Active Rain | Lafayette, LA Real Estate

Apr 16 2010

For Sale By Owner Tips for a Successful Transaction: Find a Good Realtor!

FSBO Tip #1: Establish a relationship with a good Realtor For Sale By Owner Sign

I know you do not want to list your home and you want to save the commission but you should still establish a relationship with a Realtor for several reasons:

A Realtor can help you establish a fair market price for your home based on comparable sales in your area.
A Realtor can help you prepare your home for a sale and give you some staging and marketing tips based on what is going on in your area.
A Realtor can tell you which forms you will need to use throughout the process (Property Disclosure Documents, contract, etc.).
A Realtor can possibly even help you with the paperwork and the transaction once you find a buyer (for a pre-determined fee) so that you have a successful sale.

The first mistake For Sale By Owners make is to think that once they find a buyer, their work is done when in actuality, that’s when the work starts. According to the National Association of Realtors, 2 out of 3 transactions do not close when there are no Realtor involved. Don’t take that chance. When you interview Realtors, ask them if they can unbundle their fees and possibly help you close the sale once you have a buyer for your home.

Why would a Realtor help you if you’re not listing your home, you ask?

Our business is all about relationships and referrals. You may be buying another home or know someone else on the market to buy or sell a home. Besides, only 15 to 20% of For Sale By Owners are successful in selling their homes themselves so there is a great possibility that you will eventually list your home with a Realtor.

Having a Realtor on your side also means that if you can’t sell your home on your own, you will know where to turn right away to take the burden off of your hands.

For Sale By Owner Sign

Tip #2: Offer to compensate if a Realtor brings you a buyer

Yes, you want to save the commission but you also want to sell your home, right? If you have a sign in your yard, Realtors will call you to either list your home or get information about your home if they think they might have a buyer for it. Don’t push them away; they may be able to help you sell your home.

If you’ve established a relationship with a Realtor (see tip #1) and another agent call, simply say: “I have a Realtor that will list my home if I am unable to sell it on my own, however, if you bring me a buyer, I will compensate you __% or $________” (for a fixed dollar amount).

When we work with buyers, we try to find them the best house for them and sometimes that home happens to be a FSBO (many of my buyers have bought FSBO in the past and still used me as their agent in the transaction). Be nice and polite to Realtors when they call. Who knows where your buyer will be coming from?

More tips to come…

Apr 12 2010

This Month in Real Estate, April 2010: Average Home Size Down in the U.S.

This month in Real Estate for April 2010 gives us a great overview of the average home size in the U.S. It appears that after growing since the 1950s, the size of the average home is now down to a little over 2000 square feet. Enjoy!

Apr 11 2010

Parade of Homes Now on until Sunday, April 18th in Lafayette, LA

The Acadian Home Builders Association Parade of Homes started this weekend in Lafayette and Acadiana. The Parade of Homes is an excellent opportunity for the public to see the latest in home trends, design, and products.

This year’s Parade of Homes features 35 newly contructed homes in 19 Acadiana subdivisions built by 26 local home builders.

Parade Times Parade of Homes, Lafayette, LA, April 2010

Sunday, April 11: 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 14: 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 17 & Sunday, April 18: 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Homes in the Parade for 2010

Brock Pointe

211 Ennis (Manuel Builders)

Brookshire Gardens

115 Brookshire Gardens (L.R. Mitchell Construction & Dev.)

118 English Gardens (Heritage Home Builders)

Cedar Hills

227 Cedar Grove (West Construction)

Copper Meadows 105 Fox Creek, Copper Meadows, Youngsville, LA

105 Fox Creek (Kojis Construction) See picture on the right

107 Spring View (Youngsville Contractors)

113 Spring View (Platinum Homes)

503 Green Springs (Youngsville Contractors)

Country Lakes

104 Picket (Melvin Moreau Construction

308 Lake Front (Melvin Moreau Construction)

E’loi Plantation

100 Belle Helene (R.A.H. Homes)

Farrel Place

136 Milan (Louisiana Classics)

165 Milan (Quinto Construction)

170 Milan (DiMark Homes)

Green Leaf

109 Pecan Leaf (Rajun Cajun Construction) 119 Old Heritage Ln, Carencro, LA

Heritage Oaks North

119 Old Heritage (Reed Properties of Acadiana) See picture on the right

Huval Holiday

100 Alma (Mar-Key Builders)

101 Marquee (Mar-Key Builders)

107 Marquee (Ricky Tucker Custom Homes)

815 Flambant (Mar-Key Builders)

Lafitte’s Landing

209 Lafitte’s Landing (Daigle Homes)

Millcreek Cove

101 Mossbrook (Privat General Contractors)

Shadowbrook

103 Masonry (Privat General Contractors)

105 Masonry (Privat General Contractors)

Stonehaven on the River

105 Balmoral (A. Reaux Restidential)

Sugarland Estates

217 Oakhill (M & K Gibson Construction) 106 Timberland Ridge, Lafayette, LA

The Bluffs

106 Timberland Ridge (Jay Castille Construction) See picture on the right

Walker’s Lake

104 Gatesmere (Jeff Wood Construction)

106 Gatesmere (Mar-Key Builders)

110 Notting Hill (Greatwood Homes) **Parade Tickets Here**

114 Queensberry (Mike Thompson Homes)

117 Queensberry (Anderson Home Builders)

Waterford Ridge

428 Hillbrooke (Manuel Builders)

Westfield

105 Regal Oaks (Francez Builders)

109 Regal Oaks (Francez Builders)

Apr 09 2010

What Should I Be Looking For in the House?

