October 2017 - Southeast Alaska Home & Real Estate Guide

A PUBLICATION OF THE CAPITAL CITY WEEKLY

SOUTHEAST ALASKA

OCTOBER 2017

ON THE COVER

3111 DOUGLAS HIGHWAY OFFERED BY EXIT REALTY OF JUNEAU

Gwen Place

Associate Broker, Property Manager, REALTOR®

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Coldwell Banker Race Realty 2103 N. Jordan Avenue Juneau, Alaska 99801 WWW.RACEREALTY.COM OFFICE: 907-789-0555 CELL: 907-209-4445 Call or Text

PORT FREDERICK PANORAMA

RACE REALTY

On The Cover: Photo by Hadassah Nelson 2 AlaskaUSA Mortgage 3 Coldwell Banker: Gwen Place

ONE OF A KIND WATERFRONT

WATERFRONT LOT N. TEE HARBOR

AMAZING VIEWS of Port Frederick from this BEAUTIFUL LOCAL Hoonah Hemlock Home.

Built 2009, TOYO. Poured concrete foundation. One of a kind dream location. Fine finishes, jet tub, maple cabinets & efficient double oven make this the perfect home, new vacation home or quality investment.

Asking $265,000

Accessed from Glacier Highway.

Driveway is in and the public power and water are available, multiple choices for site building locations. Clear some trees and have spectacular ocean views! Partial building pad already in. Build your waterfront dream home in the 1.25 acre oceanfront lot! Asking $279,900

Waterfront home in Auke Bay with the best view in town. 3 bedroom 2 and 1/2 bath custom built home, on almost one acre. Featuring beautiful wood work, timber from Admiralty Island, rocks from the Mendenhall Glacier, and an apartment to earn income or be part of the home.

Asking $999,000

WATERFRONT LOT S. TEE HARBOR

1,600 SQ FEET, 3 BED

NO FUSS LIVING

4 Ricker Real Estate Consulting AlaskaUSA Mortgage: Minerva Carandang Platinum Real Estate 5 Ask a Broker 6 Selling your Home: 'X' Marks the Overlooked Generation 7 Southeast Alaska Real Estate: Jocelyn Miles

By The Numbers 8 Mountain Homes on Climb 9 Home Buying: Real Estate Experts Exit Realty 10 Home Shopping Tips 11 First Bank Mortgage 12 Try this on the Grill

Tucked away right off main road on Tee Way, this 1/4 acre home site offers privacy w/out being off the grid. Partial driveway in, shared easement with neighboring lot.

Sewer/Water, Electric & Cable TV all available at lot line. Fish, kayak, dive, and swim right off your own private beach! Asking $110,000

This beautiful Mendenhaven home is freshly painted. Master bedroom w/walk in closet, sunken living room, extra family room/ den, 2 car garage, large covered deck, full laundry room and dining area off kitchen with center island.

Somewhat private lot and ready for move in. Asking $359,000

1 bedroom/1 bath condo with an office as big as the bedroom. Large open kitchen and living room floor plan. Close to schools, bus stop, library and Sandy Beach recreation area. Large Closets, comfortable and ready to make your own, or a great opportunity to invest in a rental property. Asking $115,000

MORE LISTINGS • 2bd 1 ba mobile. Churchill #38, Handy man special. Owner finance w/ half down. Asking $25,000 • Over 1 acre land near Mosquito Lake outside Haines, Alaska. 133 ft. State Road frontage. Asking $20,000 • Approx. 2 acres building land for your new home in Gustavus, Alaska. Asking $46,000 • Almost 30 acre lot on Umnamed Lake outside Willow Alaska, asking $30,000 • 2 acre wooded waterfront lot, 120 ft. of gravel beach front in Angoon, Alaska. Asking $44,000 • 2.85 acre lot zoned Commercial/Residential, electric/city water avail. Popular destination sport fish and hunting Lodge location. Possible owner finance with large down. Yakutat, AK Asking $115,500

RENTALS • Available Now - 3bd 1ba S. Douglas 1600 sq. ft. View. Heat/Hot Water/garbage included $1,450/mo • Flexible Lease Available Now. 2bd/2ba fully furnished condo, downtown, carport, shared lawn area, water/ sewer, trash included. $1650/mo + Electric

INTERESTED IN A REAL ESTATE CAREER? CONTACT US!

