Contingency Sales and the Challenges of buying real estate as a second time, move-up buyer.

 

What is a Contingency, Concurrent Closing Sale Anyway?

Contingency Sales and the Challenges of buying real estate as a second time, move-up buyer. Why it is important that the agent you hire understands the ins and outs of handling this type of transaction?

Second time home buyers are different as they have a clear understanding of what they are looking for in their next home. But the challenges of avoiding a triple move can be difficult to overcome if the agent you hire is not experienced in handling this type of transaction.

Selling your existing home and buying another property and having both escrows close together can be very difficult if not handled correctly. Buying and/or selling real estate is stressful and challenging enough without complicating the situation with problems that are easily avoided.

Allison talks about how to overcome the challenges of selling & buying at the same time.

So where do you start?

When hiring an agent to sell your existing home make sure and interview at least two or three agents to determine their experience in the concurrent closing of a contingency real estate sale.

Beware of the advice that an agent may give you about just selling your current home first to get that part of the transaction out of the way … after all; you would still have the cash in the bank with which you would use to make your next purchase. View the video I published that goes into more detail as to how harmful this strategy can be and how you may actually lose money in the long run!

Hiring an agent that is experienced and who has successfully closed concurrent, contingency real estate transactions in a rising home value market is critical to your success as a seller and second-time, move-up or empty-nest home buyer.

In my video I further explain how I recommend proceeding should my home sellers not be successful in finding their next home within the specified period given in the sales contract of their existing home.

For more information or to discuss your individual situation, just give me a call.

Allison Van Wig 562-882-1581

What - Me Worry About Long Beach Housing? Maybe Not!

If you happened to be among the thousand or so consumers who got a telephone call in March from Fannie Mae, and if you took the time to answer the 100+ questions they were asking, on behalf of the rest of us I'd like to say 'thanks!'
You and your fellow survey subjects have sent a ray of light our way. You told us that you think things are finally looking up!

According to you and your 1,000 fellow respondents, homeowners who have been considering putting up their Long Beach home for sale might have reason to be more inclined to do so. On average, Americans expect home prices to increase over the next 12 months; the number of respondents who say it's a good time to sell rose to the highest level in over a year; and a solid 65% say they would buy rather than rent their next home if they were going to move.

Just 29% said they would prefer to rent -- even though 45% think home rental prices will go up. That is nearly ten times the number who think rents will fall.

Delving into personal financial expectations, only 12% think that their financial situation will worsen in the coming 12 months, representing the lowest value in over a year. Fewer believe their expenses have increased significantly in the last year;, and only one in seven report that their income is lower than it was a year ago.

Fannie Mae's National Housing Survey is a window into opinions about owning and renting homes, household finances, housing and the economy, etc. It is by far the most comprehensive measure of consumer attitudes toward the housing market; and since they keep at it every month, is a fair signal whether attitudes are beginning to turn up or down.

Local attitudes tend to echo their findings, if for no other reason than Fannie Mae's headline: “Consumer Attitudes about Personal Finances and Housing Stabilize Alongside Positive Economic News.” That may be a mouthful, but whenever you see 'Housing' and 'Positive' in the same headline, it has to make everybody a little cheerier.

If you're planning on your own Long Beach property purchase or sale, why not give my office a call? Allison Van Wig // 562-882-1581

Would You Go On a Job Interview Without Knowing What The Company Does?

Yesterday I was teaching a class of real estate agents and a very interesting question came up. The agent wanted to know how to give pricing information to his seller on the value of a home.

The seller thought that the home was worth $480,000, the agent stated that the home was worth $460,000. They had an offer for $470,000 that the seller would not counter.

I asked the agent why the seller thought the home was worth more. The agent stated that he saw the price on Zillow.

I then asked the agent if he himself had looked at Zillow? The agent stated "why would I look at Zillow when I have the recent sales from the multiple listing system". I replied “so that you might have a better understanding about the seller’s pricing thoughts”.

