I love being asked "What's the market like, Windy?" Being a big fan of consistent data review, I can provide my inquiring friends and neighbors with a true picture of the housing market in our area. Real Estate is Local, and our Hampton Roads area has conditions unique to the nation, so a headline from California should not affect the perceptions of a resident of the Tidewater area. Right now, we are in a very unbalanced seller's market, the kind that make a potential seller decide to try his hand as a "FSBO/For Sale By Owner." Over the years of dominating the real estate listings in a particular geographical area, I have had several sellers say "I'm going to use the professionals that you recommend and take a shot at selling myself. If I don't get a buyer, I will come to you to list on the MLS." I'm grateful for their testimony that I have a great team of service providers that I use to help me market my listings. I'm also grateful for their loyalty when they revert to me within a few weeks that they want to sign a contract with me. The knowledge and skills that I have developed in the past 15 years has always been a benefit to them, and it's the true reward to me at the closing table. To that end, we are in a "Professional's Market." We entered the Spring Season 2020 with very low inventory and very high demand (See Housing Market tab of my website). A reasonable thought for any pragmatic person would be that they could stick a FSBO sign in the yard and have a buyer at the drop of a eye. The experience of a recent FSBO is the black and white proof that hiring a professional, career agent at the onset of selling a home today will give the seller the best results:
FSBO Sale:
- Home marketed on Zillow Jan 28, 2020 and sold May 8th.
- 90 days on market; industry standard at same time was 63 DOM;
- Asking price $600K. Sold for $520K ...
At The Real Estate Group we understand the importance of online exposure for your property which is why we've gone to great lengths to build an online presence that makes it easy for users to find exactly what they're looking for.
With clean, modern design we ensure that your property will never be held back by a confusing interface and a focus on imagery means that the unique details of your home are never lost in translation.
Whether you're a first time home buyer or you've been down that road time and again, you won't find a more reliable guide to navigate the Hampton Roads real estate market than a seasoned professional at The Real Estate Group.
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What's a better idea on Valentines Day than surrounding yourself with pictures of what you love? Having photos of your favorite travel destinations, your best pet, your kids artwork, or your beloved family on your walls are hands-down the most attractive things in a person's home, in my opinion. I confess, however, that I have a habit of buying frames, printing photos, and never putting the two together on a wall. I question their placement, their grouping, the color of the frames. And then I put them back in the closet. I asked for the help of photographer, Tracey Sanders of Tracey Sanders Photography and she provided me with a helpful booklet on how to group a variety of sizes of photos (available at your request). In addition, I've noticed that Color photos in a grouping look nice with the same color of frame as the grouping. Black and White photos can use a variety of different frames while still looking cohesive. If you are considering a project this Valentines Day week, I wanted to share some ideas that I have seen while showing homes and visiting friends:
- Whimsical photos displayed on walls alongside a window seat.
- Several oversized canvas photos in a dramatic grouping.
- Photos of a favorite tree as it passes through the seasons.
- A picture of a child at a special landmark, over the years.
- A mirror in the center showing your viewer in the middle of your collage.
- Black & White photos in a grouping using a bright color frame, like yellow or aqua with a few decorative pieces of that same color.
- B&W photos in a grouping against a brightly colored accent wall.
- A wood panel door turned horizontally and pictures fitted into the recessed panels (I saw this done with a decorative ceiling tile too).
If you've done a grouping that you are particularly proud of, please share and inspire me to get the photos out of the closet! And if you'd like a copy of Tracey's...
