10 Simple Improvements to Help Your Home Sell Faster

The devil is really in the details when buyers look at a home. Lots of everyday wear and tear that you don’t even notice can ding your home in the eyes of potential buyers.

Here’s my list of 10 simple improvements to help your home sell faster:

1. Spruce up your baseboards: Pets, kids, and stumbling husbands in the dark can make a mess of your baseboards. Repainting baseboards after repairing scratches with putty can make the border of any room look new.

2. Fill in nail holes: Part of interior repainting should be careful attention to those errant nail holes from pictures, shelves, and other wall-mounted baubles. Putty, smooth, sand and paint! 

3. For smokers: Filter replacement is a must if someone’s been puffing in your home. Also wash down those walls, prime them to seal in any cooked-in nicotine, and repaint.  Be sure to check entryways and lawns for cigarette butts, too!

4. Check the roof: Do you have missing singles? Broken tiles? Is mold and moss sprouting up there? Do some cleaning and spot replacing. 

5. Reinforce your gutters: Clean them out, dry them out, then caulk them to prevent leaks. This will keep water off the siding, reducing staining and damage.  

6 .Replace bad vinyl floors: Not only are they tacky when they’re cracked or cut, but they can suggest water damage to buyers. 

7. Repair dripping faucets: Buyers will turn faucets on and off. What will they find? If your sinks and baths dribble, fix them before buyers imagine their future headache. 

8. Tune up screens: Did you have a dog that liked to lean against the front door? Look for the sagging, hanging, bent, and bubbling screens, especially around doors. New screens look clean. Old screens suggest neglect. 

9. Patch cabinet scratches: Tibet Almond Stick, Old English Scratch Cover, or even some artful re-staining can make cabinets seem new. Remember to polish them up when you’re done!

10.  Reseal wobbly toilets: If the bowl moves when you sit on it, the bolts are rusted, or the bathroom floor is damp and discolored around the commode, replace the toilet or at the very least reseal it. 

5 Thoughts - When you Decide to Become a Seller

5 Moments of Clarity

A funny thing happens once you decide to sell your home…

Everyone you know is suddenly an expert. 

The internet has flooded so much information into the marketplace that everyone who has ever owned real estate, bought, sold, flipped, rented, or lived in a house believes that they know what you should be doing, and how you should be doing it.

As you sift through the haze of misinformation and opinion, here are a few things to keep in mind…

THOUGHT #1.  Realize that Real Estate is LOCALLY Driven…

There are no shortage of websites out there that will have you enter in your data about your home, search around the available information on line, and throw a price at you as if it was gospel.  This may be a decent guideline, but it is not written in stone.  Your LOCAL real estate professional can tour your home with you, point out actual strengths and weaknesses, and give you a realistic range in which to price your home, based on your actual competition.  The sales prices in California are different than those in Indiana, no matter what you may hear on the nightly news.

THOUGHT #2.  Realize that small repairs now mean big savings later…

A cracked window pane, a broken railing, even something as simple as overgrown grass can all cause a major problem later on.  A buyer doesn’t want to walk into a listing and look at all of the work that they will have to do.  They want a turnkey transaction.  If it’s a first time homebuyer, they will view each repair as much more damaging than it really is.  Avoid all of this by having your real estate professional walk through your home with you, and together you can make a list of any flaws or imperfections that you might want to consider fixing before a buyer panics.

THOUGHT #3.  Realize that People like FREE STUFF…

You don’t have to start out offering bonuses or incentives to other Realtors or to prospective buyers.  But it is a good idea to consider what you might offer someone later, if you need it during a negotiation.  Perhaps the carpet is a bit worn and you aren’t ready to replace it just yet.  You could offer a small carpet allowance to a prospective buyer so they could change the carpet to something they want easily.  Whatever the case, thinking about this scenario ahead of time prepares you, in case you need it.

THOUGHT #4. Realize that Curb Appeal, Staging and Appearance matter!

Curb appeal is one of the most overlooked aspects of selling your home.  Prospective buyers get lists of homes from their Realtor, and they drive around and look at them.  If your home is surrounded by overgrown grass, unkempt hedges and landscaping that is in tatters, the buyer will make assumptions about what the inside of the home must look like.  If they actually make it in the door, the same problem can happen if the home is not staged correctly.  If a home is messy, with dishes in the sink and a stuffy feel, with family pictures all over the walls and heavy metal posters in junior’s room, the buyers will not be able to VISUALIZE themselves living there.  Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes and look over your home with your Realtor.  If you stage it…they will come.

THOUGHT #5.  Realize that the Competition, and the Appraiser, Set the Price. 

Unfortunately, the price of a home is not actually based on the amount you paid for it, plus 5% growth, plus the improvements you’ve made.  I wish that were the case.  The competing homes in the local market, specifically the homes that have sold in the last year in your area, are what the appraiser considers when determining the value for the bank.  The prospective buyer must have an appraiser place the value of the property at or above the agreed upon purchase price.  If the appraiser cannot place the value high enough, the deal cannot close.  Review your area’s comparable listings and sales with your Realtor to gain a true perspective of how to price your home, so it can sell.

The Art of Problem Solving

The Art of Problem Solving

People sometimes wonder what real estate agents actually do. We spend a lot of time solving problems and finding answers. We are paid for our experience.

Some of the problems that arise during a real estate transaction are fairly easy to solve and others are not so easy. Home sales always involve people and people do the strangest things.

Just when I think I've seen it all someone does something unexpected and it's time for me and my team to figure out how to respond.

Some days are spent on the phone working with lenders or inspectors or with my clients trying to unravel some sort of a mess so that a home sale can close.

