JL's Columbia SC Real Estate Blog: April 2009

 Recently I wrote a posts for buyers on the 10 reasons they should wait to buy in today's market. Today I figured I would tackle a different topic and help out those sellers in the market that would like to have their home on the market, but not actually sell it. These are steps that if followed correctly, can certainly aid in the process of NOT selling your home.

10- Landscaping. It is imperative that you make no special effort to make the yard look nice. Allow the shrubs to grow out of control and make sure the grass is not cut on a regular basis. A nicely maintained yard is pleasing to the eye, and it may make people want to take a look at the inside. If we can just make them drive by, then we have nothing to worry about.

9- The outside of the home itself. Try to make sure there is some paint peeling and that there are leaves in the gutters. The outside condition of the home is just as important as the yard itself. Just like a well maintained yard, a well maintained home will draw attention and that is completely against our cause of not selling the house.

8- Floors- If for some reasons a curious buyer sees through our efforts to run them away and decides to walk inside, then we have to take things to the next level. Be sure that the floors throughout the house are not clean. If they are already older and worn out floors, then be sure you leave them like they are. You don't want nice new floors causing the place to seem appealing. If possible have stains and some cigarette burns in carpet.

7- Clutter- You can make a small room seem even smaller by simply staging it with too much crap. Be sure you put as much stuff as possible on your counter tops in the kitchen and on any flat surface where you can fit trinkets. This is a sure fire turn off for buyers, so don't over look it. A nice decluttered house can accentuate the positives, and that's not what we want.

6- Paint- The best thing you can do is slap some paint on the walls that offends the sense of anyone who sees it. I mean bright purples and reds and anything else you can think of that the average buyer doesn't want to see. Sometimes dark colors can be used to make a room look smaller as well. Between that and the clutter we should be able to send many prospective buyers running for the hills. The last thing you should do is put a fresh coat of neutral paint on the walls. That just makes a place look too good.

5- Poor lighting- The darker the better for us, so try to make sure we block windows to avoid natural light. If at all possible be sure that there are some burnt out light bulbs, that way the place will look even less inviting to touring agents and buyers. We don't want inviting.

4- A dirty house- This is a huge help for us in our effort to avoid an offer. If the place is clean and decluttered, then it shows better and we run the risk of selling. Instead, be sure that you leave the home trashed every chance you get. Dirty dishes in the sink and piles of cloths on the floor in bedrooms. These are two great ways to make a home look bad.

3- Show by appointment only- And don't be reasonable about it when you do. Don't even allow a Realtor to put a lockbox on the home. The last thing we want is for buyers and agents to have availability to the property. When someone does call to show the house stick around and make the buyer feel uncomfortable by following them around. If they start to picture themselves living there, they may get that warm and fuzzy feeling that could lead to sell. They don't live there, it's your home, make sure they know that.

2- Smoke in your home- This will cause another huge turn off to buyers. The smell will work it's way into every part of the home. If possible leave full ashtrays throughout to drive the point home.

1- Price- I should say over price to be more specific. Price has become a crucial factor in the sell of many homes, so the last thing you want is to put a fair market price on your home. You need to price it above market value and stand firm with the willingness to negotiate.

 You really shouldn't need to take all of these steps, if you just pick a few you can greatly increase the chances that your home will not sell. So decide which ones are right for you, and stick to the plan. Your success should be easy on this one.

www.jlboney.com

 Cult leaders throughout the world are well known for their ability to prey on individuals. They use brainwashing tactics to wear down individuals and turn them into blind followers of their cause. They deceive, they lie, dominate, and they take advantage of people who are in search of help and a place to belong. They are searching for somewhere to call home.

 Brainwashing is the systematic effort to change the thoughts and feelings of an individual against their will. To take peoples allegiance and use it against them. Loyalty is one of the easiest things in the world to abuse, and cult leaders like Charles Manson and Jim Jones, just to name a couple, are both famous and infamous for their ability to abuse the trust and loyalty of their followers. Wondering where I'm going with all of this?

 You are a Realtor, you are here to help someone who is in search of a home. These people place their trust and loyalty in you to aid them in the process of finding what they want and need. You are not here to make them bend to your will, nor are you here to change their mind. You are here to educate and protect your clients and assure that they are happy with the result.

 I see all too many agents out there who feel it is their job to tell a client what to do. I'm not saying that you shouldn't give advice, that is a huge part of your job and a huge part of the educational process. However, you are not here to bully your clients or attempt to push them in the direction you want them to go. You are here to guide through the process in the direction they feel is best for themselves. They are individuals and their needs and wants must be meet in order to create a happy client.

