Friday, April 25, 2014

The Benefits of Using a Flat Fee MLS Service



     Flat fee MLS is a practice in the real estate field whereby pertinent information regarding a particular property is placed in the database of a local Multiple Listing Service at a particular fee, contrary to the traditional method where a commission is charged based on the sale price of the property. This is basically an agreement in which the broker will enter a property into the MLS and he or she will be paid a flat fee for that service. It saves property owners the burden of buying a large package of services from a real estate agent, some of which may not be contributory to the sale. There are four basic services that a traditional agent will offer. Once they are bypassed, they all turn out to be advantageous to the property owner because it means spending less while getting the same or even better services. If you are stressed about the amount you will be paying an agent to sell your property, it is time you realized there is a better option. Consider the following advantages of adopting the flat fee MLS:

You do the pre-market preparation yourself
This is one of the basic services that you are buying whenever you opt to sell your property through an agent. The flat fee MLS, however, gives you the opportunity of doing pre-market preparations yourself. This means you can even give your home a better look because you want a better value compared to an agent who is out to get a fee and move to the next client. This preparation entails making a few fixes, staging and taking photographs. Taking photographs and staging is not a daunting task, and nobody knows the best spots of your house better than you! Most of the resources needed are readily available over the internet, some of which are step-by-step guides explaining how you will best prepare a property for sale
. 
It expands your market/showing 
The real estate market has transformed dramatically due to internet marketing. Once your property has been placed on the local MLS service, it means that it will definitely appear on the main real estate sites. The reduced commissions also means that better commissions will be offered to the buyer’s agent, which actually completes the legwork halfway for you. You may now opt for additional marketing strategies such as placement of a signage and sending word to your social networks. You can do this yourself or agree with a broker on a flat fee. The ultimate end is that your property will meet an expanded market reach.

It is less risky
Selling your property through the traditional agency actually means entrusting your entire home to the hands of an agent. When you do it yourself, however, it is an opportunity to stand in charge of the entire process, which reduces the risks that are involved. With such control, it is obvious that any benefit from the buyer’s agent will get to your directly while in the other case, they might be siphoned along the way if the agent is a dubious one.

You make substantial savings 
A good amount of money is saved when you decide to sell the property yourself. If you were selling property worth $400, 000 for instance, you will pay a commission of $24,000 to the agent when standard rates are applied. This is exclusive of the buyer’s agent whom you will also pay a commission of 3%. When using the flat fee MLS service on the other hand, it will only take you hundreds of dollars to have the property listed on MLS. You will then be required to pay a commission of 3% if your buyer was using a real estate agent. In the end, you will find yourself saving a whopping $12,000 or even more.


In summary, with the revolution of internet marketing there isn’t so much of a need to use real estate agents across the entire sale process. Take a bold step and research the real estate companies that lie within your area. We invite you to compare flat fee real estate companies as well. We are confident you will find that House Connect offers more services at a better price to help you save potentially thousands of dollars on your real estate transaction.

We also offer plenty of Atlanta real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well. We’re constantly posting Atlanta market tips, real estate trends, and home selling pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

House Connect is an Atlanta flat fee MLS listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a discount realty service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate brokerage.

To find out more about our flat fee MLS listing service that can save you thousands of dollars versus a traditional real estate brokerage, call us today or visit us online & “let’s get moving!” 770.640.6800 www.houseconnectnow.com

* * A transaction fee of .005 x the sales price will be paid at closing.

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Prepare Your House For Sale to Get the Best Returns


     If you prepare your house for sale correctly, it will be more appealing to buyers. Buyers are always more comfortable purchasing a well cared-for home, and most importantly, the house will sell faster and for a much higher price.

Before you begin to prepare your house for sale, consider how much you intend to spend. Basically you need to spend as little as possible. After all, you need to remember that you would not be getting any extra money for the new additions or renovations to your house. So what you have to do is to make minor changes and do inexpensive touch-ups to the house instead. For example, you can get the knobs on kitchen cabinets polished and apply a fresh coat of neutral paint to your living room, but you do not have to install a new roof.

Most importantly, you need to maximize the exterior appeal of your home. This would mean keeping your lawn perfect by cutting and watering it regularly. You must trim the hedges and prune trees on a regular basis. Take care of the flowerbeds and remove the weeds. The exterior is the first impression of your home. So make sure that the steps, walkways as well as walls and patios do not have any cracks or chipped paint. Even the doors and windows should not have any peeling paint. Clean the gutters and the chimney. Repair any loose roof shingles, siding and caulking. Keep your walks cleared of any snow and ice. Remove any dead plants and you may even apply fresh paint on the front door.

