In Rooms Auction Video

The team in action.....

http://ecd1.platinumhd.tv/videos/kgaqmzb7gp-c0f97ac3-webstream.mp4

Call me for a Real Chat about our next in rooms event.

Angela

What I do is not what people think I do......

I was having a conversation with one of the mums at school the other day and her perception of what I do for a living consisted of "showing" houses and selling them.....I wish

As I explained to her a large portion of my job happens after the contract is signed.

Take the last three days as an example - the pile of papers above is the file for just one property. Since Tuesday morning I have answered and made 148 calls, sent 96 text messages and answered, forwarded or sent 19 emails.  All to help the sellers and the buyers get the property unconditional, so my seller can move on and buy a new home and my buyers can move in with confidence.

In a society obsessed with paperwork and due diligence and needing everything signed off by somebody - a good Real Estate agent can literally save a sale.  Without my input, and hard work this deal would not have come to the resolution it came to just three minutes ago.  My sellers would have missed out on their new property and my buyers would be back to spending their weekends finding another house.

Make sure when you employ an agent you are confident and comfortable that they will do a great job after the contract is signed because that is when you need the real expertise, patience and attention to detail.

Want to have a Real Chat - just call me - 0408717835

Angela

To Market To Market ???!!

A question I am asked all the time is "How is the Market?"
The second most asked question is "When should I put my house on the Market?"

My answer to both is pretty much the same - the market is the market - if you are buying and selling in the same market it doesn't matter.

Recently I have had three instances where clients have told me they want to purchase in one of our coastal regions - where sales have been a little flatter than usual for a while - but they want to wait until the market here picks up so they can make money on their homes.

But it is like buying a new car - you take in your old car and want premium money for it and you want a discount on the new one - as anyone who has bought a car knows it just doesn't happen like that.

What you need to look at is how far the market has come down in the area you are selling in and the area you are buying in - in the particular market these people want to buy in the market has dropped 23% - the market they are selling in has dropped 18 %.

I managed to get the message through to two of them and they are now moving ahead with their lives but the third one is doggedly holding out for the dream price - even though that figure may be four years away - by which time the market they want to get into will have shifted up and probably moved out of their price range.

So the simple answer is this - don't worry about what the market is "doing" - if it is time to sell then sell - 30% of the population is on the move regardless of GFCs, mining taxes or elections - if they weren't real estate agents would have loads more time off than they do.

If you want to know more call me for a Real Chat...

Angela

The importance of photos

My sister in law asked me to check out a house listed for sale in her home town.  It belongs to a friend and has been on the market for some time.

So I went to the usual real estate portals and had a look .....

First impressions count - your photos need to be taken by a professional, one who doesn't photoshop or try any "arty" stuff.  You need a wide angle lens  a good one - not one that distorts.  

Decluttering is great but when the house has white tiles,white walls, a white kitchen and white furniture with no accents it means your photos are ...white ....and boring and there is no frame of reference for how big the room is.

This house sits right on the ocean front on the top of a cliff - not one photo showed the view through the windows.  A professional photographer takes several exposures of a frame and puts them together using a computer programme this means that when you look at the photo you see the inside and what is outside  it mimics the split second adjustment your eyes make to the varying light.

As this one does sit in top of a cliff it is not a good idea to show photos of the front of the house with the bushes blurred because of the wind !!!

A professional photographer will make sure the photos of your home are representative of your home, to show it in the best way possible.  Your professional real estate agent will put those photos in an order which takes the buyer on a journey through your home.  Best features first and then the rest in harmony with the text.

If there is a particular view of your home that you love tell the agent and the photographer and see if they can capture it - you love your home you know it from all angles don't be afraid to say "I love standing here and looking out the window to the pool area"  it may be the shot that your buyer falls in love with too.  It may look like rubbish and need to be discarded but take it and then make the decision.

Some agents will tell you they take their own photographs to save you money - in the long run bad photographs cost you dollars on the contract - so a $250 investment in your homes listing can literally make you thousands of dollars on the contract.

If you want to know more ring me for a Real Chat.

Angela

SO LONG FAREWELLL AUF WIEDERSEHN GOODBYE

Angelas real chat is on the move - I am closing this blog down as of tomorrow night at midnight.

