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The Geslock Group

Homes for Sale Stafford, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania, VA

What are you doing January 1, 2012?

December 30, 2011 MGeslock

Your 2012 plan

I would suggest that you work your expired listings. January 1 is one of the biggest days for expired listings. So at 12:05 after you have popped the cork and thrown the confetti, crack open your laptop and pull up the expired listings.

Deliver a package to the expired listing the day it expires, then call. Your letter should have a picture of their property embedded in the letter and how you want to talk to them about marketing their property. If you want a sample of this letter, just email me. The other items in your package could consist of your resume, a sheet of testimonials, a list of all your sales for the year, and copies of some of your advertising.

Other brokers are calling the same time as you are, but how many have delivered a package? Some have. Make yours stand out. Put your package in a plastic bag and hang on their door, or put it in a bag with a design of a home on the front, make sure you have a picture of their home on your letter. You need to make yourself and your marketing stand out from the crowd.

Keep calling to get an appointment. The difference in making this pay off is your follow-up. All you want to do is show the difference between you and the other brokers. Make the sellers the focus of all your presentation materials—not you. Most agents give up after one or two calls.

Should you leave a message on an answering machine? I say YES. Something simple, but that will get their attention. “I noticed that your property is not in the Multiple Listing Service any longer and there is no record that it has sold. I would like to spend just a few minutes telling you about my marketing program so that we both win.” You can get even more creative than this.

What happens when you have no phone number? You need to develop some quick postcards that you can send every other day. Not too much, just a few lines about how it is important that the seller get the best representation, etc. If you want some samples, just email me. Most agents don’t even start to work on these sellers if they have no phone number. You will definitely be noticed this way.

Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: 2012 Expired listings, Civil war, Expired Listings, Geslock, Homes in Fredericksburg, Keller Williams Fredericksburg, Rappahannock

Future leaders can learn much from observing how Silver lived his life

November 21, 2011 MGeslock

By Bill Freehling

FIRST a full disclosure: I never met Carl D. Silver.

By the time I started covering business for The Free Lance-Star, Silver was no longer really involved in the real-estate development business he started more than a half-century ago that bears his name.

It wasn’t until fairly recently that the idea occurred to me that I should make sure I met Mr. Silver, whom I’d heard was battling health problems, sooner rather than later. But sadly that never came to pass. The Central Park developer died Tuesday at the age of 86.

Still, having met his son, Larry, and having spoken frequently with executive members of the Silver Cos., I have heard many tales of Carl D. Silver. And I learned much more about him this past week speaking to former business associates, public officials, charity beneficiaries, family members and friends for our coverage about Silver’s death.

I therefore thought it appropriate to use this week’s column to pass along some of the attributes that seemed to lead to Silver’s vast successes and wealth. Perhaps it will prove useful to future generations of business leaders.

Your word is your bond. Everyone who knew Silver says his honesty was unquestioned. His ability to make future deals depended on this trust, and he never lost sight of that.

Outwork your competitors. Silver apparently worked around the clock. That lifestyle is not for everyone, but it shows the extent to which some are willing to work to achieve business success.

Do what you love. Like many successful entrepreneurs, Silver worked relentlessly long after he had any need for the money. It’s often said that if you love what you do, it doesn’t seem like work.

Give back without fanfare. Lots of businesses like the PR and goodwill that come with splashy charitable donations. Silver seemed to prefer quiet acts of kindness without asking anything in return.

Treat people well. Silver was apparently relentless when he saw a business opportunity involving real estate, approaching people over and over to offer to buy their land. But the people he dealt with said he did it in a pleasant, honest and straightforward way.

Be results-driven. Silver didn’t want to hear excuses. He wanted results, and demanded that of his staff.

Look to the future. Silver ran a successful car business for 20 years. But he was willing to give that up when he saw better opportunities in real estate.

Undoubtedly more lessons could be learned, but those are a few things that led to the vast success of a true Fredericksburg-area tycoon.

Staff reporter Bill Freehling writes this weekly column on business, personal finance and investing.

This was published by Fredericksburg.com. Link to the source:http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2011/112011/11202011/665924

Filed Under: Observations & Ramblings Tagged With: Civil war, Fredericksburg, FSBO, George Washington, Geslock, history, Keller Williams, MLS, MWC, MWU, Real Estate, Spotsylvania homes for sale

2011 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

November 15, 2011 MGeslock

2011 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

This summer, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) surveyed 5,708 home buyers and sellers for their 2011 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. The study shows that home buyers are now “staying well within their means,” have higher incomes and are putting down higher payments than those surveyed for last year’s survey.

