VS THE BIG COMPANY?

Remember who won!!!

If you think the size of the company you list your home with is important, you are right. But if you think bigger is better, you are dead wrong. I have worked at large, medium and smaller companies, and I firmly believe you generally just get better, personal and more professional service with a small local company - all day long. I just can’t stand for some of the myths out there so here are some doozies along with the facts. See if they make sense and then choose.

Fiction “If you list with us (big company) we’ll sell your home faster since we have more agents.” FACT The big company has absolutely no advantage in their number of agents. Once your home is listed on the multiple listing service, ALL 500+ in the shoreline area, as well as 10,000 agents in the state of CT have immediate and equal access to the information about your house thru the MLS -Multiple Listing System. All of them will have a chance to show your home to buyers they may be working with. FACT The truth is most property sales are co-broked between companies, and are not in house sales. Ideally you are hiring your agent to show your home professionally, negotiate the very best contract for you once an offer is on the table, and navigate thru issues to the closing, regardless of who brings the contract – be it through the MLS system, from a sign call, or from any sort of Internet or print-based exposure.

Fiction “The small company won’t advertise your house as much.” Nothing could be further from the truth! Would you rather have your home listed with a company that has hundreds of listings (big company), or with a small company that focuses on a select number of homes? FACT With our company your home will be featured in advertising, not part of a big group ad of many homes with two lines of copy. Go ahead, look at their ads.

Fiction “Our web site is the best for buyers”. FACT 90% of the buyers look at properties on line and most use Realtor.com or Zillow and not a real estate company site. FACT Many buyers are tired of various company web sites as they are tough to navigate and promote themselves more than their properties. FACT having said that the real estate portals like Realtor.com or Zillow cull their information from the MLS and as such present all properties equally. By the way - we use QR (quick response) codes on our properties to allow buyers immediate access to information.
About lock boxes. Why would you pay a company a lot of money in commissions only to have them put on a lock box on your door? Bad idea for two main reasons. FACT Buyers want information that is not available on the MLS i.e. well, water and septic stats as well as having questions they may have answered immediately and professionally. Also, shouldn’t you be concerned about the security of your home? FACT While a lot of agents who may show your home are reliable and honest, when you allow the lock box you open things up and you can not be sure who is looking and why. Are they casing your home and threaten your security? FACT We are on site for every showing. If an agent has so many listings they can not afford the time to show your home or does not care, you can not “afford” that agent.

FACT Many transactions fall apart as a result of the inspections. Please know that many listing agents do not attend the inspections. Simply, we do. We know houses and all mechanical systems. During my 32 years in real estate, I have been on over 500 property inspections and built over 50 houses. When issues come up regarding mechanical or structural issues, we are able to quantify the problems, put them in perspective, and save the deal. Experience counts.

FACT Similarly, many transactions fall apart as a result of the appraisal. Please know that many listing agents do not attend the appraisals. We attend every appraisal loaded with comparables for the appraiser to justify the negotiated purchase price. We insure that the house is put in the finest light with all questions answered. Hard work counts.

FACT We do not refer our clients to company owned or affiliated agencies like mortgage or insurance companies. Sounds a little self serving and not in our clients best interest. We know and are happy to recommend trusted and reliable local business without any issues of referral fees or steering clients due to company policy.

FACT In some case, the size of the company works against you. In a difficult economy as we are in, agents flock to the big companies hoping for better success. Please know, that while there are some good agents in large companies, the reality is there may only be ½ dozen real producers in an office with 60+- agents. The odds are you are subject to having your listing or prospects on your listing handled by one of the less capable agents.

FACT I have tried not to sound too jaded but I am so tired of hearing the bigger is better fallacy. It is also so important not just how many buyers are “run” through your home but more importantly how they are treated. We at Sunset Creek are hands on from the moment you sing up with us all the way through to the closing. NOBODY will outwork us. With respect to the listing, we are accountable to you every day, not just in a flurry just before the expiration of the listing. We will give you an honest opinion of value and tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. In other words, we will not “buy your listing” and give you an inflated price.

If you have a problem, you can always call the owner, yours truly. No other company can boast that. AND THE BOTTOM LINE: If you are dissatisfied with our service, we will give you a written cancellation at any time. No other company will give you that assurance.

