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Once you’ve decided to put your home on the market, of course you want to get the best deal but if you ask for too much people won’t even come and look at your house.  How should you handle it? Brentwood Realtor Monte Mohr has valuable insight and answers to some pertinent questions in today’s market.

Bonnie from Nashville wrote in and asked…

“I am putting my home on the market soon but am trying to decide on an asking price.  My father says I need to ask at least $10,000 to $20,000 more that I expect to get because the buyer will want to negotiate that much. Is that true?”

With all due respect to Bonnie’s father, things used to be done that way.  We used to build in big allowances for negotiations.  But many times in today’s world the consumer knows everything about the property before they ever go and look at it; they know what you paid for it, they know what the market analysis looks like and so forth.

It is far better to price your home where you’re willing to sell it because it’s all about getting traffic in the front door.  If you can’t get people into your house, you can’t them emotionally attached to the house, and buying a home is an emotional decision.  So I will tell anybody to price their home as low as possible because it will be better in the long run.

Skip and Cindy are selling their real estate in Goodlettsville and they had the following question…

“Our home is currently on the market and our agent has suggested that we offer through MLS to all potential buyers our refrigerator, washer and dryer to help it sell.  We see you on Channel 4 and want to get your thoughts on the subject before doing so.  Will including these items help our home to sell?”

I see this practice a lot; it’s not uncommon for agents to encourage people to do that.  But when you include things like closing costs, a refrigerator, or a hot tub, etc. is they become gifts, and people forget about gifts; there is no value extended.  Here’s an example of what you could do instead.  If you have a $200,000 home and someone offers you $180,000 you can counter back at $195,000 but you include the refrigerator, the washer and dryer, and the lawnmower; things like that where there is an added value extended.   It’s the only way to get the value out of the items.  If you include them up front, people will forget about them.

 Carrie from Franklin submitted this question…

“My agent suggested that I pay a $1,000 bonus to the selling agent and that would help my home sell.  Do you believe this is a good idea?”

I see this strategy quite often and I honestly think it becomes a negative strategy because here is what happens…

I’m sitting in my car heading to the next showing and the buyer asks me to look at the listing information on the property.  I hand it to them and along the bottom line where the realtor comments appear, it says, “$1,000 bonus for selling agent.”  Right away the buyer is thinking, “Whoa! Wait a minute! You’re not going to be objective Monte, because you’ll make a bonus if you sell me this house.”

I think a buyer’s comfort level with the agent’s objectivity and guidance may be compromised in that situation.  I feel that $1,000 bonus ends up undermining the potential sale of that property.  To be honest, it’s far better to use that $1,000 to lower the asking price, or something else that isn’t going to potentially influence the agent’s opinion of that property.  When an agent gets excited about a property just because they’re going to get a bonus, it all seems a little too superficial.

Today’s final question comes from Jim who has a house for sale in Mt. Juliet…

“I have heard you say that in this market you must price your home right or it will not sell.  I am concerned that if I price it as low as I probably should that people will make offers even lower than my asking price.  What can I do to keep that from happening?”

A lot of people have this concern and I hear it all of the time.  Here’s what I have to say about this very common concern…

We CAN’T control what somebody is going to offer for your home, but we CAN control what you will ultimately take for the property.

A few weeks ago I had this same conversation with some other people in Mt. Juliet who wanted to price their home at $209,000 because that’s what they thought they could get for their property.  Based on the comps, I didn’t think they would get that much.  So they used my “We Sell Homes 4 Free” program where I work for free and they saved 3% on the commission costs.  With that savings, they were able to price the home at $199,900 instead of $209,000.

Within 24 hours we had 3 offers and they ended up getting more than asking price.  In this case, the fear of loss kicked in and we ended up with people bidding against each other.  Fear of loss is much more effective than building in a price for hopeful negotiation.  I tell my clients that I’d rather you have 6 offers to say “no” to, than 6 months, or 1-2 years from now, we’re sitting her twiddling our thumbs with nothing to talk about. Get people in the door and create a fear of loss.

