Team Johnson of Watson Realty Corp Joins Leading Real Estate Companies of the World

TEAM JOHNSON of Watson Realty Corp., a 5 member real estate team serving Northeast Florida, has joined Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE.com.)

Leading RE's membership worldwide is by invitation only. Worldwide membership of LeadingRE consists of recruits from 500+ top notch real estate firms with over 4,600 offices and 140,000 sales agents in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America and South Pacific. To quote the company, "Members of LeadingRE must maintain high performance standards in order to retain membership, and the network must perform to continue earning the loyalty of its members."

What does this mean to our customers?  TEAM JOHNSON already is a leader in the northeast Florida real estate market.  We have successfully closed over 10 million dollars in real estate transactions in one year.  We have been the top listing team and top selling team in our office for the past two years.  We continue to keep up with the constant changes in the real estate market.  For buyers we will guide you through the buying process from start to close and all the details in between will be covered too.  For sellers our detailed “Marketing Plan” is second to none and we treat every listing as if it were our only listing.  Now that we have joined Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, we have access to a wide range of brokerage services to further strengthen our marketing presence and offerings.

TEAM JOHNSON of Watson Realty Corp will also have the opportunity to collaborate with other "best in class" firms from around the world for idea-sharing, referrals and business development opportunities at conferences and online through the network’s private interactive community.  When we refer our customers to other agents we do not stop there.  We follow up with our affiliates and are in constant contact.  We expect the same quality and work ethic from these other agents that you expect from Team Johnson.

Whether you are moving across the street, across town, across the country, or across the globe let TEAM JOHNSON assist you.  Call TEAM JOHNSON at 904-495-0146 or email us at teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com

TEAM JOHNSON

Watson Realty Corp.

3505 US 1 South

St Augustine, FL 32086

904-495-0146

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Specializing in Residential Real Estate in…

Fruit Cove, Elkton, Hastings, Ponte Vedra, Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Augustine,

St. Augustine Beach, Switzerland, Bardin, Bostwick, Crescent City, East Palatka, Florahome, Georgetown, Hollister,  Interlachen, Palatka, Pomona Park, San Mateo, Satsuma, Welaka, Bunnell, Flagler Beach, Palm Coast, Green Cove Springs, 

Keystone Heights, Fleming Island, Jacksonville, Middleburg, Orange Park, 

Penney Farms

Staging Your Home-Making Your Home Attractive to Buyers

          

You have decided to sell your home.  Great!  Many home owners spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars preparing their home for sale.  I get asked by sellers all the time if they should change the carpet in this room, or paint this room.  Your home has just one chance to make a great impression with each potential buyer.  And it can!  The whole idea is to present a clean, spacious, clutter-free home-the kind of place you’d like to buy.  This week’s blog post is about how to stage your home so that it is attractive to potential buyers.  Accomplish a little every day, and before long your home will be ready to make the impression that can make the sale

YOUR HOME’S CURB APPEAL.

This is the first time a potential buyer will see your home.  We have seen buyers pull up to a house and not even want to go inside because of the impression they receive from the exterior.  Be sure your lawn is mowed and edged.  Make sure any trees and shrubs are trimmed and gardens are free of weeds.    Be sure your walkways and driveway are free of branches, litter, toys, etc.  Try to remove all rust, mildew, moss, etc. stains from walls and oil stains from driveway.  Shine all brass hardware on front door, outside lighting fixtures, etc. and be sure to have working light bulbs.  Clean all outdoor furniture and remove any furniture that is unsightly.  For some decoration add a brand new doormat in front of the front door.  This will help keep dirt from tracking into the house and will bring an aesthetic appeal to the exterior of the house.  Also consider a seasonal door decoration.

GENERAL INTERIOR TIPS

Off-white or light beige is the number one choice of wall color for today’s buyers.  It is softer than stark white and it suggests cleanliness, makes the rooms seem larger, and provides an excellent backdrop for most home furnishings and color schemes.  Shampoo carpeting and steam clean grout lines on tile floors.  Wash all windows and dust/vacuum all blinds, ceiling fans, window dressings, and window sills.  Begin packing/throwing away extra items that you will not need until after you move.  The less cluttered you can make your house look the better.

ROOM SPECIFIC TIPS

Make your living room cozy and inviting and be sure any damaged or worn furnishings are not present.  For the dining room set the table for a formal dinner to help viewers imagine entertaining guests and be sure all china is dust free.  In the kitchen unclutter all counter spaces and appliances, clean and organize inside cabinets and appliances, and be sure all areas sparkle.  Be sure the bathroom lighting and fixtures are in working order and everything is spotless.  For the bedrooms, make sure everything in neat, orderly, and spacious looking.

