During the initial home selling consultation, we will discuss your preferred method of communication.  Whether it be through a phone call, an email, or US mail, one way or another, you will hear about what is going on with your home every week that you are on the market.  How will you let me know what is going on with my house? There is so much going on in the market at any given time.  There are so many ways to tell you how your house stands in the competition.  I find that using email is an effective way of getting information to you.  What do I email to you? Weekly Internet Reports:  Typically sent on Mondays, these reports generate interest from Realtor.com and Skogman.com.  The Realtor.com report will show you how many times your home was viewed through a buyer's search as well as ... 03/02/2011

You know, I am still surprised every time that I hear this question, and it comes up about 10% of the time during the listing process.  Usually it is brought up by the seller because they had listed it for sale by owner first prior to calling me.  And that is okay....but understand that despite the showings and fabulous feedback that you received during that time, you had no offers.  Why?  Because potential buyers are afraid to show you their motivations and they do not want to upset or offend you.  After all, it is your personal home and by your loving tour, you obviously think this is the perfect home! Why do you need to leave for all showings? Well, there are probably lots of reasons here, but I am going to give you 5 reasons why it is necessary for you to not be present during showi... 03/01/2011

Don't get inflicted with "First Time Home Buyer-itis." This is our 10th year of helping home buyers purchase their first home in the Cedar Rapids real estate market, almost everytime the buyer will get 'the disease." It is a form of buyers remorse based on fear. (False Evidence  Appearing Real) Sometimes the reluctance to go ahead with the purchase comes during or after the deal is being negotiated. Sometimes it comes after the home inspection, when the buyer finds out that the house isn't "perfect." Because first time home buyers look at lower end homes the houses need a little work. This should be looked at as a way of gaining a little sweat equity and an opportunity. Your Realtor and a home inspector can help you decide what a red flag is. By purchasing a year long home warranty, thi... 02/26/2011

Let's just start by saying that people LOVE their pets.  They love them as they love their children.  They are important to you and you want to protect them from harm or needless anxiety. When you are putting your home on the market for sale, we need to have a discussion about your little dog.  Your little dog cowered in fear as I stepped into the house, then worked itself into a barking frenzy that went on for a solid ten minutes.  The poor little thing was hoarse.  It looked at me with that little dog glare saying I don't want you in my house!  One of the questions that I ask is how we are going to handle showings for your home.  The answer varies depending on the ability of the owner to get home and remove the pet prior to all showings.  A 2-4 hour notice is typically sufficient to r... 02/16/2011

I think that it is great that Iowa can be such a great place for cultural and theatrical entertainment.  This coming weekend, there are some fabulous options in our area.   Friday February 18th: The first is Ladysmith Black Mambazo who is performing at the Riverside Casino as part of the Hancher Season.  This is an acclaimed group of a cappella singers from South Africa and they are amazing! This music is all about creating unity and understanding, their songs celebrate their achievements and embracing of their childhood where singing just made people happy.  Riverside Casino and Golf Resort is located at 3184 Highway 22, Riverside.  This is just 15 minutes south of the Iowa City/Coralville area.  Tickets available online at the Hancher website  click here or at the door one hour prior ... 02/15/2011

Did Cupid Miss His Mark?  Funny story....just happened to coincide with Valentine's Day yesterday... Mr. Seller has relocated across the country.  His home hit the market at what seemed to be the worst time of the year, right before Halloween and long after the school year had started.  But it had its own pluses.  Due to a September hail storm, he was able to get a new roof and new siding which greatly improved the curb appeal of his home.  Fresh paint and new blinds throughout, professionally cleaned carpets, staged to sell, and an at market value price and we were in business. Then there came the comments about the things that we can do nothing about....the family room is too small, the fireplace takes up too much room, there are only 3 bedrooms on the second level and that basement b... 02/15/2011

