Real Estate Marketing 2.0

Real Estate Marketing Tips for Realtors. Real Estate Agents need all the help they can get when it comes to marketing online. This blog can help you stay ahead of the competition.

Saturday, November 22, 2008

Over 18,000 Foreclosed Homes Sold in Sacramento

Over 18,000 Foreclosed Homes Sold in Sacramento



By: Leticia Carvalho

As California foreclosures continue to rise, the inventory of unsold foreclosed homes has increased to more than 5,000 units as of October 20.



Nevertheless, the sales rate for repossessed houses in the state has jumped much higher compared to 2007. Of the entire 23,572 houses foreclosed by mortgage banks in the Sacramento region since 2006, a total of 18,491 have been sold. Real estate research firm MDA DataQuick also said that the sales rate for foreclosed homes has surpassed the sales rate for new homes.



The soaring number of repossessed homes is not decreasing however. California foreclosure rates continue to rise. In the Sacramento region, mortgage lenders foreclosed 7,277 homes during the quarter ended September 30, up by 32 percent from the second quarter.



What has been bothering sellers most is the rapid fall of home prices due to the foreclosures. According to real estate research firm First American CoreLogic, in one section of Rancho Cordova, 84 percent of households with mortgage loans have negative equity, collectively owing the banks $120 million more as of October because of the depressed values.



The depressed prices have made foreclosed homes the top sellers in the Sacramento real estate market, which covers four counties. Sales of bank-foreclosed homes consisted of 66 percent of total real estate sales volume in October, even though they made up only about one-fourth of the total inventory of real estate properties for sale.



According to real estate analyst Trendgraphix Inc., as sales of bank-foreclosed houses have been steadily rising, the sales of non-foreclosed homes have been flat in all the four counties.



In contrast to the selling frenzy, there is one national bank which has chosen to rent out some of its foreclosure properties rather than offer them for sale. Robert Machado, president of HomePointe Property Management in Sacramento, confirmed that his firm has signed a contract with the bank, which did not want its name known, to rent out some of its foreclosed homes.




Author Resource:-> http://www.foreclosuredeals.com/wp/over-18000-foreclosed-homes-sold-in-sacramento/

Article From Real Estate Pro Articles

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

What Are Your Options When You Need To Sell Your Property Quickly?

If you need to sell your property quickly there are various options you can take. The 4 main options are:

 

1. Sell via an estate agent

2. Sell privately

3. Sell via an auction

4. Sell to a cash buyer or specialist home buying company

 

Which one you chose will normally depend on how great your need is to sell and the price you need to achieve. Although estate agents are normally the best solutions when you have 6 months to wait until your property is sold they do not suit people who need to sell their properties urgently – i.e. in the next 1-8 weeks. Selling via an Estate Agent normally 4.5-7 months and then there is a 1 in 3 chance of a broken chain which means starting all over again. Even if you put your property on the market a big discount it is still likely to take you a lot longer to sell this way than via an auction house or through a home buying company (where you are likely to get a similar price).

 

Selling privately is often not the best solution if you need to sell property quick. In fact it is often the worst. By selling privately, I mean doing your own advertising in newspapers and online. People use this method to save on estate agents fees normally but it is normally counter productive when you have time to sell, never mind when you need to sell quick. It is unlikely enough potential buyers will see the property, particularly the ones able to buy it quickly. 

 

Selling via auction is a good option for those people who need a quick home sale but those selling this way need to understand that they are only likely to get up to 80% of the properties value – sometimes a lot less. Of course you can set a reserve so you don’t have to accept offers below a certain level. You also need to be aware that there a auction house fees of 2.5% normally. The advantage is that after the auction takes place the sale is normally completed in a month (if the reserve has been met). It will normally be 1-2 months after you contact the auction house that the auction will take place to allow for marketing the property and potential buyers to carry out due diligence. So in total you would be looking at 2-3 months to sell via this route. 

