Is this a Good Time to List my House?

Just yesterday I was asked by a seller, "Is this a good time to list my house?"
The answer: YES.

Why? Well, all the competing properties that were listed over the Spring and Summer have either sold or have come off the market due to being over priced. There is very little competition right now. As long as you can tolerate a closing in the winter it is a great time to put your house on the market! In fact, in certain neighborhoods, you will be the only house for sale and we all know there are always buyers, who are ready, willing and able to buy.... Right?

Yes! There are always buyers.

In an ideal world, we would all move on a nice sunny day in May but that isn't how it works. Jobs change. Families grow. Couples marry and divorce. 30 year old college graduates finally get that job and move out of Mom's basement. People have to move year round. I have a friend in Louisville who sold her house and is desperately looking for a new house, right now, but there isn't much out there. You think there are sellers in Kentucky waiting until Spring who are missing out on this buyer? Most definitely.

I have a buyer whose family is living in Greece and they will be relocating back to the U.S. at the end of December due to a job transfer. Yes, we will be spending the holiday break that the kids get from school, looking at houses.

YES, yes, yes! It is a great time to list your house.

Don't wait until everyone else on your street also has a sign in their yard. One of their houses could look better than yours. If you are the only house available, you have a greater chance of selling. Also, more quickly which means less hassle with showings!

Oh, Baby!

What a year this has been. I realize now that Halloween is already next week, and that 2014 will be coming to an end so soon.

My year sure did start off with a bang. I was pregnant with my second child and the little cutie pie arrived January 20th. There was a snowstorm on the 19th and another on the 21st. This kid had great timing.  I hadn't prepared to take traditional maternity leave. As an independent contractor, I don't get paid leave so I just thought to myself that I would take it easy for about 6-8 weeks after she was born. Also- it was the snowiest, iciest, nastiest winter I ever remember since moving to Cincinnati so who would really want to be out there buying and selling houses?

Well, lots of folks. Great people who were unfortunately relocating during a bad winter.

So, I ended up not taking it slow. In fact, I picked up the pace and the month my daughter was born was a personal best. I only turned away one client during this time and that was due to their timing coinciding with the week I came home from the hospital. My husband the police officer thought it was a bad idea if I drove clients around in the snow while on strong pain meds, so I did say no to one. It was soooo hard to do!

I am not writing this for people to feel sorry for me for not getting maternity leave as this was 100% my choice. I also hope that others do not judge a working Mom as we all do what is best for ourselves and our families. I wanted to continue to work. I enjoy it and I enjoyed my new baby so much more this time around. A big reason was that I wasn't cooped up in the house during the most depressing winter. I got to snuggle with her and also leave the house with a purpose. I bonded with her just as well as I did with my first. I don't work 12 hour days so it was great! Very tiring, but wonderful.

So, the year just kept getting better and better and has been my best year for sales since I started the business. I am grateful and proud. I wish all working Moms and Dads could have the flexibility and success that I have experienced this year.

I want to say thank you. For the support, the kind words, the babysitting, the referrals, the business and the trust. Here is to ending the year with a bang, just not another baby!

How to Sell A House Without Putting it on the Market

Here in the Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati area the real estate market has taken quite the change. The mounds of foreclosures, short sales and overpriced houses has dramatically decreased. Inventory is so low that buyers are waiting to pounce on anything decent that becomes available. This has created a cool effect for sellers who are brave enough to price their homes aggressively. They are getting multiple offers and are selling extraordinarily fast. Like, 2, 3 or 4 days fast!

Ever hear of a pocket listing? Probably not unless your Mama is a Real Estate agent. Pocket listings are houses that us Realtors have the inside scoop on. Homes that are being prepared for the market but aren't yet ready. We share these pocket listings with each other and in this type of market where inventory is so low... these pocket listings can sell before they even hit the internet! Now it makes sense... those homes that take zero days on the market to sell. They were pocket listings!

So, if you know you want to sell but you are waiting on the husband to finally fix that squeaky door. Or you are waiting for your college aged children to go back to college... let your Realtor know about it! Invite them over to take a look and ask them to share the word with their co-workers. How sweet would it be to sell your house without having to deal with showings and keeping it squeaky clean 24/7? Pretty sweet.

