It’s the mad quarter of the year as home owners race to the market believing that Spring is the best possible time to get over the sale line.  Many hold off waiting for their gardens to bloom.  As those first bursts of colour appear, it is happening in gardens everywhere.  Spring is the preferred time of many, but remember, this results in a glut.  It is also the time that prime real estate comes on to the market, making it difficult to capture buyers attention.

When I needed to sell my own property, it was smack bang in the middle of winter.  It was 2007, the height of the market and I had no competition.  The result;  A record price that is still above what would be on offer 3 years down the track.  Timing is everything in the market.

I spoke to an Agent in Melbourne.  She told me that in some locations, property is 25% down.  She also said there are a third less buyers than last month.  She agreed the market has an underbelly.  You must remember that the data that the media touts is old.  In this market, comparing your unsold home to one that has, by even a month or two, is not truly representative.

When clients tell me about the home around the corner that sold 6 months ago, I glaze over.  The market is altering weekly and needs close monitoring.  Similarly, smart sellers are taking the hint within a week or two of being on line.  In the past you would have endless opens and press advertising.  Not so now.  Your home will experience its strongest buzz from the start.  On average you can expect a couple of hundred hits in the first day.  It will halve every couple of days there after until you are down to single digits.  This is how quickly the shine declines!

The only way to keep the momentum swinging is to keep ahead of the curve;  early adjustments are essential, not an option.  Similarly, taking too long to come on to the market, will be to your detriment.

It is imperative that you come on strong.  Your price should be aggressive and presentation should be perfect.  You need to pay particular attention to the early signals and adjust accordingly.  What your home was worth a month ago will be different to the value a month later, or indeed a month down the track.

In these uncertain times, you need to have a strategy.  It’s a war out there.  It’s the quick and the dead.  The forecasts are dire.  There is considerable talk about a double dip recession.  Whilst I don’t wish to be a purveyor of doom and gloom, if you are negotiating the choppy seas of the market, you need to be completely aware that your sale is hitched to the economic climate.

This week I viewed a home in Blackwood Park and was staggered to see that the average sale time within the development is 141 days.  These sorts of sale periods are usually reserved for Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend.  The reason is simple.  Prices have tanked.  A glut of vacant land is giving buyers options and they are sucked from the residential market. Successful sellers readjust their prices to fall in line.

Most home owners don’t understand.  They are blinded by their ‘need’ price. They remain stuck in the no sale rut and live on the hope plan.  Just because you are not listening, doesn’t mean that your buyer isn’t.  Of course, sitting it out is an option;  it is also a gamble, particularly if you want or need to sell.  If you have already committed, the pressure is on to get it right.  You must be ahead of the curve.  If you know rates are predicted to rise, don’t wait until they do, adjust your price in advance and become the ‘hot property’ of your area.  When rates invariably rise, you will be sold whilst other home owners will be forced to reduce their expectations.

You can only be as good as the person guiding you.  Open your ears, set conservative and realistic goals and don’t let the greed get you!

If you are about to hit the market, do your due diligence.  We offer a unique service that will become your secret weapon.  For all the details, click here.

It really burns me when I see the advice that some clients are given, or should I say, the lack of.

Many Agents have not adapted to the new market.  As a result, their clients are left high and dry.  They should be retiring their suits and getting their hands dirty!  Rather than cafe latte’ our way through the week, we are out their in the trenches doing everything we can to get your home over the line at sale time.

2 weeks ago I got the SOS.  The client had been languishing for 6 months on the market.  A giant sign board in front of his culdesac home, reminded his neighbours of his failed sale.  Every week the Agent turned up dutifully to have another open inspection; to no avail.  I was his last resort .

Understandably he had lost confidence in the market and not surprisingly, the Industry.  It was a no holds barred meeting and I told my client how it needed to be.

The property internally didn’t match the button cute exterior.  It was a story book cottage with lots of individual rooms but the floor plan was without flow.  I instantly identified the areas that could be improved on.  The owners were agreeable and totally got where I was coming from.  They gave me the keys .. and let me do as I pleased!

The following day we had replaced bulky couches with our contemporary streamlined ones, we had addressed the floor plan issues and added an all important pulse to the property. We primped and preened, accessorised and had it looking like the page of a magazine!  We even ordered a blue sky day for our photos.  The results were simply breathtaking and all our extra work was FREE.

