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Posted by by troyconf on 24/11/2017 in Real Estate Newsletter
Crafting a well-written newsletter can mean the difference between having a good month and a phenomenal month. Creating your own can be frustrating, but by following these tips, you can create the perfect template to help you craft engaging newsletters that will bring new clients running to you. 1. Match Your Branding Make sure your
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Posted by by troyconf on 13/10/2017 in Real Estate Moving Apps
In the 21st century, you now have the chance to digitally control everything for your relocation, without calling to inquire about every home, every moving quote, and every change that might occur.
Information was combined from sources like this US News article on house-hunting apps and Digital Trends’ list of comprehensive real estate apps. Business Insider’s article on best moving apps and this article from GoodCall, data and information collection company, help determine the best inventory and organizational apps. All apps listed here are available on both the iOS and Android platforms.
Once you realize relocation is in your future, until you’re completely unpacked at your new home, these seven apps will be the most beneficial. Thanks Cheap Dallas Movers in Irving for helping us compile this great list!
All home and apartment availability, pricing, and market analysis’ are the tip of the iceberg for Zillow’s features. Zillow’s Zestimate, a great tool for homeowners, uses your appraised home value from your city plus all known data points from your area to reflect a more accurate ongoing home value.
Using the lowercase ‘r’ for their app, realtor.com brings intuitive features to apartment and house hunting. Listings are updated every 15 minutes, including snapshots of “For Sale” signs in real time, swiping in the Android Wear smartwatch app, and ability to stream information on Google’s Chromecast.
Claiming 20% more agent listings than national portals, this app is for people on-the-go. Forget writing down information and just snap a picture of the perfect place that caught your eye. Upload it and see all the details, including interior and exterior photos, estimates, nearby school ratings, plus you can instantly chat with realtors.
Using the top 25 cities matching your lifestyle options, narrow down your search with typical factors, like home value, but nearly every category used in the U.S. Census is available to you. Use information real people have given about property taxes or nearby education to make your selection. Plus, Dwellr is more privacy-conscious, so your information won’t be dumped into a cloud, but kept on your phone.
Create your inventory list and use it to compare prices for local movers. Make adjustments in real time, even on the day of the move, and pay through the app.
Google Keep lets you check off tasks as they’re completed, and everyone’s app is updated in real time. From cleaning to packing and unpacking, moving to-do lists will stay organized until the last box is unpacked. Being based in the Bay Area, this SF moving company gave us this tip to stay organized throughout the moving, packing, and organization part of the process.
Let locals buy your unwanted or unneeded possessions. Take a picture, list the item and locals will inquire. If you sell enough, you’ll make back all the money you spend on moving.
Posted by by troyconf on 11/10/2017 in Space Saving Packing Tips
Whether you’re preparing to move across the country or across town, you need to make sure your possessions are packed in a secure way. Fortunately, there are several things you can do to save space and keep your items in one piece throughout the journey. Just take these tips from the nation’s best long distance
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Posted by by troyconf on 16/03/2017 in Philadelphia Real Estate
Moving to a new city can be tough, especially if you haven’t done your research. To avoid the stress and headache of figuring out a new town, it’s always best to look at average home prices, crime rates, and commute times well in advance. For those looking to move to the city of Philadelphia, here are a few things that you should know before uprooting your family.
Finding a home without your budget is one of the first things to look into when moving to Philadelphia. The average home runs around $134,100 and has increased by 6.2 percent over the past year. It’s also likely that prices will continue to rise in the coming year, so be sure to keep that average in mind as a minimum when looking for a new home.
The Upper Kensington district is a great neighborhood for families and contains mostly residential properties. With a relatively low average housing cost of $81,300, the area also has plenty of shopping, dining, and entertainment options that are perfect for all ages.
With a large public park that includes running and biking trails, sports arenas, and picnic pavilions, Olney is another great choice for family living. The neighborhood also has a diverse ethnic population, a business district, and has a low $81,300 average housing price as well.
The city of Philadelphia has been a buyers market until recent years as average home prices have started to climb. Since there aren’t as many properties to choose from, listed homes are quickly taken off the market and bought at steep prices from buyers willing to make a sale. If you’re a first-time homebuyer, make sure to start looking at listings as soon as possible and keep in mind that each property you look at might not be listed for very long.
The Philadelphia Police Department reports that the number of homicides seems to be on the rise this year with over 48 homicide cases, which is a 37 percent increase. And while the city has a high crime rate compared to the rest of Pennsylvania, its statistics are lower than average when matched against cities in the United States with the same population size.
