Barb Schlinker The Real Estate Voice

Why Agent Selection Really Matters When Selling a HomeWhy agent selection really matters when selling a home1. There are a LOT of choices, the Pikes Peak region over 4900+, some have the experience, some do not.  The sad part is most homes sellers expect that agents are experts…however…There is little training in the industry in:MarketingSalesNegotiatingClosingIn Colorado, we go through 1 month of school it gets a license and are thrown the market to go get sales…That was my experience when I started and I came from a tech type background as a Navy Veteran and Commercial Pilot there was training and procedures, memory items for absolutely EVERYTHING…Not so in real estate.3. So, I would caution would be home sellers from picking the agent who offers the lowest price.. all agents are NOT the same…4. It’s not about the lowest commission you can get.  Those are agent who take bad photos, don’t help you stage, and suggest low prices for a quick sale.5. You will actually net MORE money hiring a quality agent who kn

Last week we talked about the Average Days on the Market is about 21 Days and Your average is about 7 Days, If a home is sitting on the Market longer than that, what are some of the reasons why that is happening?1. Although the average Days on Market is at lower levels than all of Last Year…that number is a reflection of the homes that getting contracts…NOT the ones that are NOT getting contracts.  2. The average Days on Market statistic IS an indication of How Long on Average it Takes to Sell a Home that is Priced REALISTICALLY and that is marketing properly to attract a buyer in this market.3. So if a home is NOT selling in that time frame there are Seven typical reasons why:a. The #1 Reason…Price is Too High●Buyers are afraid to make an offer if it’s Over Priced because they fear rejection, especially in this hot market.●That leads me to Why is it Priced too High?○Many times the sellers rely on the advice of agents and/or those online valuation systems to tell them their home’s value.○Pricing is one of tho

Why Curb Appeal is SO, SO ImportantBarb Schlinker Radio Show719-301-1802 | 719-301-3900Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Colorado#coloradosprings #yourhomesoldguaranteedrealty #barbschlinker #realestatevoiceYou are listening to the Real Estate Voice with Barb Schlinker of Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Colorado and I’ve heard you talk about how important Curb Appeal is to Buyers, tell us about it…a. We Know that Buyers Eliminate Homes Online…b. The typical buyer looks at home online for LESS THAT 57 SECONDSI. One of my clients said each home gets NOT MORE than 5 Clicksii. Yet too many agents put bad photos, wrong order of photos, and photos of things in the house that do NOT make the house look more attractive than the asking price!1. This has to do with the fact that the industry is very weak on teaching marketing to agents.c. Curb Appeal HAS to be right!i. This is THE time of year to get it right!ii. Even if you are planning to sell next year if your flowers come in really nicely this year…take a horizonta

Segment 3The Quest for Main Level Living and How to Find Those HomesWhat is defined as main level living and how to home buyers find them?●What is fun about working with buyers is that they all have different wants and needs in a home.●Lately, I have noticed with my clientele that there is a growing demand for people to move into a home that has few if any stairs and more easy-care homes with main level living.●People entering into the retirement years typically want main level living but enough space to entertain family or grandkids.●Main level living is defined as: ○Few if any stairs○1, preferably 2 bedrooms on the main level○Laundry on the main level and○Homes that do not require a ton of maintenance○Some have basements, some do not○Some the HOA takes care of the yard, exterior snow removal, trash removal, some do not.○Some are attached to other homes called “Paired Patio Homes”.  Those are homes attached by 1 wall, typically the garage wall.What Can a Home Buyer Expect to Pay for a Home with Main Level Li

What are some Inspection Blunders you have Seen and how Sellers watch out for them?1. Inspectors are NOT licensed in the state of CO2. For our Errors and Omission Insurance to be Valid, we as licensed agents CANNOT let an unlicensed person go in the house on their own…yet...●Weekly, I get requests from agents asking if we can give out the code to let inspectors spend 3 hours in someone’s home touching every system on their own without an escort. Not only is this behavior a license law violation but it invalidates our insurance!●I’ve caught agents, going to the home, letting them in THEN LEAVING DURING THE INSPECTION●I’m not sure what agents have to do other than represent their clients (of which they are getting thousands and thousands of dollars to do… but not attending to their buyer’s due diligence, to me, is a failure to represent the client.●As a result, if the seller is NOT present during the inspection, we staff the inspection with our team to represent the seller during the inspection.●The state contr