You can enhance the appearance of your home’s interior by cleaning it well. Next, remove all clutter. This way your home will look bigger and brighter. If you cannot do so yourself, hire a professional cleaning service to come as needed. Also, begin to pack and keep packed boxes in the attic or basement. Basically you need to keep your kitchen counters and closets neat and make them much more inviting.

Any dingy, soiled or dark colored walls can be replaced with a neutral colored paint to make the room look bigger and brighter. Check for any cracks, leaks and dampness in the walls, attic and basement. Get these repaired. Also, repair all damage to plaster. All broken, cracked windowpanes, moldings and woodwork must be repaired. Inspect your plumbing, heating, cooling, as well as the alarm systems. Your dripping faucets and shower heads must be repaired. You can even place new towels in the bathroom to make an impression on the prospective buyers.

Clean the glasses. This is inexpensive and only requires time and effort. The impression created by clean, sparking glass panes is truly enigmatic. It would make your whole house look bigger, cleaner and neat. You garage may be one ignored area of your house. Sweep it clean. Any old grease paint and oil marks should be removed. If required, add a fresh coat of paint to the walls. Make the lighting bright. All kinds of hard water built up on the tiles should be scrubbed clean. This may require a bit of effort from your side, but will be well worth the trouble. Make sure that the kitchen sink is not leaking and get it repaired, if required.






We also offer plenty of Atlanta real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well. We’re constantly posting Atlanta market tips, real estate trends, and home selling pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

House Connect is an Atlanta flat fee MLS listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a discount realty service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate brokerage.


To find out more about our flat fee MLS listing service that can save you thousands of dollars versus a traditional real estate brokerage, call us today or visit us online & “let’s get moving!” 770.640.6800 www.houseconnectnow.com

* * A transaction fee of .005 x the sales price will be paid at closing.

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Are Your in ATL's 10 Fastest Growing Zips?


With average prices continuing upward Atlanta sellers are coming out of hibernation this spring & pending sales are steadily increasing. So where are they heading? Online marketing strategies company Welcomemat Services, Inc recently released a report of the 10 fastest growing zip codes based on move ins. Did your area make the cut?

The List:
30319 (Brookhaven) 308 move-ins
30318 (Northwest Atlanta) 307 move-ins
30350 (Chattahoochee River Nat Rec) 302 move-ins
30032 (Decatur) 289 move-ins
30075 (Roswell) 280 move-ins
 30324 (Piedmont Heights) 267 move-ins (tie)
 30076 (Roswell) 267 move-ins (tie)
 30328 (Sandy Springs) 252 move-ins
 30309 (Midtown) 249 move-ins
 30338 (Dunwoody) 236 move-ins

If you’re looking to sell in any of these locations, now may be the time! Give us a call today to find out how you can list for a low flat fee & save thousands of dollars in commissions!



We also offer plenty of Atlanta real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well. We’re constantly posting Atlanta market tips, real estate trends, and home selling pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

House Connect is an Atlanta flat fee MLS listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a discount realty service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate brokerage.

To find out more about our flat fee MLS listing service that can save you thousands of dollars versus a traditional real estate brokerage, call us today or visit us online & “let’s get moving!” 770.640.6800 www.houseconnectnow.com


* * A transaction fee of .005 x the sales price will be paid at closing.

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Look Who's Selling & Saving (Thousands) In Your Neck of Atlanta

Been on the fence about discount realty services? If you're hesitant about listing your Atlanta real estate for an upfront flat fee, take a pointer from your neighbors who are selling & saving THOUSANDS by using House Connect's flat fee MLS listing service. Check out who's saving in your area of Metro Atlanta.


Give us a call today to see what we can do for you & let's get moving!







We also offer plenty of Atlanta real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well. We’re constantly posting Atlanta market tips, real estate trends, and home selling pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

House Connect is an Atlanta flat fee MLS listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a discount realty service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate brokerage.

To find out more about our flat fee MLS listing service that can save you thousands of dollars versus a traditional real estate brokerage, call us today or visit us online & “let’s get moving!” 770.640.6800 www.houseconnectnow.com


* * A transaction fee of .005 x the sales price will be paid at closing.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

8 Metro Atlanta Cities Makes "Best Cities in GA" List


Online finance site NerdWallet recently posted the Best Cities for Homeownership in Georgia list & 8 of our very own Metro-Atlanta cities made the top 10. Not too shabby. 

