Kalamazoo Real Estate Podcast with Scott Ashbaugh

The Truth About Home Loans

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Fri, 3 Feb 2017 09:07:00 -0800

If you are looking to buy a home, make sure you’re not being fooled by these common lies about home loans.

Selling in the Kalamazoo area? Get a home value report

Buying in the Kalamazoo area? Click here for full MLS access

We get lots of questions and requests from our clients pertaining to all aspects of real estate. Our request today is, “Help me better understand home loans and the home loan process.”

National surveys show that there are several lies out there that people accept and believe. These include:

It takes an 800 FICO score to qualify for a home. You can absolutely qualify for a home if your FICO score is below 800.
You need to put 20% down on a home. There are programs out there that offer financing without a down payment.
There is a “no.” There may be a “no” today if there is some issue with your financial background, but the experts that we are going to hook you up with will walk you through exactly what you need to do to get you on the fastest path to get you qualified for a home loan. If you go through these steps, it’s not a “no.” It is simply a “when.”

It’s very important that right up front you clearly understand what type of property you are looking to buy because you have to qualify for a loan and the type of property you want to buy has to qualify for that type of loan. We want to make sure we are getting you qualified and prepared for the right kind of loan, so helping us understand exactly what you are looking for right away is very beneficial.

No matter what position you’re in, we’ll find out what makes the most sense for you.

Your FICO score, debt-to-income ratio, career, and household income may open you up to another type of loan. These factors are going to change bi-weekly, so experts are going to walk you through where you are today and walk you through all of the different loan packages that are out there.

Some people will have no money to put down, but can afford a house payment, while others will have up to 20% or more to put down. No matter what position you’re in, the loan experts we are going to hook you up with will walk you through all of your options to figure out what is going to make the most sense for you.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We would be happy to help you!

What Happened in the 2016 Real Estate Market?

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 07:07:00 -0800

What happened at the end of the 2016 real estate market? I’ll give you a quick recap today, and we’ll also take a glimpse at the upcoming 2017 market.

Selling in the Kalamazoo area? Get a home value report

Buying in the Kalamazoo area? Click here for full MLS access

2016 has come to a close. As we start a new year, now is a great time to reflect on what happened in the 2016 real estate market.

A lot of things happened in our market due to the election. We expected interest rates to rise after the election results came in, and that is exactly what happened. As we enter January, rates are starting to creep up a little bit.

Those increasing rates are affecting the market already. Buyers want to go out and lock down a low rate now before rates go up even further.

As a result, November, December, and January have been incredibly busy months in the real estate market. We were writing offers, closing transactions, and selling houses on Christmas Eve and on New Year’s Eve.

We expect 2017 to be a record-breaking year.

Now that the holidays are over and things are getting back to normal, we have seen a drastic increase in market activity. Many people have reached out to us and asked for help selling their homes; the market has really picked up.

There aren’t as many buyers on the market now as there will be in the spring, but there are more buyers on the market now than we have ever seen at this time of year before.

There are not many homes for sale right now either, which is actually great news for home sellers. Since inventory is low, buyers will come look at your house for sure. Also, interest rates should continue to rise throughout 2017. If you want to sell your home to a large pool of buyers, now is a great time to list your property.

People buy and sell houses 12 months out of the year. We have shown houses in hip-deep snow. Don’t slow down just because there are a few snowflakes out there; keep going.

As I said, December of 2016 was the busiest December I have ever seen, and January is off to an incredible start. We are anticipating a record-breaking year for real estate. If you have any other questions about our upcoming market, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

The Drawbacks of Selling Your Own Home

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Mon, 5 Dec 2016 10:10:00 -0800

It’s possible to sell your home on your own, but what should you know beforehand? Here are three things to be prepared for.

Selling in the Kalamazoo area? Get a home value report

Buying in the Kalamazoo area? Click here for full MLS access

Because the market in West Michigan is so hot right now, a lot of home sellers have been asking me whether it would be a good idea to sell their homes on their own. Can you sell your home on your own? Absolutely. But here are three things you should be prepared to do:

Prepare for a lot of online marketing. When we list a home, we upload that listing to approximately 1,100 different websites. Let me be clear: a posting on Craigslist and sticking a ‘for sale’ sign in front of your house will not generate enough traffic on your home. In this day and age, everybody is looking online and where they look can vary drastically. For this reason, you have to make sure that your home is listed online on a wide range of sites and that it’s presented in the best possible light.
Prepare to let strangers into your home. Should you let just anybody into your house? You have to determine whether these are qualified buyers who have been approved for a loan, or simply looky-loos with nothing better to do than visit your house. A lot of sellers who are working without agents have told us that many of the people who ask to look at their home have asked questions like, “Would you consider renting the property?” or, “Would you be interested in doing a lease option or land contract?” These are indications that these buyers have not gone through the process of getting a pre-qualified for a proper loan. A real estate agent will be sure to check the credentials of any buyer before they let them into your home.
Prepare for legal paperwork and negotiation. There is a lot of federal, state, and local documentation to take care of when selling a house. This is in addition to the proper title work that needs to be done and ensuring that all of the paperwork is properly filed at closing. It’s important to make sure that everything is disclosed and documented the right way so that in case the buyer has any problems after closing, you won’t be at any legal risk. It’s the job of a real estate agent to handle all of this so that you don’t have to.

