4 Reasons Winter Is a Great Time to Buy or Sell

Don’t assume you’re better off waiting until the spring or summer to buy or sell a home. Winter is actually a great time to buy or sell a home, and there are four reasons why.

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There’s an old stereotype in the real estate world that maintains that buyers and sellers are better off waiting out the winter months and entering the market in the spring and summer. While there is some truth to that, there are also four reasons the winter months are a great time to buy or sell. First of all, there’s less competition. During the winter, there are fewer buyers and sellers active on the market. This is especially advantageous for buyers because it means you won’t have to deal with multiple-offer situations. Second, buyers and sellers are more motivated. If someone has their home listed or is out shopping for homes during this time, they’re more motivated to get a deal done.

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If someone has their home listed or is out shopping for homes during this time, they’re more motivated to get a deal done.

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Third, homes are presented more realistically because they can’t be staged as well due to the weather. This gives buyers a more realistic picture of the house they want and gives sellers peace of mind knowing there’s only so much landscaping they can do when there’s snow on the ground. Lastly, you have more accessibility to real estate professionals. During the winter months, the real estate business slows down a bit, but that also means Realtors, appraisers, inspectors, closing attorneys, etc., are more available to help you. That’s a great thing to take advantage of during the winter months. I believe you can buy or sell a home at any time of the year, and my team has helped thousands of buyers and sellers, regardless of what month it was. If you’re looking to buy or sell right now, don’t hesitate to give us a call. If you have any other questions about our market or you have any other real estate needs, feel free to reach out to us as well. We’d love to help you.

Moving Far Away? Meet a Preferred Partner

You don’t have to go through your move alone. No matter where you’re moving to, we’ll take care of you.

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We hear it all the time: A client moves far away to a new home and is greeted by an awful experience with a new real estate agent. Fortunately, this doesn’t have to happen to you. No matter where you’re moving to, there’s a great chance that we’ll be able to introduce you to one of our preferred partners there.

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We’ll be able to introduce you to one of our preferred partners.

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Let us give you the peace of mind of having an agent who is directly associated with us. Call (919)-332-8320 or email Beau@RubyHenderson.com and we can set you up with a preferred partner who you can trust. We look forward to hearing from you.

Buyer Tips for a Seller’s Market

If you’re a buyer in our seller’s market, there are five tips you can utilize that will help you stay ahead of the game.

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When buyers compete in a seller's market, like the one we're in right now, there are a few tips they must remember to get the home they want. First, when presenting your offer, always offer strong due diligence terms and/or a large earnest money deposit. When a seller sees these two things, they’re more likely to consider your offer—more earnest money up front looks a lot better than additional earnest money down the road. Second, show that you’re qualified to buy. Many buyers make offers without a pre-qualification or pre-approval letter. Of course, in real estate, cash is king, so an all-cash offer will usually trump any offer that’s utilizing financing. Third, keep your offer lean and mean. By this, I mean the fewer deal points you have, the better. Don’t make an offer that asks for too much.

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The fewer deal points your offer has, the better.

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Fourth, have your agent communicate with the seller’s agent and ask them what the seller wants. For example, maybe they want a longer contract-to-close date or a post-closing occupancy period. Lastly, try offering to purchase the home as is. When you buy a home as is, you’re not negotiating back and forth with the seller over whatever repairs may need to be made that they may have to pay for. Applying these tips when presenting an offer in our market will put you on top of the game. As always, if you have any questions or you’re looking to buy or sell a home soon, feel free to give me a call. I’d love to help you.

Debunking the Top 5 Real Estate Myths

The real estate market is filled with myths that change the way that people think of the industry. Today I am proving five of them wrong.

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A lot of what is said regarding the world of real estate is inaccurate, so today I'd like to debunk five myths about this industry. 1. "If it is on the internet, it has to be true." There are some incredible websites out there that share a lot of valuable information like Zillow, Redfin, and Trulia. However, you still have to do your due diligence. For example, Zillow has something called a Zestimate, which is an online valuation tool that the website itself warns you isn’t always 100% accurate. 2. "As a seller, price adjustments or reductions are bad." This is not always true. Sometimes when you do a price adjustment, you can make more money because you may not have been in the market’s sweet spot for your price range. Buyers may not even be visiting because you are overpriced. Adjusting will help your home sell and help make you money.

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The National Association of Realtors and other supporting resources have said that approximately 90% of for sale by owner, or FSBO, listings eventually end up listing with an agent.