Our owner was floored.  With an aggressive price range, we were fielding calls and emails within the hour and in fact had someone wanting to make an offer without even seeing the property!  By the following Tuesday, we were back with 2nd lookers.  By the Thursday we had sold, waived the cooling off, completed the building inspection and negotiated a dream contract for our Seller.  Our client is building and we were able to secure his money and even allow him to rent back until Christmas.  A better outcome would be hard to imagine.  All of this was done with no signboard or expensive and ineffectual advertising.  The  integrity of his property was preserved.

The minute it was marked as SOLD on the internet, he received an email from the previous Agent.  Apparently he was told that had the property had that level of presentation and pricing, they too could have sold it.  I have no doubt that this would have been the case.  The Agent actually had the same opportunity as us to come up with a different strategy, but didn’t.  New days call for new ways, and in this situation, the Agent deserved to go without his fee.

He had equal opportunity as me to turn his owners fortunes around.  Had he put a plan in place, he too would have nailed the sale.  If something is not working, you need to innovate rather than continue to bash your head against the wall.  Our owner is very fortunate that he made the call.  After enduring half a year of inaction, he can now say he sold his home within a week.  No wonder he’s smiling!

I still remember the day that I met Alecia Stolz. She had a megawatt grin, was extremely willing and certainly MOST able.  She was 16 years old and was headed for a perfect score in her final year at Concordia.  As it turned out, her Dad actually taught me maths at the very same place!  I was immediately taken by her genuine and caring nature and I completely fell in love.  Having had other people work for me, I knew she was a rare gem;   no-one could hold a candle to her!  There was never any doubt in my mind that she was destined for big things.  Her work ethic has made her a hit with everyone that crosses her path.

I hosted her 21st at my place earlier this year and was extremely proud of how far she has come.  Since our business is evolving at a rate of knots and as we have put the ‘in your face marketing’ behind us, it made sense that the next thing to go would be our ’signed up’ vehicle.  Clients these days don’t want the neighbourhood to know they are in talks with Agents and who could blame them?  Mr Smith had been on the look out for the dead right ride and this week we were thrilled to hand over this simply gorgeous MX5 for her to drive!  Super sexy and stylish, it fits her like a glove.  The look on her face was priceless! 7 years ago I was getting around in a brand new gold MX5 and loved it, so there’s a bit of history for our Company.

In the meantime, lots of things have been occurring at our office.  In the last couple of weeks we have had a complete new internal freshen up.  We have painted out our engine room the colour of money, put down new carpets and timber floors in our kitchenette and we have now just introduced a beautiful violet into our customer areas.

The boost to our business juice has been astounding and the phones are ringing non stop.  We are in expansion mode and even have our very own Land Department.  We will soon be welcoming a new Sales Partner so things are really looking up in our neck of the woods.  We are excited at the prospect of our  business headed to an entirely new level.  Personally I feel excited and energised.  We are loving our Mac’s and Iphones and we took delivery of our Ipads yesterday so that we could be even more mobile.

Changing days are calling for changing ways and the future is looking extremely bright at Hills and Valley.  I feel that the past has no present in our business and we have cut the dead wood from around us including our rental department that was a huge drain on our time, energy and resources.  I couldn’t have another day with negative phone calls coming into our office.

Now we are a true Sales Centre in every sense of the word!  With the perfect mix of personalities within our walls, the sky really is the limit so bring it on is what I say!

In the last couple of weeks we have seen 2 more clients over the line.  Both had been on the market with other Agencies.  Both were left with jaw dropping advertising accounts of around $6,000.  Our clients had been given no help or assistance with their presentation.  They were getting truck loads of tourists at their open inspections,  they were even expecting 2nd lookers. Alas, they never eventuated.

This is not a market for the faint hearted.  Get it wrong and you had better be prepared for the long haul.  As I have always said, beautiful homes are created not born.  Most Sellers are sitting back thumping their chests at the fact their last home sold for a motza and didn’t even hit the market!  What they fail to comprehend is the great result was a consequence of an over heated market and not their  purchasing prowess.  I still remember a period in the market where it increased about a hundred grand in a matter of weeks.

The fact is everyone was getting fat on pumped up prices BUT that was then and this is now.  The smiles are reducing as reality kicks in and more homes hit 90 days without a buyer.  No longer are Interstaters coming over and paying a fortune. Even the Immigrants have wised up!  Buyers are hurting, Banks are tightening and it’s the quick and the dead! No longer are UK prices headed for the heavens, and Interstate, in some locations, it’s a blood bath.  Now more than ever if you aren’t preparing for battle with a strategy and plan in place, be prepared to go stale before you nail a sale!

