Spring Maintenance

We have been getting so many calls from past clients asking for our recommendations on how to maintain their home going into the warmer months that we decided to put together a list of the top things to look at when de-wintering your home! We hope this inspires you to stain that deck, wipe off those ceiling fan blades and sweep out the cobwebs! But, if all yo udo is pick up a few spring Febreze Plug Ins, we still love you! Happy Spring, friends!

COVID-19: Buying and Selling Information

Amanda COVID Uniform.jpg

The people that have called me to discuss putting their house on the market are so surprised when I tell them that it is a HOT seller's market! I think the public has been flooded with a tremendous amount of gloom and doom and simply assumes that the real estate market has flattened, but that is absolutely NOT the case! It's just a very different market right now and since our team sold almost a home a day last year (364 homes) and are keeping up that pace in 2020, we certainly have our finger on the pulse of what the market is TRULY like right now! 


How are you adapting your selling processes during this time? 

There are so many new tools and techniques we are using in order to pivot our approach towards selling real estate right now! My team has done 360 virtual tours on EVERY home we list for YEARS now, so that is giving our sellers a huge advantage in our market and allowing the buyers to virtually walk through our listings from the comfort and safety of their own homes! I just sold one of my listings a couple days ago to a buyer who lived in the area, but purchased the home solely based on the virtual tour, photos and supplementary information I provided him. When a buyer books a showing in person, we know they are serious because they have already been "in" the home virtually! There is a TON of foot traffic now with people taking multiple walks around their neighborhood at this time- we used to rely mainly on online marketing to capture a buyer's interest (which is still prevalent at this time because they are also sheltering in place at home and have more time to go online at search for homes). However, the foot traffic is incredible- I just sold one of my listings yesterday that had been on the market 2 days to a neighbor that was out for a walk and had been thinking of moving due to growing out of their home (the time we are spending indoors is making a lot of folks think about their living spaces and making them realize that they need a little more space). We currently have signs ordered that will have a QR code on them so people out for walks can scan the code and take the virtual tour from the sidewalk! That was Julie Duncan's brilliant idea! 


Can you do video chat showings?

For our buyers, we are doing a lot more video chat showings and for those of us who are adapting to that, it is actually a very fun process and has helped us get to know our buyers' wants and needs more. For instance, my most recent video chat showing enabled me to understand that my buyers were very picky on the cabinet finishes, as they asked me to open the cabinets to see if there were pull out shelves, 3/4" shelving and dovetail drawers! Ultimately this video chat showing lead to my buyers driving 15 hours from Myrtle Beach to see the home in person and make an offer! They had sold their home before the COVID19 situation escalated and wanted to move back to Bloomington-Normal to be closer to their grandkids. I will say that the video chat showings do take quite a bit longer than a typical 20-minute showing, as my video chat showings have lasted an average of about 45 minutes!  


Are you still showing homes in person? How does that work? 

Yes, we are still showing homes in person right now, we are just taking the necessary precautions in order to keep everyone safe! First of all, I might add that the buyers that are physically going into homes for a showing are ready to buy, serious buyers! They have a pre-approval letter and have either sold their current home or have a lease that is ending and HAVE to buy! And, there are a LOT of people in that situation right now! When I show in person I arrive before my buyers, and if the home is occupied, I make sure that the seller has left all lights on and interior doors open. I have my new Realtor bag of tricks with me at all times that has safety supplies in it (Purell, Clorox Wipes, Lysol Spray, Booties, Gloves, and Masks). Before entering the home I sanitize my hands and put on my gloves, mask, and booties. Then I sanitize my gloves with Purell and spray the booties with Lysol. I then Lysol the lockbox, open it, Lysol the key and enter the home. When my buyers arrive they have already been prepped on protocol and have booties and gloves on the porch waiting for them. Once they have those on I give them a squirt of Purell for their gloves and Lysol their booties. I instruct them that the only person to touch anything will be me and I will do so wearing gloves with a Clorox wipe in my hand. Ultimately the main things I would have to touch would be the door to the garage and the door leading to the deck or patio. Most closet doors are left open by the seller. All the buyers have been very understanding about this process and are willing to take these measures in order to see the home and hopefully purchase it. I leave everything in the home as I found it and do not turn off lights, as to minimize the amount of touching. 


I don't bring paper feature sheets to showings anymore- I email the buyers the MLS listing sheet for their review prior to the showing. Not only does the paper get wet from my Clorox wipes, but there is no need to spread any germs on paper. In addition, all offers can be signed and accepted through electronic signature! Thank goodness for modern technology! 


What should potential Sellers know right now?

There is a shortage of available homes on the market right now, so if the sellers are willing to have their home on the market it is a FANTASTIC opportunity for them! If they are priced right, generally the homes are selling very quickly. 


