Is a short sale right for you?  The answer can absolutely be yes!  Depending on the circumstances, it may be the best option to avoid the ramifications of a foreclosure. Most homeowners do not know what a short sale is and in my area, they are becoming more common. I recently listed a home where the sellers can barely sell without needing to bring money to the table. This means that they owe more than the home is currently worth in today's market.    How does this happen?  There are many reasons that this could be the case.    A few years ago, 100% financing was very common. In the case of this homeowner, they had a sizable down payment when they purchase the home 5 years ago, however they decided to obtain an equity line of credit to update the home. At least hey used the money to out ... 11/22/2011

I must have missed the memo.  You know the one where the real estate agent is now lower than scum, fast talkers, and should not be trusted.  What a climate we are in.  Even in my area, which does not have more than 1% of the market in short sale and foreclosure, there is distrust in the air. Maybe it is my own fault.  I DID call on that expired listing today.  My mistake....you HAD listed your home for sale previously, so I thought that it was reasonable to assume that you still wanted to sell your home.  Maybe not, but there is no reason to bite my head off.  I am sure glad that I was not there in person, I might have lost my nose! Here is the thing...I know that you are upset that your  listing did not sell in the first six months that you were on the market with the first agent.  Cha... 11/15/2011

GoAnimate.com: Why sell your house in the winter with the Wolter by wolterteamLike it? Create your own at GoAnimate.com. It's free and fun! 11/09/2011

Today is the perfect day to start up the fireplace and sit with some coffee or hot cocoa.  But wait....there are a few things that you need to check out before you start the fire or flip that switch!   If you have a GAS fireplace: 1.  Very simply, you will need to walk outside and make sure that the vent is not stuffed with a birds nest from this spring and summer.  Birds love to build a nest there! 2.  Make sure that the pilot light is lit, for instructions on how to start up your fireplace after the summer months, there are usually instructions when you open the front panel.               If you have a woodburning fireplace: 1.  You will want to make sure that your flue is clear of any birds nests or debris.  Birds and squirrels will sometimes be pests in these areas of the chimney. 2... 11/02/2011

The Wolter Team Helps More Sellers/Buyers Than Ever Before!     In 2010, we helped 35 families buy or sell a home. In 2011, we helped 36! These two years were our best years ever since beginning our real estate career in 2001.   Thanks to you telling others about our internet marketing for sellers and our information and negotiation skills for buyers, our business is booming while other Realtors are hurting during this tough economic time.   Thank you also for sending people to our website at www.GaryWolter.com   We are on page one of Google for “Cedar Rapids Realtors.” This means more exposure for your listing. Our new website has so much information and shows buyers what to expect during the buying process.   We are also starting to add video blogging and video tours for sellers on ou... 10/28/2011

10/25/2011

  We averaged selling these 5 homes in 11 days! We give you MAXIMUM INTERNET EXPOSURE!"We are your Cedar Rapids/Marion Realtors! The Wolter Team has a "reputation for results." To find all the Cedar Rapids homes for sale in our area see www.GaryWolter.com.   Call us at 319-350-7901 to get your maximum home value audit. Cedar Rapids real estate 10/20/2011

What Would Goldilocks Do? Today's buyers are much like a modern day Goldilocks in search of a home that is "just right"!   Let's look at the differences that she may face in today's challenging real estate market:  "Goldilocks" has more than three choices! Let's face it, there are hundreds of listings out there that may meet your very general criteria.  Knowing which ones to choose and try is not something that buyers should do alone.  Stumbling into the waiting arms of the listing agent at an open house could lead to trouble.  Or at least feelings that the buyer was not really represented should they be convinced that this one is THE ONE to buy. Goldilocks has all the information at her fingertips, but she cannot figure out how to make it make sense. Just as there are hundreds of choic... 10/18/2011