13 Affordable Sticker Shock 14 Cornerstone Homelending Social Media 15 4 Questions for a Potential Agent State Farm: Malia Hayward 16 Southeast Alaska Real Estate: Karen Wright

ADVERTISE WITH US! Call Kathryn 523-2274

GARAGE

DO YOU WANT TO PLACE AN AD?

SALE KITS MAKE YOUR SALE A HIT!

YOUR KIT WILL INCLUDE:

✔ Classified Ad in Juneau Empire (3 lines, runs on Thursday and Friday) ✔ Online Ad Thursday, Friday, and Saturday ✔ (3) 2-sided signs with Metal Stakes ✔ (3) balloons ✔ 2-pocket Change Apron ✔ Permanent Marker ✔ 140 Pre-Priced Labels DEADLINE FOR AD RESERVATION IS 10AM ON THE WEDNESDAY PRIOR TO YOUR SALE

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$

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ROMONA WIGG CCW Sales Rep 523-2290

ASK A BROKER

By Peter G. Miller QUESTION:

We’re interested in buying a home and can purchase with 20 percent down. Would it make more sense to buy with less money up front?

ANSWER:

There’s no rule that says you have to buy with 20 percent down if you have it but it’s a choice that lenders love. The logic is if a home is purchased with 80/20 financing, the lender has a big cushion if something goes wrong. Example: You buy a home for $300,000 with 20 percent down, lose your job, the house is foreclosed and the property sells at auction for $260,000. That’s a loss of $40,000 but to the lender there is no loss: the property sold for $260,000 but the property was financed with a $240,000 mortgage (80 percent of $300,000). The $260,000 from the foreclosure sale allows the lender to be completely paid back.

Buying with 20 percent also has advantages for purchasers. You’ll owe less so the monthly mortgage payment is smaller. With 20 percent down there’s no requirement for private mortgage insurance, a big savings. If you have some credit dings a big down payment is likely to be seen as a compensating factor that will make your mortgage application more attractive.

But while lenders like financing with 20 percent down you may not. It takes a long time to save so much money, a tough job for many. According to a 2016 survey by GoBankingRates.com most of us – almost 70 percent – have less than $1,000 in savings.

In today’s world buying with 20 percent down is a luxury for most purchasers. According to the National

Association of Realtors, in 2016 firsttime buyers typically bought with 6 percent down while repeat purchasers were able to pay 14 percent up-front.

As an alternative to 20 percent down you can readily finance with the FHA and 3.5 percent up-front while VA-qualified borrowers can purchase with nothing down. There are also new conforming loans with just 3 percent down.

Why would you want to purchase with less down if that means higher monthly

costs and some form of mortgage insurance?

You might have a better use for the down payment money such as starting a business or paying off education debt.

You might be more comfortable with cash in the bank. Having cash on hand can be important in the event of emergencies. And, while you may be able to buy with 20 percent down will you then have enough funds for closing, moving and repairs?

peter@ctwfeatures.com Peter G. Miller is author of “The Common-Sense Mortgage.'

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%

Juneau is 16% safer than other Alaskan cities and 6% safer than other American cities.

Source: AreaVibes.com

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HOME SELLING

By Erik J. Martin

'X' Marks the Overlooked Generation WHEN IT COMES TO HOME BUYING AND SELLING, GEN X IS BACK IN THE REAL ESTATE GAME By whatever name you call them – millennials, Generation Y or twentysomethings –consumers typically born between the early 1980s and mid 1990s continue to dominate headlines, especially when it comes to housing trends.

But their bigger brothers and sisters have been making some real estate news of their own lately that should interest home buyers and sellers of any generation.

