Missed Opportunities

Buying real estate in today’s market can be delightful. The month of December for Ames Iowa real estate is historically slower than other months. Because of this, Ames Iowa real estate sales are handled quicker from the mortgage company, home inspection, repairs and even the bank! Also, because less people are looking for Ames Iowa homes to buy the inventory is up and the real estate offers are down. Sellers are more apt to accept an offer that is below their asking price simply because there are less offers. Additional shopping in the month of December can seem like a burden to some. However, if you are frugal you can pay for all of your Christmas gifts with a carefully selected new Ames Iowa real estate property!

Use the Internet

Using the Internet is a great method of shopping for Ames Iowa real estate for sale. Mark Greenfield’s website has sophisticated search tools for locating your perfect new home during the holiday season! Save time, money by using this website to locate and visit many great deals in the Ames Iowa real estate market in the comfort of your own home. I hope everyone has a very happy holiday from Mark Greenfield real estate agent in Ames Iowa!

Mouse to House

Many homes in the Ames Iowa real estate market have virtual tours attached to the MLS listing. Shopping homes with your mouse can give a prospective buyer great insight as to what properties are available that meet your specific requirements for your next home. Mark Greenfield’s website is designed to do just that. Please take advantage of our many advanced search options to filter the results pages to meet those special requirements for your next real estate purchase.

So keep in mind, that shopping online for real estate can save you carbon footprint for one, and for two will help you determine exactly what your next dream home will look like. I look forward to helping you from start to finish the locating that perfect real estate for the holidays! Be in your new home by next year.

That’s not “exactly” what the instructor said as I started my new 8-week fitness class on Monday. However at a height of 6’ 0” and weight of 232 lbs, I’m what professionals call ….OBESE. Now; considering I just put my money down on a Utah Ski trip in January, and NEED to get in shape-Fast! At this point I don’t need someone telling me what I WANT to hear, I need someone telling me what I NEED to hear. Of course I know what I should be doing, but somehow having a professional work along side me and advise me on reaching my goal is much easier.

Often times your real estate professional (hopefully me) tells you things you don’t want to hear when you have your house listed. However; an experienced and capable agent will know the things you can do that will put money in your pocket. I know… I know… this is not always fun and easy, the value may not be where you want it to be, and it’s so hard to spend money to fix up a house you are moving out of. Always remember to take advantage of the years of experience you agent has, and work with them in reaching your buying or selling goals.

That’s what my new clients in Jewell just asked me last weekend when we discussed listing their home.

Let’s look … and think. How much would it cost to:

A) Get rid of half of the stuff that is in your house? Seriously? Thin out the closets, cabinets, furniture, basement, & stuff on the walls. …$-0-

B) Deep clean! I’m talking about baseboards, light fixtures, vents, hood fan, windows & blinds, behind the toilet, everywhere! …$-0-

C) Landscape the yard. Nothing major, but raking, trimming and a few bags of mulch along the front to improve “curb-appeal”… $20

D) Try to stage at least 1-room; this room is to be kept clean 24-7. Try to get in the mindset of being a HOME-SELLER instead of a HOME-OWNER… $-0-

E) Touch-up chipped paint, tighten loose door-knobs and banisters, fix leaky faucets, tack-up loose siding and exterior trim…. $20

I would estimate with 20-hrs of sweat equity and $40 – $50 cash (which I would loan them); they could increase the value of this property by $2,500, plus speed up marketing time. That was my advice to them; we’ll see how the story ends later!

Do you have Questions about buying or selling? I’m available for a free, no-obligation consultation at your convenience.

Come in and take a look at some Madrid IA homes for sale or anything else that interests you!

With the U.S. home ownership rate at 65.9% (the lowest rate in 13 years), rental demand is on the rise. The downturn in values, coupled with the strictest lending guidelines we’ve seen in years, and SUPER low rates for borrowing, makes this a TRIFECTA for the well-prepared investor. However, the tighter standards in underwriting, larger down payment, and tougher appraisal standards aren’t necessarily a bad thing. The short term pain, and its impact on home ownership from these lending changes, may actually create a real estate environment that supports a steady rate of long-term, sustainable growth, while greatly minimizing the risk of mortgage default in the future.

