Buyers

Simi Valley September 2011 Home Sales Volume at 2008 Levels

October 10, 2011 By Ted Mackel Leave a Comment

Do Simi Valley September Homes Sales show another false positive for the real estate market? In 2009 and 2010 September sales volume for single family detached homes tailed off after a 2008 rebound over a record low in 2007. Fast forward to today and low interest rates are enticing investors and home buyers to enter the market, however pricing is still flat. The market for homes below $400,00 is still leading the way with 53% of the sales for the month. 57% of those sales are dominated by Short Sales and Bank Owned homes. 25% of all the Simi Valley SFD homes sold were snapped up by all cash buyers and 40% with conventional financing. This high percentage of Cash and Conventional buyers shows that low interest rates combined with attractive pricing is bringing savvy real estate buyers to the table.

Pricing is in a low trough at this point and has remained in this trend for most of 2011. The mid to high $200k price point has solidified a low for Simi Valley Single Family Detached Housing and only dips below this range if the properties have significant damage. A recent article from CoreLogic^® (NYSE: CLGX) stated:

“Even with low interest rates, demand for houses remains muted. Home sales are down in September and the inventory of homes for sale remains elevated. Home prices are adjusting to correct for the supply-demand imbalance and we expect declines to continue through the winter. Distressed sales remain a significant share of homes that do sell and are driving home prices overall,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic.“

What does this mean for housing above the $500k price point? Those homes have trended selling at 8%-10% below the original list price showing the the market absorption rate for these houses is still dictated by buyer mood. The homes between $400k to $500k experience on average only a 3%-4% drop in price from List to Sell.

We can take away the following five points

Low interest rates are bringing buyers out.
Buyers refuse to bid up pricing and remain patient.
Homes in well maintained condition are seeing short market times when price matches buyer sentiment.
Investors are out accumulating rental property.
Distressed property still make up over 50% of the inventory.

Filed Under: Market Updates Tagged With: Bank Owned, Buyers, homes, homes sales, investors, real estate, Sellers, Short Sale, Simi Valley

Custom Signage to sell your Simi Valley Home

August 23, 2011 By Ted Mackel 3 Comments

(Video Below) Whether your home is in Simi Valley, the west San Fernando Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park or in-between, I have been working with custom signage for 3 years now. I have been looking at ways to improve on the custom sign and the picture to the right is the new design I rolled out last week. The same printing technology used in vehicle wraps is what makes this possible for the real estate industry.

The purpose behind the custom sign follows three main ideas:

When potential buyers are driving neighborhoods, the pictures of the backyard and an interior shot give the buyers a teaser preview of the property to generate more interest in the property.
The website and QR code are directly linked to a mobile compliant website with tons of information (including community video) on the home that the potential buyers can view right in their car on a smart phone or iPad. My use of the mobile website and QR code gives me direct feedback on how many people are accessing the site for more information.
The typical real estate signs here in Southern California, are hung on large 4×4 wood posts. My sign is the same size (30×24), orientated vertically, but with a different installation method and custom design. This sign gets buyers to stop the car.

One thing I need to stress, is that much of the internet content out today can be viewed on smartphones, the difference in the mobile technology I am using is that it is specifically designed and formatted for display on mobile phones. If you have a mobile phone type in the following address and you will see:

http://iflymobiapp.com/callevista

If you are trying to view this on your laptop or home computer you can see the formatting is designed for mobile devices.

I have been working on this for a long time and continually monitor feedback from buyers and will continue to do so. You can see my video below from 2008, this listing was one of the reasons I started working on these signs.

One other interesting thing I came across in my discussion with potential home buyers who called off my signs is, I always ask, “how many properties did you print out at home before coming to drive Simi Valley neighborhoods?” The response has always been “No list, just driving neighborhoods”. I thought that this was odd with gas pricing over the last 3 years, but this even more shows how important the sign in my client’s front yard is. If the drive-bys have not previewed the house on the internet, then the custom sign and it’s teaser ability to get drive-bys to stop their car is very important.

Keller Williams Realty gives me that ability, to create this custom marketing where many real estate firms are more interested in promoting their firm and not your house. While some of my branding is on this sign, the focus is your house with the customization. The point is, when I put the sign in your front yard am I selling your house or my firm? Think about that as you drive through any neighborhood and see For Sale signs.