 One of the best things we can do in this business is just sit back and listen. Most people will tell you exactly what they want, all you have to do is shut your mouth and open your ears. From there, you will learn everything you need to know to help your clients through the task ahead. Ask open ended questions and let the rest take care of itself. Don't always assume you know what people want, take the time and put forth the effort to find out. After all, your clients are not here to blindly follow you, they just need your help.

www.jlboney.com

 With all the posts out there about how now is the best time in history to run out and buy a home, I thought it only fair to show you the reasons that you should not do so. The last thing this economy needs is for consumers to start spending money, that would actually cause the great deals to go away. Mainly due to the fact that it would cause the economy and the real estate market to recover, and at this point that's the last thing we need.

10-  Rent is fun to pay. I mean it's not at all like having to pay your own mortgage, why do that when you can pay a mortgage for someone else. If you went out and bought a home, there would be one less investor out there getting a free house with your money.

9- The amount of homes for sale on the market. There is no need to running out there when you have a ton of homes for sale at your disposal. You should certainly wait for the numbers to dwindle so you will have less of a choice you decide to buy. This will keep you from having to be so picky.

8- The great deals will be the first to go. This will be your indicator that you are getting close to time to start looking. All the good homes will be taken and then you can go sift through the left overs for what you can salvage.

7- Low Interest rates. Low interest rates will cause your mortgage payments to be lower, and this may make you feel like you are not doing your fair share. You should definitely wait around for those rates to rise so you can make a higher monthly payment. Then you won't have to deal with the guilt of saving money.

6- The price of homes for sale. Currently many homes for sale are on the market at very competitive lower prices. If you can manage to hang in there a little longer without buying a home, then you can catch market during or after a recovery. This means that you will get to pay more for the home than you would today.

5- With today's rates and prices, mortgages on many homes for sale are actually cheaper than rent on the same homes. Again this would possibly save you money, and that's not what you want to do. You need to wait for the prices to rise so you're not getting as good of a deal.

4- A 10% of the sales price tax credit up to $8,000. If you were to buy a home now,and you are a first time home buyer, then you would receive this tax credit. If you can hold out until next year, then you will be able to avoid this tax credit all together. This will save you the aggravation of trying to decide what to do with the extra money on next year's tax return.

3-Builder incentives. At present, in addition to the competitive prices, many builders are offering other incentives on new homes. Incentives like a percentage of of the home for sale depending on your employment and reduced pricing on upgrades. Some are even offering free upgrades and tossing in little extras that they normally do not offer in order to sweeten the pot. This would mean that you could get a great deal on a brand new home in your area, and that's the last thing you want. Wait for these deals to be snatched up other buyers before you even consider looking for your new home.

2- Lack of competition for you. Right now with many would be buyers sitting on the fence trying to make a decision, you would have your pick of the litter as far as the homes currently available are concerned. You need to wait until many more buyers are on the search, that way you can possibly end up in multiple offer situations and have to fight another buyer over the home you really want.

1- The pride of home ownership. There is no reason to come home to a home that actually belongs to you. Why not constantly come home to a house that you are buying for someone else.

 I hope that in some way this has helped anyone reading to figure out why you should stay on that fence. There are really too many great deals and incentives out there to subject yourself to making a decision as to which one you want. So hang in there and stay on those sidelines. With a little discipline and a little luck you'll be able to avoid all the great deals that this current market has to offer. Best of luck to you.

www.jlboney.com

 I read a lot of posts and articles about killing and crushing the competition. Sure fire ways to dominate your market and obliterate anyone that stands in your way. Guaranteed advice that will lead to leads, referrals, clients, contracts, and closings. It all sounds great, and from some of these well thought out articles, you can get some good advice to incorporate into your business plan to reach your goals and achieve success.

 Well, I'm going to let you in on a huge secret, that will truly help you set yourself apart from your competition. DO YOUR JOB! There it is and that's really all I need to say, for you to retain the ability to crush your so called competition. If you go out and do your job well, and do it right, then you really don't have any competition. Take a group of ten people who go through classes to obtain their real estate license. Out of those ten people, eight of them will normally be out of the business within six months to a year. That leaves two of you that may stand the test of time and remain in the business long term. And if you are the ONE the does the job right, then you have nothing to worry about.

 Put your clients first! This is plain, simple, and priceless advice. Find out their needs and wants and be sure you do everything within your power to help them achieve their goals. Put their needs before yours throughout the process and be willing to bend over backwards to ensure that things go as smoothly as possible.

 Be available! Make sure that you are least reasonably available to your clients, prospects, other Realtors, and anyone else that may be involved in a particular transaction. If you are the Realtor that never returns phone calls and never answers the phone, then you are helping the other agents prove that they don't have competition. There will be times that you can not answer the phone right away, but always return calls promptly and keep in mind that if you can't be reasonable about your schedule, then people will find a Realtor who can.