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3. "All agents are equal." Every individual agent or team is truly different, and this is why it is in your best interest to interview several agents or teams before you make your choice. You can watch one of my previous videos about what 10 questions you should ask a potential agent here.

4. "I can make more money selling by myself rather than working with an agent." This is not always the case. The National Association of Realtors and other supporting resources have said that approximately 90% of for sale by owner, or FSBO, listings eventually end up being listed with an agent. Plus, with a FSBO listing, there are many different factors that need to be considered, including liability and the potential to misprice your home. Unfortunately, many owners have to find this out the hard way after wasting time and money. 5. "All agents market the home the same." You can discover the truth of this when you interview different agents by asking for an example of their marketing budget. If you end up with an agent who is not marketing your home and does not have a budget to market, you are losing valuable market share and market price. If you have any additional questions about the myths of the real estate market or would like to buy or sell your home, please feel free to contact me by phone or email. I hope to speak with you soon.

10 Questions You Must Ask Your Realtor

What should you ask Realtors before you hire them? Here are 10 questions I recommend.

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Today I’m back with a topic that a lot of home sellers have been asking about. Choosing to sell is a big financial decision, so I want to share 10 questions that you need to ask before hiring any Realtor. 1. How many homes have you sold? You can sell 200 homes, but if it’s over a 20-year period, that’s not very good. You want an agent who is consistently selling a lot of homes every year. 2. What is your average days on market? This is a measure of how long it takes them to sell homes. You want as low of a number as possible. My team’s average is half the MLS average. 3. What is your list-to-sale ratio? If someone lists homes at $500,000 and ends up selling them for $150,000, that’s bad. 4. What’s your ranking? Are they a top agent or on a top team? The higher their ranking, the better their reputation is in the industry.

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These are the best questions to ask.

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5. Do you have any references? It’s one thing for someone to talk highly about themselves, but it’s more important to have other people speak the same. 6. Do you have a team or are you working as an individual agent? Teams are very good for protecting sellers. 7. What is included in your commission? They might make you pay up front for staging, videos, measurements, and photography. All of those things are included for free with our commission. 8. What is your commission rate? If you are being charged a commission, you need to know exactly what’s included in that. 9. What are your marketing strategies? Marketing is one of the most important things a seller can ask about. Ask your agent what their approach is, how they are going to market, and what they are going to market. 10. What is your marketing budget? Don’t have them just tell you—have them show you too. If an agent can’t market your home properly, they are doing you a disservice. Be sure to ask every agent you interview these 10 questions to protect you, your home, and your money. If you have any questions for me in the meantime, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you soon.

How Can You Be Sure Your Next Home Is Pet-Friendly?

If you’re a pet owner looking for your next home, there are a few additional things you must keep in mind during your search.

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If you’re a pet owner, you’ll need to keep your furry friends in mind when making the transition into a new home.
I’ve got a few tips today that can help you make your move as pet-friendly as possible.
1. Be aware of local pet laws and regulations. If you are moving into a homeowners association (or HOA), you should be able to find this information available through the community guidelines. Even homes outside of an HOA may have restrictions, though. Make sure you do your homework before you make your move.

2. Does the home have a fenced-in yard? This is a major factor to consider when buying a home as a pet owner. If the yard isn’t fenced-in and you need it to be, you’ll need to make sure this is allowed within your neighborhood. 

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Your neighborhood should be as good a fit for your pets as it is for you.

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3. Is the area safe for pets? Your neighborhood should be as good a fit for your pets as it is for you. One thing I always advise my clients to do is to take tours of their soon-to-be area. Check out the neighborhood you’re interested in at multiple times of day and at various times of the week. This will give you a feel for whether or not the community would be a good fit for you and your pets.

4. Is the house pet-friendly? When looking at homes, make sure you keep your pet’s needs in mind. Adequate space is one major aspect to consider during your home search.

5. Can your pet handle the stairs? If you have an older pet, or one who is too small to handle the steps, stairs could definitely be an issue.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

5 Reasons Fall Is the Best Time to Buy a Home

The fourth quarter is here and everyone is preparing for the holiday season. If you are thinking about buying a home, though, now might be the time to prepare to make a move.

