How'd It Go? A First Time Home buyer Shares Her Thoughts

I recently had the pleasure of helping a first time home buyer purchase her first home. After the transaction concluded I asked her if she wouldn't mind answering a few questions about her experience. She agreed to allow me to share her answers with you. I hope that her insight will give you a glimpse of the home buying experience from the buyers perspective. I asked her 5 questions that would allow her to give concise answers and provide some insight and perspective of the transaction.

Here are the questions I asked her:

1. What was the easiest part of the home buying process?
2. What was the hardest part of the home buying process?
3. What could did your agent do to help you?
4. What did you wish your agent do differently?
5. How does it feel to be a new home owner?

These were her responses:

1. The easiest part of the home buying process was being able to communicate with you as my agent.
2. The hardest part of the home buying process was looking for a home & deciding whether or not to put an offer.
3. If anything for first time buyers just making them more aware of what to expect during the home buying process as a whole.
4. Nothing honestly, you were very helpful at all times and always available.
5. It feels amazing, knowing you have made an investment and having your own place now!

I would like to highlight a view points that Rosa made. She pointed out that a few things that were important to her. She values communication, availability, and information from her agent. These three aspects of a real estate agent’s job may seem like common sense, but they can sometimes get lost in all of the paperwork, negotiations, and appointments involved in a real estate transaction. It was an important reminder to me of what clients truly value. In the end a real estate transaction is about helping a person achieve a goal….not just getting the best deal or making the most money!

I would like to thank Rosa for being kind enough to share her thoughts we me and all of you!

My Customer Service Philosophy

My Mission

“There is a spiritual aspect to our lives … when we give we receive, when a business does something good for somebody, that somebody feels good about them.”

- Ben Cohen

I am a real estate agent. A businessperson. But my business philosophy isn’t “SELL as many houses as you can”.  Instead, my philosophy is “HELP as many people as you can”. Some may consider this idea to be a customer service philosophy, rather than a business philosophy. However, to me helping people is my business.

Everyday I endeavor to seek out and assist people in my community who want to buy a home for themselves and/or their families. Everyday, I hope to make a positive impact in their lives. Everyday, I give my all to making the, sometimes daunting, process of home buying easier and less intimidating.

Henderson Nevada, A Great Place To Live and I Can Prove It!!

Henderson Nevada, One of the 50 Best Cities to Live in!

A recent study names Henderson Nevada to its list of top cities in the U.S.

For those of us that call Henderson Nevada home, we are aware that we live in a great city. But for the sake of everyone else, I’d like to share the findings of a recent study that has named Henderson to the list of America's 50 Best Cities to Live. Henderson was the only city to Nevada to make the list, ranking 27th on the list.

The study was undertaken by 24/7 Wall St., LLC a Delaware corporation set up to run a financial news and opinion operation with content delivered over the Internet.

The cities that make up the list have populations of 65,000 or more and were selected based on wide range of variables including housing affordability, educational attainment, employment growth, and crime rates. Within each category, specific data points contributed to category ranking. For example, the economy category included median household income, cost of living, employment growth between 2011 and 2013, and the 2013 unemployment rate. They then used a formula to weight each category and convert each category rank to a meta rank ranging from 0-100. Crime, economy, education, and housing received full weights, while environment, leisure, and infrastructure received half weights.

How Henderson stacked up.

First the raw numbers:

> Median household income: $61,404

> Unemployment rate, 2013: 9.40%

> Median home value: $186,500

> Violent crime per 100,000 residents: 168.9

> Average commuter travel time: 22.9 minutes

Now, 24/7’s meta rankings and:

Economy 82 (32nd)

Crime 92.5 (20th)

Education 91 (7th)

Housing 72.7 (39th)

Enviroment 69.8 (43rd)

Leisure 60.8 (20th)

Infrastructure 45.8 (21st)

So, if already live in Henderson, you can feel a sense of pride in knowing that you live in an awesome city. If you don’t live in Henderson…..I can recommend a GREAT real estate agent to help you make the move!

Read more: America’s 50 Best Cities to Live - 24/7 Wall St.

