FOUR SECRETS YOU OUGHT TO KNOW ABOUT….Reasonably Well Maintained Homes Whose Owners Haven’t Totally Butchered Or Neglected Them

If you’re packing up and leaving Vegas in the next few months or a year, this won’t apply to you, but you’ll find it interesting. It might even tip the scales for you one way or another, as to whether you’re packing it in on your big “living in Las Vegas” adventure. Not all things work out the way we planned. It’s one of those bummer things that we all have to put up with, regardless of who’s “fault” it is. 

For the rest of you….Here Goes:

There’s a lot of very interesting, unique, fun and hip homes out there in VeryVintageVegas land.

They have reasonable to fabulous landscaping. They’re somewhere between clean and meticulously clean, and they don’t look like a bad MLS Photo. Things that have been broken or worn out over the years have been fixed or replaced. The more fun, interesting and well preserved – all the better. And most importantly, they weren’t purchased any where near the top of the market, and they weren’t cash-out re-financed in 2006, either.

VERY FEW of them are on the market at the moment. Most foreclosures don’t get a passing grade. I tend to spot the A’s and the B’s and often sell them as quickly as they come to market. The condition of way too many of the foreclosures is much worse than most buyers are willing or prepared to deal with. The subject at hand are the A’s and B’s.  As I write this, most of the foreclosures get a C, D, or F.

Since the topic is - reasonably well maintained and decorated/landscaped homes who’s owners haven’t totally butchered them over the years.  I’ll let you in on some not so little secrets.

SECRET NUMBER ONE:

Some of the people who currently own them would be willing to sell them now or in the very near future. They just don’t have a reason to sell now. But they would if they had a reason. I’m going to give them one in a minute.

If I heard it on the news once, I heard it ….., as they say. I’ve said it a thousand times as well. “If you don’t have to sell, don’t be on the market”. If you HAVE to be on the market, at least behave as if you are. Especially if you’re a short sale.

SECRET NUMBER TWO:

There’s people out there like Garth and Mary. And Meghan and Erin & Rachel. Steven & Josh are on the list since just the other day. So is my brother Joe-Almost-Elvis. Some of you have met him, I believe. Soeren & Coni and Melissa and Dean and Jake —as well as Susan & Steve, and Well & Yocelyn, and Dana & Marc and Nikki, and Scott & Heidi— were the “list” from the last few months.  Every month there’s a batch of them. Please don’t be upset if I skipped you. Trust me, you’re on my list. During the last 6 months they BOUGHT the best fit, most fun, most interesting, best potential home (at the best damn price they could squeeze out of the seller) that was on the market the day they decided to buy it. 

All of them INSISTED on being in what I call VeryVintageVegas. And most importantly, each of them essentially had declared “This is the bottom of the real estate slide AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED. I want to own now”. Oh, and they’re not concerned in the least if they were right or wrong about being the ONE person in America who bought at the bottom. There can be only one! We’ll let you know in a few years who the winner was. Ahhhh, the great American real estate lottery.

SECRET NUMBER THREE:

There’s a whole lot of people just like the new homeowners in Secret Number 2. Except that they haven’t bought YET. I’ve been talking to many hundreds of them over the last two years since I started this VeryVintageVegas marketing campaign. (Note: VeryVintageVegas is almost two years old, but I’ve been a full time Realtor for 18 years and have been living and working downtown since 1987).  There’s plenty more who haven’t ever called me or any other realtor yet. And there’s even some who have a sister-in-law with a real estate license. She’ll be VERY upset if they didn’t use her when they buy a home. I’m willing to help them also with advice and commentary, if they ask. Maybe they’ll be buying one of my listings.

Many of them are already well along the path of getting ready to be homeowners. Some are so set to go, that the minute the right one comes along……they’re going to grab it. Some will think about a house too long and miss their opportunity. Trust me, it’s happened more than you think. Some are going to negotiate to a deal I didn’t think I could EVER get accepted. On the other hand, some of them are fixing their credit or saving up some money, or getting back in on the good graces of dad. Some of them will probably never get it together.

