Home Selling • October 5, 2022

Updating flooring for your home coming on the market

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Article written by Rosemary DeLaurentis on August 15, 2022

This week I will be discussing how I successfully help home sellers. If you are thinking of selling, I’m here to put my expertise to work for you so you can get the best price!

Sometimes when you have lived in a home for quite a while, it’s hard to separate your love for the property and what you can do so that others will fall in love with it.

If you have lived in your home for over 10 years, let’s assess what kind of shape your flooring is in – specifically the carpeting. Tile & grout can be cleaned, but sometimes the carpeting is at the very end of it’s life and has to go.

I made the statement to one of my home sellers a while back that had really dark, unremoveable stains in his carpet, “if you spent $3000 for us to get $10,000 more in your sales price, would you do it?” He said yes.

I hooked him up with my favorite carpet person, Jarod Alexander with Floor Source – ph #602-619-6636. I made other suggestions as well, that I will share in another post. The carpeting was his biggest issue, however, and it turned out we got $60,000 over the asking price. That new carpeting really spruced it up!!! Floor Source Website below:

https://www.floorsourceaz.com/

Home Selling • October 5, 2022

Keys to preparing your home for the market

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Article written by Rosemary DeLaurentis on August 16, 2022

Day 2 on how I successfully have helped sellers sell their homes for top dollar. P.s. I can help you too…

A while back I was called to interview for a listing of a loft in Downtown Phoenix at the Artisan Lofts. I work with an assistive living group that was helping these folks move from their beautiful loft to their assistive living community. They called on me to go meet with their clients and interview for the listing.

As I sat and spoke with the couple, they let me know that they had previously been on the market for ONE WHOLE YEAR and the loft still had not sold. Their contract with that realtor had expired and now they needed someone to figure out the problem and get their loft sold so that they could move forward with their plans to move into an assistive living community. They asked me if they could move out and have me list it. My answer was ‘you bet!’.

I walked the property with them and soon figured out a solution to finding a buyer. Folks that love lofts like clean lines, absence of color, exposed pipes, very urban style furniture. The owners furniture was very traditional (their style which they loved) and the walls were painted very warm colors to go with their furniture style and motif.

Seeing they wanted to move out, I gave them the suggestion of a painter that is fabulous, and suggested they freshen up the walls and paint the entire unit white. I also offered to digitally stage the home with urban furniture for the mls photography.

Well my suggestions WORKED. I had it under contract in one week with a full price offer then two days later I also had a full price back up offer. They were thrilled to say the least. They didn’t have the expense of two properties for a long period of time and they were able to move on with their lives in the assistive living community. Win/win for me and them!

It pays to use an experienced listing professional with a good eye and sense for what may be the problem in moving the property.

#rosemarydelaurentisrealty

#North32ndStreetresident

#loveourcommunity

#13sucessfulyearsinrealestate

#putclientsneedsfirst

#94zillowreviews

#sellAZ

Home Selling • October 5, 2022

Do Open Houses work?

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Article written by Rosemary DeLaurentis on August 17, 2022

Day 3 – home seller tips – DO OPEN HOUSES WORK?

My answer is ‘HELL YES they do!’ Let me clarify, they work for those that BELIEVE in them, they don’t work for those that don’t.

My goal with an open house is to see in a buyer, couple or families eyes the look of ‘I’ve just fallen in love with this house.’ You may not know but in an unpredictable market homes fall out of contract once, twice maybe three times. That is incredibly hard on the seller as well as the agent. How I try to avoid that is to find the seller a buyer that has FALLEN IN LOVE. I do that by hosting my own open houses.

My current listing that is under contract in North Phoenix I was holding an open house one Saturday in 115 degree weather. It was a smoker, you could say. (I learned a long time ago from Jan Kabbani that only serious buyers will come to an open house in horrible weather.) I had been at the home since 10 a.m. in the morning. It was now 1:30 with very little traffic until THEN walked in a couple with a clipboard full of listings and information. My listing was on top and the wife was speedily taking notes about my listing. They were there until I closed at 2 p.m. By that time I found out their entire home search story, how qualified they were for a loan, about their wonderful realtor, etc. etc. And guess what I saw in their eyes? You are correct! – they FELL IN LOVE.