Complete and analyze a market analysis. Meet with the seller to go over the market analysis. Determine a compelling list price. Take room measurements. Provide suggestions to sellers for preparing their home-- both inside and outside -- for showings and open houses. Have professional photographs taken. Write an attention-getting description. Put the listing into MLS and on the company web site, as well as my personal web site, Trulia, Realtor.com, WiHomes.com, etc., etc. Prepare color information packets for buyers. Mail out Just Listed postcards. Schedule and prepare for broker's open. Schedule and prepare for open houses. Follow up with buyers from open houses. Schedule private showings. Ensure all potential buyers are pre-approved. Follow up with agents from private showings. Provid... 02/12/2011

Here come the monster trucks, just in time for that Valentine's present for that extremely difficult to please sweetheart of yours!  Or just some loud fun for the entire family.  Tickets on sale for the shows on February 11th and 12th at the US Cellular Center here in Cedar Rapids.  Ticket prices for this event are as low $15 for adults & kids! Click here for more information provided by the Cedar Rapids Downtown District!   Make this a weekend to remember for your entire family.  It is loud, so bring your earplugs and enjoy the fun.  Keep smiling! Karen       02/09/2011

Once you have selected me as your agent of choice to represent your home on the market, it is time for your homework.  Remember in the initial home selling consultation, we discussed that your home price was going to fall within a range?  The price would be depending on your willingness to do the things necessary to get the highest price?  Well, this series of questions, suggestions, disclosures, and inspections will help us determine the best price for your home. Your "Homework": Not to be confused with house work, this part of the listing process is all about preparing your home for the market.  Typically all this happens in the week between the listing consultation and the day that the house will be photographed for the internet.  It is a "honey do" list of sorts.... 1. The pre-listi... 02/08/2011

Not to be confused with a CMA, a home seller consultation is more about the marketing plan of your home.  First, we will sit down and discuss: 1. Why you want to sell your home 2. Where you are planning to go 3. Your financial ability to sell 4. Your timeframe for selling 5. Your improvements and repairs to the home Once we determine your motivation for selling and your timeframe that you need to move in, you will show me your home.  Please tell me anything that you think buyers will want to know about your home.  If you have added extra insulation in the attic and you have replaced the windows with energy efficient ones, buyers will not necessarily know that unless you tell them!  If you had water in the basement and you had someone come and tile around the house, add a battery back up... 02/08/2011

Especially for sellers that are doing this for the first time, they are researching all that they can to try to figure out where to start.  After all, this is your largest asset.  You may have purchased at the height of the market a few years ago with 100% financing, or maybe you came into a financial windfall that allowed you to pay a huge chunk ahead on your mortgage.  Your situation and reasons for selling are unique to you.  It is not always about the price.  And that is okay... So the question is:  What is the First Step in the Listing Process? Interviewing Agents! Your first step is to interview at least 3 agents.  Why 3?  Well, I think that you can tell a lot by just three, but if you want to interview more, than interview as many as it takes.  You can start by giving an opportun... 02/08/2011

I can honestly say that in every part of the Cedar Rapids area, there is a grocery store, a restaurant, a park, a school, a walking trail, shopping...all within a hop, skip and a jump from any home that you see!  I was out with a new relocating family over the weekend and as I drove through the areas that they had identified as neighborhoods of interest, they were amazed by the convenient locations of the housing compared to the shopping areas, recreation areas as well as medical facilities as well. I guess I never really thought about it before.  The fact that there is NOT a Starbucks on every corner or a Casey's.  There is a very welcoming separation of residential areas from the commercial areas, yet it is still very convenient, often in walking distance.  There are walking trails, b... 02/07/2011

The final inspection is one of the most important contingencies of the purchase agreement for the buyers.  This is what assures the buyer that the house is in the same, or better, condition as it was upon the date of the offer.  The final inspection is your opportunity to view the home after the seller has moved all their belongings out of the home so that you can see all the walls where the furniture was and anything else that you may have missed during the inspection.  So the question is:  When will we perform the final inspection? The final inspection is addressed in the purchase agreement in very general terms, so as you remember, we were very specific in our additional provisions allowing the final inspection to be a minimum of 2 days prior to settlement.  We ask for this timeframe... 02/06/2011