And, of course, if you don't have a Realtor to share this info with...feel free to let me know. I have connections across the country. And a big mouth!

The Calm Before the Storm

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We know the housing market is improving. Brian Williams says so every couple of weeks on the evening news and I see it on the MSNBC home page before I head over to Facebook.

But seriously, people. It is no joke.

Typically January is one of the slower months for those of us in my profession. There are always buyers and sellers who need to buy and sell in January. They don't care how cold or snowy it is, it is necessary for them to take care of business. "wait for the Spring".  Here is where things get interesting. My phone has been ringing off the hook. Multiple daily inquiries on my listings, buyers who must get into listings that just hit the market. Questions about when there will be more listings because inventory is so low. I have several buyers who are watching online like hawks and call me the minute a new listing pops up. This is wild! I had a buyer make an offer on a house that wasn't even on the market this week.

Here is the point to my story. The economy has improved, folks aren't as nervous about job loss or obtaining a mortgage and they are fired up. For those of you who want to sell your house this Spring, I advise you to try and get a jump on the craziness. List as soon as possible so that you aren't swimming in the pool with hundreds of others who plan on listing this Spring. Get your act together now and get ready for lots of showings!

Balancing Work, Family and Life

Before my son was born I worked a traditional work schedule. M-F, 8-5. I had 3 weeks of vacation. My weekends were jam packed with friends, family, eating out, hanging out, comedy clubs, bars, etc.... It was really quite gluttonous. Then we had a baby and I made a drastic career change. This could be a whole other blog post- Making Huge Life Decisions While on Maternity Leave. I do think I will revisit this topic, soon!

Anywho- Now I have a kid and am an Independent Contractor (which is code for I am my own boss)My husbands hours and days off have also changed. He is a Cincinnati Police Officer (shout out to the 5-0!) His schedule has varied greatly over the last 10 years, and presently, his off days rotate. (This is code for we never a day off together anymore) I work lots of nights and weekends due to demand but I do control my own schedule. Because I have been selling Real Estate exclusively in a down market, I have really felt compelled to be readily accessible for my clients. I think this is partially why I have had success in a time when many Realtors are packing up and shipping out. I also think that certain aged clients have come to expect immediate results. I always wonder if I tell someone no, will they just google the next person until they get a yes? Who hasn't tried to get into the Doctor for an issue that has been bugging you for a while, and then been told you can't be seen for 2 months? Next step, google local Doctors and start calling! Now- I would never be so inaccessible that I would make a client wait 2 months, but you get my point.

Due to all of the aforementioned circumstances, I have found it really difficult to ever give myself an entire day off. I have taken two vacations since having this new life and ended up working both times. The first time, I didn't mind it. This last time, I made an effort not to work, but it still happened and I was a little upset with myself. As my next vacation slowly approaches, I am finding myself trying to plan in advance.

Please know that I am not at all complaining! I hate being bored. This life I lead is no longer boring. I never know what is going to happen when I wake up in the morning. I meet new clients daily and I love it. What I do know is that while I love that each day is different, I am not at all balancing work and family the way I want to be.

I guess I am looking for suggestions and input. It probably seems easy and obvious, but this is something I have been working on for a while and still can't seem to get it right. I think this is something we all need, whether we are 9-5ers, stay at home Moms, or single entrepreneurs. If we don't have balance, eventually we will fall down. I really hate falling down. I would love some interaction on this post, so please, let me have it!

Watch Your Facebook Posts- Your House Could Suffer.

In the age where everyone is connected, whether it be on Facebook, Linked in, Twitter, etc. (whatever your pleasure might be) We have all become a little more open about our lives. As a Realtor, I feel particularly exposed, having all of my personal contact all over the web for anyone to see. This summer I would like to offer my two sense on the #1 thing, NOT to do while you are out of town. Don't post pictures or comments about being out of town or on vacation!

