Friday, January 28, 2011

Allison Van Wig Is Showcasing Her New Listing at 1630 Park Avenue, Unit #8

My new listing at 1630 Park Avenue is a stunning top floor condominium unit with vaulted ceilings and beautiful hardwood floors.

Large private patio just off living is perfect for entertaining.

This home offers 2 bedroom and 2 baths, a open living room with vaulted ceilings with lots of windows to let in the light. Updated kitchen has a garden window and an adjoining dining area.

Large master suite plus a nice sized second bedroom. Fresh paint and new carpet – this is move in ready!

To see a virtual tour or see a property brochure visit www.1630Park.com plus sit back and enjoy the YouTube Tour!

Beautiful Top Floor Condo

To see virtual tours of my other listings visit www.SuperBroker.com

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Long Beach & Lakewood Realtor® Allison Van Wig Gives Interview On Local Radio Station

My Keller Williams Media Coordinator submitted the following press release about my upcoming interview and I wanted my blog readers to know about this.

PRESS RELEASE

Local Realtor® Allison Van Wig of Keller Williams Realty will be a featured guest and interviewed by Ron Siegel, Radio Host of the Real Estate Radio Network. This interview can be heard by tuning into KLAA AM 830 or you can catch it streaming from the Internet from www.AM830.NET the time is from 10:00 – 11:00 am.

Van Wig is a top producing and consistent award winning Realtor®, who has been successfully serving the Long Beach and Lakewood communities for the past 23 years. She will be discussing her views on the current local real estate market and what she feels the future holds for the communities in which she specializes.

Van Wig is one of those Realtors® who has been through several real estate trending cycles and each and every time her level of commitment to excellence has galvanized her client-first approach in guiding her sellers and buyers to a successful escrow closing.

Throughout the years, her experience has evolved and grown as she has initiated fresh marketing techniques while harnessing new and cutting edge technologies to market her listings and bring information to her selling and buying clientele.

Her expertise includes working in all stages of homeownership; whether it is a first-time-home-buyer, a seller who has outgrown their home and needs to sell and move-up, or a homeowner who now owes more on their mortgage than their home is worth and they just don’t know who to trust or get answers from. Since 1988, Van Wig has been filling that need by providing those answers and solutions for 100’s real estate sellers and buyers.

· What advice does Van Wig give to her clients when they ask what they could do to their home in order to get the best price?

· What solutions does she offer to first time home buyers who are faced with the challenges of today’s rapidly changing real estate and mortgage marketplace?

· How does she envision the average Long Beach and Lakewood homeowner five years from now and, what can buyers do today to prepare for homeownership?

For answers to these questions and to hear a great discussion from a local real estate expert, tune in on Sunday, January 23rd at 10:00 am.

They say that all that really matters in real estate is local and because Van Wig specializes in Long Beach and Lakewood, her thoughts on our local real estate market couldn’t come at a better time.

When not giving radio interviews, Allison Van Wig can be reached at her Long Beach real estate office by calling 562-882-1581 or visiting www.SuperBroker.com.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Hire a Local Realtor® and Win

Your brother-in-law is a Realtor® and wants your business when you are considering listing your home for sale. Only problem is, he lives in another city. “No problem,” he says. “I can handle the entire transaction. Besides, I’m only an hour away.”

Is it a good idea to list with him? Sure, he’ll probably discount his commission but what will that minor reduction really cost you in the long run? It doesn’t matter if he’s a stellar Realtor®, if he isn’t from your area, mistakes are inevitable.

Hiring an agent that works in your city is one of the best investments that you can make when selling your home. For example, they know local ordinances; this ensures that you won’t be out of compliance with local ordinances. Your out-of-area agent may put up a for sale sign that could get you into trouble with the city’s code enforcers while a local agent knows exactly what’s allowed.

Many cities such as Long Beach, California require that ALL Realtors® and real estate agents conducting business within the city limits of Long Beach hold a valid business license … does your out-of-area Realtor® have a valid business license for Long Beach? Are they willing to get one? How long would that take?

Local Realtors® know the market and will assist you in pricing your home appropriately. While your brother-in-law has access to area comps, does he know the nuances between all the various neighborhoods? A local agent most certainly does and can price your home appropriately.

What happens when you need something? Can your brother-in-law come over right away? What if someone calls to see the home when they are driving by the sign? Can he be there within fifteen minutes? Will the potential buyer have to wait an hour or more? What if you run out of flyers? How long will you have to wait before new ones are put into the box out in front? A local agent is just minutes away and ready to serve.

The Multiple Listing System (MLS) is one of the most powerful tools any Realtor® can use. Your out-of-area agent should use it to list your home so that other agents can find it. Problems sometime arise when out-of-area agents accidentally places the home in the wrong area. What if he lists your home in his locality out of habit?  If that is the case, when local Realtors® have buyers in your city, your home won’t pop up when they search the MLS! Likewise, Realtors® in other cities will see your home and dismiss it because it’s not in the correct area where their buyers are searching for homes.

Does your out-of-area Realtor® have a regular advertising contract with local advertisers? Your brother-in-law might be a genius in HIS city but does he know yours?

What does an incorrect MLS listing or lack of suitable advertising mean to you? Qualified buyers won’t even know your home exists. Your home will languish on the market and you will be forced to lower your price. As your listing grows older, the few buyers who DO find your home will wonder why it has been on the market for so long.

When the time comes to list your home for sale, instead of hiring an out-of-town Realtor®, hire a local one and give your home the best advantage possible. If your brother-in-law offers his services, suggest that he refer a local agent to you instead; he’ll get a referral fee and you’ll get a local professional realtor to sell your home. This is a win-win for everybody!

For more information about what a difference a local Realtor® can make, just give me a call at 562-882-1581 or visit my website at www.SuperBroker.com 

Allison Van Wig©