Janie's Blog Clarksville,TN Real Estate Marketing Expert

A very drunk man comes out of the bar and sees another very drunk man.
He looks up in the sky and says, "Is that the sun or the moon?"
The other drunk man answers, "I don't know. I'm a stranger here myself."

These need to be written.

Q: What do you call a pig with three eyes?
A: A piiig.

Q: What goes Oh, Oh, Oh?
A: Santa Claus walking backwards.

Q: What do elephants have that no other animal has?
A: Baby elephants.

Depending on where you live, students will enjoy this one.

Q: What do you call a hippie's wife?
A: Mississippi.

Q: What did the ocean say to the beach?
A: Nothing, it just waved!

Love, Laugh, Sell Real Estate

A man was pulled over for driving too fast, even though he thought he was driving just fine.

Officer: You were speeding.
Man: No, I wasn't.
Officer: Yes, you were. I'm giving you a ticket.
Man: But I wasn't speeding.
Officer: Tell that to the judge! (The officer gives man the ticket.)
Man: Would I get another ticket if I called you a jerk?
Officer: Yes, you would.
Man: What if I just thought that you were?
Officer: I can't give you a ticket for what you think.
Man: Fine, I think you're a jerk!

101st Airbornne Restaurant  1362 Murfreesboro Pike

Visit 101st Airborne and you`ll discover a restaurant known for it's seafood and steaks.  So many locals hang out there!.  An average dinner will cost around  $12 to $20, and you should dress casually and bring the kids. More Reasons to Go: They have a DJ that plays great music if you plan to go on the weekend. Details to Note: Reservations are not necessary. Carryout is available. Parking can be arranged. Ways to Pay: Cash, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diners Club and Discover and CASH of course.

First One:

The man approached the very beautiful woman in the large supermarket and asked, "You know, I've lost my wife here in the supermarket.  Can you talk to me for a couple of minutes?"

"Why?"

"Because every time I talk to a a beautiful woman my wife appears out of nowhere."

Another one:

Did you hear about that guy who was asked to be a Jehovah's witness?

- He refused becuase he hadn't seen the accident.

Okay just one more:

Waiter: "How did you find your steak, sir,"?
Young Man: "Quite accidentally, I assure you.
I moved that piece of lettuce and there it was."

Ya'll have a great weekend!     Janie

CLARKSVILLE,TN  HOME OF THE 101ST  AIRBORNNE      WELCOME  HOME!

Create a Marketing Plan

Selling a home can entail a variety of marketing strategies. Once listed with me,  your home will be quickly entered into the local MLS (Multiple Listing Service) for Middle Tennessee and placed on www.janiemasterson.com and Crye-Leike.com.  Most of my work will be quiet and unseen - yet important. The quiet telephone calls, the work with contacts, arranging for and marketing open houses, the follow-ups with open-house visitors, conversations with ad respondents, web postings and other outreach efforts are all part of the process required to sell homes.  I will post your home for sale on over fifty other sites, including yahoo, trulia, zillow, frontdoor, etc.

You and I will create a marketing plan for your home that will help distinguish it in our local marketplace and attract buyers to your property. This may include posting your listing on the Internet, holding an open house and more. I, as your Sales Professional will use the Crye-Leike customized Marketing System to create a personalized selling program for potential buyers.  It's purpose is to sell a home at the best price possible in the shortest amount of time. Call me and I'll give you some of my past clients contact info and you can speak to them regarding my marketing efforts and timely sales.

Most buyers begin their search for a new home on the internet, that is where I concentrate my efforts in Marketing!  I am a Marketing Expert and my listings SELL.  I listed a home two weeks ago and it was under contract 8 days later.  We had 4 showing and one other offer that the seller turned down before he accepted the final offer on the 8th day! 

JANIE MASTERSON, REALTOR, GRI, CLHMS   JANIE@JANIEMASTERSON.COM

CLARKSVILLE, TN HOME OF THE 101ST AIRBORNNE    WELCOME HOME

Home Inspections, a vital key to Purchasing a Home.

Your home is under contract, and the buyer has scheduled a home inspection. A home inspection is a thorough visual examination of the home and property. The process usually takes two to three hours, during which time the house is examined from the ground up. The inspection includes observation and, when appropriate, operation of the plumbing, heating, air conditioning, electrical, and appliance systems, as well as structural components: roof, foundation, basement, exterior and interior walls, chimney, doors, and windows.