Come and have a look at the new website for all the latest properties for sale, property videos, real estate blogging and community information.

www.angelasrealchat.com

I am aiming for this to be a one stop shop and am trying to find a way of haivng a friends only sign in page for a spearate blog...you all know how busy i am these days and to be able to go to one site and do everything will be so much easier.

i am not very good at the facebook thing but promise now that the site is up and running I willtry harder to keep in contact with you all.

angela

Happy Easter

Wanted to wish one and all a Happy Easter and more importantly a great four day break!!

Most of the agents in our office are working on Easter Saturday opening homes for viewing. It is always a fun day people coming through open homes are relaxed and the holiday atmosphere pervades plus it is a great time to check out what the street is like during the holiday period. Maybe catch a glimpse of your future neighbours.

So if you find yourself at a loose end on Saturday - go and do some "window shopping" in the areas you love.

Have a great weekend !

Angela

You can now find me on www.sellingbrisbane.com

Changing Times

This little guy came to visit me at one of my Open to View Times last Saturday

I came across some interesting statistics the other day the average "days on market" in Brisbane has come down quite a lot since the last time I checked the figures in late January.



Some areas have seen a decrease of up to 40 days - what does this mean?



Simply that there are a lot of prospective buyers out there and not a lot of houses for sale. The houses that are on the market now are selling faster.



So if you are considering selling this is one of the questions your area Real Estate Specialist should know - they also need to be able to tell what their office average days on market figures are like. That will tell you how effective they are at doing thier job.



If you have any questions post them here in the comment section and I will reply to them as soon as I can.



Until next time



Angela



You can now find me on sellingbrisbane.com

Frogs and Figures

Yesterday I spent hours doing up my "market data" reports for homeowners who may be selling at some stage in the future.

There is a dearth of information out there and sometimes it is difficult to ascertain what is beneficial to include in these reports or just plain confusing and information overload.

I did come across two interesting statistics though.

The number of days on market in most areas seems to have dropped and yet the Brisbane average remains virtually unchanged. At present it is at 77 days.

Samford Valley has come down from 129 days to 97 and areas like Gaythorne have dropped to 54 from 61. Why? Well from what we have seen at out Open for Inspections there are a lot of buyers out there and not so many homes coming on to the market - so what is on the market is being looked at very carefully by a lot of prospective buyers.

The other interesting one was the number of people actively looking for homes as opposed to the number of homes being advertised. In some areas the number of people looking has tripled as correspondingly the number of homes being advertised for sale has dropped.

The reality is though the best time to sell your home is when you are ready. No matter what the interst rates are, what the demand is (except in a boom mining town for example) you will be selling and buying in the same market.

Until next time

Angela

Sustainable Home in beautiful Samford Valley

here is another video production of a home I have for sale in Samford.

It has a rainwater tank plumbed into the kitchen as well as town water, 2 Kw solar cells and a converter to save on your power bills (and the planet), plenty of room for an orchard or vegetable garden and a dam to water them from!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fnyweBHEgc

Let me know what you think of these presentations by using the comments section.

Until Next time

Angela

13 Chevalier Street McDowall

This one is new to the market - first open to View time Wednesday 24th February at 5:30 pm - 6:15pm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRp-QtU7Y2M

Until next time

Angela

Sustainability Update

John posted a comment here last night about the new version of the Sustainability Declaration and the link for you to have a look at - thank you John. (Just have a look at the comment on the previous post for the link)

The new version of the form is much more streamlined than the first version and probably takes a few minutes less to fill in.

I have had several home owners fill in the form and they all managed to complete it themselves without the need for "an expert". But the new form will make it even easier.

Mind you I have yet to be asked by anyone attending any of my Open to View times or Private inspections to have a look at the Declaration - but it is early days.

Until Next Time

Angela

Auction Terms

Auction Terms:

Reserve: This is the lowest price the sellers will accept once the bidding goes over this price the property is declared "on the Market"

"On the Market" - The Auctioneer may confer with the sellers then come and say that the property is "on the market" this means that the highest bidder after this point when the auctioneer has called the bid three times ("going once, going twice - are we all done - final call - SOLD") will have bought the property

Penciller: this is a person usually an employee of the agency or aucitoneers firm who records all the bids in the order they are taken and the paddle number

Paddle Number: these are plastic or paper numbers that help the auctioneer and agency staff identify bidders - it helps keep the process moving. At most Auctions you can choose your favourite or lucky number.