These days you need to open relationships prior to closing sales and we don’t hide the fact that we are looking for the emotional buyer for your home.  We do not want to deal with Investors, we want to deal with nesters and that is the difference.  There is a very good reason why when I meet with you it is likely to be in a cap and jeans.  Chances are I am between style jobs. It’s the up front effort that gives the back end price so you better think twice before taking outdated advice! We are full hands on and the truth is, buyers don’t get around in 3 piece suits! Rather than look like a funeral director, we prefer to look approachable and put our buyers at ease.  That is why our prices are consistently out performing our peers.  Most have refused to adjust their selling style to the new market and it is at the expense of their clients.

Sale day for your home should be like wedding day for you.  Remember, the wedding will cost you a fortune but your perfectly presented home may make you one!    Want more?  Of course you do!  Head over to our freemakeover page now and see the TEAM21 advantage!

There is nothing quite as exciting as the morning of the Auction.  The culmination of 4 weeks effort will suddenly be on show, in a most public way.  When we were favoured with the sale of a home in Hawthorn, it had been in the very same family since 1968.  It was like walking into a time warp.  I was so happy when the beneficiary of the Estate allowed me to take the reins and provide a FREE Vacant Home Makeover.

I believe passionately that EVERY home should have its day and deceased estates are no exception.  The previous occupants should go out with dignity and that includes their home looking its absolute best.  Well, we certainly did the Owners proud!  On Saturday with a substantial crowd out front, it was lights, camera, action, for us Hills and Valley girls.  Eastern suburbs locations are traditionally hard core.  Buyers are savvy and unemotional. Add in the ‘Estate’ factor and a couple of significant trees and you’ve got your work cut out for you.  Developers and builders are unyielding and need softening up!

We had an exceptional Auctioneer in Brett  Roenfeldt and considering 3 registered bidders pulled out a couple of days before,  we were fortunate enough to still have 3 on the day.  It was an extremely emotional time for our client and her family, and the crowd was sluggish.  None the less, with some exceptional negotiating, we got the property over the line and under the hammer.  Auctions are an excellent way of achieving a clean contract with the added bonus of a large deposit and no cooling off period.  At the conclusion of the Auction, our client found herself in the enviable position of being able to move forward.  The property couldn’t have looked better and she was able to see first hand what the market was prepared to pay.

Interestingly enough our owner had a completely online campaign with NO paper ads.  She saved herself a minimum of $2,000 in expensive and unnecessary print media, further proving that the Internet is a sure bet!  With the market place particularly unpredictable, Auction still has its place and a cash contract is worth it’s weight in SOLD. To view our clients home and her FREE makeover, click here.

For the 2nd time in as many weeks, we got the SOS.  Another fabulous local home in dire need of resusitation.  The previous Agent had successfully managed to comatise the poor property!  Despite the fact that the Owner was left with a 6 grand Advertising bill, she still thought he was a nice guy!  Nice guy aside, your house is UNSOLD, has been murdered in the market place and you are out of pocket!

Our client purchased a bargain off another Agent.  She secured a long settlement sure that her home would sell well within the prescribed time.  She selected her Agent with the flip of a coin.  He was out of area, recommended by a neighbour and CHEAP!!!  After months of paper advertising and no offers, settlement day arrived.  Our client moved into their new home and their old one remained on the market unfurnished.  With no buyer in sight, she asked her Agent if she should put furniture in her home.  The answer?  ”Don’t bother, it won’t make any difference”.  All rightey then!  So now with 2 mortgages, an unsold home, pending rate hikes and a 6 grand advertising bill, our client’s ‘bargain’ is fast diminishing.  What person of sound mind would suggest that furniture won’t enhance your property?  Why if that is true is the TV filled with makeover shows that feature hapless Sellers trapped by their poor presentation?

You need to think TWICE before taking such out dated advice.  In less than 12 hours, we have furnished the entire property, given it a magazine photo shoot, uploaded the pics to realestate.com and are ready and waiting to take our buyers through.  The signboard has not even been picked up by the previous Agent.  In this market, it’s the quick and the dead and if you are doing things the old way, your home will end up road kill.  If you think I am being brutal, you better believe it!  It incenses me that people are playing with their finances and futures and letting it all come down to the flip of a coin.  My client told me that she is not attracted to beautifully presented property.  That is fine.  She would rather see them looking “made under”.  Of course she would.  That is why she scored a bargain of a purchase in the first place.  The secret is to buy that way and sell the opposite.  As I pointed out, we want to attract the emotional buyer, NOT the bargain hunter!

