Crap! Internet Hijackers Have Been Busy….

April 20th, 2008 From Professional to Personal 3 Comments

Yes…. my blog is acting funny. Yes… I’m missing articles and those fun weekly photos of the WORST Columbus MLS photo.

Yes… you may have received random posts from January and March out of the blue if you’re on the automatic email program.

Last Monday, the support network for my blog (Tomato Blogs) was deliberately attacked by a yet unknown evil person who wiped out a lot a data and targeted 20 specific blogs.  They don’t know why, how, or who yet… but they’re working on it.  My blog was down for several days, and when it came back online, everything from January on was missing.  The guys at Tomato Blogs are busy trying to reconstruct the data, and we’ll have to see what we all end up with.

In the midst of all this, I’m working at the business of real estate, and trying to personally move. It’s a little hectic…….

So– my apologies for the insanity. I ask for your patience.  If you have any questions or concerns (or want to buy or sell a home), call me at 614–296–0715…. I’ll be delighted to help in any way I can.

We’re all working to get back on track to normalcy…..

Why Big Media LOVES Bad Real Estate News

October 5th, 2007 Bank-Owned/Short Sale Homes, Columbus Buyer Info, Columbus Seller Info, From Professional to Personal 3 Comments

There’s a great article written by Dillon Devereaux of the Triangle News in North Carolina regarding this topic.  It’s one I’ve often wondered about…. I mean, when was the last time you heard Big Media showin’ a little love when it comes to real estate? When real estate is rolling, there’s a lot of muttering or silence. But get a few negative numbers in there, and we are slammed non-stop with stats and bad press.

In a nutshell, Mr. Devereaux believes there are 3 reasons why network television chortles with glee and negativity:

1. Real estate advertising is local.  There are little advertising dollars in the national coffers supporting television’s monthly bills.

2. All major media networks are owned by publicly traded companies. They cover Wall Street and are involved in Wall Street.  There is an interest to point investors towards the stock market… and if the stock market is having a downturn, it’s better to focus on downturns in other areas… like real estate.

3. There’s a lot of misinformation and partial information being presented.  “Consider a report that discusses a 25% decline in home sales…when the news caster fails to disclose that the drop was from an all time record high in sales, it skews the picture of real estate.” Viewers need to work at reading between the lines of what is being presented.

To get a REAL picture of what your local market is doing, talk to a local realtor who is working/living/breathing real estate 24/7… one who will present a true picture, and not give you a ‘song and dance’ from the other end of the pendulum.  (Living in the Columbus, Ohio area?  Call Sondra….) As my grandmother always said… “listen with a grain of salt– and then get the real answers you need”….

When Is The Right Time to Sell A Home?

September 7th, 2007 Columbus Buyer Info, Columbus Seller Info, From Professional to Personal 2 Comments

Teresa Boardman is a realtor in St. Paul Minnesota who also writes a real estate blog.  She’s posted a great article called ‘Timing Is Everything.’ Teresa writes:

“Somehow people have gotten the idea that buying and selling real estate frequently is a good idea, or even a way to get rich.  It didn’t used to be that way.  People looked at homes as a place to live.”

I agree. I hate to sound old… but when I was a kid, people bought a home expecting to live in it, pay off the mortgage completely, and changed the home only according to their tastes and needs.  (“That paisley wallpaper has been there for 25 years, and it’s perfectly fine for me… it goes great with the avocado carpet.”) It was a Big Event to move up to that second home in the Better Neighborhood.  Other than a Big Event, people moved when they were relocated due to job changes or other happenings in life beyond their control.

NOW the pressure is on to make your Fortune based on your home buying and selling savvy. Buy low, update and cleanup, and Sell High… buy and flip, buy and flip. Examine your home with a critical eye to find all those ways to change things that buyers will want.  We’ve got oodles of televisions shows showcasing how much money you can make– just gut the kitchen, add granite counters, and don’t forget the stainless steel appliances. People are being encouraged to view their home as an ATM machine that will of course be happy to spit out the money and profits we desire…..

There’s one teeny-tiny problem…. no one is talking about the time– and cost– to build the Equity we have been taught to crave. In the real world, you can’t buy a home, renovate it, and sell it 3 months later for a $60,000.00 net profit. It’s a wonderful fairy tale– and I’m sure there is a person or two who beat the odds and did it– but in the real world, it’s not going to happen.

