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Not just another real estate search site

As I was doing some dougfrancis.com performance maintenance over the summer, I started reading through some of the older blog posts deep inside this blog. Part of my effort was to clean up issues that Google Webmaster Tools told me were causing Crawl errors… but, anyway, it forced me to read through some of my older blog posts.

This little exercise helped me see that my blog is unique, and not like the other 99,000 real estate web sites that simply give you a gateway to the MLS home-search info. Yes, you can search for homes here (see the Search Real Estate page) using two excellent home search tools if you want, but, I was doing something more. Much more.

dougfrancis.com covers my day-to-day real estate business

I discovered a subtle theme here that I really liked. This little blog covered the day-to-day, street level, gritty local Vienna VA real estate action that I have experienced in a rather challenging market. And the goal of most posts is to give readers insight into what my real estate clients were going through getting a mortgage, understanding their home inspection, comparing Zestimates with reality or negotiating traffic.

I didn’t start this post just to toot my own horn, but to encourage readers or other bloggers to take a minute and read a little. Writing about the real estate business is easy because there is virtually an endless supply of material that other home sellers or home buyers can appreciate when they are faced by similar situations. It challenging, but there is a lot of fun in it!

What do you think?

A Quote in MSN Money

I was surprised the other day to get a Google Alert that there was a quote attributed to me on the MSN Money site in an article by Marilyn Lewis. Back in May, I wrote a post warning home buyers to refrain from adding new credit lines before they actually “closed” on their new home. Since mortgage lenders are now running a second credit report just prior to closing (did you know that?), home buyers innocently buying new furniture before “closing” may negatively impact their credit ratios, possibly defaulting on their sales agreement with the home seller.

The consequences may cost you your Earnest Money Deposit and more.

Really, the main purpose of writing my blog is to inform my real estate clients in Northern Virginia about issues that will impact them selling a home, buying a home, getting a mortgage, having a home inspection or removing an oil tank. Yes, getting mentioned on a big-time web site like MSN.com is a thrill, but also indicates to me that I am on the right track giving advice that is informative. What do you think?

If you are planning to buy or sell a home in Northern Virginia, please read through the buyer or seller tip sections and then give me a ring so we can discuss your plans.

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• Saw this on MSN Money today (mytotalmoneymakeover.com)

In Real Estate, Online Photos are Essential

You would think that Northern Virginia real estate agents would get it by now, but I am still seeing some really bad house photos being posted online. It is a trend that a lot of agents across the country poke fun at, and even have blogs of the worst photos seen in their MLS.

Anyone who is looking for a home to buy is starting out on the Internet while sitting at home or at work (yes, we know). Doing online research like moving to Vienna, Virginia is done easily from a living room in San Diego, California. So it seems obvious to me to get house photos right from the get-go and put as many photos of the highest quality into the MLS or a linking site like Google’s Picassa or Flickr.

The MLS site is the obvious place to start because it feeds consumer real estate sites like Trulia, Redfin and Zillow. Yup, those photos taken by me are disseminated by the almighty MRIS which is Northern Virginia’s MLS. So 30 photos definitely get popped in here for fast syndication.

The McLean and Vienna VA real estate markets are highly competitive so having quality, staged photos should be 50% of your home’s marketing strategy. (this is obvious to home buyers)

Here are my tips for better real estate photography:

• If you are unsatisfied with your photos, then hire a professional
• Use a digital camera with a wide angle lens built into the camera
• I update my camera on a regular basis, read more at my FAQs page
• Take plenty of shots (50-100) and then pick and choose on your computer
• Do not use a fish-eye lens because the photos just look too weird
• STAGE your photos by turning on lights, hiding garbage cans etc.
• If the sun isn’t out, then come back later for another cover shot
• Keep in mind that the buyer who is boarding a plane to house-hunt will only have time to see five homes in McLean, and will pick one to buy.
• Don’t be afraid to change the photos… if there was snow on the ground the first time and it is now May, take some new photos then upload them!

Having clear photos is an absolute must, #1 priority for me when I list a property. Why? Because  home buyers wanting to see Mclean or Vienna homes for sale have their iPhone or Droid real estate apps running all the time showing photos, photos and more photos.

Having poor quality real estate photos is a real no, no!

Leave a comment about any bad photos you have seen recently.

Home Buyer Agents Get it Done!

Real estate buyers have the option of having an agent work with them during the home buying experience. A “Buyer’s Agent” has an obligation to pursue the interests of the buyer finding suitable homes that fit their financial capability (budget), find homes with a good location, keep information confidential, and most importantly present any written offers on homes that are deemed, “OK”.

And ultimately handing you the house keys.

In real estate, the written offer is essential

The Regional Real Estate Sales Contract used in Northern Virginia by Realtors has been refined and reviewed by committees, lawyers and the court over the years. The Contract includes all the consumer protections that are available, and the Virginia Jurisdictional Addendum adds additional language regarding home in Home Owner Associations or are Condominiums Rules, Fees, or Amenities.

Putting together an offer requires a level of skill especially when the real estate market is active. Yes, being sloppy will sink your offer quickly when you are up against someone offering the exact same amount of money to a home seller. Not including a pre-approval letter from a familiar mortgage lender or demanding a response on a brand new house listing may also tip the scale in the wrong direction.

Finding the right house is the easy part, really!

This year has had its share of unique experiences where the deal could have fallen apart if I had not handled properly. There was the case where the other agent had a fit when my client stalled signing Form 100 two weeks before closing (it settled on time), or the  agent who did not return calls on a 365 day-old listing (which I eventually sold for over $1.5 million), or the law firm who collected past due mortgage payments but did not send it to the mortgage lender (closing was delayed, but it closed), or the extremely low appraisal that triggered a new set of negotiations (the seller reduced the price).

Home Buying Mistakes will cost you

So hearing from some buyers recently that “they were not going to work with an agent” gave me a shock. It seems that, with all the home buyer tips and information out there including blogs like this, that buying a home in Northern Virginia appears pretty easy. But the reality is once they have found the house… you know, the one they have been looking to find for the past two years, that they are unable to successfully make an offer.

This buyer strategy seems to focus on dealing directly with the seller’s listing agent, throwing caution to the wind that they will be treated fairly, and assuming the real estate agent is going to give a better deal since they won’t be splitting the commission. Here is my insider tip: that real estate strategy may work on a house that’s been for sale since last summer, but it is not going to work on the house listed last Thursday and has home buyers crawling all over it.

Hey, if you want to spend the next year going to open houses and getting e-mails from Realtors then that is your choice. But you need to know that I have helped many people buy their dream home in a time efficient, cost effective home buying system giving organized home buying tips and professional guidance that get the deal done. Really, finding the right home is the easy part!

I’m open to reading your experiences of keeping the deal together, or finding the house and having it sold before you heard back from the seller’s agent. Go ahead, leave a comment.

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• Meet Your Real Estate Team! (zillow.com)
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