The market is more competitive than ever.  If you think the cheap Agent who is a presentation denier is going to get you over the line, think again .. your fairytale won’t be coming with its happy ever after ending! Don’t forget to join our FREEMAKEOVER page and  for before and after examples click here

Last week a Client gave me an insight to their friend’s sale.  Apparently they agreed to a fixed rate of 2.2% of sale price with their Agent.  This is fair and reasonable.  When an offer arose that was was beyond their initial expectations, the Agent asked them for a bonus! Since they were getting more, he felt, so should he!  This makes my blood boil.  They were an older couple, hadn’t sold a home before and this is simply unethical and immoral on every level!

We regularly deliver tens of thousands of extra in sale price dollars to our clients, and the thought would never cross my mind.  This is a classic example of a greedy Agent trying to make more out of less.  What I find simply staggering is the amount of people that fall for such trickery.  A couple of weeks ago I was given another example, not surprisingly, by the very same Agency.  They offer an initial base rate of 1.7% of your sale price and then ask for 20% of the money they achieve over the minimum price that THEY set.  So, let’s apply this to a recent example of a home we sold that achieved $40,000 more than we were expecting.

For the purpose of the exercise, let’s work out how the Professional Fee would work  under both schemes.  Based on 2% + gst, if the client got their original expected price, they would have paid $9,020.  Under the alternate scheme which is 1.7% + gst, they would pay $7,585 which is a saving of  $1,435.  At  first glance this seems substantial until we add in the $40,000 extra on the sale price.  Our figures would alter to $9,900 and the other Agency whilst lower initially, would take a bonus of $8,000 on top of their original fee.  In other words their bonus is higher than the actual initial fee.  Your cost would be $15,585 which equates to roughly 3.5%.  So, they take $8,000 extra for doing their job!  In effect, their fee doubles and people are falling for it!  This is simply outrageous.  It is nothing short of unconscionable and the Real Estate Institute should outlaw such practices without delay.

If you are approached with such an offer.  Please consider that any additional value your home achieves is generally as a result of the market, or in our case, a make over.  Agents should absolutely NOT be charging additional fees for doing what they were employed to do.  If you find yourself offered such deals, you are best advised to walk away.  Ask that the paper work be left in your possession until such time as you can have a friend, family member or legal representative go over it with a fine tooth comb and whatever you do, read the fine print carefully!

For those that may not be aware, I have started 3 fabulous facebook pages designed for our clients and their friends to trade on.When I joined facebook, I started my first page Garage Sale so that our clients could lose what they don’t use.  A short time later it is one of Adelaide’s favourite pages!  It has steadily grown but this week it hit 10,000 friends which is a remarkable effort.  In fact, at the time of writing we are over 10,500 so we are powering!  I proceeded to add 2 additional pages:  OP Shop is a trading page for clothes/accessories/cosmetics/shoes and the like and Tot Shop is a great page for Parents to buy and sell and save a fortune in the process.  We now have 21,000 locals trading across the 3 pages and over 40,000 when you add in our WHO Adelaide community.  We have some really exciting times on the way and our website which is a simply enormous task, is under development as we speak.

This has grown into something so big and we are looking forward to releasing the ultimate Adelaide small business networking site.  This is going to be great news for the local economy and our small business friends.  Facebook has very much become a part of our Hills and Valley culture.  The future is very much online and that is why we have removed ourselves from the paper and headed where the action is. Just as  realestate.com.au is the only place to be, facebook at this point is the premiere social networking site.

We are interacting with a heap of fabulous locals and we invite you to join our community as soon as you are able. Since clutter is the bane of our existence, you don’t have to be on the market to take advantage of our amazing sites.  As we say, if you don’t use it LOSE IT and if you don’t wear it SHARE IT lol!  Send myself or Alecia a friend request now and we’d love to introduce you to our online world.  Similarly, if  you’d like to keep up to the second with most recent style ups, join us here. xxx

(photos in this post are linked and will take you straight to the sites)

What an awesome way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  The weather was amazing with a big blue sky, loads of fluffy white clouds and my chiminea going flat out.  I fed the birds mid afternoon so that I had a continual procession of lorikeets and cockies to keep me entertained.  It was bliss!  There really is nothing like a hills lifestyle to make me smile.  That I am sure of.  It’s hard to believe that this time 2 years ago, I put my river house on the market.  This picture could be the twin!  We actually had our rear verandah for this home completed by those that did our  river home.  We wanted to retain the absolute same feel.

