Reasons to use a full service Broker like Fourteen West, REALTORS
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
1) Fourteen West, REALTORS assumes the risk of the sale whereas a “discount broker” places the risk on the Seller. How? Fourteen West takes a listing and expends significant time, effort, and money, marketing the property, showing the property, coordinating the sales efforts, and is compensated only if the sale closes. A discount broker, on the other hand, receives a fee upfront and therefore is not incented to provide any level of service. The Seller assumes more responsibility on showings, answering questions, and coordinating the events that take place before, during and after the property goes under contract.
2) Fourteen West will advise an owner on the correct price range to place their property based upon sales data and actual inspections of sold and active listings. Pricing a property properly is very important in the process of successful selling! Discount brokers typically will let the owner set the price, or will assist the owner to the extent a computer program will allow.
3) Fourteen West will assist an owner in staging their property to better showcase good features and minimize the impact any ‘negatives’ may pose. Owners are not always able to disengage themselves enough to notice flaws because they are emotionally tied to the property. We offer objectivity. Discount brokers will not bother… nor do they care.
4) Fourteen West will promote the property via multiple internet sites, flyers, both Atlanta area MLSs, caravans, personal contacts within the REALTOR community, etc. Owners do not have that capability and discount brokers are not going to bother.
5) Fourteen West will follow-up on showings and retrieve feedback whenever possible. Many heads are better than one…feedback is an important component in staying competitive with other properties on the market that are competing for the limited buyer ‘pool’. Owners do not have the time, and discount brokers are not incented to do this.
6) Fourteen West assists in the negotiations of an offer. An owner sometimes get’s emotional and/or scared; oftentimes resulting in leaving ‘money on the table’, or running off a good, potential buyer due to their hard-line tactics. A discount broker seldom gets involved in this part of the process.
7) Fourteen West will coordinate the activities necessary after a property goes under contract, and before the closing. An owner is blind to this part of the transaction and the discount broker, again, does not care.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Tips for Sellers
Add More Self Confidence To Your Inner-Self
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Do you want to have more self-confidence? Here are five quick and easy steps to attain a higher level of confidence:
1) Learn to accept praise. Honestly, I have consistently flunked this guidline; that’s why it is Number One on this list. Practice accepting compliments and stop apologizing!
2) Learn to laugh at yourself. While we want to exude confidence and accept praise, we also need to have a good sense of humor and be able to laugh at our own mistakes.
3) Associate with positive folks. If you avoid whiners and surround yourself with positive people, you will receive positive reinforcement and learn a thing or two!
4) Give unto others. Nothing brings greater satisfaction than helping others. And by lending your helping hand, you will not only enrich someone else’s life, you’ll feel fantastic!
5) Establish a few good, sounding-boards. Having others you respect available to bounce ideas off of not only helps you achieve greater things, it also reinforces you and your goals!
There you have it. Short and sweet. But it works!
Take care.
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Living
Atlanta-area Homestead Tips
Friday, January 28, 2011
Did you close on the purchase of a property on or before December 31, 2010? If so, you need to file for Homestead exemption!
Please refer to our Blog dated January 7, 2011 for the time limits to file for Homestead. But in addition, here are a few more tips:
1. You can only obtain Homestead exemption on owner-occupied properties.
2. You file with the county in which the property is located. If the property also has city taxes, there may be an additional homestead exemption available. Most cities require a separate homestead application (except City of Atlanta), and may have a different deadline.
3. If the property is owner-occupied by a senior citizen, disabled person, low-income owner, injured veteran or veteran’s widow, there may be additional tax exemptions and discounts available. Some of these applications are due much earlier and may require a copy of last year’s income tax return or other supporting documentation.
4. If the property is rental or investment property, you should confirm that your correct mailing address is identified. You can check the GSCCCA website (look at the PT-61 form filed with the Warranty deed), the county tax website, or your HUD-1 from the closing to see if the mailing address has been shown (rather than the property address). Tax bills sent to a vacant lot or rental house rarely get forwarded or paid on time!
- Scott Askew
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
Will the health insurance reform law impose a 3.8% tax on home sales?
Friday, January 21, 2011
Chances are, you have heard ‘chatter’ warning that the health insurance reform law contains a provision for a sales tax on home sales. Some versions cite an editorial column from the ‘Spokesman-Review’ newspaper, while others link to one or more blog posts. The information contained in these emails is false. Below are the facts:
Beginning in 2013, the health insurance reform law will impose a 3.8 percent tax on unearned net investment income, which includes some (but not all) income from interest, dividends, net rental income, and capital gains (less capital losses). The tax affects only those individuals with an adjusted gross income above $200,000 for single filers, or $250,000 for couples filing jointly.
The tax will not be imposed on all real estate transactions. Those who claim otherwise do not understand the interplay between the health insurance reform law and existing real estate tax law. The exemption for the first $500,000 of capital gain from the sale of a principal residence remains intact and is not impacted by the new law.
Because the tax is very complicated, the National Association of REALTORS prepared an informational brochure outlining several scenarios that could be relevant to you. The brochure is available in our office.
- Scott Askew (with special Thanks to Robert Broome, the Governmental Affairs Director for the Atlanta Board of REALTORS)
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News
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