Archive for June, 2008
Cort Report for Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta and Carpinteria CA. Areas - May 2008
categories: Market Statistics / Updates
Here is the Santa Barbara cort report for closed sales for the month of May 2008. The cort report lists all closed sales of property regardless of whether they were reported in the Santa Barbara MLS or not. This includes for sale by owners, transfers of property between family members etc. Upwards of 95+ % of all sales are reported in the MLS, where as 100% are reported in the cort report.
If you would like further info about a certain month or area, please let me know so that I can be of help.
Further Reading: Cort Report April 2008, Market Statistics and Reports for the Year 2008
Kevin Schmidtchen - Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.
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Little Known Advantages of Blogging Realtors - Santa Barbara and Montecito CA.
categories: Buyer's Resources, First-time Home Buyers, Real Estate News, Seller's Resources
A few years ago blogging was almost an unknown in the real estate business. Here and there a few Realtors and other real estate professionals were blogging, but not to the extent that is seen today. In the Santa Barbara and Montecito CA areas, there is currently very little blogging done by Realtors.
To me this is very interesting since the use of the Internet continues to expand as THE MAIN TOOL (an often the main starting point) for buyers and sellers to search for homes, gather information about areas, learn real estate tips and meet potential real estate agents.
For most buyers and sellers, I feel that working with a Realtor who blogs and blogs regularly (say 2-3 times per week) gives them many advantages.
Advantages for a buyer or seller of working with a Realtor who Blogs!!!
#1 - You as the consumer get to know the real estate agent and get to establish a rapport with them even before you meet them personally. Through their blogging, a buyer or seller will learn about an agent’s values, their style, their knowledge, their interests etc. Ultimately the consumer can then decide if they are someone they trust to help in achieving their real estate goals. There will be a definite comfort level achieved before you even begin.
#2 - You gain a definite insight into what the Realtor actually knows about their particular role in the real estate market they are in. Are they writing about short sales and foreclosures…if not, then most likely they don’t know much about them. Are they writing about oceanfront property and high-end property…if so, then most likely they do know about this market. No one knows everything about their particular business, but what they do know they tend to write about.
#3 - You will learn if the Realtor is an expert is your neighborhood of interest. If they have never written about Santa Barbara neighborhoods such as The Mesa, San Roque, Downtown, Oceanfront in Montecito, view homes and so on, then most likely they are not comfortable with those areas or markets for whatever reason. A Santa Barbara Realtor that blogs about certain areas demonstrates their knowledge of the area.
#4 - Does the Realtor cite facts and figures to support their points that they are making? Are other posts and websites they refer to in their own posts helpful as well? If this is all done clearly and of help, then the Realtor is taking their time to do their research. A definite criteria that any good Realtor should have.
#5 - The presence that a Realtor has online is extremely important these days with the Internet becoming THE MAIN TOOL in researching real estate. If you are looking for an agent to help you sell your home, make 100% sure that they have a good Internet presence and knowledge of how to market your property online. If you Google them for example, will they show up all over the place or are they hidden on the Web? If they are hidden, then most likely any online presence of your home being sold will also be hidden. If they are everywhere, then most likely your home will have a very good online presence.
#6 - Is their writing clear and precise. If so, then most likely your transaction with them will be smooth with good communication. This is obviously very important during any transaction. Through well thought out good writing you can learn how a Realtor thinks and communicates.
#7 - Lastly, a huge advantage of working with an agent that blogs is that you can learn about their character. Are they ethical and professional? Do they seem to have integrity and your interests at heart? Are they responsible, knowledgeable, likable and do they communicate clearly? You will learn about many advantages that a Realtor can bring to you as a client and into a transaction through their blogging.
As an active Real Estate Agent and Real Estate Blogger here in the Santa Barbara and Montecito CA areas, I feel that I am enabling the consumer with better transparency of information. I believe that the quality of the information is also extremely important. I also believe that by blogging I am more consumer focused and therefore a better Santa Barbara Realtor.
Kevin Schmidtchen - Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.
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5 Ways to Increase the Chances of Selling Your Santa Barbara Home in Today’s Market
categories: Santa Barbara, Seller's Resources
If you are in a situation where you need to think about selling your Santa Barbara home in today’s market, here are 5 rules I think that could be of help.
1) Be honest with your price. The most common mistake in a down market is to set your price based on yesterday’s market. Generally the first batch of buyers you get in the first 10 days will tend to pay the best price. If you don’t attract any of them, you are potentially in for a long haul with a slower market. If there is a lot of inventory in your area then you need to create a buzz. If you end up not getting an offer in the first 2-3 weeks and you feel that it is because of price, do a large price reduction instead of setting out on a path of baby steps in price reductions.
2) Use a qualified realtor. Doing things on your own such as a FSBO is very hard in a slower market. You will have to work a lot harder than you can imagine to market your home these days. Also, hire a Realtor with some experience and not someone who just got into the business. You should use an agent with a track record in a slower market.
3) Stage your home to sell. Get rid of clutter, pictures of grandparents and your latest trip to the sea and sand. Create glam and a focal point in each room. Paint your home with a fresh coat and choose neutral colors as well as spacious colors.
4) Offer incentives for the buyer. We know about all the issues with financing these days. There are also plenty of horror stories for well qualified people. Make your home more affordable for a first-time buyer with offering to pay all closing costs for example. A $3,000 hit at close of escrow looks a lot nicer than no one knocking on the door and then having to contemplate a $35,000 price reduction.
5) If you are under water on your mortgage, look for options. If a family issue or a job is compelling you to move, you don’t have a ton of options. If it is a job for example, then ask your new employer to help with your loan and sale. Another option is to become a landlord. Our rental market in Santa Barbara is strong and maybe the best option is to wait out the slump as a landlord.
Further Reading: Do Open Houses Work in the Santa Barbara and Montecito Areas, 5 Crucial Tips to Have Your Santa Barbara Home Ready for Sale in a Slow Market
Kevin Schmidtchen - Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.
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Is My Realtor a Santa Barbara Neighborhood Specialist in My Area?
categories: Buyer's Resources, First-time Home Buyers, Seller's Resources
Sometimes buyers and sellers will hire a real estate agent who works outside of an area because of friendship or thinking they could save money since this Realtor will give them a “kick-back” on their commission. From my experience, working with an agent who does not have intimate knowledge of the neighborhood you are looking to buy or sell in can hurt you in many ways…financially speaking. Therefore, if you choose to want to work with someone you know who does not know your area well, have them team up with a Realtor who does know the area.
Here is a sample list of some crucial information that a Santa Barbara neighborhood specialist will undoubtedly know, whereas an out-of-area real estate agent most likely will not:
- The history of the neighborhood and the homes, who lived where, when etc.
- Which homes were previously sold outside of the MLS, FSBO etc.
- What makes certain homes on a street worth more than the other homes
- Which streets in each neighborhood are considered more desirable than others
- Neighborhood nuisances such as loud pets, traffic etc. and their influence on value
- How to accurately price certain homes to determine specific values
- Which agents tend to take listings at market and who takes overpriced listings and for what reasons
- Listing agent’s individual reputations and how to negotiate and work with these agents
- Pending legislation, assessments or neighborhood changes and regulations
- How to potentially get inside information out of a listing agent because they know how a certain agent works
- New inventory that is not yet on the market but will be coming…or sellers that would sell if an offer was brought to them
Further Reading: The 2 Major Steps in Buying a Home in Santa Barbara CA
Kevin Schmidtchen - Thank you for reading. I hope you find Santa Barbara Real Estate Voice informative. Please feel free to contact me or comment below with any thoughts.
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