I would love for you all to read my Biography!! What do you think?
The writers in the Heritage Texas Properties advertising department have sure made me sound good! Now to go live up to some expectations…
Sunday Open Houses April 28, 2013
Today I’m going to go visit as many open houses as possible here in my new market area. One of the very best ways to get to know the market is to get into as many of the homes as I possibly can, so that’s my plan.
One of my biggest challenges to relocating my career to Houston will be learning the market area. Not very much changes about negotiating for my clients, using the MLS, marketing homes, filling out contracts, and most aspects of being a Realtor. However, the area is different and I need to learn it.
Luckily, there are a lot of open houses in the area for me to tour. Agents like to do open houses because they can get themselves out there and meet new people. Sometimes open houses turn into “job interviews” for new clients.
Sellers (should) like open houses on their properties because a buyer might fall in love with the home, or someone who walks through might tell a friend who could end up buying.
Buyers use open houses to tour homes quickly, narrow down their choices, and learn the different neighborhoods.
Of course you will always have people who just enjoy looking at houses or getting decorating ideas. I know that some buyers don’t like that, but exposing the home to as many people as possible is essential to getting it sold.
One of the most important things for sellers is to remember that they need to guard their valuables. Put things away or take them with you during open houses (and showings). During an open house, my top priority will always be my own safety.
THANK YOU!! April 11, 2013
I am in the process of tweaking my blog to fit my new real estate career in the Houston area. Please pardon me while I am under construction and ignore the dust and debris. I will “hide” my blog for a short time while I remodel, and relaunch sparkling clean and ready to serve the Houston area.
BY THE WAY…. in the process of cleaning things up, I found that I have 2,847 followers, and I was shocked by that news! A very huge and humble THANK YOU to each and every one of you beautiful people who took the time to follow my blog.
See you again soon,
Michelle
So what about your Real Estate Career?? January 1, 2013
As news of my relocation to Houston spreads, I’ve been asked a lot about what will happen with my real estate career. And what about the clients I am leaving behind here in Indy? Hopefully this post will help answer some questions, but feel free to ask if I’m missing anything!
What about your current listings? I currently have 3 homes listed for sale. Hopfully they will sell before I have to move, I will continue marketing them until the very last second. When it is time for me to go, my listings will be transferred to someone else in my office who is an established, hard working agent, and I will monitor their progress from Texas.
Does that mean that you can’t list my house right now? No! Not at all, I would love to list your house and try my very best to get it sold before I have to leave. As mentioned above, I will transfer the listing to another agent in my office if it isn’t sold before I go.
I wanted to list my house with you, eventually, but I’m not ready yet! Please allow me to refer you to a great agent in Indy when you are ready, I know all the best ones to work with!
What about your buyers? I am working with a few buyers who are in the process of finding the right home. Again, I believe that we can get them into a home before I have to go, but if not, I may have to ask a colleague to attend the closing or help me finish up the transaction. If you are interested in buying, but not right NOW, then please allow me to refer you to a great agent when the time comes.
Will you continue your real estate career in Houston? Without a doubt! I love my job so much that I can’t imagine doing anything else. Even when things get frustrating, or a challenge seems too tough to overcome, I find this job extremely rewarding. I will have to start over with real estate classes because Texas is not a reciprocal state, but I know it will be worth it. I will find a company there to work with, and will be rolling again once I get my bearings.
Dear Indianapolis, I Love You. December 10, 2012
There is so much to love about Indy that I barely know where to start if I want to list out my favorite things about the city. It’s just-right size, affordability, friendliness, the way I can see the downtown skyline from here in Avon, the quick and easy ride to get downtown, the wonderful people I have met, the zoo, Carpenter Realtors, Colts pride, the Children’s Museum, the canal… but this is not a post about how much I love you.
This is a Goodbye.
This is the very definition of a bittersweet moment. My husband has been offered a great new job (YAY!) in Houston. That, unfortunately, means that I have to leave the city that I fell in love with. I have to relocate my family and my business to Houston, and I’m excited, but also nervous.