The Auction Board - this is a board that we are required to display at all Open to View times with the title of the property, the contract, the Auctioneers details and registered number and any other relevant information - in Queensland this may include the new Sustainability Declaration.

Auciotneers bid or Vendors bid - the auctioneer is allowed by law to place bids on behalf of the seller, to keep the auction moving, he must announce that the bid is either an auciotneers bid or a vendor bid and the penciller will record this.

Passed in - this is what it is called when the property fails to reach the reserve price and the seller does not wish throughout the course of the Auction to decrease the reserve. The Property will be passed in to the highest bidder and they will have first right to negotiate a price outside of the auction arena. This may take hours or days.

Sold Under the Hammer - this means the bidding reaches the reserve price level and the highest bidder is sold the property.

Deposit - there is usually a deposit required to be paid by the successful bidder at the conclusion of the auction - it is usually 10% although a Variation to Terms can be signed changing the deposit amount. The deposit can be paid by bank cheque, cash or EFT - again in the case of EFT the variation to terms will include a transfer date.

Heard any other phrases that you might need explained ? Just add your question to the comments box below and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Until next time

Angela

Three stages of an Auction

Most people aren't aware that an Auciton has three distinct stages:

The first stage is the marketing, getting the news about your property out to everyone who may interested, conducting Open To View sessions and collecting information and responses from the prospective buyers.

The Second Stage is the day of the Auction - Show time - the auctioneer, the agency staff prospective buyers come together and take part in the auction process.

Stage three - After the Auction - this is a critical time for following up all those buyers who were interested but unable to buy under Auction conditions (ie: finance approved, all conditions met)
Even if a property doesn't sell on Auction day it usually does in the post auction phase.

Next time - understanding all those auction terms.

Until next time

Angela

Are Auctions more Expensive??

The short answer is yes because you have to pay for the services of a professional Auctioneer usually about $400.

Other than that there are only the normal costs associated with selling a property:

Advertising and the commission due to the agent.

Advertising: A well structured advertising campaign can cost as little as $1700 and as much as you like, but whether you are selling by Private Treaty or Auction advertising is the way your agent gets the interest in your property out there.

There is a misconception that internet advertising has somehow overtaken print media as the first place buyers look for a property - but the statistics and the feedback we get from the visitors to our open inspections tells a very different story.

Most people (about 70%) see a property in the local or daily paper then go to the internet to check out more photos or whatever before they call you (or send you an email via the internet site). So a good press component is vital otherwise you are missing a large chunk of the market.

Any queries leave a comment and I will answer as soon as I can.

Until next time

Angela

Going once, going twice..........

SOLD !!

Ever wondered why when you see the property programs on television they are dominated by Auctions???

For some states in Australia there is a real Auction culture for example Victoria almost every property sold is sold by Auction. Things are a little different in Queensland with the vast majority of sales being by "Private Treaty".

So why Auctions??? What does the jargon mean?? Do they work??

So many questions too many to answer in one post so over the next few weeks I will be talking about the various advantages and disadvantages of Auctions, the language, the process, what you need to know as a buyer and a seller.

If you have any questions, thoughts or comments just add them to the comment section at the bottom of the post and I will do my best to answer them for you.

So lets get the language right:

Private Treaty - is the method of selling that involves advertising it for a price, conducting Open Viewings and eventually presenting a contract that may go back and forth for a few days changing terms or adjusting price until everyone agrees and the contract is signed. Then over the next week or two weeks the buyers conduct thier building and pest inspections and get their finance organised, this may involve further negotiation and price adjustment as well as changes in settlement dates. The contract then goes unconditional and on a designated date it settles.

Auctions: - is the method of selling that involves advertising the property to prospective buyers, conducitng Open Viewings , allowing the buyers to organise their finance, complete searches and inspections for building faults and for pest damage and then on a designated day bringing all the intersted buyers together in a spirit of competition to bid in an open forum for the property. The contract is signed - is immediatley unconditional - and settles according to the terms of the Auction.

Next time : Do Auctions cost more ??????

Until then

Angela

A blank canvas

I have just realised I have a vision problem - not my eyesight - but what I can see in my head that I need to impart to prospective buyers.

I am very fortunate to have been asked to sell a gorgeous Estate near where I live 1.5 to 3.5 acre blocks, gently sloping, some with permanent water, most with fabuous mountain views.