Based on a new National Association of Realtors study, Gen Xers (often born between the mid1960s and early 1980s) have increased their home purchase activity by 28 percent in the year ending June 2016, up from 26 percent a year earlier and the highest rate observed since 2014. The report, which expects increased home buying from Gen X to continue in 2017, credits marked growth in home values, a more robust economy, and several years of solid job gains with spurring 37- to 51-year-olds to purchase more homes lately.

Racquel Popovic, agent with Mirdaor Real Estate in New York City, says she found the aforementioned 28 percent uptick statistic “astounding,” but can understand the drivers of this trend.

“Consider what life stage many Gen X individuals are in right now.

Many are thinking about retirement and moving in or out of big cities, and their children are now the ones requiring larger homes for expanding families,” Popovic says. “Many in this generation trust property over other investments and prefer the stability of the real estate market rather than gamble with stocks or other uncertain assets.”

The real estate crash nearly a decade ago affected Gen X the hardest, many believe.

“They were in prime buying and selling mode when the market rose, but were left holding the bag when it tanked,” says Gina Tufano, Realtor with Ashburn, Va.-based Pearson Smith Realty. “Thankfully, many have recovered through building equity or savings and are no longer trapped. Now, the time has come for them to be active players in the market again.”

Douglas Wagner, director of brokerage services for New York Cityheadquartered BOND New York Properties, says Gen X often has been

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overshadowed by millennials in media coverage because the latter is seemingly more homogenous.

“Their practically unison movements are quickly identifiable as trends, and, as such, millennials are interesting culturally. By contrast, Gen Xers live more like the Baby Boomers before them,” Wagner says. “But this new home purchasing data provides the media with an entirely new chapter to explore.”

Joshua Jarvis, owner of Jarvis Team Realty in Duluth, Ga., agrees that Gen X is a different breed from Gen Y. “Gen Xers have families and are coming into their own in their careers. They were generally taught to work hard to get what you want,” says Jarvis, adding that these qualities may not be as interesting to the media.

Wagner believes Gen X has learned from past mistakes, too.

“This generation suffered greatly from falling home values, predatory lending and the foreclosure epidemic. Some weren’t financially ready to undertake huge mortgage debt and learned from the Great Recession to live within their means,” Wagner says.

Gen Xers – or prospective buyers of any age group, for that matter – need to be honest with themselves about what they can afford and their future goals and needs, say the experts.

“Before purchasing, they should be confident they have enough funds on hand after closing to carry the property into the future, even if they should see an interruption in their incomes,” says Wagner, who recommends keeping a ratio of expenses to income at or below 30 percent. “And before selling, Gen Xers need to get multiple professional opinions on a home’s value and consider where they’re going to move next.”

Tufano advises buying based on “what is, not what you hope it will be,” she says. “The market will likely go up and equity will improve, but what if it doesn’t? Will you be able to sell this home down the road?

What if you can’t refinance? What if you get laid off?”

Ultimately, “think big picture, and you will likely find a home you not only love,” Tufano adds, “but one that will be an asset in your portfolio toward retirement.”

By the Numbers

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Percentage of millennials that are worried about poor credit history as a barrier to becoming a homeowners.

Source: CTW Features

62.2

Percentage of the home’s current value that the median homeowner still owes.

Source: Zillow Equity Report

44

Percentage of first-time home sellers that indicated they chose their real estate company based on its reputation.

Source: CTW Features

P leas e

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HOME SELLING

By Jim Parker

M O U N TA I N H O M E S O N C L I M B A S H I G H - F LY I N G S ECO N D H OM E S , R E T R E ATS. These ranch spreads, A-frames and traditional designs are up windy dirt roads, hidden in the woods or nestled among spectacular peak views for miles. Or they’re condos, townhomes or cliff-side properties in mile-up resorts or even city suburbs.

Mountain homes have been around almost since the early settlers, but the highland properties today draw on many Americans’ outdoor urges for a vacation home, ski lodge, log cabin or retirement residence on a high ridge or in the foothills.

