When it comes to the bare neccessities, buyers are looking for these basics when purchasing a home. As Cedar Rapids Realtors, we advise sellers to check to see if you have the "basics" to insure a quick sale for top dollar. What buyers need:* 1. Central air conditioning 2. An oversized garage 3. Walk in closet off the master 4. Technology access: cable, satelitte, internet. 5. Energy efficient *National Association of Realtors Price, condition, location will always get you an offer. The agent you select is vital for marketing the home to the most potiential buyers. To learn more about how to make your house more sellable, go to www.GaryWolter.com Cedar Rapids Realtor-Gary Wolter Skogman Reallty 319-350-7901 01/11/2011

Cedar Rapids Real Estate-Newest, best way to market your house to sell for top dollar! In the Cedar Rapids real estate market many for sale by owners and even discount broderages find that marketing a house and getting the largest possilbe exposure is getting more and more difficult. Now more than ever it is taking longer to find a buyer for your house. One way the Wolter Real Estate Team is marketing it's new listings is by giving each of it's houses its own URL! An example currently is a listing at http://4526pineviewdrne.garywolter.com This is a direct link that not only gives the seller more exposure exclusively to their house, but the seller can actually monitor the website activities with their own password! Imagine being able to log on and see all 20+ photos that we will take of ... 01/11/2011

It is frustrating sometimes to be a buyer.  I get that...there are so many sites out there that are ridiculously outdated.  For example I had a buyer client that sent me 20 homes that they were interested in viewing.  Problem was....all of them but 2, meaning 18 of them, were already SOLD, not just pending, but SOLD.  Some in fact, had been SOLD and CLOSED for several months.  How does this happen?  Well, there are many websites that receive the initial information from the MLS about the listing, but then the website is never updated to reflect when the house went sale pending, or it expired, or it sold to another buyer. So, the question today is What are the Best Ways to Search for Available Homes Online? There is no better way to search than to hire a professional REALTOR® represent y... 01/11/2011

This question comes up once in a while from buyers...usually because online the remarks specifically state that it is an estate property, sold as is and with no disclosures. An estate property is one where the owner of the property is deceased and there is an executor or a power of attorney that will be the one selling the property.  Sometimes, there are multiple siblings involved that are not in the area and there is not just one person to negotiate with....this is a whole different situation!  Especially if you cannot get the siblings to agree on price and terms.  Common things that you will find about an estate property are: The property will have no seller property disclosure available for the buyer.  Since the owner is deceased, the only disclosure that is required in the state of ... 01/10/2011

This is an early question that comes up during the initial home buyer consultation.  The out of pocket cost for buyers to make an offer on the house is important particularly with first time home buyers. Earnest Money  is also known as good faith money to show the seller that a buyer is "earnest" in making an offer to purchase their home.  The earnest money is credited to the buyer on the HUD Settlement statement as part of the down payment.  It is a check that is written the trust account for the listing broker that remains there until the time of the closing.  The amount of earnest money is dependent on several factors.  1.  The listing price of the property.  In Iowa, the amount of earnest money recommended is 1% of the purchase price.  In cases where the property is less than $150,0... 01/09/2011

Questions about inspections usually come up during the initial buyer consultation as one of the costs of purchasing a home.  It also comes up when a buyer is looking at a specific house that may require additional inspections due to a well or septic system.  Inspections will also come up with the lender since some programs require certain types of inspections and sometimes who is to pay for the inspection.  Most importantly inspections are discussed when a buyer is writing a purchase contract because inspections are one of many contingencies that need to be ordered, reviewed and then released after the repairs are resolved. Let's talk about the different inspections that are addressed on the purchase contract: 1. The Whole House Inspection:  This inspection is highly recommended on all ... 01/07/2011

I had this question today from a buyer that called me about a home that they viewed on Realtor.com.  They had been visiting open houses and calling on signs all over town and every time, the listing agent just popped over there and SHOWED THEM THE HOUSE!  This apparently happens a lot more than I thought! So, I asked the potential buyer for the property address, their name and phone number, and then I told them that I would call them when I got back to the office.  30 minutes later, I called the buyer back with the information regarding the house that they had called about.  Here was our conversation: Potential Buyer:  When can we see the inside of the house? Karen:  Are you working with a REALTOR? Potential Buyer:  NO.  We are just starting to look and we just call the name or company ... 01/06/2011

