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Secrets Of Pricing Your
Home To Sell Because
of the change in market conditions, more sellers are competing for fewer
buyers. So once again, it seems important to challenge a long-standing
"myth" of real estate: "The initial listing price isn't that important because the price
can always be adjusted down later." Many homeowners believe this. It is a myth. Not true! If
most buyers first viewed your house because of a newspaper ad, a magazine,
the Internet, brochures, or the yard sign, the initial listing price may not
be so critical. The house would always be "New" to those seeing it. But most buyers DO NOT come to your house because of various types of
advertising. That is another myth! Sure,
buyers call on an ad, they often LOOK at that house, but not always. Once
they talk to an agent, they may discover it isn't what they want at all.
However, they ARE talking to an agent. That agent knows the current inventory
and will know of other homes that DO fit their needs. Those are the
properties that buyers look at, and THIS is how most buyers end up looking at
your house, too - because of other agents, not because of the newspaper ad
etc. Hardly anyone buys the house
in the ad! So
you need to get other agents interested in your property, and this is where
your listing agent comes in. The listing agent gets buyer's agents looking at
your home. Those agents have clients who called on other properties. Buyer's
agents are not swayed by advertising. They look at the needs of the
client, where the client wants to live, location, condition, and other
details of the home - and most importantly - THE PRICE. If your home is
overpriced, agents will show similar homes that are priced more
attractively. Your listing will get passed over. Agents
pay MOST attention to homes newly on the market. There are fewer NEW listings
than current listings. It is easier to keep an eye out for what is NEW,
compared to the vast number of current listings. New listings are on the
"hot sheet” circulated in real estate offices. The MLS computer
identifies new listings. There are broker tours to showcase new
listings. A lot of attention is focused on what is NEW. With agent's
looking at newly listed homes so aggressively, a properly priced home gets
attention. An overpriced home gets passed over. You
may be thinking, "But I'm willing to negotiate!" Buyers aren't thinking in advance about how much you are
willing to negotiate. They are comparing your asking price to other
asking prices. Plus, when your house is new on the market, you may not be
willing to negotiate as much as you will later, once you've realized your
error. Keep in mind that statistics show, quite often, the first offer
is the best offer. So
what happens if you overprice in the beginning and get more realistic later?
You don't have all those important Buyer's Agents looking at your listing
because it is NEW. A price reduction later in the listing cycle often
gets overlooked. It is just one of many listings, not one of a few new
listings. As time passes, you could actually become desperate to sell because
you've accepted a new job or because you have already bought a new home so
you could end up selling for less than if you had priced the home correctly
in the first place. Agents know this stuff, but many sellers still mistakenly believe they should "price it high" because they can lower the price later, if necessary. That is not the best strategy! ■ FREE Home Valuation Thinking of
selling? Home
prices have increased at a phenomenal rate over the past few years. To get a Free Up-To-Date Valuation of
your home without any obligation, together with suggestions for what you can
do to maximize its appeal, visit www.BernardGibbons.com or for an immediate response
call Restaurant Review
Alouette’s, 3141 Crow Canyon Place,
San Ramon. I
first reviewed Alouette’s a couple of years ago but in those days, The Real Estate Informer had a very small
circulation so hopefully this review will serve to introduce this excellent
restaurant to a whole new batch of readers. A
French restaurant that many do not realize exists,
Alouette’s is in the Albertson’s shopping center, adjacent to Highway 680
just off The restaurant was set up by Victor
Barajas and Sue Schumacher who were previously employed in the now defunct Chatillon Restaurant, which was also in San Ramon.
Service here is friendly and the wait-staff are knowledgeable about the menu,
which, in the main, is typically French. Main courses come with a soup or a salad included in the price and include Duckling a l’Orange, Sweetbreads, Steak au Poivre
and even Frog’s Legs. All dishes are accompanied by vegetables, a pleasant
change in this day and age. I unhesitatingly recommend the Duckling, which is
served boneless, and the sweetbreads. Desserts, in the main are more American
than French but if you are feeling up to it, an
order of Crepes Suzettes will make the perfect finale to your meal and this
is cooked at your table. The wine list is fairly short and mostly
with popular Californian varietals from wineries such as Kendal-Jackson, J Lohr and Markham. Prices are very reasonable. Perhaps the
only complaint is the lack of a selection of French wines. There are few French restaurants in the My overall opinion? While it may not be
100% authentically French it has a good ambience and provides well prepared
French influenced food in pleasant surroundings. Definitely worth driving a
half hour or so to get there if you are not a San Ramon local. I am
fortunate. I live about 5 minutes away. Reservations are not generally
needed other than for large parties or at the weekend and you can find out
more about them and peruse the menus and wine list on their web site at www.alouetterestaurant.com ■ Reviews such as the one above are included as a service to introduce
people to interesting restaurants in the
How Will You Decide Who Will List Your Home For As
housing inventory increases and interest rates continue to rise, it is more
important than ever to work with a Realtor® who has the knowledge and
experience to market your home to its fullest potential in order to obtain
the best price for your home. My
High Impact Home Marketing Program is the most comprehensive home marketing
system in real estate. This, combined with my affiliation with Intero Real Estate Services, the foremost
real estate company in the Bay Area, ensures that your home gets the maximum
level of exposure from start to finish. Through multiple channels and
networks I market your home every day to potential homebuyers and real estate
agents who represent buyers in your area. This targeted marketing approach
ensures maximum exposure to potential buyers. Communication
at all times is absolutely critical. I will keep you fully informed regarding
the status of your home sale at all times and do everything in my power to
ensure a smooth, stress-free transaction. Call me today on (925) 997-1585 and I’ll show you how
my Home Marketing Program can work for you to get you the best price in the
shortest timeframe.
Information To Help You
Understand The Value Of Your Biggest Investment
The 40 most recently Closed Sales in Alamo,
Blackhawk, Danville, San Ramon, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda
(Sorted By City and Price)
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