My kids’ dreams came true. They saw actual snow. And lots of it! For Winter Break we went with some friends to Deer Valley in Utah. Jay and I LOVE skiing but we’ve always been afraid to take the kids, for fear that they would complain, whine, and possibly not like it after we paid all that money! I’m happy to report Isaac loved it and was skiing blues with us after two days in ski school. And the one who I thought would love it, would probably be happy not ever doing it again! Emery cried the whole way down the mountain. And then I about cried the whole way back to the condo because that was the end of skiing for me!
Y’all want some truth? I know you have seen a lot of advertisements for Knock.com, Opendoor.com and other new companies that have entered the market that are what I consider “discount” real estate brokerages. Or, at least, you think they are going to be discount. I can assure you that I have a friend who works for one of these said brokerages, and she confirmed that a seller will end up paying out about 10% in money and fees all said and done.
Why do people consider using these companies? Discount brokerages work better in a good real estate market. And that is where we have been for 8-10 years. Sellers who use these companies want speed + simplicity + certainty. You can’t care as much about your bottom line. What do we offer? Hi touch + hi value. There is never a substitute for insight, advice, and guidance by a knowledgeable and skilled agent. Contrary to what some think, we can help save you from making an expensive mistake, overpaying for a property, and not fully vetting your options.
Buying a home is likely the single largest purchase you will make. A little online knowledge can be dangerous when it leads buyers to believe they know better than an agent. Beware. We want nothing but the best for our clients. And usually, that translates for our sellers to sell in the shortest amount of time and for the most amount of money. Am I right?
While we foresee the real estate market to continue to be strong and healthy this year, we are returning to what we would consider a more normal market. This means seeing some price reductions, less home value appreciation, and less actual sales.
The facts are the facts. Our quarterly statistics are in, and last year…
- Average list to sales price was 99.4%, and 92.3% if you had a price reduction
- Average 12 days on market to under contract, versus 85 if you had a price reduction
- 37.4% of homes listed did not sell, higher than the previous year
- 26.4% of home sales sold AT or ABOVE list price (there is no strategy to price and then negotiate!)