4 Myths About Real Estate I Wish Were True

Here are 4 Myths about Realtors That I (and my wife) Wish Were True!

Since becoming a Realtor, I have heard these statements uttered by several people. Below is my attempt to set the record straight!

Realtors are paid the entire commission.

The truth is, for most agents, they are splitting the commission with their broker. That split could be as much as 50/50. **In case my broker is reading this, I believe this split is completely fair, reasonable, and I wouldn’t have it any other way!**

Realtors get paid to drive clients around or show property.

For the most part, Realtors only make money when a transaction is closed and funded. An agent can take a client all the through way the process and if the deal falls apart, the agent doesn’t get paid.

All Realtors are rich.

While real estate can provide a good income, it has been said that 20 percent of the agents do 80 percent of the business. The commision that is paid to the agent,even after the broker split, can be substantial. However real estate is a very expensive business to be in. There are dues and fees paid to associations, advertising, gas, signs, websites, professional photography, health insurance, etc. Pretty much anything real estate related comes out of the agent’s pocket. Most are lucky to walk away with 1 percent of a transaction.

Real Estate is an “easy” job.

Real Estate can be a challenge. It is more than just driving around and looking at million dollar houses. It is constant marketing, prospecting, and handling complex transactions. Agents put in a lot of time and effort with no guarantee of a pay day.

To answer a common follow up myth, real estate in NOT a part time job.  Agents are constantly answering calls, emails and texts. Nights, weekends and holidays included.

Agents work with people on the biggest financial transactions of their lives. It’s emotional, complicated, and can be very stressful.

That said, I wouldn’t have it any other way! I love the challenges that go into the job. It is far from easy, but if done properly, can be enjoyable and rewarding.

Container Park A Fun Departure From The Strip

Whether you are sick of losing at the slot machines or just need a break, consider stopping by Downtown Container Park for a reprieve.  

When you think about Las Vegas, you probably think about this....

or this....

or even this…….

But the city has more to offer than just neon, gambling, and Elvis impersonators. I want to talk about one of my favorite places to go in the city, Container Park.

Container park is one of the few interesting, fun, family friendly places to go to in Vegas.The park offers a fun, modern, and stylish departure from the Las Vegas strip. It is located downtown at 707 Fremont Street. Not far from the Freemont Street Experience.

I love the concept; the shops, restaurants, and even bathrooms are made out of brightly colored, repurposed shipping containers. It creates an interesting visual and immediately struck me as “pretty cool”.

At the entrance you are greeted by an enormous fire emitting mantus. Every night they hold a ceremony in which children are asked to play drums and bongos to “wake the mantis up”.

In the center of the park there is a large playground for the children to play on.

There is a stage where the park hosts musicians to entertain the visitors.

In addition to being a cool place to look at and play in, the park has some really cool shops and yummy places to eat. I can personally speak to the quality of the Big Earns BBQ as well as Cheffini’s Hot Dogs. Pretty tasty! They park is still adding new shops and restaurants, see their website for a full list: http://downtowncontainerpark.com/

Don't Go It Alone! Take A Realtor® With You!

Why should you choose a  Realtor® to represent you? Here is why……...

Buying a house is, for most people, the most important financial transaction they will ever make. There are loads of important choices that go into that most important decision. A few of these choices are obvious, location, size of home, design options, financing, the list goes on and on. But one of the most important choices any homeowner will make, is selecting someone to represent them. Choosing a Realtor® as your representative is, in my perhaps biased opinion, is the best way to ensure you get the best person on your side. There are many reasons why any homebuyer or seller should select a Realtor®, here is a list of 6.

1. Fiduciary responsibility. When you work with a Realtor®, their fiduciary responsibility is to you. That means you have an expert who is looking out for your best financial interests, an expert who’s contractually bound to do everything in their power to protect you. That’s big — the value of that commitment cannot be overstated. “For more than 100 years, Realtors® have subscribed to the NAR’s strict Code of Ethics as a condition of membership,” says National Association of Realtors® President Gary Thomas. “Realtors® have the expertise and experience to help sellers protect their investment and help buyers build theirs.”

