Why a Real Estate Agent is Advantageous for New Construction

If you are buying a new construction home, you may want to consider getting an agent on your side. Today I will explain why.

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Today I want to talk about why working with an agent is advantageous for you when buying new construction and how we can help you through the new construction buying process.

Buying a new home is a lot like buying from a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) listing—if you were buying from a very savvy, shark-like homeowner. You are actually buying from an investor who is trying to sell you the home while still keeping their own best interests in mind. This is why I would like to go over a few quick points that you need to think about when buying a new home, with emphasis on why you want to get your real estate agent involved.

1. We advocate for you when you buy a new home. The Anderson Group will look out for your interests while the builder is not. The builder wants to sell the house for the price that they chose which is why they don’t want to negotiate at all.
2. We provide you advice on location. A builder may not want to sell you a certain lot until he has sold others in less optimal locations. We can negotiate to get you a better location for maximum value.
3. We give you advice on lender selection. Most builders will encourage you to work with a lender with whom they have negotiated a business arrangement, telling you it’ll save you money, but this may not be true. It is our job as your Realtor to negotiate a better financing option for you.

As your agents, we do your bi-weekly walkthroughs to see the progress and hold the builders accountable.

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4. We negotiate so you don’t overpay. Suppose the new neighborhood is brand-new and they’ve put a huge markup of $50,000 on the listing because it’s located in a prime area—this is always negotiable.
5. We do bi-weekly walkthroughs. Once you get a property under contract, it pays for you to show up every other week to see the progress—builders are infamous for letting things drag past the projected closing. As your agents, we’ll do your bi-weekly walkthroughs to see the progress and hold them accountable.
6. We help you set a budget for the design center. New builds are only selling a base model with the base products. Builders would love for you to upgrade everything. If you work with us, we can act as your advocate to look at the builder’s upgrades and choose the right options for you when it comes to flooring, appliances, or bathroom upgrades.
7. We give you advice on resale value. Will the deck or the bonus room be better than the finished basement? The Anderson Group can help you decide which upgrades to add that will help you get a maximal return.
8. We keep track of all your costs. The $500,000 base price of your house may end up being $600,000 or $700,000 if you don’t reign it in and stop overspending.

Buying a new build is very exciting and your emotions can get the best of you. This is why we are here to help advise you all the way to closing. We will even help after with the inspection to help you insure your warranty.

If you have any additional questions about this or if you are interested in buying or selling, please feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

Tips for Getting Your Children Excited About Your Upcoming Move

Moving can certainly be a stressful time, especially for your children. Here are some tips for getting your kids excited, rather than angry or unenthused, about the move.

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I recently had the opportunity to work with two homeowners who wanted to sell their home in our neighborhood. They have several kids each, which was no small aspect of the process. Today I want to discuss how you can prepare your children for a move, whether you’re buying or selling.

Involving kids under the age of 18 with a move can be a challenge for any parent. Getting a child ready to move means, often, uprooting them from their school, their friends, and everything else they’ve grown accustomed to as long as you’ve lived in that house.

My first recommendation is to get the kids involved as soon as possible so that they feel a part of the process. This could mean asking them to stage the house or sorting through their things to donate any unused items. Passing unwanted things down to other kids who might enjoy them should make your children feel good.

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Get the kids involved as soon as possible so that they feel a part of the process.

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Second, get them excited about the next house. Discuss the layout of the new neighborhood, or better yet, drive them to it so they can see with their own eyes. Help them get to know the new school they’ll be attending and the fun areas around that they’ll be able to enjoy. It’s so important for a child to be able to visualize their lives after the change of houses, so doing these things will help them understand just how great the next step of the journey can be.

Finally, ask them what they want their bedroom to look like. Bring them to your new home and let them start making plans for how they want to arrange their new space. Give them options for colors, furniture, and so on so that the move can be a fun, memorable event with lots of good things to look forward to.

If you’re moving soon and have questions about how it will impact your children, feel free to reach out to me. I have plenty of stories and ideas to give you that should help make your move a great transition for everyone.

Don’t Make These 3 Costly Mistakes When Listing Your Home

If you want to sell your home quickly and for top dollar, price it right, advertise it right, and make it presentable.

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There are three costly mistakes some homeowners tend to make when listing their home that you should avoid:

1. Overpricing. When you ask too much for a house, it usually sits on the market because nobody will pay for something they don’t see the value in. I typically price houses right at or just below their market value. Think of it this way—if I’m fishing and I put the right bait in the water, I’ll get a lot of fish to bite. If I put old, dried-out bait in the water, I won’t get any bites. It’s the same with pricing a home—if you list it at a price that’s very attractive to a lot of people, you’ll attract a lot of offers for it and potentially sell it above its market value.

2. Not advertising the home enough. If you don’t advertise your home enough, you won’t get any fish on the line either. Putting a sign out is one way to go, but in our digital age, you can do so much more. That’s what we specialize in—we can get a listing on to thousands of different websites, including Zillow, Trulia, and Redfin. We pay money to be on those sights so we can advertise your home to as many people as possible. We also shoot many different types of video and photography for our homes.

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If you don’t advertise your home enough, you won’t get any fish on the line either.

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3. Not making the house presentable. If buyers step into your house and it’s not presentable or it doesn’t live up to its portrayed value, its value will drop. To continue with my fishing analogy, not making your house presentable will cause fish to steer clear of it.

From the time a buyer sees your home’s price to when they see its advertising to the moment they step inside its doors, all three of these factors need to be consistent. If you price your home right, advertise it right, and present it right, you’ll sell quickly and for top dollar.

If you have any other questions about selling your home or you have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

Big House, Small Yard vs. Small House, Big Yard

When you are buying a home, there are two general combinations that each provide different benefits to you, the buyer—would you rather have a big house and a small yard, or a small house with a big yard?

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Should you buy a big house with a smaller yard or a smaller house with a big yard? Today I will discuss the pros and cons of each scenario.

Big House/Small Yard:

With this combination, you’ll have a lot of entertainment space inside. Additionally, large families tend to buy larger homes, since they’ll inevitably have more bedrooms. Other options include an in-home theater, a library, a game room, a rooftop deck, or a multi-car garage.

The cons of this arrangement must be considered as well. With a larger house, you will undoubtedly have a larger utility bill, as well as more to clean. And, of course, you will not have much space in your yard.

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Think through whether you and your family will benefit from more inside space or more outside space.

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Small House/Big Yard:

If you are an outdoor person, this is a great combination. You have a lot of area to walk, think, entertain, and add certain features, like a pool, clubhouse, greenhouse, or a guest house. What is more is that all that outside space lends you quite a bit of privacy. You will not have as much to clean, and likely the utility cost will be lower.

There are drawbacks here as well. Naturally, this combo will require a large amount of landscaping to maintain—sprinklers, fences, trimming, mulching, and so on—but perhaps that is something you enjoy doing. On the inside, you will have less to maintain, but also less room to spread out or entertain with.

When you are thinking about purchasing a home, think through these pros and cons; decide whether you and your family will benefit from more inside space or more outside space. Also consider the neighborhood you would like to live in, as that will affect what is available to you.

The Anderson Group is good at helping you find the best fit for you and your family, so if you need any help finding a home to suit your needs, please reach out to us. We are here to make your life better because of real estate.