Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on those things we hold most dear. It's a time to tell our loved ones how much we appreciate them and to spend a little extra time enjoying our families. We each have our traditions which we look forward to every year. For some it's football; others, it's the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; still others, it's the hunting channel (yes, this is my family's time-honored tradition for all family gatherings). Most traditions include some kind of food. My family's menu typically includes Alaskan meats such as moose or ptarmigin, and has even included a marmot on occasion. But no matter what your traditions may be, love is what is important.

This week we are breaking from our mini-series to say Thank You to our clients and vendors who make our job so rewarding each and every day. We sincerely wish these clients and vendors, as well as our friends and family a Happy Thanksgiving. May you be richly blessed this Holiday Season.
-Christina Gamez & Associates

Common Homebuyer Concerns: Part 3

Common Misstep Number 3: Failing to Choose an Agent You Can Trust

This week we are covering the importance of finding an agent you know you can trust. What’s more, actually trusting the agent you chose and giving them the freedom to show you homes outside your perception of what a home should look like. A good agent knows the potential of homes and may see that potential before you do. A good agent will know your likes and dislikes and also your personality. He or she will find homes to show you based upon more than simply your likes and dislikes. When your agent shows you a home you wouldn’t have chosen yourself, ask questions. Ask what your agent sees in the home and expect them to make a case for why you should even consider the property. Keep an open mind while listening to the explanations. You never know: just maybe this out-of-the-box home will be your next dream home! And remember, there are plenty of agents you can trust; so if you’re working with one that you find yourself not trusting, you may want to think about looking for a new agent. This is all part of the due diligence you as a home buyer must exercise during the entire home buying process. More on this next week!

Common Homebuyer Missteps: Part 2

Misstep #2: Failing to maintain a fine emotional balance throughout the home-buying process

Last week we discussed deciding upon your true price range. This week, we are discussing that emotional line we all walk as home buyers. We want “our” place to sweep us off our feet and be 100% perfect. Sometimes, this may indeed happen; however, oftentimes we are confronted with the reality that our perfect home isn’t out there yet. Those homes which do seem perfect are typically thought of as perfect by other buyers as well, and you may find yourself in a multiple offer scenario. Conversely, there are many flawed homes that could become your perfect home. You don’t want to discount these homes, but you still want to look at homes that seem to be perfect. A good rule of thumb is to visualize homes through the lens of what it could be once you’ve added your personality into the mix. This applies no matter what state the home is in when you visit. If you can see the potential of a flawed home and can be excited about that potential, then that flawed home might very well be the home to sweep you off your feet. Ultimately, you don’t want to make an offer on a home you aren’t excited about- either as it is or as you envision it to be. Also, don’t get too excited until after you have the home inspection and the appraisal report, as these two documents can make or break the purchase of a home. Next week we will discuss the importance of trusting the agent you have chosen for your home search.

Common Homebuyer Missteps

We love first time home buyers. The energy and excitement they bring is easily matched by our own energy and excitement as we search for their first home. We understand that first time home buyers often have limited understanding of what the process actually looks like, and we make sure to walk through the process step-by-step with our buyers. However, we always like to provide first time home buyers (and home buyers in general) with as many resources as we possibly can, even prior to beginning the home search. Over the next several weeks we will be discussing several common missteps made by first time buyers (and buyers in general). We believe this information is valuable to all potential buyers, and we know this information is a good reminder for our team as we work with our buyers. It is our goal that none of our buyers make these mistakes but instead find the home of their dreams and love it for years to come.

Misstep #1: Not knowing what your true price range really is.

Many buyers limit their search strictly to what their lenders have approved them for or within a “comfortable” price range. Looking at homes in higher price ranges is not a bad thing nor is it our agent’s attempt to get a higher commission. The advantage of this higher price range is a buyer might find a very nice home and negotiate the price down into their price range.  The risk, in today’s market we have a limited number of homes for sale. This means often homes have multiple offers. If a buyer cannot afford the asking price, it is not likely they will have their offer accepted. However, a buyer might miss out on the perfect home by narrowing the price range too extensively.

In contrast, expanding your price range to include homes in a lower price range may enable you to find a true diamond. While some homes may require work, there are a lot of solid, move-in-ready homes waiting for a buyer to come along and fall in love with. Some sellers are extremely motivated to sell, and will sell a quality home at a lower price simply to unload it. This is a buyer’s perfect opportunity to snag a real deal on their dream home.

The moral of the lesson is to feel free to expand your search to price ranges above and below your actual price range. You may say, “But what if I fall in love with a high priced home and then my offer is not accepted?” Well, our next blog covers Misstep #2: Walking the fine emotional line. Stay tuned.

Tips for Staging Your Home

We recently came across this article provided by Trulia and felt it provided some great bits of information for those of you considering selling your house. While the article is somewhat long, the information contained will provide you with resources to sell your house more quickly than the competition. If you have questions about selling your home, please visit Christina Gamez & Associates today!

 

10 Hardcore Staging Tactics

 

1. Check out the competition.

The first step to selling success is to find out what you’re up against. Before and during the selling process, visit other property open houses to see how your home measures

up. When you’re out, here are a few things to note

• Property condition

• Highlighted features

• Move-in readiness

• Staging tactics that will work for you

 

2. Create a staging plan.

Great staging requires that you cover your bases like a pro every time. Whether you hire a professional stager or work with your agent to do-it-yourself, put together a staging plan complete with a checklist and photos of what your home looks like when it’s ready to show. Follow the plan before every showing to make sure you put your best foot forward.