2. Complex, ever-changing real estate regulations. Buying or selling a home is not like purchasing a plane ticket. Every home is different, and laws change every year and vary from state to state. Generally speaking, people purchase a new home every 7-10 years, and a lot can — and usually does — change between transactions. Realtors® are immersed in real estate, and they must stay current with all the updates in regulations, laws, contracts and practices. Once you retain your Realtor®, they put that knowledge to work for you.

3. Help finding the right home, beyond square footage and baths. Browsing online is a terrific way to start a home search — in fact, almost 90 percent of people start their home search online.1 But when it’s time to buy, knowing all the pros and cons of a property can help you make the right decision. Realtors® live and breathe real estate, and they can share information about a home that you wouldn’t otherwise know. For example, they can tell you about the perils of polybutylene piping (a plumbing material that’s prone to bursting), or the concerns with FRT plywood (a roofing material that can spontaneously combust in higher temperatures, like those in attics). Your Realtor® can go beyond the aesthetics and tell you important details about homes you’re considering.

4. Pricing and selling a home. There are lots of sites where you can view price estimates for your home before you list it for sale, but you take a risk using them. In some markets online estimates can be off by as much as 35 percent, and they often rely on tax records and data that can be as old as 6-12 months. Realtors® know the local market, have access to the freshest sale data, and can price your house in line with the market to maximize your earnings. In 2012, sellers using an agent got $40,100 more: The median sale price for the 88 percent of sellers who worked with an agent was $215,000, versus a median sale price of $174,900 for the 9 percent of sellers who didn’t use an agent.

5. Contracts and negotiations. Finding the right home is the fun part. Then the real work begins.: Today’s contracts can be 50 pages long — not counting addendums and riders. Realtors® can help you navigate these complex documents and craft an attractive offer that makes sense for you. Plus, when it comes to negotiation, your Realtor® is your advocate and can bring an objective voice to a very subjective situation.

6. Following a code of ethics. When you work with a Realtor®, you’re partnering with a professional who operates according to a strict code of ethics. In place for over 100 years, the Realtor® Code of Ethics ensures that consumers who work with a Realtor® are treated professionally and ethically in all transaction-related matters.

For more information follow this link to the original article on realtor.com: http://www.realtor.com/advice/why-use-a-realtor-6-important-reasons/

Before You Remodel Read This!

Thinking about remodeling your home? Before you do, find out which remodels add the most value to your home!

If you are looking for the top ten mid range remodeling projects ranked by the percentage of dollars returned, then you are in luck! I’ve just happened to compile a list from Remodeling magazine’s 2014 Cost vs. Value Report and have listed them below:

1. Entry Door Replacement (steel)

Job Cost: $1,162                                      

Resale Value: $1,122                                          

Cost Recouped: 96.6%

2. Deck Addition (wood)

Job Cost: $9,539

Resale Value: $8,334

Cost Recouped: 87.4%

3. Attic Bedroom

Job Cost: $49,438

Resale Value: $41,656

Cost Recouped: 84.3%

4. Garage Door Replacement

Job Cost: $1,534

Resale Value: $1,283

Cost Recouped: 83.7%

5. Minor Kitchen Remodel

Job Cost: $18,856

Resale Value: $15,585

Cost Recouped: 82.7%

6. Window Replacement (wood)

Job Cost: $10,926

Resale Value: $8,662

Cost Recouped: 79.3%

7. Window Replacement (vinyl)

Job Cost: $9,978

Resale Value: $7,857

Cost Recouped: 78.7%

8. Siding Replacement (vinyl)

Job Cost: $11,475

Resale Value: $8,975

Cost Recouped: 78.2%

9. Basement Remodel Job Cost: $62,834 Resale Value: $48,777 Cost Recouped: 77.6% 10. Deck Addition (composite) Job Cost: $15,437 Resale Value: $11,476 Cost Recouped: 74.3% Remodeling Magazine's 2014 Cost vs. Value Report, Copyright 2014 by Hanley Wood, LLC. Republication or re-dissemination of the Report is expressly prohibited without written permission of Hanley Wood LLC. "Cost vs. Value" is a registered trademark of Hanley Wood, LLC.