 Be honest! You are not here to make everyone feel good all the time. Once and a while you will have to hand out hard advice that no one wants to hear, but if you want people to respect you, then you have to tell the truth. Even when it's difficult to do so. This shows character and integrity and both are virtues that people appreciate.

 Be reliable! Don't say that you are going to do anything if you don't plan to follow through. Never ever make a promise you do not intend to keep, it's a quick way to ruin a reputation and reputations don't recover very fast. Be on time and be prepared, you're supposed to be the professional, so live up to the title.

 These are all simple common sense approaches to doing the job right. Treat people the way you want to be treated and keep that in mind when you are dealing with anyone. As long as you do what you are supposed to do, when you are supposed to do it, then most of the rest will fall in line. There will be speed bumps along the way, there always are, but remember they will only slow you down they won't stop you. So get over them and keep on going when you reach the other side. Do these things and yes even you can crush the competition. And what will doing all these things lead to. Well, it will lead to leads, prospects, clients, referrals, contracts, and closings. In short, doing the job right will lead to your success and as long as you're successful then why would even care what your competition is doing.

www.jlboney.com

 Here in the Columbia, SC real estate market, our market is not dominated by short sales nor forclosures. We didn't see the huge impact of bank owned properties that many other parts of the nation unfortunately did encounter. That's not to say that we don't have them, because we do, it's just to say that they do not take up the majority of our homes for sale they are just a part of them.

 However, I will say one thing that I have run into with the short sales that are on the market here. I have seen many homes for sale that say in the agent remarks on the MLS that they are attemting a short sale. I do not like to see words like attemting or trying when it comes to these matters, I like to see that it is or is not a short sale. What I have found through speaking with the listing agents on a few of these properties is that they have done no negotiating with the bank what so ever. They are just putting a price on the home for sale, and then saying that they are "trying" a short sale.

 Now since I do not really deal with a lot of short sales and I have never been the listing agent on one, I will not pretend to be an expert because I'm not. But I'll tell you something that I do know. You don't just get together with a Realtor and a home owner and make the decision that you will do a short sale just because you feel like it. You have to actually negotiate with the bank that holds the mortgage in order to have an approved short sale.

 The other day while showing homes for sale to a client, we got to one of the particular properties that had showing instructions that read vacant, lockbox, and sign. Well, when my client and I got there it was pouring down rain and when we made it to the porch, there was no lockbox on the door. I told my client to stay put and I would run around back to see if I could find the lockbox. Of course there was none there either, so I called the listing agent to see what was going on. Of course I did not get an answer, so I left a message and we moved on to the next home on the tour.

 Fast forward to two days later when my phones rings and when I answer there was a lady on the other end of the line asking what can she help me with. There were children screaming in the background and so much noise I could barely tell what she was attempting to say to me. I asked who she was, and she explained that I had called her about one of her listings and then it dawned on me that she was the listing agent from the home I tried to show two days ago and she was just now returning my call. I told her that I had been on the porch with a client at the time and there was no lockbox.

 She then informed me that she had removed the lockbox a few days before, because the bank wanted too much money for the home. They wanted $120,000 and she had it listed for $111,000 and of course in the agent remarks on the MLS was the phrase, we are trying a short sale. I asked if she had negotiated the short sale with the bank and she replied no. I asked her why she had not just listed the house at $120,000, and she said, "because we were doing a short sale."

 Well, no they were not doing a short sale, they were just throwing a price out there and "trying" to do a short sale. So far as I know, that's not really how it works. You don't just make it up in your head that you are going to sell a home for less than you owe, and call that a short sale because you feel like it. Now of course the home is off the market and I would assume that the bank is about to foreclose on it. The whole thing seems to be a bit unnecessary to me, but what would I know.

www.jlboney.com

 There is a horrible price to pay for the freedom we enjoy. It's a price that has been paid in blood since before the beginning of this great nation and regular payments have been since our founding. It's the blood of those that have sacrificed themselves in the belief that all of us have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The blood of patriots that made no complaints about lying on the alter freedom so that we may enjoy the simple pleasures that we are afforded the right to take for granted.

 Yes, there is a price for freedom and for some it's a heavy price indeed. While we sit at home with our families, watch T.V., play video games, or keep up with latest Internet addiction, they are a world away continuing to ensure that we have the ability to continue these activities. I am willing to believe that each and every soldier of this United States of America who is stationed abroad are wishing that they could be with their families right now. Wishing that they indulge in the simple honor, like hugging their child good night, or complaining on their way to the garage to fill the dogs bowl with food.

 All too often we take things for granted, because many of us can not perceive a life without these routine daily occurrences. But there are people out there that make our routines possible. Somewhere in the world even as I right this, there are tens of thousands of our soldiers longing to return to the same thing that they allow us to take for granted. But somewhere they stare at the same stars we do and some day, the lucky ones will return to our soil when their duty is done.

