Watch on your mobile device >> If
you’ve been to one of our parties – you know we like to have a good time. And
nothing gives us a better time than being able to celebrate the successes of
our friends, neighbors, colleagues and family.
That’s
why, once again, we’re having our Annual Client Appreciation Party! It’s going
to be held at the Hideaway Club at the Coast Guard Air Station on June 23rd
from 11am to 3pm.
We’d
LOVE to see you there as you join us and have a fantastic time celebrating –
YOU. Just like last time, we will have plenty of fun, sun, food and prizes. In
case you weren’t at last year’s Client Appreciation Party, get ready for some
awesome door prizes!
This year we are proud to include The Women In Need. A very unique nonprofit organization that empowers families who have been through domestic violence, homelessness, substance abuse and incarceration. Guests are encouraged to bring a "Baby Item" donation for an EXTRA chance to win one of our many Prize Giveaways!We
gave away $1000 in cash prizes plus the Grand Prize of three Kindle Fires.
You’ll
just have to wait and see what this year’s Grand Prize is...
In today’s real estate market, 90 percent of potential home buyers start their search on the Internet. That means that nearly all of the time, a potential buyer will first see your home on a computer, not by walking through your front door. That’s why it’s crucial to put your best foot forward when presenting your home online.
Here are Team Lally’s four tips to help you make the best impression.
1. Declutter. Potential buyers want to visualize themselves living in your home, and clutter detracts from their ability to do so. We recommend cleaning well and reducing the items in each room by a third.
2. Have your home professionally photographed. Make sure your home is visually attractive online. Professional photos – not a photo from an iPhone or point-and-shoot camera – are required. Publishing clear, bright, wide-angle shots of each room will make a huge difference in how your home is perceived.
3. Record and publish a video tour. Do an actual walk-through of your home using video. This gives buyers a clear picture of your home’s actual floor plan.
4. Website syndication. You want to make sure your home is listed on as many relevant websites as possible to maximize your exposure. We strive for this with all of our clients.
We would also like you to check out the film we made for one of our latest listings. Watch it here!
Watch on your mobile device >> Choose a Real Estate Team
We know we’ve been talking about the benefits of having a real estate TEAM on your side but we wanted to share yet another reason. With spring break here for many of us, a lot of our team members are out enjoying a nice vacation. But that does not have to mean your listing or transaction has to go on vacation too. In fact, one benefit of having a team supporting your real estate transactions is that no matter what, the work keeps on going.
Showings don’t have to be put off until someone is in earshot of their phone and valuable showing feedback doesn’t have to be missed because your agent is nowhere near a computer to email you. Sure cell phones are a great tool but what if your agent decides to turn their phone off or worse, what if there is no cell reception?
To answer this and many more concerns that clients have during the spring, summer, holidays or other times of year when people take time off – we have our amazing team that keeps things keeping on.
And.... We Have Another Winner!
Speaking of teamwork, one of the things our team often receives is some amazing reviews, testimonials and accolades. And to thank our clients that take the time to do that for us, we hold our quarterly drawing every few months to give away a nice, new Kindle Fire®. All you have to do is click one of the links below to put in your testimonial. And if you’re willing to do a video testimonial, we’d love that too!
You can be a winner too. Send in your testimonial today.
And remember, listen in on our weekly radio show on AM830 KHVH on Saturdays from 11am till noon.
Wow!
Inventory has never been as low as it is today. And with so many buyers out
there anxious to find the home of their dreams, it’s no wonder that we are
seeing a lot of things change in our marketplace. Sellers have the upper hand
now and with that upper hand, comes the task of learning how to manage multiple
offers and discern which is best for you. Here are some tips on how to review
an offer; questions to ask so that you get the most money when you sell your
property.
Is the Buyer
Preapproved for a Mortgage or Prequalified?
Contrary
to popular belief, a seller with a prequalification is simply not as good as
one that has been prequalified. It is an important thing to consider when
looking at an offer and the difference can easily make or break your
transaction. When a buyer has been preapproved, the lender has reviewed and
verified all the important aspects of the financial transaction.
How Much Money Are
They Bringing to the Closing Table?
As
our marketplace leans heavier and heavier toward a seller-centric environment,
the issue of how much down payment they will be able to make will come up more
and more. When a buyer has more money down on their purchase it is definitely a
stronger offer than one where the buyers have less at stake. Look for a letter
or statement from the bank demonstrating their ability to cover the funds
promised as a down payment.
Is There a
Contingency To Sell Another Home First?
Many
buyers have a home to sell first before they can move forward with a new
purchase. In the offer you receive from these buyers you will likely see a
contingency upon the sale of their home. When comparing multiple offers, if one
buyer is able to buy your home without need to sell their home – the chance of
other problems or mistakes will reduce significantly.
How Far Out Is the
Closing Date?
The
ideal closing date is about 45 to 60 days from the date of accepted agreement.
When you start getting into closing dates that go out two months or more, there
tend to be more problems. A lot can happen in that much time, whether a job
change, life change or even a change ofheart – so if there is an offer with a closer closing date, that would
definitely be the stronger choice.
~
As
always, we look forward to assisting you with all your real estate needs and in
the interim if you would like to learn more about today’s hot real estate
topics, catch us on Saturday mornings on AM830 KHVH. We look forward to it!
With
inventory levels at all time low, it is no wonder that buyer are facing some
challenges getting the home of their dreams. What exactly are they dealing with
these days? Well, for starters they are having a hard time finding the perfect
home. And after exhaustive searches when they finally do find the home they
want to make an offer on – they discover that in many cases, other buyers are
also bidding on the same property.