We have some great examples of Happy Customers to share…

Carl and Rosanne are like so many of us Baby Boomers who don’t want to do stairs anymore.  They wanted to get a one level home.  In a short time they were able to sell their home in Franklin and move to Thompson’s Station.  They said, “We saved over $6,800 with Monte’s ‘We Sell Homes 4 Free’ program and were able to size down.”

Charles and Maria were in a similar situation in Smyrna, but they had only owned their home for a short time so they didn’t have any equity.   Here’s what they have to say about their experience, “By using Monte to purchase our next home, he sold our current home for FREE and saved us almost $9,000!”

How does the “We Sell Homes 4 Free” program work?

I am committed to helping people lower their asking prices in order to sell their homes in today’s market.  In order to do that, I’ve lowered the costs associated with selling a home.  I waive the entire listing portion of my commission if someone simply promises to buy their next home through me within a reasonable amount of time.

This program is really working.  I closed on 18 properties last month and 15-16 this month.  I’ve helped a lot of people sell in a tough market because: 1) they’ve been able to lower their costs, 2) so they can lower their price, 3) as a result, they increase the volume of people going to see their home.

If you need help buying or selling a Middle TN home, please contact Monte directly at (615) 300-8393.

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Are you trying to decide if you should sell your home now or wait for the market to turn around? If so, Nashville Real Estate expert Monte Mohr has prepared a list of four things to consider before you make that decision.

Tina from Nashville wrote in and asked a really great question…

“My husband and I have been discussing whether we should put our home on the market this year or wait until the market turns around.  I want to sell now and get into a different school district for the kids but he’s concerned about losing money on our home if we sell now and wants to wait.  He promised me he would consider what you suggest as we watch you all the time [on Channel 4 News].  Please share your insights.”

I’d like Tina’s husband to know that I get it – none of us want to lose money on our investments – especially our home, and especially us guys, because we want to know that we’ve taken care of our families and made good decisions.  But we also need to realize that it’s going to be a good 2-5 years before we see the market as a whole do much changing. Below are important points for your consideration:

Things To Consider When Deciding If You Should Wait to Buy or Sell:

1. Though you may get more money for your home when you sell, you will also pay more to someone else for the home you buy IF you wait.

2. Interest rates will probably not be as low as they are now.  Average mortgage rates for the past 20 years have been closer to 10%.

This is a HUGE factor. We’ve gotten complacent over the last few years because the rate has stayed so consistent.  But when you consider the value of a 4% interest rate on a $300,000 mortgage over the term of 30 years, the difference is amazing.  Just look at the numbers:

$300,000 @ 4% x 30 years = $1,432 monthly payment (principle and interest)

$300,000 @ 10% x 30 years = $2,632 monthly payment (principle and interest)

That means the same mortgage will cost you $1,200 more per month at the higher interest rate!

So it is really important to remember that interest rates have averaged closer to 10% over the last 20 years. As a matter of fact when I started in this business interest rates were at 12% and that makes a HUGE difference.  In the example above, you would pay $144,000 more for the same house in a Franklin Tennessee Subdivision over a 10 year period; just think about that – $144,000 in 10 years – that is a HUGE difference!

3. What is the value of being able to accomplish the desired goals sooner versus later?

The value of time; it wasn’t long ago I was 29 years old and now I’m 59 years old. What is the value of “getting on with life”? What is the value of getting your kids into that school district? What’s the value of getting that larger lot, or a 3-car garage, or the bigger kitchen, or getting closer to work or family, or those types of things?  What is the value of “getting on with life” and getting those things that drive you in life; have you considered that?

4. Primary reason not to wait – if Mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy!

This is the most important reason, and no offense to Tina’s husband, but I’ve been married more than once and I’ve learned that if Mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy.