They are under contract on my listing, getting thru successfully with their buyer contingency, turned out the appraisal was waived and are successfully thru all inspections. You know why all of this worked, because they FELL IN LOVE and I personally saw it with my own eyes.

I can tell you story after story how this has worked for me but I will spare you the time. (If you want to hear another wonderful open house story, ask Sarah Lathrop Miller about the open house I did for her when I had her home listed. That one God inspired me to do

I’m ready at a drop of a hat to hold my listings open. See my car trunk picture below:

Happy Wednesday! Make it a great day!

Rosemary

Home Selling • October 5, 2022

Know your area statistics!

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Written by Rosemary DeLaurentis on August 18, 2022

Day 4 – on how I can assist my home sellers. This is seller info for those sellers in the zip code 85028 on August 18, 2022. Look what is happening in our market this past month. Very interesting! Our month’s inventory supply has increased by 295% Crazy! That means home that come on the market now will have much more competition than homes that came on the market just a few months ago. These kind of statistics really help when determining list price and the need for marketing.

As a seasoned listing agent, I can read area statistics to help sellers list at a price that will get their seller’s home to move and sell. When a seller chooses to list above the statistical data price, their home can sit on the market for a longer period of time and then they run the risk of getting even less for their beautiful home. Let’s get your home prepped, listed and SOLD!

Rosemary

Home Selling • October 5, 2022

Front yard landscaping & your first impression!

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Article written by Rosemary DeLaurentis on August 19, 2022

Day 5 – home seller tips and how I have helped sellers successfully.

WHAT ABOUT FRONT YARD LANDSCAPING? Can it really detour a buyer?

When the market isn’t crazy busy, buyers do become more picking because they have a lot more homes to chose from. Makes sense, right? The seller only has one shot to make a good first impression. The first impression is made walking up to the front door.

Let me share one incident. I had a home on the market that was sitting for longer than it should. It was a divorce situation (very common in home selling). Well funds were tight on both sides of the seller transaction. The money from the sale of the home would be of great benefit to both sellers at closing so we had to get it moving.

The home was in good condition – especially for the price point but it had one problem. One of the sellers took practically every shrub, flowering bush, etc. out of the front and back yard. It just now was a bunch of rocks and a tree here and there.

One of the seller’s attorney called me and asked, ‘Rosemary – what is the reason this home isn’t selling?’ I told her curb appeal. She said, ‘o.k. I believe in your expertise. I will send you the money to have the landscaping redone.’ I told her how much, she sent the money and I hired one of my landscapers, Victor Tapia, to help me design, shop for the plants and do the install.

The next week we had a showing and guess what happened, it sold!

You only have one chance to make a first impression with your home on the market!

Take a moment to look at this home’s front yard pictured below that I found on line. What do you think when you look at it? I think, what a beautiful home; those folks must take incredible care of that property; I can’t wait to see the inside, etc., etc. Is that what you are thinking?

Happy Friday!

#13sucessfulyearsinrealestate

#onlyonechancetomakeafirstimpression

#rosemarydelaurentisrealty

#94zillowreviews

#ADCOLOR

Home Selling • October 5, 2022

The importance of the seller’s trust in their Realtor

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Article written by Rosemary DeLaurentis on August 20, 2022

Day 6 of 7 – home seller tips and how I have helped sellers successfully.

My topic today is seller TRUST in their realtor. I have found that when sellers TRUST in my ability to sell their home, miraculous things happen! I actually desire to work super hard at obtaining the best and desired results for my seller.

When I was 19 years old I took a Bible class that taught about the importance of trust and the positive side of believing. I’ve attached a picture of that chart from that class. To say the least, that chart and class changed my life forever! When my clients are operating on the right side of the chart, it helps me tremendously with their sale!

I remember early on in my career, a friend asked me to sell a home in Fountain Hills. She had great faith in my ability to find the right buyer and to get the best possible price and she continually told me so.

Well you can imagine that I did everything I knew to sell that house! I remember planting cute live flowers in the backyard flower boxes, I put a large artificial palm tree in a large empty pot on the front porch, I put the home on the Fountain Hills realtor tour to obtain realtor feedback, advertised it everywhere I could and held and coordinated open houses.

