Barb Schlinker The Real Estate Voice

What Makes Some Homes Fly off the Shelf and Others Not and Hot New ListingsWhat makes some homes FLY off the shelf and others sit there? Our team is designed to help home sellers get their homes ready for sale.1.All the stars are aligned to get top dollarLow Available inventory of homesLow Cost Financing30 year fixed Conventional: 2.6%30 year fixed VA/FHA: 2.25%Little or No Down Payment NeededNavy Fed CU = 100% Conventional Loan (little higher rate 3.65) 0 down jumbo!2. To me, #1 PricingPricing a home correctly takes:Market experienceWe well hundreds of homes in a yearAverage agent sells less than 3 (74%) of themPricing REALISTICALLY vs OPTIMISTICALLY1.I’ve had a few sellers try pricing above what I thought was the value and they won!2.On balance though, if you price Optimistically, the result even in this environment will result in long days on market (more than 30 days, there is something wrong) ANDBuyers think something is wrong if they see thatDays on market are broadcast ALL over Realtor.com, & Zillo

5  Ways to Stage Your Home for Any SeasonBarb many of our listeners know, you and your team are the only people I would recommend and you have been here in the market selling homes for a long time.  As we go through the different holiday seasons, some people worry about whether holiday decorations are appropriate, is it ok to stage with decorations? Yes, but do not over do it! Here are some basic guidelines: Do Decorate for the Season Don’t obstruct the beautiful features of your home Keep the home Neat and Tidy Make your home Available for Showings but Minimize buyer distractions Heavy Family Photos Remove pets At a house last week that had the MOST adorable Bull Dog He was the star of the show! You want the HOUSE to be the star DO Bake Cookies but be sure to leave some  Out for them with plates and napkins+ small water bottles Builders and title companies do this all the time I remember my very first Broker said: “If you smell it, you can’t sell it!” At the time we were inside a vacant home that had heavy p

TOP Trends for Home Design Colors for 2021Barb, in the last segment we talked about how it’s a seller’s market, which means, in many cases, the home sellers get to choose from multiple offers, and there is a low number of available homes on the market, but you have said before that Buyers eliminate homes online.  What are some things that a home seller can do to make their home seem on trend and more attractive to home buyers? The Average Buyers spends LESS than 57 Seconds Viewing a Single Home ONLINE. You have NO IDEA what buyers are eliminating homes, but here is what you can do about it…NEUTRAL IS ALWAYS BETTER! For the past 2-4 years we have seen the GREY be a big color People went ALL IN with it. GREY, MODERN Now the trend has changed… Neutrals ALWAYS WORK! BRASSY GOLD FINISHES ARE PASSE BUT: “BRUSHED CHAMPAIGN” IS INYou can give color accents with furniture, pillows, bedspreads, etc: Big Trend colors for 2021: Very soft green, jewel colors (not for selling on walls ok for accent) You want an agent that

There is some much going on right now, a contested election, a pandemic with an increase in cases, yet the real estate market remains strong, why is that and what is the latest on activity in the real estate market?The only change for us with the pandemic is we have to limit the number of showings to 4 people at a time and wear: Masks, Gloves & Wipe Down surfaces after showing. I believe the market is strong because of the growth of this city: Space Force – also bring in Defense contractors, NASA, etc 15,000 + HIGH PAYING JOBS Amazon 1,000 + JOBS This is a great time to buy a home AND  A really great time to sell a home Here is why: Increase in sales by 25% Increase in Average Sales price by 17.3% SF Homes For Townhouse / Condo Increase = 35.4% Decrease in Available Inventory by 59.7% Let’s explore that: Right now:  Average Sales Price is $431,104 If you bought a Single family home for $300,000 1 year ago Its value now is $350,000 If you bought a Condo/Townhome for $150,000 – 1 year ago Its value now is $

Benefits of Being a VIP Buyer or Seller Including the FREE Use of a Moving Van & Hot New ListingsBarb you have talked about the many benefits of working with you and your team, you have something special to share with us today tell us about it:Yes Richard, we are always to provide the best possible service to our clients so we can serve more families and help more Veterans.We are a 100% Veteran owned business and I was honored to go down to Boerne Texas to pick up our new MOVING Van, on Veterans day!We are a 100% Veteran Owned Company.We are on a mission to serve more families so we can donate to Veterans causes such as:USOFisher House FoundationVet DogsTunnel2Towers Smart Home ProgramAdopt a platoonIt was such fun experience.We had to wait for some finishing touches on the van.So we took an Uber down to Main Street1st Stop: Black Rifle Coffee Company – a Veteran Owned CompanyThe American Legion was Giving Veterans Rides on a Convoy of Sling Shots as a VeteranI had to have some Tex Mex so we walked around