Are you prepared to handle all of the legal paperwork on your own?

It's certainly possible to sell your home ‘for sale by owner’ but before you decide to do this, make sure you understand everything involved in a home sale transaction. Statistically, a real estate professional will be able to sell your home for more money in a quicker time frame while saving you all of the hassle in the process.

If you have any other questions about selling your home in the Kalamazoo area, don’t hesitate to reach out by phone or email. I’d be happy to help you!

How Colin Found His Forever Home Using the NAEA System

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 13:49:00 -0700

Today I wanted to share the story of Colin, a homeowner from England who found his forever home using the NAEA System.

Selling in the Kalamazoo area? Get a home value report

Buying in the Kalamazoo area? Click here for full MLS access

Also, check out the full documentary here!

I would like to share with you another portion from a real estate documentary I was privileged to be part of. This clip shows how an expert adviser helped a buyer named Colin Hatcher and his family find a forever home.

Colin and his family were originally from England and had moved a lot in the last few years. They were looking for a home to settle down in and have forever. They thought the home buying process would be littered with homes they didn’t like and prices they didn’t agree with, but they were pleasantly surprised and ended up finding their dream home quickly using the NAEA System.

An expert adviser helped Colin find a forever home.

To learn what Colin has to say about his experience finding his dream home, watch the video above.

Thanks for taking the time to get another taste of the documentary! If you have any questions about the NAEA System or the Kalamazoo real estate market, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be more than happy to help you out in any way I can.

How an Expert Adviser Helped a Buyer Find Her Dream Home

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 14:39:00 -0700

Today I wanted to share the story of Alma, a homeowner from San Antonio who found her dream home using the NAEA System, and working with her own expert adviser.

Selling in the Kalamazoo area? Get a home value report

Buying in the Kalamazoo area? Click here for full MLS access

Also, check out the full documentary here!

I wanted to share a great clip from a real estate documentary that I was privileged to be part of. In this part of the documentary, a buyer with high standards and big goals find her dream home with the NAEA System and an expert adviser.

Alma, a self-described “picky buyer,” was coached by her expert adviser and was able to find a home with all the features she wanted. Alma said she thought of this home as the next-to-last resting place for her.

She wanted it to be perfect, and her expert adviser delivered. Alma also talks about moving from San Antonio and not being able to come to travel back and forth for certain things, and how her expert adviser was able to give her peace of mind by taking care of them.

Thanks for taking the time to get another taste of the documentary! If you have any questions about the NAEA System or the Kalamazoo real estate market, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be more than happy to help you out in any way I can.

Why Do We Recommend Pre-Listing Inspections?

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 14:02:00 -0700

I wanted to share with you a small clip of a real estate documentary I made recently. This clip talks about how we help our home sellers with a pre-listing inspection. Instead of waiting until the buyer’s inspection to address problems, having a pre-listing inspection will help you be proactive. It will help you sell for more money too. To learn more about pre-listing inspections and how useful they are, watch this short video.

Selling in the Kalamazoo area? Get a home value report

Buying in the Kalamazoo area? Click here for full MLS access
Also, check out the full documentary here!

I wanted to share a portion of a real estate documentary that I was privileged to make recently. This segment is about pre-listing inspections, and I think it’s quite insightful.

Depending on the type of transaction we have, there are a lot of different variables. On the seller side, there are 115 different variables we look at. There are 85 different variables on the buyer side.

Buyers appreciate pre-listing inspections.

For sellers who want to sell for top dollar, a pre-listing inspection is key. People don’t realize that when they get their home under contract, they still have to go through the inspection period with the buyer. This opens up another round of negotiations and can ultimately kill a deal. A pre-listing inspection fixes that.

By having a full inspection done before you even list your home, it gives you the flexibility to find problems, address them, and ultimately sell for a higher price. Buyers appreciate this as well, and are more likely to pay your price if a home inspection has already been done on the home.

If you have any questions for me about inspections or anything else real estate related, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help. Also, check out the full documentary here!

Check Out Get Real Featuring Scott Ashbaugh

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Tue, 2 Aug 2016 13:21:00 -0700

Selling in the Kalamazoo area? Get a home value report

Buying in the Kalamazoo area? Click here for full MLS access

I was privileged to make a real estate documentary recently, and I wanted to share a few pieces of advice from it today.

