Amanda's Blog

Beating the Market -A Testimonial To My Client! 

My good friend, Cindy, called me a few months ago to break the news that she and her family were moving to Austin.  Her husband Mark is climbing the corporate ladder and has recently transferred.   

Mark and Cindy own an investment property in Euless and decided to sell.  Cindy, who followed her father's footsteps to obtain a real estate license in Texas, told me she thought she could sell the house herself and save on commission but she'd rather have me handle it for her while she focuses on the move. 

" I know the market is tough right now, but all we want to do is break even.  Can you do it?" 

Thoughts raced through my head.  The pressure was on.  This is a friend, a friend with a license, a dad that could arm chair quarterback this deal to my certifiable insanity and more than a handful of additional licensed opinions that were at Cindy's disposal.    Not to mention that I would be helping these wonderful people move away. 

"Of course I can handle it.", I told her, "I want to see the house." 

Faithful tenants who paid on time every month occupied the house.  I made the recommendation to wait to list the property until it was vacant.  Paint, carpet and thorough clean up would be necessary.  My initial analysis was that the house would sell in the mid-$140's but I was convinced that getting $130K at that time would be a challenge. 

Breaking even was the goal, but I knew we could do better.  I asked my friends to trust me, take a risk that my marketing efforts would pay off and while the house is vacant invest a couple of thousand dollars to get it ready to show.  Paint and carpet would delay the listing a few weeks and I knew I was asking a lot of them. 

Because I watched the market closely and not only tracked the competition, but toured it, I knew I was right to ask so much of them.   I knew we could beat the market. 

Several weeks later, on April 26^th, the listing went Active on the MLS.  Listed for $145K, at the top end of the market with the understanding that aggressive price reductions would occur in order to mitigate the risk of making more than 2 mortgage payments, Mark and Cindy trusted me to make what I said would happen actually happen.   They had followed my lead and agreed to every suggestion I made.  

When you have sellers like Mark and Cindy that are cooperative and trusting, anything can happen.  If the listing didn't sell, I couldn't fall back on a lame excuse that the seller didn't listen.  These sellers not only listened, but they hung on my every word.  I would be the one to blame if my marketing plan and ideas didn't work.  There were no loopholes in my commitment to get the job done.

Within 3 days, multiple offers were coming in and the end result was that in less than 30 days, Mark and Cindy's house closed escrow for above list price with no seller's concessions and HVAC annual maintenance as the only repair request.  We, as a TEAM, beat the market in all areas including days on market and price per square foot while the competition continues to wait it out.

Not only were Mark and Cindy thrilled with the results, but so was Cindy's father! YEAH!

THANK YOU to my friends for trusting me. 

THANK YOU for choosing me to help you meet your goals.  You had choices.

THANK YOU for being the kind of clients that Realtors often only dream of!

 Congratulations!    

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Hall Team Homes proudly serves the real estate needs of the Greater Fort Worth Area including Euless, Hurst, Bedford, Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville and Arlington 

For exceptional results, call Amanda Hall -Broker/Owner of The Hall Team.

Hall Team Homes' Clients know the difference. 

www.hallteamhomes.com

It's not just a CMA, It's a TMA.

CMA stands for Comparable Market Analysis.  A CMA is a compilation of data that is gathered from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). The MLS is used by Realtors® as well as licensed appraisers and it provides information regarding properties that have been or are currently being sold on the market.  The data is used to assist in determining marketable value for a subject property by comparing the subject to similar properties for sale now and those that have sold in the recent past.  Sold data is often referred to as a "comp".

Layman's terms:  A CMA is a report that Realtors® run that gives us an idea of what homes have recently sold for that are similar to the one you are trying to sell.  Realtors® compare square footage, # of bedrooms and baths, features, schools, etc. and use the information to make pricing recommendations to sellers.  A quick search of the internet will reveal that most Realtors® offer to perform a Free CMA upon request. 

TMA stands for Thorough Market Analysis.  A TMA is not widely heard of by consumers and is most often performed by the consummate professional who believes that a CMA involves more than just the gathering of data.  For data to exist, someone has to input it and that input is subject to human error and/or creative liberties.  Performing a TMA requires that a physical inspection of the competition (Active listings) take place to verify the accuracy of the data and properly price the property. 

LAYMAN'S TERMS:  The MLS is full of errors because a listing in the MLS is only as good as the agent making the entry. Within minutes, it is easy to find at least 5 listings that include errors with regards to # of bedrooms, baths, dining rooms, living areas, garage spaces, schools, directions, status and so on.  I have yet to find a listing in the MLS state that a home was a cramped space filled with trash, yet I have toured plenty of cramped spaces with trash all over the place.   I've also encountered homes that show like a builder's model and the description didn't do the listing or the seller's exquisite taste any justice. 