I have learned something from each home sale because no two are the same. One of my clients said to me last night, "I've never sold a home before!" I told him not to worry, as I've sold hundreds of him, I've got this.

Foreign Cash in LA Real Estate

Southland Homes Getting Foreign Money

The most money ever is coming into the housing market in the U.S. and the Southland is one of the most popular destinations.

Overseas buyers and recent immigrants made up 92 billion dollars of the total home purchase in the United States in the year leading up to this March, this stat coming from a study led by the National Association of Realtors that was released on Tuesday. That’s up an incredible 35% over the year before, and it’s the most ever.

Almost a fourth of these overseas buyers were Chinese. And the place they prefer over all others is Southern California. Out of all of the cities in the U.S., Los Angeles was the number one location searched for by Chinese people on the realtor.com website, while San Francisco was second and Irvine was third.

There are multiple reasons why this amount of cash from foreign locations like China is flooding into South California real estate. Many families are looking to move to the area to support their children that are going to Californian colleges, and others want to get their children in quality high schools in the top districts.

That’s the main reason behind rising prices in this region which has always been popular with Chinese home buyers. Home values have already risen above pre-recession prices in most of the San Gabriel Valley, for example. And in Irvine homes are going quick to eager young Asian families. These international home buyers are looking for regions where more of their fellow countrymen already reside. Maybe it’s the family connections or just familiarity with the names, but new buyers usually tend to follow the prior ones.

Good schools in the area seem to be a deciding factor as well. Many buyers with children that are immigrating to the U.S. have a top priority being a top-ranked school district. And the high-priced Chinese market can make Chinese home buyers see median home prices pushing $900,000 in some areas as a deal. Still, selling a small condo in China can easily pay for a big single family home in the States.

How Real Estate Websites (like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com) Affect What a Realtor Actually Does

In today’s world the internet has replaced some important societal roles. Websites like Hotwire and Priceline have replaced travel agents; websites like Amazon and Netflix have replaced video stores; and websites like TurboTax have replaced personal tax accountants.

The question is, will real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com ever replace real estate agents?

What Do Real Estate Agents Do?

To answer this question it is important to understand what real estate agents do to assist their clients as they navigate the housing market.

The first and most important role of the real estate agent is to understand their client’s needs, wants, and limitations. By actively listening to their clients and taking proactive steps to get to know their clients, the agent is able to lead their clients to ideal properties.

The second role of the real estate agent is to inform and teach their clients. The agent is able to provide information on the housing market and teach their clients what they need to know to make informed buying decisions.

Third, the real estate agents are experts in their local areas. They are able to assist their clients in finding the right neighborhoods because they know the area very well. They can use their knowledge of the client’s lifestyle to pair them up with the best neighborhoods.

Finally, real estate agents act as transactional guides to assist their clients through deals. They are expert negotiators and walk both buyers and sellers through the process of negotiating the best deal possible so everyone wins.

What Do Real Estate Websites Do?

On the surface, it appears that real estate websites are able to replace agents, however, these websites are very limited in what they can do.

First, they cannot understand their client’s needs, wants, and limitations. Yes, they can filter information, and provide a list of potential properties for users, however, the user will miss out on some properties that could be perfect for them because the website doesn’t really know them.

Second, real estate websites are great at informing and teaching. They provide information on available listings and provide education on the buying process. This frees up real estate agents to focus more on helping clients find the perfect properties, rather than educating them through the process.

Third, real estate websites can provide a good snapshot of the local areas by providing demographic and other data driven information, but they are not as good at pinpointing the perfect neighborhood for

users to live in. Unlike a real estate agent, a website cannot truly know the character of the neighborhood.

Finally, real estate websites cannot act as a transactional guide to assist users through making deals. They cannot negotiate. This is a function that only a person can perform.

How Realtors and Real Estate Websites Can Work Together

Real Estate agents and websites can work very nicely together. The websites can provide information and education for the users and help users narrow down the choices. While the agent is able to truly understand the client and help choose the best properties based on their local expertise. Finally, an agent can guide clients through the process of brokering the best deals for all parties involved.

When it comes down to it, the CEO of Zillow, Spencer Rascoff has it right:

There will always be a real estate agent in the transaction because, for most consumers, it’s just too important and too expensive and too infrequent and complex to screw up, so they need an agent.

Luxury Spec Home Buying On The Rise Across The Nation and in Los Angeles

The recession not only affected the economy, but brought speculative building and buying to a standstill. While the real estate market has re-stabilized in most areas of the nation, real estate investors and developers have been leery to begin speculative building on luxury real estate—with the concerns that buyers would be difficult to find.

The primary concerns, are that the is a plethora of preexisting luxury real estate on the market—that while at a high price point, is more affordable than new luxury real estate. However, developers around the nation are beginning to develop innovative new luxury real estate—and to their surprise and delight, finding buyers for their multimillion dollar speculative building projects.

Recently spec building has led to multimillion dollar sales in Los Angeles, as well as Aspen, and the East Hamptons. A 16,000 square-foot mansion on a 1.3 acre lot in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles estate was placed on the market at $48 million dollars—and the Italian developer Alessandro Cajrati Crivelli is confident it will sell with great speed. It is the infusion of buyers from around the world who are moving to the states, or looking for luxury real estate in the US that has developers building with confidence.

12 Sales Management Tips I Use To Keep My Team Motivated

Motivation is the key to any success in your life, but particularly when we are speaking in terms of real estate sales.  While we all respond to different motivators, there are some key items to keep in mind as a sales manager to maximize success.

Start with a clear vision of what success looks like so that everyone will be working toward a common goal.   You want to map out your path to success and keep everyone up to date your progress.  These updates can be incorporated into weekly sales meetings and staff one on ones.  Keeping everyone’s eye on the prize gives us all a great sense of purpose and a feeling of being “in” on things.