GO WITH DAVID

Let us show what we can do for you.
Al Jacobs
Owner Broker

Buying is cheaper than renting in nearly 100 major U.S. markets: Trulia
Buying is more affordable than renting in 98 out of the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas — even in New York, Los Angeles and Boston, according to real estate company Trulia's rent vs. buy index.

The index is based on asking prices for rental units and homes for sale on the company's website between Dec. 1, 2011, and Feb. 29. “As rents rise and prices stagnate, homeownership is becoming even more affordable, but rising rents create a dilemma for people who can’t afford to buy yet,” says Jed Kolko, Trulia’s chief economist. “Rising rents make it harder for people to save for a down payment, which is the biggest barrier to buying a home that aspiring homeowners face.”
"Buying is much cheaper than renting in slow-growing places with high vacancy rates and land to spare, like Detroit and Cleveland, where prices are unlikely to improve much in the future," he says.

At Sunset Creek Realty we see the best opportunity to get into ownership in many years. Prices are down and the interest rates are at an all time low. Even without factoring in benefits like income tax savings and principal reduction let alone long term appreciation, in many cases, it is still cheaper to own. Give us a call and before we put you in a car and show you properties, let's talk about what's best for you.

• On and off site bookkeeping services.
• Quickbooks Training and Consultations
• Accounts receivable and payable
• Payroll

 To contact Tina please call 203-304-8096

“ARE WE THERE YET?” Remember the old question that was asked by kids in the car after a long journey.? So, I get asked that all the time – have we reached bottom? Our “journey” in real estate has gone for over 5 years now. Prices clearly have dropped. The folks at Standard & Poors are now saying that nationwide home prices are back to 2001 levels. Not sure I would quite say that in the North East but the point is well taken. Many homes that have been placed on the market that were bought in the last 7-8 years are not worth what people paid for them. For many, their equity is gone and some are “under water” meaning they would have to bring money to a closing. As a result foreclosures skyrocketed from 2008 to 2011. Buyer’s feel they are very much in control and it does not seem like a fair “fight”. Sometimes it seems like a full scale contact contest.

Some indicators suggest we have stemmed the tide. Prices in our area went up 0.7% for the last quarter of 2011 vs the last quarter of 2010, and the number of sales went up 2.8% for the same period. Not a huge change but better positive numbers for once. The good news, I think, is that we are at the bottom and the only way to go is up. It will still take awhile to get back to a balance between buyers and sellers. There are still a number of foreclosures and strategic defaults to wade through as adjustable rate mortgages with original teaser rates from the last 10 years come due to go up. This may go on for a few more years and the inevitable foreclosures will continue to affect buyers’ mentality (everyone wants a steal). Two other factors having an effect are 1) appraisals are coming in very conservatively and 2) loans are getting harder to qualify for as lenders have switched from equity based lender to credit based. Hard to believe even with 30-40% down, some people may have trouble getting a loan.

Thankfully, we a slightly better off along the Ct shoreline than many places. There is marginally increasing optimism in the financial markets and slight decreases in unemployment, both of which effect the real estate market. The lower prices market have been fairly active. Many of the better priced houses under $300,000 are sold. As I look around, many of those “deals” are having a TRICKLE UP effect.

Here at Sunset Creek Realty, as we enter our 6th year in business, we can honestly say – we are doing okay. We have 8 agents with a total of over 140 years of experience. We are affiliated with Realty Group CT, a 17 member network of independent offices that afford us the ability to compete with and beat the big companies. Although none of us would choose the current real estate climate, it is not a time for a pity party!!! We just have to work smarter and harder. We still must be doing something right as we have been courted by THREE large companies wishing to absorb Sunset Creek Realty. While flattering, we want to be the best company, not just part of a big company.

WHAT TO DO? Is it time to make a move? It’s a tough call. It depends on what your situation is. It is still a good time to buy. Not a great time to just sell. BUT remember, if you are selling and buying in the same marketplace it doesn’t matter when you make a move, although it is time to be careful. In this tough market, it is more important than ever that trust and communication are a top priority in the selling relationship. Please know you can always count on us at Sunset Creek for both, as we always have and, always will treat people right - we here are here for the long run. Give us a call for anything, FREE advice, contractor recommendation, or just stop by for a cup of coffee.