Additionally, for me, the recent rise of the rental market has come complete with opportunity. I have tweaked my businesses to help my investor clients find qualified tenants, and then manage their new investments. My goal is to turn a investor customer into a life-long client; working hand-in-hand with solid property management services if needed.
Many new investors are looking at a net-operating income of 7% to over 20%! If you have been thinking of how to get started in the real estate investment business let me show you the money! Call today!

Since its Friday, I’m taking a break from blogging about real estate.

Yesterday morning I attended a weekly men’s bible study group we have at Cornerstone Church. I have not been good about attending the past few months; although I have lots of excuses, I have no good reason other than my disdain of getting up at 5am. But today it reminded me of how important it is to get together with like-minded people to discuss and study things. Maybe you don’t want to be in a Bible study at 6AM, but there are lots of great activities that cause us to expand our comfort zone, exercise our minds, and really have meaningful dialog with others. My son is a huge sports fan and has lively debates on fantasy sports leagues; I have other friends who are into politics, fitness, and outdoors.

Talking about things we are passionate and excited about makes us all feel better….and that brings me back to Real Estate! I know I said this was not going to be about that, however, just need to mention that I would love to sit down and visit, about you taking advantage of this exciting time in the real estate industry.

My brother recently moved from Orlando to Iowa, and told me some good advice his Florida agent gave him (as he sold the house in 5-days). He said “if I list your house it will sell fairly quickly, but you need to do what I tell you to do. The home improvement shows you see on cable TV are over-rated. You need to price your home competitive in the current market, if it’s not priced competitively; no one is going to look; if no one is looking at your house…. it’s not on the market.”

What a concept. We (agents) spend thousands on dollars on multiple listing service, newspaper ads, websites, open houses, and direct mail – and the house realistically is not even on the radar of the most likely buyer because it’s priced too high! This is a tough real estate market. You, as a seller, need to be prepared to take the advice of you agent, study the homes on the market you are competing against, and even consider hiring an independent appraiser if you need to. Try to have your home effectively on the market- clean, accessible, and priced to sell.

If you need help buying or selling Central Iowa real estate, including Ames and Boone homes for sale, we’re here to help.

Most of us remember the great 90’s TV show “Cheers”, with that awesome theme song we all loved to sing along with whenever the show started. That strikes a chord with all of us, the need to have a place where we can go and feel welcome and secure. The management at our Ames Iowa RE/MAX office have taken this to heart; creating a welcoming environment where agents, staff, and most importantly our CLIENTS can come into this office and feel comfortable and relaxed. We realize everyone is in a different stage of life when the decision comes to buy or sell real estate. There are fun times of moving to a bigger home, a dream acreage, buying an investment property, or a finding a home/condo for a relocating student. Others are selling due to “not so” fun situations such as financial problems, death, and divorce. Whatever stage you are in, if you are buying OR selling; Work with a full-time RE/MAX professional agent. Let us assist you through your important transaction. Remember; your local RE/MAX office does double the number of transactions/ agent compared to the typical central-Iowa real estate agent.

REO?? What the heck is a REO? I asked the guy from the bank as he was asking if I could list a property they had taken back.

Five years ago in small-town central Iowa a foreclosure or Real Estate Owned by a lender was unheard of! In fact, the term “Short-Sale” had not even been invented yet! My, my, what a difference we have seen. This area has been spared from the 30%- 40% foreclosure rate that some areas have seen such as Detroit, Orlando, Phoenix and Las Vegas; with an estimated 70% of all homes termed “under-water”. However; 11% seems like a huge number of properties our central Iowa MLS listing inventory that is currently owned by banks. There are bargains on nice homes, acreages, executive homes, and good ol’ Handyman specials.

The next 6-months may look soft for home-sellers; but a BONANZA for the well prepared home-buyer and investor! As I look at it you can gain 10-years of equity the minute you buy a house in this market -values will turn-around, they always do. We have seen ups and downs in livestock facilities & in the farmland which have seen over a 100% increase in value in the past 10-yrs., commercial property values are also rebounding. When this glut of foreclosed property is absorbed, I believe, we will see a tremendous upward trend in residential values.

Please fill out my simple contact form and get prepared to CASH IN on this market.

We’re happy to announce a total rewrite on our Iowa Acreages and Homes for Sale website. Our new features will allow you to easily search the Iowa MLS for commercial properties, homes, and acreages.