Keeping Your Home Safe While You're Away

How can you keep your home safe and sound while you're away on vacation? I have five valuable tips that you may not have considered to give you peace of mind while you're away.

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There are some specific things that you can do to keep your home safe while you're away on vacation.

1. Get a Wi-Fi doorbell. This one's a bit unusual, but there is software out there that connects to your smartphone, and when anybody rings your doorbell, you can see them on your phone! You can order one here.
2. Exterior lighting. It goes without saying that the more lights you have, the brighter it is, and the safer it keeps your home. Keep those lights on!
3. Let your neighbors know you'll be gone. If newspapers are sitting around or anything happens, they can tidy up for you so that people don't know you're actually not home.
4. Mail and newspaper delivery. This has gotten very easy with the Internet. With the newspaper, just go to WichitaEagle.com and click the option to put your paper on hold. You can do the same with the United States Postal Service and your mail.
5. Make sure all windows and doors are locked. Experts say this is the most important thing to do to keep your home safe while you're away. According to statistics, roughly 40% of all home invasions are unforced entries! Also, make sure long ladders aren't stored in your backyard; invaders can use those ladders to go up to the second floor and enter through higher windows that are generally left unlocked for whatever reason.

Keep those lights on!

With the holidays approaching, don't skip any of these steps if you're going out of town or heading out on vacation! We hope you found this topic helpful and informative. If you have any other questions or you're interested in buying or selling a Wichita home, give us a call or send me an email. We'd love to help you.

Are You a Past Client? Have a Pie, on Us!

Thanksgiving is almost here, so it's time for our 4th annual pie giveaway! All you have to do is email us and let us know if you want a free pie or if you'd like us to donate a pie to the Wichita Children's Home in your honor.

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With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's time for our 4th annual pumpkin pie giveaway!

Any friends or past clients of The Ames Group interested in a free pie should let us know by November 18th; we have three pies to choose from this year! Send us an email at AmesGroup@KW.com and let us know if you want an apple, cherry, or pumpkin pie and, on Tuesday the 24th, swing by the office to say hello and get your free pie!

You also have the option to donate your free pie this year!

This year, you also have the choice to donate your free pie to the Wichita Children's Home. Just let us know if you'd like to donate a pie, and we will give your pie to the Wichita Children's Home in your honor. It's a really great thing to do for the kids who don't have a place to go this Thanksgiving.

We hope to hear from you soon, and of course, have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

The Top 5 Reasons to Sell Your Wichita Home This Fall

Here in Wichita, people buy homes all year long. Today, I’ll go over the top five reasons to sell your home this fall.

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Why should you list your home during the fall? Here are the top five reasons:

1. There is less competition in the fall. Most people think that spring is the best time to list their home, but the reality is that people in Wichita buy homes all year long. By listing in the fall, you will face less competition, which may mean a better sales price.

2. Buyers are more serious in the fall. In the spring and summer, there are a lot of looky-loos out there who are “just looking” at open houses. They waste your time and your Realtor’s time. In the fall, people are serious because they really want to get into a home before the weather gets really cold.

3. The fall is prime time for curb appeal. The leaves are turning colors and it is truly beautiful outside, which is great for your curb appeal.

4. You will get more attention from your agent. Since most people buy and sell in the spring, your agent won’t be as busy. They will be more available to help you work on things during the fall.

5. You will move in cooler weather. Who really wants to move when it’s 98 degrees out and the humidity is at 100%? A lot of people like moving in the fall because of the cool, crisp weather.

Fall is prime time for curb appeal.

As you can see, there are many advantages to selling your home during the fall. If you have any questions about preparing your home for the market or about real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

The 30-Second Rule All Home Sellers Should Know

Buyers decide whether or not they want to purchase a home within the first 30 seconds of going into that property. I have a few 30-second tips to make your home appeal to buyers.

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The 30-second rule is something I tell all of my clients about when they’re planning to sell their home. What is the 30-second rule?

Research has found that buyers decide whether or not they want to purchase a home within the first 30 seconds of going into that property. What can you do to make your home more appealing to buyers? Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.