 

3. Get (and follow) professional advice.

If you’re serious about selling you need to enlist objective professional help. Ask your agent about his or her staging experience or if he or she has a professional stager or designer to recommend.

 

4. Eliminate the excess.

Before you head out to buy new accessories to “spruce up your home,” focus first on items you can remove that will enhance a buyer’s experience. The best signs of things you should eliminate are the

things that you aren’t using and those you’re planning to get rid of before you move. Data has shown that homes prepared by professional stagers sell for more. Getting an unbiased review from someone who sees your property “as a product” can be invaluable.

 

5. Pre-pack personal items.

Depersonalizing and decluttering are the most critical steps of staging, but they can be a challenge. To make it easier, start by pre-packing and storing away the items you won’t need until after the move and anything personal (like family photos) that might prevent buyers from envisioning the home as their own.

 

6. Clear off the counter space.

When it comes to the tops of your tables and counters, less is more. Clear off your counter spaces except for the occasional decorative or functional pieces (clocks or vases of flowers). Remember, your goal is to help buyers see themselves in a home and they can’t do that with your stuff in the way.

 

7. Clean inside and out.

Everyone thinks they know what “clean” means when it comes to their own home. Here’s where an agent or professional stager can be super helpful. Invite them in to get an outsiders opinion on how to make the nooks and crannies you’ve forgotten about glisten. Also remember, the best selling homes tend to have

garages, basements, side yards, and other outdoor spaces that are just as immaculate as their kitchens, bathrooms and master bedrooms.

 

8. Dive into the trim and details early.

It’s tempting, when staging, to do the big jobs – painting walls, polishing floors, moving furniture - and to run out of steam and cash before the little details get handled. Some of the least expensive home staging projects can carry the most powerful buyer-impressing payload. Hereare few details to tackle to make your listing standout

• Clean or paint baseboards and other trim

• Ensure locks, doors, and drawers work properly

• Paint or replace outdoor accents like house numbers or mailboxes

 

9. Shoot sample photos

The first contact most house hunters have with your property is from a computer or mobile phone. Making sure your property presents well there is a big step toward sold. Before you show off your home to the public, take a look at it from their view. Use your camera or Smartphone to take sample photos and view them on your computer.

 

10. Be brutally honest with yourself.

When you think you’re done preparing your home, think again. It’s not overkill to go out on a Sunday afternoon, walk through a few Open Houses, get back in the car and drive home to walk through it like a buyer would. Ask yourself: What can you edit or declutter? What is distracting? What stops a buyer from seeing the possibilities for their own family here? If all else fails, take your agent with you. Arm him or her

with a packet of post-it notes and give them free rein to stick one on anything that should be removed before showing the home. Then get that stuff out of there!

 

Pumpkin Carving

We have an enormous amount of fun doing our jobs. First, we enjoy helping people with their real estate needs. Secondly, we enjoy fundraisers, marketing, and giveaways. We recently filmed our Fall give-away video. While we were filming and were covered in pumpkin goo (who doesn't like pumpkin goo!), we enjoyed a seasonal treat- roasted pumpkin seeds. Talk about tasty. We enjoyed this treat so much, we thought we'd share the recipe with you. And if you would like to be entered into our Fall give-away please visit our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/#!/ChristinaGamez?fref=ts, watch the video and follow the instructions.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups water for every ½ cup seeds

1 Tablespoon salt for every 1 cup water

Put in pot. Turn on heat and boil for 10 mins.

Turn over to 400 degrees

Put 1 Tablespoon olive oil on baking sheet

Drain pumpkin seeds and spread out on baking sheet.

Bake for 10-15 mins until light brown.

 

 

Protecting our Children and our Neighborhoods

It has been an honor to have had the opportunity to fight for you every day as your representative. I am running for re-election because you deserve a representative who will put your needs first.

Hello Friends and Neighbors, Many issues get discussed in the Legislature, but none is more important than our responsibility to keep our streets safe and protect citizens from crime. Over the last four years I have been proud to help pass several important bills to make our communities safer. This year we passed a new law that will give police and prosecutors new tools to fight sex trafficking rings and bring these predators to justice. Perhaps the biggest sign of my commitment to public safety is the fact that Anchorage police and fire fighters, who are on the front lines keeping us safe, are supporting me. A couple of years ago we had a tragic case in Muldoon where a man used a trampoline to lure kids so he could molest them. I was appalled to learn that Alaska does not currently have a law allowing judges to prevent convicted sex offenders from using play equipment to lure victims, and I introduced a bill to fix this. To me this was a no brainer, but I was shocked when partisan politics caused the House Judiciary Committee to refuse to even move this common sense bill out of the judiciary committee. Your vote for me will send a clear message that we need to pass this bill to protect our kids from predators. Public safety is about more than just fighting crime, and I am proud to have fought for needed improvements to make East Anchorage roads safer. The new Muldoon Fire Station 6 is now open, and with faster response times it will provide better fire protection and ambulance service for our neighborhoods. I am proud of what we have accomplished, but there is more work to be done. I am asking for your vote so I can keep working to make our neighborhoods safer.