All Blog Entries by Joshua Keen 
That's me (Joshua) on the left. Ok ... a little about me in an extremely limited series of words: Thinker of thoughts. Writer of words. Consulant of Real Estate. Seller of homes. Obsessed with systems and marketing. One-fourth of "TeamRSB". This is our blog (aka "web log"). You can check us out here too:
There are currently 200 blog entries published by Joshua Keen.
Market Update - The Importance of Being Informed
Friday, August 15th, 2008 at 7:49am. 322 Views, 0 Comments.
It's important to stay up on Atlanta Real Estate Market Trends. So much that every week I send ALL of my current sellers a detailed analysis of the current market in their specific area and competing value range.
If you don't know what's going on in the market...how are you supposed to know how to take advantage of it?
"Are You Trying to Screw Me?"
Wednesday, August 6th, 2008 at 2:17pm. 408 Views, 0 Comments.
No.
But...depending on your situation...the market might be.
I just got back from meeting with a potential client who is looking to sell his 1 bedroom 1 bath loft in downtown Atlanta. Before going to visit with him, I put together a quick market analysis for his building.
The analysis uncovered the following:
There are currently five 1 bedroom 1 bath units on the market ranging in price from $170,000 to $225,000. Two units at the lower end of the active value range have been on the market for over 9 months not selling.
In the last 6 months there have been 4 successful sales while 16 properties have gone off the market as unsold.
This means, for every 1 unit selling there are 4 units going off the market as unsold.
Of the 4…
Subprime Primer
Tuesday, August 5th, 2008 at 9:05am. 339 Views, 0 Comments.
The mortgage industry over the last 5 years
Has made a real mess of things. Painfully funny, no doubt.First Time Buyer Tax Break
Monday, August 4th, 2008 at 4:53pm. 404 Views, 0 Comments.
$7500 Tax Credit to 1st Time Buyers
You can read all about it here.
And don't forget to check into FAQ #16 while you're there. This tax credit has to be paid back when you sell the house or 15 years after collection - whichever comes first.
Nothing in life is free.
The Myth of Advertising
Wednesday, July 30th, 2008 at 7:38am. 344 Views, 0 Comments.
Most Sellers love to talk about advertising. They want to know where their home is being seen and, in many cases, the instant they put their homes up for sale they become "arm-chair" marketers.
I had a long talk with a prospective client yesterday who literally had an outline of over 100 media outlets he expected his home to be advertised on- from television spots to a cork board at the local coffee shop. Many of them...most of them, actually...had nothing to do with targeting buyers of real estate.
Now, in this market -- I've learned to "choose my battles wisely" so we parted as friends and he continues his search for an agent who is able to meet his expectations.
The question for you, as a Seller in this current market, is whether you…
Is Now the Time to Sell?
Monday, July 28th, 2008 at 3:20pm. 374 Views, 0 Comments.
Is now a good time to sell your home?
Only if you NEED to.
**note - "need" for the purpose of this post means you are in a situation for which selling your home is the only option available to you.
Timing the Market
Saturday, July 26th, 2008 at 4:41pm. 327 Views, 0 Comments.
"How long will it take to sell my house?"
It's one of the most common questions I'm asked today. And the answer is quite simple: as a Seller, you decide how long your home will be on the market by what price you put on it.
Price and time are directly related.
I talk with a lot of folks who are concerned about "negotiating room". They think if they price their home too low they're going to get a "low ball" offer and they won't have any room to negotiate with the buyer. Here's the truth...if you price your home out of the marketplace so that you have room for negotiating, you might miss the Buyer that's willing to pay the price you're willing to accept.
So wouldn't it be better to price it right and hold tight, as opposed to building too…
Mortgaging Hope
Thursday, July 24th, 2008 at 5:15pm. 316 Views, 0 Comments.
As a kid, I collected baseball cards. I would literally spend hours reviewing, organizing and "pricing" my cards. And if you've ever collected baseball cards then you're probably aware of Beckett's Price Guide. For those of you that don't...Beckett's Price Guide is a monthly magazine that publishes the "going rate" for individual sports cards. Now, here's a simple truth of baseball cards (and all collectibles): a baseball card is only worth what a ready buyer is willing to pay for it when you want to sell it. Meaning my baseball card was only worth the cardboard it was printed on UNLESS there was a buyer willing to pay me more. Sure...I could say it was worth $5 (or $5000 for that matter) but, at the end of the day, until I someone offers to pay…
Chicken Soup for the Real Estate Seller
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 at 7:16am. 327 Views, 0 Comments.
Let's say you go to the grocery store and there are 10 cans of chicken soup on the shelf. If you're like most people, you're going to look carefully at their price per ounce, the label, the kind of noodles it has, etc. And, if you're like most people, you buy the best value for your dollar in chicken soup. And you take your time doing it.
On the other hand, if there's only one can of chicken soup and there are 3 others behind you just waiting to snatch it up as soon as you're done inspecting the label, you're not going to be nearly as discriminating. You'll simply put in your cart and move on. And you'll do it quickly and pay the going rate.
That's the difference between a buyer's market and a seller's market. Buyer's look at things…
You Can Lead a Horse to Water...
Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 at 12:13pm. 311 Views, 0 Comments.
If you're a "motivated seller" and your home has been on the market for more than 4 months without an offer - it's your agent's fault.
If you're a "motivated buyer" and you've been looking for a home to purchase for longer than 8 weeks - it's your agent's fault.
I meet a lot of Buyers and Sellers who would agree with me here. But simply agreeing who's to blame doesn't solve the problem does it?
Here's the truth: You need an agent who is bold enough to tell you why your home is not selling and what to do about it. And you need to follow their lead. You need an agent who is honest enough to tell you why you're not finding what you're looking for in the market. And you need to listen to them.
And, for you agents out there, if you're bold…
Real Source Blog
That's me (Joshua) on the left. Ok ... a little about me in an extremely limited series of words: Thinker of thoughts. Writer of words. Consulant of Real Estate. Seller of homes. Obsessed with systems and marketing. One-fourth of "TeamRSB". This is our blog (aka "web log"). You can check us out here too:
