Against the Grain. A Sioux Falls Realtor thought.

Against the Grain.

Have you ever seen furniture or a guitar made of quarter sawn oak or maple? The grains are tighter and there are these little ribbons of pattern that burst sporatically throughout the surface of the wood. It’s really quite amazing and the name for those ribbon like patterns is kind of spectacular too. They are called medullary rays. (possible rock band name?)

These natural patterns/rays can't be seen or admired from wood that’s just cut the typical plain old way. It reveals something exciting and interesting that is hidden beneath the surface. This is achieved because the cut of the log was done by “going against the grain.” And that is EXACTYLY why I can appreciate it. It becomes an allegory for a lot of what I believe in.

If told, Do something. I will reply “I will.” If told, Do something different. I will kick back my chair, hop on the counter, hold up the rocker finger horns and belt out “R-R-R-Right On!”

Give something new.
Don’t let fear stop you.

The concert in my mind repeats these kind of lines like the chorus of a heavy metal ballad. Hey, it's my path to encouragement :)

I believe in innovation and more than anything I appreciate it when others believe in it too. I love it. I admire it. It simply ROCKS!

If you are going to do something, look to the leaders of those who have done it before you. Find out how they operate. Find out what systems they used to put on their show. Mimic these things that make their work easier, better, smoother. Then take that last bit, the piece (of the furniture, or song if you will) that everyone sees and turn it. Mix it up. Blast something that is unique for the whole world to hear!

I try to do that with my real estate career. I try to see what the leaders in my field are doing to systematize and I work on that. Then I add my own style.

 I can tell you that sometimes an idea will flop. Other times it will work. Sometimes people will ‘get it’ and other times they won’t. But I know that the right idea for each unique home or buyer at the right time can make a plain old situation turn into ribbons and patterns of coolness! I hope one day to be able to pack a stadium with past clients.

Now, how can I form a rock band and convince them to market my real estate biz for me?....

Home For Sale in Sioux Falls - fun video play

6509 N 10th Ave, Sioux Falls

Like Living in the Country, but with a Sioux Falls Address!

$149,900

Dog Days of Summer in Sioux Falls

The Dog Days of Summer

Here we are in the thick of summer. Droplets of sweat form on our brows like condensation on a cold glass of iced tea. Our kids perch in front of oscillating fans to numb thoughts of impending school days. And our dogs lay spread eagle on shady cool grass.

Despite the heated discourse in Washington and searing concerns over the country's deficit and credit worthiness, house sales in Sioux Falls have been slightly higher than this period last year. I'm guessing, based on our pending sales numbers that this will continue through the rest of this quarter.

 

The immediate result of our S&P down-grade to AA+ will be stock market lows and peaks. But more importantly to our real estate market, it is estimated to bring yet another temporary dip in interest rates.

Both situations are ripe for opportunity. Long term investors and those who believe in home ownership will take advantage of the cheap money to reach their big picture goals.

It's like my dogs, they take advantage of the hot sun to warm their tummies and the dewy lawn to cool their backs. They seem to understand that every situation has multiple opportunities. Many people will be wise and do the same and see this time as the right time to invest for the future.

Kick back, cool down, unleash your dreams and enjoy the sunshine! Consider whether now is a good time for you to sell and/or buy some real estate.  Sioux Falls is ready when you are and so am I. Call, text or email me anytime.

John Maurer

THE AGENT

605-521-1183

John@GetTheAgent.com



Guess What? This Home is Worth.....

When Buying, Selling or Fixing Up Your Home, How Much Does a 'Guess' Cost?

How much is your home worth? Did putting in that privacy fence increase its value?

If you plan on doing improvements to your property, wouldn't you want to know what the current market return on your dollar investment is? Is it worth adding a 4^th bedroom? Should you spend $8k on new windows? Will you get your money back? A real estate agent SHOULD be able to answer this for you.

An agent can find an answer by asking a colleague or review numbers that an appraiser gave them a couple of years ago. In most cases, this can be a good enough solution. But it's still just a guess.

If you're okay with guessing, then I guess that's okay. But when investing in your home or selling it, guesses shouldn't be good enough. You need an agent who will put some research into it.

Figuring out the over-all value of a home is tricky business. Seems easy enough, but what if your house is a Ranch style home in a neighborhood of Split Foyers? Or what if your lawn has in-ground sprinklers and no one else in your neighborhood does? What 'value' can you place on these differences? 

Every agent has at their fingertips a vast database of information. It's called the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). An expert agent knows how to run data through this system to isolate the current values of everything from toilet stalls to garage stalls.

As an example:

An average can be obtained for sold prices of homes similar to each other that have one full bathroom and no more.  Let's say the average sold price is $150,000. Then the same analysis can be performed for homes with two full bathrooms (no more, no less).  Let's say the average sold price now is $152,500. By comparing the two average sold prices, we can confidently determine that the value of adding an additional bath is $2,500. 

This same procedure can be done on any number of other factors, additions or improvements.

This process can help home buyers as well as home sellers and even help home improvers! If you plan on buying, selling or doing some work on your place, don't guess at value, call an expert agent to help.

-John Maurer
THE AGENT

Hot Dogs and Sioux Falls Housing

Hot Dog!

These tubes of meat by-product have been on my mind lately. Quite frankly (I had to say it), I think the sounds and smells of hot dogs sizzling on the grill, and the taste of their bubbling hot juicy goodness is as fundamental to summer (and specifically the 4^th of July) as snow is to Christmas.

I champion the wieners for so many reasons. For one, they don’t play middle of the road. I cannot think of another food that is considered repulsive by so many and adored by so many more.  This awkward delight which has stolen its sleek design from its cousin, the sausage, actually has gotten its namesake from the derogatory and untrue comments that its ingredients could quite possibly be made up of dog meat.

How cool is this?! A food, falsely rumored upon its conception to be made up of remnants of a beloved household pet, has risen to such heights of popularity to be included in the exclusive group of universal favorites such as coffee, hamburgers, beer and fries.

What other food can get groups of people to stand in line in order to get one for free, when they could just as easily buy a pack of them for a couple bucks?  In 2010, consumers spent $1.6 BILLION dollars on hot dogs in U.S. supermarkets!  No data found for how many franks were slapped out for free for the sake of promotion.

Hot dogs have their own sales season (Memorial Day to Labor Day, Americans typically consume 7 billion hot dogs). Like frankfurters, in our area, houses have a season too. Is it coincidence that it is the same “season” as hot dogs? I think NOT! :)

NOW is the season for selling and buying homes in Sioux Falls, SD too.  Sure they get bought and sold year round. But when the weather is hot, housing is best round here.

We may not have people standing in line (although watch closely at foreclosed homes that are priced right) but smart buyers are out there.  Houses may not be free but we are tops in housing affordability for the country, right here in good ole’ South Dakota.

If you are waiting for house prices to go down here in the Sioux Empire. Wait no longer.  Real estate is already on SALE! And unlikely to go anywhere but UP in our area. Check out June 30, 2011 USA TODAY:

South Dakota and Alaska also appear among the states to be "least vulnerable" to further home price declines given their stronger economies, says Capital Economics economist Paul Dales. In the first quarter, Alaska house prices rose 2.7% year-over-year, according to the Federal Housing Finance Agency. They fell 5.5% nationally. South Dakota has one of the nation's lowest unemployment rates, at 4.8% in May vs. 9.1% nationwide.

Existing home sales data also show strong demand for housing in the state, Dales says.

States with fewer troubled loans are likely to have fewer foreclosures, which can be a drag on prices. As of May, the states with the lowest percentage of loans that were delinquent or in foreclosure were Montana, Wyoming, Arkansas, South Dakota and North Dakota, says Lender Processing Services.

So, belly up to the grill-out this 4^th of July holiday weekend. Slam down a few dogs. And take a minute to relax at your fire pit 'n think about the great American dream of home ownership. And if record low house prices and record low interest rates make sense to you and yours, give an agent and a lender a call.

If you want GREAT advice, give me a call and I’ll get you started in the right direction.

Until then, this is my quick salute to the American way and the polarizing perfectness of our patriotic food companion, the hot dog! UH HUH!

3105 South Hawthorne Ave, Sioux Falls, SD

3105 S Hawthorne $84,900

Snapshot: The STATE of Sioux Falls, SD Real Estate

What's going on in the Sioux Falls housing market?  For anyone asking, here's a quick snapshot of our market today (May 18, 2011):

There are 1,126 homes for sale on the market in Sioux Falls
Nearly 50% of these homes are priced at $150,000 OR LESS
161 of these homes are priced at or BELOW $100,000 OR LESS
There are currently 337 Homes with ACCEPTED offers on them right now.
Since the first of the year, 611 Homes have sold in Sioux Falls.
Nearly HALF of these sales have occurred since April 1st!

My perspective:
We are teetering on a shift in the seasonal market here. There are some good indications that the Buyer and Seller markets are reaching an equilibrium.  Historically this should shift a bit towards a Seller's market within the upcoming weeks.  The numbers above show an even stronger potential for the shift.

Consider that within the last month and a half over 600 homes have sold or are under contract and there are fewer than 1200 homes available.  This means a quickly shrinking availability of homes compared to home shoppers. This equals potential higher demand and therefore higher bargaining power for the Sellers out there!

If you are a Buyer, don't fret yet.  Great rates and programs are available to give you more power than ever.  Plus home prices have still been held low for now after coming off of the last couple of years, so you still have purchase strength for your dollar!

Pending Home Sales in Sioux Falls and Nationally

You can’t pick a better time this year than NOW to sell your home in Sioux Falls SD area.  As we who live here know the winter season is long and tough. As soon as the sun starts shining buyers start showing up. The market time from list to close could be 3-4 months from start to finish. So by getting your house on the market now you will be catching those prime buyers who want to find a place and move into it before schools start and autumn comes around.

We are already seeing pending home sales in our area going up and an increasing number of home buyers seeking houses.

This trend is more than just seasonal and regional. Here is the rising home sales trend as stated by the National Association of Realtors® …

Washington, DC, April 28, 2011

March saw another increase in pending home sales, with contract activity rising unevenly in six of the past nine months, according to the National Association of Realtors®.

The Pending Home Sales Index,* a forward-looking indicator based on contract signings, rose 5.1 percent to 94.1 in March from a downwardly revised 89.5 in February. The index is 11.4 percent below 106.2 in March 2010; however, activity was at elevated levels in March and April of 2010 to meet the contract deadline for the home buyer tax credit.

The data reflects contracts but not closings, which normally occur with a lag time of one or two months.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said home sales activity has shown an uneven but notable improvement. “Since reaching a cyclical bottom last June, pending home sales have posted an overall gain of 24 percent and demonstrate the market is recovering on its own,” he said. “The index means modest near-term gains in existing-home sales are likely, which would be even stronger if tight mortgage lending criteria returned to normal, safe standards.”

Another number three.

3

There are 3 ways to See Homes.

1. Seek out and wait for Open Houses.

2. Research online, call the agent with the sign in the yard.

3. Call THE AGENT and put me to work showing you homes you'll love.

Today's buyers are smart. They do a  lot of online research ahead of time. I do too. And I'll be on the spot ready to help assist YOU with your home buying plans. Plus, I have some great hookups to give you an advantage!

Stop flipping through pages and pages of information. Just for a minute.  Click on your email or your smart phone and contact me. I promise to make it painless and productive. Never pressure.

John Maurer

"The Agent"

Real Estate Retrievers SD-IA LLC

4300 S Louise Ave #107

Sioux Falls, SD  57106

605-521-1183

john@realestateretrievers.com

Taking Off!

Time to Fly!

Things are changing and taking off! We've finally had our first thunderstorm. The Sioux Falls home buyers are coming out in larger and larger numbers. My 2 children are wrapping up their middle school and elementary phases respectively. And my wife is starting her new job tonight.  She has spent the last few years managing the house, art and ebay. Now she adds one more item to the plate... a J-O-B.

My career is changing too. I've focused the last few years on specializing with investors on properties to fix-up and flip. I love that specialized aspect of the business, but in order to have time to support my buyers and sellers of traditional properties, I've had to limit the number of investors I deal with.

Its been a great change. I'm really enjoying getting to help greater numbers of 1st and 2nd time home buying and home selling clients. It is really helping my referral base too. So if you are reading this, send me your friends and family with real estate needs. My pro-active marketing and work ethic has really been paying off for the clients I work with!

Rule of 3 and Open House On Demand!

open house on demand?

I have a rule of three. If my brain takes note at least 3 times on something interesting I've seen, heard or dreamt, I scribble out a plan.

Last weekend, I was doing the proverbial Sunday Open House from 1pm to 2pm.  And In walks a person I've seen at this same house, same open day/time about a month prior.  I said, "Hey! Long time no see! Came to look again?" The young lady responded, "YES! I've been waiting for you to do another open house on this place."

HUH? I thought. Brain spark.

"Well, you still have my card from last time?" I asked.  "Yep!" She said. "Then, why didn't you just call me then?! I can show it to you any time!"

She said that she didn't want to put me out by calling and scheduling a showing. She said she'd just prefer to stop by when the house had a scheduled open.

It is then that I thought to myself, This is like the third time someone has said they didn't want to bother anyone, and just want to see the house during an open. Third time.....third....time....THIRD TIME! stop.....Rule of 3.....make a note to self.

So now it's Monday. I've got to put in ads for the next weekend. Gotta schedule open houses. I have 9 great listings, limited time and can't possibly do opens for ALL of them in the same weekend.  But people are waiting to see these homes! Then it hits me.

I'll do OPEN HOUSES ON DEMAND. I can have a bunch of listings available to show for a vast space of time BOTH Saturday and Sunday!!  All I have to do is make signs that say "Open House on Demand! Call on the fly or schedule a time between 11am and 6pm you'd like to see this home!"

Hmmm...Open House On Demand? Yeah, I know its weird. Probably a bit clumsy and confusing at this point. But I think this just might work. 

I'm putting my internal self-editor on hold. I'm choosing to let that brain spark ignite and fire away. I'm gonna trust my rule of 3. I might stumble, but then I'll skip and eventually I'm going to hone this puppy down.

Let's see how this goes!! Wish me luck!  Heck, you can always set your own open house on demand and let me know what you think!  Saturdays or Sundays between the hours of 11am and 6pm! 

 

Some say hire an agent right away, some say wait. Who Is Right?

Who is Right?

When entering into selling your house or buying a house, some say, "you should hire an agent first thing" and some say, "start on your own." Which way is best?

Going It Alone (at first)
Benefits:

Many buyers like to get comfortable with their research before they jump into working with an agent right away. And many sellers like to tour open houses and review ads, articles and overall marketing of other homes before they call in an agent to give them their advice.

Doing the upfront footwork and research on your own will give you strong indication of wants that you can communicate more effectively when you do hire an agent.

Today's home buyers and home sellers are informed and knowledgeable. Thanks to the internet and great sites like Realtor.com, Zillow.com, Trulia.com, RE605.com and more, the public has many of the tools necessary to get a good start on their real estate goal.

Negatives:

You could get inundated with varying advice from friends, family, agents you meet at opens. This information overload can cause "goal paralysis." In addition, sometimes unsolicited advice is like a back-handed compliment...the intent may be well-meaning, but it can be much more insulting than helpful.

Hire an Agent from the Start

Benefits:

An agent can provide you with advice, insight and hookups that will give you an advantage from the get go.  They can guide you step by step through the process. They can share their experience with who the best lenders are and what programs may benefit you the most when searching or selling homes.

Agents often are aware of brand new listings days before the general public sees this. The multiple listing service and agent word of mouth promote far more properties than advertisements do.

Agents doing the leg work get the process done more quickly and efficiently.

Negatives:

Don't be in a hurry. You'll want to be selective on which agent you choose. Make sure they are a good-fit, have a strong work ethic and are available at times you need them. Also, take some time to interview the agent and make sure they understand your goals and criteria to make sure they will work with your plans. You don't want to find yourself frustrated and not communicating with your agent.


Who is Right? 
If you take the time to consider the process before you even start at all, you'll be right.

Call, text or email John Maurer "The Agent" at 605-521-1183, john@realestateretrievers.com.

Time to buy y'all!

Here are some examples of who should buy a home this year and why.

Investors

- There will be more foreclosed homes available in our area this year than any time in the recent past. One reason is that banks have been holding a "shadow inventory." They have been very slow to get homes on the market  in the last couple of years and are waiting for the market to come back a little so they can build the values up.  That way they wouldn't lose as much on the homes. This year is the year they are getting those houses out there.

-With more foreclosed homes, competition isn't quite as fierce and your chances of getting a bargain are higher.

-Banks have been pricing homes lower than they did in the recent past because they want to start thinning their inventories.

-The second half of 2010 had a lull in first time home buyers because many of them took advantage of the tax credit going on in the first half of the year. Now they've been slowly building in numbers and will be looking for good valued homes that have been fixed up and move-in ready.

First-Time Home Buyers

- Rates are still super low!

- Home values are holding at a strong affordability ratio in the Sioux Falls area.

- There are TONS of incentives with local governments and banks to help you out with financing your first place.

- Monthly payments on a home are more often than not, LESS than monthly rent. In fact, national average is a little less than 10% less.

- Home sellers have spent time and money getting their homes in great showing condition so they shine to potential buyers.

- Home sellers have experienced a small gain in value of their homes over last year, but are still keeping their pricing VERY competitive.

- Coming off of a 2nd half 2010 lull in entry level homes and winter, now there are more great homes than ever to shop!

Home Sellers / Move-Up Buyers

- We should see a bounce back in the number of first-time home buyers from the 2nd half 2010 lull we had.

- Even if your home isn't an entry level home, you will see a chain of buyers building in most every home price range.

- Rates are still good.

- Entry level homes in our area have had some minor appreciation due to the tax credit buyers of the 1st half of 2010.

- If you have maintained your home in good condition and price it in line with homes in your area, buyers will come!

- You may not gain as much on the sale of your house as you could but you will most definitely gain more house for the money on your buy side. Here's why: More expensive homes have built up a larger inventory than typical. This means a better value when buying up! If you made let's say $5000 less on your $100,000 home than you could in a couple of years for example. That $5000 lost equates to 5% of the home value.  If you just carried logic to your next home and buy now for let's say $200,000 you would save $10,000 (5%) on your buy side than you would by waiting a couple of years. A net gain of $5000! But in actuality there are more of those $200,000 plus homes out there and you'd probably save even more. 

If you have any questions on profit makers, buying programs, home values or marketing, don't hesitate to ask "The Agent." Run your research, thoughts or ideas by me. No obligations.  John Maurer 605-521-1183 (call or text). John@realestateretrievers.com.

356 N Holiday - Sioux Falls, SD 57103

Introducing 356 N Holiday Dr - Sioux Falls SD 57103 

only $139,900

Incredible updates you won't believe...like GRANITE! If you are looking for that move in ready home with all the extras you deserve? Look no further! This home was remodeled with you in mind. GRANITE countertops in the Kitchen, both Bathrooms and even the folding table in the laundry room. Very spacious and open floor plan with a new walk-in GRANITE surround shower in the lower level. Even the toe-kicks are GRANITE. Fresh paint inside and out with a large garage and an extra parking pad. Fenced in backyard and deck off the dining area provide for great entertaining. This home has so much to offer that you need to read the captions to get it all in.

Home Selling: Logic or Luck? Mind or gut?

I'm the guy who is too conservative for my democrat friends and too liberal for my republican buddies.

I'm the guy who acts too hip for people my own age and too square for young hipsters.

My agnostic friends call me a Bible-thumper, my Christian friends get concerned that I have wandered off the path.

Who am I? Well I'm the guy who takes the time to consider all the angles. Yes, I have been known to be an over-analyzer, and occasionally a waffler.

I’m simply trying to find balance between logic and luck. Between gut instinct and the mind.

I believe in universal truth and I am willing stand firmly on a position. But, also, I can see that sometimes, there can be truth behind 2 different and opposing ideas. And that is weird.

What's weird is not that duality exists. Being aware of it, balancing it, well, that’s the weird part.

This becomes an internal dialogue that I've gotten to know. Kind of like a neighbor that I'm happy to greet, but hope isn't outside when I pull in after a long day.

It's a voice of reason that tells me there is often another side and another voice to every story.

Case in point: I’ll have a home for sale where the price, timing, condition, and location are all in alignment for a quick sale. But sometimes it seems that a house will decide to get a good offer when it damn well pleases, despite the logic of my exhaustive research. So, why fight it? Put it on MLS and wait patiently.

On the flip side of course, my stomach tells me that you have to give action to get a reaction. The more people get to see this home, the better the chances are that a deal will be struck. And of course, in order to be seen, I have to "introduce" this home to as many people as possible through open house, ads and overall buzz.

See every home listed gets on MLS and is exposed to all cooperating Realtors®. And 96% of homes sell from other MLS Realtor members. So why advertise? Why hold open houses? Am I throwing away good money to get a result that I have no control over? But then again 80% of homebuyers start searching for homes on their own, without a Realtor®. By ignoring those starters am I extending the home's marketing time unnecessarily?

Is it patience or perseverance? Is it logic or luck? Answer to both? Both.

So, am I the guy who relies on what my brain tells me? Or, am I the guy who relies on what my gut tells me? I am both. And everyday I'm trying to be the guy who does the right thing, will go brain and will go gut and more often than not will end up somewhere in between. Where my heart is. And that's where I think universal truth comes from anyway.

So, Lookout for one of my ads and opens coming to a neighborhood near you :)

The Horse Race

THE HORSE RACE

It's a cold winter. They forecast -50 windchill for this evening. Not what you'd call prime home selling weather. But let me tell ya things are starting to have that subtle sense of excitement. An inner buzz. Nearly everyone I've spoken to in the industry is feeling it. So its probably not just blind optimism. So if things really are getting ready to get busy, what does this mean? Of course the first most honest answer was "Time for Steady Paychecks Again!" Then a deeper answer came to mind "We Better Get Ready!" And that's exactly right. For me, it's time to gear up and get a firm grasp on this market. Hone in on my marketing strategies. Get blogging again. Keep up with friends and past clients on social media sites. Spread the good word. Start making phone calls to let people know that the first ones out the gate are gonna get the best homes for the money. For you, it means gettin out there and braving these frigid temperatures to find some awesome houses. You'll have a head start and a little time to consider each house as you look. Cause come a month or maybe less the horse race begins! I'm getting ready. You should too. Call or text for some good "out-the-gate" information to prepare you for the process. 605-521-1183.