What should potential Buyers know right now?

The challenge for us as Realtors with our buyers is finding a home for them due to the inventory shortage- but we are up for that challenge! This is where being connected with our fellow Realtors has become so important, as many agents have clients that would like to sell but aren't yet on the market. In the past, if I couldn't find a home for a buyer, I would walk neighborhoods, knock on doors and leave letters for the owners alerting them that I have a buyer who wants to buy in their neighborhood and ask them if they are interested in selling. Right now is not a good time to knock on people's doors to see if they are willing to sell, so social media and networking with our fellow Realtors on our wants and needs is very important to find our buyers the right home! We are incredibly well connected with the other Realtors in our market and that has truly benefited our buyers at this time! 


What are the benefits of buying right now? Will it be complicated to close on a new home? 

The interest rates are so incredibly low for buyers that there is MAJOR incentive to purchase now! And, we are very grateful that our buyers are able to obtain this low-interest rate and get to closing without major delays! The appraisers do prefer a "boots on the ground" approach, from what they tell me, but drive-by appraisals are being allowed by the lenders. And, the closings are proceeding as planned due to curb-side closings and the benefit of e-notary signatures on closing documents. 


How are closings different right now?

Prior to COVID19, we in McLean County all gathered together at a closing table in one room. I have seen well over 10 people in a closing room- 2 Realtors, 2 attorneys, 2 buyers, 2 sellers, sometimes the buyers' or sellers' children, the loan officer and the title officer. Now everyone is separated or in their cars. For instance, at my closings last week had my sellers in a car, the attorney (wearing gloves) standing outside the car, I stayed in my car besides when I handed the attorney the escrow check (wearing gloves, and a mask). When the paperwork was signed the title officer ran my paperwork to me in the parking lot and placed it through my passenger side window. Everything is a little different now, but a lot of GOOD is coming from this- the communication between all parties is even better than it ever was and the processes through electronic signatures have really been a blessing! 

 

What is your advice for homeowners while sheltering in place?  

This is a great time to look around your house and do something to improve it for resale- paint a room, declutter, get rid of things you don't need, wash the windows, bleach your grout, add mulch to the flower beds, paint your garage floor or basement walls, take a magic eraser to the baseboards... There has to be one thing you can do now while you have the time that will help you later! I posted a video/contest on Facebook encouraging people to post before and after photos of their projects. Everyone would get a Starbucks or Amazon gift card and the final prizes were a gift card to The Mystic Kitchen and a Ring Doorbell. I think a lot of folks were really encouraged to have something positive and productive to do AND also encouraged that everyone ELSE had a project that they needed to tackle, as well! 

Listing Prep with Amanda

If you are planning on selling your house and scheduling an initial consultation with Team Wycoff, you may not know what to expect. But, please don't be nervous or intimidated! We are here to help! In order to assist you in selling for top dollar in record time, we like to look at the home from not only a buyer's perspective, but also a photography perspective. Based on the condition of your home we will politely make recommendations in order to help you prepare your home to have success on the market! Don't be nervous for your initial consultation! Here is an example of what it might be like...

Get Outta' Here! The first steps towards getting out of your house!

You want to sell your house and move, but where on earth do you start? Here are a few tips. 

1. Store anything you don't use on a daily basis.  Also, store any bulky furniture that intrudes on a walk way,  including tables in your foyer. If you don't have room in your house to store these things, get a POD from The Storage Spot- they will deliver it to your driveway- how convenient! Be ruthless when packing your belongings and filling that unit!  It will help you get a great head start when moving! 

2. Kitchens: Take everything off the top of the cabinets and only leave items you use on a daily basis on the counters.  Hide the trash can, too! Buyers don't want to see or smell your trash!  

3. Anticipate selling before next season, so pack up your out of season clothes. 

Dear Sellers: Think Like a Buyer!

When prepping your house to sell,  try looking at it from both a buyer’s perspective AND a photography perspective. A high percentage of buyers are going online to search for houses and if we don’t entice them with the photos, we are in major trouble! 

Step One: De-personalize! If your house feels bare after de-personalizing the house,  you are on the right track!  Now, please take this with a grain of salt, as we know sometimes moving the massive piano out of the living room isn’t always possible. We won’t cry if you don’t take our advice! But, do try to remember what excited you about the house when YOU bought it. It wasn't the seller's decor, it was what YOUR decor would look like in the space. It was the HOUSE and your future in it, not the nick-nacks. If you focus on thinking of the house as a product,  not a home full of your memories, it will be a whole lot easier to rid your house of your personality and highlight the features that are going to appeal most to your buyer. 

~ Amanda Wycoff