Why sell it yourself when we can get more? This house was on IA homes for sale.com for 6 months until we sold it in around a month for 8% more! This happens all the time! You are missing out on 90% of the buyers in an already low buyer time. Most buyers use the free services of a Realtor. Shows like a Model home! • 2,114 sq. ft., 3 bath, 4 bdrm 2 story - $189,000 - Absolutely Prestine! Stoney Point, Cedar Rapids  -  This home shows like a model and you would think that its newly built. Pristine and perfect condition. Upgraded throughout. Walk into a dramatic 2 story foyer with open staircase overlooking the ceramic tile entry. Huge eat in kitchen, with maple cabinetry, brushed nickel accents and additional closet pantry for lots of kitchen storage. Gas fireplace in living room. The over... 08/26/2010

The Wolter Team at Skogman Realty listed and sold 3839 Lennox Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids in 7 days! This cute brick 3 bedroom home has a detached 2 car garage and great location close to Kenwood school. As Gary & Melynda Wolter always say, "the good ones go fast..."  If you are lookiing for a new home with the lowest interest rates ever, give them a call. Gary & Melynda Wolter Skogman Realty 319-350-7901 wolterteam@aol.com www.GaryWolter.com (See all the listings) 08/26/2010

We just couldn't keep quiet any longer. After today's national story of how homes sales were down 27%, we had to look up our own statistics here at Wolter Team headquarters. We are having our best year since starting in late 2001. Our business is up over 20%! How can this be? All we can do is speculate and here is what we have come up with: 1. We are lucky to live in Cedar Rapids. Our market is strong due to low unemployment rates and good paying jobs at two large employers in Rockwell Collins and Aegon. 2. Nine years of experience as we understand how to market with the highest exposure available on the web. 3. Being realistic when pricing our listings and giving straight answers to sellers of exactly what is happening in the market. 4. Helping buyers find the best deals as soon as the... 08/25/2010

    In July, 2010, Gary & Melynda Wolter were recognized as recent sales leaders, selling more residential real estate at Cedar Rapids largest company Skogman Realty. Skogman has over 200 agents that the Wolter team topped to win the award.! "Thanks to all of our clients for spreading the word about our results." Gary said. "Its a tough market and our experience has been invaluable in helping our clients." Melynda remarked. Call the Wolter team at Skogman Realty today. www.garywolter.com wolterteam@aol.com  319-350-7901 Licensed in iowa since 2001 08/17/2010

Wolter Team helps 200th client! (You should be 201) The real estate team of Melynda and Gary Wolter hit a milestone this month closing their 200th residential real estate deal. The Wolter team wants to thank all of their clients for their referrals and choosing us as your Realtors! 2010 has been their most successful year as they are already seen a 21% increase in sales over last year. It's hard to imagine with all of the bad economic news that a husband and wife team in their 9th year has had so much success. "We just flat out want to give the best service and then people tell others and its really snowballed." Gary said. "We are really enjoying helping others that are buying and selling in this unique market." says Melynda Call the Wolter Team today at 319-350=7901 Licensed in Iowa   ... 08/15/2010

  Gary & Melynda Wolter, Realtors at Skogman Realty have a new billboard that is on the corner of 44th St and 7th Ave. in Marion. "We wanted to share our enthusiasm with our future clients about the strong Cedar Rapids real estate market." says Gary Wolter in his 9th year as a Realtor with his wife Melynda. The husband and wife team says that they have experienced the most growth in residential real estate sales in 2008 and 2009 despite the recession. "We have an internet presence that provides our clients with the most exposure. That combined with great customer service has been key to our increase in business." according to Gary. The Wolter Team at Skogman Realty sells their listings in less than 30 days on average and for 99% of the asking price. Call Gary & Melynda Wolter today at 3... 06/09/2010

