Talk To Scott

So how do many people pick their realtors ? That is something that has always interested me. Before I became a real estate agent, I was a high school coach for 31 years. I bought and sold houses often….too often, in fact, but that is the subject of another blog. I did what other people do. I made an assortment of decisions. I picked someone off of the sign; I picked someone out of a phone book; chose the mother of a player I coached(really bad decision); got a recommendation from a friend; I even chose someone from a newspaper ad with either a tumor or a phone stuck to her ear. One thing was certain: I didn’t put a great deal of thought into my decisions. We (meaning, my wife, my various realtors, and I) muddled along and managed to achieve the goal of buying and selling houses. Obviously, I could have done better. Here are some things that you might consider.
 Time on the job. Experience does have its advantages.
 Number of recent sales. The average agent sells about 6 houses a year. I hope that you are looking for someone who is above average. Past performance is generally an indication of future performance.
 List price versus sold price for you potential employee. In other words, does the agent you are employing have the skills necessary to price the house correctly? That is a sales skill, which is rather important for a person in sales.
 Does the realtor have a network of professionals that aid in the transaction? Can he/she recommend someone who can help you find a mortgage, make home repairs, stage your house, provide a home warranty, or inspect a home once it is under contract?
 What kind of support does the agent’s office offer? Is it a one man band—operating on a cell phone, or is it a professional business with support staff, a relocation department, multiple websites, and name recognition which attracts buyers?
 How will I be updated? Phone? Email? Text?
 Referrals? Can your potential agent provide you with the names of his most recent clients?
Let’s face it. You are going to hire an employee, someone who is going to help you with the most important purchase of your life. Doesn’t it make sense to hire someone whose professional skills are worthy of the task?

My broker, whom I always listen to, told me a story recently about his son, who was looking for a home in San Antonio. The conversation went something like this: Dad, “Well, my son, do you want me to find you a realtor? I can get you a good one.” Son, “ Gee, Dad, I don’t see any need to get a real estate agent; I can find out everything that I need to know on the internet.” A long, awkward pause followed that conversation. There is something important to learn from that anecdote. Aside from the fact that sons often don’t listen to their fathers, the lesson here is that many people don’t understand the value that the real estate agent brings to the table.
• Expertise is not a bad thing. It’s a pretty complicated process. Disclosures, inspections, deeds, settlement statements. Even if you have sold 3 or 4 houses, a really good agent will sell over 50 a year. He might know more than you.
• Objectivity is a really good thing. A good agent will know if a particular house will suit your needs and can tell you about what might happen when you sell it, which most people will.
• Insider trading is a good thing in the real estate market. A good, active agent will know about properties that aren’t listed with a broker but can be sold.
• Been there, done that. Negotiating is an acquired skill, which your agent has hopefully acquired. Be wary of an agent who can’t successfully negotiate for his own commission. How well will he/she do when it’s about your sale or purchase?
• A good agent can remain dispassionate. It his business; you have an emotional stake in this that clouds your judgment. Sometimes that other pair of eyes helps.
Just some thoughts about real estate, of course. Oh, and a bit of advice, listen to your dad.

