Dave Conners, Prescott Arizona's Luckiest Agent

10 Reasons Your House Is Not Selling

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 15:49:10 -0800

10 Reasons Your House Is Not Selling. A few days ago I wrote about how price and condition will determine whether your house sells or not. Here is a follow up that focuses on many other ways home owners sabotage the process of selling their home.

1. Price is still the most important factor for buyers. Just because you paid $400,000 in 2006 and put in another $100,000 into the house, does not mean you have a $500,000 house. In today's market $400,000 plus $100,000 may equal $350,000. Its all about price and condition in relation to the other similar homes on the market.

2. Poor photos. Today we know that 90% of the buyers begin the search online. So I am amazed when I see listings of half-million dollar homes which use "snap shots" the agent took during a 5 minute visit. I use a professional photographer on all of my home listings because I know if the photos don't grab the buyer in the first 10 seconds, that buyer is lost.

3. Clutter, nick-nacks, personal, and political stuff. Yes I know you have been collecting these things for 30 years and you are very proud of your stuff. But the buyer does not care about your collection and in fact it makes your house look smaller than it really is. We are talking about one of your largest financial transactions, get a storage unit during the listing. It will pay for itself many times over. Also personal things such as family photos, children's drawings , political posters don't help you. The buyer needs to see themselves in the house, make it easy for them.

4. You stay home during the showing. There are only two outcomes to this. The first is you make the buyer uncomfortable looking in your closets and cabinets and distract them. The second is you say something that is to your disadvantage. I have attended countless showings where the seller is home and mentions something that either reduces the value of the home in the buyer's mind or totally removes it from the list of possible homes. If you must be home, go wait in the backyard and read a book.

5. Pets and Smells. While your dog is barking at the potential buyers and their agent they are having trouble focusing on seeing themselves living in your house. Your cat's litter-box in the laundry room is adding a scent and its not money. Your ferret is attempting to burrow through the wall and the cigar smoke in the curtains is not helping your either.

6. You have unusual paint or wallpaper. Sellers with children often have paint colors picked out by the children. While lime green, black and magenta are great colors for your kids, they are not so great for buyers. Additionally the wallpaper picked out by Aunt Ethel in 1964 is sending the buyers this message: This House Needs Lots of Work! I really like colors other than white for walls, but they need do need to complement each other.

7. Your house is rented. Imagine the buyer's agent is scheduling 7 showings for tomorrow morning. The vacant houses are effortless, the houses that are owner occupied are mostly happy to schedule the showing at a time the works best for the buyers. Then we get to the rental. In Arizona, the renters can require up to 48 notice before a showing, but often 24 hours will work. However most buyer's agents schedule showings either the day before or the day of the showings. Either way many rentals will not get shown. Also consider that many tenants are not enthusiastic about having to move. It is common for tenants to leave the house a mess for showings.

8. Your house is dysfunctional. Examples: Master bedroom upstairs, one floor has only a half bath, small closets, no garage, access to a bedroom is through another bedroom, driveway is steep, has many stairs to front door, no laundry room, out laundry in garage. Functional issues are very hard to fix so adjusting the price is often the only option here.

9. Poor Location / Access. If the location could be changed I would have put this as number 2. If you have to drive through a subdivision of mobile homes to get to your $750,000 custom home we are going to have a challenge selling it. If your house adjoins commercial properties that will be an issue. If you always need 4-wheel drive to get there, it's going to be an issue. And as gas prices go up the distance from shopping, schools, and hospitals is going to become more and more important. Right now in the Prescott AZ market, some of the hardest hit areas are very expensive gated communities located 20 miles from town. Again, we cannot change location, but we can adjust the price.

10. Poor Maintenance. Buyers have plenty of options to choose from right now. Most buyers start with the neighborhood and price range they like, then quickly eliminate all properties except those priced most aggressively and in the best condition. If your house has visible maintenance issues like broken windows, old paint, damaged rain gutters or roofing, the buyers will quickly eliminate it unless you have adjusted the price accordingly.

This list could easily be the top 100 reasons your house is not selling, but I think these are some of the most common. It is so important for the sellers to let go of any emotional attachment to the house and step into the shoes of the buyer. And don't forget that the market price is set by the buyer, not the seller. If your house has been on the market for a month without showings please refer to this list. Also if your house is on the market and is getting showings but no offers after 10 showings, please refer to this list. Please give me a call or drop me an email to learn what else I do differently than most REALTORS to help you meet your goals.