 

Selling to a specialist home buying company is a viable alternative to an auction house.  The advantages to this method is that:

1. The whole process from contacting the company to completing the sale can be done in a month or quicker.

2. There are no estate agent or auction fees

3. Legal fees of £500 are normally paid for you (which normally covers them all)

4. No Home Information Pack required

5. The sale is guaranteed once you agree on a price

6. You have more control over the price as this is negotiated directly with the buyer. If you are not happy just walk away with no money lost. 

 

The price you will be offered from an a specialist homebuyer is normally between 70-80% of the properties value. This is similar to what you would expect from an auction sale although you don’t have any fees and it is quicker. 

 

So if you need to a quick sale consider a homebuying company or an auction. If you are not in a hurry use a good estate agent. 

Should You Sell To A Homebuying Company?

Selling a property can be one of the most stressful things you can do and unfortunately this event is sometimes forced on people. Due to external factors many people find themselves in a situation where they need to sell their home quickly. The operative word here is “need” rather than “want”. Often this is due to financial difficulties, divorce, separation, emigration or the threat of repossession and eviction. In these circumstances selling on the open market via an estate agent is not the ideal solution due to the time it takes.

 

Selling via an estate agent is the preferred route of most property sellers and accounts for 90% of all sales. The reason why this method continues to be so popular is that it allows the seller to get near the maximum price possible for their property (assuming they are using a good estate agent which is not always the case).  Just a quick note on this: the market value and is the price that people are willing to pay for the property. Sounds simple but it is important to distinguish that the value of a property is what people will pay and not what surveyors or estate agent say. Most of us have seen (either on TV or through personal experience) 3 different estate agents value the same property and come up with 3 very different prices. They are guesstimates but many people chose the highest and hold on to this as fact. 

 

Anyway, I digress. Selling via an estate agent normally takes anywhere between 4.5 – 7 months with 6 months being the average. It is also worth bearing in mind that 1 in 3 of these sales collapses down due to chain breaks. The buyer and seller then have to start all over again. So this is not the ideal solution if you need to sell your property quickly. Those who do are increasingly turning to specialist home buying companies as well as the traditional auction route. 

 

Home buying companies can offer the best option to some people who need to sell their homes fast. So what can they offer:

 

1. Exchange in days and completion in less than a month

2. Guaranteed sale (they buy with cash or have pre-agreed finance in place)

3. Pay sellers legal fees up to £500 (which normally covers total cost)

4. No Estate agency fees

5. No HIP required by seller (as it is a private sale)

6. Many offer option to rent back if you are in financial difficulty

7. Some also offer option to buy your property at a fixed price in the future

 

That is basically it. You get a quick guaranteed sale with no fees to pay. So what is the catch – why doesn’t everyone use them? Well the biggest reason why they are only suitable for those needing a quick home sale is that they will only offer to buy properties at a discount. Normally, 20-30% below market value. Therefore if you have a house worth £100,000 they will offer to buy it at between £70-80,000. They take this discount as they are in a business to make a profit – they normally try and make a 5% profit for each purchase. 5% is normally all they get after the costs of buying,  marketing, waiting for the property to be resold, and selling costs.

 

In conclusion, if you need a fast home sale and are willing to sell your property at 70-80% of its value then this method is worth considering (it is approximately what you will get at an auction but you will incur more costs selling via this route and there is no guarantee it will sell).  If you would just like a quick sale, then your best option is to use a very good estate agent. 

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

How To Sell Your Home In Rough Times

Are you wondering how to sell a house in a recession? Right now is an awful time to have to sell a house. House prices have gone way down from earlier in the year and there are many more homes for sale than there are buyers. People are reluctant to make such a large purchase in these rough economic times and so sellers need to do everything they can to get their homes sold. Although the prospects are not great, there are some things you can do to get give your house the best chance of getting sold.

