I teach a homebuyer class and one of the topics we discuss is how to choose a broker (remember this is the new term for real estate agent). I think this is my favorite part of the class because I love to hear people’s answers. I realize this may fascinate me way more than anyone else reading this blog so bear with me. I’ll try to make it interesting and funny and hide the fact that I may have a slight hidden agenda which of course is to hear how (and who) you would pick as your broker.

Most people pick their brokers because they are friends, relatives or by referral. It always surprises me how many people don’t use the same broker they’ve used in the past. In fact, most don’t even remember who their broker was. (Don’t worry Adrian and Geoff, I totally remember your names! And I’m sorry I never called again but obviously I do this stuff myself now!) And the common thread with being a friend, relative or referral is the built in trust. Ok, so not quite groundbreaking news but if you stop to think about who your broker was (or will be) I imagine you have a great deal of trust in them. If you used your broker through some other means, that is one lucky broker who was probably in the right place at the right time.

Anyway, during the class we narrow down some more important qualities of a broker because after the trust piece, there is still room for that broker to mess up. For example, many people want a broker to return phone calls and emails (and texts and tweets and facebook messages) promptly. They also want someone who is skilled at negotiating, smart, organized, a hardworker and knows a lot about the real estate market. They also want someone who seems to have a lot of clients yet will treat them like they are their only client. Wow, I am still definitely not breaking the ground with this information am I? But putting it all out there does help people realize what’s important in a broker which is crucial since there are lot of them out there to choose from!

The other day I was in a Windermere seminar and they were talking about this very topic. The person giving the seminar put up a quote on the screen written by Dave Ramsey, financial guru. It went something like this (sorry my handwriting is so bad that I can barely make out what I wrote so it won’t be an exact quote…but close). “When looking to make a large financial decision or investing in real estate, choose someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman.” Holy smokes, so that’s why they say teachers make great real estate agents! Plus as quite possibly the only former teacher in the room, I was pretty certain he was talking about me. Ok probably not but I loved this quote and of course stand behind it 110%.

If you are looking to invest in real estate and want someone with the heart of a teacher plus all those other great qualities above, I am now hiring buyers and sellers! If you want to share a fun fact about how you chose your broker, please consider leaving a comment below!

The first thing most people do when looking for homes online is read the description. Then they usually thumb through the pictures and a part of them subconsciously makes sure the pictures reflect what the description says. At least that’s what I do. The point I’m trying to make here is that it’s important to have a great (yet accurate) description and great (yet accurate photos).

Of course there are the obvious buzz words that usually try to make the home sound better than it is. And I know because I’m guilty of some of them. For example, “charming”  most likely means the home is tiny. I’m sorry but that’s the honest truth. A 2500-3500 square foot home will almost never be referred to as charming. Also too many exclamation points may mean the agent is trying hard to make this home something its not. “Easy to maintain yard!!!!!!” might simply mean there’s a yard. And there’s some grass in that yard. And maybe a few plants. And my favorite “great floorplan” might mean the agent can no longer think of anything else to say about the home.  Oh and don’t forget “custom” which sometimes means it’s a bit of an odd feature but it was something the previous owner had done to the house and it worked for them therefore its custom.

However, when a great home comes along you will read the completely amazing description and it will match the completely amazing pictures and when you go visit you will probably see a completely amazing home. On the flip side if the pictures are terrible and the description matches, you will probably go there and not be one bit surprised that the home isn’t one bit completely amazing. And that’s ok because you were prepared.

The bottom line is that if the home is great, the pictures and description should be great. If the home is distressed or falling apart, it should be very obvious from the pictures and description (and if there is only one picture be very skeptical!) And for all the homes in between, the agent should definitely highlight the good areas but make sure the photos and description are accurate so the buyer isn’t disappointed when they visit the home in person.

Here is an actual description of a home (and no its not the home in the picture above). Despite it being pretty gloomy, you have to give the agent credit for honesty and believe it or not, this home had an offer in 5 days!

This home has been vacant for over two years without heat due to a faulty furnace. Broken water lines have caused damage to walls, floors, and appliances. Some roof repair is needed. Also some siding Damage. Home is sold “As-is”.

If you are looking to sell, I promise to do a great job marketing your home!

