Bryan Vogt's Metro East Illinois Real Estate Blog: June 2009

--TIP# 11 CLEAN LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER CLEANED BEFORE!!


Pick up, straighten, unclutter, scrub, scour, dust.....well, you get the idea, If your living room feels crowded, take out every piece of furniture you can get away with. If your home still isn't ready to appear in House Beautiful, then clean some more. Remember, you are not just competing with other people's homes--you are up against brand new homes as well.
Bryan Vogt
Strano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate
(618) 355-5824
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O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Swansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Bellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Scott AFB PCS Relocation
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Labels: Mascoutah, new price

TIP# 10 -- RELY ON OTHER PEOPLE'S JUDGEMENT AS WELL AS YOUR OWN

The key to effective marketing is knowing your product's good and bad points. In the case of your home, accentuating the good can mean a faster sale for more money; failing to deal with the bad can mean months on the market and a lower-than-desired sales price.

The biggest mistake you can make at this point is to rely solely on your own judgement. Remember, this is your home, a place of fond memories. There are bound to be emotional issues that can impair your ability to make an honest assessment of your home's strenghts and weaknesses.

In evaluating what improvements you can make, don't be shy about asking others for their honest opinions, but make sure you are getting an honest answer. Some may try to spare your feelings, just what you don't need. Fortunately, your Realtor won't be shy in discussing what should be done to make a home more marketable.

Bryan Vogt
Strano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate
(618) 355-5824
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O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Swansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Bellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Scott AFB PCS Relocation
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Labels: home, marketing

HELP!! Our Illinois office has too many buyers looking for homes. We need help to handle the load and to make it an easy, fun, process. We are looking for licensed agents to join our group in a career that can be both fun and financially rewarding. We can show you new methods that we have found to be highly successful and you will have as much support as you might need from me and my staff. Only motivated and innovative persons need apply! Please contact us for more information at bryan@bryanvogt.com or call (618)355-5824
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Bryan Vogt
Strano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate
(618) 355-5824
---
O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Swansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Bellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Scott AFB PCS Relocation
---

-TIP# 9 MAXIMIZE YOUR HOME'S SALES POTENTIAL

-Each year, corporate North America spends billions of dollars on product and package design. The lesson here is that appearence is crirical--and it would be foolish to ignore this when selling your home.

You may not be able to change your home's location or it's floorplan, but you can do a lot to improve it's appearence, and you should. The look and "feel" of your home generates a greater emotional response than any other factor. You may price your home to sell but a prospective buyer reacts to what they see, hear, feel and smell.-

Bryan Vogt
Strano & Associates, Realtors® - GMAC Real Estate
(618) 355-5824
---
O'Fallon IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Swansea IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Bellville IL Real Estate, Condos, Homes for Sale
Scott AFB PCS Relocation
---

TIP#8 GIVE YOURSELF ROOM TO NEGOTIATE

Make sure you leave enough room in which to bargain. If what you ask for is unacceptable to the buyer, and their first offer is unacceptable to you, then you better make sure you have someplace to go to that is acceptable to you.

Start with the absolute minimun price you would accept, then pick the price you'd get if the world were perfect. This gives you your range to keep in mind when working with your Realtor to negotiate the sale.

In setting your asking price, review your priorities. Do you want to maximize your profit or sell quickly? You'll price high for the former and closer to market value if the latter is the case.

Labels: bargin, negotiate, sale

TIP#7 FIND A GOOD REALTOR

Nearly two thirds of the people who sell their own home say they would not do it themselves again, according to research by the National association of Realtors. Sellers surveyed point to difficulties in setting price, marketing handicaps amd liability concerns among primary reasons they would turn to a Realtor next time. Selling a home yourself usually eats up more time and effort than you might initially expect.

Once you understand how much work it will be to sell it yourself, talk to a Realtor that you trust even if you decide to strike out on your own. Many top professionals are more than willing to help do-it-yourself sellers with the paperwork, contracts, etc. Plus you'll have a relationship with an agent if problems do arise that require professional help.

If you do decide to work with a Realtor, contact four or five - you probably met a few that you liked during your open house tour. Explain to each that you are thinking about putting your house on the market and you would like to talk about pricing and marketing. By having this group evaluation done, you should end up with a fairly tight price range to help guide your decision. Any Realtor that is substantially higher or lower than the group should be able to justify their estimate. Just as you should be concerned with too low a price, beware of an agent who gives you the highest price- they may be trying to buy your listing.

A good Realtor knows the market and your neighborhood in particular. They will supply you with information on past sales, current listings, a marketing plan, something of their own background, and references from past clients. Take the time to carefully evaluate candidates on the basis of their experience, qualifications, enthusiasm, and personality. Most importantly, make sure you choose someone who is going to put in a lot of hard work on your behalf.