 I could make this post go on forever, but in the end no matter how long it is, it's only words. Words can mean a lot, even simple words, but they only go so far to express the debt of gratitude that each and every one us should feel toward our protectors. Words can lift spirits and crush hopes, but in the end they are so much less impressive than actions. So here's to all our American soldiers crossed across this vast globe whose actions have paid the price of freedom and made this very post possible.

www.jlboney.com

 It seems to me these days that there is something new and exciting that becomes all the rage every five minutes. Some go on to maintain their initial success, while others flop out of existence as rapidly as they pop into the picture. You just never really know which fad will continue on to fortune and which one will be left in the dust by an increased A.D.D. ridden population.

 I have friends that believe that they must remain on the cutting edge of everything and that they must remain one step ahead of the rest of the pack. By the time everyone else catches on, it's old news and that was so last second. I laugh at them a lot, and they always fail to understand why I just don't "get it". Well what I get is their pretentious nature and that some people have a life that doesn't afford them the right to waste millions of hours attempting to discover something that no one else knows just in an effort to be "cool."

 The fact is that no matter what you find, chances are that someone else has already found it and it will no longer be popular shortly, because something more "cool" will come out. Take phones for example, my phone is about three years old, it has a camera I have never used, and it does not have Internet. This means that for some crazy reason if you want to contact me through my phone, you have to actually call. What a horrendous concept!

 And everyone I know who rushed out to claim their all powerful Blackberry, was ticked off the next day when a better updated Blackberry hit the scene. The same can be said for any electronic device on the face of the planet. I for one so no need to keep up with the times as long as I can keep up with what works. I have received calls and made calls today, so obviously my silly little cheap phone is working and I see no need to fix what isn't broken just to be on "the cutting edge."

 So there in lies my lesson for today, go with what works and what works for you. Just because the rest of the world considers something be all the rage, doesn't really mean that you have the ability to care less about it. It also doesn't mean that it's the right thing for you, or that you are guaranteed any amount of success just because you are on the cutting edge and you know all the latest fads. At some point you may want to give up that fight and just do what you do best. For me that means being a Realtor, not being the resident tech specialist.

www.jlboney.com

 Lately I have started to hear a trend amongst buyers do to a misconception where commission is concerned. When a buyer purchases a home for sale in Columbia, SC or really just a bout anywhere for that matter, they realize that their representation from a Realtor is free for them. Sellers pay commission and that commission is split between the listing and the selling agent. If the listing agent represents both side, the buyer and the seller, then they claim the full commission for the transaction and their is no split.

 I have heard however, from more than one would be buyer lately, that even though their representation is free that the cost of it is passed on to the buyer. This is not the case at all. The commission is agreed upon prior to the home for sale being listed and it will remain the same regardless of whether there is more than one agent involved in the transaction or not. You will not get the home cheaper without your own Realtor, you will simply not have someone protecting your interests in the transaction.

 Regardless of the price that the home ultimately sells for, the commission is already a part of the listing. It will be paid as a percentage of the sells price once the home closes. The only difference is whether one or two agents get paid in the process. So in the end to keep it simple, when you chose to enter a transaction without representation from a buyer's agent, you don't save yourself money. You cost yourself representation.

www.jlboney.com

 I have always wondered about people who spend a large amount of time wondering what if. What if they had done this instead of that? How would their lives be different if they had made decision rather than another? What if they had the nerve to throw caution to the wind and make a change or take a chance? What if they had paid more attention when they could have, would this all have come out different like a giant ripple affect altering the course life and perception of ability. What if....?

 What if you wasted all your life wondering what if..........? What if you just decided that the inviting sight of the deep end of the pool was a calling you could not ignore? What if you just let go and move on with the life you have left rather than holding on to the baggage that is currently causing you to drowned in a sea of regret? Time is precious and you only get so much of it. What you do with this time is completely up to you, but in my opinion kicking yourself for the decisions you never made doesn't help one little bit with the decisions you need to make.

 I have honestly thought about removing the rear view mirror from my automobile simply because I don't like the idea of looking back. I like the idea of looking away even less. Problems in this life only have a way of taking care of themselves when they are not your problems. So focusing on the issues at hand and not looking away from them is the best way to clear your path for forward progress. Looking back only holds you back, because what is done is done and that will never change no matter how much time you spend wondering what if.......

  The world around you will not wait for you to catch up, this I can assure you. You just have to chase down what you want and what you want is ahead of you not behind you. It's always a good idea to learn from the past, but it's a complete waste to live in it. There is no rewind nor fast forward, so you just have to accept what's gone and look ahead to what's on the way, because like it or not, here it comes. So what if you took the time to free yourself from your own caged mind and told your feet to start moving forward? You may be surprised by the outcome.

www.jlboney.com