Why make your Fair Oaks home so hard to sell?

I have been showing a lot of homes for my Fair Oaks area home buyers lately and I have encountered some things that are difficult to comprehend.

I realize that our local Fair Oaks area market is turning around and there are more and more homes that are selling very quickly and with multiple offers, but I still feel that sellers and their agents could make it a little bit easier to buy their properties.

For example, there was a Fair Oaks home listed in the MLS with showing instructions “Appointment with seller” and seller's phone number to call.  It is one of the properties I had sent my clients for their review and they had selected it as one they wanted to see.

I called the phone number provided and instead of the phone ringing, a recording said “The Magic Jack customer you have called is unavailable, please leave a message,” so I left a voice mail message asking for a call back to set a time to show his house.  After a couple of hours I still hadn’t heard back and we were trying to arrange our showing schedule, so I tried again – still no one but the recording answering. 

After a couple more tries, I called the listing agent who told me that Magic Jack was the only phone he had, and since it works through the computer, he couldn’t receive calls on it.  She said that he had lost his cable because he hadn’t been able to pay the bill and there was no way to reach him.

What????  So why does the listing say to call that number and make an appointment with him?

I asked her how my clients could go to see the house, and she said the only thing she could think of was to just go there and knock on the door, because he is “always home” and he will probably let us in. 

We went as instructed, and there was a car in the driveway, but no one came to the door, despite our knocking several times and the dogs inside barking like mad.  I left one of my business cards tucked in the screen door with a note saying we’d be back in about an hour.  When we came back the card was gone, but there was still no answer.

My clients decided it wasn’t worth it.  If it was this difficult to see the house, they figured it would be a nightmare trying to get a transaction done.  So we moved on to other properties and won’t be going back to that one.

I can’t imagine how that Fair Oaks home will ever be sold.  Too bad, because it looks like a nice place.  So why make your Fair Oaks home so hard to sell?

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Susan Neal                              "Happy clients make me happy."
Broker / Realtor
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 30+ years experience.  

I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction.

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916)705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

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Carmichael CA Real Estate Market Recovery

In order to truly evaluate the real estate market recovery in any area, I believe that a “snapshot” of the market at a particular time doesn’t really tell the story. I like to present graphs showing the last 12-15 months of transactions to demonstrate how the real estate market is trending in a certain area, like Carmichael, California, a suburb of Sacramento. 

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This first graph illustrates the number of listed homes (light green), the number of closed sales (dark green) and the homes placed into escrow or pended (red line) each month from October 2010 through December 2011. 

It includes all single family residences (SFRs) in Carmichael, and the picture is clear that the market is recovering.  Inventory is much reduced, while sales and new pendings are up.  And in case you are wondering if this is simply seasonal, compare December 2010 with December 2011, and you will see why I believe in the Carmichael CA real estate recovery.

Here is a simple graph that shows months of inventory – a little different way of looking at the market trends.  In other words, at the rate that homes are selling at a given time, it is anticipated that it would take that many months to sell them all.

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Carmichael is pretty much an eclectic market, with homes for less than $100,000 and homes in the millions of dollars, and everything in between.  The most popular price range in all areas of Sacramento County is around $200,000-399,999, and here is a chart limited to the SFRs in that price range.

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We went from 212 homes sitting on the market to just 163, while the number of closed sales went from 25 to 44 and the number of new escrows went from 29 to 41.

In other words, homes that are placed on the market are selling much more quickly than they did in 2010, and it appears to continue to improve.

When it comes to condos, however, the story is very unclear. Here is a graph showing all of the condos listed and sold in Carmichael CA during the same period. While it follows the same general pattern as the full market, there are some differences.

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And here is a chart with the months of condo inventory – you can see that it looks pretty erratic, so more information is needed to understand what is occurring in each condo complex.  Call me for more detailed information on any complex.

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Obviously, when trying to evaluate the condo market in Carmichael California, each community must be considered separately.  Some condo communities are overloaded with renters, making financing difficult for new purchasers, or there are restrictions on renting, or they have a large number of residents who have experienced difficulties and are in default in their association dues.  These things make selling difficult, since in some complexes now, the units must be sold for all cash to a buyer who will be living there.

Other complexes might be so new that units are just coming on the market, or might have a number of foreclosed units.  Therefore, if you are interested in a certain complex, contact me or another realtor who knows the Carmichael area to get the specific information to permit you to adequately evaluate it.

I can tell you from my own experience that we are seeing more and more multiple offers on homes and condos in nice condition. 