I decided a few years ago to try and help people save money so they could stay competitive in our current market. So if you want to buy a home and you have one to sell first, I will waive the entire listing portion of the commission to reduce your costs.  This will allow you to compete with the prices of distressed properties; and there are still distressed properties out there in the marketplace.

What’s the catch? The only catch is that you promise to let me help you buy your next home. You don’t pay anything for the whole process because I work for free on the “selling side” and when you buy another home, that seller will pay my fee.  So as far as you’re concerned, it’s all for free and it’s a full service effort – 110%!

This program is really working for a lot of folks.  Last month we closed on 18 properties and this month we’re around 16 closings but I promise I am not too busy to give personal service.

Let’s look at a Happy Customer…

Thomas and Kristi had a Home For Sale in Hendersonville and were Channel 4 viewers who saw my offer on the news.  They knew they were going to take a hit on their home when selling, but we were able to sell their home in just a couple of weeks and they saved over $9,000 by utilizing my “We Sell Homes For Free” program.  They were then able to downsize and get into the home they really wanted.

If you need help buying or selling your home, contact Monte directly at (615) 300-8393.

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If you want to buy a home but you have to sell your own house first, you should consider having a professional get your home off of the market for FREE.  Monte Mohr, creator of a very popular home selling program called “We Sell Homes 4 Free,” is here to answer a consumer’s question and explain the details.

Sarah of Middle TN wrote in and asked…

“We really like the idea of saving the 3% when selling our home with your ‘We Sell Homes 4 Free’ program. We don’t understand though how you get paid if you don’t charge for your services.  My husband says nothing is free.  Where’s the catch?  Please explain.”

This is a question that I hear many times because it’s true; there are no things for free.  In this case, the “catch” is that you will let me help you buy your next home.  About three years ago, I saw the market tanking and I thought to myself, “How can I help people sell their homes at a time when they may not even be worth what they paid for them?” That is when I came up with the idea of “We Sell Homes 4 Free.”

A complete explanation to the program can be found on my Nashville Real Estate Website, but the short explanation is this: If you’ve got a home to sell, I’ll do everything in my power to help you sell it without charging you a single fee, as long as you promise to buy your next home from me in a reasonable amount of time.

This is working for a lot of people; last month I closed 18 properties and I’ve had over 40 sales since the beginning of the year. This really works because it gives people a price advantage since they don’t have to pay a customary 6% commission rate.  I waive my 3% listing fee, and when you buy your next home, the 3% commission I’ll earn as your buyer’s agent is paid by the seller of that property. So I don’t get paid by anyone except the people who own the home that they’re purchasing.

This is a win-win situation when you have a home to sell and you’re going to buy another one anyway.  From a seller’s standpoint, all the effort on my part is free; they won’t pay me anything.

There are some real Success Stories as a result of this program; let’s hear some testimonies…

Rosanne and Carl of Thompson’s Station said, “Monte helped us sell our home in a tough market and we saved over $6,000!” They wanted to down-size to a one level home and stop climbing those steps to go to bed at night. We were able to sell their home in just a few months, they saved over $6,000, and then I helped them buy their next home. They are a really happy couple now.

Opelia is a second-time customer of mine and I was able to see her home in the tough market of Hendersonville.  Opelia said, “We sold our home in less than 60 days and saved over $7,500 with Monte’s program!”

Kim had her home for sale for over 3 years in the high-end subdivision of Liepers Fork in Franklin, TN and she had this to say, “Monte’s program saved me over $20,000 and he helped me find my dream home!”  Now the really exciting part about this story is that we were able to save her over $100,000 on the home she purchased.

Thomas and Kristi are Channel 4 viewers from Hendersonville who knew it was going to be tough to seel their home so they called me to help them with my “We Sell Homes 4 Free” program.  This happy couple says, “We saved over $9,000 and Monte sold our home in less than 30 days and helped us size down!”

