Atlanta Condos For Sale

5 Organizing Mistakes You Could be Making

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Organizing tipsMost of us wish to keep our homes organized. That’s a piece of cake. Yet many individuals have a hard time to maintain their home this way. This is due to the fact that there are some typical actions that can be making it tough for you to remain organized. Here are 5 Organizing Mistakes You Could be Making! 

Not Arranging by Feature

Lots of individuals like to sort by shade or group things by their physical similarities. Nevertheless, this could really be making areas such as your closets even a bigger mess. If every one of your shirts are organized by color yet you use specific t-shirts during the week and also other ones on the weekend, this will create you to have to sift with every t shirt you have to find one that is work-appropriate or laid-back enough for the weekend break.

Rather, group things by feature. Maintain all your shoes and also garments organized in a way that makes good sense for your lifestyle and also you will have a better chance of staying arranged.

Organizing Things You Do Not Need

Before you organize your kitchen area or bathroom, sort out what you have and ask yourself if each thing is still essential. For instance, if you are reorganizing cabinets in the kitchen, take every item out of the cabinet and also lay it out before you. Examine each thing and also choose if you must keep it, toss it or give it away!

Now, you only need to organize the products you have left. Organizing items you do not use is a waste of time and will just add to the clutter you are trying to get rid of.

Purchasing Too Many Storage Space Containers

Do you acquire boxes and also baskets with every purpose of getting organized by using them, but they wind up sitting in the garage or your storage unit with a wide variety of unassociated things? Before you invest in storage containers, eliminate anything you don’t really need or use anymore. After that, decide how many and what kind of containers you need, on a list. This way, you buy the right containers for the things you are keeping.

Using Bookshelves as a Storage Unit

It’s easy to transform your shelves into a disposing ground for knick-knacks and also various items you do not have a place for. Actually, the bookshelf should have a really thoughtful design of carefully curated products. Bookshelves are open and also become an eyesore when they’re jammed.

Also the books you display on your bookshelf ought to be the best of the best! Those paperbacks you need to keep…they go in one of those containers.

Furniture Overload

If you stay in a condo or a smaller house, make sure you have the right furnishings for the space you have to work with. For example, just because houses commonly have a formal dining room doesn’t mean you HAVE to have a dining room table. This could make a great home office or theater room! imply you have to. If you condo has a breakfast bar, and you don’t entertain much, consider not having ANY dining table. It just depends on your space and your lifestyle. Save room for that special piece that came from family or as some other meaning to you!

Looking for even more methods to maintain your residence clutter-free… especially if you are thinking about selling … Give us a call today! We are happy to help you with this process, or give you some resources!

Your Moving Check List

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Moving Check ListAwesome! We have your home Under Contract, and moving day is just around the corner! SHREEK!!!!! You need a Moving Check List to get it all in order!

What do I do with all this stuff? How are we going to move it all? Change of address cards? ALL of these things come into play, and quite frankly, it can be a bit overwhelming! I’ve moved some 17 times in my life, and 5 of those were corporate relocations, and the rest were “do-it-yourself” moves, be they between apartments or even cities. And while I have not moved in many years, I can still remember the stress like it happened yesterday. 

Your Moving Check List

It’s a big deal selling your home, and it’s no small matter to prepare to move. At Palmer House Properties and MyMidtownMojo, we know that moving takes time and energy, but there are ways to make it go as smoothly as possible. Here are some tips as you anticipate and prepare for your move. Keep in mind, if you are doing a corporate relocation, the actual packing may not be a worry as the moving company will do that for you! I know what that is like…and it’s sweet!

 

30 to 15 Days Before Moving

  • Sell or give anything away you won’t move. Maybe plan a garage sale, or donate items to charity.
  • Call several movers for estimates.
  • Consider insurance on movables.
  • Gather and store dental, medical and pet’s veterinary records.
  • Start alerting friends and companies that mail to you.
  • Contact children’s school and have transcripts forwarded to new school.
  • Go online and complete a change of address with the USPS.
  • For tax purposes (if you qualify for moving deductions), keep a record of all moving expenses and keep receipts of any items you donate to charity.
  • Arrange for disconnection of utilities and re-connection at new location.

