I Have The Buyer.. Do You Have The Home?

Recently received a call on one of my listings but the sign reads  TOO LATE .

This house seemed to have everything for this buyer..except it was no longer available. They asked to keep them in mind should anything happen...hoping it just might fall through.

In our conversation I asked them what areas they would consider and what was on their Wish List.

They were ready and quickly responded with a Top 15  wish list.

      

                                                   

 In our conversation I asked them what areas they would consider and what was on their Wish List. They were so happy to share their wants and immediately sent the following email.

"Hi Margaret:

It was an absolute pleasure talking with you this afternoon too.  ......

Below is our "Top 15".  Thank you so much for your interest and concern!!

 1. Our absolute number one priority is we want QUIET!!  Avoid streets with thru traffic, avoid being too close to major highways, avoid being too close to areas of commerce, avoid being too close to schools, avoid being too close to apartment complexes, avoid being too close to townhome complexes.

2. Prefer property be somewhat, but not necessarily considerably, distanced from neighbors.  Avoid "shoulder to shoulder" house groupings.  Single family homes only, no townhouses.  Prefer lot size be at least .50 acres.

3. Prefer sizable kitchen with considerable storage cabinets AND counter space.

4. Prefer fully finished basement with open floor plan.

5. No swimming pools please, but hot tubs are okay and desirable.

6. Prefer no oil or propane utilities, but will consider on case by case.

7. 2+ car garages.

8. 4+ bedrooms (true 4 bedroom houses preferred, not 3 on upper level and 1 in basement)

9. 2+ full bathrooms

10. Considerable closet and storage space is an absolute must!!

11. Prefer wood burning fireplace.

12. Decent sized level grade back yard is preferred, fenced in or with option allowed to fence it in with simple chain-link fencing.  No HOA restrictions on simple chain link fencing if at all possible.  Some trees are certainly okay, and welcomed.

13. No fixer-upper properties please.  Prefer "move-in" condition.

14. Primary preferred geographic area is CARROLL COUNTY, but we are also interested in Howard County west of Ellicott City/Columbia, or Baltimore County areas that are adjacent to Carroll County.  Prefer 30 minutes or less commute to the Woodlawn area where we work."

I am looking forward to finding a home for these buyers. It is obvious they are serious and have given thought to their wants and needs. Along with this post, I am also running an ad looking for a good property to meet their needs.

 I Have The Buyer...Do you have the home?

                                                      

Buyers Need a Home! Are You Selling?

 

This young family needs a home! Their home went under contract and will be closing next month. With all the media talk about it being a buyer's market and how hard it is to sell a home....they listed their home with me and voila it sold! Now we are trying to move them into the Summit Chase neighborhood.

No problem...it's a buyer's market.

Well not so fast. There are no homes on the market that meet their needs. They really want an end of group with a garage.  We have been out looking at lots of other areas and lots of other houses. They are being flexible. But they know what they want.

So this is what we did. I made the flyer below...put it on blue paper and went to each end unit, with a garage. in the entire Summit Chase neighborhood.

Within minutes, I had a phone call. It happened to be the mom of one of our friends. She loved the idea of the flyer and had to call. Is she ready to sell? Not at this time.   But  she will talk to others in the area.

So today we were out looking at ranchers, contemporaries and two story homes. We found two that we liked enough to bring hubby back to, maybe this weekend

But our first choice is still the home described below!

Buyers Need a Home! Are You Selling?
If you are thinking about selling your Summit Chase townhouse with a garage, would you please call me 410-530-2400.

Margaret Rome
Author of Real Estate the Rome Way
www.HomeRome.com
410-530-2400

Knock Knock! Door Knock..Who Me? You Must Be Kidding!

Knock Knock!  Door Knock..Who Me? You Must Be Kidding!

ActiveRain member and friend, Jane Peters, recently wrote a post "To Door Knock or Not to Door Knock..."?

And my comment...
"... Just today when showing a house that the buyer did not like, I said: Do you see any home on this street that you like?

 She pointed  to a home diagonally across the street. I walked over, knocked on the door...and you will have to wait for a future post to find out what happened."..
                                            
 
                                    

The future is here..

I knocked on the door and a lovely couple came out to talk with us. They love their home and it really shows pride of ownership. The gardens, the lawn, the exterior sparkled..she did apologize for having "stuff" in the garage. After talking about her home and the neighborhood, I asked if there might be anyone around thinking of selling. Hubby says.."why don't you sell the house next door?"

But is this neighbor was ready to sell?  Only one way to find out...and what did I have to lose? 

I went over, knocked on the door, introduced myself.  I told him I was working with buyers, had shown a listed home across the street and about the conversation with his next door neighbors.

Before you knew it, I was in his house, taking a tour, looking at photos of his children and grand kids,  talking about where he would move. I gave him  my business card  and he gave me his cell phone number.

 We both wanted to know if the other was serious. He wanted to know if these were qualified buyers and I wanted to know if he would really move with the right offer.

The next thing you know, the buyers are touring the house, with the understanding that it was far from show ready. It is the kind of house they are looking for...a four bedroom colonial, with hardwood floors, a big level back yard, a large basement for storage and in their favorite neighborhood.

