House Connect - Your Flat Fee Atlanta MLS Listing Service

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.

Look Who's Selling & Saving in Your Neck of the Woods from House Connect, LLC

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

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.

* * 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?

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.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Tips For A Successful Open House

Holding an open house is the most effective way of selling your home especially when your property is still furnished as this gives it a homey appearance. Some people prefer to simply open their doors for the prospective buyers to get a glimpse; however this is highly discouraged. If you are keen on having a successful open house that will also help you win hearts of the potential buyers, put in lots of effort in making the necessary preparations. Below are a couple of tips for holding a successful open house.

1. Advertise
Advertising is an important step that should never be ignored when planning an open house. Without proper advertising, you might prepare to hold an event and then be disappointed with the low turnout. Therefore, use some of the advertising channels available. You can even use a website to do this as well as other numerous marketing tools. House Connect is happy to promote your Open House on all of our social media platforms; simply email us the details & we will spread the word.

2. Make a great first impression
We all understand the significance of first impressions as far as curb appeal is concerned. This is one of the most important factors which you should remember as you plan your open house. The interest of a prospective buyer can easily be dampened with an entrance or a living room that does not meet certain quality levels. As such, it is important to spruce up the exterior decor as well as the yard. The landscaping must look superb. Furthermore, you might want to consider repainting your door, replace the old door handles and locks.

3. Do some cleaning
Dedicate some time for cleaning preferably a day before the event. If you intend to have a thorough cleaning exercise, consider outsourcing professional services who will scrub the entire house. Attention should be focused on the fans, windows, air conditioner, kitchen and bathroom areas. A spotless house indicates the owner has maintained and taken care of it properly.

4. Clear all forms of clutter
Other than organizing closets and drawers, go into all the rooms and assess the appearance like a stranger would. In open house scenarios, prospective buyers love to look at the furnishings and clutter implies that there is limited space within the home. Excess furniture items also cover lots of floor space thus making it arduous for buyers to paint a picture of their furnishings in the space. Consequently, you should make an effort of getting rid of extra stools and magnets that might be on the fridge. All unnecessary portraits should also be taken down.

5. Create a desirable mood by using natural lighting
Open all the draperies, blinds and windows in the house as this will allow adequate natural light to get into your house. Furthermore, this action will also ensure all rooms are properly lit up thereby creating an appealing ambiance. Make sure the kitchen and the bathroom are exposed to more light. The bedrooms on the other hand should get low light.

6. Provide food and drinks
Making the prospective buyers comfortable is yet another aspect that must not be ignored. Therefore, offer them food and drinks as they begin the tour and this will no doubt leave an impression.

Try the tips discussed above and you will hold an open house successfully which will eventually lead to sales. After all, that is the main objective of holding the event.

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

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Why We Love Atlanta Real Estate (And You Should Too)!

Whether you’re buying or selling real estate, a positive location rating is never bad news; obviously you would prefer to move to a top notch city & so would your potential buyers. Here are just a few of the many reasons working with Atlanta real estate makes our job easy.

We’re (still) growing!

While Atlanta is definitely not a newly emerging metropolis, we’re still gaining steam. Our above average median pay, above average population growth, & below average unemployment rate ranked us #12 in Forbes’ recent America’s Fastest Growing Cities 2014 list. Not to mention, our impressive new MLB & NFL stadiums currently in the works.

We’re improving!

Despite the slight winter fiasco endured on our interstates, Atlanta is still ranked one of the best in public transit. Also, our ongoing greenspace/multi-path initiatives have garnered national recognition with no signs of stopping.

We’re financially secure!

Polifact.com recently fact-checked Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reeds’ public claims to superior GDP & found that Atlanta indeed is 17^th in the union in terms of annual gross domestic product (GDP) with 11 Fortune 500 companies in the region; only NYC & Houston claim more.

We’re trendy!

We’re constantly headlining on national public opinion polls, most recently as the hub for the #4 National Arena, #1 Most Trusted American Builder, and #3 Best City of 2013. Right on!

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

Friday, February 7, 2014

What Is A Flat FEE MLS Listing Service?

Flat fee MLS, is an online listing service, allowing a home owner who is getting ready to sell their home, the opportunity to get it sold, and save thousands of dollars in realtor fees.

What Flat Fee MLS provides -
A flat fee MLS service provider, places the seller's home on an online market, and helps the owners sell their home quickly. A multiple listing service (MLS), is an online site where realtors place homes they are selling for clients; as a home owner, using the flat fee sites, you can skip the middleman, and have the online directory, place your home on the market.

What services are included? -
This depends on your market, and the flat fee company that you choose to list your property through. All companies will list your home, on their online directory, along with other homes in the area the home is being sold in. Additional services, which some listing companies provide include:
- Yard signs, which include the seller's phone number.
- Supra Lockbox on the property
- Negotiation of offers (if desired)
Although not all flat fee MLS companies offer these services, House Connect does. Depending on the price you pay for listing your home on their site, some or all of these services, may be included in the flat rate.

Advantages of using these MLS sites -
One of the biggest advantages of using these listing services, is that your home is going to be placed on the same exact directory and online site, as homes which are being sold by a traditional realtor. If you want your home to sell, it has to be listed on an MLS site; therefore, listing with a top flat fee company, is something the home owners should do, if they want more exposure, and want their home to get sold, in less time.

Another benefit is the fact that you truly save on the cost of listing. Most realtors charge 6% (or higher), for the sale; on a $400,000 home, you are basically losing out $24,000 in fees you pay a realtor. Commissions of 3% and higher are generally charged on top of this listing fee; that means, an additional $12,000 is going to the realtor. Also, other fees and costs might also be required, prior to a real estate agency listing and selling your home. Using a flat fee MLS, you avoid these huge costs, and you simply pay a flat fee, to have your home listed on a major online database, allowing prospective buyers to see the home.

With a flat fee MLS service, you are going to cut out a great deal of expenses, which are associated with selling a home. By cutting out the middleman, you keep more of the profits, when your home is sold. And, for a flat fee, all the listing work is done for you, meaning you do not have to worry about going out there and marketing the home, through several other sources online and locally.