In the last couple of weeks I have felt unsettled in my home which is extremely unusual for me.  I am used to feeling complete inner peace in my environment.  As a Virgo, it is vital that I feel this way.  If I don’t, I literally cannot function!  It had been almost a year since I had rejigged the rooms, which is a long time in my world.  I just felt that the energy needed a giant stir.   My lounge room had a round day bed at one end.  It was very impractical and created a dead zone in the home.  This is really bad  feng shui.  Being an older property, it lacks light.  My old place was full of windows, so I never had that issue.  I have had to rely on lots of mirrors and other tricks to brighten it up.  I trekked off to one of my favourite places, One Rundle at Dulwich, and bought myself a sexy black and white cow hide for the floor, a few cushions and then went about swapping my items between my rooms.  I also moved a large clock into the space.  I am thrilled with the result. I also bought a stunning new rug for my break out area in my kitchen, which has altered the feel so much, I can hardly believe it.

Friends that came over on the weekend were amazed at the  transformation as was I!  The good news is I am back in love with my home and it didn’t cost a fortune in the process.  Sometimes it is only some minor tweaks that can have your home at its peak.  Poor old Dave is absolutely over my place.  He can’t believe how many times I move things around and neither can Mr Smith to be honest.  I say a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do and lucky for me, I ‘ve got the Queen of Preen on permanent standby!

If you are in the mood to rejig your own home, be sure to cash up your clutter on my  brilliant sites.   Garage Sale, Op Shop and Tot Shop are AWESOME and you will access 20,000 locals.  It’s free and fast!

There is nothing  better than unsolicited fan mail and this is as good as it gets!  When Angela called me up, I recognised that she was purely overwhelmed by her own home to the point that she didn’t realise just what a fab pad she was sitting on.  Whilst I might have talked myself out of a sale, I can sleep very well at night knowing that I gave her the best and most credible advice possible.  I have no doubt that down the track, it will come back!  Angela didn’t need to move, only improve and as a result of my advice she hasn’t only fallen back in love with her home she has saved a fortune in the process.  Read on and see what she had to say!

Dear Jo,

It has been a few weeks since you completed our make-over and we wanted to thank you for everything you have done for us.

When we initially contacted you, we were considering a move to a different suburb and you quickly realized that we were bored and needed a make over rather than a big move.  We were quite surprised how honest and astute you were.  You have a wealth of knowledge that you happily shared with us and you spent a lot of time with us moving furniture and modernizing our home.

You very kindly offered suggestions and even lent us different pieces of furniture to improve our tired home.

The hours you spent with us was extremely valued.   We learnt to trust you as you guided us through this new stage of our life.

Our home is slowly transforming into a happy home once again.  When the tv was removed from the Family room our teenage son started spending more time with us and he now completes homework near us.  We spend a lot more time talking instead of watching tv.

Our home feels fresh, more modern and revitalised.  We feel happier and excited about our new plans.

We don’t think you will ever realise how much we have appreciated your kindness.  We both believe you went way beyond what we thought a real estate agent would do for a client.  We will always be appreciative of what you have done and we look forward to keeping you informed of the many changes we have planned our home.

Our family is once again united and planning the next stage of our life.

Your honesty, friendship and guidance will never be forgotten.

Thank you so much Jo, you’ve changed our lives so much!

Regards,

Angela and Wayne Hills

PS  Will call you soon to organise dinner.  We are looking for a new lounge and will need some advice before we make a decision.  So sorry this has taken so long to write but we have definitely appreciated your kindness and friendship.

"Presentation is EVERYTHING!"

Well, what a brilliant week in the valley of the dolls.  Yes, we put  4 more out the door!  We are welcoming to the ‘hood some very excited buyers. The word is certainly getting out about our extraordinary freemakeover service and it is assisting our owners to absolutely positively cut through in the market place.  This week I have listed a number of properties that have had overwhelmed owners that are desperate to get their mojo back.  If you don’t love your property, it is a sad existence. Only the other day a local complained about the Koalas and birds that dared to frequent their house!  I felt very sad.  What sort of head space are you in when nature is of annoyance?   We manifest what we think and  your home has its very own personal energy.  If you don’t like the way it feels,  you need to look inward not outward!  The toxicity that radiates from unhappy people is distressing and highly contagious. I for one choose to live in a negative free zone.  If your home is feeling depressed and the energy is long gone, invest in a giant stick of sage and cleanse your space immediately.   By dispelling the stagnant energy you will soon find your environment is stirred up and that your mojo will find its way home!  Are you stuck in the no-sale rut?  Do you want honest and credible advice that means you won’t have to think twice?  We have unique ways to make your home pay.  Head to our site now and check out a myriad of before and afters and don’t just sell, sell VERY well!