At the very beginning of my real estate career I considered “networking” to be meeting my friends at the park or Starbucks (with our kids) and if we happened to touch on the topic of real estate that was a huge plus. If we didn’t, at least I could tell my husband I spent my day out and about with real people. I also considered “business attire” to be my good Lulu Lemon sweats instead of my cheap Fred Meyer knock-offs. That was also when the market sucked and there was virtually no business to be had, especially for someone who got their real estate license the same day the market tanked.

Fast forward a few years and somewhere along the way I decided I really, really liked real estate and enjoyed actual networking and if the topic of real estate didn’t come up I would be more than disappointed.  I stopped wanting to talk about teaching and kids (topics I was more than familiar with) and began wanting to talk real estate (a topic I was becoming more and more confident with).  Instead of dreading the question “how’s the real estate market” I found myself hoping someone would ask. So today when I stare out at the snow (who at the moment is being an awesome babysitter for my kids and not costing me a dime) I am reflecting on my networking and how to move forward with it in the new year.

The beauty of networking is that you can meet with people you like at places you like during times that work for your schedule. And depending on who it is, you may even be able to get away with wearing your Lulu Lemon pants and your Uggs. Networking is definitely on my to-do list this year and I’ve already got a good start! Text me or facebook me if you’re up for some networking. And if you need to use our networking as “networking” just to show your husband or your boss that you are out meeting with actual people, I’m cool with that!

HAVE FUN BOYS! NO NEED TO HURRY HOME!

Well I’m sure there are a lot of things you can expect this year but since I’m in charge let’s narrow it down to just real estate. Will home prices keep falling? Will interest rates go back up? Will home sales rise?  I just shook my magic 8 ball and here is what it says: things are looking up.

Yes, prices have been steadily falling but the general consensus for those of us in the biz is that they may decline a bit more but most likely they will stay about the same. Foreclosures and short sales will continue to drive prices down a bit which is good and bad, depending on who you are. If you are looking to buy this year, good for you! If this is the year you plan to sell, maybe not so great. But interest rates are once again at historic lows so it will bring buyers out of the woodwork, making home sales rise and hopefully decreasing the amount of time homes will sit on the market.

Should you buy or wait? My advice is buy. If you already own a home, buy an investment home. If you are renting, take advantage of the low interest rates…you will probably save money.  Will waiting another year ensure that prices will drop even more? They might, but what if interest rates go back up? Then it won’t matter. Take advantage of low rates and pretty low home prices. As long as you don’t have to turn around and sell your home in the immediate future, it’s a smart choice.

As for me, my goal is once again to do better than I did the year before, continue to make Cara in the House a recognizable brand and improve the real estate market, one happy client at a time!

I’m no economist. I also sometimes have every intention of reading  the Wall Street Journal online but accidentally go to Facebook instead.This doesn’t mean I don’t know a thing or two about the economy which, in my option, is slowly heading in the right direction. I feel like I should insert a disclaimer here because I know most of what I’m about to tell you is not based on any real facts or statistics, just my own personal research. Here’s what I mean:

Have you been to the mall at all since Thanksgiving? If you have you probably had as much trouble as I did finding a parking spot and maneuvering around the busy stores. You probably also stood in very long lines at the food court (or if you were at Bellevue Square you stood in a very long line at either PF Changs or the Cheesecake Factory). To me this means that people are spending money and that’s a good sign.

Have you paid attention to all the vacations people are taking lately? If you haven’t been on Facebook you might be clueless but I swear every time I get on Facebook (ok, not every time because that would literally be a massive amount) I read people’s status updates talking about their vacations. To me this means people have a little extra money to spend and that’s another good sign.

Jobs are back in style. The unemployment rate (according to the Seattle Times and not my own research) has dropped to the lowest point since February of 2009. And to me, that is the most critical piece and probably the best sign of all.

So to recap, lots of people are spending money at the malls, eating out in restaurants, taking vacations and working. They are also buying houses (thank you to all my wonderful clients), donating to charities and participating in more recreational activities. Unless I’m living in some kind of weird bubble, I’m sure you have noticed the same. So let’s keep up the good spending, I mean let’s keep up the good work! I love blogging about good news.

Happy Holidays!