OK, its really just one reason repeated three times.

Repeat after me, as a home seller, you are now in the retail business. You have ONE product. You advertised it, priced it right, maybe you even staged it and by gosh got a top notch real estate agent to advertise and help you sell it.

Here is a closely held secret of retail and it applies to real estate. You need to be open when your customers want to shop. People want to see your house. I wanted to see these houses. I called and requested appointments to see the house. When is the last time you called ahead to Nordstrom’s to make an appointment to look at  shoes or ties or suits?

I am not the big bad wolf knocking at your door. Let me in by the shaven hairs on my double chin-chin. I am an experienced real estate agent trying to see what your house looks like because I might have a buyer for it.

3 reasons your home might not be selling

5121 West 162nd Street Overland Park KS 660685 in The Wilderness will be open on Sunday Dec 4th 2011 from 1-3pm

Open Dec 4th 1-3pm 2011

Russ Arsenault will be holding the home open.

Notes : Great 4 bedroom, 3 full bath, 2 half bath  home centrally located in The Wilderness. Close to Blue Valley schools.  Many upgrades throughout including Stainless Steel Appliances, newly refinished pine floors, finished basement features wet-bar, additional den, full bath, and rec room. Romantic Master Bedroom with see-thru fireplace. Home Warranty Included!

5121 W 162nd Street, Overland Park, KS 66085 (MLS # 1753601)

Great 4BR,3FB, & 2HB home centrally located within The Wilderness. Walk to schools and aquatic center. Many upgrades throughout including SS Appliances, Newly refinished pine floors and much more. Finished basement features wet-bar, additional den, full bath, and rec room. Romantic MB with see-thru fireplace. Home Warranty Included!

Property Type(s): Residential, Residential / Single Family

Last Updated	1/21/2012	Tract	The Wilderness
Year Built	2000	Community	345
Garage Spaces	2.0	County	Johnson, KS
Total Parking	2	Walk Score ®	35

Price History

Schools

Additional Details

Features

Location

Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.

Listed with Keller Williams Realty Partner

(view all details for MLS #1753601)

3 things you must do to make your home ‘findable’  (part 1 of 3)

Three surefire ways buyers find your house

1) Online

2) A real estate agent

3) Driving around

For your home to sell, the home buyer needs to find it first. Concentrate on the following three areas; Online, Agents, and Driving around.  How serious could a home buyer be if they are not at least looking online, working with an agent or driving around? Not very, although, perhaps if you were marketing to the clairvoyant… OK back on topic.

Can you find your home online?

• Type in variations of your home’s address
  • Does your home show up in the major search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, Blekko, etc.?
  • Can you find your home on real estate specific search tools like Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow or others?
  • Make a list of the major real estate companies in your area. Make a note of your MLS number or Multiple Listing Service number or ID
    • Visit the home page of those real estate companies. Most of them will allow a website visitor to search for a home from the home page. You  may have the option to use MLS #, price range, address, or minimum requirements like number of bedrooms or baths. You might have to ‘drill down’ or venture further into the website to search. Either way, search for you home on there. Can you find it? Is the information correct?
    • Search on at least the top 5-10 companies. Is your home there? Is the information accurate?
• Next, make a list of the top 5-10 agents or agent teams that you can think of. Visit their websites. Search for your home. Can you find it?

• Is the information correct? Check it.
• Do the search results offer
• a phone number to call
• a person or office to contact
• an email address to contact someone about your home, either to ask for more information or to set up an appointment to see your property

To my wonderful fellow real estate agents,

<soapbox> Please, I beg you, stop sending me scores of emails and texts about how motivated your seller clients are to sell their home. Spend your time educating your seller on what it means to be in a buyer’s market. Please respect the fact that I know how to use the Multiple Listing Service and will find houses that meet my clients/customers needs without the need for generic emails about what you have listed.

