Tick Tock Tick Tock! The Waiting is Killing Me!   Okay, so I am exaggerating....a little.  But really, whether you are forced to wait for a doctor's appointment or for your car to get its oil changed or for a seller to respond to your offer, it can be tough to wait. We all get so used to instant gratification these days.  We want to know something and we can Google it.  We can go online and find out most answers immediately.  Yet when we deal with other people, our responses are not instant.     This morning, my buyer has already emailed me, texted me and called me twice...all before 9:00 am. Our deadline for the offer to the seller is 3:00 pm today.  It was submitted last night around 5:00 pm.  I received the acknowledgement from the listing agent that the offer was received.   The buy... 11/14/2013

I May Not Be the Agent for You   Now, you may be asking yourself, why would any agent say that?  Don't you want all the business that you can get? The simple answer is no, I don't.  Sometimes, I am not the best fit for you.  Let me give you some examples.   If you think that your home is worth more than any of the other homes on the market and that my analysis is wrong, I may not be the agent for you.  Don't get me wrong, I am not always perfect.  I am flexible with a seller's pricing, to some extent.  But I will not waste my time or yours with a pie in the sky price because you "don't HAVE to sell."  I don't need my name on the sign of a property that will not sell in this market.  Especially going into the holiday season and statistically, the slowest time of the year.   If you think ... 11/13/2013

Have You Heard Anything Yet?  A Seller's Anxiety After a Showing The Waiting Game...Not So Much a Game as Absolute Torture for the Seller. Is it an unwritten rule that after a second showing, the seller's clock must stop working?  Or maybe it just seems to drag by sooooo slowly that they call, text or email every hour hoping for an update?   Whether it is after a showing or a second showing, the agent that showed your home is not going to get on the phone to call me immediately after they leave.   Why?  They are probably showing other homes to that same buyer.  Yes, oh my, they might be showing the competition, those rats!  :) Oh, and if your home was the last home to be shown, maybe the agent has another buyer to meet to show other homes or a listing appointment.  Darn them for having ... 11/06/2013

I Am Going to "Man" This Place Up!   This is the hilarious one liner that I heard from the buyer of my listing this morning at the closing table.   I mean, he means NO disrespect to me...after all, his LADY friend really liked the house and was a huge reason that he made the offer.     But it was a little too girly for him...the staging that is.   Funny, when I first met the seller, it was all "Man-ed" up.  That is why he called me.  From the antelope head hanging on the wall in the dining room...yep, it looked like it was watching you eat dinner... and you can see the antlers of the deer watching you too!  I wonder what the buyer and his lady friend would have thought of that sight!  I was too embarrassed to send some of the pictures to the relocation company. After all, the entire hou... 11/01/2013

The Dreaded Price Reduction Conversation   We all have had to prepare for it.  It is looming, inevitable.  The house has been on the market for 30 days or more and there is just no activity.  You remember that your agent talked about this at the listing appointment....that in 30 days, you would need to sit down and have THAT conversation.  Could it be the time of year?  Could it be that you should have listened to the price your agent recommended initially?  Could it be that there is more competition now than when your home entered the market? Any of these reasons could be THE reason that your home is in need of a price reduction.  I call it "repositioning your property for the current market", but it is still a price reduction.  :)   Sellers often question how buyers will perceive this... 10/07/2013

No matter if you are moving up or downsizing, here is the best strategy for when you are buying and selling a home in Cedar Rapids. Stress free..Pressure free...Best way to buy and sell a house in 2014. If you are committed to moving this is simply THE BEST STRATEGY... 1.HAVE Gary & Melynda Wolter EVALUATE YOUR HOME FOR MARKET VALUE, HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOUSE TO SELL AND FIND OUT HOW MUCH MONEY YOU WILL HAVE GOING FORWARD AFTER THE SALE.(MOST PEOPLE SPEND TOO MUCH MONEY OR NOT ENOUGH. GET A PROFESSIONALS OPINION! 2.GET PRE-QUALIFIED FROM A LENDER (get 100% comfortable in what your payment will be.) 3.LIST YOUR HOUSE (even if you have no idea what you want to buy yet.) IF YOU GET AN OFFER, WE WILL WRITE A CONTIGENCY THAT GIVES YOU TIME TO LOOK FOR A NEW HOUSE. 4.GIVE the Wolter Team THE ... 09/03/2013