How to Write a Winning OfferWhat are the Top Mistakes Buyers Make When Making an Offer on Homes?Buyers Do Not Know HOW it Works...Buyer Mistake #1: Not Getting Pre-APPROVED FOR FINANCINGa. Define: Pre-Approved - Submitted financial docs to lender and lender has approved the buyers loan, just need a house!i. Similar to Cashii. Just Need an Appraisalb. Pre-Qualified - Talked to a Lender on the Phone and Lender MAYBE pulled creditNOTE: Pre-Qualification tells me there is NO Verification by the lender of the Buyer's Financial statusBuyer Mistake # 2: FAILURE TO SEND OVER BUYER’S ABILITY TO PAY WITH PROOF OF FUNDS OR LENDER LETTER - -NO Lender Letter ProvidedPuts Buyers Ability to Perform in DoubtAgents have said to me…”I was so busy”Too busy to present your buyer in the best possible light?Buyer Mistake # 3: HOUSE TO SELL CONTINGENCY 1. Hot Property – 20 Showings on Day 12. Offer Came in with a House to Sell that gave the buyer a back out, no harm no foul to buyer all the way until closing day…6 weeks later!

Segment 4The CARES Act: Allowed People to Skip their House Payments for Up to 1 Year - How it Impacts Those BorrowersBarb Schlinker Radio Show719-301-1802 | 719-301-3900Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Colorado#coloradosprings #yourhomesoldguaranteedrealty #barbschlinker #realestatevoiceBarb, why would someone who has a mortgage want to know who owns their loan?1. Because they may not have the protections of the Cares Act if their loan is held by a private companya. Fannie Mae – Conventional Loansb. Freddie Mac – Conventional Loansc. FHA – FHA Loansd. VA – VA Loanse. Normally if a house payment is missed, it will drop your credit score by about 100 points.The other issue is that you cannot get another mortgage for at least 1  year.With them putting that NOTE on your credit about Forbearance, it has the same affect, no new mortgage for at least 1  year.I also read that they can get a new loan, meaning refinance after they have gone back to making payments for 3 months.Either way, it’s a tough situation, giving

Barb, The CARES Act was hastily passed because of the COVID19 Outbreak, there is a provision for people with a mortgage to skip their house payments for up to 1 year, allegedly with no harm to their credit. How Does it Really Impact People who Skip Their House Payments?1. CARES Act – The law allows for people who have home loans backed by:a. Fannie Mae – Conventional Loansb. Freddie Mac – Conventional Loansc. FHA – FHA Loansd. VA – VA Loans2. To skip payments for up to 1 year without giving proof of a hardship!a.  As of last week: 4.75 MILLION people had done so, representing about $1.04 trillion of unpaid principal according to Black Knight.b.  Because the companies servicing the loans, still HAVE to pay the “INVESTORS” people to give the month for loans, for at least 4 months before the government takes ownership of the loan…it resulted in homes loans becoming less available because lenders have less funds to work with…For certain types of borrowers:  They are:I. A credit score below 660 (was 580)ii. Cash-o

The Top Five Things to Prepare Your Home for SaleBarb Schlinker Radio Show719-301-1802 | 719-301-3900Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Colorado#coloradosprings #yourhomesoldguaranteedrealty #barbschlinker #realestatevoiceWhat are some the top things a home seller should do to prepare their homes for sale?1. Curb Appeal – Buyers spend a majority of their time looking at homes at the Front Yard, the Backyard and View.a. This time of year there is no excuse not to make your yard look great!b. Even though it’s a hot market.c. Buyers will turn their nose up at anything that looks like deferred maintenance and you will never know, it will get eliminated ONLINEd. Spoke with one buyer last week that told me she eliminates home in just 5 Clicks!e. Wrong:2. Cosmetic finishes really impact buyers…In most price ranges, a home seller’s competition is new construction….Even if you have stellar views!Buyers are ‘doing the math’They will say…”for the same payment, I can get a new home with fresh everything AND a warranty.  g.