Over pricing your real estate in any market is fool hardy at best.  At worst it can extend your stay in the market for many months, cause you undue stress and enormous damage to your home.  Still, the greed seems to get us and we always want to try for that extra slice of pie.  Whilst we understand this, it is much easier to build additional value into your property as opposed to stifling your price to the point that you are the joke of the market place.  If you are still convinced that Bank Valuations are low and that Interstate and Overseas buyers are desperate to offer more than homes are worth, you are wrong.  With so much on offer, an over priced property is so easy to spot and will be completely overlooked.  I believe the very best way to achieve the ultimate price is to put the effort into identifying your buyer and then strategically presenting your home to the benefit of that buyer.  Firstly you need to recognise that more bedrooms and bathrooms doesn’t equate to a higher sale price.  The reverse is actually true.  Creating spaces that didn’t previously exist by replacing bulky furniture with more petite versions, is the secret weapon of todays super savvy seller.  In order to stand out from the crowd, you need to wow your target audience.  If you are relying on photography and wide angle lenses, you are setting yourself up for a fall.  Buyers absolutely detest such trickery and you will do enormous damage to your campaign.  It’s one thing to look great online, but if you are a hot mess when the buyers inspect, you will end up with hostile buyers that will ruin your openings, so whatever you do, don’t go there.  Fresh eyes are not an option, they are a necessity at sale time.  Styling is so much more than throwing around a few cushions.  It is about turning your home into a product.  In order to navigate the sales seas, you need to look white hot and your floorplan needs to flow.  Given the amount of property that I have made over, there has never been a time when I couldn’t improve the appearance or flow.  Our makeovers take a matter of hours and regularly add tens of thousands of dollars to our properties.  You only have to check the testimonials and guestbook section of our website.  We can give your property the appearance and feel of a far more expensive product and this way you have a chance of smashing your expectations by a substantial amount.  If on the other hand you take the approach of being heavy handed in your asking price, you risk attracting the wrong buyers, negative feedback and ultimately no buyer!  Don’t let the greed get you!

You may have noticed that I have updated the look and feel of Jo Blogs.  Now you are able to see what I am up to in one handy location.  Apart from my updates, you can now scroll the page and interact with our online community that includes my baby WHO Adelaide, plus all the amazing facebook pages we are responsible for.  This is a brilliant way of seeing first hand what we have created and of course being a part of it.  All you need to do is click the links and you will be transported to the pages and if you don’t have a facebook account, I urge you to set one up immediately, even if it’s just to keep in touch with us!  You will also be able to interact on this page, so if there is anything you would like to know or enquire about, just leave your comments and we can address them for you.  We are excited about the direction in which we are heading and are sure that you will be too.  On the property front we welcome to the hood a new buyer for our Happy Valley home and our property in Mead Street Belair.  These properties sold quickly for top dollar that resulted from their amazing FREE makeovers.  Again, if you are not taking advantage of your presentation and using it to your advantage, you will find yourself growing old quickly, so be sure to use every possible advantage available.  We are noticing that for every home that is selling, one is not.  The amount of property that is retreating from the market is staggering but hardly surprising given the record level of over pricing that is occurring.  Now more than ever you need to get over the sale line.  Given the economic forecasts, there is no time to lose.  Realestate.com.au is filled with many sad looking homes with photos taken in the rain, looking very sorry for themselves.  A great Agent will never chance your online presence and if you haven’t caught on to how important it is…you need to wake up fast!  If you want to be sold as opposed to ‘on the market’, be sure that we’re coming through your door!

