Choosing a Professional to SELL Your HOME!

In this market it’s important for sellers to have a negotiation expert on their side when it comes to making deals. Selling or buying a home should be like any other business transaction. All too often sellers or buyers make emotional or impulsive decisions that can cost them money and valuable time. Choosing the right Realtor to market a property or negotiate a sale is the MOST important step in the process. You need to have tough standards when selecting an agent, just as you would when hiring an attorney or doctor.

Many sellers or buyers will hire an agent offering the lowest commission. Remember, you get what you pay for. Do you want a negotiator with a lot of expertise to protect your equity? If you had a lawsuit that was worth the value of your home, would you hire the cheapest attorney to protect you or the best attorney you can find? If you had surgery, would you look for the cheapest doctor? Or you would look for the best doctor? The same should be true for the Realtor you hire. In today’s highly competitive market it takes time, knowledge, expertise, targeted marketing, and countless hours of work!

Selecting the right agent can even help bring more money to the table at closing.  In fact, hiring the right agent in this market will make a significant difference for both buyers and sellers and their bottom line. I’ve practiced Real Estate for 30 years now and have successfully negotiated nearly 4000 contracts in my career. If you want real results, hire a real professional. I have a very strong team to back up my experience. 

Call us today to get your home SOLD! AND AT TOP DOLLAR!!! 505-238-1000

Seller Faux Pas

I recently read an article on Realtor.com that sparked my interest and I wanted to share it with you.  It’s all about the unwritten rules sellers should take into consideration when their home is on the market. Some are funny. Some seem a little obvious....yet you’d be surprised at how many seller faux pas we see when showing homes to our clients.  And I’ll mention, these are things my team and I go over with our sellers when their homes are on the market.

The number one unwritten rule is when someone calls to show your home, make sure you’re not there while they’re looking at your home.  In blunt terms, the simple fact that you’re there could make a buyer uncomfortable and they may not even really look at your home and take it into consideration. It’s important you give them the freedom to view your home and make comments, out loud, to their agent about what they like and even dislike. This helps us as Realtors to gauge their interest level.

We often see pets in homes, and while I’m a dog-lover just like the next person, not everyone is and you need to take that into consideration. If you have to leave your pets at home, make sure they’re locked away somewhere and you let your Realtor know where they are so they can avoid that area if need be. 

If you would like for my team to represent you in the sale of your home call us today at 505-238-1000!!!

Tax Savings!!!

With the 2015 tax season officially behind us, I want to talk about some deductions that could potentially save you, as a homeowner, thousands of dollars….

Let’s start with the obvious tax benefits of home-ownership, which is through your mortgage interest and property tax deductions. According to the National Association of Realtors, the average homeowner saves around $3,000 a year alone in those two areas.  On top of that, just this past December, Congress passed a bill that extended many exemptions that were on the brink of expiring and made others permanent.

A big exemption is mortgage insurance. Qualified homeowners can deduct payments on what we like to call PMI, for short, on their primary home. Sometimes you can deduct for a second property as long as it isn’t a rental. Another area of savings is in capital gains tax. If you sold your home in 2015 that may be an area where you could save, however I always recommend you talk to your CPA on exactly what you qualify for as there are different restrictions.

There are also some improvements a homeowner can make to their home that would allow for tax deductions. For example, medical improvements to your home to help meet medical needs. A good example of this would be a ramp to accommodate a wheelchair. You can deduct the amount by which the improvements exceed the increase in your home’s value. Another area where you can save is by making “green” improvements by taking advantage of an energy-efficiency tax credit. The break is 10% of the amount paid for green improvements, up to $500. Some examples of these improvements can be air-conditioning and heating units, storm doors, energy-efficient windows, you get the picture. 

The big thing is to start now. Don't miss out on documenting these potential tax savings so that this time next year you can be celebrating with a possible larger return. 

Seller Resources

Selling your home can be a stressful process.  Having a professional team on your side to help get your home sold is what you need!  Over the last 30 years, my in-house professional team and I have designed a streamlined, successful marketing plan, implementing many systems and resources to exceed our clients’ expectations.  Our strategy has proven results, with over 3,800 successful home sales!  There are many benefits and resources you benefit from when you hire my team, such as an aggressive and effective marketing plan, team concept and availability, and technological magic. I have a wonderful team that brings diverse talents together to ensure our customer satisfaction and streamline each transaction to a successful close.

When meeting with potential clients, one of the top items people express that they desire from their Realtor is communication. This is such a key element in any relationship. We work with each homeowner individually to ensure that there is consistent communication and that the hundreds of aspects of the sale are properly coordinated to make the sale, or purchase, of their home as smooth and enjoyable as possible. Not only do we notify our clients the moment someone has shown their home, we also obtain feedback from showings. We update our clients via email at least twice a week, in addition to a personal phone call. Our goal is to help sell your home for the maximum price, in a reasonable time frame, or purchase your dream home, with the least inconvenience to you as our client.

We market our listings to more than 350 real estate websites, focusing on resources for potential buyers’ rapid access to information, as well as other online and offline marketing. My team and I are also Relocation certified and work with a variety of businesses, both national and local, offering a consistent stream of buyers and sellers.  Technology in our business is a great benefit. However, what really sets my team and I apart is that we consistently look for buyers for our sellers and sellers for our buyers, the old-fashioned way… We get on the phone and prospect for business! There are many facets to our proven successful marketing plan, and we are happy to share them in greater detail with any interested buyers or sellers!

How to Navigate the Maze that is Home-Buying!

