Friday, April 29, 2011

Homebuyer Tip - What You MUST Do First BEFORE Looking For a Home



The home buying process can seem like an intimidating & daunting task. However, it doesn't have to be! With the right help and information, you can have a relaxed & easy home buying experience. We'll walk you through the home buying process one step at a time.


Jason Korn
The Korn Team
RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts
Lincoln, Nebraska

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Saturday, April 23, 2011

Launching Some New Seller Programs & Peformance Guarantees



Really excited about the new programs we will be launching soon for all of our seller clients! We are going to be offering things that NO ONE in the Lincoln, Nebraska real estate market is offering. Our programs will ensure that your home gets sold! We'll have options for every seller depending on their situation. Like I said, there is nothing like this currently in our market & I'm excited to be bringing it to Lincoln!

Jason Korn
The Korn Team
RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts
Lincoln, Nebraska
402.310.0409

Friday, April 22, 2011

Real Estate Solutions - Lincoln, Nebraska

We recently got a phone call from a frantic person letting us know that he needed to get his home sold as quickly as possible because he was 5 months behind on his payment & due to a medical issue he has been left without the ability to work for the foreseeable future. Of course we can help! We come across people in similar positions all the time. In fact, its important for anyone in that situation to know that you have choices & we can help you analyze those choices.

So after sitting down to to assess his situation, we go to work on completing an in-depth market analysis to determine how much his home could sell for in the current Lincoln, Nebraska real estate market. In this particular person's situation, we needed to price the home to sell within the next 30 days. He couldn't afford not to. After determining the price that we needed to list his home at we got to work on getting all of our marketing in place before we listed the home so that we could hit the real estate market with full force.

The result?

We had 10 showings in the first weekend. We had an offer within the first 24hrs & received multiple offers over the weekend. So if you or someone you know are in a similar situation, please don't feel like you are alone or have no options because YOU DO! Give us a call so that we can sit down with you to help you determine the best solution to your problem.

Jason Korn
The Korn Team
RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts
Lincoln, Nebraska
402.310.0409

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

3 Questions to Ask In Order to Get Your Home Priced Right

Right now in the Lincoln, Nebraska real estate market we are seeing an increase in buyer activity & rightfully so since it is spring time & this is usually when real estate market starts to pick up. The thing to keep in mind as a seller is that this is also the time when there is an increase in the number of homes for sale. Competition is at its highest. When that is the case sellers must remember that pricing & condition REALLY matter. Here are 3 strategies to ensure that you price your home correctly in order to get it sold in the quickest amount of time for the most amount of money possible.


  • How Much Did Comparables Sell For? - A good real estate agent should be able to provide you with a detailed list of comparable homes that have sold within the last 6 months. This will give you an idea of what similar homes are selling for in your area. Obviously no two homes are exactly alike but a qualified agent should be able to give you a detailed analysis that takes into account the differences in your home to the similar sold homes & assign a value to those differences if need be. This analysis should give you a price range that your home should sell in. Great! We know where to price your home that's it... WAIT A MINUTE!
  •  What Are Comparables Currently Priced At? - This is an important step that agents sometimes miss. Just because your market analysis says the home should be priced at $150,000 doesn't mean that is what it will sell for in the CURRENT real estate market. That is why it is key to take your market analysis price & see how it fits into the current market of similar homes. If by pricing your home at $150,000 puts you as the most expensive homes in the neighborhood, its probably not the right price to list at. So pricing the home IN the market rather than just ON the market will make a big difference in getting your home sold quickly & for the most amount of money possible. 
  • What Kind of Condition Is The House In? - This may sound like an obvious key to getting your home sold quickly & for top dollar but in our current real estate market this question can simply not be ignored. Buyers are more "picky" than ever. I call it the HGTV syndrome. Most buyers wants to purchase a home that is move-in ready & up-to-date. In this time of year especially, when the number of competitors is high, buyers are more likely to write an offer on the home down the street even if it is priced slightly higher, simply because it is in better condition & is move-in ready. 
If you're thinking about selling your home or if you're just curious what the current market value of your home is, give us a call at The Korn Team. As always, we provide a NO COST, NO OBLIGATION listing consultation. We'll tell you everything you need to know in order to make the best decision for you and your family. 