In July I wrote Why QR codes won’t sell your Simi Valley Home and was very critical of QR codes for real estate use. My 4 points of 1. Mobile Friendly, 2. Tracking, 3. Regurgitation, 4. Understanding have all been addressed in my design and implementation, will the QR code sell your house? No, #1 the Price, Condition and Location are the biggest factor in the ability to get your home sold. No amount of advertising can sell an overpriced home. Ultimately, the goal is to get as many eyes on the property as possible and be competitive with the surrounding homes. The custom yard sign is just another piece of that plan to reach the goal.

I would love to hear your comments below, thanks for reading.

Filed Under: Real Estate News, Sellers, Simi Valley Tagged With: Buyers, homes, mobile, QR codes, real estate, Simi Valley

Why QR codes won’t sell your Simi Valley Home

July 20, 2011 By Ted Mackel 2 Comments

I recently was showing a Simi Valley home and the flyer advertising the listing had every element of what real estate agents will hear out in the training seminar circuit. QR codes have been around for a while and it has taken a while for this older technology to emerge in the United States. QR codes are still a long way from being understood and embraced. The success of the iPhone and Android smart phones just may be the catalyst that will help push this technology forward as QR codes are now starting to appear in many different places across the US.

While these codes are convenient and useful, how many people do you know, who know what QR codes are and have software on their cell phones to take advantage of the technology?

My question to you as a Simi Valley home seller, are you being oversold on gadgets and shiny objects by the Rea Estate Agents you are interviewing? Is the push to show all these flashy items really the agent’s way to distract you from the more important questions like challenging the agent’s experience, expertise and dedication to the real estate profession?

Here are the concerns home owners need to understand when any agent pitches technology as a means to sell your home.

Mobile Friendly – QR codes are used with a mobile phone to scan and the codes will direct you to web content on that mobile phone. Did you know that most Real Estate sites are not very Mobile friendly? Part of the problem is that most Real Estate web developers are behind. These developers still design for flash, they still “frame in” solutions, they still are hooked on Internet Explorer. The fact is that the Blackberry was the predominant phone and it is still widely used, Blackberry doesn’t do flash. It’s hard to argue the success of the iPhone and it doesn’t do flash. Android is the other platform dominating smartphones and what is extremely important is that Windows phones are not even in the same hemisphere when it comes to user base. We have to divorce ourselves from preconceived ideas and understand we don’t control what phones or computers consumers are going use. My industry has continued to live up to it’s knuckle-dragger reputation on technology and still tries to force non universal solutions on unsuspecting real estate agent agents. “Consumer compliant” equals universal; my industry needs a swift kick in the head to wake them up and understand there is no excuse to not develop universally.
Tracking – I can make all the QR codes in the world I choose, but what good are they to me or you the seller, if we cannot track if anyone is using them. The flyer I mentioned in the beginning of this article had a QR code and when I clicked it, it went to a YouTube slide show of the property. There was no way to track how the YouTube viewers got to the video. No way for that real estate agent to show if using a QR code provides any extra value to you the seller. There is a method to enable tracking on QR codes which we can discuss when we are listing your home.
Regurgitation - Is the information at the other end of the QR code the same information as on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and every other property search website? This regurgitation of the same old information will only frustrate potential buyers as they have most likely seen the information already, they are looking for something new and fresh. Your “tech savvy” potential real estate agent that is desperately trying to sell you in the interview, probably has not told you that prospective home buyers Google the addresses of the properties they are interested in. Why? Because they are looking for new, fresh information that is not the same as what they have seen on every other site so far. They are Googling to find additional information not found elsewhere.
Lack of Understanding – The use of QR codes in real estate currently shows a lack of understanding. QR codes are primarily geared for mobile use, you scan the code with your phone; so where the code takes you is very important.

Consider the following:

The listing flyer - already has a ton of information about the house. The QR code needs to link to something different and fresh than what is on the flyer or on internet property search sites. The prospective buyer is going to take that flyer home and go to their computer. It is unlikely that they are going to scan a QR code when they are sitting next to their computer with a flyer, rather will type a website address directly into the computer.
The yard sign – A yard sign is typically static. Agents buy a dozen signs that are all identical. A QR code pointing to the agent’s website really is not doing much to showcase your home. Remember that most sites are not very mobile friendly. What are the chances that buyers get to the agent’s site and find your home? Imagine having to navigate an agent website on the small display of a mobile phone, maybe outside in the sunlight. Signs these days can be customized very inexpensively, the QR code needs to be unique for that property directing the consumer to content that is optimized for mobile devices (phones, iPads and tablets) and different than what is already found on the typical property search sites.
Direct mail or Print Advertising - Here is another piece that will be brought to the computer and the likelihood that a Simi Valley home buyer is going to scan the code when they have a computer with much larger display has to be considered. Again a QR code on this type of advertisement needs to direct the person to something mobile friendly, different and fresh.
On a website - You may see a QR code on a website, why? I mean, why scan your computer screen with your mobile device to view information that can be easily viewed on screen with an old fashioned web link? (aka hyperlink). A QR code on a website should point to information the consumer will need to take with them on the go, information about your property they will need when they are out looking at properties. For example a Google map with the location of your property.

