Working together to get the job done!

Working together to get the job done!

105 E. Bridgewater Ct., Boise, ID 83706  is a beautiful home where I helped the investor on the renovations….

I listed it in September ….  Nothing happened….. After Thanksgiving we reduce the price….  Nothing happened….. I was becoming nervous…. When my other listing at 722 Pearl St., Boise, Idaho 83705 went pending I took more action…. My buyer was settled and I started spending my Sunday afternoons at the home….  I had good traffic….  But still no offers…..  Worse yet my fellow agents didn’t seem to notice my price change…. Gulp….$10,000 off and no change in showings….

My seller and I had a long discussion….I told him even though the comps are there we need to lower the price…  I didn’t want to lower the price a lot before the New Year….So this is what we did….

On Friday we reduced the price by $1000… At the same time I had him sign for a $25 price reduction every 3 days until the New Year…In our MLS 3 days is critical because that seems to be how long the change appears on the status change button….  I had 4 showings in 24 hours…. I also had a low ball offer… Something that we can work with but not accept…..I am delighted for the offer….On Sunday morning I find out my seller didn’t receive my email….Something went wrong with his email and he felt it was too late to call….We already had a 7 AM  telephone appointment.  I emailed it to another address….This was a busy but good day for my seller….He had another early appointment and his Mom’s 94 th birthday party….  This sounded like it could get tight for our 2 PM deadline to respond to the offer… I emailed the other agent to give him a heads up…  He emailed back, thanks…

By 10 AM I decided to go to my office… I hadn’t heard from the client after the early morning phone call… He is real estate savvy and knows that time is of the essence…. The party starts at 11 AM my time and I am sitting in the open house from 1-4 PM…. We spend time preparing the counter offer… Idaho does their counter offers differently then New York so I had to teach a bit…. We don’t rush but it is already past time for Mom’s birthday party…. He does not email scan so I am sitting by the fax machine at the office… After 10 minutes it spits out 3 of 8 pages…. At least the counter offer is on top!…. He tries again… No dice…I don’t know whether it is his machine or mine…. I really have stopped faxing…. I love email scan….  He is in the car 1 hour late to the party….

I email the other other agent what I have and explain about the fax problems….I tell him that my client has signed all the documents…. I have the counter but not the completely signed contract because of the fax problems…I let him know that I gave the client his fax number (in case it was my machine)…  He emails back that he needs a phone call from my client so that he can turn on his fax…He has also forwarded the contract to his buyer…. I call my seller and leave a message…  I get a call that I can’t take from my seller….At 4 PM I get a copy of the signed contract from the other agent….  Not how we usually do things…. 2 hours past the deadline…. But done….

Now my seller and I wait on the buyer… We hope they take the counter offer…. Of course they may counter….or worse let the contract go… We are $7000 apart… We will see…  Another day in the life of Debbie Holmes, Real Estate agent Extraordinaire!

(208)761-2551 Email: d5holmes@msn.com

To search Boise Homes visit my website

Lets make some lemonade!

Well on Sunday I made a mistake….I don’t know why I made a mistake…Maybe I was in a hurry…Maybe the other phone was ringing….Maybe I was to busy trying to get ready for the open house….

I received the first call from an ad on 12/5/2011…  The lady was about to get married and she and her husband wanted to be in their new home by the wedding….I asked when was the wedding?  12/17/2011 less then two weeks away….Talk about planning….I suggested if they could pay cash it could happen but otherwise it would take a little more time then they had….  I set up a search and waited for her to call…. I tried once or twice but I had no answer….On Sunday while I was looking at my database (trying to figure out who was an actual contact) I ran across this lady’s name… I picked up the phone and reached her.  Surprisingly she wanted to look at homes on Monday but had a granddaughter in tow….It was awfully close to the wedding but I set a time but not a place….MISTAKE …  I realized I had a problem but figured I would fix it after I pulled the homes for her to see….  I tried to call her in the morning….NO ANSWER…I had an email and a home phone number but not her cell phone….I emailed her and called her throughout the day…..  Yesterday around 3:30 PM I called in the hopes that she would pick up….Her fiance did….We had a really nice chat….I now know what both of them think is important!   He felt that house hunting would have to wait until after THE HOLIDAYS….  That is fine….I told him my child didn’t get home until 12/24 so if there was something they wanted to see I could be there.  I wanted them to know that I  UNDERSTOOD their time constraints but I was AVAILABLE to THEM….

So maybe I have my first 2012 clients….I will call him after the wedding and see if the search needs to be tweaked…  So I thought I lost a client but perhaps I made the contact Stronger!  We will be looking for nice homes with RV parking under $150K in Boise, Meridian and Eagle Idaho….With a preference to Southeast Boise…

 

  Debbie Holmes

Gold Key Real Estate    

(208)761-2551 Email: d5holmes@msn.com

To search Boise Homes visit my website

Preparing for an Open House

 

Some agents like open houses…. Some don’t….  It probably depends on how busy you are and if it is safe to hold the open house….   I know people who try to make it into a party.  I know some that have heavy print advertising.  I know an agent that will spend all weekend at a listing.

Well here is what I do….

Well the first thing to consider is your client.  Do they want you to do an open house?  Some find it intrusive.  When is it convenient for them?  After all it is all about them! The next thing look at your schedule.  When is it convenient for you?  How often have you opened the house?  Why? If you are does someone in your office want to cover it?  I had an agent who wanted an open house but had no listings…It worked out great for both of us.  Next I want to make sure that the Boise State Bronco’s aren’t playing over the open house… When the game is on 1/2 of Boise and the Treasure Valley is watching.   So I have picked a time… This one is Sunday 1-4 PM.

The current house I am opening I like to open because I am not allowed to have pointer signs unless someone is at the house.  This is really very annoying.  I actually think it is one of the reasons I haven’t sold the home.  I also usually get several groups through and I have picked a buyer or two…  The  last house I have pending the buyers came for the second time at the open house:).  I was able to answer a lot of questions and a week later had an offer. 

1) I assume the home is ready to show.

2) Advertise anywhere you can and as cheaply as you can. I advertise in the local paper (we have a deal for line ads that makes them almost free)… Sometimes I do a spotlight ad but they don’t work much better and cost $80 for the weekend..I use craigslist, zillow, mls, trulia, activerain and facebook….I want as many people to know this house is open. 

3) Check the house ahead of time (if vacant).  Make sure there are no sup rises or odors.

4) Make flyer’s and make sure you know the other homes for sale in the area.  The guests like that information.  Today I made 5 sets of the 12 other active homes in the large Boise subdivision I am in.

5) Dress nicely…First impressions mean a lot.

6) Bring something to do for those quiet times… I find I am much more willing to sit an open house if I have an Internet connection.

7) Place your open house signs to drive visitors. Sometimes I use balloons….I think I will today…I have the time to get them if I have the time to blog.

8) Park a little away from the home so the visitors can park.

9)  Go in the home open the lights turn up the heat or turn down the air conditioner. 

10) I used to bake cookies but sometimes that backfires and I burned them when I got busy.  Now I light a candle.

11) SMILE  … BE HELPFUL… AND SELL THE HOME!

 

 

 

 

  Debbie Holmes

Gold Key Real Estate    

(208)761-2551 Email: d5holmes@msn.com

To search Boise Homes visit my website