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What is the correlation between the county’s tax assessed price on a home and the price that house will sell for? Nothing. It’s comparing apples to oranges. Here are some things to consider.- Assessed Value is the means to an end. Our local government needs to collect an appropriate amount of taxes to fund their budget.
- The government will get what they need – they will either raise our assessments or raise the millage rate. But be assured, they will get the money.
- Market Value is determined on what buyers are willing to pay at any given time. The main three criteria are price, location and condition. The seller can control their asking price and adjust the condition.
- Tax assessments are assigned annually. It takes awhile for the assessed value to reflect fluctuations in the local market.
- Market value is fluid, changing constantly.
- Tax Assessors are human – they have good days and bad days, just like the rest of us!
- Home buyers’ decisions are subjective – they will buy what appeals to them.
- Tax Assessors, for the most part, do not go in your home.
- Buyers tour your house and have an opinion about what they want, what they don’t want, the work they are willing to do and the tasks they are willing to overlook.
Fewer homes for sale– if you know how many houses sell per month and how many houses are currently for sale; then it’s Economics 101. The demand is greater than the supply. (if you have been wanting to sell – now is an Excellent time – call one of the 3 Realtors on the Eisenlauer Team) List Price/Sale Price – houses are selling closer to list price , sometimes even over list price. Now is not the time to lowball the seller. February 2016 – sales are 95.9% of original list price. Buyers must be pre-qualified – In the current market – you will not be taken seriously without a pre-qualification letter . “If you don’t provide a pre-approval letter from your lender when you make your offer, you won’t even be considered as a serious buyer. Getting a pre-approval is free; it also helps you determine your budget and will give you an idea of what your monthly payments will be.” says Luke Landis at Movement Mortgage. Days on the Market – homes are on the market for fewer days right now. If you are in the buying process – have your ‘ducks in a row’ and be ready to write an offer with your Realtor – sooner! Right now, the Des Moines median is 78 days on the market. Another consideration – in a buyers market, you may be competing against 2 or more other buyers. Consider ahead of time how you can be competitive.- Price is not the only consideration. Being able to be flexible in your closing date may give you an edge. Some sellers will want ASAP closing – others may need a little more time to move to their next home. Flexibility may be a deciding factor.
- Repairs – Maybe you have skills and time that the sellers don’t. You may be able to negotiate doing some required/requested repairs on the seller’s behalf.
- Personality – Sometimes a seller will choose to sell to someone they like. I am not suggesting that they would discriminate for or against someone because of nationality, religion etc. But consider writing a letter to be presented with your offer. Let the buyer know the things that are especially appealing about the house they have loved. Give them some details about yourself . 95% of people buy (and sell) on emotion and justify logically. Personify yourself!
Do you remember watching Alfred Hitchcocks’s suspenseful movie Vertigo? A complicated story surrounding a cop with a fear of heights and spiraling dizziness. That’s how I feel when I see photos of staircases on the MLS. There’s even a name for fear of stairs. It is Climacophobia. It is often traced back to an earlier trauma involving stairs. Do you need to see photos of the stairs when house-hunting? I assume that if a house has a second story – there are stairs to get you there. If there’s a basement, there are certainly stairs. The problem lies in photographing the stairs. I’ve seen bad stair photos from both amateurs and professionals. How do you make the stairs look appealing, without instilling the feeling of vertigo? Do the photos of the stairs do anything to enhance the appeal of the house? What’s your reaction when you look at these photos? Should they be included or left off marketing material for the sale of a house? The Eisenlauer Team would love to hear your feedback.
People of Des Moines are in a unique position. We have more access to political candidates and national media celebrities than anywhere else in the country. The First in the Nation position has an amazing impact on our hometown. And we’re making a good impression! Some things I’ve heard and read.- Economic impact on Des Moines area during caucus season – $18 MILLION
- Iowa Nice is not a cliché.
- Raygun with their ninja skills has a section of shirts just for out-of-town media – Iowa! Small Town Charm, Big Time Caucus!
- West End Architectural Salvage – what a backdrop.
- Centro, Tacopocalypse, Gateway Market, Zombie Burger – out-of-towners are adopting our faves! Even Big Daddy’s Bar-B-Q is back for the weekend!
- Movies being made about us – Courting Des Moines & Prez-ography
- A musical that comes around, updated and entertaining, every 4 years – Caucus! The Musical
- Local photography is showcased in the skywalks.
- You must be registered as a Republican or Democrat to participate.
- If you prefer being independent, don’t worry. You can switch back after Monday.
- They all start at 7:00 PM
- Teens and interested students welcome to observe and guaranteed to learn.
- Number of bars per city
- Number of mobile home parks per capita
- Number of tobacco stores per city
- Number of places to get fishing gear
- Number of guns and ammo stores per city
- Walmarts, Golden Corrals, Bass Pro Shops, and dollar stores nearby
- Fort Dodge
- Spirit Lake
- Denison
- Bloomfield
- West Liberty
- Missouri Valley
- Fort Madison
- Red Oak
- Maquoketa
- Osceola
Tchotchke, pronounced chach-ke. It’s an appropriate time of year to contemplate the economic impact of the gifts we buy for the person who needs nothing. One of my favorite blogs – DemoMemo invented a Tchotchke Index. I love this blog, because, as we all know – Figures don’t lie, but liars can figure! You won’t believe the studies that have been done and conclusions drawn from them. Check it out- DemoMemo. First -consider what defines a tchotchke. Some say a decorative item for the home. Some say cheap and tacky items displayed in the home. Bauble, bric-a-brac, curio, trinket, knickknack. No matter what you call them, we all have them, we’ve all received them, we’ve all given them. But did you ever imagine that the economic health of our country could be gauged by how much we spend annually on tchotchkes? Self-storage facilities might also be an indicator of our love of trinkets. The assumption is that when we feel economically solid, we spend more on fluff decor. DemoMemo claims that the index peaked in 2000 and fell to it’s low in 2003. The good news is that 2014 spending on useless bric-a-brac shows cautious optimism. We’re up from 2013, but less than 2012. So, if you’re feeling comfortable in the wallet – purchase a purely non-essential bauble and feel at peace with the universe.Remember the nursery rhyme –
There was a crooked man, and he walked a crooked mile,
He found a crooked sixpence against a crooked stile;
He bought a crooked cat which caught a crooked mouse,
And they all lived together in a little crooked house.
That’s what this category of Bad MLS photos reminds me of. There’s something about our amateur photo-taking abilities that results in crooked photos. Take note when you look at your photos – we tilt to the right or the left. Some of us tilt more than others!
There are sites that allow you to straighten the photo, lighten or darken OR you can hire a professional photographer to do listing photos. But here’s some examples of agents/sellers who “did it my way” and their crooked results.
Warning – If you are prone to vertigo, this may bring on an episode!
Fun and safe Halloween option with a Salvation message. 5-7:00 PM Friday Oct 30 at Grace Fellowship Church. Join us! (and hotdogs!)
Come to Pleasant Hill’s Orange Planet for a fun family event – annual Trunk or Treat. Eisenlauer Team will be there with home-made Cotton Candy (candy spider’s web) Sunday Oct 25 from 4:00-6:00 PM.
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