After spending 32 years of my adult life as a classroom teacher and coach, I retired to start a new career as a real estate agent. It has worked out pretty well and is a very cool job. But there a couple of times a year that I really miss the old job—coaching. The beginning of a new school year is definitely one of them. I used to teach English, Government and Economics, American History, and sometimes (when the principal was really desperate) Word Geography. As a result, I am a relatively good Trivial Pursuit player and not too bad at anything else that requires knowledge of the obscure. I thought that I would just make a list of the things that I miss about being a teacher. It’s somewhat like one of Letterman’s lists—as I am trying to save the best for last, but it won’t be perfect.
• Other teachers. Teachers get an unfair rap, actually multiple raps, and get blamed for everything from “Johnny can’t read,” to failing to teach values. Teachers come in all shapes and sizes, but they get in front of a room of kids every day because they love their subject and the kids.
• Fall and, believe it or not, football. High school football season always starts as a time of possibility. Kids believe that they can make something wonderful happen in their lives if they just believe and work. You know what? Often they can, and not just in football.
• Being a teacher. Teaching is a buzz every day when done right. Watching lights go on, seeing someone get excited about Shakespeare or understanding the Constitution is a special thing.
• The gym. I was a high school basketball coach for over thirty years. I spent about 200 days a year in a gym. There is nothing quite like a good one. The smell of crowds and popcorn, the sound of a leather ball hitting the wood floor, the squeak of pair of basketball shoes, and the sweet harmony of a tightly spinning ball swishing through a net. Gyms are great places. My ten-year-old son told me that the only bad thing about me retiring as a coach was that I no longer “had a gym.” He was right.
• Coaches. I miss them all. The football guys with their matching outfits; the track coaches with their ever-present stop watches; the volleyball coaches, who really have the best jobs, because not one of the dads has a clue about what is going on; tennis and golf coaches, and any other one you can name, because they have a passion for what they do. Great people
• Buses. Yellow dogs. Hounds. Getting on one always meant that you were going someplace special. Nothing is better than walking onto a field or better yet into a gym with a bunch of kids who were ready to give their all in pursuit of victory.
• Referees. Really good people. I have said some awful things to many of them. My only defense is that I was always right about the call—but not about them. By the way, I am kidding about that “always right” stuff.
• Players. Coaching kids was a blessing. I am glad that I was able to do it for so long and achieve some measure of success.
Anyway, that is what was great about being a teacher/coach. Hey, life changes, and my life continues to be great. I am thinking tonight about all of those students/players that I had the good fortune to be around and the special opportunity to be called “Coach” in my lifetime.

As much as I love San Angelo, there is one thing that I haven’t been able to figure out…our streets. Hey, I am a real estate agent, so I drive around quite a bit. Knowing where I am and how to get where I’m going is really important to me. But San Angelo streets were laid out on a napkin by two guys with way too much Wild Turkey in them. That’s the only way that I can figure it out. And that’s just the old streets…the newer ones just keep up the tradition…nothing else makes sense, so why should I? Here are  some things that are unique about our streets. Let me know about the other crazy things that I’ve missed.

· Streets that change names. Abe, er… Koenighiem, er…, Bryant, no I mean highway 87. What was someone thinking?
· Streets that disappear. Beauregard becomes Sherwood Way…then later it turns into College Hills. Harris becomes Pecos, which becomes Sherwood Way, then Harris again.
· Streets that meander . I mean if I am going somewhere, a straight line is not a bad thing. Try driving around in the Bluffs for the first time. I have known realtors with GPS systems to get lost for days( slight exaggeration) looking for Wicklow Court. While we are on the subject of the Bluffs, try and figure out the best street to enter the subdivision and get where you want to go. It’s like a rabbit warren, one way in—4 ways out.
· Illogical streets. Look at Santa Rita, one of our coolest neighborhoods. We start with Washington Street and begin to work our way thru the bearded Presidents. How did Grierson and Shafter get in the mix? It just seems to me if we were going to name streets after Presidents, don’t confuse all of the poor American history students with the other names. Speaking of streets named after Presidents, San Angelo doesn’t seem to recognize Presidents after Reconstruction. I guess Obama Boulevard does not have a chance.
· Streets with weird names. These seem to be unique to San Angelo, Texas. Who else has a Midget Street or a 24 1/2 Street.
· Streets that have changed names because of cultural changes. How else do you explain Gay Street becoming Grace Street?

Ok, I guess my point is that we are unique here in San Angelo, Texas and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We are small town, with strange streets and friendly folks with big hearts.

I have to admit, I love popcorn. It’s best dripping with butter—just enough to make my arteries begin to clog. Watching a movie without popcorn just isn’t right; it’s seems almost un-American.  The only thing I can think that is negative about popcorn is that it makes handholding in the theater harder—slippery with just a trace of traction–the salt residue!  Popcorn on the ceiling in a home is another matter.