All of the above can seem overwhelming if you try to accomplish it in one day.  Take each area step-by-step.  For a check list of everything mentioned above plus a few other tips, call TEAM JOHNSON.  We have 20 years experience buying and selling homes in the northeast Florida market.   Each of our team members have a wealth of knowledge and their own specialized area.  We are members of 3 local MLS boards and can show you any property as far south as Palm Coast, as far west as Palatka, as far north as Jacksonville and everywhere  in between.  Put the power of a team behind you.  

Give us a call at 904-495-0146 or email us at teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com

Multiple Offer Situations: Which Is the Best Offer?

You have placed your home on the market and now you have multiple offers.  Congratulations!  Now what do you do?  The first step is to notify all parties that you are now in a multiple offer situation and all parties need to submit their highest, best, and final offers.  Once you have received them all, now it’s time to choose one, but which one?  How do you know which is the best offer?  This seems like an easy question to answer-the highest offer is the best.  This is not always true.  This week’s blog will give you some tips on picking the best offer.

ASKING FOR CLOSING COST CONCESSIONS

It is very common, even for REALTORS®, to look directly at the sales price and no further.  Before deciding on an offer, the reviewer needs to look at the closing costs section of the contract.  If the buyer is asking for closing cost assistance it is in fact lowering the offer price.  I hear it all the time from agents as well.  “I’ve made a full price offer.”  What they don’t see is that the buyer is asking for 3% closing cost assistance from the seller.  If the offer price is $100,000 with 3% closing cost assistance, the seller would have to contribute $3,000 to the sale.  This makes the offer in reality is $97,000 not $100,000

CASH OFFER VS. FINANCED OFFER

When an offer is made with cash there are several advantages.  One advantage is there is no financing contingency period.  Financing contingencies can last from 30 to 60 days.  This is time the property is off the market and not being actively marketed for sale.  If the financing falls apart after this deadline, the contract is dead, the buyer gets their deposit back, and the seller gets to start all over again.  With a cash offer, you don’t have to worry about this time period and can close a lot sooner.


Another advantage of a cash offer is you don’t have to worry about the property appraising.  When dealing with financed offers it is important to remember banks loan money based on two things:  the agreed sales price, or the appraised value, whichever is lower.  If a bidding war drives the asking price up, the house will still have to appraise at the higher price if the offer is made with financing.  If the appraisal comes in at a lower than agreed upon price, the seller has two options:  void the contract and start over or lower the contract price to the appraised value.  With a cash offer there is no appraisal and you can close much sooner.

REPAIRS

When reviewing an offer check for repair requirements and/or allowances in the contract.  Even a cash offer could have a stipulation in the offer stating the seller must perform repairs.  “As-is” contracts are the only exception.  As “as-is” contract is just that, the buyer will buy the property exactly how it sits with no repairs done by the seller.  Financed offers will sometimes be submitted without an call for repairs or allowances; BUT it is not only up to the buyer and seller.  The buyer’s lender will have requirements that the seller MUST perform before closing.

THE PROCESS OF ELIMINATING DOWN

When presented with multiple offers there is a process to eliminating some of them.  Each situation is different but this is a system Team Johnson advises to our sellers:
1. Throw out any and all offers that have conditions (home inspections, contingency of selling a home or refinancing another property, etc)
2. The next stage is to  throw out all offers that are at asking price or below
3. The next step is to eliminate any VA & FHA financed offers.  These types of loans take longer than the average, and sellers must pay for some of the buyer’s fees.
4. The last step is that of the offers remaining the all cash offers take priority.
In a bidding war, the highest offer is not necessarily the best offer for the home seller, unless it is an all cash offer with verifiable proof of funds, a quick close of escrow of 7 to 10 days or less and a hefty cash deposit.

Sellers are always looking to sell: A) at the highest possible price, b) with the least amount of inconvenience and c) in the quickest amount of time possible. If you are a home buyer and find yourself competing with other buyers for the same house, remembering some of these points ought to help you present your best offer. If you are a home seller and you find yourself receiving multiple offers for the purchase of your house, these points will be a good guide to assist you.  OR you can hire a team of professional and experienced contract negotiators!  TEAM JOHNSON is always here to help buyers and sellers through this type of process.  Give us a call 904-495-0146 or email us at teamjohnson@watsonrealtycorp.com