Park your car in the driveway, not the garage, and walk up the sidewalk to your house. Do you see gaps in the sidewalk that could be a tripping hazard? If so, you need to fix that. If you have overgrown weeds pouring over to the sidewalk, pull them. 

Put yourself in the buyer’s shoes.

As you approach your front door, check out the steps. Are there cracks in any of them? Is your doorbell clean? Don't forget to also check out your patio or porch. Is there a bird’s nest hanging over your patio? If so, get rid of the nest. If the birds made a mess on your porch, you need to power wash the porch. You can also power wash your front door. We can even lend you a power washer.

These are very simple things that people usually don’t think about when preparing their home for the market. These 30-second tips will make a big difference in how buyers will perceive your home.

If you have any other questions about getting your home ready for the market, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

5 Tips for the Perfect Home Staging

Staging your home before listing it is very important, and we have five essential tips for staging it correctly.

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Here are the top five things homeowners should do in terms of staging their home before listing it:

1. Allow in as much light as you can: Pull open all the blinds and make sure all the lights are on. Shadows can make a room look smaller. The more natural light you can feature, the better.
2. Make sure the interior is not overcrowded: Consider simplifying the layout by removing some of the furniture. You don’t want to give off the impression that the house is being lived in.
3. Properly arrange the furniture: Avoid setting furniture pieces against the walls. While this may seem like an obvious trick to make a space look bigger, it actually has the opposite effect. It’s always better to group them together.
4. Consider window treatments: For example, make sure the curtains are touching the ground. If they aren’t, it can make the ceiling seem lower and the room smaller.
5. Declutter and simplify: Take everything off the countertops and clear away the face of your refrigerator. You want people to be looking at the house, not your belongings.

Staging your home properly can make a huge difference in determining its saleability. Along with staging, professional photography also greatly improves your home’s aesthetic appeal.

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The more natural light you can let in, the better.

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If you have any questions about home staging, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to helping you in any way we can.

The Benefits of Hiring a Real Estate Team

A common question we hear from buyers and sellers alike is, “Should I work with an individual agent or a real estate team?”

For the best shot at accomplishing your goals, work with a real estate team. A team is a group of specialists. For example, it’s the buyer specialist’s job to look for the right house for you. They are scouring the MLS daily to find new listings.

If you’re dealing with a solo agent, they’ve got a lot more on their plate than just helping you find a home to buy. They are also trying to deal with listings, paperwork, lockboxes, signs, you name it. Right now, we are in a strong seller’s market and if you’re buying, your buyer’s agent needs to be in tune with that’s going on. You’ve got to be able to get to that dream house first so you have the best shot at writing an offer.

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A team gives you more specialized, individual attention.

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A team helps when selling in many different ways. Our office manager’s job is to make sure the listing gets input in the best possible light. We also hire a professional photographer to capture your home’s unique beauty. We make sure all paperwork is accurate and compliant. Our specialists are here to make sure everything is where it needs to be and done when it needs to be done.

We’ve also got a marketing director who works with both the photographers and home stagers to make sure homes are shown in their best possible light and appeal to the highest number of buyers possible.

Another thing a team is able to do differently than a solo agent is prospect. Instead of just waiting for buyers to find your house, we are actively engaged in finding them. We are on the phone on a daily basis looking for new buyers and receiving their information from our website. We know when buyers are looking at your property, how long they are looking at it, and we are following up with them.

That’s the benefit of using a team; you get specialized and individual attention that you simply can’t get with a solo agent. If you have any questions for us about working with a real estate team, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

In Certain Price Ranges, the Wichita Market Has Bounced Back Gracefully

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A lot has changed in a few short years for the Wichita real estate market. We wanted to highlight some of the biggest changes we’ve seen in the last few years by examining the difference in what we’re experiencing now vs. what we experienced a few years ago.

In 2012, per the Wichita MLS, a total of 8,209 homes were sold in Wichita and surrounding areas. In 2015, that number increased to 9,496 homes. That is a 15.7% increase - great news if you’re looking to sell a house. The other thing we wanted to mention was home appreciation. In 2012, we saw negative 1.1% appreciation. Homes were losing value. In 2015 however, we were back on the plus side and saw a 3.6% appreciation in home values. We expect that trend to continue through 2016.