The latest news about the first home market is hardly surprising. The current report states that levels are at a five year low. With the tightening of borrowing criteria, many that thought a loan would be a walk in the park, will be staggered to realize that they are in no position to buy. The new trend is towards co-borrowing with parents. So, what does this mean for the market? I am of the opinion that you will see a substantial softening. It is actually prime time to buy for many, as there is little competition. Whilst it’s a buyers market, there are still some pocket rockets out there. In fact, we have just sold a 2 bedder that broke the 400K range. Great property will still attract a premium price, and then there is the rest! I spoke to a lady today who was floundering in the market. 5 weeks down the track and no buyer in sight. She made the mistake of listing with the Agent that gave her the unrealistic price. She has since made 3 adjustments. Similarly, I viewed a property the other night that others had put 70-100K above its value. The owner misguidedly believed that he could move to 20 acres for a mere 100K more than his current home. You must remember that as other homes reduce, so does yours. You cannot possibly expect that your home will hold its value as others tumble around you. As the lower end of the market fails to find buyers, it will have a flow on effect. So, what can you do? Be perfectly realistic in your expectations and don’t over price your home no matter what. It is imperative that you do your homework and avoid the pitfalls that inevitably come with putting dream money on your home when the market is retreating. We are now seeing a glut of property so you need to ensure that you are cutting through with outstanding presentation and innovative marketing. We have just received notification that print media is about to increase another 3%. Since so few read the paper, why would you bother? Online is the only place to be so don’t end up unsold with a giant advertising bill because it’s a hard pill to swallow!
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If you’re wondering what WHO ADELAIDE is all about, all will be revealed. We have been establishing an amazing online community that is having incredible flow on effects for our clients. You see, we are doing things quite differently. With 8 million facebook accounts active in Australia alone, if you are not getting into it, chances are someone in your family or friends list is! The buzz is not about to dissipate and we are riding the crest with an assortment of pages that makes up our impressive community. We started with GARAGE SALE a place where you can off load all of your unwanteds. We are now nearing 8,000 Adelaide locals on that site alone. So inspired were we that we added OP SHOP and TOT SHOP. We have now well over 15,000 trading on those pages. Add in our other pages including the well followed WHO ADELAIDE page and all our affiliated pages and we have a reach of 34,000 facebookers! We know that the times are a’changing and that is why we are implementing radical new ways. Signs, opens, press advertising is waning and those that tell you otherwise must be living in a fog. A week in cyberspace is like a year. You need to keep up or you get booted out, so stay tuned for all the info that will start to filter through about how our EXCLUSIVE online community will benefit YOU! Head to our amazing pages now and network with Adelaide’s fabbest and friendliest that ofcourse includes us and you’ll soon see why we are the talk of the town!
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It’s no secret that the brakes are coming on in the market. I have been saying so for quite a while, but the paper continues to pump out stories about rising prices. In my opinion, the market is nothing more than a beer with a big frothy head. The problem is, most will be alarmed at what level the liquid really sits! The figures are already showing significant percentage drops. When appraising a property in Bellevue Heights last week, the shine had come off 10%. There are a lot of causes for concern at the moment. Confidence is down, the Government is on a spendathon and Banks are closing ranks. One client who is a mortgage broker told me that 50% of the deals he is putting up are getting knocked back. In the past, only 10% would have been rejected. With a great level of the market fuelled by 95%+ lends, I believe we will see a return to more traditional lending. Already the commercial market requires a 20% minimum deppy and if that transcends the residential market, it will be game on. We have continued to steadily wade through the market. Our rejection of print media is proving to be a winner with buyers and sellers alike. With many sale times exceeding 90 days, many are unsold. To add insult to injury, they have $5,000 advertising bills! We have been the leaders in presentation and online marketing for years. Every day we move further ahead. Of course you could get roped into believing continual opens and press ads will deliver, but with about 30% reading the paper, most consider the paper good for Socialites and furniture ads! $500 a week for a tiny little ad…surely you jest! People want targeted information these days, and that is why our new WHO ADELAIDE online community is growing rapidly. The cost of dealing with out of touch Agencies is coming home to roost. Never will it be more glaring than in a declining market. What price are you prepared to pay?
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I received an SOS from a client living in a great part of Belair. She was convinced she wanted to move, and that her home was no longer right for her. When I pulled up I could see that they had rendered the front, but when I walked inside, I could see the initial enthusiasm had given way to a lack lustre interior that was dated and out of energy. A heavy pelmut and drapes stifled the outlook as did the oppressive grid security door. The sage green walls were stealing the limited light, and the property was clearly depressed. It was hardly surprising that my clients were out of love with life, and their home! They had viewed a brand new property in a location that was nowhere near as good as they currently had. I couldn’t believe that they were even considering trading their location for the new inferior one, let alone spending a substantial amount extra. It was time to be brutal and address the issues. I suggested that we make some minor changes to their home and then see if the result was enough to keep them interested. They agreed to stump up a small amount of money and see what changes I could bring about. They agreed to painting out the walls in bright white, switching some old light fittings for down lights, and they gave me free rein to move their home about. The results were breathtaking and completed for a minimum amount of money, and had massive impact. By rearranging their furniture we gave their property an immediate renovated feel. All of a sudden their home is liveable and with all the clutter removed they can breathe in their surroundings. It was so rewarding last night to see the way they were transformed, and now, they no longer feel a need to move. This was precisely my point. More often than not, it isn’t the home, it is the way that you are living in it. Don’t wait until you are moving to reveal just how gorgeous your home really is…you’d be surprised just how good your existing property is, you just need fresh eyes to appreciate it! Don’t forget to join us on our pages now: Facebook Feeds

