Michelle Sells Indy

Your West Side Indianapolis Realtor

SELLER TIP: Be Ready to Show! August 15, 2011

Filed under: Sellers — Michelle Morris @ 1:50 pm

Once your house is on the market, you never know when the RIGHT buyer is going to come, so you need to be ready! Your house needs to be in great shape at all times. This is one of the most difficult things about selling your home, but it is essential.

Try to keep your home within 30 minutes of being show-ready. A few tips to keep in mind:

  • Start packing up and moving out, getting rid of clutter means less to clean and pick up. Rent a storage unit if necessary.
  • Look for furniture that doubles as storage bins, like an ottoman that opens up to hide things in.
  • Keep laundry baskets handy so when you get the call for a showing, you can toss a bunch of stuff into the laundry basket, put it in your trunk, and take the mess with you when you leave.

 

 

 

SELLER TIP: Not Everyone is a Pet Lover! August 8, 2011

Filed under: Sellers — Michelle Morris @ 11:44 am
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This is my dog, Memphis

Everyone loves a cute puppy or a sweet little kitty, right? Well, not quite, and you never know how the person coming to look at your home is going to feel about your furry family members, so it is best to erase all traces of your pets during showings.

It would obviously be horrible if your enthusiatic pup jumped up on a potential buyer and scared them away, or if the sight of your cat sent them into a sneezing fit. In this market, you need every advantage in selling your home, so it is important to take away any potential distractions from the beginning.

Get rid of the food bowls, the litter trays, the leashes and bones, pet beds, and treats, and definitely take the pets out of the home when you have a showing if you possibly can. Maybe it would be a great day to get the pets groomed?

 

SELLER AND BUYER TIP: Home Warranties August 4, 2011

Filed under: Buyers,House & Home,Sellers — Michelle Morris @ 10:58 am
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Should I offer a Home Warranty when selling my house? Should I ask for a Home Warranty when making an offer? In my opinion, both of these questions should be answered with a resounding YES!

Let’s start with sellers on this one: With a home warranty, you are protecting yourself in many ways, not only protecting the buyer from additional costs if an appliance breaks something. First of all, usually, you are covered while your home is listed, if you have a home warranty in place. Let’s say you come home and the freezer is dripping because it has stopped working and everything has melted. Eww. Well, with a home warranty, you would pay the $100 deductible and they would come out and fix it. If it can’t be fixed, they will replace it.

Protecting the seller from an unwated repair is just the beginning. Let’s pretend you sell your house and then the electricity in one room just won’t work. The inspector didn’t have a problem, and it worked during the buyer’s final walk-through, but once they move in, nada. The angry buyer contatcs YOU, and wants it fixed now! OR, they contact the home warranty company who arranges to have it fixed. Which do you like better?

Most importantly, it is a fact that homes with warranties sell faster and for more money than homes without warranties. With most buyers asking for them, you might as well just have one in place from the beginning.

OK, Buyers, it’s your turn! For you, a home warranty can help provide peace of mind. Let’s say that the roof is 13 years old, and it is just a normal, average roof. The normal life of the roof is coming to an end, but it is still fine. Getting a home warranty and extra roof coverage will help cover you in case of leaks! If you notice a soggy spot after a rain storm, they will come out and either fix it or replace it for a $100 deductible. Calling the warranty company when you have a plumbing issue, a broken appliance, or need an electrical repair will be much easier than hunting down good contractors, plus, the deductible will be a huge money saver!

A few words of warning! Home warranties will usually NOT cover an item that has been treated badly, so keep your furnace and AC serviced every fall and spring. Warranties will also usually not cover something that was broken from the start. They only cover items that break after the warranty is in place.

If you have questions about the details of the home warranty that Carpenter uses, please feel free to contact me!

 

SELLER TIP: Let the Sunshine in!! August 1, 2011

Filed under: Sellers — Michelle Morris @ 3:57 pm
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Ever notice how songs about sunshine make you feel sooo good? How about “Good Day, Sunshine” by the Beatles? Or “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves? Even “Sunshine Day” by the Brady Bunch?