Lately, we have talked to a lot of people who have been concerned with their city assessments. Most have complained that they are too high. While the city continues to raise assessments, market values have not caught up with them. You are not alone! Its important to understand that city assessments have NOTHING to do with what your house is actually worth. The city just merely gives your property a value to base its taxes on it. If you can find a comparable property that is being taxed less than you may be able to fight the assessment and get it lowered. Many times sellers that have refinanced recently and then get an appraisal for their house. Remember that the bank is not giving you a market value on your property either. Its an amount that they feel safe financing it for. It may be t... 05/13/2010

Do you every wish you could include the caveat "No Moms Allowed" to an agency agreement? Oh yeah, and add "Over Protective Dads", "Grandpas Who Bought Their First Home for $5,000", "Spoiled Sisters In Law" and "Know It All Best Friends"... Family and friends who accompany first time home buyers on their house hunt have good intentions, no doubt. But their lack of market knowledge, strong opinions and subjectivity can really kill a sale. Well-meaning friends and relatives can offer so many conflicting opinions that it can cause confustion and frustration. First time home buyers start to second guess their instincts, become indecisive and reluctant, and rely too heavily on what everyone else thinks they should do. It's a good idea for an agent to have a "Prep Talk" with clients before se... 04/26/2010

Wolter Team is #1 Real Estate Blogger in Iowa! In 2009, and going into their 9th year as agents, the husband and wife team of Gary & Melynda Wolter (Wolter Team) at Skogman Realty in Marion, Iowa posted over 170 blogs of homes and market conditions in the Cedar Rapids area. We will continue as a resource for the area giving you the most information about the Cedar Rapids real estate market. The Wolter Team ranked #1 in Iowa for most blogs by www.point2homes.com Many new subscribers are joining to learn about buyer and seller ideas at www.GaryWolter.com As a buyer you will learn what the latest strategies are and what new tax credits are available. While other agents list and talk about their services, we just flat out help people. WE HELPED 18 FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS IN 2009! Sellers, yo... 04/25/2010

From Frontdoor.com Read the Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Foreclosure:   Foreclosure is a process, not a thing. The foreclosure process has four phases. The terms and length of each phase vary by state. A difficult financial situation doesn't have to lead to foreclosure. The mortgage lender is not eager to take your house away. You can sell your home immediately when foreclosure is looming. All is not lost once you get a notice of default. A short sale is better than going through foreclosure. Foreclosure has major legal, tax and credit consequences. Buying a foreclosure property doesn't always mean you'll get a bargain. Understanding your mortgage can help you avoid foreclosure. 04/23/2010

This was a testimonial letter that came to us recently. We are proud or our service! 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 i... 04/19/2010

When you choose a home, you are not just choosing what is beneath the roof and within the walls. You are choosing, a neighborhood, and essentially, a lifestyle. The Cedar Rapids area has a wide variety of neighborhoods, all with their own unique features. This post is dedicated to highlighting a little bit about what this Northeast neighborhood has to offer. Homes in this family-orienteted neighborhood tend to sell very quickly. Many buyers are drawn to the desirable school district, and convenient location with close proximity to Rockwell Collins, the Lindale Mall area, and easy access to 1-380. The first home was built in 1964, and the area has been continually developed since. With several different phases from Bowman Woods I, II, III, Bowman Ridge and Bowman Trail, and so on, home p... 04/19/2010

  Imagine at the age of 7 being unable to tie your shoes. Not because you haven't learned, but because it hurts too badly. Imagine at the age of 26 having your spouse dispense your toothpaste, squeezing out hair gel with your knees and being unable to turn the keys in your car's ignition. Imagine at 55 being unable to hold your grandchildren or plant mother's day flowers as you've always loved. This is the daily reality of life with arthritis. My little sister has been living with Rheumatoid Arthritis since the age of 20. She was an all star athlete, fitness enthusiast and as healthy as can be. Never did it occur to her that at age 26, her husband would have to carry her up and down the stairs of their townhome on her "bad days". I hope you can find a little extra change and a little ex... 04/19/2010