I had clients who came to town a year ago, intent on making their Fortunes with a first home purchase.  They knew they would only be in the area for a maximum of two years.  They had virtually no money to put down on a home. On the few homes we viewed, they talked about the money they’d make by finishing off a basement, or putting in hardwood floors, etc.

I sat down with them and gently explained the realities of our market (at that time, a steady 3–4% appreciation in solid communities), and talked about the realistic closing costs when sold.  The bottom line was– after spending money for improvements and paying for closing costs, they would be in the red and losing money in a two year time frame. I helped them find a nice home they could rent– it was a good place to live.

Here’s 4 tips to keep in mind for your happy home:

1. Talk to your realtor about your expectations and timing before you buy. A good realtor is not going to pressure you into something that can harm you.

2. Buy your home because it’s a place to live– and enjoy it!

3. If you’re going to make improvements, know upfront it’s going to cost twice as much and take three times longer than you thought (if you’re lucky!) Now you’ve got a realistic picture….

4. Understand all the true costs to sell your home, and what the average appreciation is for homes in your area– and accept them.  Don’t scheme about how you’re going to beat the odds and save money where no one else could– you won’t.

Your Home Is Your Castle….Until You Sell It

June 27th, 2007 Columbus Buyer Info, Columbus Seller Info, From Professional to Personal No Comments

One great thing about your own personal living space is the fact you can ‘live’ the way you want– kick back, forget the pressures of the world, and relax.

When you are selling your home, however, that all changes.

For several months now, as I and my husband have personally experienced the joy of selling our home, we’ve been camping in out in our own abode, waiting for the phone call of a showing.  Then we rush around primping and arranging for the big event.  In the downtimes, we stare at everything with a critical eye and make work lists of odds ‘n ends to complete (any homeowner knows THAT list is neverending).

I like to leave my toiletries on the bathroom counter. I like to leave my shoes laying under the coffee table. I like to wait a day or two before I fold that basket of towels……  but all those fun habits have been swept away because ‘someone’ might want to see the home.

In an earlier post, I shared by husband’s conflict over removing his animal heads from our home.  Well, knowing as how the cosmic universe has a warped sense of humor, I now anticipate we’ll get a flurry of showings…. for the simple fact that a moose head, a caribou head, and a bear rug are camping out in our garage for a couple of weeks…….

Dan was transporting these unique items for a client of his from one facility to another…. and we’re in a ‘hold’ pattern for a week plus until the final arrangements can be made to complete the move. 

So… now I have HUGE animal heads in my garage.  It reminds me of the saying, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans….”

(I can’t WAIT to hear the feedback from the showings…..)

Just What Do Realtors DO Anyway??

April 1st, 2007 Columbus Buyer Info, Columbus Seller Info, From Professional to Personal, It's My Opinion, The Ugly 1 Comment

“I don’t know why realtors should get paid what they do JUST for opening a door to show a house or putting a sign in the yard.”

Sound familiar?

I imagine everyone has heard this at least once (if not actually said something similar). For all those who have thought or said this, I’ve found they are coming from three different places:
1. They’re the type of person who believes the world is out to ‘get them,’ and the same statement is used for all kinds of service professions. They’re convinced the world is out to rip them off– and they’re not having it.
2. They’ve had a bad experience with a bad realtor, who did as little as possible and did it poorly.  They think THAT experience is the sum of what the real estate world comes to.
3. They truly don’t know or understand the process and the work involved in a real estate transaction. And when a problem comes up, what it can take to get a transaction to close.

Here’s a great example of the latter.  Doug Quance, a realtor in Atlanta, GA, has written a good story about the saga of getting to the closing table. 

No, this does not happen in all transactions.  But yes…. there are many transactions where something just as unique and individualized to the situation DOES happen… and the only reason people were happy in the end with a ‘Sold’ property was because of the expertise and dedication of their realtor.

Doug’s story involves struggles with lenders; other problem situations could be due to issues with title companies, non-cooperative parties on the other side of the transaction, unreasonable demands, delayed closing dates… the list is endless. And the person at the center of the storm, busy moving the issues from point A to point B to a successful conclusion is Your Realtor.

So…. as they say in the movie Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade….. “Choose wisely.”  Pick a professional who knows their job and who hangs in there when the going gets tough.

How I Got From There To Here

February 18th, 2007 Down to Business, From Professional to Personal 3 Comments

About me…. I’m Sondra Johnson, and I’m a realtor in the Columbus, Ohio area, now in my 6th year of being in the business. 