If you are a seller, follow your Realtor’s advice on preparing your home for sale, and you should be able to get it sold quickly and for the appropriate market price.  Remember that your buyer will be getting an appraisal that will determine the loan he can obtain, so if you overprice your home, it will not appraise and you might not be able to close an escrow that opens, so that is a waste of your time. Ask your Realtor to provide you with comparable sales information and market trends, so that you can properly price your home. 

If you are a buyer, consult a Realtor familiar with the area in which you are interested, and ask her to guide you through the process of getting preapproved for a loan amount, searching for homes in the price range that your loan will cover, and making the right offer, with price and terms that will be comfortable for you.  There are many programs available for low down payments, down payment assistance, energy upgrades, and you might even qualify for a grant (free money you do not have to repay).  Your Realtor and lender can find all the programs that will be right for you, and some of them can be combined to get you great deals.

Real estate recovery in Carmichael California is happening every day!

This is a great time to buy, but it is also a great time to sell!  Call a local Realtor and ask for a free consultation to review your options. 

If you are in the Sacramento County area, give me a call and I will be glad to meet with you.

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Susan Neal                              "Happy clients make me happy."
Broker / Realtor
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 30+ years experience.  

I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction.

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916)705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

HUD homes resource         Search HUD Homes

Wind and rain in Fair Oaks California

Normally we have some rain and now and then some windy days here in the Sacramento area, and in my home in Fair Oaks California we turn off the automatic sprinklers all winter, as they aren’t needed.  This year we have had warmer weather and all of us in Sacramento area have wondered if we would ever have to dig out our heavier jackets – we’ve had days in the 70s much longer than any year I can recall – and NO RAIN!

A couple of weeks ago, we had 70s weather and we were out in short sleeves, and a few days later we were below freezing, but it lasted just two days and we were back to the mid-to-high 60s.  Still no rain, and we had to continue to water our lawns and plants.

Well, we have finally got some of the wet stuff, and it came with a pretty strong wind too.  I made a video of some of our rain and wind, but the strongest of the wind came in the middle of the night, so I didn’t get up to go out and film that!

Here is a small taste of what we had the last couple of days.  I did not tape the heaviest of the rain, because I just didn’t want to go out and stand in the downpour.  I did think about it, but chickened out at the doorway.  So you’ll have to use your imagination.

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Rain and wind don’t stop the red or gray squirrels from coming to our patio door to beg for nuts, and since we feed them all the time, we certainly can’t stop when the weather is uncomfortable.  That may be when they need us most.  We usually toss a bunch of nuts out on the back lawn for them, but it’s also fun to put some by the sliders so we can watch them up close.

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We have lush and healthy trees and plants all over Sacramento County.  Only Paris France has more trees per capita than Sacramento, and the wind and rain in Fair Oaks California are part of what keeps our area verdant and beautiful.

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Susan Neal                              "Happy clients make me happy."
Broker / Realtor
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 30+ years experience.  

I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction.

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916)705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

HUD homes resource         Search HUD Homes

I found another newbie to Active Rain who is doing a great job here!  He’s Vince Chinell, a home inspector in Forsyth, Missouri near Branson.  He’s an InterNACHI CERTIFIED Home Inspector and his company is VICO Inc. serving all of Taney County.

Vince is a Rainmaker with a really good profile page that gives the consumer some terrific information about home inspections and a list of home inspection tips.  Great info!

He has written a dozen really wonderful posts, is participating in contests and challenges, and his informative, content-rich posts have been getting a lot of comments.  And speaking of comments, Vince is also reading and thoughtfully commenting on a lot of posts himself.

Even though he only joined our community here on Active Rain last month, he has already made himself an important and valued member of the community.

Stop by and say hello to him and you’ll wind up subscribing.  I did!

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Susan Neal                              "Happy clients make me happy."
Broker / Realtor
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 30+ years experience.  

I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction.

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916)705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

HUD homes resource         Search HUD Homes

How Active Rain brings me clients in Fair Oaks CA.

Some realtors ask me how Active Rain brings me clients. 

Anyone who really wants to understand what Active Rain is all about should read the ten guiding principles and philosophy as set forth in its Weltanschauung.  The community guidelines and how they are interpreted and enforced are based on those Weltanschauung principles.

If there is a guideline you don’t know for sure how to interpret (although they are mostly pretty clear), look at it through the lens of the Weltanschauung, which sets out the Active rain world view.

Principles 2 and 5 are among my favorites.  

Number 2 says “We believe that real estate professionals will thrive if they demonstrate their local market.”

And that it is committed to empowering real estate professionals so they can help people achieve the dream of home ownership.

Number 5 says “We believe that the constructive dialogue at Active rain fosters transparency among consumers about the industry.”

And that it plays a key role in demonstrating the integrity and professionalism of those engaged in our industry.