I received an email this morning from one of my buyer clients: Hi Karen, In some of the listings that I get there is a position called Taxable Value, which sometimes has a number, and sometimes it doesn't. Also, it is usually more than the List Price.  What is that Taxable Value? This is a great question, and one that comes up often in a buyer's home search. Let's break it down into sections. First, the reason that there is sometimes a number and sometimes not is: Taxable Value is a field in our MLS that is NOT required, so that is why you will not always see a number there.  If the agent does not put it on the listing contract, it is public record and easy to find yourself.  If the property is in Cedar Rapids, you will go to the Cedar Rapids Assessor Website at:  http://www.cedar-rapid... 01/06/2011

This is another one of those frequently asked questions from buyers. Whether I meet you in line getting groceries, at an open house, or if you stop by and request information about a listing on my website, I will ask you to schedule your home buyer consultation.  This is the first step in the homebuying process and it must be completed BEFORE we see any houses. So, what will you learn in a home buyer consultation?  A home buyer consultation serves a dual purpose.  It gives you, the buyer, the opportunity to interview me AND it gives me a way to observe you and see if we are a good fit.  For example:  Do I answer your questions in a way that you can easily understand?  Do you give me honest answers and ask questions if you do NOT understand?  This is all part of determining if I am the a... 01/05/2011

This is the most frequently asked question that I get from buyers, especially first time home buyers in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Closing costs are addressed three different times when I represent a buyer.  1.  We discuss closing costs in the initial buyer consultation.  This is part of the down payment and financial discussion that we have.  I will ask many questions about your ability to pay for these costs in addition to the down payment required for your loan.  Closing costs can also include the prepaid expenses such as the home inspection, radon inspection, termite inspection and the first year of home owner's insurance that is required to be paid a year in advance. 2.  Your lender of choice will go over these costs with you when you meet with them to discuss the loan process.  T... 01/04/2011

The internet is the great equalizer...agents can spend a lot of time and money making their web site and might make them LOOK successful  and experienced. But are they really good successful agents just because they have web presence? Once you sit down with an agent and ask the right questions, the good agent easily rises to the top with the right answers to the right questions. Here are the top 10 questions you should ask your potential Realtor before listing a house with them: 1. How many years have you been a FULL TIME agent? 2. How many homes in my price range have you sold over the past year? 3. What is your average for days on the market before you get an accepted offer? 4. What percentage of the asking price have you averaged this year? 5. Do you truly have a team working with yo... 11/26/2010

Recently, I received an email from a friend who purchased a home 5 years ago from us: "We are finishing up on refinancing our home. Late last week I met up with a lady that did our home appraisal. The end result is that our home value is now appraised at $165,000. I guess the remodeling of our kitchen and basement must have made a difference. As I recall, 5 years ago, we appraised at just a little over 140k." Here's our response:                                                                                     Don't get too excited about a financial institution doing an appraisal on a refi. The banks are in business to loan money and the more equity you have the more likely they think you will take a home equity loan out. This gets lots of people in trouble. We have had clients truly ... 11/16/2010

As we considered buying Cedar Rapids real estate, Gary & Melynda Wolter from Skogman Realty helped us with finding an acreage and we would like to share with you the advantages of choosing the Wolter Team! They are knowledgable about the market and property values and its great to have a team working for you because one of them is always available to show houses in short notice. Always smiling and positive we created a friendship and trust. They are straight shooters! They provided reputable home inspectors, excellent lenders and other service providers a buyer would need. Gary & Melynda Wolter were never pushy and always looking out for us! They worked around our schedule and we purchased an awesome in town acreage at an unbelievable price that they helped negotiate. The only Realtors ... 09/20/2010

Cedar Rapids Realtors sold 266 homes in August which was a drop of 21.5% from August of 2009. Prices, were stable or slightly increasing according to the Cedar Rapids Association of Realtors. The average price of all homes sold was $159,396 up from $152,470 from last August. For the 8th months of the year in 2010 the number of homes sold and the average price is still running ahead of last year. SOLD IN 4 days! Home on 21st Ave. in Marion in July 2010 Call the Wolter Team at Skogman Realty. Our business is up 20% over 2009 and we average selling our listings in 32 days for 98.7% of the asking price. We are your internet marketing experts. See why at www.garywolter.com   09/18/2010