Cedar Rapids Realtors earn Master Sales Professional award for 3rd time! Gary & Melynda Wolter of Skogman Realty, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa have earned the award of "Master Sales Professionals' for a third straight year. Each year in Chicago, the National Master Sales Society honors those Realtors that demonstrate a high level of professionalism and sales production. The Wolter Team had a total of 63 transactions in 2008 and increased their dollar volume by 30% over 2007. At the same time they successfully went through 14 hours of customer service and selling homes instruction at the 3 day event, January 9-11th, 2009. As a member of the Floyd Wickman's Master Sales Society the Wolter Team is guided and abides by the following core values: To Always:... Live by the "get by giving" philosophy... 04/17/2010

We all know that when it comes to real estate, it's all about "location, location, location." And for home buyers with families, school district gets particular attention. So what if you find a home you love, in a great location, but in school district with a less than stellar reputation? If you truly love the home, and plan to live in it long term, then this isn't a deal breaker. You do have options, and a little creative problem solving is all you need. Here are some tips from a teacher with experience as a real estate agent in the Cedar Rapids area: Don't judge a book by its cover. Make a point to visit the school yourself and formulate your own opinion. Look at the teacher-student ratio and the visibility and interaction of administrators. What is the overall tone of the school whe... 04/17/2010

Whether you have had your home listed for some time, or are preparing it for market, you can add tremendous appeal with one weekend of a little elbow grease and one hundred dollars. Let's face it, life gets so busy that we often put off the little projects around the house that aren't urgent. While understandable and acceptable for every day living, it's definitely not going to help you sell your home. Budgets and time are getting tighter and tighter, and an "extreme home makeover" is just not realistic for the majority of home owners preparing for market. But there IS a way to give your home the added appeal it needs to catch a buyer's eye WITHOUT breaking the bank or sucking up all your free time! One weekend and one hundred bucks will get your home ready for buyers! Here is a simple ... 04/06/2010

           Large brokerages spend a hefty chunk of their advertising budget on weekly Open House ads in local newspapers. Open House directionals and sign riders begin to pop up mid week, and by Saturday no street corner is unadorned. But, how effective is this traditional method? Statistics tell us that home buyers do the majority of their research and shopping online these days, so... why continue to hold Open Houses? Are we just continuing to do what we have always done, or is there a bigger reason why agents continue to devote their entire weekend to hosting Open Houses for their clients? We want to hear from YOU! Whether you are a buyer, seller, REALTOR or broker, we value your input. Tell us your thoughts, opinions, statistics, and experiences involving the effectiveness of Open H... 03/16/2010

A must read for Cedar Rapids "First Time Home Buyers" Don't get inflicted with "First Time Home Buyer-itis." This is our 9th 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 ... 03/08/2010

An appraiser gives his opinion about selling a house yourself.... Below is an appraiser's opinion on why to always use a Realtor. It just makes good business sense...please read... I've got a different perspective; I'm an appraiser who works for mortgage lenders. (As an aside, appraisers go to zillow for laughs, not for useful info. Sometimes particularly hilarious estimates will get forwarded around to every appraiser in town the way that xkcd strips circulate around math departments.) Anyway, appraisers have to look at sales to use as comps, and adjust for differences, i.e. if it has no landscaping, it may sell for 5% less than a similar home, or if it has no garage, it may be a hard adjustment like $10,000 regardless of price. In my office we have developed a "fsbo adjustment" that w... 03/08/2010

To illustrate the recent heat up of the housing market in Cedar Rapids in reference to the previous post here are the statastics: Sale Pendings total for 2010 so far: 527 Sale Pendings for the last 30 days: 332 63% of sale pendings have occurred in the last 30 days Data obtained through the CRAAR MLS as of Monday, March 8, 2010. Data from most recent weekend activity may not be reflected in the current data. Only properties listed and sold through the MLS were tracked. 03/08/2010