Becky Ivins Movers Real Estate Podcast
29 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 4 years ago -If you are looking to buy or sell a home, get all the information and the latest updates, tips, and tricks from Beck Ivins Movers Real Estate - your professional Real Estate Agents.
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Episodes
What Will Not Increase the Value of Your Home
January 27, 2020 16:53 VideoI’m sharing the five major things that will not increase the value of your home. Today we’re going to discuss several things that won’t increase the value of your home: 1. Extensive professional landscaping. It is critical to have great curb appeal, some plantings, and not have a barren backyard. However, $100,000 landscaping jobs generally translate to about a $10,000 increase in the value of your property. So minimal landscaping is best. 2. Replacing big-ticket items. This doesn’t incr...
The 6 Biggest Mistakes Sellers Make
January 13, 2020 19:14 VideoLooking to sell a home? If so, you definitely want to avoid making these home selling mistakes. Selling a home isn’t always easy, and it definitely won’t be easier if you make any of these six selling mistakes. Here’s what to look out for as a seller: 1. Overpricing your home: Many sellers think they can start high and simply lower their price if needed. However, this tactic scares off buyers who are searching in the price range where your home should be. Each home has a value, and that ...
Are Open Houses Useful?
December 30, 2019 16:48 VideoPeople often ask whether we host open houses and, if so, why. We’ll answer this question today. Sellers often ask me whether or not my team and I utilize open houses to market listings. This answer is we do, but not always.. When I’m asked this question, I like to make it very clear why we might choose to hold an open house, as well as the fact that an open house and a broker’s open are not the same. Open houses are events during which you invite the public to come view your home durin...
The Different Types of Appraisals
November 22, 2019 20:06 VideoAs a homeowner, here are the four different types of appraisals you need to be aware of: 1. Purchase appraisal. With these appraisals, licensed appraisers determine your home’s value in the same way a Realtor gives you a comparative market analysis. In other words, they base their appraisal on comparable sold properties in your neighborhood that were “arm’s length” transactions. By “arm’s length” transaction, I mean a sale that didn’t take place between two family members. 2. Refinance...
Let Us Provide the Pie This Thanksgiving
November 06, 2019 00:00 VideoWith Thanksgiving just around the corner, I want to take a moment to let all of my clients know how much my team and I appreciate you. Thanks to your support, referrals, and loyalty, we’ve been able to help hundreds of families with their real estate dreams. Now, it’s our time to give back. This Thanksgiving, the pie is on us. That right: we’re giving away free pies. All you need to do is order your choice of either apple, pumpkin, or pecan pie, and show up to our future office at the NW ...
5 Things You Must Do Before Moving Into Your New Home
October 17, 2019 00:00 VideoBefore you move into your new home, here are the five items you must take care of: 1. Get the locks changed. You might get a whole sack of keys when you move into your new home and not know what half of them are used for. And who knows—a neighbor or relative of the former owner might have one. Getting the locks changed is a basic safety requirement. 2. Clean the house. Clean it while it’s empty so that you have better access to all the nooks and crannies and everything’s clean before you...
How to Get Your Home Ready to Sell
September 25, 2019 00:00 VideoThere are so many things you can do to get your home ready to sell, but I’m going to focus on the seven most important ones today: 1. Declutter the home. Before I ever go see a home, I ask that it be decluttered. This means picking stuff up off the floor, cleaning off the shelves, getting rid of loose papers, etc. Pretend you’re having your floors or carpets clean, that will be a good starting point. Declutter your shelves, too. 2. Light bulbs. Light bulbs matter, but a lot of homeowners ...
4 Reasons You Should Sell This Year
September 08, 2019 00:00 VideoHere are the four reasons why you should sell your home in 2019: 1. You stand to make a handsome profit. Home prices have been rising steadily—not at a national level, but here in our local market. 2. There’s high demand for homes under $350,000. In this price range, there’s little inventory for buyers to choose from, which will accelerate the price of your home. 3. Mortgage rates have hit a new low. If they go up next year, your house won’t be the only one on the block listed for sale...
What Is a CMA and How Does It Work?
August 22, 2019 00:00 VideoWhen it comes time to pick a price for your listing, most agents utilize something known as a CMA. But what is a CMA and how does it work? A CMA (or comparative market analysis) is an in-depth study of sales data from properties in your neighborhood that share common traits (like size, condition, and amenities) with your home. Your agent will examine these homes, also called “comps,” and study what they sold for or are listed for (depending on whether they’re still active on the market) in...