Below are the 12 motivational tips I use to maximize our real estate sales:

Tip #1—Be Present

Today’s technology has trained us to have an immediate response to every text, email, and call that comes in, but during your weekly one on one and sales meetings you have to really be present.  Make sure that your staff knows that you are there for them by actively listening, taking notes, giving input, and asking appropriate questions.

Tip #2—Be Direct

As sales professionals we can always tell when someone is dodging a question or giving us the run around.  Be direct and coach in a straightforward and respectful manner.

Tip #3—Be Honest

Professional growth cannot occur without honesty.  Identify the area for opportunity, address what needs to be improved, and how to ensure the correct outcome in the future.  This is never an easy conversation, but stay focused on the goal, professional growth, and desired results.

Tip #4—Communicate With Respect

We’re adults here, so let’s treat each other as such.  If you yell and degrade your team, they won’t stay with you long—or if they do, they will not work to their full potential for you.  Would you give your all to someone who yells at you?

Tip #5—Give Credit Where It’s Due

If someone on your real estate sales team has a shinning idea, give credit where it’s due.  If you take someone’s idea as your own you will lose your most valuable assets as an employer—trust and respect.  If you take someone’s idea from them, will they give you more?

Tip #6—Everything Trickles Down

We can’t expect our staff to hold a standard that we don’t ourselves uphold.  If you don’t live the companies values on a day to day basis, no one else will either.  If you’re positive, your team will be.  If you’re negative, your team will be.  What you do sets the tone of your team.

Tip #7—Get All The Details

When a problem pops up, ask questions to make sure you have all the facts.  It’s too easy to jump to conclusions, when maybe you are only missing one small piece of the puzzle.  If there is a true problem, you still need all the facts to get to get things back on course.

Tip #8—Don’t Just Say It, Do It

We’ve heard it time and time again but, actions speak louder than words!  As a manager, if you set a goal or make a commitment to your team you’ve got to follow through.  In fact, encourage your team to hold you accountable.  We can’t ask our team to execute their goals when we can’t execute ours.

Tip #9—Be Responsive

Your team has to come first and communication is key!  If you are out with clients all day and have a mountain of emails and voicemails from your team when you return, you’ve got to respond in a reasonable timeframe.  You want your team to know they have a support system.  Remember—their success is your success.

Tip #10—Keep Constructive Criticism Behind Closed Doors

Again, we’re all adults so publicly correcting someone does more harm that you might think.  Not only do you lose respect from the recipient, but it decreases the overall office moral.  Keep constructive criticism in private to keep the lines of trust and communication open.

Tip #11—Celebrate The Wins

Sometimes we get so caught up in the “where we can improve” that we don’t pay adequate attention to where we excel.  Celebrate those wins, big and small—this you can do publicly!  Consider making a list of wins that happen during the week and presenting them during weekly staff meetings and in one on ones.  Make sure everyone gets positive recognition regularly.

Tip #12—Feed From Your Mission Statement

All goals, development plans, marketing campaigns—everything should be directly related to a particular part of your Mission Statement, Vision, Values; whichever applies to your real estate sales team.  If we show that we are always giving strong representation of our company’s belief system we build a cohesive team and develop an impressive office culture.

Keep your team strong and your real estate sales will grow!

7 Things Productive Entrepeneurs Will Never Give Up

When you decide to become an entrepreneur, unless you’re going be a non-profit, there is the expectation you want to make money and have some form of success. What do you do to make that happen? What don’t you do?  There are seven simple secrets that can keep you on track for success.

First why are you doing this? Sticking it to the man/boss/parents, proving to your mentor or someone special that you could do it. You get off to a passionate start but then you get sidetracked and other things start to get in the way. You’ve Lost Focus. Get back to the reason you started doing this in the first place and hang on to it like a drowning person to a life preserver.

Second; ever been stuck in traffic and that barely comfortable amount of time you gave yourself to get to the theater/church/date’s place or job evaporated? Were they happy about watching you rush in and talk about the traffic/bus/lost cabbie? Don’t Be Late. They’ve made time for you and how you honor that investment can change whether they trust you with their business or not.

Third; have you had the blood level in your energy drink tested lately? Are you more prone to have a can of EnergyPOW or something halfway to your lips most of the day? “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is a common phrase among hard charging types. You should change the motto to “I don’t need any fresh ideas” or “I’ll inhibit my driving and working ability with fatigue.” Doesn’t sound as impressive does it? Don’t Give Up Your Rest. Sleep allows you to recover and recharge your mental and physical reserves to be at your best.

Fourth; you had the best lemonade stand in the neighborhood.  You graduated knowing you were going to make your family proud by becoming the person that revolutionized the world. Instead you settled for a paycheck and security. Like George Clooney’s corporate terminator tells one employee, “How much did they first pay you to give up your dreams?” Remember the Dream. What special memory about your business can you think of? The first day you opened? The first product you sold? Lock in on that and don’t let it go.

Fifth; maybe a reason you struck out on your own was the mind numbing meetings. They went on forever with no end in sight. A customer who appreciates speed and directness is rolling their eyes at your elaborate power point presentation. Respect the Time. Theirs OR yours. Make your appointment with the deal maker, not the gate keeper or lowest person on the totem pole. When the client says they have X amount of time for a meeting, give them x amount of time and give them the option to answer questions or conclude if they need to. They’ll respect you for it.

Sixth; so you do have the app that tracks your time and accounts for every mile you travel and every contact you make in person or online. Do you have social media apps, games, stuff that can sound very enticing when you’re bored? Distinguish Distractions. What do you need to work on and put away the stuff that’s keeping you from your projects.