Don't leave the pricing of your home to chance that the CMA data is inaccurate.  At Hall Team Homes, we tour the competition prior to offering a price recommendation so that apples will truly be compared to apples.  A listing that is priced right ALWAYS results in a faster sale regardless of the condition of the property, its location or local market conditions. 

CMA Versus TMA - A TMA reveals the difference.

Clients of Hall Team Homes know the difference.

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Hall Team Homes is proud to serve the real estate needs of the Greater Fort Worth Area including Arlington, Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, Mansfield, Hurst, Euless and Bedford.

Hall Team Homes

www.hallteamhomes.com

Contact Amanda Hall, Broker, Realtor and Owner of Hall Team Homes

817-239-9387 direct

I just posted a blog challenging Active Rain Members to help out in their local neighborhoods.  From there, I cruised over to Adam Waldman's Blog that offers great ways to save on gasoline.  Adam's blog inspired me to add to the concept of Neighborhood Care Teams with a way to save on the expense of gas as well.   

When I go to the grocery store, I like to stock up.  I plan ahead for meals and try my best to make sure I have every ingredient I need.  No matter how long my list is, I always forget that one item.

You know what I am talking about.  It's that one item, small as it may seem that can make or break that favorite dish.  It's the recipe that calls for 3 eggs and you only have 2 or that cup of milk that your husband just drank straight from the jug. 

WORSE....you forgot you ran out of coffee...or toothpaste...or bread...or just a favorite snack.

Why not call your neighbor before you head out to the store and ask them if they need you to grab a quick item for them since you'll be out and about anyway?  My guess is that a lot of gas could be saved by just being a good neighbor and I bet they'll return the favor. 

Call it the Express Lane, 3 items or less!  

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I am Amanda Hall, a Realtor and Owner of Hall Team Homes and I am proud to serve my local community with their real estate needs and beyond.

Hall Team Homes offers full service real estate brokerage in the Greater Fort Worth area including Arlington, Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, Hurst, Euless and Bedford.

www.hallteamhomes.com

I have the best neighbors a homeowner could ask for.  We borrow eggs, we carpool, we watch over each other's homes while on vacations, most of us even have a key to another neighbor's home.  I truly live in a fantastic neighborhood and the single most important reason I haven't moved is because of the wonderful people who live around me.

Yesterday, my closest neighbor family faced an emergency with one of their children.  Their sweet little 10-week old baby boy was taken to the hospital after it was discovered he wasn't breathing.  Dad had to stay home with the two oldest children while mom and the baby rushed to the hospital for ugent care. The doctors and nurses say the baby will be fine, but might require a hospital stay anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks. Beth, my neighbor, knows that her baby will get well soon but as she focuses on helping him get better, her other two children and husband are going to be missing mom and all she does for the family for a little while.

That's when the idea of Neighborhood Care Teams hit me. 

We all know of the neighbor who is in need from time to time.  Some neighbors care for elderly family members, some bring babies into the world, some have a medical procedure that sends them home to recuperate. 

We all want to help somehow, right?

We can.  Here's how:

In my neighborhood, there are 214 residences.  Of the 214, I am going on a mission to find at least 6 neighbors that are willing to prepare homecooked and ready to go meals that just need to be heated and served, 3 that are willing to care for pets, water the lawn, check the mail or bring in the paper and 5 more that are willing to call the neighbor in need before they make their own trip to the post office, pharmacy, dry cleaner or grocery store. That's 15 of us, including me and I plan on coordinating the effort along with some cooking when the needs arise.

Sounds easy enough.   

I'm challenging my fellow Active Rain friends to take 20 minutes of each day for as long as it takes to assemble their own Neighborhood Care Team.  I think every neighborhood has someone that is excellent at "spreading the word" so be sure to contact that person first.  If you think of any other helpful ideas or ways to go about assembling a Neighborhood Care Team, please share them!

What a great way to get to know your neighbors!  Will you rise to the challenge?

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I am Amanda Hall, a Realtor and Owner of Hall Team Homes and I am proud to serve my local community with their real estate needs and beyond.

Hall Team Homes offers full service real estate brokerage in the Greater Fort Worth area including Arlington, Grapevine, Southlake, Colleyville, Keller, Hurst, Euless and Bedford.

www.hallteamhomes.com