I made a follow up call...Stay tuned.  The  seller is trying to figure out where he will move...and the buyers are ready to make an offer based on his decision.

Knock Knock..Door Knock..Who Me? You Must Be Kidding!

I Have The Buyers in Baltimore, MD Are You Ready to Sell?

I have the buyers in Baltimore! Are you ready to sell ? 

                             

I have just started working with a delightful couple. How long do you think it will take me  to find them a home?

Remember I always ask for their wish list.  Here are some of their requirements...quite practical,

''We are looking for a home  up to $250,000. Must be pet friendly for our two dogs, so a fenced yard would really be nice. We are a young couple and would  like a garage... but will consider a parking pad that would comfortably fit an 18 foot work van. It does not have to be a large home...  2 or more bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths.  We would like a sunny home with outdoor space for entertaining. We really like to garden, entertain and love barbecuing.

We have been driving around looking for a place and need your help.
Some areas to consider but not limited to... would be Canton, Highlandtown, Patterson Park and Mount Washington. We will consider Baltimore County, if it is somewhat close to Baltimore City, up I- 83 or the outskirts of the city. We really like biking to work and would want that option. Both of us dislike traffic and the stress it causes.

We would like to start looking now but can be flexible with a moving date as late as this summer or even early Fall. If you are thinking about selling your home and it in the $250,000 price range, has at least 2 bedrooms, a couple of baths, a bit of grassy area for our dogs and parking, I would love for you to contact my REALTOR® Margaret Rome with HomeRome Realty mrome@HomeRome.com 410-530-2400
We are serious buyers and could give you ample time to find your new home.''

I have the buyers in Baltimore! Are you ready to sell ? 
Please help me help this couple find a home in Baltimore.

Thinking of Selling Your Home? Call Margaret Rome!

 If You Are Thinking of Selling Your Home...Call Margaret Rome 410-530-2400

As the broker/owner of HomeRome Realty in  Baltimore, Maryland I have qualified buyers right now with specific needs.
                         


Take a look at these three situations. Do you have a home that might work for any of these ready, willing and able buyers?

Buyers #1 are ready to purchase a home in the Fort Garrison School System and would like a 4 bedroom, two story home with garage and private lot... up to $500,000.

Buyers #2  would like a home in the West Towson or Anneslie zip codes 21212 or 21204. They are specifically requesting Stoneleigh and Dunbarton schools. Three bedrooms, 2 full baths and a garage are the 'must haves' and a price range up to $350.000.

Buyers #3  would also like a single family home in move in condition up to $225,000 in the Owings Mills-21117 or Reisterstown-21136 zip codes.

If you are thinking of selling your home, please call Margaret Rome. 410-530-2400
        
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Yesterday we had appointments on 8 properties. Not one came close to being suitable. Yes, there is plenty of inventory but some of it is just inventory. The properties were not well kept and two were not even accessible. There had been no shoveling, no plowing...we had no way to know the location of the sidewalk, steps or where to look for the buried lock box.                                   

                                         
We had confirmed appointments on both houses above.


The buyers were disappointed figuring they could find at least one house to make an offer. They asked if they were being 'too picky." They have their financing in place, they are non contingent and they are  ready to move. In any market, these are dream buyers!

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So I have decided to take a different route to find them special homes. If you have a home that might meet the above criteria, please let me know. ( If you have an agent, please have them contact me.) I will be running a print media ad as well as canvassing the requested neighborhoods. The buyers are able to search All Active Maryland Listings  in our  MLS from my website. This is a partnership to find a home and do it as quickly as possible.

Can You Help Me Find a Home In Baltimore?

Attention agents and home owners: Have you taken a look at your listings? Are they in show condition? Are they accessible? Are they clean? Are the pets, paraphernalia and their odors contained?

I am here to tell you these are ready, willing and able buyers. They are looking for a home to buy and they are ready now!!

If you are thinking of selling your home, please call Margaret Rome. 410-530-2400

Wish I May, Wish I Might...I Have the Buyer!

We need to find this couple the perfect home! You'll recall that I asked them to make a "We won the lottery!" list of everything they could ever want in a home.

And then they were to get real and make a "wish list" of the things that were most important. With that list - and knowing what homes appealed to them before - I would be ready to line up homes for them to see... when they come to Baltimore in early June. Since they are coming from France, and only for a short visit, I need to not waste their time.

They did the exercise and emailed me today!

Now I have their wish list, and there is nothing on it that is unrealistic or unlikely. Whether we can find a home that has all these things is a good question, but I believe we can come close.

This couple recognizes that finding everything on their list in one place and at the right price isn't likely, but we have a good idea of what to aim for.

What are they looking for? The types of things many people desire: three bedrooms, 2-1/2 baths, an updated kitchen with stainless appliances and granite or Corian counters, nice wood cabinets, a master bedroom suite with walk-in closets, a Jacuzzi soaking tub, a good-sized patio and deck, a fireplace, central air conditioning, and a few other details. They have selected about a half dozen neighborhoods.