It's important to remember that a home inspection does not detect every conceivable flaw. It is an inspection of those areas and items that can be seen. Home inspectors cannot see through foundations, floors or walls, and cannot inspect areas or items that are inaccessible.  It is also important to note that the Realtor is not responsible for the work of the Home Inspector.  The Home Inspector is hired by the Buyer!

If you are planning to put your house on the market a pre-sale inspection enables you to attend to problems ahead of time, it also removes any questions about the condition of your home for you and a potential home buyer.  Buyers are positively influenced by a professionally produced home inspection report, which improves the speed, price, and likelihood of a sale.  I recommend a pre-sale inspection to all of my clients here in Clarksville, TN for their real estate sales.

Some home sellers elect not to correct every defect reflected in the inspection report. Instead, they acknowledge the defects to buyers and explain that the asking price has been adjusted to reflect the estimated cost of repairs. Such candor tends to shorten negotiation time because buyers have fewer objections that could thwart a sale. In addition to facilitating the sale of a home, an inspection helps the homeowner comply with full-disclosure real estate laws, governed by state laws. By focusing on the condition of your property, you are less likely to overlook a defect or material fact for which you later could be held liable.

Qualified inspection companies will provide a sample report to substantiate that they abide by industry standards. One of the key standards is that ethical inspectors neither perform repairs nor refer clients to repair companies (thus avoiding a conflict of interest). Obviously, inspectors who make repairs on homes they inspect are more likely to "find" problems.

Once you have arranged for a home inspection, plan to accompany the inspector for the entire procedure. You have the right to be there, and leading home inspection companies will encourage your presence. It helps you to better understand the findings in the report, and will reduce post-closing hassles. Don't forget your list of questions and items of concern. A thorough home inspection covers more than 1,000 items, everything from the foundation to roof and takes two to three hours depending on the size of the property. The report should reflect the condition of about 400 items.

If you are thinking of selling or buying, don't you want to work with an expert?  Pick up the phone and call me anytime, I'll be glad to help you.

JANIE MASTERSON, REALTOR, GRI, CLHMS   JANIE@JANIEMASTERSON.COM

CLARKSVILLE, TN HOME OF THE 101st  AIRBORNNE    WELCOME HOME  

Closing

In the old days, everyone dressed up for the Closing on the sale or purchase of their new home.  Not the case now, most people just come in ready to sign!  Of course the buyer is going to be signing alot more documents than the Seller, so in many instances, the Seller signs first and then the Buyer.  Closing in Clarksville, TN is a very easy process on most transactions, we have some great title companies and attorneys that we work with.

Closing -- or "settlement" or "escrow" -- is essentially a meeting where the closing agent (the party who conducts settlement) takes in money from the buyers, pays out money to the owner and makes sure that the purchaser's title is properly recorded in local records along with any mortgage liens. All papers have been prepared by closing agents, title companies, lenders and lawyers. This paperwork reflects the sale agreement and allows all parties to the transaction to verify their interests. For instance, buyers get the title to the property, lenders have their loans recorded in the public records and state governments collect their transfer taxes.

The closing agent reviews the sale agreement to determine what payments and credits the owner should receive and what amounts are due from the buyer. The closing agent also assures that certain transaction costs are paid (taxes, title searches, hazard insurance, etc) 

Closing is also the time when "adjustments" will be made. For instance, suppose you've pre-paid taxes four months in advance. In this case, the closing agent will compensate you for the prepayment at closing by having the buyer pay you additional money.

It could also work in reverse. If you are behind on property taxes, the closing agent will reduce the money due to you at settlement by the amount of the unpaid taxes.

And most importantly, Closing is when you get the keys to your new home AND the garage door openers.

I have worked with almost all of the title companies here in Clarksville,TN so give me a call if you have any questions or just want to chat.

Janie Masterson, Realtor, GRI, CLHMS  janie@janiemasterson.com

clarksville, TN  Home of the 101st Airbornne Division    WELCOME HOME!

Financing by the Seller

If a seller helps to finance a real estate transaction by taking back a second note or even financing the entire purchase if the seller owns the home free and clear it is called seller financing. Usually sellers do this when a buyer has difficulty qualifying for a conventional loan or meeting the purchase price.  We don't have as much seller financing today in Clarksville, TN as we did a few years ago due to the mortgage crisis.  Their is just too much risk for Sellers.