Labels: evaluation, home, Realtor, selling

TIP#6 YOUR TAX ASSESSMENT MEANS ALMOST NOTHING

Some people look to tax assessments to assign a value. The problem here is that assessments are based on a number of criteria unrelated to property values, so they often don't necessarily reflect the true value of your home. Have you heard of two identical homes in the same neighborhood with dramatically different assessed values because one was purchased more recently than the other? Well, it happens quite often.

TIP#5 KNOW WHEN TO GET AN APPRAISAL

Sometimes you can use a good apprisal to your benefit in marketing your home. If you get a VA or FHA appraisal, you can use it to let prospective buyers that your home can be financed. However an appraisal costs money, it can have a limited lifetime, and you may not like the figure you hear.

Labels: appraisal

Tip#4 Go Home Shopping Yourself

The best way to get to know your competition, identify features that are popular and learn what turns buyers off is to check out other open houses. Plan on spending a few weekends touring other homes on the market to learn what other sellers are asking. Be sure to make note of the floorplan, condition, appearance, size of lot, location and other features.

If you visit enough homes and pay close attention to the details (and what other"buyers"are saying), you'll develop a good understanding of how different features affect pricing. And then you can apply what you've learned to the task of setting your price. But don't forget to include in the equation what homes are actually selling for, not just simply what people are asking. And remember, if you are serious about getting your home sold quickly, don't be more expensive than your neighbor.

Tip#3 Do your homework before setting a price

Settling opon an offering price shouldn't be taken lightly. Once you've set you're price, you've told the absolute maximum they have to pay for your home. The trick for the seller is to get a selling price as close to the offering price as possible. If you start out pricing too high, you might not be taken seriously by the prospective buyers and their agents. A price too low can result in selling for much less than you had hoped for.

Setting your home's sale price can be a fairly easy process. If you live in a subdivision comprised of homes with similiar or identical floor plans, built in the same time period, then all you have to do is look at recent sales in the neighborhood to give you a ballpark figure.

But many people live in older neighborhoods that have changed quite a bit over the years. Every home in the neighborhood may be different in minor or substantial ways-the house next door may have added another bedroom, for example, or the one across the street might have been built recently to fill a vacant lot. As a neighborhood evolves over the years, you may find that there aren't any homes that are truly comparable to your own.

If you decide to sell your home on your own, the most common way to set a value is to look at homes that have sold in your neighborhood within the past 12 months, as well as those now on the market. That is certainly how prosepctive buyers will assess the worth of your home.

You can usually learn what homes have sold for in your neighborhood by making a quick trip to City Hall; home sale information is in the public records in most communities (but not all).

If this sounds like alot of work, you may decide to hire a Realtor. Your Realtor will do all of the market research and provide you with comps showing where your home should be priced to best meet your goals-a fast sell, maximum profit, etc.

Labels: comps, neighborhood, price, selling

MLS # 2907526

A wide open floor plan with vaulted ceiling makes this home a special find. Imagine entertaining family and friends for hours at a time with the large eat-in kitchen that connects directly to the huge family room. The large master bedroom and walk in closet make putting a king size bed or any size furniture in this home a snap. This 3 bedroom, 2 bath home also boasts a living room or a den depending on your needs.

For more information email bryan@bryanvogt.com or call (618)355-5824

Tip#2 Once you know, keep it to yourself.

Your reasons will affect how you negotiate the sale of your home, but they shouldn't be given as ammuniation to the person who wants to buy it. For eaample, a prospective buyer who knows you must move quickly has you at their mercy in the negotiation process. When asked, simply say that your housing needs have changed. You reasons are nobody's business but your own.

Labels: buyer, negotiate, sale

TIP #1 KNOW WHY YOU'RE SELLING
The reason you look closely at why you want to sell is that your motivations play an important role in the process. They affect everything from setting a price to deciding how much time and money you'll invest to getting your home ready for selling.

For example, what's more important to you: the money you walk away with, or the length of time you property is on the market? If your goal is a quick sale, that can indicate one kind of approach. If you want to maximize your profit, the sales process will almost certainly take longer.

Labels: profit, selling

HELP!!
Our Illinois office has too many buyers looking for homes.
We need help to handle the load and to make it an easy, fun, process. We are looking for licensed agents to join our group in a career that can be both fun and financially rewarding. We can show you new methods that we have found to be highly successful and you will have as much support as you might need from me and my staff.
Only motivated and innovative persons need apply!
Please contact us for more information at bryan@bryanvogt.com
Or call (618)355-5824

MLS#2903230

This fabulous home in Lake Lorraine has 5 bedrooms and 4 baths. Situated on the lake, this 5235 sq foot home has plenty of room for everyone in the family.With a master bedroom suite and a changing area, marble master bath & walk-in closet this home has it all. In the large open kitchen you'll have no problem entertaining friends and family for hours. You’ll find yourself relaxing on the large deck in back overlooking the lake. As you walk out from the finished basement you’ll find the inviting inground pool. Family and friends will love to come over for barbeques or just to lounge around soaking up the rays and taking a dip. After you see this home you might not want to leave.

For more information email bryan@bryanvogt.com or call (618)355-5824