Finally seventh; there are lots of books and articles about work/life balance. Some things are obvious. When your partner comments it would be nice to see you at dinner. When your kids ask about making an appointment to play with you. Your sibling says they miss having coffee together like you used to. Don’t Fail Your Family. They love you the way you are want to be a part of your life. If there’s a big project that’s going to keep you from them for a while, explain it. Don’t let it become a never-ending string of projects.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t easy, it can be rewarding and you can keep your dreams, focus, family and freedom if you remember these seven basic ideas.

When to Pre Pay Your Mortgage

Pre Paying your mortgage is a great way to pay off your loan quicker, and will also save you tons of money on interest. Sometimes pre paying your mortgage is not easy, but by doing so, it will save you tons of money in the future, and you will be glad that you will not have any more monthly payments.

One of the best ways to start out in pre paying your mortgage is to set up a budget for yourself, and figure up how much extra that you are able to spend each month or pre paying your mortgage. There are many different references that can help you with this, but the first place you should try, is going to your bank. They can help you with your budgeting, and setting up a savings account may also be helpful.

Some people may find it difficult to pre pay their mortgage, but keep in mind that if there is a moth that you don’t have the extra to pre pay on your mortgage, you do not have to. But by budgeting your money, and set aside any extra that you may have to spend, will help you in to pre paying your mortgage.

The interest is what is most expensive, and by pre paying your mortgage, you are going to be saving a lot of extra money, and will definitely be worth it in the future. For example, if you had to pay on your mortgage for 20 more years, by pre paying your mortgage can lower that to 10 years instead of 20, and so on.

So there is a great advantage to you, for pre paying your mortgage. Setting yourself up for a budget is the most important thing to do, so that you can stay on track with what you can pay extra each month. Having a savings account is very helpful, as you decide how much you put into it, in which can be for pre paying on your mortgage.

One of the best things about pre paying for your mortgage is that you are setting your future up, so that you can have the extra money that you will need, and not have to worry about your mortgage, monthly payments, or that high interest rate that causes you to have to pay longer. Star trying to pre pay your mortgage today!

4 buying mistakes (I won't let you make)

4 Buyer Mistakes I Won't Let You Make

There’s a difference between working with a realtor who has your best interests in mind, and a realtor who is only looking to make a sale. The fact of the matter is, there are many buyer mistakes that can occur along the way—but as your realtor I will use my tenure and extensive knowledge of the real estate industry to guide you to making decisions that are in your best interest. Below are 4 buyer mistakes that I won’t let you make.

Mistake #1 Forgetting To Ask The Right Questions

The primary goal for most prospective homeowners is to stop throwing away their hard-earned money paying rent to someone else each and every month, and instead to invest their money in a home that is all their own. While this is a logical goal, it sometimes blinds clients from some of the pertinent questions that they need to ask themselves before buying a home. Questions such as:

·      Is this the area you want to live in long-term?

·      Where do you see yourself personally and professionally in 5 years? In 10 years?

·      How close do you need to be from work, school, and places you frequent on a weekly and monthly basis?

Mistake #2 Attention To Details

Signing on the dotted line is an exciting accomplishment. However, the excitement to close the deal sometimes leaves prospective homeowners ignoring details such as the line items on the disclosures, inspections, and the vast array of loan documents. As your relator we will set up the time to talk through the details so you do not commit to a home, or to an offer that does not meet your needs.

Mistake #3 Financial Pitfalls

When house hunting, it is essential to take into consideration any items that will change your financial standing. This includes accepting a new job, buying a new car, an increase in credit card or other debts, and even paying utility bills late. While these may seem like everyday items, making changes to these items while house hunting can have a drastic change on your eligibility for a loan. Not to mention that they can take a long time to bounce back from.

Mistake #4 Procrastination

While rushing into a decision is not the way to go when house hunting, procrastinating can equally be of concern. This could be anything from dragging your feet when filling out required documents, or waiting so long to make an offer that someone else buys the home.

As your realtor I will do more than help you find the home of your dreams, I will advocate for you and coach you through the buying process to make sure that you avoid the 4 buyer mistakes above!

Savvy Property Buyers from China are Targeting Los Angeles

These savvy buyers see both an investment opportunity and/or a second home to live in for part of the year.

Chinese buyers are purchasing both residential and commercial properties.

Due to the mania of the Chinese real-estate market in China, these people,no longer see the numbers there making sense. They have seen the American real-estate market bottom out and want to get in, on a 'ground floor' opportunity.

Many want to immigrate to the U.S. and Southern California, is a very desirable place due to the weather and just as important, the good schools. Education is very important to the Chinese culture and many of the top universities are in the Southland.

There are four distinct types of Chinese buyers.

Firstly, the buyer who has no immediate intention of living in the U.S.,but rather sees the residential market for an income opportunity as a rental property. Due to the foreclosure crisis and the high prices(by American standards) to own a home in Southern California,there is no shortage of tenants. While the investor is earning monthly income on the house as a rental, they're also seeing property appreciation. Since most Chinese investors are all cash buyers, the return on investment is far superior to any yield they would get in the money market,due to very low interest rates.

The second type of buyer that was referred to earlier,I call a hybrid buyer. They occupy the property for part of the year for a variety of reasons,such as starting a business here,sending their children to school or for lifestyle reasons.

The third type of Chinese buyer is purchasing commercial real-estate These type of properties are office buildings,shopping centers, industrial buildings and apartment buildings, All of these properties provide a good return on equity compared with other types of investment. Due to the much higher prices of commercial real-estate,these are not typically all cash transactions, but their typically large down payment is sufficient to earn a yield in the high single digits.

