle ideas that have the potential to be highly profitable. Let’s begin!

1. Blogging

You may not see an immediate ROI or return on investment on blogging, but the good thing is it’s pretty much passive income when you start getting some traction. The sky’s pretty much the limit when you think of the income you’ll get when your blog gets a good amount of traffic from search engines and social media!

2. Affiliate marketing

You can promote your affiliate links on your blog or your social media accounts. Just make sure you promote something that’s going to actually add value to your followers.

3. Video marketing

You can promote sponsored products via video marketing. You can do video reviews and tutorials on YouTube and monetize it with ads and affiliate links!

4. Social media influencer

When you’ve got a considerable following on social media, and you get pretty good engagement rates on your content, then you’re technically a influencer. You can easily command premium rates from brands who want to do business with you.

5. Social media manager

Not all businesses know what to do with their social media accounts.You will have the opportunity to make a significant impact on businesses. The great thing is you can have many different clients at the same time because it’s relatively easy to automate social media activity!

6. Sell information products

Selling eCourses and eBooks are very popular nowadays. It’s relatively easy to create content like these, and it’s easier to just outsource it to freelancers who can write faster and better than you.

7. Freelance work

If you’re interested in freelancing online – like writing, designing, building apps and websites, etc. – then you should check out sites like Upwork ( https://www.upwork.com ) and Freelancer ( https://www.freelancer.com ). Note, however, that these are global marketplaces. So, you’ll have people from all over the world competing on price and skill. If you want to set yourself apart from the competition and you’re extremely confident in your skills, then don’t be afraid to bid rates you know you deserve!

8. eBay business

eBay is actually a fantastic tool for making money and which presents a ton of different options. If you’re looking for a more traditional way to make money by selling products, then eBay is the perfect choice.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

Home Sellers! Are You Guilty of the 7 Sins of Home Selling?

Greed: This one is a biggie. It was easy in a seller’s market to get in touch with your greedy side. Feeling like Midas, anything you asked for from a buyer turned to gold in your hands. Drunk with that kind of power, buyers were often left feeling helpless to comply if they wanted your home. In a balanced market, or even in a buyer’s market, many sellers have not kicked the greed habit. Ironically, greed is costing those sellers money. Ask any real estate agent and they will tell you stories of deals that were blown because of a $300.00 item that could not be agreed upon. No longer with the advantage, many sellers are refusing to make any concessions if it means less money in their pockets, but now the buyer’s are free to move along to the next house on their list. A seller may balk at fixing a $500.00 item in the house, or providing an inexpensive home warranty, but when the buyer moves along to an accommodating seller, the greedy seller is left to wait for another buyer – all the while making mortgage payments on the house they can’t sell. Bad move.

Unrealistic Expectations: Anyone who has sold a home in a seller’s market is going to have a hard time grasping a buyer’s market. If you want to sell your house, you have to forget everything you remember about selling your house in the past. Odds are that your home will not sell in a week, nor will you receive multiple offers. Unrealistic expectations are the foundation of blame and resentment, and they keep you from selling your home. The first few weeks of having your home on the market is filled with hope, anxiety, and irrational exuberance. It’s completely normal to believe that your home is somehow more special than the others on the market, and yours will be the exception to the tough market. Once it becomes clear that the bidding war has not materialized, and your home still sits along with the others, a home seller with unrealistic expectations is crushed. Stay positive about your home, but don’t blind yourself to what selling it will entail. A home seller with a realistic view of what it takes to sell a house in a balanced or buyer’s market, can easily adapt to changing market conditions, use constructive feedback to improve their home, and in return sell their home faster.