You Will Ask Your REALTOR® These 3 Questions When It Matters Most people who need to sell a home fail to grasp the importance of the selection of a REALTOR® to help them with the sale. While they figure just about anybody can sell a home, they do not consider the critical questions they will ponder during the "heat of battle" that occurs once a buyer is interested in their home. In fact, there are three important questions they will want answered when the time comes to make a decision, and it will be at that time that they truly discover the strength and value of the REALTOR® they hired to help them sell the home. 3 Critical Questions You Will Ask Your REALTOR® Most home sellers just hire the first real estate agent with whom they speak about the job of selling their home. In fact, a Na... 08/21/2013

I have been on both sides of the table when the inevitable happens.  Not even a week after the closing and the refrigerator decides it is just done working.     It sucks to be the buyer's agent and get that call from a stressed out buyer.  This is one conversation that as a buyer's agent, a home warranty is a must.  If they refuse a home warranty, a waiver must be signed in order to hold me harmless if something goes wrong the day after the closing.   It is just as difficult to get the call from the buyer's agent that is accusing your seller of hiding the true condition of said appliance.  But seriously, what if the seller never had any issue with the refrigerator during their ownership?  The home inspection does not include taking apart appliances, they open the door, yep it is cold in... 08/20/2013

Help!  I Have Been Shot!   Seriously, how many times do we as REALTORS, wave the white surrender flag with our hands to the sky and say "don't shoot the messenger"!   Today was one of those days....giving a seller objective feedback can be difficult at times to say the least.  Many buyers' agents simply don't give feedback....unless it is an offer!  Which is of course the best kind!  More times than not, we are simply calling and chasing our tails only to hear that the buyer had no specific reason, they just liked another listing better.   I received direct feedback from a buyer the other day.  The buyer called me through Realtor.com Leads, she was very excited to see a property that I had listed.  She told me that it looked like it was exactly what they had been looking for and she wan... 08/14/2013

Staging Transforms the Way Buyers See Your Home! Unless you have been living in a cave, I am sure that you have heard the buzz about how important staging your home is when you put it on the market.  What you may not know, is what buyers are really looking for in a home in today's market.  In our local market, buyers want a clean and sparkling house.  There are so many options on the market...in fact, right now in our MLS, there are 1219 listings in our metro area of Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha and Robins.  Choosing a specific price point of $150,000-250,000, there are 333 listings available for buyers to see.  How do you make your home stand out? The answer is staging.  Now, let me tell you that staging may not be what you think.  If you live in your home, staging is more about clea... 07/25/2013

  Tell me something good you ask??? Simply, the market is back in Cedar Rapids! The Wolter Real Estate Group has sold 30 homes from Jan. 1st to June 30th, 2013! That's more than one a week! They have nearly doubled their sales volume over last year! Gary & Melynda have sold one of the largest homes priced of their career at $473,000 as they found a great home for their buyer in Robins, IA. "We are so happy that our 12 years experience is paying off. Our Internet presence along with using Facebook and Linkedin to sell homes is a proven way of selling homes in today's market." Gary said. Melynda adds, "We just feel that people are spreading the word about how we work and what we provide. We pride ourselves on giving unmatched service. You can't fake being excited about helping others. Peo... 07/18/2013

Ooops!  I Think I May Have Just Sold the House Across the Street!   I am sure that I am not the first one that did this one.  I almost never have open houses on Sundays and if I do, they are not usually my listings because I do not participate in dual agency.  But today, I happened to have hosted one of my own listings.  When the first buyers arrived to see the house, they started talking to me and sharing a little too much information, so I needed to disclose my agency position in regards to the house as well as my policy regarding consensual dual agency.   They respected my policy and they continued to look through the house.  I noticed that the house that is listed across the street was available as well.  Listed by my company, but not me.  I pride myself in knowing about all of the ... 07/14/2013

5 THINGS NOT TO DO BEFORE BUYING A HOUSE... DO NOT go out and buy a new car, or furniture or ANY other large purchase. The new payment could disqualify you from being able to qualify for the mortgage. DO NOT stop making payments on your bills such as credit cards, student loans, car payments, rent, utilities, etc.  DO NOT apply for new credit cards while your mortgage is being approved. This could lower your credit score, and if your credit is checked again before the Closing you may no longer qualify. DO NOT make large deposits or withdrawals that you can not document. DO NOT quit your job, even if it is for a better one. A change in jobs will mean that you will have to produce 30 days worth of paystubs for the new job, and this could delay your Closing.   One last thing before you sta... 05/16/2013