The fourth type of buyer is a land buyer. This is basically a buy and hold investment in real-estate,with potential huge appreciation,but there is no income until the land is developed.

In the commercial real estate sector, you have both wealthy individual investors and Chinese institutional investors.

Chinese buyers are not restricting their buying power to just Southern California, they are also active in San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Dallas and Houston, just to name a few. They have always liked the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver, as well.

But for the factors mentioned earlier, Southern California is preferred and in addition the Los Angeles region is seen as a Pacific Rim area.

Four questions to ask me on the listing appointment for your property

I know, I look pretty comfy in here, but this is my home – I promise I won’t take off my shoes & kick up my feet on your furniture

When you are ready to place your home on the market, you want to ensure your have the expertise of an experienced realtor. This means that you must know the right questions to ask, to ensure your goals are met. I realize that I may not be the only realtor you interview, so I have compiled a list of questions to help you in your decision making process. By asking me the 4 vital questions below during your home listing appointment, you will walk away knowing that your listing is in good hands.

Question #1 What Is My Listing Price vs. Selling Price Ratio?

Placing your home on the market for $500,000 is one thing, but actually selling a home for the asking price is another. The ability to sell a home for its listing price is what sets a stellar realtor apart from an average realtor. During our home listing appointment we will not only discuss my LP:SP ratio, but also:

·      {C}The percentage of my listings that sell for more than the initial listing price.

·      {C}The percentage of my listings that sell for more than the average industry listing prices.

Question #2 What Are My Listings Average Days On The Market?

Often referred to as the DOM, it is important to understand how quickly your realtor can secure a sale. Even if you do not have a strict deadline you are trying to achieve, you most likely would prefer for your home to sell sooner rather than later. The DOM is also of great importance for individuals who are still living in the home they are selling, as it will affect how long they will have to manage their personal lives around showings.

Question #3 How Many Offers Do My Average Listings Receive?

While any offer is exciting, it is even more exciting to have options. In fact, the more offers you have increases the likelihood of your home selling for higher than your listing price. It also shows how successfully your realtor is at attracting attention to your home. During our home listing appointment we will discuss my average number of offers the homes I sell receive, and how I will generate attention to your listing.

Question #4 What Percentage Of My Homes Close?

Any realtor can list a home on the market, but that does not guarantee it will result in a sale. As a seller you don’t want to ensure you have an agent that is well-versed in developing marketing strategies that lead to a sale.

By asking the questions above you will walk out of our home listing appointment knowledgeable about my industry expertise, and confident in our partnership. 

Green living is easier than you think

Make It Fun—Find activities that will involve multiple people.  Consider things like a “Tags Still On” clothing swap, community garden, or community clean up.

It’s Not a Competition—If you make green living changes sincerely it won’t feel like work.  The habits you bring inside your homes will teach your family to be green for years to come.

Don’t Under Estimate Youth—What we are really finding in the community is that the youth are a sponge.  You give them a simple idea, and they find their own ways to take it further. 

How To Start The Change in Your Community

One idea that came up  is to make changes together.  For example, changing from chemical cleaners to green cleaners takes some adjustment.  You have to retrain yourself as to what new cleaners work well.  So share your knowledge.  Did you find a great new green cleaner to replace bleach?  If so, share your green living find.

Here is a list of 25 simple changes you can make in your homes and neighborhood.   Challenge everyone in your family to make one change per month.  With this simple change a family of 4 could make up to 48 changes per year!

1. Start a compost pile.  You can purchase a composter or compost in an unused area of your yard.  A large composter can be placed centrally and used by many families.
2. Switch to cloth napkins.  If you have a large family you will need a lot.  A trick is to purchase them all in complimentary color themes so that if they don’t all match they still work.  *Keep some paper napkins around for those extra messy meals and guests that prefer paper.
3. Eliminate paper towel.  Purchase more cloth towels.  This creates a bit more laundry but is still an effective green living exchange.
4. Switch to paperless billing.  Some companies even offer you small discounts for doing this.
5. Skip the ATM receipt.  Unless you are doing a deposit you probably don’t need it. We usually just toss them anyway.
6. Print on both sides of computer paper OR use the backside of your paper as a notepad.  *if you choose this option make sure you immediate shred any that might have account numbers or other sensitive info.
7. Use your shredded paper to pack fragile items for shipping.
8. Walk, bike, or carpool 1 or more days a week.
9. Buy locally.  This requires less shipping, reduces fuel costs, and supports local vendors.
10. Use refillable water bottles instead of plastic.
11. Use cloth bags instead of plastic.  The best part here is that they are cute and easier to carry than plastic.
12. Change to power strips and/or “Smart Strips” to conserve energy OR if you aren’t using something, unplug it.  You’ll be surprised how much this will reduce your monthly energy bill.
13. Adjust your thermostat down just one degree.
14. Add one plant to every room.  This will give you cleaner air to breath and add beauty to your rooms.
15. Plant a garden.  If you don’t have a yard to do this in.  You will be surprised by what you can grow in large pots—tomatoes, strawberries, green beans on your porch. 
16. Grow an indoor garden.  You can find windowsill gardens for things like fresh herbs and aloe.
17. Plant an outdoor tree.
18. Replace appliances with energy efficient options.
19. Replace your light bulbs with energy efficient ones.
20. Move to all or mostly non-chemical cleaners.  You can even find recipes to make your own.
21. Cook and bake more—the more you make from scratch the less packaging you use.  This also tends to be healthier for you too!
22. Maintain proper air pressure in your tires.  If your pressure is too low, you decrease your gas mileage.
23. Eliminate sandwich bags and plastic wrap.  You will find containers on the market of all shapes and sizes that can replace both of these products.
24. Change to a natural or washable cat liter.  These products have really improved over the years.
25. Make sure you replace washers on all dripping faucets.  One dripping faucet can waist gallons of water per day.