This is a great post for propective buyers to read. One more thing I would add is scout the neighborhood. If you love the house but not the neighborhood, it’s probably not your house. There are many things you can change about a home but the neighborhood is not one of them! Happy reading everyone!

One of the most common questions homebuyers ask me as we’re walking around the inside of homes they’re considering is “What Should I Be Looking for in the House?” This question arises most commonly among first-time buyers who haven’t spent much time previously exploring houses.

Since everyone has different interests, needs, and desires, answering this question can be somewhat difficult.

Nevertheless, here’s a handy-dandy guide for prospective homebuyers of things you should be looking for and things not to worry about too much while trekking through OPH.

Oh, sorry, OPH stands for Other People’s Homes.

All of the following presumes that you already like the location of the house. Location remains the upmost priority in all home searches. That’s one thing you definitely cannot change.

WHAT SHOULD I BE LOOKING FOR IN THE HOUSE?

Is there enough space for all your stuff? That’s an important one. Only you know what you’ve got. While moving can be a great time to pare down your belongings and finally throw away some of those trinkets cluttering your closet and weighing down your drawers, the first rule of house is that we accumulate stuff to fill it. Make sure to Swing Open the Closet Doors!

Does the house fit your lifestyle? If you fancy yourself a gourmet chef, you’d better like the kitchen. Enjoy catching a few rays of sun? You’re going to want a balcony, deck, patio, or big backyard. Entertain? Flow is important. Trouble with stairs? You might need a 1st floor master bedroom, a rambler, or an elevator.

Will someone else like it? While this is going to be YOUR home, you always have to consider resale value. You might think you’re going to be in this home forever, but statistics say you’ll only be there for 5-7 years tops. Think about the future.

Are there major noticeable problems? When we walk through homes together, we’re looking to see if you like it or not. We’re not conducting a home inspection — leave that for the home inspector. However, sometimes you can readily see obvious serious problems with a home. You’ll know it when you see it. During an initial look, we don’t need to test every appliance and system.

Do you like it? Do you love it? Do you see yourself living there? This one’s a bit more esoteric. Sometimes you just have to ditch the logic and ask yourself these questions. Even the most analytical and discriminating home buyers use their emotions. After all, you’re not a Vulcan! 3 years from now you won’t remember your housing pros and cons list you painstakingly created but you’ll surely be able to tell people why you love your home.

WHAT CAN I IGNORE WHILE LOOKING AT THE HOUSE?

Paint and carpet. Unless it’s a total disaster, don’t worry about it. Paint and carpet are typically the first things that go when someone new moves in. They’re easy fixes and relatively inexpensive. If you love the house but hate the pink bathroom, a can of paint and a Saturday afternoon can work wonders.

Kitchen appliances. Okay, don’t totally ignore them, because you might have to live with them for a while. As long as they are functional, alright. While not cheap, you can buy a full set of nice stainless steel appliances for ~$3,500. You don’t like the green fridge? Nobody else does either, but hey you’re a homeowner now and your friends are still renting.

Electrical, plumbing, heating, cooling, etc. The systems. These are going to be examined thoroughly by the home inspector. That’s why you’re paying for a home inspection. Unless you see a major problem like missing or exposed wires, disconnected pipes, etc., wait for the home inspection to test the systems. On this trip, we’re not going to be in the home long enough to see if the heat pump works. And, unless you’re buying the house as-is, you are protected by Mighty Paragraph 7.

Their furniture and stuff. It can sometimes be very hard to ignore especially in a cluttered house or condo. However, just remember that their stuff does not come with the house. They’ll be emptying it all out before you move in your stuff (see above). However, seeing how much stuff they have and how well their furniture fits can serve as a guideline for how well yours will.

Thank you for reading my blog post. If you like what you’ve read, then please:

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If you plan to purchase or sell a home in the Northern Virginia or D.C. area,
you can visit my main Northern Virginia & D.C. real estate website at www.brianblock.com.

START YOUR NORTHERN VIRGINIA HOME SEARCH TODAY!

Apr 07 2010

Stonehaven on the River in Lafayette, LA

Stonehaven on the River is a new subdivision on the south side of Lafayette located less than 2 miles from the Mall of Acadiana. The homes in Stonehaven offer a mix of southern Louisiana architecture with an European touch. Prices vary from the upper 200s to around 600K with most homes falling in the 300K to 400K range.

Stonehaven on the River in Lafayette, LA

Stonehaven on the River spans from Johnston Street all the way to the river just east of East Broussard Rd. While the subdivision is not yet fully developped, Stonehaven’s 150 acres is Lafayette’s newest planned community in the making. There is already a small park and plans call for green spaces, a retail area with grocery store and a community club house.

Stonehaven on the River in Lafayette, LA - Park

For the ones who enjoy an active lifestyle, Stonehaven plans to add a pool, a fitness center, tennis courts, ponds for fishing, and more.

There are currently a couple of homes under construction in Stonehaven and 4 homes are currently listed with prices between $359,900 for a 3BD/2.5BA home with 2388 sqft to $432,000 for a 4BD/3BA home with 2787 sqft. Below are a couple of homes located in Stonehaven on the River to give you a visual of the neighborhood.

Stonehaven on the River in Lafayette, LA - Home