Superior Knowledge Gives You the Edge

Choosing a REALTOR® to represent you in the sale of your home can be a mighty important decision. You might ask, "Is there a checklist available to help me compare REALTORS and make my choice easier?" Or "What traits do I look for in a person who will assist me in the sale of my most valuable possession?"

There is a long string of adjectives that could help you. A few of them might be enthusiasm, dedication, commitment, honesty, professionalism, hard-working, educated, experienced, etc. Each of these describes a part of the personality you may be seeking as your representative.

Because your home will be one of many available for sale, especially now in a developing buyers' market, you know that you need an edge, some extra factor, that makes your home stand out among the many.

There's one characteristic that can be that extra factor, that edge you need – superior knowledge, with the accent on SUPERIOR. If you want your home to be seen as superior to others with which it is competing, choose a representative who clearly has superior knowledge.

How do you identify that extra base of knowledge that can be the deciding factor for you? Look for an agent with detailed and accurate knowledge of local market conditions, someone who is aware of specific factors in your neighborhood which may affect an early sale, an agent with specialized awareness of buying habits and new and innovative financing methods and programs.

Look for superior knowledge in your REALTOR – the payoff is worth it.

Real Estate's Triple Bypass Surgery

There's a new kind of "medical procedure" being talked about in the real estate industry on the North Shore. It is being performed on sellers (patients) by buyers (doctors) and it is known as a Triple-A Bypass or "Arrogant Attitude Adjustment".

What are the symptoms that make buyers enforce this painful procedure?

1. Thinking that prices are continuing to rise. (Have you read a newspaper in the last year and a half?). An unrealistic seller is also a seller whose house does not move.

2. Refusing to negotiate reasonably with ready, willing, and able buyers. In this market there is no such thing as a "bad" offer, only an offer that needs to be negotiated and worked with.

3. Putting a home on the market when there is no real need to sell. This is called "testing" the market, and usually leads to disappointed and disgruntled would-be sellers.

4. Refusing to lower prices in the declining market, or lowering too slowly or not enough, otherwise known as "chasing" the market down. Most people only sell a few houses in a lifetime; real estate professionals do it every day. Listen to your pro.

5. Blaming everyone, but most often the Realtor®, when over-priced properties languish on the market. Reread #4.

There are other signs of needing the procedure, but you get the picture.

The bottom line is that in the Bay State and elsewhere, homeowners have had a long and very profitable run of appreciation - approximately 10 years. Now, however, the buyers are holding the good cards.

As painful and serious a procedure as a Triple-A Bypass may be, it's a necessary one if a seller is serious about selling. Homes continue to sell in our area at a fair pace, but they are most often those that are priced right on day one, or have owners that do not need "surgery."

Community Support Sells Houses

Have you ever noticed what happens when members of your community suddenly find themselves in need? Perhaps illness strikes, or fire. The call goes out from friends and family, and soon help arrives in the form of comfort, or nourishment, or many hands willing to help rebuild.

In real estate there is also such a community. When you decide to sell your home, the agent you have chosen takes action to mobilize the entire real estate community to bring buyers for your home.

Naturally, your agent is also working individually to find a buyer for your home. But, at the same time, the agent realizes that other active agents also have ready, willing, and able buyers. It is critical to the sale of your home that ALL potential purchasers be exposed to the home during their decision-making process. Obviously, the more buyers who see your home, the higher the chances of an early sale.

When selecting your agent, consider these questions:

• Is the agent known and respected in the real estate community?
• What will the agent do to catch the interest and muster the support of this community in the sale of your home?

To insure the sales support of the entire real estate community, ask your agent these questions. Peace-of-mind for you and your family will be the valuable benefit.

The North Shore real estate community is one of the best in the country. I'll help put them to work for you.

Welcome! . . . to this beautiful and historic corner of the U.S. – the North Shore of Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts North Shore is a unique area, one that we who live here treasure and those who visit thrill to discover. Historically, culturally and recreationally, the North Shore is like no place else.

Each time you visit this blog you'll find news you can use about real estate in this area. There will be articles to help you choose a real estate agent, information about pricing your home for sale, ideas on getting ready for the big move, and much more. Now and then you might find a bit about me and my interests as well as happenings in this part of New England .

Feel free come back often, and when you do stop by, leave a note. Let me know what you’re thinking and feel free to ask questions and make suggestions. I enjoy sharing information about my part of the Bay State, but it will be even more rewarding if we get a conversation going.

Welcome to North Shore Living.