See—you don’t need an expert to make green living changes.  You can start with your family and in your neighborhood today!

My Top 10 Tips for Home Staging

The competition is fierce in today’s real estate market, meaning that to successfully sell your home you must recognize the role home staging places in marking your real estate. Below are 10 tips to help you create a competitive home staging plan of action.

Tip #1 Check Out Other Homes In Your Market

Before you begin planning, you need to see what you are up against. In order to do this attend a few open houses for similar homes in your area playing close attention to:

The overall condition of the property.

How move-in ready each home is.

The primary features each home owner highlights.

Areas where their home staging lacks, in which you can improve.

Tip #2 Create A Room-By-Room Checklist

Once you have a good idea of what your local competition looks like, it is time to create a solid plan of action. You can do this by creating a checklist for all repairs and maintenance that need to be performed in each area of your home. Also, add the furniture and wall coverings you would like to invest in for each area—and don’t forget your garage, exterior features when creating you plan of action.

Tip #3 Seek Out A Professional

Whether you turn to a professional stager or your real estate agent, it is important to seek out professional guidance to ensure that your home staging tactics are in line with the goals of your real estate team.

Tip #4 Clear The Clutter

Clearing the clutter is a must in order to sell your home. Buyers prefer homes that are a fairly clean slate in which they can easily identify ways to make it their own. If they are too distracted from your excess, it will limit their creativity.

Tip #5 Depersonalize

As difficult as it may be to do, depersonalizing your home during the home staging process is vital. Remember that your goal of staging is to create a home potential buyers can imagine as their own—not yours.

Tip #6 Minimize Décor And Countertop Appliances

Only a minimal amount of home and kitchen accents should be present once you have performed your home staging. Stick to the basics such as a vase of flowers, a decorative bowl, or a countertop coffee maker.

Tip #7 Deep Clean

Even if you keep your home clean, home staging will require your home to be deep cleaned. This could include shampooing your carpets, refinishing your wood floors, and detail cleaning your home from wall to ceiling.

Tip #8 Don’t Forget The Details

It is easy to focus on the large projects that need to be complete—however, it can be the small things that really make the most impact. Pay special attention to things such as baseboards, trim, locks, doors, and outdoor accents to ensure they look crisp and clean, and that they are operating properly.

Tip #9 Get An Honest Opinion

Once you have completed your home staging, it is time to do a walk-through and get an honest opinion from your real estate agent. Remember not to take any feedback personally, as your realtor wants you to sell your home just as much as you do.

Tip #10 Ensure Your Photos Are Picture Perfect

Most house hunters will be searching for their new home on the Internet via their computer or mobile devices. Even the most detailed home staging plan will fall short if the pictures are not shot well. Before your listing goes live, ensure you are pleased with the images of your home.

By focusing on the home staging tips above you can ensure your home is ready when it is place on the market!

2013 Real Estate Trends, Point Toward A Booming 2014

When thinking of real estate, many prospective buyers are so focused on the accessibility to credit, that they forget to look at the current trends in their market. There is no doubt about it, the past few years have brought about many changes to the real estate industry—for renters, buyers, and sellers alike—but 2013 trends point in the direction of change.

During the peak of the recession many buyers experienced a vast decrease in the equity of their home, which has significantly decreased the dollar for dollar sales amount, and volume of sales in many markets across the nation. This combined with the increase in foreclosures and short sales, the real estate market took a big hit.

However, there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel! As 2013 comes to an end, nationwide real estate calculations and trends gathered in a study by the Census Bureau show that real estate prices are steadily on the rise, and that the numbers of vacancies is drastically decreasing—which means Americans are once again able to afford to buy.

Many homeowners who have been interested in selling their home, but have been holding off on putting it on the market in hopes of being able to list and sell for higher price, chose 2013 as the year to finally sell. This is evidence in the drastic increase of new inventory being listed on popular sites such as Realtor.com that show both a seasonal increase in sales, and that 100 of their 146 markets have significantly more homes listed (and selling) today than they did even as of February 2013.

Economists believe this increase in both sellers and buyers is a direct reflection of employer wages being on the rise, and individuals who previously choose to rent out homes they did not feel they could get a lucrative selling price for—now feeling confident to sell.

The 2013 real estate market trends show that more Americans are able to achieve their dream of homeownership, and that sellers are able to sell at prices they are comfortable with. The improving trends also provide current homeowners who have no plans to sell, a significant boost in the equity of their home.

While the real estate industry in many markets around the nation has been struggling since the recession hit, 2013 trends show that real estate nationwide is regaining momentum—leaving many speculating that 2014 will be the start to a once again booming marketplace.

5 Unexpected Upsides to Purchasing a Home in the Off-Season

General real estate knowledge tells buyers not to expect any closing to be completed from Thanksgiving until after New Years. However, there are 5 upsides to purchasing a home in the off-season.

1.)    Less Competition

In most areas of the Los Angeles real estate market, particularly those in desirable neighborhoods like Studio City, Downtown LA, Toluca Lake, Sherman Oaks, Pacific Palisades, the Hollywood Hills, West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Venice and Santa Monica, the spring and summer months are the most popular months for homebuyers. By house shopping during the holidays when most people are otherwise distracted, you can lessen the competition, reduce multiple offer scenarios, and reduce the likelihood of being outbidding on your dream house.