I worked for 3 years as an independent agent with ReMax, and then joined a team of realtors (The Columbus Team) with Keller Williams. 

I was aggressive with marketing from the beginning- and was in the first group of realtors who saw the need to create a custom web site (in 2002, most realtors who had a web site used the template version that Realtor.com provided).

Some people thought I was crazy starting out with ReMax, being brand new, with their high monthly fees.  One realtor flat out told me, “what are you, nuts?  Go to one of the ‘traditional’ companies, get their training, and when you’ve got the experience, THEN go to ReMax.” 

I didn’t because I was focused on building a business from the get-go, and didn’t want a company that gave me a list of ‘do’s and dont’s’.  I had several specific ideas that were a bit out of the box, and I wanted the freedom to sink or swim on my own merits.

My goal was to be a HUGE success… probably most everyone’s goal, I’d imagine. 

The odds were stacked against me- I had no ‘sphere of influence’ (by the way, I hate that term), I had a bill of at least $1200.00 a month coming from ReMax, and there was little official training. 

I dug out the information I needed, made lots of mistakes, made some good moves, made some good friends (alarmed a few others with my ‘strange’ ideas), and set out on the path of making it.

Years 2 and 3 at ReMax looked good on paper…. I made the “100% Club” (which signified I’d earned $100,000.00 or more).  Looking at my bottom line, however, was a different story.  By the time I’d paid all the expenses (internet costs, advertising, signs, etc. etc. etc) my NET income was not very exciting.  Yes, I got 100% of the commission, but I also had to pay 100% of the expenses.

And I was tired.  As a single agent, I had to wear all the hats- working with buyers, sellers, placing advertising, putting signs in the yard, negotiating contracts, arranging all the closing details, and so on.  I tapped into using a virtual assistant early in the game, and that helped.  BUT- the bottom line was…. when I compared my net income to the number of hours that I worked, I felt pretty bleak.

I decided that I either had to build a team, or join a really good one.  Option B was a better choice for me. 

I approached the best team that came to mind, and told the owner Sue I wanted onboard.

So, I know all about both the single agent and their issues, as well as the team agent and what that entails. 

A big question that was unanswered was: would my net income be any better?  With the team arrangement, I only received 1/2 of the commission- the team got the other half, but also paid the many expenses needed to run a business. 

The answer was interesting…. at the end of the first year with the Columbus Team, my net income in commissions had doubled.

On the Team, I work as a Buyer Specialist…. I only work with buyers.  My time is more focused.  There are support staff that handles the myriad details once a client is in contract, and keeps things running smoothly.

I have to say- my main motivation was to join a great team, and the company choice was secondary.  However, Keller Williams is truly unique, and I’m glad I’m there.  (Of course, it goes to reason that a good team MIGHT have an inside track on a good company…). 

In a nutshell, KW is an ‘out of the box’ thinker that offers unparallelled training and education for realtors (and as a person who had to go out and dig for training starting out, I can tell you how unusual that is), has a system for beginning agents to get up and running, has a culture of support and training, and even has this profit share program option where agents can get a passive income…… for forever (yes, that’s right.  Even your heirs keep on reaping the rewards). 

Here’s a key question for vibrant, busy agents…. where are you going to get your money when you don’t want to sell anymore?  Keller Williams has a couple of good answers…….

Yes, That was a sales pitch.  But it’s not done lightly, and it’s not because we’ve got “a cult, a crazy pyramid scheme.”  A great statement I heard was, “It’s not a cult, it’s a culture.  It’s not ‘kool aid’, it’s REAL aid.”  Keller Williams offers people the tools to build their OWN business, and has vivid, visual ways to do it.  I sincerely feel privileged to be a part of it. 

(And trust me, if you knew me, you’d know I’m the LAST person to be a raving cheerleader just to make a ‘sale’.)

There ya go….. my story in a nutshell.

Oh….. as to “why?”  I’m a writer at heart, and by golly, I’ve got a few things to say.  As do others about the reality and the craziness of this business.  I CAN’T STAND the smarmy ‘smoke and mirrors’ phoniness reflected in some of the “do this, and you’ll make a million dollars” ideas out there, the realtors who are not professional, the perception that ALL realtors are rolling in the dough and do nothing to earn it, and a few other topics that will come to mind.

So get a dose of Reality, learn a couple things of interest, learn what a GOOD realtor will do for you… and go buy a home!

