Archive for the ‘Real Estate General’ Category

This post from an Indiana Mortgage Lender is a MUST-READ for home sellers, particularly the last paragraph. Of course home buyers are going to choose your home because of the landscaped yard and granite counter tops, but make sure the comps are there to support your sales price! Please call me if you have any questions!

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Turning a Negative into a Positive: the great synergy of Active Rain

I posted last week on Active Rain about the Listing Sales Book that I keep at my listings and all the contents that I include. Wow, did I get a lot of great suggestions from the comments!

Liz Bolton commented that she had seen a “Seller Questionnaire” of sorts at a listing that included where the school bus stops, trash and recycle days, where to vote and the Seller’s comments about what they liked most about their home. Obviously, I’m going to include this in my next Listing Sales Book!

Now, I’m selling my personal home in Florence Park that has a shared driveway, which most would consider a negative feature. I was brainstorming with my home stager, Peggy Givens,about who would most likely purchase my home and what were the positives and negatives of my home. I told Peggy that my home would most likely be purchased by a single person and first-time home buyer.

When we discussed the issue of the shared driveway, Peggy commented, “I think that would not be a negative – I think a single person would appreciate the safety factor of sharing a driveway.”

Bingo! What was once a negative is now a positive!

So, on my Seller questionnaire, I wrote about the many things I love about my home and added that I appreciated the safety factor of the shared driveway, noting that my neighbor Elizabeth is an awesome neighbor! Maybe someone who falls in love with my home will read that and say, “I hadn’t thought of it as a safety factor, but it does seem comforting to have a neighbor so close to watch my home.”

Turning a Negative into a Positive: the great synergy of Active Rain

So, thanks to Liz and Peggy, I’ve turned a negative into a positive – turned lemons into lemonade!

The synergy here in Active Rain is contagious – we all do truly pay it forward. Often here in the Rain, we learn much more from the blog comments that the blog post itself!

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Catchy title and good information for home owners!

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Tulsa’s Florence Park Fourth Quarter Real Estate Update – Midtown Tulsa Real Estate

Florence Park is one of the nicer, yet still affordable midtown subdivisions in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Midtown Tulsa real estate is very competitive, and this subdivision definitely holds its value.

Borders are 15th Street (Cherry Street) to the north, 21st Street to the south; Harvard to the east and the Broken Arrow Expressway to the west.

Within Florence Park are some of the most beautiful bungalows – architectural wonders, sidewalks, parks and manicured lawns.

There are currently twelve homes for sale in Florence Park and four contracts pending. Between October 1st and December 31, 2009, fourteen homes sold with the average size being 1,596 square feet and average price of $174,035.

Homes sell quickly in this neighborhood, with the average days on market of those sold averaging at 86, but many selling within the first two weeks.

Tulsa’s Florence Park Fourth Quarter Real Estate Update – Midtown Tulsa Real Estate

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Florence Park, please call me for advice.

I own a home in the neighborhood and am active in the neighborhood association – and produce our Florence Park neighborhood newsletter!

Florence Park is truly a tight-knit neighborhood within our midtown Tulsa real estate community. We visit as we garden and manicure our lawns and as we walk our dogs. We watch each other’s homes and know when something or someone is out of place in the neighborhood.

It’s a great place to live!

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

If you are thinking of remodeling your kitchen, this is a great article to read. When Demetrius and I remodeled our kitchen, I am glad that we included a prep sink and kitchen drawers in our kitchen island, but wished we had made more room for seating. If you will use a caterer in your new kitchen, be sure to run your kitchen plans by your caterer!

Lori Cain’s Preferred Vendor List – the absolute “best of the best” in midtown Tulsa real estate

I blogged the other day about the Listing Sales Book that I include in my homes for sale to include a list of home improvements but I forgot to mention including my list of vendors in the book. I can advertise that there is fresh paint and refinished hardwoods, but I am equally proud of who painted those walls and who refinished those hardwoods.

