Southwest Ohio Real Estate

   I took a call from a new client last week whose property has been on the market over a year. They wanted to know if I took the listing would I hold open houses? I told them that this is one of the ways that I market a home and if people don't see the home they won't buy it.

   They told me that they had been asking their former Realtor to hold the home open and he told them that open houses do not sell houses. The home is in an area of new construction so it should get traffic on an open house. The home is to be priced fairly for the area. The home has a premium lot and many upgrades that the sellers know they won't be able to recoup.

   So why not hold the home open?

   It seems that their former realtor is also playing at being a general contractor and has 3 market homes that have not sold and also has one lot without a home on it for sale. The reality is that this person is more focused on selling the market homes than his clients home. It would seem that if you want to be a builder become a builder but don't promise people that you will work hard to sell their home when you can't sell 3 of your own.

   Here in the Cincinnati area the number of people wanting to sell their homes has climbed over last year. In December we had 14,053 homes available for sale. Last year the same month we had 12,245 for an increase of 14.77% in the number of homes available. 

   Sales of homes on the market are starting to look up! this December we sold 1,500 homes! Last December we sold 1,542 for a decrease of -2.72%, this is our best month since June as we are down -4.74 for the year to date.

  Exprired listings as you can imagine are way up. With more homes on the market and fewer buyers all does not bode well for the seller. December in the Cincinnati area we had 3,029 properties expire. That is a 27.70% increase over last year!

   In the current market you must have your home in top shape and priced right!

   I overheard some people talking at the store. They were discusing the marketing of the home that one of them lived in. The person said that they wanted to sell their home but were not getting any showings. The Realtor they were working with had suggested dropping the price on the home. The comment from the person was that they were not going to give away their home and they knew what their home was worth.  

  I held my tounge and remained quite. There are many homes on the market currently that are over priced. Why in the world would someone do that to themselves? Always have the home showing ready and when it gets viewed it does not compare with other homes in the price range. They set themselves up for a very tough 6 months with lots of frustration. They need to listen to the people that deal marketing homes every day to help establish a realistic asking price.

Good Luch and have a great day.

www.Find1Home.com

Well it finally came. The first snowfall of the season. Sunday morning about 5 a.m.the snow started to fall and it came heavy. By 8 a.m. we had about 4 inches of snow on the ground and I was scheduled to start showing homes at 9. I called my buyers and suggested that we cancel for this morning and look another day as the plows had not been in the residential areas yet. They said no problem as they had a four wheel drive! I said that walking up unshoveled driveways and trying to look at homes in a snowstorm is not a good experience and we can still see everything we want next Saturday. They agreed so I feel better about not going out and having them risk life and limb to see homes that will most likely be available 6 days from now. 

Good Luck and have a great day.

www.Find1Home.com

   Well we have a contract on the property! After Friday morning the sellers became more to our needs and on Saturday evening we worked out the final details. I did show my buyers 3 homes on Saturday morning and if one of the homes had been in different area of the subdivision we looked at we would have made an offer on that one. I am just glad my clients are getting the home that they want, it will be a much better situation for them and their family.  

   Sunday I met a nice young lady at one of the open houses that I held. She has 2 children and is renting a second floor 2 bedroom apartment. She has the need to desire to own a home to give her family more space and the ability to have a yard to play in. Well lets see how this one goes!

Good luck!

www.Find1Home.com

Back to the story on the relocation property. I  had warned my client that we may get a call Friday on the property. As I had anticipated the call came and it came early, 9:30 so the other agent must have told the relocation company early. The other agent asked if we could reopen negotiations on the property and gave us an offer of 2000.00 less than where we fell apart at. The relo company must had let them know that turning down an offer over their buyout is not a good thing! Now the challenge - one of my clients has already mentally moved on to other properties so this one may stay on the market! We are looking at 3 other properties today and making a decision about noon.

Good Luck and have Great Day!

www.Find1Home.com  

  There is a Relocation property in my area that one of my clients made an offer on. I am very familar with the neighborhood and home. We made 5 rounds of counters on the property priced where the seller who bought the home 1 year ago would not be hurt financialy by the price. On the second counter from the seller they wanted to move the closing date up one month (from March to Feb.). The other agent could not see how this had an economic impact on my client.

  I had to explain to her that if we closed a month earlier my client would have to make an addition 1 month payment on the property and that would put them in the possition of making 2 payments that month! She tought that her sellers counter to lower the price to my clients by 800.00 was wonderful and they should be happy to buy it 1 month sooner and pay 1520.00 in PITI before they wanted to!

  Some agents just don't get it that every portion of a contract has an impact. She could not realise how their counter was 700.00 worse for my client!  Well off with this one to view more homes on Saturday!

  Just a thought I wonder what the Relocation company is going to say when the sellers turned down an offer that is higher than their buy out?

Good Luck and have a great day!

www.Find1Home.com     

My weekly update of investor deals found this gem in the rough.

This property is sold but there are more for sale out there!

Ezzard Charles to Linn to east on York. Cross Street Linn Open House Date  Time  TaxID 1320003014100 Other

Total Units  2 Total Bldgs  1     Eff 1Bed 2Bed 3+Bed # of Units 2 Avg Rent $ Est Sq Ft   -2, 3 or 4 Units- ACTUAL   Rms Bed Baths Rent Unit #1 Unit #2 Unit #3 Unit #4   Separate Gas & Ele Heat Paid Separate Furnace Water Pd Separate Air Cond   Auction  N

This listing is Active - Report Prepared by
	James M Gordon Contact Phone 513-886-5250 Sibcy Cline, Inc. 4756 Smith Rd Preferred Fax 513-619-9897 Hamilton, OH 45011-8455 Cell Phone 513-886-5250 http://www.Find1home.com E-Mail jgordon@sibcycline.com
Information has not been verified, is not guaranteed and subject to change.

 This past Monday (Martin Luther KingDay) I was dropping off a purchase contract to a Brokerage in my area. The Broker of this agency has been trying to recruit me and now the top agent who I brought the contract to is following up for him. She told me how much more I would have made on this sale if only I would come to them. While she was talking to me another Brokerage called on my cell and was trying to recruit me!

 Sometimes It makes you feel special just to know that someone out there wants you other than the Broker that you are working with!  

 On another thought maybe they just want warm bodies in the office and see that I am doing something other than just being a "Secrect Agent"!

Good Luck and have a great day!

www.Find1Home.com  

My broker has a contest to kick off the spring season every year. This year he has outdone and posted a video on You Tube. It takes about 2 minutes to watch it but you will get a real kick out of it.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4p9AY4xSak&eurl=

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Good Luck and have a great day!

www.Find1Home.com