One thing worth mentioning is the speed at which these homes have sold.  What many people don’t realize is that homes ARE selling out there right now IF they are priced correctly.  So it really helps to get a price advantage, which was my premise when I decided to lower the cost to sell.  By removing my listing commission, you can lower your price and compete with the prices of the distressed properties on the market.  That’s why these properties are selling – because they are priced correctly.

The final testimony for today comes from Karleen who was selling a home in a Franklin TN Subdivision.  “Monte sold my home for full price in less than one week and saved me over $7,000!” Karleen thought she was going to pay me on the “buying end” of the deal, so she was very excited to realize that the builder of the new home she is purchasing is responsible for paying my fee; she got all of my services for free!

If you need help buying or selling a home in Middle Tennessee please contact Monte directly at (615) 300-8393.

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Do you currently have your home on the market? Has it been a long process for you so far? It can definitely be a long process. There are things that can keep your home from selling and things that can help your home sell. Taking these things into consideration can help make the process go a little more quickly. Check out this video to learn more.

So many people believe that a house for sale Nolensville Tennessee should be taken off the market during the holidays. However, the holidays can actually help your home sell more quickly. There are many reasons for this. First, people do take their homes off the market. This means there is less competition. Secondly, the people that are looking for homes during the holidays are serious about buying a house. They want a home and are willing to give up some festivities to get into their dream home. So I say, keep your home on the market during the holidays. Know that you must be flexible during these times. However, in the end it will be worth it to have a sold home.

The next thing that could affect the sale of your home is improvements that you have made. Some upgrades to the home are a personal preference, such as a pool, closet shelving unit and the like. These things do not add any value to the home. However, if it comes down to a buyer choosing between your home and another equal home they may choose yours due to these factors. So it does not add value but it may add the final decision maker for some people. It could also be the thing that drives someone to another home. Maybe, they do not want a pool. It is best not to spend too much on home improvements when selling a home.

So now we have talked about things that will help home sales and things that may be helpful in selling your home. Now let’s talk about something that will probably not really affect the sale of your home. That is open houses. Many realtor in downtown Nashville Tennessee hold open houses to show that they are making an effort to get your home sold. However, most homes are not sold through open houses. Ensure that your realtor is on your side and doing other proactive steps to get your home sold.

When selling your home, take everything into consideration. Look at the sale from a buyer’s eye. This will help you to determine changes that you may need to make along the way.

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The big question you may be asking yourself is whether or not you should sell your home or wait for the market to get better. The main reason people want to wait is to get more money out of the sale of their home. On the flip die there are many reasons why people are selling their home despite the state the housing market is currently in. When to sell your home is a very individualized choice. This video will let you know a few pros and cons of selling your home in this kind of market to help you make an informed decision.

One reason many people do not want to sell their home now is because the overall selling price will most likely be less than they hoped to make on the home. If you sell your home, where are you going to live? The thing with selling your house is that you will most likely want to buy a new home. Even if you lose money on your house for sale, you will make up that money on the buying end. Sit down and talk about the type of house you want and the location of where you ultimately want to be. Check out the prices of those homes and the deals you may be able to get on the buying side. Also, think about it. If you wait to sell your home, you will end up paying a lot more for the next home you purchase.
When you place your house for sale and look into buying a new one, a thing to consider is the interest rate. Currently the interest rate for many is as low as 4%. Remember, if you wait to sell / buy a home for a couple years the interest rate may be back up to 10%. When you crunch the numbers, you end up paying $600 dollars or more per month in interest. You always have to think about the future and the buying position you will be in whether you make the decision to sell now or wait.
Now you must take a look at the personal reasons to sell your home now rather than later. What is driving you to think about selling your home now? Is it that the kids are starting school and would like to be in a better school district? Have you outgrown your current home? Many people sell their home to move onto a next chapter in their lives. Why put this off? Go where your family needs to be to thrive. Think about the reasons for selling and allow that to guide you into the right decision as well.