One of the country’s largest property brokers, United Country Real Estate, lists more than 2,150 mountain properties for sale in 24 states from California to Maine (as well as Panama, Costa Rica and Honduras) priced from $1,800 for a slice of land to $83 million for an 8,300-acre forested expanse northwest of Asheville, North Carolina. Enclaves are for sale in the Rocky and Smoky mountain states such as Idaho and Tennessee, as well as less expected hilly places such as Maryland and Oklahoma.

The list includes 112 houses and properties $1 million or higher, notes United Country, a national firm that specializes in rural properties and estates including mountain lands.

Sky high property seekers can crisscross the country to look for mountain deals. But many areas are known as historically popular spots for buyers from certain areas such as Charleston area and other South Carolina residents descending on the western North Carolina mountains during the summer and New England city dwellers traveling to the higher climbs of Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

A few ties aren’t as naturally geographical, such as Southwestern homeowners looking almost to the Canadian border for a mountain home. “Texans love the fierce, independent spirit, wide-open space and natural beauty of Montana,” says Candy Evans, founder of high-end vacation real estate properties www.SecondShelters.com. “The fourth largest state has long been a favored vacation home setting for folks from North Texas, made even better last summer when American Airlines instituted daily nonstop seasonal flights 8

to Bozeman Yellowstone Airport, the gateway to the area known as ‘Big Sky,’ from May through September – prime time to get away from triple-digit heat,” she says.

Ski resorts, too, draw vacationers for casual twists and turns down the slopes or for serious snow boarding or slaloming. In 2015, real estate information firm RealtyTrac found 18 communities all in the West that met its criteria, including proximity to an airport, jobless rate, median home price, annual home price appreciation, gross rent yield, foreclosure rate and “pure awesomeness factor.”

Top picks included posh resorts such as Aspen, Colorado, with a $920,000 median sale price and Jackson, Wyoming at $759,000, as well as lesser known communities. Huntsville, Utah, home to Snowbasin and Powder Mountain ski resorts was singled out for its second lowest $169,550 median home sale price and Bellingham, Washington, site of Mount Baker ski area, was also in the top group.

Even though mountain properties tend to be valuable, real estate and investment advisors warn buyers to be cautious in buying high-up properties as a second home.

On the money-management website Financial Samurai, founder Sam Dogen discloses his less-than-savvy investment experience buying a house at Lake Tahoe just after the late 2000s real estate swoon.

His tips include figuring out your future income, factoring in ups and downs; spending enough time looking over the property; running the number on multiple scenarios; getting a third opinion; talking to your neighbors; and checking sales prices for comparable sites.

“Vacation properties should be purchased primarily for lifestyle purposes only,” Dogen says. “When I bought my vacation property, I imagined a scenario where the family and close friends could go up and play. I wanted to always feel at home when on vacation and I really do every time I go up to Lake Tahoe three hours away. However, my purchase was a very poor economic decision if we just focus on the numbers.”

© CTW FEATURES

HOME BUYING

By Laura Depta

Real Estate Experts...

Tips to assemble the perfect home-buying team Purchasing your first home represents a major life event, but you can’t do it alone. Home buying is a team sport, and you’ll only be successful with all the key players going to bat for you. Here are the pros you need on your side: THE LENDER First, you need to set your finances in order by selecting the right lender – this could be a mortgage broker, bank or credit union. “The financing is the most important part of the whole transaction,” says Rhonda Duffy, owner of Duffy Realty of Atlanta.

Duffy recommends speaking to several lenders and then comparing their loan proposals. “When you’re hunting the right kind of loan, you’ve got to know the questions to ask these lenders and then be able to compare what they tell you,” she says.

Once you’ve made a decision, the lender will help you determine what you can afford based on your application and credit history. Your lender will help you get pre-approved for a mortgage.

THE AGENT The agent is there to guide you through all the complex steps of finding and purchasing a home. “The agent’s role is to be a sounding board,” Duffy says. “To know what happens in the transaction next and to, with urgency, put those pieces into place.”

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Referrals are key. Ask the home-owning friends and relatives in your town.

THE HOME INSPECTOR Your real estate agent can generally recommend one, but it is also important to independently investigate the professionals on your team.