When
it comes time to making an offer in today’s seller-centric marketplace, how can
you stand apart and be noticed by the seller so that your bid is the winning
one? We’ve shared four of our favorite tips on how you can gain that edge and
get into the home of your dreams.
Time is of the
Essence
At
a time when very many buyers are vying for very few homes – it is critical that
you spend the time and effort needed to find the home you want. Leaving just
evenings and weekends to look at potential homes poses a challenge since most
other buyers are doing the same thing. By taking a proactive stance; perhaps
leave work early or look at homes during the day during lunch break can make
all the difference.
Make an Offer
Quickly
Anyone
shopping for a home these days can tell you that it’s not easy to find the
perfect home – or even a strong contender. When you do find it, don’t waste
time – get in and put an offer on it! The faster you get that in, the less
chance there is for other buyers to see the home and upstage your offer.
Make Your Offer
Strong
Most
buyers have the misconceived belief that simply by reducing the price of the
home – their offer will be the most attractive. The truth is that other things
also have a strong impact on sellers. Make sure all required documentation is
filled out completely. Remove any contingencies if they are unimportant to you.
Be flexible with your negotiations and most important of all, employ some of
the key strategies suggested by your real estate agent.
Find a
Knowledgeable Agent
For
most people, the purchase of a home is the largest financial transaction of
their lifetime. Rather than risk making a mistake or worse, potentially losing
the home – have a strong, knowledgeable agent by your side. They will protect
your interests, provide valuable advice and counsel and most important of all,
they will help you get the home of your dreams.
~
Buying
a home in today’s market should be a great experience and we’d love to be a
part of that with you! Contact us today to learn more about how we work to
achieve our clients’ real estate goals. And don’t forget, join us every Saturday on AM830 KHVH for the Team Lally Real Estate Show. Call our buyer hotline 234-4421 for a free list of our coming soon properties!
You
may be asking yourself how you will go about choosing a Realtor® to help you
achieve your real estate goals. The truth is that this part of your home buying
or selling process is quite possibly one of the most important aspects of the
process.
What
is the difference between working with an entire team of professionals versus
having one agent for all your needs? The answer lies in the following list of
benefits you get from choosing to work with a solid team that has years more of
combined experience and expertise in specific areas of interest.
Everyone Has an
Area of Expertise
Particularly
when it comes to marketing, transactions coordination and communications – each
person on a team will be devoted and dedicated to doing their part of the job
perfectly. This means you won’t have to fish for answers or wait for the single
agent to seek out the correct answers anytime you ask them something outside of
their comfort zone.
Everything Runs
Smoothly and Efficiently
When
there is a dedicated team member to handle all transaction coordination, for
instance making sure all county requirements are complete or that all
inspections are scheduled within the inspection period – you know it will get
done. To rely on just one person to handle all of his or her clients’ needs and
each step of the process at that – is potentially damaging to your transaction.
Individual
Departments Specialize In Specific Transactions
If
you are selling your home and a non-client buyer comes in to look at it – it
would be important for that client to be able to work with a buyer’s agent.
Similarly, you would rightfully expect the utmost level of service and
attention to your needs as a home seller.
More Team Members
Ensures Less Mistakes
The
more complex a situation becomes, the more ideal it is to have a team of
professionals to share and bounce ideas. Once again, regardless of whether you
are a seller or a buyer – you want the person handling what is likely one of
the largest financial transactions of your lifetime – to handle it effectively
without any mistakes.
~
Remember,
there are over 400 steps in the home buying and home selling process. If you
have one person that is managing all of those steps, the likelihood of
something getting overlooked is very high.
To
hear more on topics like this, we invite you to listen in on our weekly radio
show on AM830 KHVH for the Teal Lally Real Estate Show. And as always, we look
forward to being the team that helps YOU achieve your real estate goals!
For more info on our local roller derby leagues, please visit the websites below: http://www.pacificrollerderby.com/ http://www.alohacityrollers.com/
Today everyone is looking for a way to
increase their bottom line. One major
expense is energy costs. No surprise,
but energy costs are soaring and there’s no end in sight. In fact, the cost of powering your home or
business has risen approximately 60% since 2000, according to the U.S.
Department of Energy. In Hawaii,
residents pay the most in the country for electricity and fuel—three times the
national average. Ouch!
RevoluSun,
a locally owned company, uses a rooftop solar system to generate
electricity. The system makes no noise,
requires very little maintenance and is clean for the environment. The company
has a lot to offer with a highly skilled workforce of approximately 100
employees who have completed thousands of installations. Their project managers areNABCEP-certifiedand their installers are separated
into two teams—roofing and electrical—all with at least 450 hours of training
before they step foot onto your property.
No other local company can say
that so you can trust them to work on your home like the state of Hawaii
entrusts them with large-scale projects.
You
can also be sure your project will be done on time and within your budget. Speaking of your budget, be sure to put the
federal tax credits to work, which can put up to 65% of the system’s cost back
in your pocket. No need to wait for tax
time.
Beyond
the impressive staff, the company has its roots in Hawaii and is currently
expanding to the mainland. In turn, a
lot of solar companies are coming to Hawaii from the mainland to get in on the
solar boom. When the boom is over, however,
those companies may be long gone, but RevoluSun is committed to the long-term. You can count on them!
For more information, you can visit their website: Click here >>
To listen to an interview with Gregg Murphy, Director of Sales for Revolusun, Click Here >>
For a free quote, call (808) 633-1444 in Maui, (808)
345-4867 in the Big Island, or (808) 748-8888 in Oahu. If you want to learn about the best deals on
homes in 2013, call us at (808) 687-8921.
Also, remember to listen to the Team Lally Real Estate show at 11 a.m.
on Saturdays on 830 on KHVH.