The feedback we received from the realtors and folks that attended the open houses was that the home was super cute (which we already knew) but that it being on a busy street and having a smaller kitchen were deterrents.

Well at one of the open houses that my dear realtor friend, Shirley Shadegg, held open in walks a gal that FELL IN LOVE with the home. Turns out this gal was hearing impaired (the traffic noise was not an issue) and was originally from Europe where smaller homes and kitchens were a norm. This gal put in an offer and her offer was accepted! MIRACULOUS, wouldn’t you say?

Seller TRUST is so important and miracles help a lot too!

Happy Saturday you all!

Rosemary DeLaurentis

Home Selling • October 5, 2022

When is the best time to buy?

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Article written by Rosemary DeLaurentis on August 21, 2022

Day 7 of my 7 day series) on seller tips and how I help my home sellers.

So many sellers ask me, “When is the BEST TIME TO SELL?” My answer isn’t based on if the market is up or down, my answer is based on the fact that when it’s the BEST TIME for the seller.

We all go thru major life changes throughout our lives and those changes are what makes it the PERFECT TIME TO SELL. When the market it down, it’s a good time to sell because you will be able to buy at a lower price but you won’t make as much as you like in appreciation. When the market is up, you’ll make a lot more with appreciation, however, the next home you buy (if you are still in the market) will also be higher than previous years.

I’ve been able to help so many folks during life changes such as the following:

– had a new baby and their current home is now too small.

– just got married and their condo wouldn’t accommodate another person.

– relocation – this is a BIG one for many of my clients. They are moving to Phoenix or out of Phoenix for a brand new career opportunity.

– downsizing – they are now empty nesters and no longer need the large 4 bedroom home with a pool.

– decided to move to an area like a 55+ where there are more amenities for retired folks.

– the neighborhood isn’t the best and want to move to a quieter area farther out of town.

– decided they want to be closer to out-of-state family. (This was the main reason I helped so many sellers during the pandemic.)

– decided to purchase a different type of property such as a horse property and needed more land.

– their lifestyle changed and they want less land.

– couple is going thru a divorce and need to separate finances.

– a death of a spouse.

– are now in need to move to an assistive living situation.

These are just a few GREAT reasons for you to make a move. If any of these or countless other reasons apply, THIS IS THE BEST TIME FOR YOU TO SELL!

I hope you enjoyed my week of seller tips. I am always here to help.

Happy Sunday!

Rosemary

Home Buying • September 24, 2022

Numbers involved in Purchasing a Home

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Article written by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Day 7 of 7 – of my home buyers series. For you folks that love NUMBERS, buying a property is the PERFECT OPPORTUNITY! Lots of things depend on numbers.

One of my wonderful lenders, Chad Stallings with Fairway Mortgage, put together a list of essential NUMBERS lenders look for in a qualified buyer. This information is so important when you work to qualify for a home. I figured this could help you prepare and give you some direction. See his list below:

45% DTI (DEBT TO INCOME RATIO) which is the proposed house payment + any monthly reoccurring debts (credit cards, car loans and personal loans) min monthly payment / total gross income.

620+ FICO SCORE (CREDIT SCORE) we are typically looking for this or better, we can go lower than this in some case but higher is always better. We will take the middle score from the three credit bureaus for qualifying

2 YEARS/MONTHS, typically we like to see 2 years of WORK HISTORY and LIVING HISTORY (rent or mortgage), we collect 2 years of W-2’s and federal Tax Returns and we will collect 2 months of asset statements (bank statements and investment statements). Sometimes we need less but generally this is the case.

30 DAYS, this is the amount of PAYSTUBS that we will ask for, the most recent 30 days worth of paystubs.

OK, the ‘mystery’ has been revealed! These are the NUMBERS they work with. So now all you have to do is get started… Your own home is just around the corner. Can you see it?

Chad and I would love to help you! If you are reading these articles and live out of state, we can help you with an agent and a lender with our same years of experience and qualifications in other states. Don’t be shy, you can ask for some contacts and we would love to provide them.

This concludes my week of my buyer home series. If you thought it was helpful, please leave a comment and let me know. If you would like Chad’s info, I can provide that as well.

Happy Sunday!