MYTH: Selling your house yourself saves you the commission...we call it saving a nickel and spending a dime.   Recently, we listed a For Sale By Owner in Marion. He had it for sale for $150,000 for over 7 months. (It costs him $1100 a month to own it.=$7700 lost)   We listed it and sold it in ONE DAY! We sold it for FULL PRICE at $158,000!    You could make a case that we actually SAVED him money by paying the 7% commission. See the example below.   If in fact the FSBO could have found a buyer in 8 months....SOLD $148,000  (Mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, etc =$8800)   Keep in mind the market is still falling, as it has for 49 months in a row in Cedar Rapids.   What if the rates go up a half of a percent on the $200,000 house that the FSBO is going to buy? That's $1000 lost for eve... 10/11/2011

Monday:Called For Sale By Owner as I noticed he had his house for sale for over 7 months and recently lowered the price to 150K. Tues: Listed the house at 158k. Wed: Got full price offer! Why do it yourself when we can make you more money and we do the work? Send them to www.GaryWolter.com if they are your real friend. Cedar Rapids Real Estate, www.GaryWolter.com High Quality Photos, Google Maps, Neighborhoods, Style, Price. Find Your Home’s Value,The Wolter Team Has a “Reputation For Results.” Like ·  · Share · about an hour ago Lori Stephan likes this.   Patti Weber Jakoubek I'm certain the homeowner was pleased to get a sale in such a short time after 7 months as a FSBO, but did the homeowner net more or less than $150k after the commission was deducted? Though we have sold houses fo... 10/05/2011

Here are the latest statistics for Cedar Rapids Real Estate provided by the CR Association of Realtors MLS. Currently, their are 1072 single family homes in the metro area. 436 are priced between 99-180K. In that same price range their are 128 sale pendings. It took in average 75 days for homes priced 99-180k to get an accepted offer. Their are 62 homes priced 180-250K that are sale pending and they took 68 days to sell. 39 homes priced 250-400 are sale pending and they were on the market for an average of 97 days. By pricing your house correctly, you can sell your house. The market is still strong in Cedar Rapids/Marion/Hiawatha. To find out how to get top dollar for you house call the Wolter Team of Skogman Realty. Our average is 42 days on the market and getting 98.7% of the asking p... 09/28/2011

It takes on average 90 days to sell a house in the Cedar Rapids real estate market. The average where buyer and seller come together is at 97% of the asking price. The Wolter team at Skogman Realty has listed and sold nearly 40 homes in the last two years and has sold them in an average of 45 days for 98% of the asking price. THAT'S HALF AS MUCH TIME ON THE MARKET! The average list price of a house in the Cedar Rapids area was $157,000. On average that would mean that the Wolter Team can net you around $1500 more because of their negotiation skilss. With over 10 years experience, call the team that has a Reputation for Results." See www.GaryWolter.com to learn more or call 319-350-7901  wolteream@aol.com Cedar Rapids real estate 09/14/2011

When you are searching for a contractor to do some work on your home, whether it is painting rooms, removing wallpaper, refinishing a deck or adding landscaping, you will undoubtedly be presented with estimates.  In order for you to make a decision on which contractor to select, you may look at the price or you may go with your instinct on who you felt most comfortable with, or maybe a little bit of both.  Often, you are referred to a contractor from a trusted friend or family member that has had an exceptional experience. But understanding that an estimate is just an estimate can be difficult.  Especially in the case of the unknown, such as wallpaper removal.  The contractor has no idea how the wallpaper was applied and what the condition of the wall underneath may be when they make an... 09/09/2011

Thinking of selling your house in Linn County?   Profit occurs when preparation and experience meet opportunity. If you are thinking of selling your house soon, keep in mind that we put your house on over 40 websites! We give you maximum  internet exposure! Discount Brokers attract Discount Buyers If an agent is ready to discount their fee from the start...how well will they be at negotiating when it's YOUR MONEY?   Here are the top 10 questions you should ask your potential Realtor before listing a house with them: (OUR ANSWERS ARE WRITTEN) 1. How many years have you been a FULL TIME agent? (10 YEARS) 2. How many homes in my price range have you sold over the past year? (65 TRANSACTIONS LAST YEAR AND OVER 250 TOTAL) 3. What is your average for days on the market before you get an accep... 07/18/2011