Prior to listing a home, I give my sellers a checklist of how showings will be handled.  We will discuss the person that should be called for access along with all the numbers where they can be reached, we will create a plan of how we are going to prepare for showings, and we will determine how much time is needed to remove pets or children from the home.  In addition, I give my sellers the phone number for the showing desk to return calls to confirm showings.  If the showing is with an agent from Skogman Realty, the buyer's agent will call to schedule their own showings.  If it is an agent from another company, the call will be made by someone that identifies themselves as the Skogman Showing Desk.  Once the showing has been confirmed by the seller, I will receive an email with the dat... 02/06/2011

Hi there!  I see this over and over again where new employees immediately call an agent to get their home on the market.  Don't jump the gun!  Your employer may have a contract with a third party relocation company that handles all of this for you.  If you go out and hire the first agent that you call, it may negate your benefits, and will likely result in a difficult transaction all around. For example, I am a relocation specialist for Rockwell Collins here in Cedar Rapids and they have hired Sirva Relocation out of Westmont, Illinois to manage the relocation of their new employees.  If the employee has a home to sell, there is more to it than calling an agent and putting it on the multiple listing service for sale.  There is an extensive process that your agent must agree to, the leas... 02/02/2011

Every time that I go on a listing consultation, it is an opportunity to learn how to perfect my presentation skills. This is especially true with sellers that are relocating to another part of the country! How well do I listen to the seller and their needs?                         Did I find out their true motivation and goal in listing their home for sale?  How much do they think their home is worth?                                    What are their concerns or fears about the process?  What are their past experiences with other agents and what are their expectations of the agent that they are going to select? At the heart of all of this lies their true motivation for selling!   Which is more important, the selling price or the days on the market?     You must chose!     If you choose ... 02/01/2011

During the Grand Opening month, Skogman Homes is offering a special promotion in our production line homes.  New buyers can choose from the following: An Ultimate Dream Bath with a walk in ceramic tile shower with glass door, granite countertops with an undermount sink, and heated ceramic tile flooring   OR                                                                                      a third car garage...                     OR   500 square feet of recreation room space in the lower level!                           All of these are a $10,000 value and are available for a limited time! Our new model home is located at 2015 Timber Oak Ct. Marion.  Garrison floor plan with almost 2100 sq ft on the main level with a split master suite for ultimate privacy! Directions:  C Avenue north... 02/01/2011

This question sometimes comes up as we are searching for homes.   There is a gross tax and a net tax listed on the MLS sheet.  Sometimes the two numbers are the same, sometimes the net is less and sometimes, the net is significantly less. What is the Homestead Tax Exemption? The homestead tax exemption is the credit that a homeowner receives on their yearly taxes for their primary residence only. At the closing table, the lender will mention to you that this exemption must be done prior to June 30th of the year.  The tax escrow is based on the homeowner claiming this credit.  If the credit is not claimed by that date, the taxes will go up to the gross value for one year, therefore your payment will go up to cover that cost. So, when you see that the gross and net taxes are the same on t... 01/31/2011

Now, not everyone at once, but it might be a good idea to go to the grocery store today for the necessities.  Sounds like a doozie of a storm or two that we are supposed to get starting tonight through Wednesday.  I think that we are headed for a snow day if we reallly get all the snow that they are projecting. Keep in mind, that if you do not have to be on the roads, don't!  Nothing worse than a snow day and the kids are packed in at the mall.  If they can make it to the mall, they can make it to school! Make sure that you have gas in the snowblower and ice melt on hand.  Keeping up with all those inches will be tiring with a shovel! Make sure that you have flashlights with working batteries, or extra batteries just in case.  This much snow has been known to cause power outages. If you... 01/31/2011

This can be a sticky one.  You never really know if you are truly competing with another buyer.  There are many unethical agents that will tell you that they think that there will be another offer in an effort to get my buyer to up their price to compete.  I never fall for it.  If there truly is another offer, the listing agent should give me the opportunity to change or rescind my offer prior to presenting to the seller.  What if there is another offer on the house that you want to buy? The answer is never simple.  There are several ways to negotiate when you are faced with a multiple offer situation. Highest and Best Offer First, you need to determine how much you really want THIS house.  If this is the house that you can see yourself growing old in, then you should make your highest ... 01/31/2011