Rosemary DeLaurentis

Home Buying • September 24, 2022

Rent Increases in Phoenix

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Day 6 of 7 – my home buyers series. There is one really good reason to buy a home or condo in Phoenix – the reason being the INCREDIBLE RENT INCREASES over the past few years.

My most recent first time home buyer told me yesterday that when she moved to Phoenix in 2020 she was able to rent her one bedroom apartment in North Phoenix for $800. In 2021 they raised her rent to $1250 for that same one bedroom apartment. She said they were getting ready to raise it again when she decided it was now time for her to purchase and get out of renting forever.

This is from an article by Catherine Reagor, Sr. Real Estate Reporter for the AZ Republic:

“RENT in the Metro Phoenix Area is SKYROCKETING, climbing 80% between 2016 and 2021. Meanwhile, median household income only rose 22% during those 5 years. Reagor stated that Phoenix “led the nation” in rent increases. There has been more than a 30% increase in the price of apartment rentals last year, and a more than 20% increase in single family rentals last year. All of this is happening even though Phoenix is leading the nation in development.”

When Vince and I moved to Phoenix in 1988 we had been renters up until that time having moved here from Austin TX. Even though Vince was starting his own window cleaning business here, we set a goal of home ownership. We had residual income from the sale of our business in Austin and we had no debt. Our next goal was to buy a home so we could gain appreciation and have something to show for maintaining our own place. It was a struggle but we purchased our very first home on our own with no help from family. It was a small home – only about 1300 sq. ft – 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. It needed updating but we did it over time as we could afford it. We lived in that little home for 15 years. We raised our daughter there and during that time all 3 of us got college educations.

When it was time to move and upgrade we sold and had $100,000 in profit. That was proof to me that real estate is a good sound investment. Our next home was almost twice the size, then our 3rd home was ‘fancier’.

It may feel like a ‘stretch’ to purchase or to UPDGRADE but I encourage you to ‘take the plunge’. In 5 years, you will be so happy you did! Let me help guide you with the assistance of my awesome lenders.

Happy Saturday!

Rosemary DeLaurentis

Home Buying • September 24, 2022

The use of FACETIME AND VIDEO to help home buyers

by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Article written by Rosemary DeLaurentis

Day 5 of 7 on how I help home buyers. Topic – FACETIME AND VIDEO.

When I first started in real estate 13 years ago, I remember that a buyer deciding on a home with just seeing it via video and not seeing the home in person was a big NO NO!. Well thanks to the pandemic, that changed the way of viewing homes for ever! When people didn’t want to leave their homes to view a home in person because of being quarantined, Facetime and Video seemed to work perfectly. Well what changed? The perception that folks couldn’t make an informed decision unless they were there in person.

I have a wonderful recent success story for one of my out-of-state buyers. I had met with him in the office, performed my buyer appointment (day 4 of my buyer series) and then we went out to view properties that fit his criteria. While at the appointment, I created a home search for him on the computer that would serve to make him aware of future homes that would come on the market when he returned back to CA.

We spent the day looking at homes. He found two that he liked but decided he needed more time to digest what he really wanted. While we were looking at what was available, I could see that he really loved one of the homes because of the backyard. The next day I looked to see if that home was still active. It had actually gone under contract that night.

He returned to CA. He gave me a call and said, ‘Rosemary I want you to go look at a few homes for me in Sun City Festival.’ I contacted the local agents there for showings. One agent told me of a home that was ‘coming soon’ on the market but he said I could view that one as well when I was out showing in Sun City Festival the next day.

I viewed a few but when I went into the ‘coming soon’ home, I looked straight thru to the backyard. It was so similar to the one my client loved. As I looked around the home, IT WAS PERFECT! Everything that was on his top 5 characteristics and much much more. It was also within the price range he could afford. My buyer and I did Facetime at the house then I proceeded to film a longer video and uploaded it into my Youtube channel later that evening.

As we did Facetime, I told him, “Bob, I think this is it!” He agreed! After watching my video on Youtube he called me and said, “Rosemary – let’s do an offer. ” We did the offer and it was accepted even before the home became active on the market.

He is now moved in and LOVES the property and the community. Truly amazing how video can work now to help buyers find their DREAM HOME.

Do you know someone that wants to move to AZ but lives out of state? I can help.

Happy Friday!

Rosemary DeLaurentis