One thing you might consider trying is to negotiate with your real estate broker. If you agree to raise your realator's percentage slightly, he/she will be more motivated to putting in the necessary time to get your house sold. Of course this option is not for everyone and will depend on just how desperate you are to sell your house. This is not the standard way of how to sell a house but if you do raise their percentage, it will give them incentive to hold more open houses on the weekend and to send more flyers out.

Another thing you must do is to advertise your house. You must work to get the word out to as many people that your house is for sale. This is in addition to the work of your realator. There are many ways to advertise your home including advertising in the newspaper, announcement boards at your supermarket, printing brochures and handing them out to everyone, having signs on nearby cross section streets, and telling all your friends.

Another possible source of leads are your neighbors. Make sure all your neighbors in your local community know your house is for sale because they will sometimes know someone who is interested in moving into the neigborhood. Make sure everyone at your church knows your house is for sale as well.
 
Unfortunately, selling your house in a recession may come down to lowering the price. No matter how much you do to remodel your house and make it look just right may not matter if the price is not low enough. There may be no right way of how to sell a house fast as right now sellers have the upper hand and they know it. If you want to get what you perceive to be the right price for your house, it may just not be possible. It is difficult knowing what your home was worth and could have gotten one or two years ago but unfortunately cercumstances have changed. In today's market you need to be willing to negotiate and lower the price.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Foreclosures in Wahsington State

Foreclosures are increasing all around the country. Foreclosed homes in Washington and the surrounding Seattle area have stayed relatively low until just recently. The housing market is beginning to decline like much of the country. As prices fall it could be time to contact your Redmond Real Estate Agent

The number of households ensnared in the foreclosure crisis grew by more than 70 percent in the third quarter of this year compared with the same period in 2007, according to data released Thursday. Many Homeowners find themselves in a position where they cannot continue making their Home Mortgage payments. New foreclosures nearly doubled in Seattle in the third quarter as the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression continued to deepen, the online real estate data company PropertyShark.com reported.

New foreclosures in Seattle rose to 501 from 251, the second biggest gain in the study of four U.S. cities including New York and Miami. Nationwide, nearly 766,000 homes received at least one foreclosure-related notice from July through September, up 71 percent from a year earlier, said foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc.

Seattle hasn't been hit as hard as other parts of the country like California, Nevada, Georgia, Florida etc.


King County saw its foreclosure rate drop sharply in September, according to RealtyTrac, a national foreclosure tracking service. Foreclosures in King County dropped 42 percent from August to September and fell 13 percent from September a year ago. Data according to RealtyTrac in King County show one out of every 1,630 houses are in foreclosure.

RealtyTrac's third-quarter statistics put Washington 26th in foreclosure activity. Of the 100 top metropolitan areas, Tacoma ranked 40th and Seattle/Bellevue/Everett ranked 77th for Mortgage Home Loan foreclosures during the third quarter.

In Washington state overall, foreclosures dropped 38 percent from August to September and declined 16 percent compared to September 2007. The state was ranked 34th for foreclosure activity.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

How To Sell Your Home Fast

 

This article looks at the options open to property owners who want to sell their homes fast. 

 

The majority of residential property sales (90%) are conducted via estate agents. However, this method is not right for everyone and more people are looking at alternatives as they are unhappy with their estate agent or they need a quick property sale. 

 

The problems with Estate Agents

The Office of Fair trading conducted a study of estate agents in response to many complaints about them. They found serious concerns over the way estate agents serve the public. The consumer group Which? has also conducted research and found evidence of serious violations of the law and a massive 50% of consumers voicing dissatisfaction over the service received from their estate agent. They said:

 

"Consumers entering the home-buying or selling process are substantially disadvantaged by the way estate agents currently operate"

 

Now, of course there are some good estate agents out there but all too often you have to pay 1.5 - 2.5% +VAT (i.e. that is £5,875 on the sale of a £200,000 house) for terrible service. 

 

So what it the alternative??

