Real Estate Information Archive

Professional Conduct

This statement should be understood, at least in my line of work I expect it to be.  I am a Real Estate Licensee, licensed by the State of Alaska.  I am also an Associate Broker, so I have an additional lincense from the state.  I must abide by the rules set forth by our lawmakers.

I pride myself as being very knowledgeable and conduct myself according to the State Statutes that govern Real Estate Licensees. So it really bothers me when one of my licensees visits a perspective clients homes and follows the rules set forth by the State of Alaska and presents the Alaska Real Estate Commissions disclosure to the Homeowner, and they refuse to sign it because the licensee that was there earlier did not require them to sign it.

This is a disclosure documents that the state requires be signed before we proceed.  This documents explains to the home owners our duties and responsibilities owed to them, and right on this disclosure document it points out that it is not a contract.  The document is designed to educate a person so they know what to expect.  It is a brief two page document.

What gets me is that other licensees do not follow the State of Alaska Statutes and present this document, then when our licensees do the professional job they run into difficulties with the perspective client.

I am proud to say that the licensees of my office will not violate the statues just because a person is being difficult.  I know I have walked away from an individual that refused to acknowledge receipt of the document.  They said they had visited many home with other licensees and had never had to sign the document. 

Very Important:

This is to protect the client so they know whom they are meeting with!

I sometimes why the person that is abiding by the law is punished by the public.  People believe every word spoken on TV, but if provided with an official document from the State of Alaska they refuse to follow the instructions.

Sometimes I just don't get it.  I remember my Dad said don't sign anything...until you have read it and understand it.  I think the second part of his statement is the most important.

The moral of this little rant is this.  If you would like to work with the most professional and ethical licensees in Alaska, stop by Prudential Jack White/Vista Real Estate in Eagle River. 

We do it right!

    Do you know what this is?  A QR Code, and they seem to be all the rage!

Lots of companies are starting to sell QR codes.  You can use the for 1000's of uses, and its like using a secret code, yet everyone can understand it.  You can send a message, a photo, and website address.  There seems to be a few limitations, but they appear to be based on size, as you can only put a little bit of information into the code. 

You take a picture of the code with your phone and then it will read it for you.  I found several QR code readers and generators at the iTunes store.

The code above will redirect you to the homepage of my website.  The code below will take you to another website I have that features Wilderness homes and lots.  QR Codes are easy to use and can be a lot of fun.  You can send a message See the Code on the left for the rest of this blog....

Do you have a plan? 

I have been told over and over that I need to plan, unless I plan to fail.  This is important advice in all aspects of your life.  You have to plan your family time, business time, and personal time.  If you do not then usually you do not get to have any personal time.  Most of us realize that we need to plan, but who has time?

Not planning has its consequences.  Mostly these consequences just mean more stress in your life, but when it comes to selling your home, it can cost you thousands.  If you fail to plan the sale of your home many surprises can pop up.  Planning the sales process can also include planning for improvements or repairs. Planning the timeline is import, as well what will you do if the home sells early.

Let's start with a quick sale.  This seems like a great problem to have, however if you're not prepared it can be costly.  Let's use this example.

Home comes on the market and the seller expects it to take 4-6 months to sell.  The family is transferring to Dallas Texas in 6 months.  After two weeks on the market they receive an offer, but need to close in 30 days.  The sellers are not sure where they will  live so they ask for a closing date after 90 days.  The result:  The buyer's leave to find another house.  No other offers come in and after 6 months the sellers have lowervered the price of their home by $40,000.  The seller's husband transfers to Dallas for the job, and the family is now living in two locations.

This can happen and does happen every year.  Sellers need to prepare for every contingency.  Do you know what your local rental market is doing? 

Plan on a home inspection; most buyers will get one and a Home Inspector will always find something.  I suggest getting a pre-inspection.  Find the deficiencies and fix them before you offer your home for sale.  If you can make these repairs on your time, it will typically cost you less money.  The end result is a home in better repair that may sell for more.

Cosmetic repairs are a good idea.  Take a good look at you walls and trim work.  Do they need to washed, or touched up with paint?  These little marks have accumulated over the years and you may not even notice them.  I know it take several trips through a house before I notice ever little mark.  When a buyer walks through a house they may not mention everything they see.  They may not even take notice of many items.  However they will compare condition to other homes, and the home in the best condition will most often win out.

By planning and then taking care of these most often little fixes, you eliminate much of the stress associated with selling a home.  Be prepared, plan and your sale will most likely be successful. 

A good Realtor can assist you in this process and provide you with good adice along the way.