There are many other uses for QR codes and several for the real estate industry, but for marketing your home the above four are directly related to selling your Simi Valley home. I cannot stress enough that the use of QR codes needs tracking. You want to be able to measure and see how many people are clicking through so you can adjust your efforts if the click through rates are better in some uses than others.

I mentioned several times above that QR codes need to be directed at content that is different and fresh compared to what is found on a typical property search sites. So what does that look like? Well, you will have to schedule an appointment with me to find out. Additionally I have stressed the importance of being mobile complaint, this is just not optional, with the iPhone (rumored) coming to Sprint and more people moving to smart phones, the chances prospective Simi Valley home buyers are going to view information about your phone mobily grows every day.

QR codes are not the end all be all of real estate marketing, they are a very small part of the marketing issues that factor into selling a house. Price, Condition and Location still rule the day. QR codes, full page newspaper ads, heck I could fly the Goodyear Blimp with a scrolling message advertising your house, but if the price-condition-location formula is mismatched, marketing your home to death will not make it sell.

Back in 2009 I commented on an article (Pictured above) on the Agent Genius website that was marveling at the technology. In that entire article from the fall of 2008, there was no connection made to marketing real estate. It looked better suited as an electronic business card. Recently at this year’s Keller Williams Family reunion in Anaheim California, agents had QR codes with their contact information and QR codes for their websites to be exchanged instead of business cards. This was a big shift form the prior year where I did not see this happening.

My brother first showed me QR codes in 2008 and when I talked about them people looked me as some sort of “Uber Geek”. Well it looks as the shift of smart phones is spreading this may catch on, probably not to the extent is has in Asia, but that if used properly can assist Simi Valley home buyers in their search for their next home. As a Simi Valley home seller you will need someone who understands the technology, where it best fits in and how to implement a real estate marketing strategy properly. Give me a call at (805) 432-7705 and I will be happy to meet with you and discuss how we can market your home. The QR code at the top of this article goes to a YouTube video I created for a client, but the difference is I can track if anyone has actually scanned and used it and it goes to content that not found on the plethora of property search sites making is fresh and useful for the home buyer.

As you watch this clip, pay attention to the common theme. Tracking & mobile compliant. What we are seeing in the real estate industry is just a Hodge-podge of shiny object syndrome where agents are being taught about a new technology, but are being taught poorly.

I will leave you with this video how a market in South Korea has used the technology to grow their business. For a code developed many years ago at Toyota to track car parts on the assembly line, QR code use working it’s way in to main stream society.

Filed Under: Sellers Tagged With: Buyers, home, mobile, QR codes, real estate agent, Simi Valley, technology

Simi Valley Home Sales Report for September 2010

October 3, 2010 By Ted Mackel 3 Comments

Simi Valley home sales for September 2010 held their ground and blended in with the running averages. Interest rates remained below 5% in September and some buyers were able to lock rates below 4 1/2%. Even with historically low interest rates Simi Valley Home buyers remain cautious. While the number of distressed properties listed for sale does not dominate the inventory, there is still a significant number of homeowners in trouble which adds negative pressure to the market.

Homeowners trying to modify and keep their homes, sometimes end up more than half a year behind on payments only to find out that they do not qualify for modification. This backlog of distressed inventory is part of what’s driving lack of confidence in the market.

Simi Valley saw a low in May of 2009 and so far, the market has not retreated back to those numbers. The Simi Valley Housing Market looks to have stabilized and is holding ground for the time being. Only has the tax incentives added any excitement to the market.

Buyers tend to have a slight advantage in purchases now as inventories are more balanced, Interest Rates are incredibly low and the distressed market created some influence in favor of Simi Valley Home Buyers.

This first chart has the Simi Valley detached home sales broken down by price range for the month of September 2010.

This next chart represents the number of single family detached Simi Valley homes sold by month.