Well, it’s like we’re living a second life and that’s because we are! With 15 different face book pages, we have created an entire community that now gives our office access to 30,000 locals. I created WHO ADELAIDE at the beginning of the year. I have built it up steadily and it is an awesome network of locals that interact together. It is now an integral part of the Hills and Valley culture and attracts enviable exposure for our office. The good news is we are meeting a whole new raft of buyers and sellers. In another exciting turn of events, I now am on the editorial team of Transform Magazine with SARAH BEENY and Celebrity Interior decorator, TARA DENNIS. My first article was just published (http://www.homeimprovementwithtransformmagazine.com/)  I came to their attention directly through Facebook and many other opportunities come our way daily. We are very excited about the brilliant things that are happening at Hills and Valley including our new Land department headed up by Gary Mcgill. We have a number of developments currently on offer and more on the way as well as we are about to finalise a giant apartment complex that we are extremely excited about! Things are certainly going from strength to strength and we are looking to a very bright future! Be sure to keep up to the minute with our goings on by joining us on our facebook pages. Check out the link here, and we’ll see you there!
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I don’t know about you but the year is whipping along at a phenomenal rate isn’t it! I have had some truly interesting conversations with a number of people that I respect, and there is no doubt in my mind that things are changing at such a rapid rate, that it is impossible to keep up. The changes that we are making will see us extremely well placed ahead of the competition, as we are embracing those changes substantially ahead of time. Already, many businesses that have chosen to remain in denial have been kicked to the kerb, and they are still wondering why. Social media is here to stay. Only the other day Alecia and I were driving down the Main Street in Blackwood when we saw a group of men in suits. My initial reaction was “who died”. I know this may seem harsh, but again, those in the know recognise that suits and ties are very 90’s. Forward thinking businesses are far more hands on and approachable. The suit is intimidating and seems terribly old fashioned. It gives the appearance of an out of touch business person who doesn’t get their hands dirty. In truth, that’s pretty much bang on! This week we had some exciting news. Firstly we were notified of a nomination for Telstra Business Woman of the Year. This was for all our work with small business online and for our creation of WHO ADELAIDE. We are currently having a website built and secondly we are handling a home in Happy Valley for a family that has been referred by DIGNITY FOR DISABILITY and our makeover will be filmed starting this week. We will be selling the home for the client at no charge and using our vast network to assist with the makeover at no charge and Channel 7 will be filming us every step of the way! You will rarely find us in the paper these days but on line our life thrives! Our facebook pages are now connected to some 20,000 locals and we are going gangbusters to say the least. If you are on Facebook follow our link and join all our wonderful pages, you won’t be disappointed!
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These days you had better be on the ball in every aspect of your sale. If you have knowledge of your property that you choose not to disclose, be warned, it follows you FOREVER. Just because it was that way when you bought it does not mean you have a license to non-disclose. If you knowingly mislead a purchaser, it will be at your peril. For example we have had a number of instances with swimming pools and spas in recent times. Owners naturally enough do not wish to incur additional expense BUT let’s look at the facts. If you sell something that is not approved and you know it, you have a law suit waiting in the wings. What happens if an accident occurs and then it is discovered that it wasn’t approved as exampled in the attached link? We will simply not represent clients that choose this path. Over time we have chosen to walk away from a number of transactions because we don’t feel the owners are above board. We refuse to have the hangover years down the track. Our advice is simple. When selling, be entirely transparent in your dealings. If you have the knowledge, protect yourself, your buyer and your sale, by being entirely up front. Karma has a terrible way of rearing its head at the worst times in the worst forms and when dealing with unapproved pools and spas that don’t comply it is akin to driving an expensive car with no insurance. The truth is, you are an accident waiting to happen. Don’t ever put yourself in such a position. It is just not worth it! Unapproved-pool