As a listing agent, my thinking always is that I want to see what the recent sales are that Zillow is using; usually they have a few sales on the site that they are comparing the  home to. The agent said “well I don't need that information, I have better information from the multiple listing system”.

This agent totally missed the point. In today's world it seems that no one wants to take that extra step to try and help or to understand where the customer is coming from. It is as If you went on a job interview and had the best engineering skills but no knowledge of what the company did; do you think you would get the job?

What the agent should have done was look at Zillow and any other consumer related real estate site before even going on the appointment or listing the property.

He should have had a conversation with the seller before an offer was ever received. If the agent and the client both have the same information then it will be a much smoother transaction. A good agent should always explain why the comparable sales on certain websites may or may not be a good match for their property.

Our job is to price a home to sell and get the most amount of money for the seller. My goal is that I always want my sellers to understand why that price is a good fit.

When I go on the job interview … AKA a listing appointment, I should know what that seller’s expectations are before hand. I then go with appropriate materials so we can discuss my job. My seller and I then have a much better chance of selling that home at its highest price.

Knowing my property inventory, past sales activity plus … understanding what the seller expects, are all key components to providing the best service possible.

If you would like more information about this process … please give me a call or visit my website.

562-882-1581 or www.SuperBroker.com

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Beautiful Remodeled Home in Ridgewood Heights Area of Long Beach Has Just Been Listed

Just listed by Super Broker Allison Van Wig is this charming three bedroom and two bath home. Open and airy with glossy hardwood flooring gives you over 1600 square feet of living space.

This home has just come on the market and is a delight to see … for a virtual tour CLICK HERE or … to visit the property’s website just visit www.4736Boyar.com.

     

With spring time upon us … the home buying season will be in full swing within the next few weeks … there is a lot more to buying a home than just looking at property on the Internet. You need a smart and savvy real estate agent to guide you through the process.

Many new home buyers have a lot of questions and need reliable information so they can make decisions that are right for them.

Home sellers need an experienced agent to price their property to sell in the least amount of time for the most amount of money.

I have been serving Long Beach and Lakewood sellers and buyers for over 23 years … if you need help getting started … just give me a call. If you want to get started I invite you to visit my websites.

If you want to buy a home you can get started on your computer by visiting www.GreatLakewoodHomes.com where you can search the MLS database for properties … you can save your favorites and leave messages if you have questions about a certain property.

If you are thinking of selling, visit www.SuperBroker.com and you can see how I market my listings for my clients.

562-882-1581

Technorati Tags: real estate for sale in lakewood,homes for sale in long beach,allison Van Wig

Home Staging for Selling Real Estate – This Goes Way Beyond Curb Appeal

We have all heard the saying … that you never get a second chance to make a first impression …

Or, that we should not judge a book by its cover … but … we all do!

In Real Estate a bad impression can be a deal killer! And when it comes to selling your home these words take on new meaning.

I often wonder why it is so hard for those who want or need to sell their home, do not realize that once they make that decision … where they have decided to put their home on the Real Estate Market … that their “Home Sweet Home” is now a product that needs to be carefully managed with strategic marketing and specific merchandising techniques.

That is where the experience and skill of a Real Estate professional comes in … Your Realtor® can help you put things into perspective and giving you guidance on where to start and how to “stage” your home. You will want to maximize your efforts with the smallest amount of money possible. Again your Real Estate professional will know advice to give you.

Additionally, It can be very difficult to remain objective and to know exactly what the savvy Real Estate buyer in today’s marketplace is looking for … Real Estate professionals are always on the receiving end of the buyer’s feedback just after they have looked at a prospective new home … it is this advice that can be used to your best advantage.

There are several television shows that touch on these subjects and they are very entertaining … but for your own special dose of reality … reach out to your local Realtor® and get your own special advice.

For more information on how to put your best foot forward in marketing your property visit … http://www.superbroker.com/