“For the inspector, the most important question to ask is, ‘Do you have general liability insurance?’” Duffy says. Since the inspector works for the buyer, the buyer is ultimately liable for any damages that may occur during inspection.

THE APPRAISER The appraiser is a member of your team, but not one that you recruit. The appraiser is hired by the lender to assess the home’s value to make sure it’s worth what they’re offering you. The goal is to protect both you and the lender to make sure you’re not overpaying for the home.

THE CLOSING AGENT The closing agent is the final piece of the puzzle. This could be an escrow company or an attorney, depending on the state. Either way, the closing agent works for the buyer, seller and lender to tie up the loose ends of the transaction. The closing agent escrows funds and ensures that contracts are being followed.

“Homeownership is very valuable,” Duffy says. “I don’t want [buyers] to be afraid of it, like they can’t accomplish it. All they have to do is apply a little bit of rational logic to an emotional process.” © CTW FEATURES

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HOME BUYING

By Marilyn Kennedy Melia

HOME SHOPPING TIPS How to stay focused while on the house hunt.

It’s not easy to be sure-footed through every step, especially for first-time buyers. But experts can provide guidance on navigating the twisting path, ending at the right new home for you: 1. Meet Lenders This is not the fun part. Most real estate agents insist buyers get “pre-qualified” – meaning lenders estimate the amount of mortgage a buyer is eligible for – before visiting properties.

“There is no sense in looking … if you haven’t validated what price range you should be shopping in,” explains Cara Ameer, a broker-associate with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

Even a preliminary discussion of how much your down payment will be, your credit and debt picture and other financing factors involves a host of decisions.

2. Prioritize Preferences What do really want in a home? Probably lots, like being in a great school district, having a shorter commute to work, or huge closets.

Wish lists differ, with some putting a priority

on items others don’t even rank, such as the quality of cell phone service in a condo, notes Jim D’Amico, owner of Century 21 North Shore in Boston.

Analyze your priorities carefully. If an item you’re ranking highly, for instance, is dependent on other future event, it could be a mistake to choose primarily on that priority. If you buy a home that’s smaller than you want but choose it because of the school district, and then decide to send your son to a private school, you could regret your choice.

3. Go Under the Microscope When browsing online, buyers typically view a shot of the front exterior first, says Michael Seiler, a professor of real estate and finance at The College of William and Mary. “Only if they like it will they read the property description,” he adds.

But the photos can be misleading, warns Seiler. “Don’t fall in love with a home on the internet. There’s no substitution for a personal visit.”

When you’re interested, go back at different times of the day, and on a weekend and weekday, Ameer says. Then leave no door or drawer unturned, checking space in closets and cabinets. Then walk both the inside and outside, noting conditions down to any scuffs on moldings.

4. Find ‘The One’ It will be a mix of practical reasons and intangible, emotional factors that come together on a particular property, giving you the sense that a particular property is right for you, Lee says.

Beware, though, that sometimes the most “practical” choice is not the best in the long term,.

Experts warn not to over-spend, however some consumers shy away from appealing features – anything from more square footage to a lavish landscaping – because they feel guilty about the indulgence.

Checking with a financial adviser on the expenditure might provide a clearer view of what’s practical and most appealing. © CTW FEATURES

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TRY THIS ON THE GRILL

HOW TO MAKE GRILLING MORE ECO-FRIENDLY Weather permitting -- few things can beat a relaxing evening spent in the yard gathered around the grill in the company of friends and family. Cooking food over an open fire dates back centuries.

Despite the various modern means of cooking food, the combination of a metal grill and some flames remains one of the more tasty ways to prepare meals.

Grilling is a relatively easy concept to master, but environmentalists may question if firing up the barbecue is a smart choice. Rest assured that while the environmental impact of grilling is negligible, there still are ways to make it even more ecofriendly.

Grilling purists may prefer charcoal to gas, feeling charcoal more effectively produces that familiar smoky flavor, but environmental experts say that gas grills may be better for the environment. A study by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the Department of Energy found that gas grills generate 5.6 pounds of carbon dioxide per hour, while charcoal grills produce 11 pounds per hour. Furthermore, the charcoal briquettes used on many grills are made from more than just coal.