One of my best friends in real estate tells me that the first thing he does when he walks in an older home is look up. Popcorn on the ceiling is not a good thing. Why? It makes the house dated. So if you have an older house and want to update it, the first thing that you can do is remove the popcorn. Of course, like many things ( asking that cute redheaded girl for a date, hitting a curve ball, or bending that golf ball around a tree) talking about it is easier than doing it.

Your best choice is to hire someone. But if you are like me, and are basically a tightwad, you might try this. First of all, understand that this is not fun work. Be prepared to do your own version of “Dirty Jobs.”  If you are going to scrape it off, buy googles! Here are the basic outline of what you need to do.

·         Clear the room of all contents, including fixtures. Use the breaker to turn off the power.

·         Cover the walls and floors with plastic

·         Soften the acoustic with water, yep, use the garden hose—just a light mist. Don’t get carried away.

·         Scrape off the popcorn with a wide blade.

·         Let it dry overnight.

·         Repair the bad spots.

·         Sand it.

·         Apply texture to match what you have on your walls

·         Seal it with primer and paint it.

Not fun, huh? Probably the best idea is to hire someone. But if you do this first, your house will make a much better impressions when you are ready to sell it.  Remember this, “That 70’s Show” is a cool TV program, but “that 70’s look” is not good when you are selling a house. If you want some other tips about how to update your house, give me a call.

Realtors are “special agents” who are employed by people to assist them in buying or selling of a home. Perhaps I’ve watched too many James Bond movies and the “special agent” tag appeals to me, but I have lost track of the number of times that I have run into buyers and sellers who do not understand the relationship between them and the real estate agent.

Let’s be candid. Realtors are employees of either sellers or purchasers of homes. Their duty is to get the best price, terms, and conditions for their client. It is easy for people to understand the agency relationship between the listing agent and the seller. After all, the seller is paying a commission to the agent if and when the house sells.  So if you are a buyer and you call the agent listed on the sign (me included), remember that he/she works for the seller. The agent’s duty is to be fair and honest, but his interests must lie with the seller.

So what’s a buyer to do? Find an agent to represent you!! Employ someone to be your buyer’s agent. You are the personnel director of “Me, Inc.” and your job is to find someone who has your interests in mind. Interview agents. Find someone you are comfortable with and you trust. Sign a buyer’s representation agreement with him. Then put him to work. If it doesn’t work out, remember you are the boss. Give him the pink slip and find another.

Why do you need an agent? Because they know more than you do about real estate. If  your agent doesn’t, you have hired badly. I did 61 transactions last year. I hope that I learned something.

If you are selling your house in 2008, think about this. You are competing with other owners of similar homes who will too. What is going to make your house stand out? Here’s a thought. Your house, when placed on the market, will be inventory in the store. Buyers will sift through the houses just like buyers sift through cantaloupe at the grocery store. What will make them put yours in their cart?

Here is Scott’s list of  “To do’s.”
1. De-clutter—make it look spacious and clean.
2. Bright lights are good things. You might want to consider replacing those dated fixtures too.
3. Just like those cantaloupes, smell matters. You are used to you dog and cat; buyers might not be. Clean!!!!
4. Clean out those closets. Have a garage sale.
5. Curb appeal. A neat, well groomed lawn will help. Bright flowers. A trip to the hardware store, and getting in touch with your inner gardener will help more than you think.
6. Paint. That pink bedroom? It might sell better if it were an earth tone.
7. Fix problems. It might be better if you were to get a home inspection prior to putting it on the market, see the problems that the inspector finds and address them. That puts you in a stronger negotiating position and gives the buyer peace of mind. P.S. You control the costs of the problems.
8. Think before you spend a lot of money remodeling.  You probably won’t get all of it back.
9. Find someone to help you market your home. Take your time. Do it right. Interview.