“I Want To Buy A House and Save 3%”

February 16th, 2007 Columbus Buyer Info, From Professional to Personal, It's My Opinion 3 Comments

I just met a buyer to show him two of our listings. After I returned his call, he asked if I was the listing agent….and I explained that our Team represented the Seller.

When I met him, he told me he ONLY works with listing agents to save the 3% commission.  His thinking was that if the total commission is 6% (3% to the listing agent, and 3% to another buyer’s agent), he would work only with the seller’s agent and save the 3%.

 I’ve come across this line of thinking before, and that’s not how it works, folks- for one important reason. 

The listing agent and the seller (who pays this commission) have a CONTRACT- a Listing Agreement- where the agreed-to commission has been ‘agreed to’ and signed.  This is a legal document.

The buyer’s thinking that he can manipulate or affect the commission paid is wrong.  That commission percentage has been pre-determined. 

What he’s really saying is “hey, Listing Agent, if I come to you direct I think you should work for less- and in most cases, I want you to do all the work for ME at that reduced price.”

EVEN if that buyer wants to write his own contract and present it (and in most cases, he wants the Listing Agent to write and present it), he’s going to have questions about the purchase process, the closing, etc…. and of COURSE, he expects the Listing Agent to help with these.

THEN comes the question…. who is the Listing Agent representing?  If the Listing Agent represents ONLY the seller, she can’t assist that buyer if it’s not in the seller’s interest.  If it has been agreed that the Listing Agent is representing BOTH the seller and buyer, then it’s a situation called “Dual Agency” and both parties have to be represented EQUALLY. But all that is secondary…. because the buyer wants the Listing Agent to do it for only 3%.  THAT’S because HE wants to ’save money.’

Back to the original point……. if the Listing Agent and the seller have agreed to a commission of 6%, the seller will still pay 6%. Whatever was agreed to will be paid.

The BUYER will not affect the commission paid.

That’s not how it works…… and these are the very REAL challenges for this buyer:

1. He’s going to have a tough time getting the home he wants.  If he keeps on offering a ‘fair market value’ and deducting 3%, there’s no sane incentive for the seller to agree… and they won’t come to an agreement.

2. There is no one looking out for and representing the buyer’s interests. Buying real estate can be complicated and convoluted… and no one is looking out for this guy’s back.

3. By refusing to establish any relationship with a Realtor who IS looking out for this guy’s interests, there’s no incentive to ‘help him out.’ For example, as a Buyer Agent I know of good properties that are coming on the market, but not quite ready.  I have no incentive to share these… or set up an ongoing advanced search via computer…. or call when I hear of a great price reduction on an existing listing.

OK… that’s my rant and I’m sticking to it…..

From Professional to Personal Getting Ready to Move

January 23rd, 2007 From Professional to Personal 1 Comment

Work will be ‘moving’ to a whole new level this year as I move from the driver seat of real estate professional…. to the passenger seat of: seller-of-home-wanting-to-downsize.

My husband and I are starting to prepare our home for the public onslaught in spring when we list it.  We’ve talked about the difference of living in a home and marketing a home for sale.  We’re doing the necessary touch-ups, rented a storage space for the extras, and all appeared to be methodical and routine.

Until we got to the animal heads.

My husband is a hunter, and has several (quite nice) animal mounts from his hunting expeditions.  He’d tell you he’s a ‘fair-chase’ hunter, which means he doesn’t hunt only for sport, but hunts in the wild and uses the animals (we have wild game dinners).

We moved the animal heads to the storage area for safekeeping.  We’d talked about the issues of leaving them in the home (the focus is on the animals, not the house; if the buyer was a PETA member it could impact the sale, etc.).  Nice and rational.

The problem is…. selling a home is a highly emotional state of affair. Logic and reason are tossed out the window when personal space is affected.

Dan did as he was told, but was not happy.  He was angry that he had to sacrifice what was important to him for some phantom buyer that may or may not care about the mounts.  He resented the changes he rationally agreed to.

I was surprised at how deeply Dan was affected by the ‘forced’ removal of his important things.  The professional side of me felt it was a necessary step, and that I had adequately prepared my ‘client.’  The personal side of me learned the depth of my husband’s emotions and needs.

It was a good lesson – and a reminder of my duty as a good realtor to listen… and honor the needs of my client. 

Never underestimate the power of emotion in the business of buying and selling a home……