This chart show the average sales price of single family detached homes ove the last 3 years

Filed Under: Market Updates Tagged With: Buyers, home, Home Sales, report, Simi Valley

3 Signs your home is not Ready to Show- (Simi Valley Homes for sale)

July 29, 2010 By Ted Mackel 2 Comments

I was out this week showing Simi Valley homes to clients and the bank owned Simi Valley homes (REOs) have enough issues that can be understandable; however, the owner occupied properties could really use some help as well. I shot a few pictures while out and decided to bring up this topic again as Simi Valley home sellers really need to think about how they might approach the sale of their home. I think every home seller needs to ask the following question.

Am I (Home Seller) a willing participant ready to do what it’s going to take in this market to sell my home or am I an obstructionist whether aware or unaware of how I drive buyers away from my home?

Are you shooting yourself in the foot? You want to sell your home but when Realtors call to show your home do you suffer from the following maladies:

You need time to clean
Your animals have free run of your house and need to be put away
Realtors can only come at very specific times with an appointment

There are plenty of Simi Valley homes for prospective buyers to see; if your home is the most difficult and it is not ready, then you might as well take your home off the real estate market.

Simi Valley is not unique to people’s busy schedules, so access for buyers and Realtors is very important. Creating obstacles and barriers to letting your home be seen by perspective buyers will only cost you money and time in the long run, as buyers in this real estate market will have other opportunities.

First, if you have a hard time keeping your home clean it may be a good idea to hire a house cleaner while your home is on the market. The money you add to your home budget will pay off with a quicker sale and maybe even a better price for your home, if your home is in tip-top shape when prospective buyers come through.

Next, if you have not created obstacles and barriers for buyers and Realtors accessing your home; do you have family pets? While we all love our pets, prospective buyers may have fears. Large dogs with free run of homes is a very common occurance. It seems like the larger the dog the more liberty the owners give their pet(s) inside their homes.

I am helping three clients find a home in Simi Valley right now that have a fear of dogs and at least 30% of the homes we go to, have dog issues that distract my client’s full attention when looking at those homes. Other than your dog scaring my clients way from your home, the odor that an indoor pet creates is now noticeable to the pet owner, but can be another distraction to prospective buyers. Yes I know that your dog won’t hurt anyone and that your dog is the nicest dog on the planet, but prospective buyers with a fear of dogs really do not care about those claims. Those buyers will be so concerned about where you are keeping your dog, they never get to enjoy your home.

Last, appointments and limited access. The Lock box system we use in the Simi Valley Moorpark Association of Realtors is computerized and a secure system. The agent’s keys are electronically updated every 15 mins when on and will update when turned on so it is very easy to lock out problem agents. Their is a CBS code (Call Before Showing) that can

be given to the agents before they come over to see your home. The importance of using the computerized boxes we use in the Simi Valley Moorpark Association of Realtors is that a report of who has been in your home is available daily. Also the key automatically calls the system after it is used to open a lockbox and the Listing agent receives an email notification of the showing. Most agents now carry Android, iPhone or Blackberry and can access email at any time.

While I understand the different reasons why sellers would like appointments and a restriction, please remember there are many other homes out there that are easier to see.

Putting all together….Keep your house clean, manage your family pets and make it easy for buyers to access your home. If you remove these obstacles, that will be the first step towards getting more people to show your home and be interested after they have visited.

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Filed Under: Sellers Tagged With: Buyers, home, homes, lcok box, prospective buyers, real estate, Simi Valley

June 2010 Home Sales Report for Simi Valley Detached Homes

July 12, 2010 By Ted Mackel 1 Comment

Looking at the numbers for June 2010, Simi Valley home sales look promising. Once you look past the surface of the reported numbers, some concerns become apparent. The federal tax credit set up to entice first-time home buyers with $8000 and move up buyers with $6500, was conditioned that those buyers needed to have a home under contract by April 30th and close the escrow and no later than June 30, 2010.

These tax deadlines usually are trigger points to stimulate the market. However, if you look at the Simi Valley Home Sales charts that are posted below you can see that the sales volume over the course of the last four years has really not changed much. In fact an increase of only six additional Simi Valley homes sold between June 2009 and June 2010,which shows that the tax incentive really was no incentive at all for Simi Valley Home Buyers. My industry and the newspapers rushed to claim victory that the market is now recovering, but the sobering truth is that 2010 will most likely be named the year of the Short Sale.

So what does this mean if you are a potential home seller in Simi Valley or potential home buyer in Simi Valley?

For home sellers, you fit in one of several categories.