Dave Conners enjoys teaching his clients new techniques to reach their goals.

Prescott Arizona, Great Outdoor Activities

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 09:57:18 -0700

I found this video today from the City of Prescott. It really shows off many of Prescott's wonderful outdoor attractions. If you are looking for a home in the Prescott area, you should consider talking to a professional agent like me. Because I work differently than most Realtors, I can save you time, energy and money.

Dave Conners has been a full time real estate professional in Prescott since 2001. His interests include hiking with his family, swimming and hang gliding. Here is a great website to help you find the perfect Prescott home for you: http://www.prescotthomeinthepines.com/

Forest Trails, Bank Owned Home, 2020 Shannon, Prescott AZ

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:52:31 -0700

Forest Trails, Bank Owned Home, 2020 Shannon, Prescott Arizona.

Forest Trails Bank Owned Home, Inside Forest Trails is a gated subdivision called "The Ridge At Iron Springs" What excites me about this home is that the quality of the materials, fixtures and appliances used are not usually seen in homes at this price. I would expect a home of this quality to be valued at $150 per square foot. This home is listed at only $132 per square foot. If one were to visit many of the finest homes in Prescott as I have, one would quickly understand the value of this home.

I create videos like this one for my clients out of town and to help sell my listings more quickly. If you appreciate this level of service please contact me.
Dave Conners
Keller Williams Check Realty
928-713-2663
daveconners@kw.com

Hassayampa Mtn Club Home For Sale, 732 Seri Prescott AZ Video in HD

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 10:28:02 -0700

Hassayampa Mtn Club Home For Sale, 732 Seri Prescott AZ

I have been playing with video of my listings for months now, but recently decided to make the jump into high definition video. What I have found is that home buyers really appreciate being able to view high quality HD video of homes for sale. It saves them time and energy finding the best home. And since I already do 30 home previews each week, I simply pick the best deals to video with my GoPro HD2 camera.

This Hassayampa Mountain Club Prescott home is unusual in two ways: It was built in 2006 which makes it much newer than most of this neighborhood. Also it was built with in-floor radiant hydronic heat, which is more commonly used in very high end homes. It provides the highest level of comfort with the lowest amount of energy.

For the best results select 720p or even 1080p and full screen and enjoy:)

I create videos like this one for my out of area buyers and for all my sellers. Listings with videos rank higher on the results for buyers searching for homes. If you would appreciate this level of service please contact me. I would love for you to experience working with a real estate professional who takes his job seriously. I especially enjoy working in Hassayamapa Mountain Club, Prescott's Home in the pines.

For a list of Prescott Arizona foreclosures visit my website.

Prescott Dave's Pick Of The Week, Prescott College Investor Special

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:17:57 -0800

Everything Works and Nothing Doesn't

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 13:58:17 -0800

One of the first pieces of advise I received as a new agent in 2001 was "Everything Works and Nothing Doesn't".

Like many real estate agents I was looking for the holy grail of productivity. And like many other agents before me I tried everything: Open houses, flyers, website, Craigslist, bugging my friends and family etc. And like the advise I was given, it all worked... a little.

Fast foward 10 years and a few hundred transations. (more importantly is the advice I have received from highly successfull agents). If you wish to be a succeful real estate agent, just copy the activities of a highly successful agent. For me that means 3 hours per day of lead generation. Each morning I search for great deals that fit the particular needs of my clients and then I call them to discuss these new properties. I search each morning and evening for new listings and price changes. I also look to see which homes fell out of escrow.

After lunch I preview 5 to 7 homes each day. This one activity has proven to be much more powerful than I ever dreamed. Very few agents do daily previews because they believe it takes too much time. The truth is that showing your buyers homes that you have not yet seen is a waste of time. Each week during my previews I find a few homes that are a perfect fit for one of my clients, but that showed poorly on the MLS.

I can cleary explain my value proposition. Each conversation an agent has with another person includes the unspoken question, "Why should I work with you?" Mine is: I specialize in finding buyers the best deals out there. You know, foreclosures, short sales and distressed retail sales. I preview 25 to 35 homes each week to better know the inventory and that way I only show my clients the BEST homes for them.

Finally, I use a buyer consultation as a way to set expectations of how I work and what my clients can expect during the home buying process. I find out what good communication sounds like to my clients. And I spend extra time to understand thier goals so they become crystal clear to me.

There are a thousand things a real estate agent can do to get business. But try to focus on the 20% of your effort that will accomplish 80% of your results.

