I received an email saying "Seller will pay $5000 bonus if sold by 11/30" Folks don't do this. There are 5 factors that sell homes. Realtors aren't one of them. That $5000 would be better spent correcting which Factor is broken. Stop getting ripped off by Realtors!

i recently sat with Howard Arceneaux from Zachary Business & Real Estate Journal.

http://www.zacharybusiness.com/pdf/2009/october/ZJ_OCT_p20.pdf

Per Newsweek Magazine, we are one of the cities LEAST impacted by the recession. We must be doing something right. Check out the following link.

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/oct2009/bw20091021_441398.htm

It’s true. We have permanently closed the books for our Mishawaka Assist-2-Sell office. When we did, we realized something pretty remarkable: we saved local homeowners more than $85,000.  Home sellers who smartly chose to work with our team at Assist-2-Sell BASSC paid a low flat fee or 3.75% maximum commission. That can add up to substantial savings!  Especially when you consider that other, real estate companies in the area are charging six percent or more in commission. 

Every year since 2004, our company grew in popularity and market share. In fact, our leading sources of new business were the visibility of our yard signs from people using our service and referrals from our existing clients. Life was good. However, we were home sick. All of our family is in Louisiana and we were just uncomfortable with our children growing up so far away from family. So we made the tough decision to leave the area and return home. But we walk away feeling really good about the service we provided. Excellent real estate sales led to a great living for us and we left over $85,000 in the pockets of our clients. That was extra special considering the economic times that were especially harsh to Elkhart and South Bend area residents.

That’s GOOD NEWS for Baton Rouge Area residents! We have officially opened our office here in Zachary and we are ready to serve the entire Greater Baton Rouge area. We have hit the ground running already selling homes and saving money for Baton Rouge residents. I think we’re a great option for anyone who needs to sell their home. It’s very important—especially in today’s market—for home sellers to preserve as much of their home’s equity as possible.  We make it easy for them to do that.

Right now, homes in this area are selling for $275,000, on average.  Hire a “traditional” real estate company to sell an average-priced home and you could expect to pay at least $13,750.  At Assist-2-Sell®, you’ll pay a flat fee of just $2995.  That’s more than $10,000 in savings!   

This year, we are going to spend more time telling people about Assist-2-Sell’s “Full Service with $avings!”® program.  I look at how much we save our and I wonder why people are still paying high real estate commissions.  They either don’t know about Assist-2-Sell or they don’t understand how it works.  I want to change that.

A common misperception that we will have to address is the belief that Assist-2-Sell is essentially a for sale by owner (or FSBO) business model.  That’s not true.  Assist-2-Sell is a full-service, discount real estate company.  That means they handle everything and save their customers a lot of money in the process: 

• We work directly with home sellers to price their homes accurately. 
• We market all of their homes aggressively; putting them directly in front of active homebuyers. 
• Customers of Assist-2-Sell never have to wonder what’s going on. We are in constant contact with our customers, letting them know if they’ve received any calls, scheduled any showings or have any other updates.
• Once we find (and pre-qualify) a buyer, we prepare the purchase agreement, arrange all inspections, oversee the appraisal, and manage all of the paperwork, which includes working with the lender and the closing company.   

On many of my listing presentations, people ask me how Assist-2-Sell has had so much success selling homes. Nothing about our approach is "hands off". Here are the keys to a successful home sale that we have learned over the last few months:

Use Price as a People Dam" - Your objective with your pricing should be to regulate the amount of buyers that cross your threshold - similar to the way a water dam regulates the flow of water. A price that is too high will result in a people flow that is too low. A price that is too low will result in a high volume of people coming to see you home. This will include people that are less qualified buyers and those who are not really serious about buying. Your home will probably sell very quickly, but you will leave money on the table. You want a steady flow of buyers of a certain number per week. Your agent should know what a good showing rate is.

Don't make the mistake of pricing your home for "negotiating room". The only real relationship between your asking price and your final selling price is that the asking price usually acts as the ceiling.