Hottest Property Improvements That Command a GREAT Return on Your InvestmentRegardless of your situation or budget we can help you get ready. We have what we call the HELP program whichWe pre-pay for a few reasonable updates that can make the difference between sold for top dollar and NOT sold.  To find out more give us a call at719 301 3900.What are Home Buyers Looking for in Homes in this Market?Start with a Budget in Mind – If you are making ImprovementsFocus on Systems that need to be replacedEg: 30 year old furnaces15+ year old water heaterAny broken stuff – it really stands out when sellingCosmetic repairs on flooring, lights, kitchens and baths are the main things that attract buyers:Hardwood floors are big...howeverLVT looks GREAT, easy care, lower cost than real hardwoodKitchens – these updates always pay off:CountersAppliancesMany are painting oak cabinets white –really popular nowBathrooms – you will get 100% ROIVanitySinksFlooringLight fixturesLandscaping – curb appeal is a must! Backyards are clo

What are some things that will cause a person’s home to get digitally eliminated ONLINE?Yes, these are worries that keepme up at night.Home sellers might be surprised toknow a few facts:The training for real estate agents in regards to marketing is very limited.There is just not much training on it.You would be SHOCKED or you may have seen some AWFUL MARKETING PHOTOS trying to entire buyers to see a home posted by untrained real estate agents.Example: Price:  $590kNot ONE photo was in focusWhat’s Wrong with This Picture?Here is one: 67 Days on the MarketPrice: $415,000Halloween DecorationsHalloween was WEEKS AGO!Here is another of the same home:Two dirty cars in front drivewayMakeshift dumpster in yard.You wonder why its been sitting on the market for 70+ days!!!!!Agents are just not trained to attract buyersto want to come see the home!The Average Buyers spends LESS than 57 Seconds Viewing a Single Home ONLINE.You have NO IDEA what buyers are eliminating homes, but here is what you can do about it…Ask friend

Home Design Trends Ushered in Having to Work and Learn from HomeCOVID Level ORANGE, HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE REAL ESTATE MARKET NOW?I heard the Governor declared most of the heavily populated counties in the state underReal Estate is considered an ESSENTIAL SERVICE.  Not much as changed as far as how we do business. Level Orange is in effect for:El Paso, Pueblo, Teller, Elbert, Teller, Douglas & Jefferson and all the counties around Denver and many othersWe have the state mandated precautions in place.PRECAUTIONS WHEN providing Real Estate Services:Social DistancingWipe Down After ShowingsNo More than 10 at Open HousesWear Masks and Gloves at ShowingsWear Masks at OfficeThermometer checks at OfficeMeet virtually where possibleWe Provide all Protective Equipment both in our listings and in our office.Common sense:  Don’t go out and infect others if sickComment:I don’t know how it spreads:I know I could have been exposed and found out about it 1 week after I metwith those 3 people. Two were sick the other w

What are the Top 7 Ways to Pay Off Your Mortgage Early?Segment 4It’s interesting to note that:So, if you are going to refinance you need to consider:How long you plan to stay in the homeWhether or not it makes sense to add Years to the MortgageThe cost of RefinancingBut if you plan to stay, paying off your mortgage as fast as possible is the best way to go: Fact:  A typical 30 year mortgage takes 21 years just to pay down LESS THAN HALF of the principal of your loan! Fact: For a $435,000 30 year mortgage at 3.0%, paid monthly with no extra down total amount paid would be $660,231! The Banks GET THEIR INTEREST MONEY FIRST! If you are thinking of buying or selling a home, give us a call at 719 301 3900, so here are some ways to pay it down early: Make Bi Weekly Payments – In 1 year you would have made 13 payments and, over time taken 4 years and 4 months off your mortgage Make an Extra House Payment Each Quarter = $65,000 savings on interest 3. Bring Your Lunch to Work, apply extra $100 to mortgage= savings of

Many of our listeners know, you and your team are the only people I would recommend and you have been here in the market selling homes for a long time.  What are some Top Home Shopping Tips for Home Buyers in This Hot Market?Start with a Budget in Mind Be Prepared to Exceed Your BudgetThat is Why Getting Pre-Approved is Step OneEveryone Loves Looking at Homes, it’s fun!But, Buyers need to know: How Much Home They Can Buy What Their Payments Will Be How Much Cash They will Need to Perform How much Money In Reserves they will need In most cases, you can buy for a payment less than rent. If anyone has looked at rent rates out there they are in for sticker shock! In the past 6 years market value increases have gone up on average over 9% per year! Buying a home is a great investment. HGTV has really messed up expectations for most home buyers Pretty homes sell for a premium often with multiple offers Homes with views sell for a premium Homes with acreage sell for premium Low priced homes get bidding wars Buyers ne