We have until early June to find several homes that might fit their needs in Baltimore. Can we do it? Stay tuned....

Turning Around IS an Option!

One day while in a meeting I had a call from an out of state agent who wanted to know if I would be interested in a referral. Her clients needed to move to Baltimore by May and had a "bad" experience with another agent. She quizzed me on my internet savvy and I suggested she email me the clients' info so we could decide how best to proceed. I also suggested she "Google" me, but I am not sure she understood what that meant.

It was a couple of days before the potential buyer contacted me, and it turned out they were to be renters, not buyers. The wife called and told me what she wanted, a 3-4 bedroom house on a quiet street, 20-minute commute from BWI airport, and up to $2,000/month for a 6 month lease. Their present home was not sold yet but the husband is already working here and they want to all be together with their two small boys. Oh, and the husband wanted a garage. The wife made it clear that she was not happy with a previous agent because that agent did not return calls, plus other complaints. You may wonder – why was I working with a potential buyer renter at this moment? Because another agent asked for my help.

So let's give this couple a name - "Jack and Jill." Jill said that Jack had Monday and Tuesday to find a place. I set Jill up with my automated email search through my website with the Homes Prospector under Search All Listings. I emailed her the instructions and spent time on phone helping her set this search up. She was really pleased (the other agent did not have this service) she now knew someone was helping her find a home.

Late on Sunday night I received an email from Jill, "Sorry it's taken me a couple days to get back to you…. Jack's best days are now Tuesday and Wednesday. Here are the places we are interested in...." along with a list of 14 MLS numbers in three different counties. "Give 'Jack' a call and let him know what works for you." Remember this is 10:21 on Sunday night.

OK, so now I knew that I had my Monday free which was good since I had a wonderfully busy day. Late that night I make contact with Jack and Jill, she tells me that he is available all day Tuesday anytime. Great! I have someone flexible to work with, or so I thought. I suggested we get together around 11 am that would give me time to call these 14 listings and set up showings. I was able to make seven showings, the CSS person was wonderful, all the properties were vacant and on Sentri lockboxes – a big help.

I called Jack and offered to pick him up at his hotel at 11:30. Nope, he'd rather meet me at the property. OK, so there I was in my car and the GPS would not take the first address. So I entered the nearest intersection and found out that I was 20 minutes away. Yep, I was going to be late. I called Jack to tell him I was running a few minutes late, and he was NOT pleased. " I am going to have lunch and you are just wasting my day."

Whoa....This was not the way to start a relationship. I was doing him and the other agent a favor (yes, she had already asked for the commission on this rental agreement).

What does one do in this situation? I promised to find them a house, had seven appointments set up, was already on the highway…hmmm. I apologized for being late, did not remind him that wife said he was available all day, and joked that maybe he got another "bad" agent. No humor, just anger. And that's when I made the decision. I suggested if he were that unhappy with me that I just turn around now.

He hung up, and I did just that - I turned around and went home. I did call him back to apologize again for being late, confirm that I would not be meeting him, and to let him know I would not accept him hanging up on me. A fifteen minute leeway was not out of the question when we going to see 7 properties.

I did the right thing. I asked myself WIN – What's Important Now? And my answer was that turning around and coming home felt right. I called "Jill" (no answer) and called and emailed the agent wishing them luck in finding a home in Baltimore.

A deep breath...NEXT!

Did you know that turning around is also an option for you?

Don't Believe the Gloom and Doom!

You can't get away from them – the "experts" who are eager to declare the worst. Yesterday's Baltimore Sun included this charming statement from an economist: "The existing-homes market is now in free-fall." But I also saw an article that appeared in the online Ventura County Star in late September, and it has one of the best discussions I've seen of the immense gap between the stories of real estate market meltdown that seem to be everywhere, and the reality you see when you step back a bit and take a calm look.

The article talks about what they are seeing in Ventura County which is in Southern California along the coast between Santa Barbara County and Los Angeles County. But much of what is true there is true elsewhere in the country, including my area of Maryland.

The gist of it can be summed up in a paraphrasing of Mark Twain's famous quip: "Don't worry, reports of the industry's impending doom are highly exaggerated. Buyers are still buying and sellers are still selling."

Sure, the market isn’t what it was a few years ago, but there are many in the real estate business who believe the market was due for a correction, just as the stock market often drops when Wall Street believes that stocks are overvalued. The thing is, there are many positives in the market now. Mortgages are still available at historically low rates, and the economy is sound. There are still special programs for first-time buyers as well as safe and creative financing for other buyers.

Like averages (which we know are meaningless!), headlines tell only a small part of any story. Certainly getting a good price for your home in a sale is important, or getting a great deal if you are buying. As the article points out, "People need to look at their own housing needs and not listen to others. You don't buy a home to make money, you do it as a place to raise your family, to put down roots, to feel secure."

Housing markets go through cycles. The down markets follow up markets which follow down markets. People who have been in the industry long enough recognize they are as natural as the seasons. And the real estate professionals who have built their careers on service and value will find the ups just as exciting as everyone else, and the downs not nearly so deep.