Typically, the public does not understand that real estate agents are seen as a commodity. Part of our responsibility is to educate you about the scope of the real estate process. A lot of people don’t understand what a properly trained real estate agent can and should do, so if they are working with an agent who is not handling things correctly, they think, “This is the way it is and I don’t have any other choice. Aren’t all real estate agents the same?”

For most people, selling your home is the largest transaction you will make in your lifetime. That is your home equity on the line, not your agent’s. You don’t want to take any chances. You only want the biggest payoff possible when you sell your home.

I am a dairy farm kid. I worked in engineering and plant management, and my exit strategy was to invest in real estate. Then I got tired of dealing with real estate agents, so I learned from some of the top agents, Michael Reese and Jay Kinder from NAEA, and became one myself.

"I focus on getting the job done right."

Recently, I picked up two houses that had been listed by another agent from a different brokerage. Both properties had sat on the market for over 400 days and failed to sell. The homeowners contacted me and I was able to sell both properties in two weeks. One went for over asking price, and the other sold close to asking price. My clients asked what it was that I did differently than their previous agent, and I couldn’t answer. I don’t know what other agents do. I focus on getting the job done right.

The National Association of Expert Advisors uses the minds of the top Realtors and teams in the United States to improve systems for success. They have learned 115 different variables in the home selling process. By maximizing those variables, your agent can help you sell at the top of the market.

Just last year, my brokerage helped over 4,000 clients with their real estate transactions. I am happy to have helped so many people succeed. If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

What Are We Going to See in Real Estate in 2015?

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Thu, 29 Jan 2015 10:56:00 -0800

Hey everyone, today I want to talk to you a little about what we saw in the real estate market in 2014, and what we can expect to happen in the coming year.

In many aspects, 2014 was a lot like 2013. Our economy has continued to warm up, buying and selling activity has continued to grow, and we have burned through many of our distressed properties.

Things seemed to be moving along at a steady pace, until the 4th quarter of 2014, that is. Not only here in Kalamazoo, but nationally, things started to explode. What caused this huge increase in market activity? Well, the fact that interest rates are at historic lows was a major factor, as well as a leveling off in home prices.

In 2015, economists are in unanimous agreement that interest rates will rise. By how much and when, we aren't sure, but most economists predict rates to rise by about 1% in the next year. So, if you have been thinking about buying or selling your home, now is the time when conditions are shaping up perfectly for you.

Give us a call or send us an email, and let's set up a time to sit down and talk about your goals. We are just as committed as you in trying to reach them.

What Does Our New Office Mean for You?

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Tue, 18 Nov 2014 16:32:00 -0800

We're very excited about the opening of our brand new office at 5583 Stadium Drive. It's just west of 131 and just south of Stadium Drive. Brand new furniture came in Friday and we're officially open for business - in fact, we've already had closings here!

Star Title, our title company, does our title work and closings for us. We wanted to congratulate them for being recognized by Inc Magazine as a top 100 mid-sized company in the United States. It doesn't surprise us - they do a wonderful job every time and we have many satisfied clients because of it.

Last year, 3,480 homes were sold and we are looking to grow that number to serve more clients and expand our team. We've been waiting all summer long and have been working diligently to get this office open, so we're very pleased to finally invite you all to come down!

As always, if you or anyone you know needs a hand navigating the real estate waters, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would be pleased to give you a hand!

How we helped Alice with her real estate needs by helping her with what she needed

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 10:44:00 -0700

"Everything worked out really great. Anytime I tried to call Brenda, she would always return our calls and really just helped us out. She worked with us to get what we needed and all together it was a very good experience. We really appreciated working with Scott and Brenda because they did a lot of help with us."

The Scott Ashbaugh Home Expert Team Difference

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 09:22:00 -0700

If you are selling your home or have ever sold a home, it's no secret that you want the most money in the shortest amount of time. If you are currently selling a home in Kalamazoo, the good news for you is that you can get up to 18% more money for your home by doing business with The Scott Ashbaugh Home Expert Team.

We aren't just blindly promising you that we will do this, we have the statistics to back it up. We recently closed on two houses that were on the market for over 400 days by another firm. Once we got a hold of the property, however, it was sold within 14 days for the original asking price.

So what do we do differently than other agents in Kalamazoo?

The truth is we don't know. We aren't aware of what other agents do or what their process is like. What we are aware of is what we do. We use 115 different variables to get your home sold. By making sure we are doing those practices, we are able to sell your home quickly and for up to 18% more than you would otherwise.

The National Associaton of Realtors gave a statistic recently that said 58.4% of houses listed in the US fail to sell. That is an unacceptable figure for us. We have a proven system that will not allow that to happen to you.

