Archive for June, 2009
CTMLS Says Goodbye to Hubbard
June 22nd, 2009 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Home Sellers, Real Estate Listings
Beginning June 24th, CTMLS, the multiple listing service that serves most of CT, will finally do away with the Hubbard (HUBRD) status for listings.
All I can say is…finally!
Actually, I can say a few more things.
If you don’t know about the Hubbard Clause - HUBRD refers to properties that have been sold to a buyer who needs to sell another home before purchasing the one under deposit. The property is shown to buyers and the sellers are looking at other offers, so it is an active listing. Read the rest of this entry »
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Don’t List Your Home For Sale on Monday…If You Want to Stand Out in Greater Hartford Real Estate Market
June 17th, 2009 categories: Home Sellers, Real Estate Listings
Monday night, I was looking at new listings and it seemed to me that there were a lot of new listings. 88 condos and single family homes in the Greater Hartford area.
Just for fun, I looked back one month. With the exception of Memorial Day, May 25, the highest number of new listings was always on a Monday.
One of several homes in your neighborhood for sale?
One of many homes for sale in your price range?
If so, you need to do everything you can to stand out from the pack.
Maybe one way to do that is to list your home on any day but Monday, but especially on a Saturday or Sunday.
You may also enjoy reading:
Two Bedroom Homes Not Always Harder to Sell in Central CT
Some Thoughts on Pricing Real Estate
Do you dig real estate news, tips and advice? Sniffing around for pet-related information in Connecticut?
Get Unleashed - the blog that’s helping to find homes for people and pets.
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Buying Real Estate Always Involves Compromise
June 15th, 2009 categories: Home Buyers
In this market, buyers have a lot of choices. But even in a down market, with many homes to choose from, home buyers have to make compromises.
Most home buyers that I meet have a list of things they want in a home. There are the “must-haves” and the “like-to-haves.” When we begin looking at homes and matching their “must-haves” to their price range, compromises are needed.
I often tell clients, “even people looking at million-dollar homes need to make compromises.” It’s not only about price range.
Part of buying a home is education…showing buyers their options to prepare them to make a decision and make compromises. If you spend $300,000, you can get what you want but you only have $250,000 - let’s find a home that gives you most of what you want. What can you give up? Read the rest of this entry »
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Farmington, West Hartford and Simsbury on Newsweek’s List of Top High Schools
June 10th, 2009 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information
Newsweek’s list of the Top U.S. High Schools includes four Hartford County schools.
Of 1,500 schools:
Farmington High School ranked #274
Conard High School in West Hartford ranked #289
Hall High School in West Hartford ranked #810
Simsbury High School ranked #1022
For a complete list or for more information on the rankings, visit Newsweek.
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Surviving Showings - Basic Showing Etiquette for Home Sellers
June 8th, 2009 categories: Home Sellers
Putting your house on the market invites criticism, inconvenience and disruption.
Agents and their clients show up at the wrong time. Agents ask you questions you weren’t prepared to answer. Buyers knock over a treasured piece of pottery. The agent accidentally lets your cat out or knocks over your driveway lighting.
I know it happens because I and my clients have done all of these things and other buyers and agents have done this and more to my listings.
Sure, good stuff happens too - like people give you money for your house. But there can be some aggravation along the way. Expect it. Plan for it. But whatever you do, don’t get angry at the buyers and their agent.
Want to survive putting your house on the market? Here are some basic tips for showing etiquette:
If an agent & their buyer shows up late to a showing…
Unless it’s really inconvenient, the agent is several hours late, or you have some kind of emergency, just grin and bear it. Agents do their best to schedule showings and sometimes we’re early and sometimes we’re late. For your own sanity, leave the house a half hour before the showing and plan not to come back for a half hour after the showing. If they’re sitting at your dining table writing an offer, you wouldn’t be too put out by the extra time, would you?
Whatever you do, don’t get an attitude about it and don’t do what a homeowner did to me this week - throw me out of a house (after I had asked permission to enter and was granted).
If an agent or their client damages your property…
Accidents happen. If you’re selling your house, you should try to remove anything that’s valuable to you or is in a bad location (a vase on a small table by the front door, for example). Unless the agent or buyer was grossly negligent and it caused significant damage, just let it go.
And it’s best to keep all pets in a secure location, like a crate. Doors to rooms are opened and left open. And buyers are annoying in that they want to see every room of the house before they buy it. So, keep your pets locked up or remove them from the house altogether.
If an agent shows up without an appointment...
Politely ask them to use the lockbox (if they’re an agent, they either have an electronic key or called the office for a combination) and ask them to give you a business card. If you can’t accommodate a showing, then either ask them to wait outside or ask them to reschedule as you’re not prepared for a showing. But be as nice as pie when you tell them - it may not be their fault. It may be that they called your agent’s office and the showing was logged incorrectly or not at all.
If you insist on being present during all showings…
It’s best to only speak when spoken to. And if you are spoken to or asked questions, be courteous. If you have nothing to say that will help sell the house, say nothing. A builder I met recently at a house he has on the market installed low quality/out-of-style kitchen cabinets in new construction in an upscale area. When the buyer asked him if the builder would replace the cabinets with something else, the builder asked, “Why? What’s wrong with these?” When the buyer said that he preferred something else, the builder rolled his eyes.
The Etiquette Lesson - Frasier
You may also enjoy reading:
9 Home Features That Sell in Central Connecticut
Do you dig real estate news, tips and advice? Sniffing around for pet-related information in Connecticut?
Get Unleashed - the blog that’s helping to find homes for people and pets.
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