• Overpriced homes either don’t get shown or if they do, it just makes the other guy’s home look better
• If the home smells – smoke, pets, cooking – you need to mitigate it. Scented candles do not cut it.
• Mow the grass
• Pull the weeds
• Freshen the mulch
• Spend two minutes standing on your front porch by the front door looking at it like a buyer – does it look good?
• For the Banks who still own the homes I showed this summer but did not bother to turn on the A/C here is a hint – turn on the heat for the winter. People want to think about owning the house not OMG lets get back in the car.
• Also, Dear Banks, a working toilet is nice thing in a home too. When the kids are along, is sure is helpful and, guess what, we can stay longer if we like the house
• Perhaps with the new $5 swipe fees you could spend 3 cents a flush for the six figure asset you are sitting on. #justsaying
• Here is the PRO Tip of the week : If all else fails price the home at market value. Market value = what an informed buyer and an informed seller can agree on for a price in a reasonable period of time.

If you have been paying attention to the new home sales rates for subdivisions in Johnson County for the last few years you know that Overland Park has had a two horse race for the top neighborhoods where people are actually buying homes. Wilshire Farms and Mills Farm have dominated southern Johnson County new home sales essentially since they opened. Bluestem, at 159th and Quivira has been selling like hotcakes for the last 6 months, rivaling Wilshire Farms for most homes sold at 17 homes. That is a pretty major feat. Bluestem is attracting buyers who want a roughly half acre lot, new construction, and don’t necessarily want to be in the million dollar plus category.

Top selling new home subdivisions in Johnson County

• Bluestem
• Wilshire Farms
• Mills Farm
• Forest Hills
• Prairie Brook
• Prairie Highlands
• Maple Brook Park
• Cedar Creek
• Coffee Creek Crossing
• Grey Oaks

I will go out on a limb and say the next subdivision to most likely to make  a surge in sales is going to be Wyngate – Rodrock has taken over the development and readjusted the inventory.  The new model homes are open. The amenity package is complete, that always helps sales. Who enjoys waiting years for a pool to go in? No one.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Seller,

Thank you for overpricing your home. The other homes sellers in the neighborhood appreciate it, too. Your asking price makes their asking price seem very reasonable. It makes my job easier too, since I won’t be showing your home after asking a couple basic question of my buyer clients.  When I am working as a buyer agent, someone representing the buyer in a home purchase, say are 10 homes to see and we are going to pick the top 5 for a particular day, I simply ask;

Me: If there are 5 homes with X number of bedrooms do you want to see any of the homes that have one fewer bedrooms? ”
Home Buyers: We would rather have that extra bedroom for the same price
Me: If there are 5 homes that have X square footage finished, would you like to see smaller homes with the same asking  price?
Home Buyers: We would rather have that extra square footage all things being equal.

Thanks so much look at all the time you saved everyone.

I am always wondering how some home sellers come up with the asking prices. Homes sell at fair market value. Otherwise they don’t sell. Fair market value is generally thought of as a price that an informed seller and an informed buyer can agree to in a reasonable period of time. Access to home asking prices is a close as the phone in your pocket or purse. Tax appraisal values are just as close. So an informed buyer, even if they like the home will likely not make an offer beyond what those sources are saying unless there is something wonderful about the home that is not part of  a public record.

Recent comparable home sale price are the best indicator of what a home is most likely to sell for. Recent home sale prices reflect the overlap of the most a buyer is willing to pay, what the banks will finance, and least amount a seller could get for the home. If a buyer can buy something comparable for less, they will. If a seller can sell it for money, they will sell it for more money.

Good luck to you, Dear Overpriced Home Owners. I changed the salutation to Homeowners, because overpriced homes don’t actually sell.  So you will continue to own it. Remember houses sell at fair market value, not what a seller needs, not what a seller would ‘like’to get, nor what a  buyer would ‘like’ to pay. Buyers would like to buy your home for next to nothing.  Homes do not sell based on seniority of time on market. Unlike a fine wine, houses on the market do no seem more appealing with age. There are always homes coming on the market, and if your home continues to be overpriced, it will keep making other homes sell. And for that, your neighbors with homes for sale say Thank You.