Philadelphia is a business hotspot that attracts thousands of commuters from around the area. With over 253,000 people who travel into the city for work and 147,000 residents that commute away from the city for their jobs, the roads can become easily congested. Due to several people traveling to and from the city, the average commute one way is around 32-minutes. Traveling from one neighborhood to the center of Philadelphia can range from a mere 17-minutes to 45-minutes if living near Brewerytown. Rush hour typically lasts from 6am-9:30 am in the morning and 4pm-6:30 pm after working hours, with the worst traffic usually occurring on major highways such as I-676, I-95, and I-76.
If you’re ready to take the plunge and move to Philadelphia, give the folks at Cheap Movers Philadelphia (website | Google+ | Facebook) a call. This local Philly mover can help you score discounted rates on moving services to Philadelphia, even if you’re moving here from out of state. Have a less stressful moving experience and save money on your move!
Posted by by troyconf on 09/03/2017 in Realtor Tips
Even if your clients appear to be relaxed while preparing for their upcoming move, there’s a good possibility that they’re worried about getting everything done. Since uprooting a family can be stressful and chaotic, it’s important to properly care for your customers by providing quality guidance each step of the way. To help ease their concerns, here are a few simple ways to prepare your clients for moving day.
Planning ahead for a move may seem like a no-brainer, but many clients still choose to wing-it when it comes to packing and preparing. And since last minute tasks can cause stress to the moving process, make sure to give your customers a moving to-do list to help them out. Include tips on packing, organizing, and cleaning a home, as well as any other useful information that involves gathering household items together.
Most clients tend to overlook the amount (and cost) of moving supplies they’ll need for their home. By the time they’re ready to pack up all of their belongings, there aren’t enough cardboard boxes, duct tape, or other items for everything that they have. To avoid this problem, create a moving kit of items that will help your clients organize their household items. According to this Boston moving company, the ideal moving kit would include unfolded boxes, tape guns, garbage bags, ziplock bags, bubble wrap, or other packaging material.
It can be tough to move from a familiar neighborhood to a brand new location. And if your clients are moving to a new area, be sure to send them a relocation packet with helpful information about their new city or state. Include public transportation stops, grocery stores, shopping malls, fun activities, and restaurants options to help ease their transition.
Having your clients go through stacks of paper contracts and other documents can add more mess to their moving experience. Since clients would have to save and move all paperwork, it’s also an additional thing to pack and plan for as well. Instead of traditional paper documents, provide digital contracts online instead. You can even scan paper documents into a computer and load them on a USB drive for clients, giving them a small and easy way to organize all moving information. Alternatively, you can use a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive for digital document organization.
Walking into a new house can be depressing without power and utilities, and connecting your clients with the services in their area can help them feel more at home. You can also connect your clients with a local home designer. Since interior design tends to be important for many new homeowners, especially younger ones, a home designer is perfect for helping clients with a new house layout or style.
Posted by by troyconf on 01/03/2017 in Realtor Tips
While the prospect of buying a new home can be exciting for first-time buyers, it can also be a daunting experience filled with confusion and questions on the homeowner process. For those of you with clients who are tackling their very first home purchase, here’s our ultimate vocabulary sheet to help familiarize them with the terms they’ll most likely hear during the buying process.
1. Appraisal – The estimated value of a property which is determined by an impartial professional appraiser. The appraisal is required by the lender if you are financing the purchase of your home.
2. Conventional Mortgage – A mortgage that is not insured by the Federal Government. The loan is subject to the conditions set by the lender and State statutes.
3. FHA Loan – A loan insured by the Federal Housing Administration. Benefits of this type of loan include lower down payment requirements and easier credit qualifications
4. Title – A report showing the activity of ownership for the property. The title also shows what mortgages or liens exist on the property. A clean title means there are no other claims by third parties to the property.
5. Certificate of Title – A certificate issued by a title company or an attorney, indicating that the title of the property is insurable.
6. Agreement of Sale – A contract between the buyer and seller. The terms and conditions are set in the contract and include items such as the purchase price, the address of the property, financing contingencies, etc.
7. Commission – The money paid by the seller to a real estate agent to find a buyer and complete the sale of property. Typical commission rates are between 5-10%.
8. Deed – A legal document that transfers ownership of the property from the seller to the buyer. To be legally binding, the deed must be recorded with the local government where it becomes public record.
9. Documentary Stamps – A state tax required on deeds and mortgages when the title changes ownership.
10. Down Payment – The amount of money paid by the buyer towards the purchase of property. The down payment amount is recorded in the agreement of sale.