Things That Make Home Buyers Reject Homes and How to Avoid ThemBarb Schlinker Radio Show719-301-1802 | 719-301-3900Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Colorado#coloradosprings #yourhomesoldguaranteedrealty #barbschlinker #realestatevoiceWhat are some things that make Home Buyers Reject Homes?I had the pleasure of showing homes over the Holiday weekend. It was pretty shocking what I saw:a. Leaky faucet – Indicates Poor Maintenance b. Hardwood flooring with scratches and poor finishingc. Dead yard – talk about Curb Appeal Party Foul!d. Steps to backyard chewed down by large dog along with massive dog surprises inside yarde. Trash left in the garage and unfinished spacef. Dirty floorsNOTE: These may seem like real estate 101 but these were homeowners asking prices that competed with brand new homesThe other was the experience of showing:We are having to take extra precautions:Wear Masks, Wear Gloves, Wipe Before and After yet…When I went to set the appointment, one agent actually asked me to Take the Temperature of

Solving Buyer Problems, How to Sell Webinar & Hot New ListingsBuyers have many dilemmas when buying a home:#1 Financing:  It’s getting more challenging to get home loans now because some people are facing job loss, so lenders put more restrictions on obtaining financing Best Advice:  Get Pre Approved – Most buyers are up against the competition when they make offers.#2 Problems to Solve:b.Getting out of a longer-term lease – Buyout Programsc. Having a House to sell and our Trade up program#3 Finding the right home:d. Most agents just sell MLS propertiese. We offer VIP buyers services to go find them the perfect home!#4 Buyer’s Remorse:a.    Some buyers fear they might have made a mistake and are afraid to commit:                                                 i.      There are at least 10 ways a buyer can bow out of a contract and get their deposit back.1. We track this all the way2. Help the buyer get thorough due diligence before they are committed to the saleii. We offer a 24 Month Buy Back Guarantee#

Segment 3 Top 5 Staging Tips to Command Top DollarHow Strong is the Real Estate Market?Barb Schlinker Radio Show719-301-1802 | 719-301-3900Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Colorado#coloradosprings #yourhomesoldguaranteedrealty #barbschlinker #realestatevoice1. 98% of homes buyers shop initially and eliminate homes ONLINE based on the photos, if you don’t get this write, you won't know who eliminated your home!2. Most buyers spend less than 1 Minute viewing homes online.a. A majority of that time, 28 seconds is spent looking at the outside, which curb appeal is so important and the backyard!  This is a clue!  Curb Appeal is massively important!3. We invest a lot of marketing dollars helping our sellers present their homes to the market in the best possible manner:Preparation for StagingStagingProfessional Photosd. Professional VideosSo what are the Top 5 tips for Staging!?If you plan to sell the home vacant, we have a solution to make it look great!1. Most buyers do not have the ability to visualize very

How To Make the Most Money When You Decide On Pricing Your HomeBarb Schlinker Radio Show719-301-1802 | 719-301-3900Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Colorado#coloradosprings #yourhomesoldguaranteedrealty #barbschlinker #realestatevoiceWhy is it important that Home Sellers need to understand about deciding on an asking price for their home?Most buyers shop just below their maximum sales priceMany buyers shop in $50K incrementsThere is always someone who is a distressed seller in the area and will reduce the price uncommonly low.I’m not suggesting you do that butYou want to be the BEST HOME on THE BLOCKWe offer, in-depth pricing consultations when we meet with home sellers to price their homes Realistically vs Optimistically.Here are the common pricing mistakes:Pricing too high for “NEGOTIATING ROOM”Buyers fear making an offer if its priced too high.Pricing based on THE COST OF THE IMPROVEMENTSNot all improvements will net 100% or more of the investments.Story: I’ve had home sellers that have priced optimistical

Segment 1 - Strong Market, Space Force, Income, Great Time to Buy and SellHow Strong is the Real Estate Market?Barb Schlinker Radio Show719-301-1802 | 719-301-3900Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty Colorado#coloradosprings #yourhomesoldguaranteedrealty #barbschlinker #realestatevoiceThe #1 Reason is the chances of commanding top dollar are better than ever.  Here’s why:We are in the top 10 real estate markets in the country and homes are relatively more affordableCouple that with record-low interest rates = more buying power for buyers.#2:  Real estate is NOT ON LOCKDOWN in this market!One of our key economic drivers is Defense – 5 military bases, and Aerospace.  Their employment is stable.  They are buying homes.Many from out of the area. We are meeting with our buyers on Zoom Meetings and some sellers on Zoom Meetings to start the process.We include several different virtual video and imagery technologies to command top dollar for our sellers.That translates to home sellers being able to command top dollar fo

