Rhonda Duffy leading an auction at Tiffany & Co.
Real Estate Expert & Top Agent Rhonda Duffy, explains different types of listing options when selling your home. From Flat Fee to Full Service. MLS FMLS Listings to get your home sold.
Although Southern Living’s standards for building a Plan of the Month home are very high, one builder in the North Georgia Appalachian Mountains prides himself in being a top-notch thinker when representing any of his clients who are seeking value in his primary neighborhood, the prestigious Big Canoe. With beauty and efficiency being top of mind, Chris Vann, builder and owner of Vann Custom Homes, knows that ultimately a home is a piece of artwork. Artwork happens when the consumer is able to appreciate both the beauty and the working mechanisms of a home. So, Chris added many elements of nature that happen to be the most efficient and low maintenance products on the market today to his masterpiece on Skyline Drive in the newest neighborhood in Big Canoe, The Bluffs.
In contemplating the Southern Living Home, Chris decided to add elements like metal, decorative ridge vents across the roof line to add rustic style and character while working constantly to remove unwanted hot air. Ipe decking that has a class A fire rating and is almost indestructible which means low maintenance for the homeowner. Natural stones and tiles, rock work, Victorian heart pine flooring, teak wood cabinets, tongue and groove ceilings, locust wood railing and pickets on the deck and Tennessee log and beam construction throughout the home to add not only character that is beautiful and natural to the home, but also to ensure that the homeowner is reaping an incredible value and low maintenance value.
Additional elements in the home are the natural flowing water elements. In the basement is a beautiful, flowing waterfall that greets you as enter. And, as guests approach the front door, they must cross the beautiful rock stream where gold fish, tadpoles and gorgeous water plants reside. Water elements are proving to be essential for many homeowners and yet many builders are hesitant to provide this level of quality due to their lack of understanding of the options.
When it came to making choices of offering high efficiency for the owner of the home, Chris maintained and raised his standards based on the newest and best technology. By adding Pella windows and doors, 6 zones of heating and air as opposed to 2 or 3 zones, ridge vents, a tankless hot water heater, Certainteed 50 year presidential shake shingles, and heavy insulation, this home is more efficient than most of the homes built only a few years ago. Technology is the only thing that can help save the planet and Chris Vann recognizes that it starts with one homeowner at a time.
Because technology has allowed manufacturers to produce high efficiency products that also show high quality beauty and natural elements, most of these products are simply a treasure for the homeowner and add to the beauty of the rolling mountains and lake views at Big Canoe. Whereas you can see the skyline of Atlanta, Cumming and Kennesaw from this home, the real treat would be if Atlanta, Cumming and Kennesaw could see this home. These natural elements of the products required by The Bluffs as building standards, blend easily and effortlessly with the surroundings of the mountains and lakes and yet, Big Canoe is only 35 minutes from Alpharetta, Georgia and less than 1 hour from Atlanta. If you have not visited Big Canoe yet, put it on your must see list today.
If you need more information about Big Canoe, please contact me from my site and I will set you up with the very best agent I know there.
A few of my clients over the years have asked me what it takes to be a top real estate agent when they are entering the real estate market. Here is my take on it and an article that I wrote that is published in The Real Estate Journey.
Many real estate agents enter the real estate market each year attempting to know real estate so that they can represent their clients who expect that they know something about real estate. Some agents feel that they know real estate after they take their state exam because they don’t know any better. But the truth is that they don’t know real estate until many things transpire to make them a real estate agent and those things come from knowledge.
In this article, I will give you what I know to be the truth about learning real estate and give you some simple step by step instruction on what it takes to learn real estate and become the professional that is hired by the public to protect them. This is really simple but it requires a simple approach that can be tedious and boring to a salesperson. However, as a top agent in my field and the number one agent in Georgia, I can tell you, this is what has to be done if you are going to protect your client.
Learning real estate is a process
Real estate is a process of learning the system of the contract and the MLS. Here are the 7 steps to becoming good at what you do for a living:
1. Read the Purchase and Sale Agreement 50 times or more over the course of the first month in the business. Apply questions of when, why, where, how to all paragraphs. Ask your real estate broker if they have a written test they could give you to make sure that you are comprehending the agreement.
2. Study all addendums, exhibits and forms that can be added to the Purchase and Sale Agreement closely, applying the same questions as above to each and every paragraph.
3. Study the MLS system so that you have a working knowledge of the MLS listing itself and the features of the system. Map out a few homes and then think what you will do to notify the seller that you are going to visit the home. Make a script and a process of how you will show the home, listing the steps from getting your lockbox key updated all the way to locking the house back up when you leave.
4. Learn the mapping system that you will use. If you are using a GPS, map book or mapping software, make sure that you fully understand it’s flaws.
5. Write a fake offer for a buyer pretending that you are representing them. Fill in all the blanks and ask yourself the questions that will represent this buyer well. This is where you ask your family members to help you. They make up a scenario and you represent them. Of course you are not going to send the offer to an agent.
6. Study construction flaws of your area on the internet. However, remember that most state’s licensure for a real estate agent is limited to only the duties of an agent. This does not include making recommendations for repairs or being an inspector with your clients.
7. Make a packet of information for your buyers showing that you are an expert and that you have thought of the information they need to make an education purchase.
If you do the simple things above, you will find that you will become an expert quickly. Almost everything you need to know is in the Purchase and Sale Agreement that your state uses. Many people attend continuing education and that is fine, but the rubber meets the road when you are an expert at representing your clients in a legal and binding document.