Jane Halliwell, owner of Prime Painting and Restoration has been in business in Tulsa forever and has painted almost every home in midtown Tulsa. People know that her work is quality work. My hardwood floors were refinished by Gil DeLozier, and his family’s business has been around for an even longer period of time. Gil learned from his father, and now Gil’s son works with him – between the three, they probably have refinished every midtown Tulsa home’s floors.

Renowned Tulsa arborist, Greg Cole, trimmed my trees so that they will heal and grow and be a part of Tulsa’s future. I didn’t just pay some wandering handyman to trim my trees, I hired someone who knows everything about trimming trees to maintain their health and longevity.

Now, these vendors don’t have web sites to which I can link, because most of their business is word of mouth or referrals. That’s why I keep my “Preferred Vendor” list on my web site, LoriCain.com. As I work through transactions in midtown Tulsa real estate, I meet the best of the best. When I’m pleased with their work, they get added to my Preferred Vendor list.

Found several places on my Preferred Vendor list is my savior repairman, Gary Ellis. Almost all of my clients keep Gary’s number programmed in their phone, because Gary can fix ANYTHING or he knows who can.

Lori Cain’s Preferred Vendor List – the absolute “best of the best” in midtown Tulsa real estate

My clients and friends are good about checking my Preferred Vendor list before calling me for a reference. I was at the lake once checking FaceBook, and my client posted that her air conditioning had broken (yikes – it was over 100-degrees that day!). Five minutes later she posted that she found a repairman on my Preferred Vendor list and that he was on his way. An hour later she reported that AC was operational again! And, I never lifted a finger.

If you’re looking for the “best of the best,” please visit my Preferred Vendor list – it’s a resource that I share. You’ll find my favorite architect, remodeler, carpenter, electrician, landscape architect, plumber — even my favorite caterer. My list is ever evolving, so check back often. If you have a vendor you would like me to try out, let me know!

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

My Listing Sales Book – a Valuable Sales Tool

When I list a property for sale, I prepare a Listing Sales Book that I keep in the kitchen or on the dining room table where the Buyer’s agents and Buyers will easily find it. In it, I include several items that may answer the Buyer’s questions while they are viewing our property.

I include the Seller’s disclosure. Having the disclosure on site will be a quick reference for the Buyer’s agent if the Buyers want to know the age of the roof or ask if there have been any foundation repairs.

I include a CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) to show how the Sellers and I arrived at the price. I’m getting ready to list a property in a neighborhood where 1-car garages are the norm. Out of the last 19 properties sold, only four had a 2-car garage. So, yes, I’m going to prepare a CMA of only homes with 2-car garages because our listing is priced to reflect the desired and rare 2-car garage.

I include a list of features that might otherwise go unnoticed. If the Seller has added extra insulation in the attic or has high quality shingles on the roof, I want to point that out. Here’s our opportunity to toot our horn!

I include the average utility costs. I currently have a 3,000 square foot, totally-electric home listed with an average monthly utility cost of $145 — don’t you know we want to BRAG about that? That definitely goes in the Listing Sales Book.

I include a list of nearby amenities — shopping, groceries, restaurants — maybe even distance to the airport or access to major highways. Why make Buyers wonder where the closest grocery is located or what would be the best route to drive to work?

If the property is located in a desirable school district, I include information about the schools. If the property is located in an area with an active HOA (Homeowner’s Association), I include information about the cost of the Association (if any) and what benefits the Association provides. If the Association provides a quarterly newsletter, that goes in the Listing Sales Book as well.

More and more often, I am asking my Sellers to provide a square-footage appraisal. If that’s available, it goes in the Listing Sales Book.

If I’m listing a property in the dead of winter and all the landscaping is looking shabby, I ask the Sellers if they have photos of their home when the azaleas are in bloom. If that’s available, it goes in the book.

If new appliances have been purchased or if repairs have been made, receipts and instruction manuals go in the book.