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We are in the fourth quarter and I hope everyone is preparing for a great holiday season. In fact, the fourth quarter may actually be the best time for you to buy a home. There are five reasons why fall is a great time to buy:

1. Home prices are typically lower. Sellers understand that there are fewer buyers in the fall market, so they try to compensate for that by lowering their prices to incentivize the buyers who are out there. Make sure your agent runs a CMA and checks those sale prices to get you a good deal.

2. You will face less competition. The holidays are a very busy time for most people. Folks are traveling around the world and visiting friends and family, so buying a home is not at the top of their list. That means there are fewer buyers in the market for you to compete with.

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Fewer buyers on the market means less competition for you.

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3. The holidays are around the corner. Sellers want to sell before the holidays just as much as you want to buy a home before the holidays.

4. You can get year-end tax credits. These are a great incentive for buyers who want to maximize their buying power.

5. It’s a great time to see what’s on the market.

If you have any questions about buying a home this fall or about the fall market in general, give us a call or send us an email. My team and I would be happy to help you!

How Aging in Place Affects Us All

Aging in Place is a program that helps people by designing houses that age and grow with them.

Today I’m joined once again by my friend and Aging in Place expert Valerie Jurik to discuss supporting and caring for our aging community.

According to Valerie, since the Baby Boomers started turning 65 in 2011, there are 10,800 more turning 65 every day. That rate will continue until the year 2029. When that time comes, one out of every five people will be 65 and older—or 20% of our population.

Those are numbers that we can all relate to. We all either have loved ones that are aging or know people that are aging. My own father fell ill this past year, and the challenges and heartbreak of having to move him from our personal home to another facility in another community were devastating and hurtful on our family.

Aging in Place is trying to be the solution to that same challenge that families face all the time. Is there any way that our loved ones can stay in their home for as long as possible? If this was available last year when my father was dealing with Alzheimer’s and dementia, we would’ve chosen to keep our home in an Aging in Place position to allow him to be there as long as possible.

Aging in Place designs a house to make it easier to live in.

That all comes through designing the house to make it easier to live in. As we age, things become harder for us to do. Aging in Place simply means to live at home as long as possible safely and independently. What can you do to your house to create that environment? What can you do when you buy or sell a house to create it for the interested party?

When we think of Aging in Place, the first thing we think of are older folks, but that’s not necessarily the target market. This affects everybody. No matter what your station is in life, you can buy a house that is Aging in Place so that you can grow through the house.

Say you have a house with a stepless entry. Most people would assume that that’s there for someone in a wheelchair, but what about a woman with a baby stroller? This kind of easier access into the house is an example of Aging in Place because anybody of any ability can get into your house.

A house designed age and grow with you is what Aging in Place is purely about. For Valerie, there’s nothing like educating people on how to do this. As for us at Team Ruby, we plan on continuing this discussion because we’re all about helping our friends, family, clients, and community at large.

If you have any questions for Valerie, you can visit her website or give her a call at 919-599-6940. If you have any questions for us regarding buying or selling, please feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you.

Discussing Aging in Place with Valerie Jurik

I'm excited to be joined today by my friend Valerie Jurik to talk about the important topic of supporting and caring for our aging community. Valerie is a speaker, author, and Aging in Place specialist.

Keller Williams chose to team up with Valerie, who has been preaching about Aging in Place for quite some time, to reach out to you to educate you about what Aging in Place is all about. There are three important aspects of how Aging in Place supports homeowners:

1. Universal home design. 
2. In-home services
3. Products

Aging in Place is not something that's going to pass - it has just started as the country ages. It's all about living in a house that's better for you and simple things you can do if you want to buy or sell.

Many people wonder what they can do to their home to better provide for their loved ones that are elderly, or prepare to sell to a potential buyer. Aging in Place means living safely and independently at home for as long as possible. Quick things you can do include picking up throw rugs to prevent falls, widen doorways with offset hinges, tighten up rails, and make sure steps aren't loose.

It's all about living safely and independently at home for as long as possible.

If you want to sell your house, make sure things aren't cluttered and move the furniture around so it feels open and free. If you're looking to buy a house, think about the age you are now as well as what life will be like in five to 10 years. Do you want to keep going up and down steps? Can you climb in and out of the bathtub? Think about things in a house and how they will affect you as you age. 

These types of topics may seem small, but they are often overlooked (myself included) until we start aging. I want to thank Valerie for joining me today; you can reach her by email with any questions at valerieJurik@gmail.com, visit her website, or give her a call at 919-599-6940.

As always, if you have any questions about real estate or the Raleigh market, give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to help you out.