Background:

Real Estate statistics for our peachy state have been consistently optimistic, drawing recognition from the economic site. NerdWallet analyzed the 68 cities in Georgia with 15,000+ residents and based the ranking on 3 criteria deemed most favorable by homebuyers.

·         Homeownership rate: low rate can equal competitive inventory, high rental options & expensive prices meaning low desirability.
·         Affordability: Median household income coupled with homeowner costs & median home value.
·         Population Growth: Is the area growing? Attracting new residents?


Results:

While we didn’t nab the top two spots, Atlanta area cities still dominated 15 of the 20 coveted slots. Here’s who rounded out the top 10:

  • 3. Sugar Hill – Home Ownership rate: 83.1% ; Homeowner Cost as a % of Household Income: 26.3%; population growth: 6.2% SCORE: 78.2
  • 4. Woodstock – Home Ownership rate: 71.5%; Homeowner Cost as a % of Household Income: 27.4%; population growth: 8.3% SCORE: 74.8
  • 5. Mableton – Home Ownership rate: 74.9%; Homeowner Cost as a % of Household Income: 31.5%; population growth: 6.1% SCORE: 72.0
  • 6. Johns Creek – Home Ownership rate: 82.1%; Homeowner Cost as a % of Household Income: 25.0%; population growth: 6.4% SCORE: 71.5
  • 7. Snellville – Home Ownership rate: 87.4%; Homeowner Cost as a % of Household Income: 28.2%; population growth: 1.4% SCORE: 71.1
  • 8. Milton – Home Ownership rate: 72.2%; Homeowner Cost as a % of Household Income: 28.5%; population growth: 11.3% SCORE: 68.7
  • 9. Suwanee – Home Ownership rate: 72.4%; Homeowner Cost as a % of Household Income: 28.1%; population growth: 6.2% SCORE: 68.6
  • 10. Fayetteville – Home Ownership rate: 77.3%; Homeowner Cost as a % of Household Income: 30.8%; population growth: 4.0% SCORE: 68.0


Notable mentions for making the cut are also: Acworth (11), Kennesaw (13), Stockbridge (15), Canton (16), McDonough (18), Tucker (19) & Alpharetta (20).

In a February press release the Georgia Association of Realtors wrote “it’s a good time for folks to reassess their situation…Getting a fresh comparative market analysis might be a good idea.” To which we say: “Call us for a Free CMA ;)” 770.640.6800

House Connect is an Atlanta flat fee MLS listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a discount realty service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate brokerage.



To find out more about our flat fee MLS listing service that can save you thousands of dollars versus a traditional real estate brokerage, call us today or visit us online & “let’s get moving!” 770.640.6800 www.houseconnectnow.com

We also offer plenty of Atlanta real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well. We’re constantly posting Atlanta market tips, real estate trends, and home selling pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

Please feel free to post comments, send emails, visit our social media pages and the House Connect website, or call us directly for more info. We have dedicated, knowledgeable professionals waiting to assist you with selling your home without the pricey commissions.

* * A transaction fee of .005 x the sales price will be paid at closing.



Wednesday, March 12, 2014

The WILLS & WON'TS of Discount Realty


One of the biggest questions we run into in our flat fee MLS listing agency is: how are you different than listing with a traditional Atlanta real estate company? Here’s a rundown of what we WILL & WON’T do for our clients for a low flat fee, so that YOU can decide what’s best for your real estate needs.

1. We WON’T Price Your House:
In a traditional real estate sale the listing agent gets paid a percentage of the sales price (typically between 3-6%), so his/her paycheck relies on the sales price of your home. This may lead to a nonobjective view of what your sales price should be. With a discount realty service, such as House Connect, you pay a flat fee of $499* up front no matter the price of your house. This way, YOU get to decide what’s best for your budget. And remember, you don’t have to worry about covering that high percentage payday for the agent.
   We WILL Help You Price Your House:
What we WILL do for you is give you a free comparative market analysis (CMA) of similar houses in your area so that you can make an informed decision of what a comparable price may be. Only you know the details of your finances; you should ultimately decide whether to price your home competitively or not, but at least you’ll be educated on what your competition is doing.