Dave Conners enjoys finding new ways to help his clients, teach new agents to succeed, and learn how to be a better person.

Understanding Buyer Agent Mastery, Prescott Arizona Keller Williams

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 17:08:55 -0800

Or "How Professional Is Your Realtor?"

Having recently finished a four week Keller Williams course on “Buyer Mastery” I wanted to share some of the awesome insights gained during the my time with instructor Steve Chader.

What is a buyer’s agent? First let’s explore what it means to be a “buyer’s agent”. To the average person (or to the average real estate agent for that matter) it means specializing in working with buyers rather than seller or both. So why do it? Everybody has strengths and weaknesses. Productive real estate teams tend to match team members to their strengths. This makes the whole team more effective and it should make the clients happy.

So what does the typical buyer experience with the average buyers agent? For most it begins with a short conversation between the buyer and agent about the criteria of the search; what size, style and price range the buyer is looking for. Then, a quick search is done and off go the buyer and agent in the hopes of stumbling into the perfect house. Other times the buyer has already found a house of interest and the agent is along for the ride (and to open up the house). I find very often that with less experienced real estate agents, the buyer leads the search. This means that finding the best house, is left up to chance.

A Professional Buyer’s Agent’s model is very different. Like visiting a doctor or lawyer, a set of expectations and time frames are communicated. The professional buyers agent has a set of systems and tools in place that insure that each buyer has the maximum opportunity to find the best house in the shortest time and with the least effort (on the buyer’s part). The buyer consultation, rather than 5 minutes of “describe your perfect house”, consists of a 30 to 45 minute discussion which goes deep into the goals of the buyer. It is very important that the agent has a clear understanding of not only the perfect house, but also every part of experience of finding it, negotiating and closing escrow. The buyer must also understand the nature of the local market. The professional needs to educate the buyer to make sure there are no unrealistic expectations. For example, many agents have worked with a buyer who confused market value with list price, or expected an offer of 50% of list price to be accepted. I find that the more time I spend asking about the buyers’ needs and wants, the less time I spend showing them houses.

For the professional, the day is already scheduled with time blocks. For me, it starts with 3 hours of lead generation; communicating with buyers about their goals and progress, searching all new listings and price changes and setting up new appointments for the day. At noon begins my home previewing time. I make it a point to preview at least 35 new homes each week so that I know the market very well. (The typical agent often sees a home for the first time with his buyers. The professional on the other hand has already previewed the home and know that it matches the buyer’s criteria). Finally, the rest of the afternoon is spent out buying homes with my clients.

Many agents also use the word “client” loosely. However when a professional buyer’s agent finishes with a good buyer consultation, the buyer then hires the agent with a buyer broker or loyalty agreement. Only then is the buyer truly a client. Most Realtors work with “customers” which means that technically the agent represents the seller. Professionals are hired and have a clear understanding of what they are offering and receiving in exchange.

Next let’s explore the knowledge base of the buyer’s agent. At the end of the day, people hire an agent, not because they like them, but because of the value the agent brings to the table. That value is made up of knowledge, systems and tools. If you walk into an open house the average agent can tell you the price, number of bedrooms and year built. The professional however can tell you average sales price and days on the market for comparable properties. They can also tell you about 2 or 3 other similar homes in the neighborhood and which one is currently the best deal. They can help the buyer to understand the current inventory relative to the rate of sales. And perhaps most importantly they can convey their unique value proposition, or why it would be a good idea for a buyer to work with this agent.

It always amazes me that most people view themselves as “above average”. But the truth is, we don’t know where we stand until we compare ourselves to the best. After 10 years of full time real estate sales, I believed that I too was above average. Now thanks to the best training available in the industry, I can honestly say that I was solidly in the middle of the pack. Only by working with top performers and modeling their behavior can we rise to the next level of service.

Dave Conners enjoys learning, teaching and connecting with people, especially home buyers:) If you are considering buying a home in the Prescott AZ area, why not recieve the highest level of representation available.

Who Pays the HOA Dues on a Rental Property?

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 13:15:23 -0700

I found this great article by Chris Ann Cleland in Virginia. It describes what can happen when a tennant is asked to pay the HOA fees for the owner of a property. Take her advise and let the owner pay the HOA fees. Definitely worth the read:)

Via Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker, Northern VA (Long & Foster REALTORS®, Gainesville, VA):

Who Pays the HOA Dues on a Rental Property?