11. Escrow – An account where funds are held until the occurrence of a specific event, usually the closing.
12. Earnest Money – A deposit the buyer gives to the seller to show good faith in purchasing the property. The earnest money funds are held in escrow and applied to the down payment at the time of closing. If the sale does not go through, the money is forfeited, unless otherwise stated in the contract.
13. Easement Rights – A property easement is a right of way given to a person or company to access the land of the property holder. A common example is an electric company needing to enter a property to gain access to power lines that run through a yard. Easement rights are commonly an issue on properties where oil & gas mineral rights are sold or severed from the surface estate. In this case, the mineral rights owner is given an easement to use the surface estate to access the mineral properties.
14. Closing – The transfer of the ownership of the property where the seller signs the deed to the buyer. The buyer will then sign all required mortgage documents and pay any necessary closing costs.
15. Closing Costs – A list of expenses necessary to transfer ownership of the property. Both the buyer and seller are responsible for closing costs and are paid on the day of closing in addition to the price of the property.
Posted by by troyconf on 22/02/2017 in New York Real Estate
While relocating to New York City can be an exciting experience for a client, most first-timers will need a crash course on what to expect from NYC real estate. As we know, when it comes to renting and buying, the New York real estate market is a lot more competitive and cutthroat than it is in other metropolitan areas. To help clients who are making a move to the Big Apple without living there prior, here are a few things that they’ll need to be aware of.
Whether your client decides to rent or buy, they’ll be paying more than just a deposit or down payment on their new home. If your client is renting, landlords will expect them to pay the first month, last month, and a one-month security deposit when signing a lease. For example, if an apartment is $4,000/month, your client will need to pay $12,000 on the day of agreement before getting their keys. Make sure clients are aware that a broker can also charge a fee of around 15% to renters and will get a commission of around 6% on a sale.
Buying in NYC often requires a hefty down payment or an all-cash offer. At a minimum, your client could be putting as much as 25% down. Your client will also have to pay monthly maintenance fees on top of mortgage payments and real estate taxes, which can feel like paying rent on a property that you own.
Another important cost to consider is hiring a moving company that’s knowledgeable in building and parking regulations. We generally refer our clients to Imperial Moving & Storage, a Chelsea-based company with over 20 years of experience in Manhattan relocations. In New York, most buildings will restrict the hours (and even the use of an elevator) when a person can move in, so it’s handy to have movers who know what they’re doing. It’s also a good idea to hire a company that understands the nuances of moving into cramped buildings and tight parking spots. While these services usually charge a lot of money and expect to be tipped, their experience is well worth the expense.
Many can attest that it’s tricky trying determine which neighborhood is best for your client. While price is obviously one of the driving factors, here are a few other essential considerations:
How convenient is the neighborhood to the MTA subways and bus routes? Is there parking available in the building or on the street? In the city’s outer boroughs, there are many one or two family housing options with private driveways. In Manhattan, your client would need to pay for onsite parking if (and only if) there is space available.
Are there local shops for basic needs nearby, such as groceries and sundries? Are there delivery options if there aren’t any in the area? Check and see if there are any stores or big box companies, such as Whole Foods, in the neighborhood. You can also recommend services such as Fresh Direct or Instacart, which are grocery delivery services available throughout most of the city.
If your client has children, do some research on the public and private schools in the area. Educational opportunities could seal the deal when picking out a neighborhood, and it’s best to explain how the private school system works with filling out applications and potential long waiting lists.
Since first-timers may be relying on you to guide them in the right direction, make sure to do your homework to ensure that your client feels confident about their neighborhood’s safety. While much of Manhattan is a safe place to live, there are still areas in transition, such as East Harlem, that need to be checked up on. The outer boroughs have a mix of communities to choose from with plenty of diversity, and to see crime statistics by neighborhood, try reading through this online resource.
Moving to New York may be one of the biggest decisions your clients ever make. They are trusting you to guide them in navigating the choppy waters of NYC real estate, so make sure you are informed and ready to help.
Posted by by troyconf on 03/02/2017 in Realtor Tips
If you’re looking to start a career in the challenging world of real estate, you’ll need to develop a good work ethic, a positive attitude, and professional habits that can separate you from other competitors in the market. Just like with any other ambitious goal, you won’t achieve instant success or gratifying sales overnight. It
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Posted by by troyconf on 22/01/2017 in New York Real Estate
As one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world, New York City is getting far too pricey for many of its residents. Manhattan real estate prices have skyrocketed with the rise of foreign investments in the market, and most people simply can’t afford to pay their raised rent and grocery bills at
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5 Things to Know About Philadelphia Real Estate
Professional Mover Tips | How to Prepare Your Client for Moving Day