Jason Korn
The Korn Team
RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts
402.310.0409

Friday, April 15, 2011

3 Ways to Ensure You Get A Good Deal on Your Next Home Purchase

We all want to get a "Good Deal" on something we're purchasing right? Well real estate is no different! So here are 3 things that you can do in order to make sure you get you dream home at a great price with the least amount of hassles.


  • Get pre-approved. First of all, no seller is going to even take a look at an offer from you until they know that you have been pre-approved for a home loan. Plus, your mortgage lender will tell you what your price ceiling is. Nothings worse than falling in love with a home only to find out that you cannot afford it
  • Hire a Realtor. Working with a local real estate expert is the key to finding all of those "good deals" out there. Your Realtor should conduct a needs analysis to help you determine what your needs & wants are of your dream home. Your Realtor should help you recognize those "good deals" as soon as they hit the market so that you don't miss out. As always, the best homes at the best prices go fast!  
  • Be prepared. When you purchase a home there are certain documents that you may need to provide for you loan officer. Find out in your pre-approval meeting what you will need to provide so that you can be sure the underwriting process goes as smooth as possible. Also, be sure you have set aside enough money for your earnest deposit, appraisal, inspections, down payment, closing costs, & moving expenses. Being prepared ahead of time can shorten the amount of time it takes for you to be able to close on the sale of your new home. Being able to close quickly can be a favorable negotiating tool.


One last thing to remember is to have a good time throughout the home buying process. Enjoy the experience. It is a major step is most people's lives & a great investment to boot. Yes, it may seem like an intimidating experience but with the right professionals in your corner, the purchase of your home can be very enjoyable!

At the Korn Team we provide all potential buyers with a no cost, no obligation buyer consultation. We'll explain how the process will go & what is expected of you. Contact us any time! 402.310.0409

Jason Korn
The Korn Team
RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts


Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Real Estate Market Update for Lincoln, Nebraska - March 2011



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Jason Korn
The Korn Team
RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts
Lincoln, Nebraska Real Estate Market

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

My Real Estate Philosophy

If there is one important lesson that I've learned in my real estate career, it's that if your goals & expectations do not match your client's goals & expectations, it will NEVER work. You'll both just end up wasting each other's time. And in real estate we know that time = money... for both parties.

My initial consultation with a potential client is just that... a consultation. Yes, the client is interviewing me to see if  I am the person they'd like to work with but, I am also doing the same thing. In my initial consultation I am honest from the beginning. I tell the person I am meeting with that at the end of our meeting, one of three things will happen:

  1. You'll decide to hire me to represent you.
  2. You'll decide not to hire me to represent you.
  3. I'll decide not to work with you.
You see, if I feel that I cannot help them reach their goals & expectations, I have no problem telling them that I am not the Real Estate Professional for them. (This took me a few years to be able to say too) 

Why?

Because if I cannot help them reach their goals then their experience with me will not be a fond experience. We all know what happens when clients/customers have a bad experience with a business. They tell all of their friends, family, & co-workers. And in today's age of social media, that negative word of mouth can be very detrimental to one's business. I personally would rather part friends at the beginning of their journey than to be seen as the bad guy at the end. 

There are two things that I can guarantee to all my clients:
  1. They will get my best service at all times
  2. They will get my honest opinion at all times
So BEWARE: I will NEVER sugar coat my professional opinion. If you ask me to meet with you for a consultation, you will learn everything you NEED to know. It may not always be what you WANT to hear!

Jason Korn
The Korn Team
RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts
Lincoln, Nebraska Real Estate Market

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Friday, April 1, 2011

I'm Not Going to Sink Money in this House to Sell It!

"I'm not going to sink money into this house just to sell it."

That is exactly what I heard the other day while talking to a person on the phone about listing their home and here are my thoughts on that:

In today's real estate market, I've said it over and over, people are hyper price sensitive & hyper condition sensitive. I call it the HGTV effect. So if you are not willing to put in the time & money for improvements in order to bring your home up-to-date, then you must be willing to accept a lower selling price & possibly accept the fact that you may be on the market for much longer than your updated competition. Even if your price is better.

If you can't afford to make the improvements needed then the next thing you need to ask yourself is, "Can I really afford to move?"

FINAL THOUGHT: Think of it this way, if you were going to sell your car, wouldn't you get a tune up, wash it, wax it, vacuum it, & make it look sharp? Selling your home is no different. If you don't, your competition will.

Jason Korn
The Korn Team
RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts
Lincoln, NE Real Estate Market