Nothing can cheer you up faster than a beautiful, sunny day. People LOVE sunlight, so you MUST let it into your home when you are trying to sell! When I ask buyers what they want in a home, they often use words like “bright, airy, lots of light, big windows”. Do you see a trend here? Light can transform a house, so here are some ways to let the sunshine in:

  • Trim bushes around the windows
  • Remove heavy drapes
  • Replace any burnt out light bulbs, or even buy higher wattage bulbs
  • Change your lamp shades to allow more light through
  • Clean the windows
  • Dust lighting fixtures

Don’t forget the outside of the house! Lighting fixtures outside should be seasonally appropriate (no Christmas lights if it isn’t the Holiday season!!) and should be tasteful. Showcase the best features of the outside of the home to help potential buyers see even if they are looking at your home in the evening.

One last tip? DO make sure the house is well lit, but try to keep it balanced and not go overboard! Harsh lighting isn’t flattering, just ask any woman who has tried on a bathing suit under flourescent lights!

 

Do you know where your photos are? April 6, 2011

Filed under: Buyers,Homeowners,House & Home,Real Estate News,Sellers — Michelle Morris @ 2:01 pm
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I just did a quick, informal survery of MIBOR (that’s the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors) and I found something rather disturbing. Yesterday, 139 shiny new listings came onto the market, and 39 of them had NO PHOTOS at all!

How do you expect to sell a home with no photos? I guess sellers need to start asking potential agents if there will be a photo of the house posted when the house is listed, I thought that just went without saying.

 

Another reason that it is so important to chose the right agent! March 29, 2011

Filed under: Buyers,Homeowners,Sellers — Michelle Morris @ 5:35 pm
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Have you ever been so stressed with a co-worker or colleague that you pray you never have to work with/do another project with/see them ever again??? Yeah.

Realtors get stressed too. While I was complaining about an agent who can never seem to return her phone calls or emails, I found myself hoping that I never have to show her listings again. Uh-oh, that’s not very good for her clients is it? On the other hand, if there is an agent who I know will treat me with respect and kindness, I am likely to get a smile on my face when a client says they want to see that house.

It is always more pleasant to work with people you know and like. Nobody wants to do business with someone who they know has a reputation for being difficult. Of course I will show my clients ANY house that they want to see, but there are some names that I dread seeing on that listing sheet.

Make sure that the agent you choose is responsive, kind, and has a good attitude!!

 

Where do I work? EVERYWHERE! March 4, 2011

Filed under: Buyers,Indianapolis,Sellers — Michelle Morris @ 10:47 am
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Approximate service area of Area Code 317 is i...

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I am a big Twitter fan, and the other day I saw a friend of mine mention that he was interviewing Realtors. I was a little taken aback that I hadn’t heard from him to help him find a home, so I spoke up, and he said:  @RealtorMichelle Ayep… looking for a place on the northside, though (otherwise I would have contacted you for sure :)

Woah, woah, woah… back the bus up right there!!! I guess I need to do a better job of making sure that EVERYONE knows that even though I live in Avon, I can still work the entire Metropolitan Indianapolis area. The main difference when I’m working outside of Hendricks County is that I use my GPS a lot more. Actually, this map is a pretty good representation of where I work!

Just for fun, let’s take a look at my stats, here’s where I work:

My 4 Active listings, 1 is in Avon, 1 in Broad Ripple, 1 in Farley, and 1 just off 37 in Perry Twp.

My 4 Pending sales: 2 in Avon, 1 in Zionsville, 1 in Carmel

Of my Closed sales:

  • Noblesville, 2
  • Carmel, 2
  • Brownsburg, 1
  • Avon, 18
  • Plainfield, 3
  • Danville, 1
  • Clayton, 1
  • Indpls/Perry Twp., 2
  • Indpls/Wayne Twp., 4
  • Indpls/Center Twp., 1
  • Mooresville, 1

Not all of my listings sell, so I have Expired listings in: Brownsburg, Avon,  Plainfield, Camby, North Salem, Indpls/Wash. Twp., Indpls/Perry Twp., Indpls/Decatur Twp., and Indpls/Wayne Twp.

Currently working with buyers looking in Beech Grove, Perry Twp, Avon, Plainfield, Mooresville, and Carmel.