Oklahoma City Metro Market Update
August 01, 2019 00:00 VideoKeeping tabs on our market is essential for buyers, sellers, and homeowners alike, which is why today I’d like to share yet another market update for our Oklahoma City Metro area. To kick things off, let’s talk about inventory. There is currently a lack of available homes in our area’s most active price range (between $125,000 to $275,000). This means competition will be high for buyers searching in these ranges. By that same token, sellers have an incredible opportunity before them to se...
How to Get an Accurate Home Value Report
March 15, 2019 19:46 VideoHome value reports are offered nearly everywhere, but where can you get the best one? Let me explain to you how we do it. We do the entire report by hand. You can try Zillow’s Zestimates, but they use an algorithm that utilizes public records and MLS information, and it’s often inaccurate. Zestimates find the ballpark value about 80% of the time, but that means it’s nowhere near the correct value the other 20% of the time. I had a client who believed his home was worth $275,000 because o...
Everything You Need to Know About Short Sales
January 29, 2019 17:49 VideoWhat exactly is a short sale? A short sale occurs when someone owes more on their mortgage than the sale of the property would net. As long as a lender approves the short sale, in lieu of foreclosure, the seller can list the property short of the amount it would take to pay off the loan.The two kinds of short sales are those with recourse and those without. If there is recourse, the lender will agree to the short sale, but will collect the difference over a period of time. This is not the ...
You've Given Us Your Business, So We're Giving You Free Pie
November 12, 2018 11:55 VideoWith Thanksgiving just around the corner, I want to take a moment to let all of my clients know how much my team and I appreciate you. Thanks to your support, referrals, and loyalty, we’ve been able to sell thousands of homes over the past three years. Now, it’s our time to give back. This Thanksgiving, the pie is on us. That right: we’re giving away free pies. “This Thanksgiving, the pie is on us.” All you need to do is fill out the form linked below to order your choice of either apple...
Can Your Realtor Help You Find a Good Lender?
October 31, 2018 15:51 VideoIf you need to find a good mortgage lender, it’s always a good idea to have your Realtor help you. If you have a good Realtor, they’ll be surrounded by good lenders. We know the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to mortgage lenders. We personally like to use local lenders. Internet lenders spend a lot of money on marketing, but their processing typically isn’t as good. Also, they’re not sitting at a desk somewhere in case you want to talk to them because they left your file sittin...
The Truth About Open Houses
October 05, 2018 15:54 VideoOne of the most frequently asked questions I receive from sellers when I go on listing appointments is whether or not I do open houses. Sometimes we do, but most of the time we don’t. When I’m asked this question, I like to make it very clear why we might choose to hold an open house. Frankly, open houses are more to the Realtor’s benefit than the seller’s. This is because open houses can generate leads for us. Sometimes the people who drop by are sellers who are checking out our marketin...
Should You Buy a New Home or an Existing One?
August 23, 2018 16:44 VideoWhich is the best investment: a new home or an existing home? If you’ve been thinking of buying a home, you may be asking yourself this question. Today, I’d like to give you my opinion. First of all, the answer may vary depending on where you plan on buying. When buying in a newer neighborhood, existing homes can sometimes be a better buy. These homes are still current but tend to be cheaper than a new home. New homes do provide you with the option to pick and choose items you like, but...
House-Hunting Tips: Elements to Consider When Searching for a New Home
June 20, 2018 16:39 VideoWhat are the most important things to consider when looking for your new home? Well, in most areas of the country, and particularly here in our metro, schools rule. School systems determine value of property and desirability of location. I find that a little bit fascinating because we live so long now that kids are going to school for less than 20% of our adult lives. It seems like it shouldn’t have that much bearing on when you purchase, but it certainly has bearing on your resale value....
When Is the Best Time to Sell Your Home?
May 31, 2018 18:34 VideoToday we’re going to talk about the best time to sell your house. Well, I’ve got an answer for that. It’s always the best time to sell your house in the world of a real estate agent. In general though, I’d say that the best time to sell your house is probably mid-February, before everybody else puts their house on the market. This is what I’d tell my daughter if she called me to ask when she should sell. She lives in a neighborhood that is school-driven; people buy there for the school sy...
Tips for Reducing Your Home's Days on Market
May 10, 2018 16:21 VideoToday we’re going to talk about the number of days on the market. “Days on market” means the period of time from when you put your home on the market to the day you put your home under contract. Our average in the Oklahoma City metro area is around 68 days on the market. Does it matter how many days your home stays on the market? The answer is yes. The faster your home sells, the more money you end up getting from it. So, how can you help keep your home on the market for fewer days? It al...