I’m happy to report that All of them really like what I’m doing, and are looking forward to joining with me by investing themselves in home ownership, as long as it’s in VeryVintageVegas land. It’s a funny thing, but, no one ever calls ME, to tell me they want to live in Summerlin or Green Valley.

These future buyers have been watching HGTV. They’ve been dreaming about doing over an “old” home and making it as green and as unique as they can muster. They’re thinking about it generally as a home to live in, and NOT TO FLIP. The bloom’s off of that rose. The professional investors who are buying the MOST BROKEN of homes now and during the next year in order to flip them, need to be sure they know what their future buyer is going to be looking for. If not,  I’ll be starting a new series called “Dumb things flippers do to mess up a Mid Mod”. 

I haven’t spoken to many of these potential buyers since they first called and talked to me that one time. The seminars that I attend and often ignore say I should be calling them every 2 weeks. And I should be sending them a postcard every week. The same holds true for the potential sellers who I’ve casually talked to.

I blog instead, which makes it easy for all of you to keep track of me, instead of my keeping track of all of you. I’m good about answering calls and returning phone messages and emails, and I get the job done.

Some who’ve called me recently only wanted to ask a question and or get a little perspective. For many, we put a 3 month or 6 month or 2 year plan together that would lead them to being able to buy. If they follow it, or some similar plan, then they’ll probably be calling me back sometime to prove to me and a lender that they’ve put their financial house in order. Then, they can pick a house, too.

Slowly but surely, and then faster and faster, these are the buyer’s who are going to be buying in the next year or so.

So Secret number TWO and THREE are actually secrets that the potential future sellers need to hear.

Secret Number 4:

If the potential sellers are looking for a reason to sell, then I suggest they think on this idea:

There’s probably another home (that currently belongs to one of the people just like you) that would fit you better. And There’s one for that seller, also. Need another room? Want another bathroom? Want to stop cleaning so many bathrooms? A whole wall rock fireplace that was built by REAL stonemasons in the 50’s (that hasn’t been painted over – preferably) might be nice. Really cool crank out corner windows? Ever dream about a big wall of glass overlooking your lush landscape and pool? How about one that’s already fixed up kind of like the way you were going to do your current home? If you’ve done everything you can think to do, then maybe it’s time to start over on a clean pallet?  

It’s the move up (or down) game. We’ve been playing it for thousands of years. The game isn’t over yet. If the game’s to end, it’s going to take a total meltdown and collapse of EVERYTHING we know and love. In my opinion, we’re only experiencing a real good, well deserved scare.  Kind of like my heart attack. Others beg to differ. Of course, if we do totally melt-down, then the game will just start all over again. Period.

Typically, it’s about moving up on the lifestyle and standard of living scale. It still is. But here’s the twist. (Every good game show has to have a twist). The twist is that financially it might only be a sideways trade at worse. But you will be in a different home that better suits your lifestyle, taste or family needs.

So it works like this. You bought your house for a hundred grand  6 or ten years ago. A few years later, you rubbed your hands gleefully thinking it was worth $200,000.  Now it’s a hundred again IF YOU SELL NOW. It’s worth WAY MORE THAN THAT TO YOU, unless theirs a good reason to SELL IT NOW.

You sell your house for a 100k and buy one like you’ve been talking about moving up or down to, at the screaming best deal lowest price you can get it for. The seller you buy from is going to take an even bigger hit than you are. It’s a simple formula. It works and it’s true at every price point. Better house….and at worst – financially even.

If you’ve talked to me over the last few years about selling your house, or if something/anything (like my idea above) sparks an idea in your mind, or if it crosses your mind in a month or 6, and certainly if the situation arises where you HAVE to sell now and won’t be buying again, then give me a call.

I might well already know the buyer for your house, and I’ll probably know a damn cool house for you to buy.

I got ALL that said, without ever using the words Mid Century Modern even…ooooops.