Allen B. Jacobs, GRI, Broker, Owner

 Bishops has over 400 acres dedicated to growing everything from apples to strawberries to pears and peaches. They also have a large selection of gourmet cooking products, artisan cheeses, fresh breads, and a huge selection of desserts, including some of the best pies in the state.

Five years ago, Bishops started their Farm Winery, and have been racking up the medals and awards since. Their sample bar where you can experience the various wines and hard ciders they produce has a waiting line every weekend. The winery also received a great write up in the New York Times recently. Thanks to changes in regulations, you can also buy their wine products on Sundays as well.

Bishop's also has many events throughout the year. Corn and hay mazes. Story times, The Shoreline Wine Festival, and many more. Check out all the listings either on CtOutandAbout.com or "like" their Bishop's Orchards Facebook Page.

 But, wait, there's more. They aren't just about Halloween costumes. They also have Santa suits, elf costumes, The Easter Bunny, and virtually any Holiday costume you may need. They also stock a wide selection of promotional costumes so that you can drive traffic to your store on the day of your event.

Follow this link and check out Characters and Costumes today.

 In addition to all the traditional red pies that you love, they also do some really amazing white pies as well. Mashed potato and bacon, and when in season, the goat cheese, fig, and caramelized onion pie is a huge seller.  They also salads, and all your favorites such as lasagna, subs, and salads.

 The latest addition to the lineup is The Naples Pizza Truck. This truck is available to cater your special events, and can also be used to support your various fund raising events.

 Naples Pizza. Great pies, Italian food catering, Pizza Truck and More.

Call 203-453-4759

In my 32 years as a Realtor, I have always been a student of the market and my homework results are not looking good. Looking back this past several years, the number of people who have been successful in selling their homes is low. Would you believe that under 35% of those who listed their properties actually sold them?If you add those people who haven't bothered to list their properties due to the poor selling climate, there is a big supply out there. Bottom line - it is a huge BUYER'S market out there.

So, as a seller, what to do? It is not a time for a pity party! If you are serious about selling, then act accordingly. Tell your Realtor to tell you what you NEED to HEAR, not what you WANT to HEAR. Many times, a Realtor will "Buy" your listing - meaning that they will tell you an inflated price for the value of your home. They hope to curry favor with you. Most sellers want to believe there beautiful home is the nicest around and worth more than others.

Real estate agents who "buy" listing do everyone a dis-service. More often than not, overpriced listings languish on the market and eventually are forced to reduce their price and end up chasing the market down. It goes to prove, however, that sellers should be listening to their real estate "DR". Listen to what agents say about the price and improvements necessary to attract an offer in today's market. What's the point of cleaning everything up and making plans to move, only to sit there for two years without a sale? If you do want to sell, you need to do more than just sign a listing--you actually need to have a property in the top third of all properties, in order to sell it. That's food for thought. The Dr is in.

For A little background. I have been a Rotary Advisor to the Guilford High School Interact Club for 15 years now. I'm proud to say these young men and women have done incredible things in these past years. While they have always been active in community service projects, they have stepped up their fundraising to the big time. For over three years they have donated over $7,000 to worthy causes. They include donations to the Guilford Food Bank, homeless shelters, The Cove, battered women's shelter,  as well as supplying safe clean drinking water for an entire village in India. Not impressed? How about building homes in Haiti and Giving $1,000 to St. Judes Childrens Hospital?

 In 2010, the Guilford Foundation chose to partner with GHS Interact Club to form the Youth Advisory Group as an offshoot of Interact. Like Interact, YAG is starting to make a huge difference in the community as well. The Youth Advisory Group (YAG), some shown in the picture taken at annual Guilford Foundation Dinner, was created through a partnership between GF and the Guilford High School Rotary Interact Club. YAG is currently fundraising for, and awarding grants to, local nonprofit organizations! Last spring, the group gave $5,500 to four worthy projects in town. To see the grants and what they went to serve see the address below.

http://www.guilfordfoundation.org/news/grants/interact-club-reaches-goal-and-presents-grants/

For a grant application and guidelines see below.

http://www.guilfordfoundation.org/grants/ghs-interact-club-youth-advisory-group-grants/