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Are you considering buying a new or existing home? There are many different things to consider when buying a home in today’s market. The rules have changed, and we as buyers must change with it. This video talks about what you need to know when buying a home.

There are many distressed homes that are for sale in today’s market. However, this does not mean that all homes are being sold due to financial distress on the behalf of the current homeowner. You should approach each home as an individual. Take the time to learn about the home and what type of situation you are looking at. If you come in with too low of an offer, thinking that it is a distressed property, the seller may not even take the time to consider the offer.

You must also do your research in regards to the homes you are currently visiting. Look to see how long the home has been on the market. If a home has been on the market for a while there is typically a reason why. Maybe the home for sale in Green Hills tn is on a busy street or the layout is not what many people would like. When buying a home you must keep an eye out for things that may prevent you from selling later on down the road. Remember to always buy with selling in mind.

Many people are using these economic times to take advantage of the housing market rates. Even though you want to buy a home at these low rates, it is important to make sure the price is right for your personal needs. You do not want to pay too much for a home.

With so many great deals on the market it is easy to chase the bargain. However, the best bargain deal on the block may not be the home that you love. Make sure that the home that you pick is also the home that you want to come home to every night.

When you are in the process of finding downtown Nashville TN Real Estate to view, it is important to continually receive new listings throughout the day. Beautiful homes that are priced right and are in a nice area do not stay on the market for long. These homes will be snatched up quickly. When you find a home that matches your criteria, it is best to quickly schedule an appointment. This will help prevent the perfect home from slipping away from you.

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Most people start off their search for a home by looking at pictures on a MLS website. This means the pictures you use in your listing can determine how quickly your home is sold. Do you want to know how to use pictures to sell your home quickly? This video explains how to do just that.

The society that we live in today is a very visual. We make most of our daily life decision based on visual cues. Think about it. We go to the grocery store and pick out bananas based on their color. We are slammed with media ads that depict visually pleasing images that companies use to convince us to buy their products. The biggest and most important purchase of our life is also made based on visual cues.

The search for a new Berry Hill home begins on many different types of websites. These websites allow you to price your home, provide a description and post pictures. People looking to buy a home in this market have a lot of homes to choose from. When they are on a website looking for homes they can easily weed out many homes and still be left with a large list of homes to view. They begin the weeding out process by eliminating homes by price and presentation. They have so many homes to choose from that they can eliminate your home based on any number of reasons in the pictures.

The more people place your home in the must view list, the greater the chances are that you will receive more offers on your home. With multiple offers, you can pick the one that will best suit your needs. This is why it is very important to have good quality pictures posted on these websites.

The next question then becomes how to get great looking east Nashville TN Real Estate pictures. First would be to ensure that the home is clean and decorated. I have seen homes with boxes all over the place, or the home is a disaster. Secondly, take the same picture at many different angles. Sometime a different angle can make a room look larger or smaller. Have your friends and family look at the pictures and see which ones appeal to them.

If you do not feel that you can take adequate pictures then there is always the option of hiring a photographer. This can cost a couple hundred dollars. It is well worth it if you have the income to do this.

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Are you currently thinking about selling your home? Pricing your home is one of the toughest parts of the selling process. Many fear that the price they have in mind may not be a price people will pay. This video will tell you things you should consider when pricing your home.

When people are looking to buy a home their first stop is their computer. They look online to find the houses they want to go visit. One major detail they consider when making this decision is the price. Many people type in their price range and look only at the homes listed there that they think they can afford. This is why choosing the right listing price is a very important consideration when selling a home. We first want them to take notice of the price online so your house is on their list of ones to visit. This is an important step if you want them to look at pictures of your home for sale in cool springs. If you price your home pretty close to the selling price you want to obtain, you will have more interested parties coming out to look at your home. Once they are in the home, you can help them build that emotional connection they want to feel from the house they choose to buy.