 

Your Moving Check List14 Days Before Moving

  • Pack one room at a time and label all boxes as to what’s in them and the room in your new house they should go to. Label furniture as to the room it should go to. (Unless you are doing a corporate move or have hired a moving company. And if you are paying movers, you may have to pack, and they just load and unload, so this timetable could be changed!)
  • Make sure you return items you’ve borrowed from library and friends.
  • Resign memberships to clubs.
  • Arrange the cancellation of newspaper and other home deliveries.
  • Ask bank to release safe deposit box and transfer account to new bank.
  • Arrange for cash, traveler’s checks, or certified checks. (Movers usually require cash or certified check.)
  • Drain gas from your lawn mower, and properly dispose of flammable items and other materials that should not be put in the trash.
  • Arrange to have your phone disconnected.
  • Transfer your homeowners insurance so you will be covered at your new home.

Day Before Moving

  • Pack a suitcase you can live out of, if necessary, for the first few days at your new home.
  • Empty and defrost refrigerator and freezer and let them air dry for a day. Deodorize large appliances with baking soda or coffee.
  • Remember to leave the keys (and remote controls, such as for the garage) to your old property with your real estate agent.
  • Label your most important boxes, so you know what to open first.

Moving Day

  • Make sure mover is properly informed of your new address.
  • Make sure you have payment ready before van is unloaded at new address.
  • Confirm arrival date and time.
  • Before you leave, check every room, closets and the attic a final time.
  • Check locks on doors and windows.

Hopefully this list will help you get through all the details and stress of moving! Please know, we are here to help you with any of the “moving parts” (no pun intended!) and get you to your new home, or out of the home we helped sell for you! 

Should I Use One of Those On-line Companies to Sell My Home?

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Pretty much like any industry or business you can think of, times are changing in real estate. With the wonders of technology, it’s amazing what you can do, that you maybe could not do some 10 years ago…maybe even 5. But, in real estate, Should I Use One of Those On-line Companies to Sell My Home?

Should I Use One of Those On-line Companies to Sell My Home?

Selling Your Home with an on line companyThere are probably countless professions where you will always need “a real person” to make it happen. A plumber? Fix your A/C? A Dentist? A Doctor? A real estate agent?

There is a new “disruption” in the real estate world with several on-line companies that are offering to help you buy or sell real estate. I’m sure you’ve seen the ads for OpenDoor and OfferPad, and now even Zillow is launching a home buying service. The question is, can you “automate” the biggest financial transaction of your life? Hmmmm.

In the article I’ve shown below that just appeared in REALTOR Magazine, it’s not all peaches and cream when you choose one of these options. In the article below, these companies are referred to as iBuyers. They business model is promising to streamline the real estate transaction with quick, all cash offers. This way, you (as a Seller) bypass the longer process of listing your home, going through showings, negotiations (maybe more than once if a contract falls out) and such. But, an all cash offer will often have a catch. And with an iBuyer, the catch can be quite a challenge. 

The iBuyer, Opendoor, after their offer was accepted, came in with a TEAM of contractors, and when all was said and done, wanted new bathtubs, new toilets and a host of other things. In a nutshell, they wanted a remodeled house and they wanted the Seller to pay for it. (Not that I’ve not had the same thing happen in a real estate transaction, but it was not as dramatic.) The agent ……ah….note I said real estate agent spent weeks negotiation with Opendoor. They had requested some $16,000 worth of repairs on a $300,000 home. Shreeeek! Those weeks spent negotiating with Opendoor…..in an agent-driven transaction, that process would have been resolved in a matter of a couple days, during the Due Diligence period. The parties would have agreed on a price, or the contract would have been terminated. In DAYS….NOT WEEKS! 

What kind of valuable marketing time was lost in looking for another buyer that would have purchased the home with perhaps minimal repair requests…not new bathrooms?

Should I Use One of Those On-line Companies to Sell My Home?The article quotes an agent from right here in Atlanta that helped clients sell their home to Knock. (NOTE….”agent helped clients sell their home to Knock.”) And in this instance, there were multiple people involved from the Knock-side of the sale. As they sale moved along, there were “a lot of missed loops and extra follow-up needed to make sure everything was going smoothly for our Sellers.” 

Having not worked with any of these iBuyers, I’ll make the assumption that these agents did not work for free, and were paid a commission, either by the iBuyer or by the Seller. 

The priceless mention is an agent in Phoenix who had an iBuyer make an offer of of $750,000 on a home that the agent later sold to a traditional buyer for $900,000. Imagine leaving a $150,000 on the table they would have moved on the iBuyer offer? Of course, there can be any number of circumstances behind any of these sales that we are not aware of. 

Should I Use One of Those On-line Companies to Sell My Home?