Pride: If you really want to sell your home, make the promise right now that you will never utter the following phrase: „I’m going to send that buyer a message.“ If you enjoy sending messages, then perhaps you could raise carrier pigeons. If you want to sell your home, drop that phrase from your vocabulary. The message that sellers send, when they respond to buyers that way is „I don’t want to sell my house to you. You have insulted me.“ In the end, all you are left with is your pride, and that house that just will not sell. As an active Ebayer, I have never witnessed a transaction in which the seller of an item got indignant at the lowest bidder. It’s all business. Divorce your emotions from the home selling process, and you have an advantage over the angry sellers in your area, because the buyers that they turn way with their „messages“, are going to buy a home – just not theirs! The message to send to a buyer should be in the form of a counter-offer. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Impatience: You want this home sold. Now! The impatient seller can’t understand why their home hasn’t sold in the first week. By the third week on the market, the impatient home seller is fuming, and wondering how to get out of the listing agreement. Are you an impatient home seller? If you’ve chosen your real estate agent carefully, and believed when you signed the listing agreement that they are up to the job, then sit back and let the market work. The impatient seller calls their agent more than once a day for updates, even if there has been no activity on the house. The question, „why isn’t it selling?“ is regularly pleaded over the phone. Are you, the impatient seller, doing everything you need to do to get your home sold? Have you done the things your agent suggested to get your home in selling condition? Did you really listen to the comparable pricing data your agent provided you? Or did you have a set price in your mind and refused to move from it when listing the home? The impatient seller can create an enormous amount of stress for everyone involved in selling the home, and it’s totally avoidable. In the end, the timing of the sale of your home will be a combination of price, condition, and luck. No amount of impatience is going to change that.

Ignoring the market: Ignorance is not bliss. Ignorance is disaster for a home seller. Yes, we know that your neighbor sold their home for the same price you want for your home, but that was four months ago. The residential real estate market is more fluid than ever now. Educate yourself about current market conditions, not last year’s market, not even last month’s market. A home seller who ignores the market will interview a few real estate agents, read the data provided by the agent, then ignore the data and list with the agent that gives them the least argument about pricing their home unrealistically. Real estate agents do not price homes, sellers do. The agents will provide valuable information and input to help a seller choose a price. Some agents will refuse to take a listing if they feel the seller is unrealistic about pricing, but many others will take the listing with the caveat that the seller be open to reducing the price later. With so many other properties on the market, an overpriced home will sit there like a deli tray at a gathering of vegetarians. Then, the seller will be chasing the market by lowering the price after watching the prices around them fall. Eventually, the house may sell, but the price will be determined by the market, as it always is. If you are guilty of ignoring the market, you can save yourself a lot of time and headache by scheduling a meeting with your real estate agent to go over the current sales data for your home, and setting a realistic price, now.

Stubbornness: When selling your home it’s best to imagine yourself as a supple tree gently swaying with the wind, instead of a donkey with its heels dug solidly into the dirt resisting all attempts to be budged. Stubbornness can show up in many situations. When you are contacted to schedule a showing, do you leave the house? Though it’s a fact that your home has a better chance of selling if you are not there for the showing, do you refuse to be inconvenienced by having to leave? You may tell yourself that the buyers can work around your schedule. They won’t. The chance for a sale often vanishes because a buyer feels uncomfortable with the homeowner in the house, and cannot freely assess the house. Expect to be inconvenienced when you sell your home. It’s part of the process.

Being Uncooperative: Are you a partner with your real estate agent when it comes to getting your home sold? Do you resist all suggestions by your real estate agent to make changes to your home that will help it sell faster? I’ve had this conversation with home sellers many times. Is it fair that people judge your home based on the things that are not going to be in it when you move out? No, probably not. Do buyers judge your home based on those things? Absolutely. I’ve seen buyers lose their enthusiasm for a home based on a decorating theme that didn’t suit them. No matter how many times their real estate agent might remind them that they can decorate in their own style, it’s too late. The home is now referred to as the „duck home“, or the „doll home“, or the „pink home.“ Every house gets a nickname when buyers are shopping. Don’t let your refusal to cooperate stop your home from being the „perfect home.“

The sale of your home requires the cooperation of countless people, many of whom you’ll never meet. The key word here is „cooperation.“ We, as home sellers, expect those that are working to complete our sales transaction to be cooperative. What about you, the home seller? Are you willing to meet the buyer halfway in negations? Are you willing to work within someone else’s schedule to get something signed? Remember, you may be selling a property, but in the end, real estate is about humans. Be a good one.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Kostenlose Immobilienbewertung

Durch die weitere Nutzung der Seite stimmst du der Verwendung von Cookies zu. Wenn Sie nach unten scrollen, gilt dies auch als Zustimmung. Weitere Informationen

Die Cookie-Einstellungen auf dieser Website sind auf \"Cookies zulassen\" eingestellt, um das beste Surferlebnis zu ermöglichen. Wenn du diese Website ohne Änderung der Cookie-Einstellungen verwendest oder auf \"Akzeptieren\" klickst, erklärst du sich damit einverstanden.

Schließen