Now you may be worried that if your listing price is too close to the price you want, you will end up selling for less than you had hoped. Let’s look at it a different way. With home prices being as low as they are, people can choose to look at homes that are a lower cost than yours. Which means your home will not be looked at or seen as often as reasonably priced homes. It is better to receive more offers and find the right one than to have no offers at all.

Another thought in regards to pricing your home for sale is what you are willing to negotiate into the deal. In today’s market, many people are pricing their home very close to the price they would like to receive. However, many potential buyers will counter offer at a lower price. You can come back with a higher offer and then include appliances and other negotiable items. You should not start out saying that the appliances are included as they will then have no value to use at a later date.

So the biggest thing to remember is that pricing your home right will get people in the door. It can provide you with more offers so you can find the right buyer for you.

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People looking to buy in today’s housing market have a wide range of homes to choose from. People are looking for a reason to pass on each house they see. Have you thought about what you can do in order to help your home sell? This video gives you a few tips to help you find a buyer and sell your home quickly.

The two things you should always consider when selling your home are price and presentation. The price should be comparable to other similar house for sale in Nolensville TN. Before placing your home on the market, look at what other homes in the neighborhood are going for. Ask yourself if you are willing to sell your home for that price. In order to get people in the door, you must have a price that makes your home seem competitive with others in the area. Once people like the price, they will often make an appointment to come view the home. This leads to the presentation part of selling a home.

One thing that you should consider is your pets. When a person comes to view your home, you want to ensure that your home is warm and nurturing. You want them to be able to connect with your home. You do not want them coming into your home and feeling uncomfortable in anyway. Hearing barking as they walk in the door could turn a potential buyer into one that will not even thing about purchasing your home.

Not everyone loves animals. Some like little dogs, but may be scared of much larger dogs. Others may be allergic to pet dander. When selling local Thompsons Station TN Real Estate in today’s market we need to take everything into consideration. So what should you do with your pets while someone is looking at your home? Take your dogs for a walk while someone is viewing the home. Put cats in a crate and hide the litter box. Any thought of an animal can turn some people off to your home.

I know that this is very inconvenient. As a pet owner, I understand that our pets are a part of our family. However, when it comes to selling our home, we want to ensure that all people that come to view the house feel welcome and comfortable. This will allow you to gain a greater number of potential buyers.

So the two P’s for selling a home are price and presentation. Good luck selling your home!

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Buying your first home is a very exciting event for you! It can also be a very scary time. As a first time home buyer you want to ensure that everything goes smoothly. How can you do that if you do not even fully understand the process of buying a home? This video will help you learn more about the home buying process.

When looking for a very first home, many people are focused on the aspects of the home that they want. They are hoping that this home will be the perfect fit for them. Knowing what you want is great. However, you may not be aware of all the things that go into buying your first home. This is why it is very important to have a realtor in your corner. This Mount Juliet real estate agent should be well versed in the world of first time home buyers. Ask your friends and family who they recommend. Talk to a few agents and see who you click with. Ask them to guide you in the process for buying you first home.

When you get pre-approved for your Belle Rive Subdivision home, you look more like a cash buyer to the person who may sell you their home. This is a good way to know what you can afford and be able to find the perfect first home. When getting pre-approved, ask your real estate agent which lender they feel is the right choice. They have been in the game and know which lender will work the best with your situation.

Here is something you may not have thought of before – buy with selling in mind. Again, people purchasing their first home are excited to get into a home of their own. You should also think about years down the road when you want to expand into a bigger home. Will the house you are buying today sell well later on?

Always make an offer contingent on the following things:

• An inspection of the home and review of the neighborhood restrictions
• An appraisal is equal to or greater than sale price
• The ability to obtain financing.

You want to do this for two reasons. One, you do not want to get stuck in an offer on a house until you are 100% sure it is exactly what you want. Two, the money you put down will be returned if you are not satisfied with any of the contingencies.

The best advice is to find a trusted tour guide to move you through the process. Enjoy your first home!

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