I think it is a decision that cannot be made lightly. In the article below, and as I’ve highlighted, there were agents still involved to help the Seller SELL to the iBuyer. And it seems like there were a lot of added steps and ‘i’s to dot and t’s to cross’ to make it all happen. And unless you have bought and sold numerous properties on your own already, there could be a land mine someplace you’ll miss. 

But if you can sell your home for more money, working with a real estate agent, than you can selling it to an iBuyer, you’ll probably see, or do the math and agree. 

There is a lot of things that go on during the sale (or purchase) of a house that the agent is involved with, or handle. As agents, we may be bad in not letting you know every little thing we do. We just do it to keep it as stress-free for you as possible. We are kind of a stress ball in the process and keep as much of it from you as possible. 

It’s not because I AM a real estate agent, but I think when you are working with the largest part of your financial portfolio, your home, you’ll want someone right there with you helping you through the process, and being your advocate to make sure you are protected and have the best possible outcome you can. 

The link below will give you the entire article. 

Should I use an On Line Company to Sell my House

Home Warranty vs Home Inspection – What’s the Difference?

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We’ve talked about both of these subjects in the past, so we won’t beat them to death here, but will point you to the past posts. They are still relevant and will give you more information about a home warranty vs a home inspection.

Home Warranty vs Home Inspection – What’s the Difference?

Home Inspection vs Home WarrantyA home warranty is an insurance policy (of sorts) on your home for a certain period of time, usually one year. You may get a home warranty as part of your negotiation process with your initial contract, or after you have had a home inspection completed. A home warranty covers most major systems in the home for repair or “replacement.” (Each warranty company is different, but most will work very hard to REPAIR an item before they will replace it.) Even still, the cost of the repair will be much less via the service call fee on a home warranty vs. calling a specific trade person (plumber, electrician, appliance repair, etc.)

We did a detailed post about What is A Home Warranty, and you can get more information there.

A home inspection is much like a snapshot look at a home at a certain time. When you make an offer on a home or condominium, and it’s accepted, you have negotiated a Due Diligence period. It is during this time you have the property inspected. The purpose of this 3rd party inspection (done by a home inspection company, not your Brother or Father!) is to get an opinion of the condition of the home. An inspection will look at systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical) as well as things like flooring (say cracked tiles or damaged wood flooring) windows (have they been painted shut, do they work) and other aspects of the home. This helps you determine the condition of the home in more detail than when you just walked through it with your real estate agent. 

Once this inspection is completed, you will review it with your agent and determine what actions you want to take next. This can vary from asking for no repairs, to an extensive list of repairs, to deciding you may not want to purchase the home at all. You can learn more about the home inspection process from one of our Team Members, National Property Inspections.

We did a post, Do I Need a Home Inspection on a Midtown Atlanta Condo, which talks about the importance of getting an inspection done on a condominium. They will just vary as the inspector is not checking for structural or roofing items…those are related to the building. But you will find an informative short video on that post about the home inspection. 

Home Warranty vs Home Inspection – What’s the Difference?  

If you have further questions about the home warranty or inspection, we are always ready to help our Buyers or Sellers with this part of the home buying and selling process! 

Downsizing Your Home? Consider These 5 Questions

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If you’ve landed on this post, or our website, chances are good you are looking to move into a condo. And possibly considering Downsizing Your Home!  Awesome! Here are 5 Questions to think about! (And we’ll throw in a bonus one too!)

Downsizing can mean going from that huge 5 bedroom home to a smaller, 3 bedroom home as well. 