Hey, its Barb Schlinker Here. Thank you again for trusting us with the sale of your home. The next steps are to prepare for photos. Here is why this is important:#1 A Majority of Home Buyers Start Their Search Online#2 Most view a home online for less than 1 minute! That means you only have 1 online minute to attract the buyer enough to have your home added to the ‘must-see’ list.#3 These are the rooms the buyers spend the most time viewing online:The Exterior –  Buyers view this for over 20 Seconds. That is why your curb appeal must be the best it can be.The Backyard or Views – Over 8 Seconds, So make sure the yard is neat and tidyThe Living Room gets over 8 seconds of online viewingThe Kitchen gets just under 8 secondsThe Masterbath is next on their list with just under 8 secondsThe Master Bedroom is next with under 8 seconds.Here are some general tips that may help you get started:To Prepare For photos, focus on the following spaces to look great:Curb appeal, living room, kitchen, master & back yard.Of

Hi, Its Barb Schlinker and I wanted you to know we have activated your home in the Multiple Listing Service. That means that very soon buyers will see the home and start requesting to view it. My team will coordinate with you on how you want to be notified about showings as well as your preferred showing times.Typically we wait a few days to start showings after it is activated in the showing service in order to let the buyer population know its there. That way all of the buyers have a chance to schedule a showing and make their best offer.Here are the top 7 things you should know about agent showing activity along with a few unexpected things that happen:1. Agents may show up with their buyers without an appointment.  It is your home if that happens its up to you if you want to let them in.  But for security, I recommend that you get their business card before letting anyone inside. If they are not escorted by a licensed agent you can ask them to call my office to schedule a showing.2. Agents who have schedu

Hello, its Barb Schlinker, I'm so excited to say Congratulations on getting an accepted contract on your home. we know it's a very busy time for you. we will do all we can to make this process easier 4 you and we are thrilled to be a part of helping you with the sale of your home.There are a lot of steps in this process, not to mention moving and our team is designed to help you every step of the way.I've attached a flow chart to this email that summaries each step.  And both myself and my team will be communicating with you throughout the process.So I want to focus on what happens next.Now that you have a contract, we have instructed the title company to order the title work. They will complete their search in a few days.  Soon they will be sending you an email and ask for information about ordering the payoff of your home loan as well as information like your social security number to verify there are no liens against your name.  We do not need to know this only them. If you do not want to pu

Hello, it's Barb Schlinker again. The next step in the home sale process is that the buyer will hire an inspector to evaluate your home and verify that it doesn't have any issues with health or safety or any issues that they may have to deal with going forward. You know that buyers pick their own inspectors, they pay for the inspections, and in the state of Colorado, there is no requirement for an inspector to be licensed or certified to judge the condition of your home. So if you have not already had a pre-inspection done on your home, this video gives you an idea of what to expect. Very soon one of our team members will be reaching out to you to let you know that a buyer will be coming over to do a home inspection and don't worry, your house does not have to be show-ready.Here's a shortlist of tips that you can do to make it go well. Number 1, most home inspections take about 3 hours. Typically the buyers and their agents would prefer that you were not there and did not attend the inspec

Hello, its Barb Schlinker. Many home sellers worry that when their home is visited by the buyer’s appraisal it may not pass. An appraisal is not another inspection. In fact, when the appraiser visits the home, they are usually there for less than 30 minutes, they take photos of the home, they will sketch the floor plan and take notes of any improvements or issues they see. The lender hires an appraiser to confirm the home is worth what the buyer and seller agreed upon and that it meets the loan guidelines. I bet you are wondering how often appraisals come in low. Low appraisal does not happen very often. if the home is priced appropriately and it's under contract near the price that is close to similar recent home sales, you won't have to worry about the appraisal coming in low. an appraisal is required in most cases by the buyer's lender In order to have a neutral license 3rd party verified the home value. If a buyer is paying all cash for the home, there is no need for an appraisal. As a home

Top 5 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before You Hire them.Not all real estate agents are the same. If you decide to seek the help of an agent when selling or buying your home, you need some good information before you make any moves.Some agents may prefer that you don’t ask these questions, because the knowledge you’ll gain from their honest answers will give you a very good idea about what outcome you can expect from using this agent. And let’s face it - in real estate, as in life - not all things are created equal.Hiring a real estate agent is just like any hiring process - with you on the boss’s side of the desk. It’s critical that you make the right decision about who will handle what is probably the single largest financial investment you will ever make#1 What makes you different?  Why should I list my home with you?As well as what things this agent offers that others do not to help you sell with the least amount of hassle and the most amount of money.#2 How Many Buyers are You Currently Working Wi