NAR 2011 President Ron Phipps notes that first time buyers had more challenging financial obstacles to overcome. Phipps said, “First-time home buyers fell to a 37 percent market share in the past year from a record high 50 percent in the 2010 study. Although last year’s findings were boosted by the home buyer tax credit, long-term survey averages show that four out of 10 buyers are typically first-time buyers. This segment is critical to a housing recovery because they help existing home owners sell and make a trade.”

Top 33 facts from the report

According to NAR, the following are the top takeaways from the report:

  1. Seventy-eight percent of recent home buyers said their home is a good investment, and 45 percent believe it’s better than stocks.
  2. The study shows the median age of first-time buyers was 31 and the median income was $62,400, up from $59,900 in the 2010 study.
  3. The typical first-time buyer purchased a 1,570 square foot home costing $155,000.
  4. The typical repeat buyer was 53 years old and earned $96,600, notably higher than the $87,000 median reported in 2010.
  5. Repeat buyers purchased a median 2,100 square foot home costing $219,500, with an estimated median payment of $1,006.
  6. The median downpayment for all home buyers was 11 percent, ranging from 5 percent for first-time buyers to 15 percent for repeat buyers.
  7. First-time buyers who financed their purchase used a variety of resources for the downpayment: 79 percent tapped into savings, 26 percent received a gift from a friend or relative, typically from their parents, and 7 percent received a loan from a relative or friend. Nine percent sold stocks or bonds and 8 percent tapped into a 401(k) fund.
  8. Ninety-four percent of entry-level buyers chose a fixed-rate mortgage. Fifty-four percent of first-time buyers financed with a low-downpayment FHA mortgage, and 6 percent used the VA loan program which requires no downpayment.
  9. Sixty-four percent of all buyers are married couples (up five percent from 2010), 18 percent are single women, 10 percent single men, seven percent unmarried couples and one percent other.
  10. Buyers searched a median of 12 weeks and visited 12 homes, both unchanged from 2010.
  11. Nine percent of recent buyers also own one or more investment properties, and four percent own at least one vacation home.
  12. Seventy-seven percent of respondents purchased a detached single-family home, nine percent a condo, eight percent a townhouse or rowhouse, and six percent some other kind of housing. The typical home had three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
  13. Fifty-one percent of all homes purchased were in a suburb or subdivision, 18 percent were in an urban area, 18 percent in a small town, 11 percent in a rural area and 3 percent in a resort or recreation area.
  14. The median distance from the previous residence was 12 miles, the same as in the 2010 study.
  15. More than half of buyers considered purchasing a foreclosure but didn’t buy one for a variety of reasons: 29 percent couldn’t find the right house; 15 percent each reported poor condition and a difficult process.
  16. Eighty-nine percent of respondents used real estate agents and brokers, other methods include directly from a builder, 7 percent; and directly from the previous owner, 4 percent. Sixty percent of buyers working with real estate professionals were represented by a buyer’s agent.
  17. To find their home, 88 percent use the Internet, 87 percent use real estate agents, 55 percent yard signs, 45 percent attend open houses and 30 percent review print or newspaper ads.
  18. When buyers were asked where they first learned about the home they purchased, 40 percent said the Internet; 35 percent from a real estate agent; 11 percent a yard sign or open house; 6 percent from a friend, neighbor or relative; 5 percent home builders; 2 percent a print or newspaper ad; 2 percent directly from the seller; and less than 1 percent from a home book or magazine.
  19. Ninety-one percent of home buyers who used the Internet to search for a home purchased through a real estate agent, as did 70 percent of non-Internet users, who were more likely to purchase directly from a builder or from an owner they already knew in a private transaction.
  20. Local metropolitan multiple listing service websites were the most popular Internet resource, used by 56 percent of buyers; followed by real estate agent websites, 46 percent; Realtor.com, 45 percent; real estate company sites, 40 percent; other websites with real estate listings, 38 percent; and for-sale-by-owner sites, 14 percent; other categories were notably smaller.
  21. The biggest factors influencing neighborhood choice were quality of the neighborhood, cited by 67 percent of buyers; convenience to jobs, 49 percent; overall affordability of homes, 45 percent; and convenience to family and friends, 39 percent. Other factors with relatively high responses include neighborhood design, 32 percent; convenience to shopping, 28 percent; quality of the school district, 27 percent; convenience to schools, 22 percent; and convenience to entertainment or leisure activities, 21 percent.
  22. Commuting costs continue to factor strongly in decisions regarding location, with 73 percent of buyers saying transportation costs were important.
  23. The biggest reason people buy a home is the simple desire to own a home of their own, cited by 27 percent of respondents, including 60 percent of first-time buyers. The next biggest primary reasons for buying were desire for a larger home or a job-related move, each cited by 10 percent of respondents; a change in family situation or the affordability of homes, 8 percent each; and desire to be closer to family, friends or relatives, 7 percent.
  24. The typical home seller was 53 years old and their income was $101,500. Sellers moved a median distance of 20 miles and their home was on the market for 9 weeks, up from 8 weeks in the 2010 profile. Forty-six percent moved to a larger home, 31 percent bought a comparably sized home and 23 percent downsized.
  25. While sellers had been in their previous home for a median of nine years, up from eight years in the 2010 study, first-time buyers plan to stay for 10 years and repeat buyers plan to hold their property for 15 years.
  26. The typical seller who purchased a home nine years ago realized a median equity gain of $26,000, a 16 percent increase, while sellers who were in their homes for 11 to 15 years saw a median gain of $57,900, or 39 percent.
  27. Home buyers thought the most important services agents provide are helping find the right house, and negotiating price and sales terms.
  28. Like sellers, buyers most commonly choose an agent based on a referral from a friend, neighbor or relative, with trustworthiness and reputation being the most important factors; 89 percent are likely to use the same agent again or recommend to others.
  29. Of sellers working with real estate agents, the study found that 80 percent used full-service brokerage, in which agents provide a range of services that include managing most of the process of selling a home from listing to closing. Ten percent of sellers chose limited services, which may include discount brokerage, and 10 percent used minimal service, such as simply listing a property on a multiple listing service. Realtors provide all of these types of services, as do non-member agents and brokers, with comparable findings for each year since questions about brokerage services were added in 2006.
  30. For-sale-by-owner transactions accounted for 10 percent of sales, above the record-low 9 percent in the 2010 study, but well below the record high of 20 percent set in 1987. The share of homes sold without professional representation has trended lower since last reaching a cyclical peak, which was 18 percent in 1997.
  31. Many FSBO properties are not sold on the open market. Factoring out private sales between parties who knew each other in advance, the actual number of homes sold on the open market without professional assistance was 6 percent.
  32. The median transaction price for sellers who used an agent was $215,000, well above the $150,000 median for a home sold directly by an owner, but there were differences in the findings. The median income of unassisted sellers was $82,500, in contrast with $101,500 for agent-assisted sellers.
  33. Unassisted sellers were much more likely to be selling a smaller home, and they were more likely to be in an urban or central city area. The most difficult tasks reported by unrepresented sellers are attracting potential buyers, getting the right price, and understanding and completing paperwork.