2.  We WON’T Make Flyers:
At House Connect, we consider ourselves technologically advanced & eco-friendly. We use e-sign & e-files for our docs & choose to use online promotion rather than printed marketing flyers.
 We WILL Post Your Listing On Social Media:
We still put visuals out there. Photos of your listing will be published on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, TwitPic, Google+, LinkedIn, Flickr….you get the point. We’re betting this gives you more exposure than some papers in a box outside your house…just sayin’.


3. We WON’T Hold An Open House:
Our unofficial motto at House Connect is that we’re the listing company for the savvy seller. No one knows your house or availability as well as you. We believe you are perfectly capable of organizing your home, charming potential buyers, and serving hors d’oeuvres if you so wish.
 We Will PROMOTE An Open House:
That being said, we are definitely NOT anti-open house! If you want to organize a day when you’d like buyers to tour the house more informally than individual showings just let us know the deets! We will gladly post it on both Multiple Listing Services, syndicate it to 100+ real estate websites AND post it on all of our social media platforms (see #2 above).


4. We WON’T Take Pics for You:
Look at this as a GOOD thing. How many times do you retake pics of yourself until they’re perfect? Now you can do the same with your house. Get the right angle, clean the house first, hide the clutter in closets momentarily, put the dog in the cage for a bit, wait until sunset to snap that perfect patio view…you get to be the Annie Leibovitz of your real estate, so take some pride in it…or don’t, we’re not judging.
 We WILL rearrange/add/update Your Pics:
If you decide you don’t like what you’ve given us & want to hire a professional or wait until you’ve cleaned a bit, we’ll gladly update your pics as you send them to us. That goes for your entire listing. If you want to hire John Grisham to write your public remarks, send them over & we’ll update! This is YOUR real estate transaction & we believe YOU should be in control.

We also offer plenty of Atlanta real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well. We’re constantly posting Atlanta market tips, real estate trends, and home selling pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!



House Connect is an Atlanta flat fee MLS listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a discount realty service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate brokerage.

To find out more about our flat fee MLS listing service that can save you thousands of dollars versus a traditional real estate brokerage, call us today or visit us online & “let’s get moving!” 770.640.6800 www.houseconnectnow.com

Please feel free to post comments, send emails, visit our social media pages and the House Connect website, or call us directly for more info. We have dedicated, knowledgeable professionals waiting to assist you with selling your home without the pricey commissions.


* * A transaction fee of .005 x the sales price will be paid at closing.

Monday, March 10, 2014

3 Signs It's Time To Sell Your Atlanta Real Estate


If you’ve been gunshy about listing your Atlanta real estate, nobody can blame you. The negative blow from the deteriorating economy was especially harsh to our much-loved city. However, times they are a’changin’ & now is the time to get back out there. Here are 3 reasons why.
Home Prices Are UP!
The Metro-Atlanta Median sales price for January 2014 increased 22.4% from 2013. While all Atlantans know the many micro-markets vary greatly in price range, all areas still showed an increase.
Negative Equity is DOWN!
Rising prices have brought previously underwater homeowners back to positive equity! The average of Atlanta homeowner’s with negative equity is down 19% from January 2013 according to a recent report by online real estate service Zillow.
Inventory is DOWN!
According to the Atlanta Board of Realtors January sales in Metro Atlanta decreased 10% annually & 30% monthly. This is most likely attributed to poor weather conditions & the lack of available supply. Inventory of homes was down another 3.8%. That means it’s a Seller’s market. Demand is high and the average of days on market is down. So what are you waiting for?

House Connect is an Atlanta flat fee MLS listing company offering an alternative to the high cost of selling your home. We offer a discount realty service which saves Atlanta home sellers thousands of dollars versus using the traditional real estate brokerage.

To find out more about our flat fee MLS listing service that can save you thousands of dollars versus a traditional real estate brokerage, call us today or visit us online & “let’s get moving!” 770.640.6800 www.houseconnectnow.com


We also offer plenty of Atlanta real estate tips online! Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, & Pinterest as well. We’re constantly posting Atlanta market tips, real estate trends, and home selling pointers to keep you ahead of the competition. Not to mention the money you’ll save in commission prices!

Please feel free to post comments, send emails, visit our social media pages and the House Connect website, or call us directly at 770-640-6800 for more info. We have dedicated, knowledgeable professionals waiting to assist you with selling your home without the pricey commissions.


* * A transaction fee of .005 x the sales price will be paid at closing.