One of the things we do to increase demand on your property is through internet traffic. There are techniques to make sure that people who are searching online for a similar home to yours end up seeing your home. We have proven methods that differentiate your property from all the other thousands that are currently for sale in Kalamazoo.

We would love to sit down and show you what we can do to service you in the future. Please give us a call and we can get started on selling your home for 18% more immediately.

Instead of searching online for homes, utilize my VIP Client Program

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Thu, 22 May 2014 14:29:00 -0700

The Dangers of Online Home Searches
Searching for homes online is easy and convenient, but there are several major disadvantages to searching online that could come back to haunt you. There are several important things that you need to understand about these websites.

All of those websites like Trulia and Zillow draw from the databases of real estate agents. If you're searching online for a home, why wouldn't you just go to your Realtor and get your information straight from the source?
The online listings are notoriously inaccurate. Some experts claim that as many as 38% of homes currently listed on the market DO NOT APPEAR IN ONLINE SEARCHES.
Many websites are at least a month or two behind in pulling data from databases and updating their listings of available homes.

In order to avoid all of these inconsistencies I urge you to come and join our VIP Client program. You will get immediate notification when a new listing comes onto the market that matches your search criteria. This gives you the best possible chance to put an offer on a home that you really desire.

We also have access to properties that are not listed online. Feel free to ask us about our pocket listings in Kalamazoo at any time.

It's Always a Good Time to Sell In a Year-Round Market

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Fri, 7 Mar 2014 09:10:00 -0800

A lot of clients have been asking me whether now is a good time to sell their property. In order to answer this question accurately, let me explain something first...

You can always sell your home...but let's make sure we do a full, comprehensive market analysis so that we are best positioning your home to sell the quickest, and for the most amount of money.

Here in West Michigan and in the world beyond, society moves year-round. Corporate relocation is happening all the time, and people are moving around the country for various reasons. It's easier than ever to travel, and with this phenomenon comes a year-round housing market. With this being said, I can tell you that any time of year is a good time to sell your home.

Are there certain periods of time where it's better to sell your home? Certainly, but not to a great extent.

I've calculated that on average, there is only a 10% difference in the amount of homes sold from season to season, which is not a large difference statistically.
Every day there are 12,000-14,000 homes sold in the United States.
A surprising statistic I dug up was that seven years ago, at the peak of our real estate market, our inventory was enormous because the market was booming.

Our current market inventory is down by 47%, yet we are selling more homes now than back in 2007.

Things to Know about Our Current Market:

Prices are still very low, but they are beginning to rise again in hotter markets.
Interest rates are still historically low, although they're expected to rise again.

Buyers will be aware of this and be more inclined to purchase this year rather than in 2015 when rates have risen.

Inventory is Way Down: Compared to recent years, inventory is down by a whopping 47%.

So, to answer your question, it's always a good time to sell, but this year is a significantly better point in time to sell.

Hopefully I have thoroughly answered your questions, and if you need any real estate assistance whatsoever in the Western Michigan area, please give me a call. You can reach me at (269) 569-5521 or email me at scott@scottashbaugh.com

Waiting to list your home? Don't let the market fool you!

scott@scottashbaugh.com (Scott Ashbaugh) — Fri, 7 Feb 2014 13:27:00 -0800

There are many great Kalamazoo area home for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (269) 569-5521 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Michigan was one of the hardest-hit markets in the recent financial downturn. This caused lots of people to cease their activity in the market; choosing to wait it out until things improved. However, I want to let you know that this strategy is incorrect, and that waiting may not be your best option.

Homeowners are now paying an average of $207.92 more in monthly payments from November 2012 to November 2013 because average prices and interest rates increased. This increase is especially significant if you're thinking about moving up into a larger, nicer home.

As your current home increases in value, so too does that of the move-up home, but that percentage increase is more dollar-wise. If you wait until 2016 to move into a larger, nicer home, you can expect to pay an extra $763.44 per month as rates and prices increase. By waiting, you're actually losing ground on the bigger, nicer property that you're seeking. This is due to the fact that for every 1% increase in mortgage rates, you lose roughly 10% of buying power on your property.

We want to stress that when interest rates move up, buyers are qualified by what they can pay on a monthly basis. As rates go up, the pool of buyers for a property shrinks because they have to purchase less to make that same payment. Most buyers would be reluctant to go through with that decision.

So, if you're trying to move into a bigger, more comfortable home, the gap is actually increasing, as opposed to shrinking. Mainly, the market is not always as it seems, and it's our job to advise you on what you can do to take advantage of this ever-evolving system.

Contact me to take a look at your situation, and we can formulate a plan to get your property sold.

Call me: (269) 569-5521
Email me: Scott@ScottAshbaugh.com

Thank you for joining me today. I look forward to advising you on your real estate transactions now and in the future. I hope to hear from you soon!