Downsizing Your Home? Consider These 5 Questions

  1. 5 Questions to Ask When Downsizing Your HomeDo You Want to Cut Expenses? Living in smaller space can reduce any number of expenses, from electricity and gas to a lower mortgage and insurance payments. But as you make this transition, you want to compare ALL your monthly expenses….such as maintenance costs of a home (be it from larger to smaller) and the monthly HOA fees in a condo. Also, as you move, don’t forget the costs associated with buying and selling, such as realtor marketing fees, closing costs on a new mortgage and moving costs. 
  2. Do You Want More Free Time? Moving into a condo can free up lots of hours to do other things like work out in your new gym, take up a hobby or more traveling. You won’t have the yard to mow, the fence to paint or leaves to rake up. Certainly, you’ll have these if you move to a smaller home, but it may have a smaller yard that requires less time. Some communities might even provide lawn maintenance, such as a 55+ community. 
  3. Does Your Home No Longer Meet Your Needs? Are all three kids off in college? Who needs a 4-5 bedroom house for just two people? Or, maybe you’ve reached the point of not wanting to climb stairs and would like an En-Suite on the main floor? Laundry on the main floor? Maybe it’s a long drive from Cumming to Midtown Atlanta to enjoy plays at the Alliance Theater or exhibits at the High Museum? 
  4. Still Need Room to Host? If you expect your grown family to return often for visits, you may still need an extra bedroom, but 5 of them? So a smaller house could be the right choice. But if those family visits are just at holidays, maybe you get the Midtown condo, and YOU make the trip to visit the family elsewhere! 
  5. Want Better Cash Flow? With the market shift in the past few years, you are probably back to the point you have positive equity in your home. That can be used as a large down payment on the next home or condo, thereby reducing your mortgage payments. This can free up money on a monthly basis for other things! Again, you want to compare all costs of where you live now, and what they might be in a different location. Property taxes on a condo in the city could be higher than what you pay on a house, say in Cherokee County. But what money will you save in commuting expenses if you work in the area, or better yet, retire and can walk to those plays and museums?
  6. BONUS — Do You Want a Lifestyle Change? This applies mostly to going to condo living. It’s very different from all that space in a house! (I’ve done both, and can relate/help you understand the difference!) Being able to leave your car parked and walk, both for leisure and possibly to work, is wonderful. You might not even need a second car. You will also have to give serious consideration to downsizing the “stuff” you have. There is not all these closets and storage nooks in a condo. And if you have a priceless family piece of furniture, be SURE to tell your real estate agent you simply can’t give it up, and there needs to be room for that 12-foot dining room table (yep, had that challenge) or maybe a large desk. 

Downsizing is not a decision you should make in haste. Spend some time talking about it. Looking at the numbers. Another good thing, spend a weekend in a hotel in Midtown Atlanta. While it certainly is NOT like living in a condo, you can get the feel of being able to walk around, shop, dine and learn about city noises that you don’t hear in that John’s Creek subdivision where you are now. 

More questions about Downsizing? Email me or give me a call at 770.713.1505. Let’s meet for coffee in Midtown and chat!

How Do You Handle Showing Requests?

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This post should fall under a “Frequently Asked Questions” column, but it’s a question that a SELLER should be asking their agent during the listing presentation.

How Do You Handle Showing Requests?

Showing Your Home For SaleWhen you hire a real estate “professional” you base your decision on any number of varying criteria. But after you have selected your agent, do you ever wonder just HOW they do their job? You’ve hired this real estate professional to market, and sell your home. But… what happens behind the scenes? And a question you should be asking your agent is, “How Do You Handle Showing Requests?”

See, once your home is on the market, it has to be SHOWN by a Buyer’s agent. And that Buyer’s agent makes a showing request a number of ways:

  • via an automated showing service
  • texting the Listing Agent
  • Calling the Listing Agent

But HOW does your Listing Agent respond to these requests? Let me give you a real life example that happened last night and again this morning. I was out showing property yesterday, and was not able to sit down and schedule today’s showings until 7-8:30pm last night (Last night was a Friday night for a point of reference) The quickest way for me to do this is via text messages to the agent. I have short cuts programmed into my phone and can send a message in about a minute. Now, if the agent requests phone calls, or that I use a showing scheduling service, of course I follow those instructions. Repeat. I follow those instructions. So last night, I sent out 12 of these texts to schedule showings for my buyer for Saturday morning, starting at 10am. 

I’m contacting the Listing Agent because I have a qualified buyer, ready to buy and wants to see your home.  A no-brainer that I’d get a text message, or phone call back right?

How Does Your Agent Handle Showing Requests

I actually ended up showing THREE homes where the listing agent never bothered to call or text me back! Seriously!!! And just because a listing says the home (or condo) is vacant, I still call. Maybe somebody has not moved out, or has moved back in! (GASP…it has happened!!!) Maybe there is an offer in..or even an accepted offer but the listing status just has not been changed yet. I just want to confirm things before I show. 

Imagine my concern if my Buyer LIKES one of these listings?? How will the REST of the home buying process be? Will the agent be more responsive then? Will they even respond to our offer? Yikes! 

Sure, it was a Friday night. But I’m trying to schedule a showing to show YOUR home!!! How does your agent respond to a request like this? Do you miss a showing because they never called back? Hmmm. There’s some food for thought!

When you are talking to a real estate professional, on your check list, you might just want to ask….

How Do You Handle Showing Requests?

 

 

 

Thom Abbott

Associate Broker, REALTOR(R)
905 Juniper Street, NE Suite 110
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
770.713.1505 Direct
404.876.4901 Office

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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