Clearly it is a great idea to focus many of our blog posts in our own local markets, to inform consumers that the national figures that they hear on the news do not necessarily reflect what is going on in their own neighborhood, and that they can get better and more accurate information from a local realtor.

Active Rain has even promoted our posting local market reports by giving us extra points for posting them.  Of course points are not the reason why we should be posting them, but a little incentive does encourage more frequent market reports.  And more points does help to move you up on the page of agents or other real estate professionals so that folks doing a search for people in their area who can help them will be more apt to see your name and a link to your profile page.

But market reports aren’t the only way for us to demonstrate our local expertise and our personal integrity.  We can “show what we’re made of” by posting information about neighborhoods or condo communities or shopping centers or other local features.  We can also let potential clients know more about us as people.

No matter what the subject of my posts, I almost never make them for members only, because I figure whatever I would say to my fellow realtors and other Active Rain members, I would say to them.  I do not mind at all  having them see the real me or understanding my personal philosophies or opinions.  I don't mind consumers reading a post on how a listing presentation should be given or why I think some MLS listings do not adequately market the homes they are trying to sell.   

I don’t single out any particular real estate agent or listing, but I think it is fine to advise sellers what they should be able to expect from their agents and to encourage them to ask for things they otherwise might not have thought about.

I also like to share my own personal stories, like pictures of my cats and my family, the kinds of animals that visit my backyard feeders, and the community events and charities in which I participate.

Some photos and videos I have posted about my funny cats or silly things around my home or little neighborhood get togethers have brought me clients, so I know that they have helped me to demonstrate to consumers what kind of person I am. 

After they have laughed at my cats, they go on to read my other posts and learn that I do know my market.  And when they call me, they say they feel like they already know me and feel comfortable working with me.

I believe that this is the kind of result that those two principles of the Weltanschauung are hoping for, and I’m glad that Active Rain has our success and the success of our potential clients as its goal.

And that is how Active Rain brings me clients in Fair Oaks California!

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Susan Neal                              "Happy clients make me happy."
Broker / Realtor
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 30+ years experience.  

I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction.

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916)705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

HUD homes resource         Search HUD Homes

Everybody knows that today was Martin Luther King. Jr.’s birthday.  Google, as usual, even changed its logo in his honor.

But it was also the birthday of our daughter, Colleen.  She and her husband have a big cattle ranch just outside Roseburg Oregon, and they had thought about celebrating by driving over to the Oregon Coast where they own a property, but with a storm coming in they decided to wait until later for that.

And this morning they got their first snow of the winter.  It is beautiful on their ranch when it snows, but the roads are a bit treacherous, so they are celebrating at home.

We wish we could be there to celebrate with them, but I’m sure they’ll do just fine with a glass of wine, a fire in the fireplace and a couple of rented movies.

Happy birthday, Colleen!

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Susan Neal                              "Happy clients make me happy."
Broker / Realtor
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 30+ years experience.  

I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction.

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916)705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

HUD homes resource         Search HUD Homes

 Lisa has written a very clear and well-stated post with information that every buyer should know.  Think of it as a checklist, and before wasting time checking out homes, please take the time to do these items.

Your Realtor will want to help you find the perfect home for you, so she must know just what you are looking for:  location, size, amenities, etc.  Be very clear if you hate being too close to a school or must have a fireplace or whatever your preferences.

As for price, before deciding that,  meet with a lender who can review your financial situation and prequalify or – even better – pre-approve you for a certain size loan.  Then you will not have any unpleasant surprises later when you have fallen in love with a house only to discover that you can’t get financing for it.

Every buyer should work with an agent – even if the listing agent says he or she can just write up a contract.  He represents the seller.  You do need someone with whom you have a relationship who will negotiate on your behalf. 

Gary has reminded us of one of the most important rules of a good negotiator:  Once you have made your argument, keep your mouth shut and wait.  It can sometimes be hard to simply stop and let there be a moment or two of silence, but if you do that, you will find that the other person also finds silence uncomfortable and they will usually do one of two things: 

They will further explain their position, giving you more issues to address, or they will start backpedalling and come closer to your position.  Either way, you will find more room for negotiating. 

If you keep on talking, you might also risk something else:  overselling.  I have seen sales persons talk someone into a purchase, then talk so much that they talked them out of it.  The customer feels pressured and starts backing away.

Make your point and STOP!

I am always reading when I’m not doing something else.  I may be reading blog posts, newspapers or emails, or I might have my nose in a book.  At night, I read a few pages in a detective or mystery novel to turn off the day’s activities and ease into sleep.

During the day, however, I pour over books on leadership, success, marketing and business techniques.  I have two full shelves of these books in our den, plus there are many of these books I have given to others whom I’ve mentored.

