Monthly Archives: June 2013

Beware of the Pissed Off Seller, 5 Tips

27 Thursday Jun 2013

Posted by in Home Buyer Advice

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In case you haven’t heard, we’re in a solid seller’s market.

Solid.

Little inventory, even less ‘dream homes’. When a really great house hits the market (in several areas around KC), buyers start lining up to see the house. The house could be under contract within a few days, sometimes less than that. If you’re a buyer, and you find yourself in a winning bid position on that dream home, you need to know it’s possible to lose it…after you’re initial win. Let me explain with a few tips & things to consider:

1. You wanted this house, and others did, too. Each seller has the right to accept a backup contract on the property. Your contract is priority, but the backup contract can sit ‘in waiting’ until you close.

2. What did you ask the seller for in your offer? Lower price, closing costs, home warranty? The backup contract may actually be one that could net the seller more profit. (And you may not have any idea the seller even has one.)

3. Do your inspections and ask for the repairs that concern you the most. This is NOT the kind of market where you can nit-pick every item on the inspection. Know why? The inspection renegotiation opens the contract up. Which means, you could ask for a ton of items to be repaired, the seller could refuse, and you could easily lose the house. The seller may be less likely to bend over backwards for your requests these days; especially if they have another contract waiting in the wings.

4. Personalize your offer. This is popular with some and not with others. If you are buying a home from an actual seller (not a bank), then you have a chance to use this. Write a letter or record a video letting the seller know what you like about their home, why they should consider your offer over others, and, if applicable, why you’re offering a certain price. Some sellers really care about the people that will be living in their home. A little personalization can go a long way.

5. In every conversation, remind yourself why you decided on this particular property. If it’s important to you, keep in mind you could be dealing with a pissed off seller. It could even be a seller with an offer better than yours waiting for you to drop. Are those broken blinds really worth losing your dream home?

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KC Real Estate Market Activity

19 Wednesday Jun 2013

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KC Real Estate Market Activity

We’ve been seeing a few more listings coming on the market, which is a great thing for those buyers that haven’t been able to find ‘the one’. They’ll have a little more to choose from if they leap quickly. I’d also like to point out, from the chart, the steady increase in prices. Not all appraisals are catching up with what a buyer is willing to pay, but it is starting to get better. Overall, the market is strong in the Northland.

Clay/Ray Counties
Clay/Ray County sales were down for the month by 8.9% from 2012. Units were at 357 versus 392 last year. Year to date, unit sales are down 1.8%, with 1,770 units this year versus 1,802 last year. The average sales price for the month was up 4.1% from last year, with an average price of $164,584. Year to date, the average price is up 5.6%. The average price is $150,777, versus $142,828 last year. New listings were up 39 units to 631 or 6.6% from last year’s 592 units. Inventory is down 7.1% from last year and is running at 1,987 units. Inventory is up 45 units from last month.

Platte County
Platte County sales were up for the month by 3.1% from 2012. Units were at 163 versus 158 last year. Year to date, unit sales are up 8.1%, with 788 units this year versus 729 last year. The average sales price for the month was down 4.0% from last year, with an average price of $200,825. Year to date, the average price is up 2.5% from last year. The average price is $191,938 versus $187,353 last year. New listings in Platte County were up 43 units to 284 or 17.8% from the 241 units last year. Inventory decreased 12.0% from last year and is running at 870 units. Inventory is up 31 units from last month.

Heartland
Sales for the entire Heartland area were at 2,688, down for the month by 7.6%, or 221 units. The average price was up 11.8%, and averaging $191,008. Year to date, sales were up 3.9% or 514 units for a total of 13,627 for 2013. The average price for the year is running at $171,784, up 8.3% from 2012’s average of $158,547.

Posted by | Filed under Home Buyer Advice, Home Seller Advice, Kansas City Market Stats, Liberty, MO, Moving

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The Liberty Arts Squared Festival

03 Monday Jun 2013

Posted by in Liberty, MO

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Liberty arts squared crew

Patrick McDowell, Joanna Williams, Gina Galloway and her daughter
Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate Kansas City Homes

You know me, when someone says they need volunteers, I’m one of the first to jump. Friday night, our office had the opportunity to volunteer with Historic Downtown Liberty, Inc.  for an evening of fun on the square—Liberty Arts Squared.

In it’s third year, this festival was hoping to attract more than 18,000 visitors. My job was to hang out (on the corner) and count fresh faces coming into the festival. This really gave me the best opportunity to interact with the crowd and friends as they walked in. Plus, I was on the corner with the band, The Crayons–BONUS!

liberty arts squared dancing

The Crayons

I also had the opportunity to walk through approximately 50 vendor booths and interact with the artists. There was so much talent on the square this weekend! Vendor booths included paintings, drawings, jewelry, pottery, glass work and so much more. Shhh…I also enjoyed a cool glass of wine from Cork & Brew, a restaurant on the square, while I was taking in the sights.  As of today, I’m not sure what the final count was for the weekend, but I was really pleased with the crowd since this festival is still in it’s infancy. I’m hoping our consumer survey during the event will enhance their targeted marketing efforts next year and this festival will continue to grow!

Liberty Arts Sqared crowd

Dusk falling on the crowd enjoying the band