The new overhauled Wyngate

When you get a chance, take a look at Wyngate in Overland Park. The Ashton EX (that stands for expanded and, I think, extraordinary) is one of the best thought out floor plans I have walked through in Johnson County for quite a while. If a builder has asked me what are the things we should have in a  floor plan in Southern Johnson County the home buyers are looking for – this one has it. The master bath is nicely done, all the goodies you want, tile, tall vanities, separate vanities, walk-in tiled shower, well decorated with a minimum of wasted open space.

As you tour the Fall 2011 Parade of Home be sure to check out Wyngate and the Ashton EX – its the first model on the corner of the new model row.

Triple Play at the Wilderness Overland Park KS

The Wilderness

THREE Overland Park Kansas Open Houses at The Wilderness today for September 18th, 2011 1-4pm

5403 W 161st Terrace Overland Park, 66085

MLS # 1746771 $309,000

Meticulously maintained B.L. Rieke “Laramie” floor plan on corner popular cul-de-sac lot. Daylight Basement ready to finish. Home Warranty Included! New Roof, New Gutters, and exterior paint including deck. Very open Great Room features fireplace and extensive custome built-ins. Kitchen has island and Corian countertops with breakfast room. Huge Master Bedrooom with adjoining sitting rooom.

Come by and meet Russ Arsenault with the Randy Vanderpool Team

16212 Birch Street Overland Park, 66085

MLS 1742367 $345,000

Finished Daylight Basement w/7.1 surround sound and bonus play area for kids Fabulous BL Rieke Laramie plan with tremendous Kitchen & Great Room perfect for entertaining. Iron Spindles, Huge Deck and Patio overlooks professionally landscaped fenced yard that backs to greenspace. Large Master Suite With vaulted ceilings and Sitting Room. Peace of mind with a Home Warranty Provided!

Come by and meet Ken Jansen with the Randy Vanderpool Team. A grande soy no whip mocha from Starbucks is optional

4801 W 162nd Street Overland Park, 66085

MLS 1729545 $379,000

Stunning custom built Lambie-Geer Reverse 1.5 Story home on cul-de-sac homesite which backs to pond, park & greenspace. Upgrades throughout including whole house audio, heated garage, high efficiency HVAC w/UV air filter and much more. Enjoy villa lifesyle and a park like setting. Home Warranty Included! Gorgeous sun room with vaulted ceilings, amazing views and custom built-ins. Huge laundry room with sink and counters/cabinets galore, Workshop in lower level, Amazing media room ready for wet-bar addition. Fabulous Trex Deck to entertain on, professional landscaping.

Come by and meet Randy Vanderpool

All listings are courtesy of Randy Vanderpool with Keller Williams Realty Partners, Inc. Each Keller Williams Office is independently owned and operated.

Randy Vanderpool 913-707-2796

Randy@RandyVanderpool.com

Keller Williams Realty Partners, Inc.

11005 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park KS 66210

Each Keller Williams Office is Independently Owned and Operated

posting by outstanding Overland Park based Buyer’s Agent Ken Jansen

Austin Meadows Olathe KS

Austin Meadows Homes for Sale

Great Reasons to own a home in Austin Meadows, Olathe KS 66061

• Just down the street to Ernie Miller Nature Park
• Austin Meadows homes are in the Olathe School District
• Zip on and off of K-7
• Another great neighborhood for train watchers
• Blink twice and you can get onto I-35

Kansas City Home Builders who built in Austin Meadows include (but not limited to)

• Prieb Homes

Directions To Austin Meadows Olathe

K-7, 127th Street Exit (Harold) East on 127th, North on Race Street into Austin Meadows neighborhood

Compare with similar neighborhoods around Olathe

• South Hampton
• Symphony Hills
• Amber Hills Estates
• Havencroft
• Stonehurst
• Cedar Ridge Park
• Heatherstone
• Woodland Creek
• Arlington Park

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