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We have gone from a buyer’s market to a strong seller’s market.

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One key number agents pay attention to when examining the market is the absorption rate, which is a measure of inventory. A balanced market is somewhere between five and seven months of inventory. A buyer’s market is more than seven months, and a seller’s market is less than five. Interestingly enough, right now, we have less than a 3% absorption rate, which puts us in a great seller’s market. If you've been thinking about selling at all, now is a fantastic time.

We have gone from more of a buyer’s market to a very strong seller’s market. Because of limited inventory, buyers in today’s market will have to compete against multiple offers, at least in the $150,000 to $200,000 range.

We hope this information was helpful to you. If you have any questions at all, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to answer them.

Our 7-Step Open House Is More Effective in Wichita

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There are a couple of different ways to hold an open house here in Wichita.

One is the basic way - put a sign in the yard and hold the house open. However, if you really want to knock it out of the park and get crowds of up to 70 people through your house, we like to go a step beyond. In fact, we do seven levels.

• Level 1: Sign in the yard.
• Level 2: Balloons on the sign the day of, to make it stand out.
• Level 3: Lots of directional signs, with balloons. We want people to find your house!
• Level 4: Fliers. We put e-fliers on our website, on our Facebook page, and send one to everyone we can.
• Level 5: We invite the neighbors personally by knocking on their doors before the Open House.
• Level 6: We get on the phone Thursdays and Fridays before the Open House to invite the neighbors.
• Level 7: We have multiple Open Houses in the neighborhood as much as possible as well, so we can invite people to multiple Open Houses. This gets more people interested in the neighborhood, and in turn, your house.

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We knock it out of the park with our Open Houses!

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We want to do EVERYTHING we can to sell your home for the most money possible. Taking your Open House to the 7th level ensures we get the most possible traffic to your Open House! If you're interested in selling or just learning more about the benefits of our process, please feel free to reach out to us.

What Documents Do You Need to Get a Loan?

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Ruby with Pulaski Bank has graciously joined us today to talk a little bit about the mortgage process. She deals with potential buyers every day, but before she can get them pre-approved, she needs information from them. What are the documents that she needs from every buyer in order to get them approved for a mortgage?

First off, she needs your pay stubs, a full 30 days worth. She will also need two months worth of bank statements for all your accounts, that includes all the pages. Even if there are pages that are blank, they need them all for the underwriter so they can make sure nothing is omitted.

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Be prepared to bring copies of your tax return.

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Finally, Ruby will need your federal tax returns from the last two years, or a copy of the extension if you have recently filed one. She will also need your w-2s and 1099s for the last two years.

The biggest hiccup Ruby sees from buyers has to do with tax returns and borrowers not being able to find them. Unfortunately, there’s really nothing she can do in that situation, unless it’s possible to pull tax transcripts.

If you have any questions for Ruby, she can be reached at (316)-928-4455. If you have any questions for us at all, you know where to reach us. We look forward to hearing from you!

We're Giving Back With Our 100th Sale!

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Today, we have the pleasure of announcing our newest staff member! Her name is MacKenzie and she’s our new Client Concierge.

What does this role entail? A Client Concierge ensures clients are happy and ready to go. Essentially, MacKenzie’s new position serves clients first and foremost, in case they need anything from us or have any questions. She even has a vehicle specifically to drive to clients directly!

MacKenzie is also wearing an interesting piece of jewelry today. She has a key around her neck, that was passed on to her by someone else. It’s called the giving key, with all proceeds going to the homeless. The tradition is to talk about your key every opportunity you have and then pass it onto someone in need. To learn more about this mission, visit thegivingkeys.com.

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The profits from our 100th sale are going directly to charity!

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This year, our goal is to help at least 150 families buy and/or sell a home. Additionally, the Ames Group decided our proceeds from our 100th sale in 2016 will go towards a charity. The Giving Keys organization might be an opportunity to pursue. However, we’re opening up to suggestions from the community. What Wichita charity would you like to see the proceeds go towards? We want to hear from you!