I won’t be leaving right away, you aren’t quite done with me yet. I have to get my house sold first, and in the meantime I’m also going to sell as many other houses as I possibly can.
This was much different when we were being relocated from Alabama to Indy in 2005, I was coming home to Indiana. I was leaving a place that I hadn’t really connected with. But now… well, now I’m leaving you, Indy. And I really do love you.
So cheers to you, Indianapolis, I will be living it up here as much as possible while I can. I’ll be gathering some great memories, packing up some Colts gear, and getting in as many visits as I can to my favorite spots. I hope to someday be back, and I will DEFINITELY be keeping in touch.
Open and Honest Communication November 28, 2012
You expect your agent to always be open and honest with you. You don’t want them to lie about how much they could sell your home for, just to get the listing. You wouldn’t want someone who was unethical to represent you. You would never want your agent to show you houses that they knew you could never afford to buy.
Your relationship with your real estate is a partnership. It might feel like you are giving up some of the control to have someone negotiate on your behalf, but it really is in your best interest. In fact, everything I do is in your best interest, it’s what I do. It is even required by my Code of Ethics and specifically outlined in the Agency Policy that I explain to you at the beginning of the partnership. If you are honest and open with me about your goals, it is much easier for me to get you what YOU want!
How do I help you figure out what your goals really are? When we first meet, I like to go through 3 or 4 important questions with you.
Where are you now?
- Where do you live now?
- What do you like about it, what attracted you to the home?
- What do you want to change?
- Are you committed to a lease?
- What are your mortgage payments like?
- How much do you owe?
Where do you WANT to be?
- What are you looking for in your dream house?
- Where do you want it to be?
- How long have you been looking at homes?
- Are you considering a new build?
- Have you been working with a Realtor?
How will we get you from where you ARE to where you WANT TO BE?
- Are you pre-approved for a mortgage or would you like me to refer you to someone I trust?
- How much are homes like your selling for?
- What marketing strategies will be best for your home?
- What price range do you want to be in?
- Do you need help with closing costs?
- When would you like to move?
- Do you need referrals for painters, movers, insurance, or anything else house related?
I can help you get from Point A to Point B on your terms, as long as you let me know what those terms are. I am your partner, not your adversary, it is my job to get you what you want. I strive to do so in such a manner that you will want to tell all of your friends and family about me as well. The more open you can be about what you want, the more likely it is that you will get it!!
2012 Tax Assessments are Out! October 3, 2012
Tax (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)
Many people received a new tax assessment in last week’s mail. Some homes have gone up in “assessed value” and some have gone down. My own home went from an assessed value of $144,200 down to a new assessment value of $124,500.
Does this mean that I can only sell my home for $124,500 now? NO. Your assessed value is not the same as your home’s fair market value. It is closer now, but still not quite on the money. The only way to get a true picture of the value of your home is to do a Comparative Market Analysis.
Where does the Assessor come up with these numbers? Well, some people feel that there really is no rhyme or reason to a tax assessment. I’m sure the professional assessors would say otherwise. They have access to sales prices of homes so they use those numbers to try to come up with a reasonable value for your home. By nature, tax assessments are lagging. They will never be right on point, because the market changes every day. As sales prices go up and down, so will the assessments.
Here are some things to think about:
- If your home’s value went down, YAY, you will now have lower taxes. When your lender gets the new bill, your monthly mortgage payments will most likely go down a little.
- Sales over the past few years have been rather slow, although we are now seeing improvements. Assessments are catching up to those lower sales numbers just as they are changing.
- You CAN appeal the number if you think it is too high, although nobody really ever appeals a number they think is too low. It would be like telling the County, “Oh please let me pay more taxes!”
- Generally, your assessed value is LESS than your market value.
Overall, it is most important to remember that the only way to get a TRUE market value for your home is to compare it to the homes around you that have sold within that past 6 months. A Comparative Market Analysis will show you exactly what those homes have that caused them to sell for a certain price, and then we can see how your home stacks up. Of course, I can do that for you for FREE.
Please visit this page to get more informaion about what YOUR home is worth: http://callmichellemorris.com/what-is-my-home-worth/