We woke up this morning and checked out our e-mail and found this: It got us a little choked up or ("verklempt" borrowing from Mike Myers) "Gary and Melynda,  I can only say what is on my mind... I was lucky...  I worked with people that listened to what I had to say, and believed in me. And just when I thought no one cared anymore... I remember back to the first gentleman I spoke with about buying a house... Speaking with him on the phone, the conversation took a turn for the worse when the "B word" (bancrupt) came up... The conversation was pretty much over then, and it left me with such bitter feelings toward realtors in general, and the real estate industry... No one was taking the time to listen to me...  So what do you do at a time like this,,,? Hop on the internet and google for ... 09/15/2010

Right up front, we have to report that our real estate practice is up 20%. Of course we are proud of this and believe many factors went into the success we have had in a market that is "different" than in past years. The other fact is that we live in a recession proof city ranking $5 according to www.DailyBeast.com/galleries/2017/1/ Cedar Rapids, Iowa is a wondeful place to live and this is just another reason to stay here. Here are the stats: Employment increase ‘07 - ‘09: 3.4% Personal income increase ‘07 - ‘09: 2.6% GDP increase ‘07 - ‘08: 5.8% Adjusted per capita personal income: $41,871 With interest tates around 4% and an employment increase, we are looking forward to 2011 and feel blessed to have helped so many buyers and sellers this year! Thank you for your referrals! See all t... 09/11/2010

If you own a home on the NW side of Cedar Rapids and its market value is between 160-200K you house is in high demand! As of 9/6/2010 their are only 13 homes on the market between 160-190K! We are currently workiing with a buyer who has their house sold and is looking for a 3 bedroom home on the NW side of Cedar Rapids. What this means is that it contradicts what we hear on a regular basis. It is a seller's market for homes in this price range as market inventory is very low. For a free market analysis of your house and what the it could bring in today's market contact the marketing team at Wolter Team of Skogman Realty. Gary and Melynda will give you straight answers. Don't wait as rates are around 4% at this blog entry. See all the listings at www.GaryWolter.com Licensed In Iowa since... 09/07/2010

If you are looking to sell your house, there are 4 important phases of the selling process. Any mistakes in any of these phases can jeopardize a fast, top dollar sale. 1. Pricing the property correctly - This ensures the likelihood of stimulating a good offer and many times involves "testing the market". Many people try to set a high price thinking they can come down later. That's a big mistake because above market pricing stifles showings and discourages offers of any kind (this generally ends up netting the owner a lower price takes much longer to sell). 2. Marketing the property - Our goal is to attain the highest number of showings from "qualified buyers" We do more than just place your home on the MLS and hold a few open houses. Our internet marketing program exposes your home to s... 09/06/2010

So far this year my wife Melynda and I have helped 20 first time home buyers! Through these 20 transactions we have learned a lot of what you as a first time home buyer are concerned about and we know how to save you the most money and time. The first advice that most of these "first timers' would give you is to know what you are looking for and know your price range! Many of these clients have told us that prior to working with us they had an inexperienced Realtor who was constantly sending them listings that were too expensive. The second piece of advice is to have us do a market analysis on the house before you make an offer to make sure not to over spend. We average helping our buyers pay around 95-96% of the asking price. That is 1-2% of the average for when buyer and seller come t... 09/03/2010

Sure we still send out postcards like this one above to your neighborhood. But do you know what we do that is more impressive for all of our sellers? We can now say that we are consistantly on page 1 of Google for the most popular search phrase on Google for Cedar Rapids real estate. That's right....Cedar Rapids real estate is number 1 and we are represented twice many times on page 1. What this means to you is that we can give you better and more exposure than most Realtors. We bought the domain name GaryWolter.com in 1997 when the internet was still very new. That is one reason why we get such good placement and also because of our traffic and that we have registered in many real estate directories. Other searches we come up high on too. Such as "Cedar Rapids Realtors" and "Cedar Rap... 08/27/2010