When representing tenants, I am often asked, "Will we be responsible for the HOA dues if we rent this property?" The answer is NO! No way! And even if the landlord wants you to, I'll convince them that's a BAD idea. And I've had to do that a time or two over the past few years, which is astounding. You'll see why if you think that tenants should pay the HOA fees directly as they are the ones getting the benefits of the HOA services and amenities.

Home owner's associations are one the entities that can place a lien on your property for non-payment. So as the owner, or in the case of the rental scenario-- as the landlord, you NEVER want to make another party responsible for something that negatively impact you or the clear title to your property.

Case in point: Right now I have first-time home buyers who are thrilled to have found a great home in Manassas Park. Unfortunately, the owner of the property, who was transferred out of state, rented the property for four years. The two sets of tenants in the home during those years were FRIENDS of the landlord. And being a trusting sole, the landlord left his friends to pay his HOA dues. Both sets of friends stiffed the HOA, probably thinking it was no big deal. Unfortunately, the Seller is now having to pay off five liens that were filed against the house for non-payment of dues over those four years.

Here's the sick part. The monthly HOA fees were a max of $38 per month. Over 48 months that's $1,824. The liens total over $3,100! Why? Late fees and legal fees, of course.

Never put a tenant, even if they are your friend, in charge of HOA fees.

Chris Ann Cleland, Associate Broker- Licensed in Virginia, GRI, SFR, Northern Virginia Short Sale Specialist. Affiliated with Long & Foster, 7526 Limestone Drive, Gainesville, VA 20155. To contact Chris Ann, call 703-402-0037 or email chrisann@LNF.com. Or you can visit her website: www.nvarealestate.net.

Header is a combination of photos, taken by Chris Ann Cleland, of various listings and neighborhoods in the Bristow-Gainesville-Haymarket area.

Is This Really A Good Time To Buy A House (In Prescott Arizona)?

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 11:23:14 -0700

Lowest Rates in History!

Over the last week world markets have been gripped by a tremendous amount of fear and uncertainty. These kinds of events are very unnerving for all of us. This is especially true if you are considering a major financial commitment like a new home.

It is our job as real estate professionals to help our clients understand what all of this means to a home purchase transaction. Many people assumed the downgrade to US debt would mean a rise in mortgage rates. That is not currently the case.

Mortgage bonds are the source of virtually all of the money used in home lending. As the price of bonds goes up, rates go down. In fact, they are currently pushing to new all-time highs. This means that rates are now at new all-time lows!

Despite all of the turmoil in the markets and in the world, for buyers who are serious about a purchase of a new home, there are very compelling reasons to do so now.

If you wondering if now is a good time to purchase a home, consider that the chart above illustrates that we are now at "LIFETIME LOWS" in terms of purchasing power. And if you are considering buying a home in the Prescott Arizona area, let me show you how to find the best deals available. I enjoy teaching my clients about the market. About the history of Prescott Arizona and Whiskey Row.

Prescott Dave's Pick Of The Week, Stoneridge Forclosure, Prescott Valley AZ

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 23:15:06 -0700

Why Prescott Arizona Remains One Of The Best Places To Live

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 18:23:14 -0700

Dearing Park, Prescott Arizona's Hidden Secret

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:25:26 -0700

For me, Prescott Arizona's Dearing Park was only a rumor for the first few years after I moved to Prescott.

Located 3 miles West of Thumb Butte, Dearing Park is a little slice of what Prescott must have been like a hundred years ago. Because the elevation is 6,000 feet, the Ponderosa pines blanket this beautiful neighborhood. And since it is surrounded by Prescott National Forest, there is very little traffic, but plenty of wildlife and scenic beauty. Deer, javalina, and coyotes are everyday neighbors.

Dearing Park and neighboring Highland Pines hold roughly 200 homes so the neighbors tend to know one another. Nearly everyone you pass on the road will give you a friendly wave. For people who enjoy the outdoors and want to spend time in the forest what better place to live than in the middle of Prescott's most pristine Ponderosa forest. Even though you may feel like you are many miles from town, the truth is that you are really only 15 minutes from shopping and great restaurants. And the roads are now mostly paved without any steep hills.