Don't price your house trying to recover everything you have spent on it. Listen, it is only a myth that everything you add to a house increases, or even maintains its value. Improvements to a house depreciate in value the same way everything else does. You should not expect to raise your house $20,000 over close comparables because you spent and extra $20,000 in improvements.

Market Aggressively - Sellers need to be involved to really understand how their homes are being marketed. This is the time to talk DETAILS. It really doesn't matter what company you use or what agent you use. Buyers don't shop for homes listed by XYZ realty or listed by Agent 123. But, there are certain marketing techniques that have PROVEN responses from buyers. Sellers need to ensure their homes are capitalizing from that research.

Know the Market - You have to watch the market each day and understand where you are positioned. The value of a home moves similar to the value of a stock. It is heavily influenced by the movement of other homes on the market. You need to have a real-time understanding of how competing houses are moving. You also need to know where your buyers are coming from. You need to know what your feedback is and how it relates to other information about your home.

This is the key to selling homes in this market. We find that when our sellers implement these principles consistently, the sell. When they don't, they sit.

In a slow market, it's important to have the BEST on your side. Assist-2-Sell BASSC is the only local company with a REAL plan to address these tough times. That's because we are the only company with REAL benefits to offer Buyers and Sellers. We offer TANGIBLE benefits not simple bravado. We are different than any local real estate company.
 
How is Assist-2-Sell different from "traditional" real estate companies?  The most obvious difference between Assist-2-Sell and "traditional" real estate companies lies in the commission structure. Traditional firms typically charge home sellers a high commission that is a percentage of the sale price. (Example: Six percent). Assist-2-Sell offices charge a low, flat fee commission. (Example: As low as $2,495!)
 
How is Assist-2-Sell different from other "discount" real estate companies?  Assist-2-Sell is a full-service discount real estate company. Other companies that discount their commission usually do so by taking away services. If they charge less, they are going to do less. 
 
Some "Limited Service/Discounted Commission" companies charge upfront fees. Others are Internet-based and may only offer placement of the house in the MLS and rely on the MLS-selling broker to handle the entire transaction. While these models do have some appeal, Assist-2-Sell has found they are not a solution for the majority of home sellers who want and need full-service but don't want to pay a high commission.    

How is Assist-2-Sell different from "For Sale by Owner" real estate companies?  Many homeowners decide to sell their home without the assistance of a real estate broker. Most "For Sale by Owner" (FSBO) real estate companies simply help these homeowners advertise their house on the Internet. Assist-2-Sell is not a "For Sale by Owner" solution; it is a full-service real estate brokerage. 

With the holidays upon us and the distractions of the economic news, there is no doubt that our local housing market is slower than normal. However, homes are still selling. Top notch marketing, up to date information, and competitive pricing are the keys to making sure your home has the best chance of being one of them. We are there to help you with that. 

A Solution for the Seller Under Pressure

Short sales are ideal if you are about to or have stopped making your mortgage payments. The Lender does not want a foreclosure. It is more cost beneficial for the lender to dispose of the property by a short sale versus a foreclosure.

A short sale by definition occurs when a property is sold and the lender agrees to accept a discounted payoff, meaning the lender will release the lien that is secured to the property upon receipt of less money than is actually owed.

Short sales is viable in situations when foreclosure is eminent and there is a need to get out from under your mortgage loan.

Believe an agent...is an agent...is an agent? Not true - but especially not in this arena. Short sales require experience in some "not so typical" areas of disclosure and planning. You need an agent with experience. Luckily, we have that experience here at Assist-2-Sell.

This is your solution if...

• You have a hardship that has led you to be currently behind or unable to make this month's payments and upcoming payments. Understand that as a distressed seller you will not be able to receive equity or cash from the short sale.
• You have no additional cash and will be unable to pay for any closing cost.
• You need to avoid a foreclosure and salvage what is left of your credit.

