Should you call for an agent like you call for an Uber ride?

The latest news from Colorado is the “Arrive Home” app, which allows potential home buyers to connect with the nearest agent when they want to see a home “on demand.” Developers hope soon to expand the service across the U.S.

 

Does that sound good to you?

 

It sounds to us like you might get “instant service” in terms of finding someone to open a door any time you have the urge to see a house, but that’s about the only advantage.

 

That is, unless your goal is simply to look at houses for recreation or for decorating ideas.

 

If you want to actually purchase a home, you should have an agent – just one agent - who is dedicated to your success. Once you have signed a buyer/broker agreement, which essentially pledges your loyalty to that agent, the agent will be loyal in return, and will go all out to find the home you want.

 

You’ll give the agent your lists of “must haves,” “Would likes,” and “Don’t wants.” Working from that, he or she will screen the new listings each day and contact you immediately when a likely home appears on the market.

 

In addition, your buyers’ agent will keep your private information confidential, will help you determine a home’s true market value before you make an offer, and will negotiate on your behalf once you’ve made that offer. Then he or she will work to make sure the steps between offer and closing happen in a smooth and timely manner.

 

To the “Uber-agent,” you will merely be a customer, not a client. As a “door opener” serving a customer, the agent will not be duty-bound to give you service.

 

And why should he (or she)? After all, the next time you see an interesting house, you’ll pull up the app and once again contact the nearest agent.

 

There are numerous reasons why this new program is a poor idea for agents, but it’s also not a great idea for buyers.

 

Sometimes the latest is not the greatest.

Your house is for sale. Should you decorate for Halloween?

Once upon a time Halloween was a kids’ holiday. Parents decorated a little just to please their children or perhaps the neighborhood children.

 

Now, it’s become one of the biggest holidays of the year. I read recently that aside from gifts, Americans spend more money on Halloween than they do on Christmas.

Adults buy costumes these days – and attend parties.

 

People go to great lengths to decorate their homes, both inside and out. In addition to cardboard, plastic, and ceramic figurines, black and orange lights, giant spiders, and fake cobwebs, you can purchase Halloween dinner-wear, underwear, t-shirts, vests, and even trash bags. And then of course there’s the candy.

 

If YOU love to go all-out decorating for Halloween, should you do it this year, when your home is for sale?

I’d have to offer the same advice that we offer for Christmas: Decorate, but do it sparingly and tastefully.

 

An entire yard filled with headstones, skeletons, pumpkins, witches, and black cats can distract people from looking at the house itself. Instead, consider placing a bundle of corn stalks and some jack-o-lanterns near the front door. You could also add a pot or three of mums in seasonal colors.

 

Too much is also too much indoors. A few decorations are fine, but don’t over-do it, and don’t add so much that the rooms become cluttered. Remember, a cluttered room looks smaller than it is.

 

If you’ve had your home staged for showing, contact your stager and ask for advice.

 

She might recommend something like adding a jack-o-lantern cookie jar, a tall black vase with orange and black flowers, or ceramic black cats. She probably won't suggest adding fake cob webs in the doorways.

 

Right now your job is to show your home to its best advantage. That means you don’t want to do anything that will take the focus off the features and benefits it offers to prospective buyers.

 

Just as family photos, trophies, and collections distract buyers, so will an abundance of holiday decorations – whether for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any other occasion.

 

Present your home well, and this time next year you can decorate a new home to your heart’s content.

When your Tamaqua home is for sale, you do a thorough cleaning, and yet…

Some trouble spots are likely to get missed. Why? Because you’re so used to looking at them that you don’t even see them.

 

Unfortunately, potential buyers do see them, because they’re really looking – and because they look up, down, around, and inside.

 

First is your door. If you have kids or dogs, you may need to clean it every day, just because of muddy finger prints and paw prints – and because dogs leave “nose prints” on glass.

 

Next, the door mat. While the agent is opening the door, the buyers are looking around – and probably wiping their feet. The simplest solution is to purchase a bright new mat to give them a cheerful welcome.

 

Inside the house, begin by looking up. Unless you’re tall, you may never see the top of your refrigerator. A tall buyer will see it, so clean it!

 

They’ll also look up at things like ceiling fans and light fixtures. Are there dust bunnies hanging from those fan blades? Are there bugs in the light covers – or are they failing to let out enough light because they’ve gotten dusty and dirty? Clean them!

 

Coming back down, take a critical look at switch plates, door knobs, door frames, cabinet doors, and the front of the refrigerator. These are all places where fingerprints love to live. While you’re at it, check the top of your range hood, then remove and wash the screen.

 

Check your window sills and slider tracks – bugs love to live there.

 

Now look down – at your kitchen range and dishwasher. Even appliances that won’t stay with the house need to be spotless, so scrub the top of the range and clean the oven. Check inside the dishwasher for the “grunge” that can accumulate along the sides of the door – it can look pretty awful.

 

Farther down, remember to dust along the floor molding, and if you have sliding doors, clean the tracks. This is a spot you may need to check every couple of days, because those tracks are dirt and bug magnets.