Seller financing differs from a traditional loan because the seller does not give the buyer cash to complete the purchase, as does a lender. Instead, it involves extending a credit against the purchase price of the home while the buyer executes a promissory note and trust deed in the seller's favor. These special circumstances must be acceptable to the lender who makes the first mortgage on the property.

If you are a Buyer and you have poor credit and can not get an institutional loan, a seller may be willing to hold the note for you at a fair interest rate, amortized over 30 years which will balloon in say 2-5 years.  What this means is that you will pay your house payments directly to the seller.  In turn a third party will report to the credit bureaus that you are making your mortgage payments on time each month (assuming that you are) and of course you are doing everything else to improve your credit.  When it comes time for your loan to be due to the seller or even before if your credit permits, you can apply for a loan through an institution and pay off the seller.   This allows you to buy a house now even though your credit may not be the best in the world. 

The necessary paperwork is prepared by the title or escrow company after the terms are worked out between the buyer and seller. If you are a seller considering such an arrangement, it is critical to thoroughly evaluate the creditworthiness of the buyer first. You should consult with legal counsel and your accountant regarding the potential consequences of this type of arrangement. Fear of default makes many sellers reluctant to take back a second. But seller financing can bring a higher price plus complete the sale sooner in some situations.

Seller financing offers tax breaks for sellers and alternative financing for buyers who can't qualify for conventional loans. If you are a seller, the risks you face are the same as those facing any lender: Is the borrower a good credit risk? Will the property hold enough value over time to allow for the repayment of all loans made against it? You should run a full credit check on the borrower, require hazard insurance on the property and include a due-on-sale clause. There also are financing, disclosure and repayment-term requirements that need to be met. Again, it is wise to consult a lawyer when putting together this kind of transaction.

The interest rate on an owner-carried loan is negotiable. Talk to me about checking with a lender or mortgage broker to determine the current rate on institutional first (or second) loans. Seller financing typically costs less than conventional financing because sellers don't charge loan fees (points). Interest rates on an owner-carried loan will also be influenced by current Treasury bill and certificate of deposit rates. Sellers usually aren't willing to carry a loan for a lower return than they would earn if their money was invested elsewhere.

Contact Me and I will walk you through the entire process.  Not only am I an experienced Realtor, but I am also an experience Mortgage Broker.  I have handled seller financing in the past and it has worked out great!  Remember, where there's a will there's a way!

Janie Masterson, Realtor, GRI, CLHMS,  janie@janiemasterson.com

Clarksville, TN Home of the 101st Airbornne WELCOME HOME!

Negotiating the deal

When a buyer is ready to make you an offer they will contact their agent who will get in touch with me, I'll let you know as the Seller.  Buyers should present their offer formally with a contract of purchase and sale.

Most home buyers and home sellers want to arrive at a win-win agreement, but that's not to say either side would regret getting a bigger "win" than the other. Successful negotiating is more than a matter of luck or natural talent. It also encompasses the learned ability to use certain skills and techniques to bring about those coveted win-win results.  That's why using an experienced Real Estate Agent is so important. 

1. Start with a fair price and a fair offer
There's no question that significantly overpricing your home will turn off potential buyers. Likewise, on the buying side, making an offer that's far lower than the asking price is practically guaranteed to alienate the sellers. Asking and offering prices should be based on recent sales prices of comparable homes.  Let your agent work out a Comparison Analysis for you so that you know what the market is in your area.  The house is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. 

2. Respect the other side's priorities
Knowing what's most important to the person on the other side of the negotiating table can help you avoid pushing too hard on hot or sensitive issues. For example, a seller who won't budge on the sales price might be willing to pay more of the transaction costs or make more repairs to the home, or pay more in closing costs for the buyer, while a buyer with an urgent move-in date might be willing to pay a higher portion of the transaction costs or forgo some major repairs to close sooner.

3. Be prepared to compromise
"Win-win" doesn't mean both the buyer and the seller will get everything they want. It means both sides will win some and give some. Rather than approaching negotiations from an adversarial winner-take-all perspective, focus on your top priorities and don't let your emotions overrule your better judgment.

I am a respected, experienced Real Estate Agent with years of negotiating skills, give me a call to discuss your next Real Estate Transaction.

Janie Masterson, Realtor, GRI, CLHMS janie@janiemasterson.com