Why Certified Residential Specialist?   Why Hire a Certified Residential Specialist?Trust The Best- Select A CRS The CRS makes a difference. It’s the Ph.D. of real estate!Look for the CRS shield. It’s the sign of experience, the sign of knowledge, the sign of success! Why do I need a residential expert? Buying or selling a home is one of the most crucial financial transactions of your life. In what can be a confusing and sometimes difficult process, it pays to leave as little to chance as you can. But with the help of a professional, you can navigate unknown territory with ease.To fill the specific residential needs of homebuyers and sellers, the Residential Sales Council of the National Association of Realtors instituted a class of expert real estate professional: the Certified Residen... 04/23/2013

Another great testimonial from one of our clients....We always like to say..."You don't care what we know until you know that we care."     "Gary and Melynda made a great partners for the selling of our home.  When my wife and I started the process of selling our home, we tried the FSBO route and had no success with a few showings.  Then we tried a small, part-time agent that allowed a discounted commission.  That didn’t work either."  " We had our house on the market for nearly 5 months before cutting ties and switching to Iowa Realty.  Then Gary and Melynda presented themselves via a referral.  Gary and Melynda helped us develop a strategic plan, that we were comfortable with, and kept all lines of communication open.  After agreeing to terms and conditions, the team opened up their m... 04/21/2013

Vacant Does NOT Mean it is Okay to Show Without an Appointment This is really bothering me today.  And it is not a matter of being picky, it is a matter of professionalism.  When an agent decides to just show a property that they presume or know to be vacant, there are many things that they are not considering.   1. It may not really be vacant.  The photos on the MLS could be dated.  The seller may have decided to rent the house since it was taking too long to sell. 2. There is another appointment already scheduled.  It is unfair to the agent and their buyer, the one that took the time to call the office and schedule a showing.  Now they have to wait for you and this may cause them to be off their time schedule for the rest of their showings. 3.  The seller came over there to mow the la... 04/03/2013

A Day Late and A Dollar Short We have all been there at some point.  Our buyer went through an open house and they fell in love with the house.  They didn't really say much to the agent at the open house at the time, but eventually they tell their agent all about it.  Depending on the buyer's agent and how busy there are or how motivated the client is, there could be a several day lapse before they contact the listing agent. I had one of these calls today.  Interestingly enough, there would have been no reason to call me, the listing agent, about the house in question.  It was marked sale pending last week.  The buyer's agent is not in our MLS if memory serves me correctly, it was an out of town number that called me.  Anyway, it was 2 weeks a day late and a dollar short for this agent.... 04/02/2013

Let's NOT Put the Cart BEFORE the Horse! We have all had this happen....life changes...Some examples might be: you got a promotion at work you paid off all your credit card debt you are having a baby you are getting married or divorced And now you call the REALTOR that sold you your first home 7 years ago. (which is great by the way! :)) Thinking that you are all ready for that move up home of your current dreams.  But there are a few steps that need to happen in order to determine if the timing is right.  Just because you think you know what you can afford, the bank guidelines have changed. The last thing that we want is to go out and find a home that you consider as perfect, then go to the bank and find out that you are looking at the wrong price range.  Usually when this happens, you... 04/01/2013

The Seller Just Bought Their Home Back We have all been there.  In the heat of battle, we get the buyer and seller to that last little counter to meet in the middle...and we are just stuck...no one wants to lose.  No one wants to give anymore.  So the seller decides to "stand their ground", after all, it is the "principle of the thing" right?  And in that instant, the seller just bought their home back.  It was a move of pride.  And a silly one at that, especially the morning after when they realize that they are back at square one.  You can't just slink back to the other agent and beg the buyer to come back to the table.  You had a real buyer, one that had negotiated to give you the best terms.  The buyer let you keep your new refrigerator.  They accepted a credit for a washer and drye... 04/01/2013

Does "Back on Market" Mean Your Home is Considered "Damaged Goods"? This is one of those questions that you really hate to answer as a listing agent or as a buyers agent for that matter.  As a listing agent, you are dealing with the seller's frustration of thinking that there house was sold and they could move forward and then the inspection finds some unsavory things or the buyer's financing doesn't come together, and back on the market you go.  As a buyers agent, I cringe when buyers ask me this question, because really, they are looking for an okay signal to just lowball the house because there MUST be something wrong with it.  Why else would it be "back on the market"? There are things that we do as listing agents to minimize the damages of having this happen.  Especially with a new... 03/03/2013