A change in employment, whether this means a move/relocation, layoff or decrease in salary, this could force you in the position to have to sell your home.
A move-up. Things are going okay in your life and you would like to buy a larger home. If this is the case, even though the sale of your home may not fetch the price you believe you deserve, the bigger homes you are looking at purchasing have probably suffered similar or larger decreases in value and will help you to move up.
A move sideways. You’ve really like to have a pool but don’t want to go to the expense of having one installed in the home you already own. If this is the case, the cost to build your own pool could be much more than finding a similar home that already has a pool in it.
Sellers that plan to be in Simi Valley for a long time and don’t have circumstances that really need to prompt a move at this time. Sit tight and enjoy your life, what happens over the course of next couple years will be more important those who have to sell at this time.

For home buyers here are a few concerns to consider.

Making offers on short sale properties. The key to successful short sale purchase involves a few factors. First, as a buyer understanding that the value of the property is critically tied to what the sellers Lender’s a appraisal values come in at. Ultimately in a short sale, the seller’s Lender will approve or disapprove the sale of the home, based on how much money they will receive if they agree to take less than what is owed. The seller’s Lender will rely heavily on the current market value of the house supported by several appraisals and (BPOs) broker price opinions. Finding deep discounts on these properties are very, very difficult. Anyone who gives you the Cal Worthington and his dog Spot routine should be avoided. Second, the listing agent handling the short sale may not have the skill set to handle this complex transaction. Properties are listed far below market value, and/or have a listing agent does not equipped to deal with the complexities of the requests by the seller’s Lender, will only tie you up in a long-drawn-out escrow with little chance of success.
Making offers on bank owned properties. Most of the banks who’ve taken the time to foreclose and then list their properties on the open market through the multiple listing service are looking to get current market value on these properties. Much like short sale lenders they have had several appraisals and several broker price opinions done on these properties they have a very good understanding as to the surrounding values compared to their property.

The bottom line is that interest rates are very favorable for those looking to purchase. and affordability is at it’s highest levels in 40 years. Appraisal value is tied very strongly to the final sales value of most homes and finally we still have a long way to go until the large volume of distressed properties are cycled through the market and lessen the impact on those home sellers who have equity in their homes.

The next time you see a lot of hype and cheer-leading over the Southern California real estate market, make sure to check in here at HomeBuysBlog.com, scroll down the right-hand column and look for the categories and under market updates you’ll be able to look at the charts and tables to see what the average sales volume and average sales prices for Simi Valley.

Search for Homes in Simi Valley California

Thanks for reading Simi Valley’s Premiere Real Estate Blog!

Author – Ted Mackel Simi Valley Real Estate Agent – Keller Williams Realty

Ted Mackel is a top producer at Keller Williams Realty Simi Valley,

specializing in Simi Valley Real Estate

(805) 432-7705

Filed Under: Market Updates Tagged With: appraisals, BPO, Broker Price Opinion, Buyers, Home Sales, real estate, REO, Sellers, Short Sale, Simi Valley, southern california

Ding Dong the Witch is Dead – 1st Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Expires

May 2, 2010 By Ted Mackel 1 Comment

Friday, April 30th – The 1st time home buyer tax credit expired at midnight June 30, 2010. Stick a fork in it’s done! Ding dong the witch is dead! Hallelujah!

Okay what’s wrong with me? While the first-time home buyer’s tax credit was designed to stimulate the market and I’m sure you could probably find a few parts of the country where this did occur, but in Simi Valley California the first time home buyer tax credit had very little impact if any on the sale of homes in the last year and a half (see table of Single Family detached homes sold in Simi Valley).

Simi Valley Homes Sold from 2006 through April 2010

The 2010 first-quarter sales of Simi Valley homes saw a sluggish start. If the tax credit was the panacea then why did sales dramatically tail off after a record breaking December? While it looks like April 2010 sales picked up and will close out strong; the lesson here is that the increased activity we are seeing in April and that will follow in May and June, is deadline related. The deadline is what’s motivating these buyers to pull the trigger. Since there was no threat of losing the tax credit, buyers continued to flounder around and be critical of their purchase until the deadline drew near.

In California we have two more deadlines. Those taking advantage of the first-time home buyer tax credit only needed to get a home under contract by midnight of June 30, 2010. The next step, especially important if that home under contract was a short sale, is to get that escrow closed before June 30, 2010 to qualify for that tax credit. The second deadline will be the end of the year for those purchases in the state California. California in its infinite wisdom and expert money management activities at the state capital (sarcasm intended), has seen fit to offer $10,000 tax credit to home buyers for the remainder of 2010.