They may contain wood byproducts, starch, chemical additives, and lighter fluid. For those who insist on charcoal, use natural lump charcoal, which is made from coal and little else.

Another step to take is to invest in a quality grill. Replacing a cheap grill every few years can be harmful to the environment, especially when you consider how many components 12

go into the construction of a grill and the packaging required for shipping long distances.

Quality products last longer, and that durability benefits the planet.

In addition to buying a better grill, you must take good care of the grill and maintain it so it works optimally.

In certain ways, grilling is already an eco-friendly activity, as it doesn’t lend well to prepackaged foods and it enables you to turn off the stove while reducing your electricity consumption. In some instances, you may not even need to fire up the barbecue at all. If you’re spending the evening by a chiminea or a fire pit, you can skewer a couple of hot dogs and cook them right over the flames.

Do not offset the benefits of grilling by creating a bigger environmental hazard in meal preparation and service. Minimize the use of disposable plates, napkins, cups, and plastic cutlery at your backyard event. Rather than single-serve cans of soda or iced tea, use large pitchers or bulk-sized containers. Insist guests discard all

recyclable materials in the proper recycling receptacles.

Promptly wrapping up leftovers is another way to make grilling even greener. Refrigerating foods means you will have good meals for the rest of the week and will minimize spoiled food that would otherwise end up in the garbage.

When shopping for foods to toss on the barbie, choose locally grown foods and sustainably raised and harvested meats and poultry.

Serve generous portions of locally produced vegetables to stretch food even further.

Grilling is a great way to cook in an eco-friendly way if you make a few changes for the better.

HOMEBUYING

By Jim Parker

Affordable

Sticker Shock

Climbing home and rental prices are hurting the chances of poorer people putting roofs over their heads

Coast to coast, the housing industry currently favors the home seller as prices are rising, sales surging and inventories dwindling, which leave the residences on the market more valuable.

Take Seattle as a caffeinated example.

The northwest city of 3.5 million people boasts the hottest housing market in the country since last fall, according to the Case-Shiller home price index and reported this summer in the Seattle Times. The typical single-family house in metro Seattle cost 12.9 percent more in April than a year ago, the report notes.

Other fast-rising markets are Portland, Oregon; Dallas; Denver; and Detroit, up 9.3 to 7.4 percent respectively. Those totals compare with a 5.5 percent national price growth rate.

What’s good for owners and well-off buyers can be doubly troubling for at least one group: lower income property shoppers including first-time homebuyers that can’t afford average and midpoint home prices or apartment rents.

According to studies, the nation has been suffering from an affordable housing crisis. Most hurt are an estimated 11.4 million “extremely low income” American households, which earn below the poverty line, or at 30 percent or less of the area’s

median income.

A new report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition picked out eight states that count fewer than 30 affordable homes available for each 100 households in “extreme poverty.”

The tightest situation is in Nevada, which estimates 15 homes available per 100 extremely lowincome renters, the report says.

“There is a dire shortage of affordable housing in Nevada,” Leanna Garfield, of Business Insider on AOL.com, wrote in an article this spring on the national housing market. Nevada saw its economy jump after the 2008 recession, “but the state’s housing market hasn’t kept up with its recent influx of new residents, especially in cities like Las Vegas and Reno,” the article points out.

Seven other states in which low-income homebuyers are struggling include, in order, California, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, Florida, New Jersey and Texas, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

High prices and shrinking inventories can attack impoverished home seekers even in states without a full-fledged crisis.

According to the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard, nearly half of all renters in the U.S. are

using more than 30 percent of their income to pay for housing, and about 25 percent of people pay rent that exceeds 50 percent of their monthly income.

Affordable Housing Online, whose parent ApartmentSmart.com serves as a marketplace for less expensive rentals and subsidized housing, says that households that pay more than 30 percent of their gross income for living costs are rent overburdened.