We helped this gal find the perfect home at a great price. After taking her & the gal who referred her to lunch, we found this in our e-mail inbox.   Being a first time home buyer I had no idea what I was doing. I had originally started working with another real estate company, I quickly started getting frustrated. They were not working with me on anything and kept trying to talk me into things that I didn't want. I was so frustrated a friend of mine suggested that I get in contact with Gary. Right away I was very comfortable with Gary and Melynda. Our first meeting Gary walked me step by step through the process, he sat down with me I told him exactly what I was looking for, and he was able to give tons of listings. Gary and Melynda really listened to me, and tried to find me the perfe... 06/11/2011

Let's address this issue carefully.  Sometimes, I receive a call from a buyer's agent promising me that they are writing an offer the NEXT DAY!  And then it ends up that the parents decide that they need to approve it FIRST....next weekend.  Beyond frustrating for all parties involved. When we meet to discuss the listing process, we will discuss the process for receiving and negotiating offers.  Often the buyer's agent will call me in advance and ask me how much time I need to respond to an offer prior to writing and sending it to me for your review.  I appreciate this because I can then make sure that I have the time to meet with you personally to discuss the terms and net sheet for the buyer's initial offer. Offers will not be discussed on the phone, unless of course you are out of st... 05/31/2011

This week I went out with one of my transferees to take a look at a few homes.  This is our first trip out to see homes and he wanted to show me his likes and dislikes so that when his wife comes at the end of the month to hopefully make a decision, I will have a better idea of options that they would be most likely want to purchase. Apparently he has little faith in my listening skills.  Or he has dealt with some unprofessional agents in the past...either way, I looked over his selected homes that he wanted to see and I added a few of my own to the list. The very first one that we viewed was one that I picked.  He was skeptical as we walked up to the front.  He told me that it looked familiar and it was in their possibilities, but not at the top.  After the next three that he picked, a... 05/12/2011

Well, I am sure that we can all see red when an offer comes in under the belt.  Meaning that if the house is listed at $269,000 and you offer $235,000....you might consider that a lowball.  Especially if the house is in model perfect condition and only two weeks on the market. So the question is, What should we do with this lowball offer? As with any offer that you receive, you always have three options: 1. Accept.  Well clearly you are not ready to do that.  NOT that desperate.  Especially since that is $20,000 LESS than what you built the house for 13 years ago.  Got it...not going there. 2. Reject.  Well, that all depends.  In addition to the low price, did they ask for your first born and a time frame that is not reasonable?  If all you are needing to deal with is the price, that is... 05/10/2011

When I am representing a seller, we discuss the possible types of offers that we may receive.  If their home is listed above the average in Cedar Rapids, we can expect that occasionally there may be an offer that we receive that is subject to the sale of the buyer's current home.  Let's break down what this means and how it is presented. Should I accept an offer with a subject to sale contingency? The answer is MAYBE. There are two types of subject to sale contingencies. 1.  The buyer has their home active on the market with a REALTOR and they have NOT yet received an acceptable offer.  Typically, this means that the offer will be somewhat incomplete since there are no concrete dates that the buyer can realistically demonstrate.  In other words, without a buyer in place for their home, ... 05/07/2011

This gets a little tricky...and to be honest, this is where most agents fail.  In our effort to educate and protect our clients, we start to count on that next completed transaction.  So much so, that sometimes agents can really lose sight of what is really important.  Today I received a call from one of the buyers that I have been showing homes to for a couple of weeks.  He told me that he was not stalling, but he was not sure what was going on within his current employer and he thought that he should wait a few weeks just to see how everything was going to end up shaking out. I could hear him pause and think that he better start apologizing....after all, we have looked at 20+ homes and he even received the pre-approval letter last week from his lender.  He started by telling me that h... 05/03/2011