Of course, we all want to share funny stories of the travel time, and beautiful pictures of ourselves in our bathing suits.. Yeah, right! Well, maybe beautiful pictures of the view from the balcony or a sunset at the beach. I love seeing my friends and family enjoying their well deserved trips, but I also cringe just a little when I see these types of internet posts. The main reason is because you are notifying everyone you know that you are out of town.

 Attention all criminals: My family and I are currently out of town (probably for a weekend or maybe a week if you are lucky) Feel free to come break into my house and to steal all of my possessions. I am heading out for a margarita now!

Even if you have all of your passwords protected and you block public views to your social media profiles, this is not smart! Sometimes you have connections online who are mere acquaintances. Maybe they share your information with their not so nice friends who happen to prey on vacationing Facebookers. Forget about leaving the front porch light on, you might as well leave the front door open if you are posting information like this on the internet. Someone who shouldn't see it, very well might. Can you imagine coming home to find your house ransacked all because you were sharing fun posts about your vacation on FB? Not to be Debbie Downer, but it happens, and it happens quite frequently.

So- what I like to do, I wait until I return from vacation and then post the pictures of my hubby in his speedos walking down the beach. Once you are back home, you can talk about all the wonderful times you had on vacation without unintentionally inviting intruders into your home.

Keep Pests From Eating Your Greens

Its that time of the year where we are all planting flowers and vegetables and our green thumbs are in full force. Save yourself the heart ache and prevent all of your hard work from being undone by natures neighbors.

Backyard pests--squirrels, rabbits, moles--can destroy your landscaping and lawns. Here’s how to get rid of the ravenous critters.

Rabbit rascals
Calling cards: Ravaged vegetables, beheaded borders and flowers (especially tulips), and gnawed trees, such as red maple, honey locust, and evergreens.
Protection: Install 2-ft.-high fences that extend to the ground or below ($50 for 100 ft. of galvanized poultry fencing). Surround young tree trunks with plastic tree guard cylinders ($10).
Change habitat: Eliminate piles of brush, barricade cozy spots under sheds, and flatten back-lot debris piles where rabbits nest. Ivy, wisteria, and periwinkle will curb the munching, and fragrant herbs like thyme and lavender will turn them away.
Squirrely pests
Calling cards: Bumps in the night because they nest in your attic; power loss due to frayed wires; missing vegetables and flower bulbs; quickly emptied bird feeders.
Protection: Plug house entry places, such as gaps around utility pipes, broken windows, and uncapped chimneys. Cover wires with plastic pipe that will rotate, causing the squirrel to fall ($2.50 for a 2-ft. section). Sandwich bulbs underground between two layers of wire mesh ($175 for 100 ft. of 24-inch wire mesh).

Change habitat: Trim tree branches 6 to 8 ft. from buildings so squirrels can’t jump onto your roof. Switch to squirrel-proof tilting bird feeders ($25 and up) or domed feeders that close when weight limits are exceeded. Don’t plant oak trees--acorns are squirrel caviar.
Gopher/mole problems
Calling cards: Dirt mounds, lawns pocked with ankle-breaking holes, power loss due to damaged underground utilities; weakened trees due to gnawed roots; missing plants.
Protection: Install mesh fencing 18 inches deep with one-half inch or smaller openings (25 sq. ft. for $175). Trapping is the best way to eliminate gophers and moles. Scissor-jaw or choker-loop traps will snag star-nosed and hairy-tailed moles ($15 for two). Gopher traps look like a twisted mess, but they quickly snap and trap ($15 for a pair). Both can be cleaned and reused.
Change habitat: Since they like easy-to-tunnel, well-watered lawns, try compacting soil and cutting down on irrigation. But moles and gophers are so adaptable that habitat changes won’t keep them out, just slow them down.
Deer disturbance
Calling cards: Flowering plants nibbled to the nubs; leaves torn from plants from ground level to 6 ft.; 2-inch gouges on tree trunks; hoof prints that resemble a broken heart.

Protection: Deer fence at least 8 ft. high; homemade and commercial deer repellents that taste and smell bad; barking dog.

Change habitat: Replace tasty fruit trees with spruce and pine. Swap lilies for ferns and rosemary. Add switch grass and ribbon grass--they’ll avoid these ornamentals. Bonus: Works for bunnies, too.