Not only am I providing the prospective Buyers much needed information that may positively affect their purchasing decision, they are going to stay IN THE HOUSE longer perusing the information provided in the Listing Sales Book. Maybe during that time, one Buyer will wonder off to inspect something mentioned and they will begin to feel at home.

My Listing Sales Book – a Valuable Sales Tool

What goes in the book:

• Seller’s Disclosure
• CMA
• List of features
• Utility bills
• List of nearby amenities
• School, HOA information, neighborhood newsletter
• Appraisal
• Photos taken when flowers are in bloom
• Repair receipts, appliance warranty information

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Preparing my home for sale in Florence Park AND am I a difficult Seller for THIS Realtor to work with?

Those that follow my blog know that I’m preparing my home for sale in Florence Park. My husband laughed today, “You need to blog about this – I think you’re being a difficult Seller!” He’s funny -ha ha.

• Buff the hardwoods or completely refinish them?
• Spend a thousand dollars on new light fixtures, ceiling fans and door knobs, but skip painting the closet interiors?
• What to do about the patio that didn’t fare well through our last snow/ice storm?

I did learn a cool trick from my preferred home stager, Peggy Givens, owner of Staging Tulsa. I have a perfectly beautiful glass storm door that I purchased ten years ago and we’re unable to locate a handle to replace the worn brass handle. Peggy’s solution? “Remove the hardware, go over it with fine steel wool, clean it, then paint it with rubbed bronze metal paint.” Whodda thunk. It looks beautiful. I decided to paint the old, worn brass mailbox and return the new one I already purchased. [Please note home Sellers that THIS Realtor would NEVER think of selling her own home without the services of a professional home stager.]

After spending the last seven years in real estate, of course I have access to the best vendors . . . you can find them listed on my “Preferred Vendor list” always available on my web site as a resource for my community and clients. Jane Halliwell of Prime Painting & Restoration was the obvious choice to do all my painting.

Of course, Gil DeLozier will refinish my hardwoods – his family has been restoring hardwood floors in the finest homes of midtown Tulsa for almost 100 years. Local arborist, Greg Cole trimmed my trees. My life-saver and repair specialist, Gary Ellis, will do all the odd-jobs that nobody else wants to do – and he’ll do them as if my home were his home. Of course, I have my fav plumbers, electricians, etc. to install the new sink, new range, new shower head and lighting fixtures.

I will have Atkinson’s pre-inspect my home and will purchase an American Home Shield (AHS) residential service agreement (home warranty) for the new owner’s comfort and protection. Roof bidding is still going on if you want in on that!

Lastly, my fav Lender: Juliana James-Thomas, 1st Capital Mortgage is going to provide mortgage payment information on the back of my flyers – this woman is the sharpest Lender I’ve met – years in the business and she has a heart of GOLD.

Preparing my home for sale in Florence Park

Several neighbors have noticed that my renters have moved and see that I’m preparing my home for sale in Florence Park – of course they have suggestions. I will definitely call on my neighbor Harriet for landscaping suggestions. Pat has suggestions about the shutters. Carol and Arleta will have suggestions about SOMETHING.

Nice to know I’m not selling my dream home alone – it’s my neighbors, my friends, cooperating REALTORS, my dear vendors and my family – we’re all preparing my home for sale in Florence Park together. What a great team!!

Oh, and I’ll be posting photos as soon as it’s ready. Honestly, you will WANT to buy it! Did I mention that I have a 2-car garage AND an inside utility?

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, including midtown Tulsa, downtown Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Bixby, Sand Spring and Jenks, Oklahoma. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Here it is – straight from the horse’s mouth. This post is courtesy of David H Stevens, Secretary of the United States Dept. of HUD. This office oversees the FHA programs for Single & Multi-Family housing; HUD’s Healthcare programs (insurance for hospitals & nursing homes); manages regulatory policy for RESPA, Manufactured Housing, & SAFE. [Re-blogged with permission, January 21, 2010.]

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, including midtown Tulsa, downtown Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Bixby, Sand Spring and Jenks, Oklahoma. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

This is not a scare tactic – just information you need to be aware of. Lori