What Happens When a Foreclosure Goes Back Onto the Market?
March 30, 2018 14:57 VideoWhat are foreclosures and why do they happen? To make it simple, foreclosures are properties that have been repossessed by the lender. The buyer fell through with their obligation to make payments, which can happen for a variety of reasons. Whether someone has an accident that impedes their ability to produce income, they lose their job, or they are going through some other hardship, there are many ways for a person to find themselves in this position. The bottom line is that if payments...
Tracking Buyer Activity for Your Home
December 29, 2017 13:21 VideoHow do you know whether or not your house is getting enough activity while it’s on the market? There are many different types of activity. As your real estate professional, it’s important to me to track the different kinds of activity on your home. I am basically the marketing firm for your property, and I will tell you about the activity on your home. For example, if I’m seeing good activity on your house on different websites, then I need to tell you about that. I may say, “Your home wa...
What Are You Obligated to Disclose When Selling Your Home?
November 27, 2017 11:46 VideoWhen you sell a home, what information are you obligated to disclose about your property? People often seem confused about disclosures in the marketplace, but there is a clear statute that you follow. There is a set form of three pages for every residential property. All you have to do is answer the questions on that list. Basically, you will confirm whether or not everything is in working order, and whether or not certain items exist on the property. For example, if you have a swimming ...
How Can You Increase the Value of Your Home?
October 12, 2017 15:00 VideoI’ve got a few tips to share with you today that will help you increase your home’s value whether you plan on selling now or at a later date. They include:1. Making a good first impression. Curb appeal matters to buyers. If you have dirty flowerbeds or a broken light fixture on your porch, make sure you get it fixed. You want them to have a great feeling as they are walking up to the door.2. Good smell. A good smell is no smell at all. Nobody likes to be overwhelmed by flowery scents. Peopl...
Do You Need Professional Photos to Sell Your Home?
October 10, 2017 00:02 VideoWhen listing your home, it’s very important that you use professional photography. Listed homes that use professional photography typically attract more attention, sell faster, and sell for a higher price than those that don’t. I have a few studies I want to show you that prove this fact. The first comes from IMOTO, a company that creates professional real estate photography. IMOTO did a study of 350 homes that used professional photography and 350 homes that didn’t, all 700 of which were...
How to Win in a Multiple Offer Situation
September 07, 2017 11:28 VideoNot everybody is a competitor. Sometimes in a multiple offer situation, you’ll have people pull out just because they don’t want to compete. If buyers back out, you may not end up in a multiple offer position in the end. But how do you get your offer accepted? The first thing to do is to look at the value of the property you’re interested in and figure out the highest price you are willing to pay for that property. You want to make sure that you put down a substantial amount of earnest mon...
What Are Appraisals and How Do They Work?
August 09, 2017 14:25 VideoToday, we’re going to be covering a subject that is important to any real estate transaction: appraisals. First of all, what is an appraisal? Well, an appraisal is a value placed on a property by a licensed appraiser. This is different than a market analysis done by a real estate agent. Appraisals are much more in depth, and are based upon the values of similar properties within a certain, tight geographic area. This value is adjusted even further according to several factors. Things lik...
How to Handle Multiple-Offer Situations
July 13, 2017 16:21 VideoIn any market, a property can receive multiple offers. We deal with this in our office on a near-daily basis. What that typically means is that folks may like a certain property and that property receives several different offers. When you have a multiple offer situation, there are several different ways to handle it. The first thing to remember is that it’s not the agent’s prerogative as to how to handle the multiple offer, and many agents are confused about that. Our real estate commissio...
The Latest From the Oklahoma City Market
June 09, 2017 00:00 VideoPeople often ask me if the Oklahoma City metro area is a buyer’s market or a seller’s market, but there are actually two different answers. Because of the energy sector being out of work as long as they have been, it’s truly a buyer’s market in the upper end of homes, or those priced $350,000 and up. In the normal price ranges where average folks buy, you’ll find that it’s basically a seller’s market. However, nine times out of 10, sellers still pay the buyer’s closing costs. You’ve probab...
Can You Really Trust Zillow’s Zestimate Tool?
June 02, 2017 00:00 VideoI get a lot of questions about whether or not Zillow’s Zestimate can nail down the true value of a property. It turns out that a woman in Illinois has actually filed a lawsuit against Zillow, stating that their Zestimate is not the true value of her property. My friend, Barbara Corcoran from “Shark Tank,” recently did an interview on “Good Morning America” about the lawsuit. Basically, the woman in Illinois said that Zillow’s inaccurate Zestimate hurt her ability to sell her home. Barbara ...