I invite you to learn more about real estate from my 2 coaching companies:
Rainmaker Realty and C.O.D Realty System
Both companies have their own take on how you can become a top agent.
Why You Should Talk To The Neighbors
First lets start with why you should talk to the neighbors. Neighbors, although they may attempt to not be nosey, they know everything. One time in my own neighborhood, although I did not know the people that lived there, I noticed that there were people there with hazmat masks and suits on for over one week unloading and cleaning the house.
We have also had the FBI do a stakeout on a neighbor’s house and arrest the occupants for counterfeiting. We have had two suicides in the homes and a guy arrested for child porn. All of these things have happened in a quiet suburbia neighborhood of only 58 homes in the 600K and above price range on a private golf course. Who would have thought? Well that is why unsuspecting buyers have continued to purchase in our little haven without knowledge until they go to the neighborhood party on various occasions and they learn that the previous owner in the home failed to tell them that the basement flooded and was left unoccupied for a year or so so that it caused major mold problems so bad that a recovery team had to come in. Would you like to know this before you make a 600K investment?
So here is the gameplan on talking to the neighbors…
Once you have decided on the home that you want to purchase, make sure that you visit the neighbors to get all of the scoop. Ask any question that comes to your mind, but here are some serious questions to ask. Go to at least 3 neighbors and do not make an offer until you talk to at least 3 to get the scoop.
1. How is the neighborhood association; strict, crazy or what?
2. Are there any assessments coming in the future?
3. How is the construction on the homes in the neighborhood?
4. Is there any crime in the neighborhood?
5. Is the neighborhood social?
6. How are the amenities?
7. Why are the neighbors (house you are looking at) moving?
8. Have they had any trouble with their house that you know of?
9. Is there anything that would prevent you from buying your own home again?
10. And anything else you want to know.
Getting your home ready for sale can be overwhelming if you don’t have a plan. Planning is simply taking each room at a time to make a list of what needs to be done, what you need to purchase to make that possible and a flexible outlook to repair or replace items that a buyer may object to. This is really easy and won’t take as long as you think.
Go to the Paint Store
Go to the paint store first thing. If you don’t have the colors written down of what paint colors you used, go to the paint store and get some samples first that you think will match. Get paint samples that you can use to compare your grout and caulk as well.
Scope Out the Hardware Store
Scope out the hardware store to see what they have so that you know what it available. Gold knobs and fixtures are hard to find for instance so have a gameplan about what you will replace.
Lighting, Faucets and Door Knobs
Lighting, faucets and door knobs are important to replace. This is a cheap fix to many outdated issues. A handyman can put these in for you and they really make a difference that buyers what to pay for. Resist using fancy, fancy stuff. You won’t get your money back. Use medium line stuff.
So, the first thing to do is to start at one part of your home and work your way to other rooms.
Make 3 Lists
What needs to be done – walk the room and look from ceiling to floor in each part of the room. If you are not sure of what can be done to cover or to improve minor things, look on the internet for a solution. There are many ways to improve the situation without a major overhaul.
What you need to buy to do the job – be very specific and measure everything. Use your paint samples to match and be specific about the differences. You will get a bonus if you only have to go to the hardware store once. Otherwise, you will spend most of your repair time going to the hardware store which is very frustrating.
What you will do to make the room staged – define staging for yourself with the many sites on the internet or hire a stager. If you hire someone that is reasonably priced, you will sell quicker and for more money. It is proven.
Now take your to be done list and make a side note of painting, handyman work, cleaning, washing etc… Get your list in order.
Then, take your what to buy list and do the same so that you can make your time efficient while in the store.
Doing the Repairs
When you start the journey of repairs, hire people to help you. Give them a VERY specific list of what you need done and set them on their way. Do not talk to them – that wastes time and you will quickly see that a lot of handymen like talk and then charge by the hour.
If you are having painting done, hire a professional painter. This saves time and the job will look better.
Don’t forget the exterior and your yard. The front door must shine because that is where people stand the longest in your house while the agent attempts to get the door open. Make your front entry so warm and welcoming that people MUST see your home. Your mailbox and it’s area also needs attention. Flowers, flowers, flowers is all that I can say. Don’t overdo, but make it worth your buyers time to come to see your place.
Set the Stage
Set the stage for any table, etc.. as if you are having a party. Take your photos this way and keep it set-up for showings.
Phil Gentry of Duffy Realty hands out and Buyer Cash Bonus to his friend & client…
If you are jealous, contact us now to get your Buyer Cash Bonus check.
Contact Duffy Realty of Atlanta or Phil Gentry directly.
View this video for a quick history lesson of historic downtown Lawrenceville as toured by Sherry Hoger, one of the Duffy Team.
Tip for Buying a Home: Learn the history of the city - it makes the journey more interesting.
When you find that you need to know about a city that you are thinking about moving to, we probably have what you need on film. Let us know and we will send to you shortly.
www.DuffyRealtyofAtlanta.com
In this video you will see another Duffy home buyer who discovers that money does grow on trees. Thanks to Sherry Hoger, a great buyer’s agent on the Duffy Realty team, Sherry’s clients are several thousand dollars richer and they enjoyed the process.
If you decide that you want a money tree of your own, please visit my website here for the details. We gave 323 buyers cash bonuses in 2007 after they found their dream home and closed the deal.