The Deseret News on June 14 featured a story on renting vs. buying. The story cited a survey by the National Association of Home Builders in which 31 percent of respondents said their biggest barrier to owning a home was saving for a down payment.
REALTOR Carolyn Kirkham was quoted in the story as saying this past winter was one of the slowest in her 20-year career, but this past spring has been one of the busiest she can recall.
"Last week she wrote offers in a single day on homes for two young couples who'd been saving and had found their dream homes," the story said. "It's a fact that the very downturn that has so many people upside down in homes...has also put home ownership within reach for many first-time home buyers."
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
For RENT- BEWARE of FRAUD
We recently listed a great property near the University of Utah, vacant and easy to show. We had no idea it would be the next target of Fraud that has hit Utah. I had a few appointments the day after we listed and when I get out there are voice mails on my phone about the property 'For Rent'. People call all the time and ask if we will rent but not stating 'We are ready to rent'. Someone had placed an ad with an email address that MATCHED my home owners name collecting DEPOSITS on the property. Complete Fraud. Luckily they called me, I investigated, and after a few phone calls it was under control. No deposits sent, no one hurt. I also placed the attached sign to the property just in case. The email is a red flag but for $700 a month would be tempting to any starving college student. See email below. So if you have this issue, be sure to flag the listing and contact the Police. Just so you know, I still think the world is good and well...just goes to show there is still a good rental market out there :).
Hello,
We are pleased that you have an interest in our house, Our lovely home is still available for lease and we want responsible adults/family who are neat and also believe that they have what it takes to take care of our house as if it were theirs. My wife and I initially had it up for sale but had a change of mind in leasing it out ourselves because the agent that was in charge of our rental property was asking too much of an agent fee and also making it difficult for people who cannot afford the rent, stay away from renting my house.
The reason why our house is up for lease is because I got transferred from my place of work to West Africa, I will be away with my family for at least 4 to 5 years because of the love I have for them, I have decided not to sell our house and also assuring them that we only have few years to spend here and will be willing to lease it out to person/family who is willing to assure us of taking absolute care of our home and pay their rent on time. I will start by telling you more in regards me and my family. I have a daughter named Leslie (20yrs) who attends University of Oklahoma as a medical student,she has a lot going for her and she is also down to earth in all that she does to keep us happy and when she is back home on vacation, she also assist her mom in the house work when am at work. I work as a Robotic Programmer & Welder/Fitter here in West Africa and got married to a lovely wife who is a member of Joyce Meyer Ministries . We will be very pleased if we can find the right tenant to rent our home, a person who is a clean freak and does not tolerate anything that has to do with dirt... we also would like to know more about you and your family, your renting experience and how long and when you plan moving into our home.1,996 sqft. I have received some proposals regarding the rent because it is located in a very good area of (Salt Lake City),but I still have to make sure it is rented out to someone who can take good care of it.It includes facilities such as water and heat laundry facilities, air condition, internet and telephone access and a car park and other necessary facilities, also comes with trash collection, pets are allowed as well as long as they are not destructive.
These 4 bedrooms and 2 baths home are very specious and neat.
Below is the rental property address:
2558 Simpson Avenue,Salt Lake City,UT 84109.
Pets allowed: Yes
Rent: $700
Deposit: $700
The rental fee is inclusive with utilities and my home available as at this moment.
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO DRIVE BY THE HOUSE BUT NOT HAVE A LOOK AT THE INTERIOR UNTIL WE HAVE SENT THE KEYS AND DOCUMENT OF THE HOUSE TO YOU.
Hello,
We are pleased that you have an interest in our house, Our lovely home is still available for lease and we want responsible adults/family who are neat and also believe that they have what it takes to take care of our house as if it were theirs. My wife and I initially had it up for sale but had a change of mind in leasing it out ourselves because the agent that was in charge of our rental property was asking too much of an agent fee and also making it difficult for people who cannot afford the rent, stay away from renting my house.
The reason why our house is up for lease is because I got transferred from my place of work to West Africa, I will be away with my family for at least 4 to 5 years because of the love I have for them, I have decided not to sell our house and also assuring them that we only have few years to spend here and will be willing to lease it out to person/family who is willing to assure us of taking absolute care of our home and pay their rent on time. I will start by telling you more in regards me and my family. I have a daughter named Leslie (20yrs) who attends University of Oklahoma as a medical student,she has a lot going for her and she is also down to earth in all that she does to keep us happy and when she is back home on vacation, she also assist her mom in the house work when am at work. I work as a Robotic Programmer & Welder/Fitter here in West Africa and got married to a lovely wife who is a member of Joyce Meyer Ministries . We will be very pleased if we can find the right tenant to rent our home, a person who is a clean freak and does not tolerate anything that has to do with dirt... we also would like to know more about you and your family, your renting experience and how long and when you plan moving into our home.1,996 sqft. I have received some proposals regarding the rent because it is located in a very good area of (Salt Lake City),but I still have to make sure it is rented out to someone who can take good care of it.It includes facilities such as water and heat laundry facilities, air condition, internet and telephone access and a car park and other necessary facilities, also comes with trash collection, pets are allowed as well as long as they are not destructive.
These 4 bedrooms and 2 baths home are very specious and neat.
Below is the rental property address:
2558 Simpson Avenue,Salt Lake City,UT 84109.
Pets allowed: Yes
Rent: $700
Deposit: $700
The rental fee is inclusive with utilities and my home available as at this moment.