2.)    Highly Motivated Sellers

Even though there tends to be fewer home sellers during the winter months, they tend to be highly motivated to sell their homes. Even banks and asset managers may consider giving you a better deal on a home in order to get any foreclosures or other properties off of their books, with a closed sale before the end of the year.

3.)    Can’t Miss Properties (You Don’t Want to Miss)

Despite there being fewer homes listed during the off-season, this is the best time to find a diamond in the rough. Many times sellers list their homes for sale around their personal needs, which may result in the house being listed during the off-season when work, school, and many businesses slow down.

4.)    Keep a Grasp on the Cash

If you wait until after the holiday to continue your house search, you run the risk of over spending holiday shopping, which could delay you house hunting even longer.  By continuing your house hunt during the off-season, it will help you keep focused on your budget, and prevent over spending.

5.)    House Problems are More Visible

Home buyers depend on home inspectors to find and disclose any housing defects. However, during the summer months, when the weather is nice, some hidden home defects will go undetected.  House hunting during the winder or off-season months, is often the time when more defects may be detected. Weather conditions such as rain, sleet, snow, and wind allow a house inspector to see how the house holds up to the weather. The drain system, any slopes, the foundation, and so forth can be inspected more thoroughly during the less favorable condition, helping a potential homebuyer avoid a nasty surprise come spring time when the weather begins to clear up.

Think about it.  You may get more consideration, more responses, speedier transaction time, and a slightly better deal is you consider purchasing when the rest of Los Angeles has either left town or is distracted by the holidays.

My thoughts from a recent speech by Barbara Corcoran

While attending the California Association of Realtors meetings last month I had the pleasure of hearing a speech from Real Estate powerhouse, and Founder of the Corcoran Group, Barbara Corcoran. While I have enjoyed much success in the Los Angeles Real Estate industry, I understand the value of continuing my training and development to ensure that I stay competitive. Listening to Barbara was inspirational—and here are the key points and knowledge that I gained from hearing her speak:

Flaunt What You’ve Got

Per the title of her best-selling book, Barbara shared one of the more poignant pieces of advice her mother passed along to her “If you don’t have big breasts, put ribbons on your pigtails.” She spoke about how we each have unique traits and unique skillsets that we need to learn how to maximize to our full potential. Too often we look at others and are envious of what they do well, and try to figure out how to replicate their success. Instead we should focus on how to identify where we excel that others don’t—and to capitalize on that.

Your Response To Failure Can Define Your Success

I was surprised to learn that Barbara Corcoran was a D high school student, and had 20 jobs by the time she was 23 years old. However, her determination to succeed is what propelled her forward—and inspired her to become one of the most successful Real Estate Agents in the world.

This got me thinking about how quickly my team and I bounce back from setbacks. While it is easy to let a setback or failure consume your next few days (or months), the longer you dwell—the longer it takes to recover and find the new areas of opportunity.

Surround Yourself With Those Who Excel In Your Weaknesses

A successful Real Estate Agency needs to have a solid team of power sellers, however not all of the members on your team—or your non-sales team members, need to be power sellers. Barbara discussed how while sales are her strong suit, daily paperwork and attention to detail are not. In order to achieve success you must surround yourself with power players, but also with other vital key players that specialize in the areas of Real Estate, or skillsets you do not. This will not only give you a well balanced team, but allow you to be more versatile.

While none of the concepts above are new to me, they are a great refresher—and great to share with my team members who have not yet been introduced to similar concepts. By investing in the ongoing training and development for both myself and my team—we will continue to be competitive, and to achieve success.

5 Advantages Of Working With An Experienced Real Estate Agent

When selecting a Real Estate Agent to sell your home, you not only want your home to sell—but in a timely manner and for a price you are pleased with. While everyone starts out as a rookie and you may find a newbie Real Estate Agent who you feel a strong connection with, working with an experience agent can increase your selling price by an average of $25,000 per home. A study published in the Journal of Housing Research in of May 2012 shows that not only do Real Estate Agents with 10 or more years of experience sell their homes for a higher price point, but they sell a significantly higher volume of homes, and sell their homes much faster than Real Estate Agents with less than 10 years of experience. Below are 5 of the top advantages of working with a well-established and experience Real Estate Agent.

Reason #1 Practice Makes Perfect

Like anything new, practice not only makes perfect, but practice increases your speed and efficiency. An experienced Real Estate Agent has learned the tricks of the trade and knows what areas of opportunity to look for, and what industry pitfalls to avoid. As an agent matures professionally their confidence grows, meaning they are best able to deliver the sellers desired results.

Reason #2 Experienced Agents Sell More Homes

Not only are seasoned Real Estate Agents more knowledgeable and confident, but they sell more homes. Statistics show that agents with 10 or more years of sales, sell two-thirds of the homes they list, opposed to only one-half of the homes a rookie lists.

Reason #3 A Larger Network

An established agent has a larger network of clients, vendors, and professional contacts. This will be beneficial both when marketing your home and when preparing your home for sale. Whether your home is in need of staging, updates, or a refresh to make it more saleable, an experience Real Estate Agent knows who to call.

Reason #4 Stronger Negotiation Skills

As mentioned above an experienced Real Estate Agent sells their homes for an average of $25,000 more than a rookie agent. This is because they have had the time to perfect their negotiation skills to best meet your expectations as a client. They are also less focused on simply making a sale, and more on delivering your desired results.

Reason #5 They Will Be Honest With You

A rookie agent is often so eager to establish themselves that their desire to build their client base may blind them from being completely honest with their clients. This could be in terms of selling price, needs for updated landscaping, repairs, or in regards to the best ways to market your home. While are rookie may not want to offend you by disagreeing with your plan of action, an experience agent will listen to your ideas and concerns and respectfully give you their honest professional opinion. This lack of honesty can be the difference between your home being on the market for 6 months, or for over 1 year.