The practice of real estate is changing given these rapidly altered circumstances surrounding home buyers and sellers, and it is important to be informed!

Thanks for spreading the word

 ~AG Beat ~ http://agbeat.com/real-estate-news-events/2011-nar-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers-33-facts-every-realtor-should-know/trackback/

Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: Civil war, Fredericksburg, Geslock, Keller Williams, MWC, MWU, Rappahannock, Real Estate, Short Sale, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Virginia

VAR property management forms have been revised

August 26, 2011 MGeslock

Yes, you read that right: Nine of our property management forms — leases, addenda, disclosures, etc. — have been updated.

This is a major overhaul done in collaboration with FutureLaw, the Northern Virginia and Richmond associations, and VAR’s Standard Forms Working Group to make these forms more user friendly, and to ensure accuracy. If you do any work in property management you need to head to VAR’s Forms Center and get the new documents.

The forms affected are:

* Residential Lease (Form 200)

* Application for Lease (Form 300)

* Listing Agreement – Exclusive Right to Lease (Form 975)

* Property Management and Exclusive Rental Agreement (Form 900)

* Pet Addendum (Form 220)

* Disclosure of Information on Lead-Based Paint And Lead-Based Paint Hazards (Form 1300)

* Guaranty of Lease Agreement (Form 230)

* Move-In Move-Out Inspection Report (Form 1100) * Tenant Consent Form (Form 240)

~~http://varbuzz.com

Filed Under: Real Estate Tagged With: agent, best agent, Civil war, College, Ferry Farms, for sale, Foreclosure, Fredericksburg, FSBO, George Washington, Geslock, history, homes, investing, investor, Keller, Keller Williams, King George, listing, management, MLS, MWC, MWU, property, Property Values, Rappahannock, Real Estate, real estate definitions, rental, renter, reo, River, School System, Short Sale, Spotsylvania, Spotsylvania homes for sale, spring, Stafford, staging, terms, Virginia, VRE, Williams

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The Geslock Group

Homes for Sale Stafford, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania, VA

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Mark Geslock - United Real Estate
992 Bragg Road STE A
Fredericksburg, VA  22407