When you combine the $7500 tax credit with today's low interest rates, wide selection of for-sale inventory, and affordable home prices, many of the pieces are in place for you to buy now. But tax credits can be confusing. To help you understand how the credit works and why it can help you, you must  be familiar the details. 

Here are 6 things to consider about the Buyer Tax Credit: 

(I speak in generalities and I am not an accountant. Before you act, please see a tax professional with your questions.)  

1. Buyers have until July 2009 to make a purchase that qualifies. 

The tax credit was passed in July of this year as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (H.R. 3221). It's worth up to $7,500 and can be taken in a single tax year. Authorization for the credit ends July 1, 2009, so if you wait to buy in the first half of 2009 you can take the credit on your 2009 tax return. You can take the credit on your 2008 tax return if you bought your house this year after April 9.

2. Buyers don't really have to be "first-timers."

The tax credit is actually available to any individual or household that hasn't owned a home for at least three years.  

3. Even if buyers exceed the income limit, they can benefit from the credit. 

The actual credit amount is set as a percentage of the home purchase amount. That percentage amount is 10 percent, so you can get 10 percent of the home price credited against your tax liability, up to a maximum $7,500. Sounds like a great deal. But what if you make more money than the income limit of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 for households? Good news: Individuals whose income exceeds the $75,000 limit but don't make more than $95,000 can still take the credit but on a reduced basis. The same thing applies to households earning up to $170,000. By the way, any house is eligible as long as it's a primary residence and is in the United States.

4. Think of it as an interest-free loan.  

The federal government requires the tax credit to be paid back in small, 6.67-percent increments over 15 years, although repayment will be no more than $500 yearly and payments will not start until 2011. For that reason, some analysts have likened the credit to a 15-year, interest-free loan to help make home buying affordable.  

5.  You don't have to be authorized before making a home purchase. 

There is no pre-purchase authorization, application, or other approval process. Eligible buyers simply have to claim the credit on their IRS Form 1040 tax return and/or any form that the IRS might devise. 

6. New-home construction qualifies. 

For a home that you construct, the purchase date is the first date you occupy the home. However, any home that is not a primary residence, such as a vacation home or income property, does not qualify.

(I speak in generalities and I am not an accountant. Before you act, please see a tax professional with your questions.)

When you sell a home, what are you really selling? Well, you're physically selling carpet, tile, drywall, paint, wood, etc. But, mentally and emotionally - you are selling a FEELING! Your buyers will buy based how the home makes them feel. They want to feel secure. They want to feel comfortable. They want to fell at home. Afterall, even the worst home choice on the market for them still has drywall, a roof, and flooring!

Knowing this, it is very important to make sure the best features of your home are positioned to appeal to your buyers feelings. And the avenue to their heart is through their senses - all 5 of them!

VISUAL - This is the most obvious one. Your home needs to be clean, decluttered, and neutral enough so that the buyers can paint the canvas with their own imagination.

SMELL - Perhaps NOTHING will chase your buyer away quicker than a foul odor. Make sure your home is free of odor left from pets, food, and moisture. Freshen up your home with appealing smells. Avoid strong deodorant spray and potpourri. This may actually trigger allergies in some buyers. Instead try a neutralizing spray like FeBreze and soft smelling candles. We suggest blowing the candles out before you leave.

HEARING - What is the best background sound for a showing. Is it jazz music? Maybe some nice classical? What about the 80s channel to bring them back to their big hair years. The best sound for your buyers to hear while touring your home is...(Drum roll)...Silence! Again, your buyer needs to be able to get intimate with your house. In their short time there, they need to use their imaginations to connect with your home. Don't distract them with memories of when they first met at the Bee Gees concert!

TOUCH - Make sure everything your buyer comes in contact with feels new and healthy. Door knobs should be tight. Countertops should be smooth. Also make sure your temperature settings are comfortable.

TASTE - We don't suggest baking cookies or anything. But some nice candy dishes in each room is a nice touch and may facilitate comfort as the buyers tour.