 

Getting your Tamaqua home ready for market is no easy task – and keeping it show-ready can be a challenge – but it’s worth the effort. The house that makes buyers say “Wow” when they walk through the door sells faster and for more money.

 

If you're ready to sell, call me! I'll be happy to help.

Is the Holiday season a good time to buy or sell a home in Tamaqua?

Some believe that as the holiday season approaches, the time for buying or selling a home in Tamaqua is over for the year. Fortunately, it’s not the truth.

 

The holiday season is actually a very good time to put your Tamaqua home on the market or to go in search of a new home.

 

Why? For the very reasons that some people believe it to be a poor time.

• There are fewer homes on the market.
• There are fewer buyers looking.
• People are pressed for time, due to holiday activities.

Fewer homes on the market mean less competition for home sellers. Your home for sale will stand out and get more attention.

Fewer buyers looking mean that buyers, too, have less competition. They’re less likely to get into multiple offer situations and “lose out” on several homes before having an offer accepted.

 

Holiday time constraints mean that those who are trying to buy or sell are serious about it.

 

Sellers can expect that those buyers touring their homes are serious. They aren’t just looking at homes to get decorating ideas, home-shopping because it’s entertaining, or looking around in anticipation of buying several months from now.

 

In fact, some of them may be looking now because they’ve gotten a job transfer and need to be settled in, or at least know where they’ll be settled, before the first of the new year. If they’re moving with children, they want to know which school district they need to enroll in, so choosing a home now has added importance.

 

Buyers can rest assured that the homes for sale really are for sale. The owners aren’t just “testing the market” to see what someone might pay. They’re also more apt to be flexible in negotiations.

 

Sellers who are willing to keep their homes in showing condition during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season are serious. They too may have gotten a job transfer and need to be in a new community soon.

 

So if you want to buy or sell before next year rolls around, call me and let’s get started. The last quarter of the year is a very good time to buy or sell a house in Tamaqua.

How to choose a buyers’ agent

When you want to buy a home in Tamaqua – whether it’s your first home or your seventh – the right buyers’ agent can mean the difference between weeks or months of frustration and speedy success.

 

Unless you’ve gotten a good recommendation from a friend or family member, you’ll need to take some time to find that agent.

 

Many buyers begin by seeing a Tamaqua home on line that interests them, then calling the listing agent. That’s not really the wisest course of action, for a couple of reasons:

• You need your own agent – not one who has a contractual duty to work for the seller.
• The seller’s agent will encourage you to choose that house – if not another one he or she has listed.

Instead of calling a seller's agent, start by researching buyers’ agents here in Tamaqua. Or, simply look for Tamaqua agents whose bios and other web information impresses you.

 

If possible, choose an agent who specializes in the area where you want to purchase a home. It’s an advantage to you if the agent is familiar with the homes for sale, the homes that have sold, and their prices.

 

Interview the agent. Perhaps even view one or two homes with them before signing a buyer representation agreement. If that agent doesn’t impress you, interview another. Statistics show that most buyers and sellers meet with only one agent, but that's not always the best idea. 

 

You want an agent who will listen to you and ask questions. They should want to know what you’re looking for and understand why – so don’t withhold information. After talking with you, the agent should have at least a few suggestions.

 

Ask questions of your own. You need an agent who will explain the home buying process, keep you informed, and answer your concerns. It's not realistic to expect him or her to answer the phone every time you call, but your calls or emails should be answered at least within a few hours.

 

You also need someone who will work for you.

 

I’ve known agents who told their buyers something along the lines of “If you see a house you like on line, let me know. I’ll set up a showing.” I’ve also known agents who tell their buyers to do a drive-by first. In other words, they ask their buyers to do the work. You don’t need that. You need an agent who understands what you want and will let you know any time a new listing that matches your needs comes on the market.

You need to do your part, too.

 

I’ve also known buyers who either didn’t know what they wanted or didn’t want to reveal it. When asked, they say “I’ll know it when I see it.” There really are few worse words for a buyer’s agent to hear, because they offer no place to begin the search.

It’s almost like saying “I want some kind of house somewhere in Schuylkill County – or perhaps in an adjoining County. So show me all of them.”

 

Don't do that. Tell your agent what you want - and what you don't want.

 

As you tour homes together, let your agent know what you like and don’t like. And, if seeing several homes makes you begin to change your mind about what you want, let the agent know immediately.

One more thing – if you want a successful search, do choose just one agent and sign a buyer agency agreement. Don’t hop from agent to agent, hoping someone else will have something different to show you. At best, you’ll see the same homes repeatedly. At worst, the agents will see what you’re doing and all of them will stop working for you.

 

Your successful relationship with your buyers’ agent must be a partnership based on honesty, trust, and loyalty – going both ways. It should also be a pleasant, easy relationship - so choose someone whose company you can enjoy.

 

Take the time to choose the right Tamaqua agent for you - then enjoy the process.