Few places offer such scenic beauty so close to the city. Here you can have the best of both worlds. Homes here range from simple cabins to very large custom retreats. Many are used as summer getaways while many others have full time residents. Electricity and phone are available, however Cable is not. Internet is provided by sattelite. Private wells are how you get water here. Whatever flavor you like, Dearing Park offers a taste of Arizona's finest tall pine forest with easy access. From downtown Prescott you can take Gurley Street West until it turns into Thumb Butte Rd. From there continue 3 miles west (2 miles of well maintained dirt road) and you are there. Also you can take Iron Springs Road to Skyline which through Highland Pines to Dearing Park.

Dave Conners enjoys helping people discover the best Prescott has to offer. Dave Can help you sell your house in today's market while meeting your goals. He can also help buyers find the best deals out there. For more information about Dearing Park or Highland Pines, Give Dave A call today! 928-713-2663

Hassayampa Luxury Golf Condo, Prescott Arizona

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:05:42 -0700

Hassayampa Luxury Golf Condo

Premium downstairs corner unit facing 12th hole at Hassayampa. Awesome views of the course, pond, trees and Granite Mtn. Granite counters, tile and wood floors, custom remote control window treatments. Spacious master bath and bedroom with sliding door to comfortable double patio for barbeques and refreshments. Or sit by the gas fireplace and enjoy the view. Priced to sell at only $235,000. 1548 Square Feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms. No stairs, Super Easy Access!

What Is The Best School In Prescott Arizona?

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:22:41 -0700

What is the best school in Prescott Arizona?

In addition to the wonderful 4-season climate, low crime rate, low taxes and friendly people, Prescott Arizona has a wealth of excellent schools from which to pick the best fit for your children. As we discovered when it was time to choose a school for our son (now 12), there are public, private and charter schools available. Unbeknownst to us, there was a hidden gem among the choices, Mountain Oak Charter School. Most Waldorf schools are private and tuition can range from $10,000 to $20,000 per year. However Mountain Oak is a charter school and therefore is publicly funded.

The Waldorf approach to education began in 1919 in Germany, when the owner of the Waldorf-Astoria cigarette factory asked esoteric philosopher Rudolf Steiner to start a school for the workers' children. Today, there are a thousand Waldorf schools in 91 countries, including 159 in the United States, where Waldorf's growth has been particularly vigorous.

Traditional Waldorf schools are private, but the number of public schools inspired by Steiner's methods is growing, fueled in part by the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act and the charter school movement. In the United States, there are about 44 Waldorf-inspired public schools, most of them K-8 charter schools located in the West.

NCLB requirements mandate that students test at grade level in reading and math, which can result in schools reducing the amount of class time dedicated to art. But Waldorf methods, in sharp contrast to traditional public education, encourage a learning pace dictated by the students themselves and an integration of the arts into lessons.

As Waldorf methods have become more accessible and better understood, more teachers have joined charter schools specifically inspired by Waldorf methods or have adopted some of its approaches for their own classrooms within traditional public schools.

The Waldorf method suggests that teachers time their teaching to coincide with a child's readiness to learn. For instance, they teach writing before reading, which sometimes results in students starting to read as late as the third grade. "We hold back on intellectualizing the child until it's time," says sixth-grade teacher Chris Whetstone.

Teachers at two different high schools in Prescott have told me that they see a difference in children that have attended Mountain Oak Charter School. They notice the kids are more articulate and seem to be more present than children from other schools.

In the six years our two children have attended Mountain Oak we have been more than satisfied with the wonderful education they are receiving.

Dave Conners has two children at Mountain Oak Charter School in Prescott Arizona.

Prescott Arizona's Pick Of The Week

Dave Conners (Keller Williams Check Realty ) — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 15:55:38 -0700

For my Prescott Arizona Pick of the Week, we have an amazing deal. 210 N Alarcon Street, Prescott AZ 86301

What makes this downtown Prescott Arizona Listing special reads like a laundry list:

1. Its right downtown just a short walk from the square and Whiskey Row.

2. Its Bank owned so the price is super low. (Main house is 1211 square feet and the duplex in back is another 1579 square feet) listed at $208,000!

3. Its in great shape. The front house has beautiful hardwood floors and in floor radiant hydronic heating (which costs plenty to install and is a wonderful way to heat).

4. It has tons of curb appeal.

5. It has built in income production with the two apartments in back.

So with all of this I can tell that we will have multiple offers by Monday and in all likelihood it will sell for above the list price of $208,000. But whenever I see a deal this good I like to share it with people who like a good deal.

My primary area of expertise is with bank owned homes. If you are looking for the best deal available, chances are I have already seen it. Dave Conners enjoys helping his clients reach thier goals with professional service and no drama.