If you’re thinking about buying or selling in the surrounding area, reach us by phone or email. We’d be delighted to help you with any questions you might have!

Why Hire a Local Lender?

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Today I have the pleasure of being joined by Lauren Pelfrey, our in-house lender from Pulaski Bank. She’s here to answer a few questions about mortgages that we’ve been getting asked lately, and we’re excited to have her.

Why should you use a local lender?
It’s important to use a local lender because this is oftentimes the most important transaction that anyone will have in their lifetime. It’s especially convenient to use a lender that’s in the same place as your agent because you can come meet with Lauren, in-person, each time you visit us.

Why is a pre-qualification letter important?
Before you get approved for a loan, you’ll need a pre-qualification letter. This is where your lender will speak with you, get all of your financial information, and let you know what kind of home you can qualify for. They will pull your credit scores, income, and more to make sure you are looking for homes at a price point that you can comfortably afford.

Why do you need to get a pre-qualification before looking for homes?
When you get a pre-qualification letter before you start looking at homes, you are setting yourself up for success. Lauren has often seen people start looking at homes first, then end up disappointed when they find out that perfect home they found isn’t in their price range. Getting this done up-front will save you a lot of time and stress, and makes the process a whole lot smoother.

How do Lauren’s rates compare to national lenders?
Yet another benefit of using a local lender is that they can oftentimes get you lower rates than the national banks. They keep their overhead costs down, so their rates are often better. They can save you money on closing costs as well.

Thanks to Lauren for joining us today. If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to reach out. We would love to hear from you via phone or email. Talk to you soon!

What’s the Secret to a Smooth and Stress-Free Buying Process in Wichita?

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Today, Shana Wurth, our top buyer’s agent, joins us to discuss what she does to help her clients and what the benefits are of working with a buyer specialist.

A buyer’s agent will help you get through the process of buying a home; from start to end, they help you get through the contract negotiations and repair negotiations, work closely with your lender and the title company, and get you in the house at the end of it all!

One thing that often comes up is how the buyer’s agent gets paid. As a buyer, you don’t have to worry about paying an agent’s commission. The commission is paid by the seller’s concessions; out of the proceeds at closing, it comes out of the seller’s portion of whatever they get once they sell their house. Essentially, the services offered by a buyer specialist are completely free to you as a buyer!

When you’re driving through a neighborhood and you see a great home for sale, DON’T call the number on the sign! This may sound counterintuitive, but it will save you from being taken advantage of. The agent whose number is on the sign is working for the seller and their interests, not yours. That agent wants to get the most money possible for their seller client, while a buyer's agent who is representing you will work to get you the best deal possible! It’s all about having someone to represent you and your interests in negotiations!

If you’re thinking about buying a home, the best thing you can do is find a good one who is willing to go to bat for you. Before getting started, they will walk you through the buying timeline so you’re never taken by surprise during the process. Give us a call or shoot us an email if you want to sit down for a free buyer consultation with Shana, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind. We’re always available to help!

How We Helped Fred by Always Going Above and Beyond

"I was extremely happy with working with her! From what I understand about them they always go above and beyond when taking care of things."

How We Helped Sean Find His Dream Home With Our Constant Communication

"It was awesome results! The Realtor in question was part of their team and she was very patient in helping us find the right house. She basically knew exactly what we wanted and we ended up finding our house within a couple of months. I think probably being available at all hours; we had some issues with me and my wife’s scheduling at work, and they were willing to work around that."

Four Things to Know About Selling Your Wichita Home

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Today we are going to give you four great tips to help you sell your house this spring. A lot of people are going to list their homes when the spring season hits, so you’ve got to do your best to stand out. Here’s how you do it.

1.  Step up your curb appeal.
Winter has come and gone, and spring is here! To get that fresh curb appeal, make sure those flower beds are cleaned up, swept up, and there aren’t a lot of leaves everywhere. You want your home to look more inviting.

2. Fix it, don’t forget it.
Be proactive with your needs and make the easy fixes that you know will come up in an inspection.

3. Market it like you mean it.
With the influx of new listings, you want to do everything you can to make your home stand out.