By: Marian Camacho - Associate Broker

For most people, buying a home is the biggest purchase they will ever make.  For any buyer, especially a first-timer, the process can be quite overwhelming.  You don’t just find a home you love, write up an offer and receive the keys in a box wrapped with a big red ribbon! We only wish it would be that easy.  There are many different grueling steps in between home search to closing that we as Realtors help our clients navigate. 

So where to begin?... I believe it is vital to start by enlisting the help of a professional, like myself or someone on our team.  As your Realtor, we then connect you with a preferred lender to help you discover how much of a home you can afford. We're talking monthly house payment and down payment.  The most important thing to know out of the gate, is what’s affordable for you and your family. You may love that $300,000 home down the street, but is it worth stretching your finances so thin that your family is eating Ramen Noodles for the rest of your lives?  It’s something you have to think about.

Next comes the fun part... House Hunting!  We sit down with you for a buyer consultation. That's fancy wording for us getting to know what you want in a house.  Is it a big yard, a huge family kitchen?  With that information, we then set you up on a personalized portal search and send the listings straight to your email inbox.  Part of our job is to save you hours upon hours of online searching, often on sites that are unreliable…(I won’t mention any names.) From there we take you to view the homes you choose, in person. When you find something you like, we sit down and write up the offer with you!  The vast experience of a Realtor can not be something you pass up on.  There are too many rigors and rules that can trip you up in the home-buying process if you don’t know what you’re doing.

The greatest piece of advice I can offer to buyers in the process would be to not be afraid to ask questions to your Realtor or lender. If you’re not sure about something, ask!  If you’re still feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and breathe.  Keep your eye on the prize, which is in owning your own home. Purchasing a home is an important and very rewarding accomplishment in life. If you focus on the ultimate end-goal, you should feel much better afterward.

If you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell a home, Call Me Today! 505-264-3344!!

Our team has helped more than 3,800 families move since 1986! We can help you too!!!

Choosing a Top Team to Sell Your Home

Cheryl Marlow - Team Leader - Cheryl Marlow & Associates

Keller Williams Realty

You would think that it would be difficult to take over the sale of a home after it's already been on the market for some time… but for our team, it's more an opportunity than an obstacle.  For almost 30 years now, we have specialized in taking over the representation of homes that have been on the market for an extended amount of time.  Often, we're taking over the sale after a handful of agents were unsuccessful in selling the home.  It is a challenge, but one that we know how to take head on. 

If a home lingers on the market for too long, unfortunately it can develop a reputation, and may even be categorized by buyers as “overpriced” or “flawed” because of the number of days it has been sitting on the market.  To avoid that, you need professionals, like myself and my team, at the helm of the selling process to guide you to a successful close.  So how do you do that?  Well, if a home has been sitting on the market for longer than average, that immediately tells me that the price is likely too high when taking our current market into consideration.  If the price isn’t the problem, it could very likely be a result of poor marketing or complete lack of marketing.  My team markets homes to over 350 websites, a group of elite Realtors in the Greater Albuquerque Area, and often on the air on 770 KKOB-AM radio or even the local news.  If you list with us, we work hard to get your property seen, no matter what. 

With the amount of inventory the Greater Albuquerque Area market is seeing, it's important to make your home stand out in that sea of "For Sale" signs.  That's why when I, or one of my team members, go out to your property for the first time, you'll see us taking notes.  We're writing down what makes your property unique and noting all of those special features that will appeal to buyers.  On the other hand, we're also taking note of what needs attention.  Do you want a Realtor who just tells you what you want to hear in order for them to get you to sign the listing contract?  Or would you rather have a professional who will be honest about what needs to be done in order to get your home sold? My goal is for sellers to work with me in getting their home sold.  If a house needs some paint touch-ups and I think it will help to get the seller to the closing table, then I’m going to tell them about it.  I believe feedback is absolutely vital in a broker/seller relationship and it can ultimately help a seller keep more money in their pockets at the end of the day.

Looking to buy or sell today? Call my team at 238-3272 or email cheryl@cherylmarlow.com. 

Preparing Your Home for the Market

770 KKOB Residential Real Estate Expert Report 

Marian Camacho - Associate BrokerCheryl Marlow & Associates

As it is... preparing a home for the real estate market can be a challenging and overwhelming thing.  Add in more competition with the influx of inventory we've been seeing, and that should give sellers more than enough of a push to take the right steps in getting their home "For Sale" ready! 

Right now there are more than 5,000 homes and condos on the market.  That's an increase in more than a thousand properties since February and we can expect to see a continual rise in inventory over the next couple of months.  At the same time though, we are going to start to see more sales as buyers are looking to make a move in these warmer months and get settled before school starts again in the fall. 

For any homeowner preparing their home for the Albuquerque market, I would start with 3 tips:

1.) Hire the right agent!  Our team is unique as we are comprised of several people who specialize in each area of the home sale process, from listing strategies to marketing to ensuring a smooth closing.  It's important to find a professional that knows how to navigate this tough market! 

2.) Consider how your home will show to a potential buyer.  Start with a deep clean and de-clutter.  You want buyers to focus on how great your home is, not how messy it looks.  

3.) Be realistic about the price.  If you truly want to be one of the 20 out of every 100 sellers moving every month in the Greater Albuquerque Area, you have to be competitively priced.  If the house up the street has the same square footage as yours, more updates AND is better priced, what home do you think a buyer would go for?  It really is something to think about...  Be smart about pricing and listen to your Realtor's advice because if they know the market, they know what it can bear!

If you're interested in receiving a free home value consultation from the Marlow & Associates team.  Call 505-923-4745 or email us at cheryl@cherylmarlow.com.