Legal Real Estate Clauses that Help You or Hurt You in a Real Estate Transaction and What You Can Do About ThemIn the last segment we talked about how it’s a seller’s market, which means, in many cases, the home sellers get to choose from multiple offers, but it is a legal transaction. There are some legal clauses in real estate contracts that can help you or hurt you in a real estate transaction, tell us about some of them.First of all make sure you hire a real estate agent that knows the contracts.  Many do not.Some shove a 20-page agreement in front of the buyers and sellers and tell them to sign it without explanation.  It’s actually not required.But I believe it’s malpractice to work that way.Here are some Legal Landmines Home Buyers and Sellers Need to understand:Many agents will cut and paste legal language given to them by another agent or broker because they think it may ‘protect’ their clients.Here are a few of my favorites:Any other documentation and/or disclosures in the seller's possession t

Buyers seem to have much fewer homes to choose from, what is the status of the current market and why do home buyers need to understand the market conditions?I had the privilege of going out to show homes last weekend and it was quite the journey.After that buyer viewed 10 homes and picked one, they got out bid by another buyer.They were given the opportunity to increase their offer but declined.We are in what we call a SELLERS MARKET That means, in most cases the seller gets to choose the best buyer for their home. A sellers’ market is defined as:  Less than 3 months of inventory in a price range. Well we have less than 1 months of inventory in almost every price range below $800,000 The result: Sellers are able to command more for their homes. Other huge factors are: Really low inventory  Inventory of Available homes is at RECORD LOW, right now only 659 homes on the market.   Compare that to 1 year ago there were over 1927 homes to choose from in the Pikes Peak Region That’s a 54% DECREASE in inventory As y

The Top 9 Reasons You Should Call the Barb Schlinker Team for Your Next Move and 7 Hot New ListingsBarb, not all real estate agents and teams are the same, and I would only recommend your team for someone who is planning on making a move, tell us the Top 9 Reasons Our Listeners Should Call the Barb Schlinker Team when they are ready for a move: Our Team is designed to ensure we never run out of time to take care of our client’s needs and consists of: Agents 3 Lead Coordinators Operations Manager Managing Broker Video / Media Manager Social Media Manager Data Base Manager And me – The Team Leader Accomplishments: We help people buy and sell homes daily International Coach and Guest Speaker for Craig Proctor’s Coaching Program for top real estate agents in North America providing training for over 1000 people on a quarterly basis.   The Real Estate Voice, a weekly radio show on KVOR AM 740 which is a broadcast on YouTube & Podcast that educates the public about buying and selling real estate.   I am the onl

Segment 3Why the 2021 Real Estate Market will Soar AgainBarb many of our listeners know, you and your team are the only people I would recommend if they have a real estate need, making a decision buy or sell a home, why do you think next year will be another record year for real estate? Good Credit and Income - No NEED for a Down PaymentCurrent buyer - $324,999 home on acreage $1000 out of pocket! Military and Veterans - ZERO down payment You can get FHA financing for as little as 3.5% down Two Down Payment Assistance programs 4% Down Payment Given to BuyerRent Rates =  Sticker Shock! Buy a Home for Less Than Rent Prices increasing 9% per year Are we in a Real Estate Bubble? No – why Jobs, Employment, 44% of Driving Factors of this economy is from Aerospace and Defense. That’s not going anywhere Southwest Airlines HERE Even the Reology CEO predicts a strong real estate market for 2021. The housing market has continued to set records with home sales far    outpacing last year’s totals by 35% 3rd Quarter 2020St

Segment 2 The Best Way to Shop for Homes– New Buyer AlertBarb, in the last segment we talked about how the list of available homes is very low, what are some of the best ways to shop for homes in this low inventory of homes environment? Hire an agent that has only your interest in mind. Buyers do not typically know how it works and just respond to who ever they connect with online. Zillow does not Tell the public from our MLS that homes are under contract very frustrating for buyers. 2 .  Get your financing and down payment in order 3. Plan out when you will view homes, 2-4 appointments deep. Homes sell quickly! Dan and Edie Story Scheduled Thursday and set appointments to see 4 homes Buy Friday night – 2 were sold! Barb, Tell us about how competing offers shake out in this market now? We have a cash investor that purchases buy and hold real estate up to $500K They buy about 500 homes a year for their buy and hold investors They buy in 55 real estate markets in the US They pay price, sometimes over full price