My challenge is to explain to prospective buyers what the house they build on the block could look like and what views it can get, I am not sure that I do this well enough sometimes and the vision I see comes from years of experience in seeing a vacant block turned into a family home.

So tomorrow in an effort to get better at this I am meeting a designer/draftsperson out on the blocks to help me get my angles right !!!!

Real Estate is a constant learning curve - I guess that is why I love it so much!!!!

Until next time

Angela

Hitting the ground running....

That is what it feels like these days - we got back from our annual two week holiday at the beach to a computer full of emails, enquiries and a message bank full of people to talk to.

It seems there are a stack of buyers out there looking for properties and a few wanting to put their homes on the market.

Someone told me the other day that the prospect of putting their home up for sale was a daunting one...they had been in the house for over 20 years. This really gave me pause for thought my family has been a bit nomadic but we have been in our current home for 7 years this year and as I looked around this morning I thought - I understand that sentiment completely!!

So my household is embarking on a Clear the Clutter Campaign for the next few months - which was exactly what I suggested to my client - take it slowly - and remember the sight of a few boxes already packed in the garage sends a powerful message to prospective buyers that you are serious about selling!

Until next time

Angela

Now this is a Real Tree Change

Ever wanted to live on a mountain and still be within 30 minutes of the CBD?

Wished your kids could walk to school and you could watch them walk home form your front door?

Wanted to wake up to the sound of Bellbirds?

Dreamed of running a funky coffee shop for the passing tourist trade?

Maybe a natural therapies Centre high in the hills?

Then this may be the place for you..........................

Sustainability Declaration - how many questions

Section one of the new Sustainability Declaration is all about the Energy Efficiency of your home:

Questions like how many out of the total number of lights in your home are energy efficient.

Do you have solar power, Gas, air conditioning, pool or spa, what type of hot water system, insulation where and what type, window glazing , roof colour, roof ventilation and ceiling fans.

Section two is aboout Water and has 7 questions:

Is there a rainwater tank and what size?, greywater, water recirculation,shower heads, type of taps,dual flush toilets,garden irrigation.

Section three is about Access:

and has six questions - entry level, steps etc, level access to bathrooms and toilets and living areas, grab rails in bathroom and level entry to shower, toilet grab rails, wide doorways and wide hallways. Very pertinent for an aging population

Section four:

Safety five questions :

Smoke alarm installed (on standard REIQ contract anyway), Electrical safety switch also on standard REIQ contract, Pool fence maintained, Hot water system tempering device installed, Property number clearly visible from street (for emergency services)

The questions are set out simply and are easy to answer and very logical and the type of things we should know about our new homes.

There is also a column on the right that tells you what the savings for various things are.

As I mentioned before there has been some opposition to this form and there are petitions circulating right now to stop or curb it - I think we all need to get on board and support this initiative it takes not too long to complete (yes my husband and I did it for our house - it took about 20 minutes plus a few minutes searching receipts and paper work to confirm a few things and fill in the kilowatt usage from which you calculate your green house gas emissions).

Go to the website and check out the form and then give it a go fill it in and see how your house rates. Then get back here or go to my facebook page and let me know how you did.

If you have joined The Green Streets forums you will have no problem answering these questions.

Until next time

Angela

A Perfect Example ......

This beautiful lowset home may look like many other lovely properties in Samford Valley and that is the thing about sustainable homes they look just like less sustainable ones.

This home has four bedrooms, three living areas and all the modern conveniences but with a water tank installed and hooked up to a tap in the kitchen for drinking water, solar hot water, solar panels for electricity, cardiff air and ducted air conditioning there are some amazing savings to be made.

For example having a water tank installed could save you up to 70000 litres per year or 26% of an average household water consumption.

A solar hot water system can save you up to $346 per year or 26% of an average household consumption. and the solar power panels a whopping saving of $546 per year or 42% of average consumption.

The new sustainability declaration that comes into effect on January 1st will tell what features your prospective new home has in place and the handy information on the form will give you an indication of how much your new home will cost to run.

There are a lot of Real Estate Agents complaining about the Sustainability Declaration - but you'll hear none of that here. Being accountable for the impact our lifestyles have on the planet is something we should all be aware of. There may be some who will do nothing more about it but for some it will be the deciding factor in their next home purchase.

For more information visit the Department of Infrastrcuture and Planning's website http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/ or post your question here in the comments and I will find the answers for you.

Until next time - always here to help

Angela