While your desire to give a rookie a chance, it is not in your best financial interest when it comes to selling your home. If the Real Estate Agent you are considering has less than 2 year’s experience, odds are that they will not be able to meet your expectations. When you rely on an established Real Estate Agent with 10 or more years in the industry your home will sell significantly faster, for a much higher price, and with a much smoother overall experience.

Forget about Multitasking - it's all about Monotasking

Being able to do three things at once gives you the ability to get more done in a day—or does it?  While multitasking has been a buzz word for the last few decades, it has been taken to a whole new level with our new era of electronic communication.  If you look at your day you are likely talking on the phone while, while IMing with a colleague, while checking your email.

While you are “getting” a lot done, none of these items are receiving your full and undivided attention, meaning your attention to detail is lost, and opportunities for improvement are being passes over in your desire to get more done at once.

The Goal Of Multitasking

In its essence multitasking was designed to think big picture, and to organize and complete tasks that support a common goal—to simultaneously link together tasks that are related.  Or to maximize time by doubling up.  While checking your email while standing in line for your morning coffee is one thing, responding to emails while in a face-to-face meeting with your colleague is another.

Studies have actually found that while you might feel as if you are getting more done when multitasking, quality suffers and details fall through the cracks.  Not only that, it takes 98% of people longer to do two tasks at once, then two tasks individually.  So if multitasking is not a way to improve productivity, what is the alternative to multitasking?  Monotasking!

The Art Of Monotasking

Monotasking is the art of compiling your daily or weekly “to-do” list, and scheduling out designated blocks of time for pertinent tasks.  The key to successful monotasking is to reduce the amount of “switching” from multiple tasks to another—which adds to higher levels of stress and anxiety.

By giving the task at hand your undivided attention you will increase your efficiency and zone in on areas of opportunity.  You will instantly begin to see the quality of your work, and quality of your interactions shift in a positive direction.

The most difficult thing about monotasking will be avoiding the temptation to check your email, social media, and text messages—but after a few weeks of productive monotasking you will see the benefits of scheduling blocks of time for your pertinent tasks.

Of course you still need to check your emails and texts as part of your personal and professional life, but schedule those in in blocks of time too.  This can be difficult because you feel as if you might be missing something—but the likelihood of missing something important by responding to constant distraction is far more likely.

Schedule Your Electronic Responses

Think about the last time you accidentally left your phone at home, or at your desk while you went to a meeting—you probably felt anxiety about leaving your phone, and it likely distracted  you from your meeting and other tasks at hand—but it’s just a phone, and it has voicemail, caller ID, and multiple messaging tools.  Why have such anxiety when you will have a clear record of all that occurred when you see it again?  Do you really not have the attention span to give a 1 hour meeting your full attention?  The truth is our electronic devices have taken multitasking to a whole new level and are wreaking havoc on our productivity.

Instead of responding to every email and text message alert the instant they come in, silence your alters and focus solely on the task at hand.  Schedule your time to check emails and text—even once per hour, is better than 30-40 times per hour (and let’s be honest for many of us that 30-40 times per hour is drastically low). 

While our computers, notebooks, iPads, and smartphones offer a vast amount of flexibility and freedom, they are designed for convenience not for constant distraction.  If you find it increasingly difficult to disconnect, and are feeling overwhelmed by the commitments on you plate—implement monotasking into your daily routine and watch as your productivity increases, your anxiety and stress fall by the wayside, and your connections with clients, colleagues, family, and friends improve and strengthen.

Young Buyers in the High-End Real Estate Market

Although baby boomers make up most of the population that owns luxury homes in the United States, it has become increasingly popular for younger generations to invest in luxury real estate as an alternative to investing in the stock market.  This movement has been influenced by a combination of factors including low interest rates, lower real estate prices, tax write-offs, and the state of the stock market when the younger generation entered the workforce.  Young people have begun to skip the purchase of a starter home entirely, instead opting to buy high-end real estate immediately and often in the most expensive neighborhoods available.  Even while homeowner rates have decreased rapidly for the middle-aged in the past year,  it has risen for the 25- to 34-year-old population.  

Parents are purchasing homes for their children now more than ever because bonds and money-market accounts for retirement funds are yielding lower returns.  For the first time since before the Depression era, the younger generation is inheriting a great deal of money from the older generation. By purchasing homes for their children, parents are giving the younger generation the opportunity to resell houses for profit later on, thereby giving them a strong start, a great place to live, and financial options.   Parents will often do this to celebrate a child's college graduation or first career-related job.  Because so many younger people are buying luxury homes, marketing strategies have shifted to social media options.  Amenities such as gyms, pools and spas have served well in attracting the younger crowd as well.

In areas like Los Angeles, where sandy beaches, beautiful mountain ranges, and an upscale lifestyle attract many young buyers, luxury home prices have risen by 5% within the span of a year because of the increased demand.  In turn, the high demand has encouraged investors to take risks in high-end real estate by purchasing, rehabilitating and reselling luxury homes for higher prices.  In 2012, the average luxury home in Los Angeles was worth $1.96 million dollars.  Because the challenges of flipping a high-end home can be steep and include factors like renovation costs and the time it takes to sell, many flippers have lost money in the process.  Others, however, have seen jaw-dropping profits that encourage them to continue flipping homes for a living.

Luxury homes are enjoyed by homeowners of every age because they offer a wide range of architectural styles and beautiful communities in which to live.  A large percent of luxury homeowners even own or have considered owning a second luxury home.  While high-end real estate might in fact provide large profits and financial sense, it is plain to see that owning a luxury home has also become one of the hottest trends of our time.