Barb, buyers seem to have much fewer homes to choose from, why are there much fewer homes on the market?Factors:Rising Home PricesRecord Low Interest Rates, yetInventory of Available homes At RECORD LOW, 665 homes on the market. Compare that to 1 year ago there were over 2050 homes to choose from in the Pikes Peak RegionThat’s a 35% DECREASE in inventoryBuilders cannot build fast enoughSupply of Homes vs SalesMany home buyers are having to increase the price range they are shopping in. They CAN because interest rates are at RECORD LOW numbers… VA 2.25% wow! Conventional: 2.5% OMG$435K 5% down Total payment = $1873 Conv, $1821 VA For our beloved military folks, that payment is less than BAH in most cases and they can buy ZERO down.EX Lets take an average sales price now: We are talking Barb about the low available housing inventory, what are some other things that are causing fewer people to put their homes up for sale? 31% worried about their Finances Sellers Think Waiting = More $$$ What they may be buying o

Everyone is saying the market is really strong for home sellers.  But many people think all agents have to do is put the home on the market and it will automatically sell. Is that true?I’ve had home sellers tell me, agents do not do anything or why should I pay you for just 1 week a work?I get it but not every real estate agent is the same.There are so many things that come under scrutiny when buyers are looking at homesYou won’t know who is eliminating your home or why, based on the photos alone!I still see so many agent who use their Iphones to get pictures taken.I recently walked through a bunch of home images with a $500,000 buyer and their comments were very telling…Some images made the kitchen look really small when it wasn’t.Many left out spaces that were important to them.Most agents do NOT study marketing…Did you know the key spaces a buyer looks at is as follows:Curb AppealBack Yard/ViewLiving RoomKitchenMaster BathroomMaster BedroomAgents should know and stack the photos to keep those buyers from e

What should potential home buyers consider when thinking of renting vs buying?People need a place to live and it’s a very personal decision. In the past year home values rose over 11% and we have seen those double digit appreciation numbers for about 5 years. So, with the average price of a bout $430K A Very conservative appreciation in just 1 year is over $30,000  = 7% If you plan to stay for 1 year it might make sense to buy, here is how I have made the calculationBank Rate.com Mortgage CalculatorSo if you plan to stay for more than 1 year right now, you would make money?With the rates as low as they are…It’s actually less money to Buy vs. RentPlus I am told there is a lot of competition for rental homes right now.I’m seeing even smaller townhomes in the best school districts rent for nearly $2000 per monthHow do you Determine what the Rent Rates are? You can Visit:  Rentals.com or there are some Rentals in the MLS at:  PPAR.comIn most cases I am seeing Single Family Homes rent for between $2200 - $3300 or

How the Eviction Moratorium will Affect the Real Estate MarketWe know that people do not live in their home the same way they have their homes on the market.  Recently we read in the news that Governor Polis put a moratorium on Evictions if the tenant can prove their financial hardship is due to Covid.  What impact will this have on the Real Estate Market? First of all, I know there are some career fields that are being harmed by this awful pandemic. I think this ruling does have some merit, but I can see how it could be abused. I also think it has a negative impact on investors to be motivated to purchase rental real estate. There is at least 1 buy and hold investor in this market who just increased their maximum cap on investments because the prices are rising pretty quickly. I do think the negative impact though for tenants, is that it will be harder for them to qualify for rental homes and townhomes because they will be scrutinized a little harder.In my opinion, often when the government gets involved it’

Most buyers will do a home inspection after they buy a home. What are some of the pitfalls a home seller could run into when selling their homTop Five Home Inspection Pitfalls33 Physical Problems that come under scrutiny, with the inventory low, most buyers are stating they will not ask for cosmetic issues and focus on major systems, health and safety.Colorado does NOT require a license to be an inspector.Story of Landscaper inspector & DadIn most cases the lenders and appraisers do not require much of these itemsThey focus on whether the home meets the lending guidelines:Safety trip hazards, window well covers, broken windows, etc.Today We will cover the top 7 System categories:1. Mechanical Systems:HVAC – clean and service furnaceWater Heater – check permit history, building code has changedElectrical – GFCI issues2. Plumbing:There are often hidden things you may not see, it would not hurt to get your home pre-inspected.3. Appliances:These should be functionalRefrigerator, washer and dryer are considere