4. Take the 30-second test.
This one is my favorite. Buyers are going to make up their mind on whether they want to buy a home or not in the first 30 seconds of walking through the door. This is the most important part of the showing, and needs to be great. 

There you have it, our four top tips for selling a home this spring in Wichita. If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would be glad to help out!

How to Find Out What Your Home Is Worth in Wichita

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Knowing what your home is worth is important for a multitude of reasons. Perhaps you need to analyze your assets, or you’re trying to sell your home. These are all instances where you need to find your home value.

Today I’ll share five ways in which you can pinpoint your home’s value.

1. Look at what similar homes in your area are selling for, and take into account the upgrades on each home. 
2. Have a real estate professional run a comparative market analysis (CMA) on your home to determine the value.
3. If your home has a lot of unique features, then you may need to hire an appraiser to come and evaluate your property more closely. 
4. Analyze your competition, consumption, and condition. These three C’s will determine your final sale price.
5. Make a list of everything that you’ve updated in your home. Hand this sheet to your real estate professional when they’re running a CMA and have them adjust the price for the upgrades that you have.

 
If you have any questions or concerns about this, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Questions You Should Be Asking A Realtor Before You Hire

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Today we are excited to talk about the top 12 questions you should be asking any potential Realtor before deciding to hire them to sell your home. Most people know that it’s important to interview different agents when you are selling, which is good. However, many people don’t know what specific questions to ask. Today, we are going to give you 12 great questions that you can ask a Realtor before hiring them. These questions come straight from the National Association of Realtors.

If you’d like to view the document in its entirety, click here. However, we’re going to give you all 12 right now. Here they are:

1. How long have you been in residential real estate?
2. What professional training have you had?
3. How many homes did you sell last year?
4. How many days does it take you to sell a home on average? How does that compare to the overall market?
5. How close to the initial asking price of the homes you sold were the final sales prices?
6. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home?
7. Will you represent me exclusively in the transaction?
8. Can you recommend service providers who can help with the process such as mortgage brokers, home repair services, and others?
9. What type of support and supervision does your brokerage office provide to the seller?
10. What is your business philosophy?
11. How will you keep me informed of how things are proceeding throughout the selling process?
12. Ask for the names of past clients and referrals and talk to the people who have worked with them.
 

Another thing you should let your agent know about are your preferred methods of communication, and make sure they are able to do that. Communication is key in this process.

If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send a quick email. We would love to hear from you!

Don't Miss these Twelve Home Selling Tips

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My clients in Wichita are always asking me what they can do to prepare for a home sale. There are hundreds and hundreds of potential things you could do before a sale, but today I've selected the twelve most important steps for you. This comes from one of our brochures, and we'd be happy to send you one!

1. Wash your windows. This makes a huge difference, as it lets more natural light into your home. Buyers adore well-lit homes. 
2. Change the light bulbs. The brighter the bulb, the better.
3. Wash your light fixtures. These rarely get any attention, but buyers will notice if they're dirty.
4. Remove all magnets and calendars from the refrigerator. Buyers want to see your home and appliances, not the clutter surrounding them. Clutter detracts attention away from your beautiful home.
5. Walk in through the front door of your home. You probably never walk in through the front door of your home, but buyers will, so it needs to look nice and clean.
6. Don't use artificial scents during a showing. A lot of people are allergic to these things. Although they smell nice, not everyone likes the smell and some people will think that you're hiding something unpleasant.
7. Clean your floors and woodwork. This is just like washing your light fixtures.
8. Dust like you've never dusted before! Reach crevices you've never dusted before.
9. Clean and repaint your front door. Be sure that your doorbell is in proper working order!
10. Get a Swiffer and clear off dust from your ceilings and your fans. Buyers will notice if you have not already.
11. Clean your stainless steel appliances. Hide those fingerprints!
12. Get rid of pet stains and odors. We love our pets, but potential buyers do not. Some people are afraid of or allergic to animals, so do whatever you can to make sure your animals are not around during a showing. It's best to make it appear that you don't even own animals.

 
Just remember that a buyer has already made up their mind 30 seconds after walking into a home. This means that your home has to look absolutely perfect!

To view and print our brochure, click here!