Well if you want the top price for your property the only real alternative is to advertise yourself or get a better estate agent. However, if you need a quick sale then a specialist home buying company is a good option to use. They can purchase your property directly from you with out the need to go through an estate agent.

 

Just to be clear, you should really only use a specialist property buying company if your need for a quick sale is greater than your need to sell for the best price. 

 

Typically you find yourself in need of house buying specialist if:

1. You are in financial difficulties

2. You are being threatened with repossession

3. You would like to sell and rent it back

4. Your chain has collapsed and you're totally desperate and need a quick sale

5. You need money quickly and remortgaging is not an option

6. Bereavement or divorce means you need to move-on as quickly as possible

7. You've inherited property that you want to cash-in quickly

8. You're emigrating and your property is proving difficult to sell

 

Home Buying companies will normally give you a cash offer for your property within 2 days and exchange contracts within a few days and 3- 4 weeks. Completion can then be fixed to suit you but the norm is completion within 3-4 weeks.

 

How Much Will They Buy My Property For?

Home buying companies will normally pay between 75-85% of your properties open market value. Open market value is the price the property would fetch on the open market within 3 months. This is typically less than the price estate agents advertise properties at as they expect to receive offers between below their advertised price (apart from in Scotland).  So, you will received a quick sale and a guaranteed sale if you sell via this method. 

 

What other benefits can these companies provide?

 

A good company will offer to:

1. Pay your legal fees (up to GBP 500 which normally covers them all)

2. Pay any survey and valuation fees

3. Allow you to stay in the property after selling (i.e. you rent back from them)

4. Meet their promises on price and completion date

5. Adhere to some Code of Practice from a recognized body if you rent back such as NLA Rent Back.

 

Beware!

Avoid a sale and rent back company that do not offer the services listed above. Some companies charge for valuation fees regardless whether they plan to buy your property or not. Also beware of companies that try and get their foot in the door by giving you a high offer only to reduce it at the last minute.

 

Need a Fast Home Sale?

This report will show you the tricks and secrets you must know if you need a fast property sale of your property.

 

Selling property can be one of the most stressful things you will ever do. 90% of people sell through an estate agent so this must be the way to go right?

 

Well, it depends on time pressure you are under. When selling through an estate agent you will normally have to go through these stages:

 

1. You need to pay for and complete any renovation and refurbishment necessary (2-3 weeks)

2. You will need to conduct multiple viewings (4 to 8 weeks)

3. If your estate agent finds you a buyer, you will need to wait a few months for the buyer to arrange a mortgage (8 to 14 weeks)

4. If the buyer is in a chain, you will need to wait for their home to sell before yours can be purchase (2-3 weeks)

 

This can take between 4 to 7.5 months! This is a long time in anyone’s book! It is a also a sad fact that 1 in 3 chains break down at the last moment due. It only takes one person to pull out and the whole chain falls apart.

 

How to sell in less than 4 months

However, even with these obstacles in mind it is still possible to sell your home in less than 4 months by these following tips (and having luck on your side):

 

1. Get a reliable, reputable estate agent.

2. Finish off any necessary DIY jobs

3. Thoroughly clean and de-clutter you home

4. Depersonalise your house and go neutral

 

Point 1 is very important as unfortunately some estate agents are not good. As the Office of Fair Trading said:

 

"Consumers entering the home-buying or selling process are substantially disadvantaged by the way estate agents currently operate"

 

Now, in fairness there are some great estate agents out there but they seem to be hard to find. Will you be lucky enough to uncover a good agent? Are you prepared to pay 1.5 - 2.5% +VAT (i.e. the price of a new kitchen) to find out?

 

So what it the alternative??

One of the more popular alternatives if you need a quick home sale is using a specialist home buying company to help you. They can purchase your property directly from you with out the need to go through an estate agent. You will not have to pay solicitors fees, estate agency fees or for a Home Information Pack. These companies will not offer you the market value of your property (normally 15-25% less) but they can offer you a quick hassle free home sale