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO DRIVE BY THE HOUSE BUT NOT HAVE A LOOK AT THE INTERIOR UNTIL WE HAVE SENT THE KEYS AND DOCUMENT OF THE HOUSE TO YOU.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
5 Lies All Home Sellers Tell
Home sellers are solely their own kind of client. While my career in real estate brought me in contact with many home sellers who all had different expectations and varied reasons for selling their home, they all had one thing in common: They shared the same spiel. I'm not sure if they all read from the same "home seller handbook" or if there was a secret website that gave them a scripted dialogue, but if I heard these things once I heard them a thousand times. Before signing a listing agreement, there were five things almost every seller would say that they knew weren't necessarily true. Regardless, we savvy and experienced agents are on to these sellers. From my years of experience, I knew how to persuade a seller to tell the truth.
'My house is the best in the neighborhood'
Indeed, in their mind, it may be the best house in the neighborhood. The truth is that they haven't been in every house in the neighborhood, so there is no possible way that they know this. As attached to a home as a seller might be, it's been my professional experience that once you take them to see other properties in the area, they start seeing their home in an entirely new light. It's an eye-opening experience, and they realize there is stiff competition.
'I've done more improvements than any of the neighbors'
This tiny fabrication ties in to the seller professing that he has the "best" house in the neighborhood. Honestly, he doesn't know what the Joneses and the Smiths have done to their homes. The more homes that I took a seller to see in the general neighborhood, the less he said that his home was the most improved in the neighborhood. In fact, in many instances, sellers found their home right on par with improvements, if not under-improved. This not only brought down the seller's expectations for his property, it also usually got me the price reduction I needed.
'I won't take less than...'
Many sellers begin the process with a dollar amount that they want to make on their property. They are unwavering in the fact that they won't take less than "X" amount for their property. They have no problem vocalizing it loudly and often. For many sellers, however, I found this to be an all-out lie. The fact is that a seller will "take" a fair amount for his house, and that ultimately the amount he will "take" is in direct proportion to what a buyer will pay. Unfortunately, this usually isn't the highest-dollar amount that he wanted when starting the sales process.
'I'm not going to give my home away'
For many sellers "giving" their house away ties in to the "I won't take less than X" speech. Sellers believe anything less than what they "want" for the house is giving it away for next to nothing. As a real estate agent, I knew this was the time to hammer the seller with market data. After explaining the sales facts in their neighborhood, I could usually get sellers to see the light.
'I'll do whatever it takes to sell'
Admittedly, I was always suspicious of these folks. Sure, they say that they will do "whatever it takes," but they are not entirely prepared for the stress associated with selling a home. When meeting with these sellers, I would explain the factors that go into a successful sale. The "I'll do whatever it takes to sell" speech was usually quickly replaced with admissions of "I didn't know that."
This list is of the utmost importance for sellers to review, before putting their house on the market. I have seen many a seller lose many an excellent agent because he didn't do this homework before his listing appointment. If you want the best agent, as a seller, you have to know the ins and outs of being the best seller for that agent. One way to be the best seller on the block is to avoid these all-too-common lies that so many sellers so often tell.
Yahoo.com by
'My house is the best in the neighborhood'
Indeed, in their mind, it may be the best house in the neighborhood. The truth is that they haven't been in every house in the neighborhood, so there is no possible way that they know this. As attached to a home as a seller might be, it's been my professional experience that once you take them to see other properties in the area, they start seeing their home in an entirely new light. It's an eye-opening experience, and they realize there is stiff competition.
'I've done more improvements than any of the neighbors'
This tiny fabrication ties in to the seller professing that he has the "best" house in the neighborhood. Honestly, he doesn't know what the Joneses and the Smiths have done to their homes. The more homes that I took a seller to see in the general neighborhood, the less he said that his home was the most improved in the neighborhood. In fact, in many instances, sellers found their home right on par with improvements, if not under-improved. This not only brought down the seller's expectations for his property, it also usually got me the price reduction I needed.
'I won't take less than...'
Many sellers begin the process with a dollar amount that they want to make on their property. They are unwavering in the fact that they won't take less than "X" amount for their property. They have no problem vocalizing it loudly and often. For many sellers, however, I found this to be an all-out lie. The fact is that a seller will "take" a fair amount for his house, and that ultimately the amount he will "take" is in direct proportion to what a buyer will pay. Unfortunately, this usually isn't the highest-dollar amount that he wanted when starting the sales process.
'I'm not going to give my home away'
For many sellers "giving" their house away ties in to the "I won't take less than X" speech. Sellers believe anything less than what they "want" for the house is giving it away for next to nothing. As a real estate agent, I knew this was the time to hammer the seller with market data. After explaining the sales facts in their neighborhood, I could usually get sellers to see the light.
'I'll do whatever it takes to sell'
Admittedly, I was always suspicious of these folks. Sure, they say that they will do "whatever it takes," but they are not entirely prepared for the stress associated with selling a home. When meeting with these sellers, I would explain the factors that go into a successful sale. The "I'll do whatever it takes to sell" speech was usually quickly replaced with admissions of "I didn't know that."
This list is of the utmost importance for sellers to review, before putting their house on the market. I have seen many a seller lose many an excellent agent because he didn't do this homework before his listing appointment. If you want the best agent, as a seller, you have to know the ins and outs of being the best seller for that agent. One way to be the best seller on the block is to avoid these all-too-common lies that so many sellers so often tell.
Yahoo.com by
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