For those that took advantage of the tax credit, congratulations! For those who feel they may have missed out, I can only say that the government, my industry and the banking industry will fail big time if they try to force a market. There are many problems lingering in the markets, far too large to continue with tax credits. My phone rang more this weekend after the tax credits expired than it did in the last several weekends, I think that those planning to buy will still be able to find good properties for bargain pricing. Patients is all you need as a buyer for Simi Valley properties.

Thanks for reading Simi Valley’s Premiere Real Estate Blog!

Author – Ted Mackel Simi Valley Real Estate Agent – Keller Williams Realty

Ted Mackel is a top producer at Keller Williams Realty Simi Valley,

specializing in Simi Valley Real Estate

(805) 432-7705

Filed Under: Buyers, Real Estate News, Sellers Tagged With: 1st time home buyers tax credit, Buyers, California, homes for sale, Simi Valley

4 Reasons the Holidays are a good time to Sell your Simi Valley Home

December 9, 2009 By Ted Mackel 2 Comments

Should you sell your Simi Valley home during the holidays?

There are several positions on whether home Sellers should consider selling their homes or if their home is already listed, continue trying to sell their home throughout the holiday season.

The annual real estate agent hibernation generally starts the week after Halloween and carries on until Super Bowl Sunday. Many brokers and office managers can confirm the decrease of real estate agent activity during this time. I believe this to be a defeatist approach by the agents that simply pull back activity during November, December and January.

The 4 reasons why I believe the Holidays are a good time to Sell your Simi Valley Home are:

Many people improve and finish home projects have been they have been procrastinating on now that relatives and friends are coming to visit for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The festive decorations of the fall and winter can make a home look warm and inviting.
The wonderful aromas of holiday cooking can make your home even more attractive.
Buyers at this time tend to be more serious.

Really thinking about how attractive your home will be as decorated for the holidays and how good it will smell is easy-to-understand. But, consider the buyers who are out of this time looking at homes instead of shopping and partaking in holiday cheer.

This time of year, buyers searching for Simi Valley homes may be taking advantage of the slow work environment to purchase a home or a possible relocation prior to the new year. With all the holiday activities parties and shopping, anyone out looking for a home during the holidays tend to be a more serious buyer.

So if you’re considering putting your Simi Valley home on the market the holiday season, this could be a great opportunity as other homeowners wait till the new year to list their homes and some competing sellers take their home off the market till the new year. This creates lower inventory and less competition for your home among the more serious buyer pool. Go ahead get out your decorations, cooked those great holiday treats and enjoy your festivities because maybe your prospective buyer will too.

Thanks for reading Simi Valley’s Premiere Real Estate Blog!
Author – Ted Mackel Simi Valley Real Estate Agent – Keller Williams Realty
Ted Mackel is a top producer at Keller Williams Realty Simi Valley,
specializing in Simi Valley Real Estate
(805) 432-7705

Filed Under: Sellers Tagged With: Buyers, Holidays, home, Sellers, Simi Valley

Trulia TRULIA Snapshot – Great new home research tools for Buyers & Sellers!

August 17, 2008 By Ted Mackel Leave a Comment

I need to Apologize. I wrote this back in the end of May and it got lost in my drafts folder.

Trulia rolled out their new SNAPSHOT web tool for home searches. I am happy to announce that my listings are all loaded on Trulia and they are all showing on Trulia’s new snapshot system. This very clean high quality search system is overlaid on a map and lets consumers research the homes for sale in the area.

Combined with Trulia Voices potential buyers and sellers can ask questions on homes or even the area around homes that interest them.

Not all homes from the Multiple listing service load on Trulia’s system, so if you don’t see your home on Snapshot and your home is for sale, then you didn’t list with me.

Filed Under: Buyers, Sellers Tagged With: Buyers, Sanpshot, Sellers, Trulia

Three Make or Break Issues for Simi Valley Home Sellers

May 29, 2008 By Ted Mackel Leave a Comment

[digg-me]The following Video Blog is the guide to get a home in Simi Valley sold quickly for the highest price in the current market conditions. My experience with Buyers (in my car) only reinforces how critical these three issues impact the ability for a home to sell. Simi Valley Homes that don’t fight these make or break issues are selling in 90 days.

Currently 83% of all single family detached homes that have sold in Simi Valley since January 1, 2008, had an average sale price of less than $575,000. The volume moved up in April to a total of 98 single family detached homes sold, however only 72 single family detached homes have closed escrow for May. Both these numbers are below the volume for the same months in 2007.