So, as you can see, 1) I am not afraid to lay my cards all out on the table and 2) I work almost everywhere in the Indy Metro area. Also, I will cover this in another post, but IF I can not get to you, I can refer you to an agent that is closer to you, no matter where on the PLANET you are, so you should still call me!

 

Want an answer? Call Carpenter! March 2, 2011

Filed under: Buyers,House & Home,Indianapolis,Sellers — Michelle Morris @ 10:03 am
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An American bathroom of a freshly renovated ho...

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Pop quiz, hot shot. You are on a real estate website, and you see a house you have a question about. You want to know if the bathroom that there is no photo of is painted blue. What do you do? WHAT. DO. YOU. DO!!???

Many real estate websites have a way to contact an agent to ask a question, but did you know that 70% (!!) of those questions go completely unanswered!? Many others take a few days to get an answer. Not so with Carpenter.com!

At Carpenter, we actually have a staffed office that takes your internet question, finds the listing agent (if it is a Carp agent) calls them and gets them to answer it! Then, the listing agent can call you back and say, yes, that bathroom is blue, I have a photo on my computer but didn’t post it because… then they can ask if you want to tour the house. Sometimes you do, sometimes you don’t, no big whoop.

Our Client Service Center is open from 8a-8p on weekdays and 8 hours on weekend days. Now that is the type of dedication that gets houses SOLD.

But what if the agent can’t be reached? Oh guess what? We have a cure for that too. We have an Internet Lead Team that can take care of you. If the listing agent can’t be reached or is from another company, your question will go to a member of our Internet Lead Management Team. This is a team of agents who have been trained to follow up with your questions. You know what else? We (Oh, I’m on the team) are required to answer your inquiry WITHIN TWO HOURS or else.

Buyers love this. One time I got a lead and called right away and the lady kinda freaked out. She laughed and said, “Oh wow, I just filled that out about half an hour ago, that’s amazing that you’re actually calling me!”

Why would sellers care about this? What if it is YOUR house that the person is asking a question about? Would you prefer that the question is answered quickly, while the prospect is still excited about the house or would you like us to ignore it? That’s what I thought.

 

Watch what you post! February 10, 2011

Filed under: Buyers,Real Estate News,Sellers — Michelle Morris @ 2:07 pm
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Your FaceBook and Twitter posts can effect your house sale or purchase, so watch what you say!

Imagine the story of a seller who complained all the time on FaceBook about their “moneypit” house. The roof was leaky, the plumbing dripped, the neighbors are awful and was that a termite she saw??? The time soon comes that she has had enough and wants OUT, so she lists it with a Realtor. They finally get an offer and a curious buyer Googles the seller’s name and finds….. deal is off. It could happen.

What about the excited first-time home buyers who want to tell all their friends and family about the house they found. They put a link to the listing on FaceBook so everyone can see the photos, and everyone thinks it is a great deal! The buyer admits that they love it so much that they would pay FULL PRICE if they had to, just to be sure they get it! Guess what, a friend of a friend knows the Realtor and says, “Hey, isn’t this your listing?” Yep, negotiation over, that buyer is paying full price.

You must always remember to be careful what you say, you never know who may hear you! While you’re at it though, you should Follow me on Twitter and Friend me on FaceBook!

 

Awesome Listing Alert!! February 1, 2011

Filed under: Buyers,House & Home,Sellers,Uncategorized — Michelle Morris @ 1:32 pm
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Check out this Carmel mansion! It’s not my listing, but I would be happy to help you buy it! Located on 116th Street in Carmel, IN. This gorgeous home has 5 bedrooms, 5 full baths and 2 half baths.

At just over 9,000 sq feet, and sitting on 28 acres, this home is truly amazing. It has 3 fireplaces, an inground pool, and an amazing location! Where else can you enjoy over 25 acres of serenity to roam, yet still be only 1 mile from US31? The entire first floor underwent extensive remodeling at a cost of over $300,000. A screened porch overlooks the gorgeous gunite pool, so you can watch the family splash and play. I can just imagine taking a great book and a cup of tea to sit by the fountain and goldfish pond. There are several outbuildings, including a barn that is over 100 years old on the property. The grounds also include a tennis court, slate patios and those amazing views!

Click here for more details
 
 
 

 
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