Another category, fair market rents, “can be used to better understand the average housing costs of an area,” according to Affordable Housing Online. The rental rates are employed to establish payment standards for the national Housing Choice Voucher Program, in which families seek suitable homes, townhomes or apartments and then pay the difference between the rent charged by the landlord and a subsidy paid to the property owner (If the rent was $1,000 a month and the landlord’s subsidy $250 a month, then the tenant would pay $750 a month).

“If you find it hard to find an affordable apartment or house in the U.S., you’re not alone,” Garfield wrote. © CTW Features

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HOME SELLERS

By Erik J. Martin

SOCIAL MEDIA GETTING THE WORD OUT FASTER

Even homeowners working with a real estate professional do well when they help promote their homes in their social media networks. And more people are taking it upon themselves to speed up the sale of their house by sharing images of their home.

“You can’t underestimate how often people know someone who is looking for a home in their same area or neighborhood. Word of mouth marketing is key,” says Doc Reiss, managing broker with Town & Country Real Estate in Port Angeles, Washington.

Homeowners have a huge advantage over real estate professionals when marketing a property.

They can talk from the heart about why they love their home.

So if you’re sharing your home’s listing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest, con-

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sider creating a storyline around your home’s personality. Is it a place where you can enjoy a mountain view and mediate, or does the large yard beg for gatherings with friends around the outdoor kitchen? Find compelling stories to tell that can grow into a campaign, complete with hashtags.

John Wake, geek-in-chief at Real Estate Decoded, Phoenix, says word-of-word marketing involves telling everyone you know.

“Tell the parents of your kids’ friends at school. Tell your friends at church and work, if appropriate,” he suggests.

Most of all tell your Facebook friends, but should also be cautious not to post too often, as it might turn off people who might potential serve as a referrer.

Your own agent should be supportive of all

your efforts to help out. In the case of McClure, his agent even reduced her commission given that it was his Facebook page that landed the buyer.

“I would definitely recommend promoting a home in your network as a way to give your house more visibility among like-minded people,” he says. “It’s a great tool to use along with having an agent.”

Selling to a friend of a friend is usually a smoother transaction because everyone is on their best behavior, Wake adds. Their social reputation also is at stake.

You can use your social media pages or online digital home management platform for consumers to manage all the data about their home. © CTW Features

HOMEBUYING

By Carley Lintz

4 Questions for a Potential Agent Here’s how to find the right Realtor for your home search Before you can find your dream home, you must first find your dream real estate agent. Once you’ve found a few likely candidates, you should have a face-to-face meeting. Come prepared with an idea of the type of house you’re looking for and, of course, some of the following questions for your agent.

1. What is Your Background? What are Your Credentials?

Trust is a key part of the buyer/agent relationship, so choose a professional with a level of experience that gives you confidence. Ask about their education background and understand the differences between titles. For example, a Realtor is a member of the National Association of Realtor and abides by a strict code of ethics, while a broker has

furthered their education and has passed a broker’s license exam.

2. How Many Deals Have You Done in this Neighborhood?

The more knowledgeable an agent is about the community you want to live in, the better according to Steve Goddard of with RE/MAX Beach Cities Realty in Los Angeles. “You want to ask [the agent], ‘How well do you know this area?’ Did they just move here or have they lived here for 40 or 50 years? How long have they been selling real estate?”

Goddard says.

3. What is Your Typical Case Load?

This question is not necessarily about the number but rather their availability. Essentially you want to be aware if an agent is overloaded with clients

and may not be able to dedicate the appropriate time to finding your future home.

4. How Will We Communicate Throughout This Process?

From first meeting through closing on a house, you should expect reliable and accurate communication from an agent. Inquire about how they make themselves available, whether it’s via email, phone or text message and how often you should expect an update.

Purchasing a home is one of the biggest (and priciest) decisions you’ll ever make. And at the end of the day you want someone on your team that makes you feel comfortable with the process. © CTW FEATURES

TEXTING AND DRIVING MAKES GOOD PEOPLE LOOK BAD. STOPTEXTSSTOPWRECKS.ORG

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