Some of the blog posts I have written have been book reports encouraging others to read some of my favorites, but I also get flashes of insights that give me great ideas for posts about real estate, both for other real estate professionals and for consumers.

A success principle is a success principle, and these principles do translate from one business to another, with a bit of “translation” – and they often also translate to techniques that consumers can use when marketing their homes or negotiating to purchase a home.

If you are stuck for ideas on what to write about – either for your potential clients or for other AR members, I suggest that you read anything written by Bob Burg, Zig Ziglar, or John Maxwell, among others.  Not only will you get great advice for improving your own life and business, but you will be inspired with great ideas to write about in your blog. 

Even a quote from one of these authors can inspire a great post, and I have often been reading a book and suddenly found that instead of reading I was mentally writing a blog post.  Time to put the book down and jot a few notes for the next trip to the computer.  Sometimes a blog post will almost write itself.

If you don’t have any of these books and want to find a quote that will inspire you, try looking at posts in the groups:  Motivational Monday or Quote of the Day.  Others have written great posts based on quotes that might inspire you in a completely different way.  Sometimes a read a quote on someone’s post and it really hits home and I can’t wait to write about my reaction to it.

Between this post and the one I wrote yesterday, I have told you some of my favorite ways to come up with blog post ideas, although there are many more.  Of course my cats give me some great ideas, as do my travels, my volunteer activities, news items, and questions and issues that arise in working with clients and other real estate professionals.

In any case, once I have an idea for a post, I think about who my target audience should be.  Clearly an article addressed to agents would have a different focus than one meant for buyers or sellers, although I make all of my posts public (with very rare exception). 

Each blogger can decide how his/her blog will be perceived, but I don’t post anything that I don’t want the public to see – if something is that private, I guess I just wouldn’t put it on line.  Otherwise, my life is pretty much an open book.  I like people and enjoy sharing.  I like getting to know others beyond just their market reports, and I have gotten positive reaction to my more personal posts.

Although I love to write, it doesn’t always come easy to me, and perhaps that is why I have learned to use the things around me as inspiration for subject matter.  Once I get started on a post, though, I seem to have no trouble making them almost too long!  I’m not really a motor-mouth when I’m talking, but I tend to be when I’m writing, and I usually wind up chopping down my posts.  The good thing about that is that I can sometimes get two or more posts out of one main idea!

If you even find yourself with writer’s block, try some of these techniques.  Let me know what you think.

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Susan Neal                              "Happy clients make me happy."
Broker / Realtor
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 30+ years experience.  

I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction.

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916)705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

HUD homes resource         Search HUD Homes

People ask me all the time how I can possibly write a blog and post something nearly every day.  They don’t understand how I come up with enough ideas of things to write about.

I felt that way when I first started blogging – it all seemed so overwhelming to think of coming up with so many posts.

I had written legal and real estate articles and brochures for years and a regular monthly real estate column for our local newspaper, but I thought writing a daily column in a blog would leave no time for work, family or sleep!

When I first joined Active Rain nearly 5 years ago, I struggled to think of topics, but as I read other blogs and felt I sometimes had a slightly different take on what they wrote, or perhaps felt the subject could be expanded to other issues, I found that I was full of ideas.

Occasionally I would start writing a comment on someone’s post and realize that it was getting way too long and complicated, so I would shorten my comment and instead write my own post on the topic.  Not all of my ideas come from another source giving me the germ of an idea, but many do.

So my advice for coming up with blog topics is:  Read lots of posts written by others to get ideas.  Do NOT simply copy what someone else has written, but when you think about it, see if there is a different angle you can write about.

For example, one December I read a great post about preparing your home for showings, and it got me thinking about how to present your home during the holidays.  What about decorations and gifts under the true?  Is that okay?

That gave rise to a couple of different posts on my blog as I focused in on that angle.  I got a few consumer calls after each of those from potential sellers who were asking themselves those very questions and were grateful for my advice.

I have a notepad next to my computer on which I jot down ideas as I’m reading blogs on Active Rain or articles on Inman or other sources.  Then I just go to work on developing one of those ideas when I can set aside some Active Rain time.

I hope that my posts are informative, interesting, and sometimes just plain fun.  I do know they have brought me some good friends and some great clients!

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Susan Neal                              "Happy clients make me happy."
Broker / Realtor
Century 21 Noel David Realty
Fair Oaks, California

Full time real estate services in Fair Oaks CA, with friendly professionalism, 30+ years experience.  

I work hard to give my buyer or seller a low-stress transaction.

For all your real estate needs or questions, call me at (916)705-8951 or visit my website at www.SusanNealFineProperties.com.

HUD homes resource         Search HUD Homes