Northwest Arkansas Real Estate Video Blog with Tara Limbird

The Limbird Real Estate Group Is Investing in the Future

2017-02-20T11:50:00.000-08:00

Most homebuyers start their search online. That’s why we’ve invested
in making our home tours the best ones out there.

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home Search
Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

At the Limbird Real Estate Group, we are proud to always be on the cutting edge of technology. This is why we are thrilled to announce our adoption of 3-D home tours. Buying a home can be a taxing process, especially for out-of-town buyers. Typically, Realtors use still photos and some use video to market their homes to buyers. This is only a 2-D experience, however.

We are investing in a three-dimensional experience for our buyers and sellers. Open houses are usually only held for a few hours each week. With our easy-to-navigate 3-D tours, however, your home can be open 24/7, 365 days a year.

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With these tours, you have a

360-degree view of each room.

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We take you beyond the real world with a complete digital scan that gives buyers an unprecedented insight into your home like never before. With the use of lasers and high-tech cameras, potential buyers can select any room to view and instantly place themselves inside that space with the ability to maneuver inside the room and view it in 360 degrees. Buyers will be able to virtually walk through your home, get a feel for its layout, and notice details and features that they typically wouldn’t with still images.

When you combine the fact that the majority of homebuyers start their search online with the power of photos being shared on social media, this is an amazing tool for a seller like yourself to take advantage of. Our team currently advertises on more than 100 websites and we’re ready to put our state-of-the-art technology to work for you.

If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you.

Why Now Is a Good Time to Sell in Our Market

2017-02-06T10:01:00.000-08:00

Many sellers are waiting to list their homes in the next few months. Here’s why going against conventional wisdom could be a great idea for you.

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home Search
Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

This time of year, we get a lot of people telling us they are going to wait to sell until spring or summer because there will be more buyers. While it’s true that there are a larger number of buyers in spring and summer, there is also a lot more inventory for buyers to choose from.

In our market, we have a large relocation of clients that move in and out of the area each year. These people usually make their moves toward the end or beginning of the year. We also have a situation where sellers who took their homes off the market during the holidays are mostly waiting until spring to list.

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You have a window of opportunity right now.

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This gives you a window of opportunity now in which there isn’t a lot of inventory, but you also have a ton of buyers looking and a time of year where people are getting their tax refunds or bonus checks. When buyers have extra money burning a hole in their pocket, they are ready to spend.

There aren’t a whole lot of homes for them to look at right now. The chances of selling your home more quickly and for a higher price are very good right now. It all depends on your situation, but things look good overall. Interest rates are also expected to go up three separate times this next year. That will further affect the number of buyers that look at your house.

If you have any questions for us or want to sell your home, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to help you out and give you the straight answer. We look forward to hearing from you!

Come to Our 3rd Annual Valentine's Day Celebration!

2017-01-25T11:16:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year— our third annual Valentine Love Fest for our loyalty club members is right around the corner. We've got all the details for you today.

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home Search
Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

It's that time of year—the time for our Valentine Love Fest for our clients (past and present), our friends, and our family! This year marks the third annual appreciation party for members of our loyalty club.

As you might remember, we'll give you a big box of chocolates that you can keep for yourself or give to your sweetheart as an early Valentine's Day gift.

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We'll have chocolate, cocktails, and champagne!

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The party is coming up on Tuesday, February 7th from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Other than your big box of chocolates, we'll also have drinks, champagne, and chocolate-covered strawberries. It'll be a great time to come by after work and unwind with some chocolate and champagne.

All we ask is that you fill out this form so we can be sure we have enough candy for everyone!

This year, we will have two locations to make it even more convenient for you to pick up your gift! You can either come to our Benton County pickup location at 5247 W. Metro Park Crossing, Rogers, AR 72758 or our Washington County pick up location at 3291 S. Thompson Street Suite D104 in Springdale.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Not One, but Two Fun Video Updates

2016-12-28T11:08:00.000-08:00

We’ve had a lot of fun things going on with our clients and supporters this month. You can see videos of a couple of them today on the blog.

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home Search
Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

Today I have not one, but two fun videos that I wanted to share.

As you may remember back in November, we gave away pies to our loyalty club members for Thanksgiving and gave you a chance to vote on which of our team members deserved a pie in the face.

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Check out the fun things that’ve happened with our team.

”

Well, yours truly was lucky enough to be one of them. You can see me get pied in the face here.

We also gave away a trip to one lucky client, and you can see their video here.

We had a lot of fun in the last few weeks and we’re really looking forward to a great 2017. If there’s anything you have questions about in real estate or you’re thinking about buying or selling a home, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We’d love to help you!

You’re Invited to Our 4th Annual Pie and Wine Giveaway

2016-11-15T09:16:00.000-08:00

Our 4th Annual Pie and Wine Giveaway is fast approaching.
Here’s how you can register for your free pie or bottle of wine.

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Full Home Search
Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

As a thank you to all of our wonderful clients, friends, and family, we’d like to invite you all to our 4th Annual Pie and Wine Giveaway this year. Your support means the world to us, and we’d like to give you a small token of our appreciation.

What do you have to do to attend? Simply reserve your pie or bottle of wine right here. After that, come visit us on Tuesday, November 22nd at our office located at 5247 W. Metro Park Crossing in Rogers, AR between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to pick up your free pie or bottle of wine.

See you at our office on Tuesday!

But here’s the exciting part. You may have seen some of our videos in the past where we threw pies in the faces of our agents. Well this year, you’ll get to vote for a member of our team to get pie-d in the face! Vote right here or on our Facebook page for any agent or staff member that you’d like to see receive a pie in the face on Facebook Live. There are no rules, so you can vote multiple times for multiple people or for the same person.

Check out the video above to see everybody on our team and remember to vote for the person you’d most like to see receive a pie in the face.

We can’t wait to see you at our Pie and Wine Giveaway! If you have any questions for us in the meantime, give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing from you!

If you are interested in giving back to our community this holiday season, we are also accepting donations for Toys for Tots! Come drop off some new, unwrapped toys for local children in need.

Outsell Your Neighbors With These 4 Tips

2016-10-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Do you want to sell your home faster and for more money than anybody else in your neighborhood? Here are four tips to help you do just that.

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home Search
Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

If you’re selling your home, there are four things that you can do to sell your home faster than anybody else in your neighborhood.

1. Update the landscaping. Curb appeal is huge. If buyers don’t like what they see on the outside, they may never come in and see the inside. Trim your shrubs, pick your weeds, and put a layer of fresh mulch down to make your landscape look new again.

2. Paint. Nothing will make a home feel brand new like new paint on the walls. In the grand scheme of things, paint is relatively inexpensive but can pay huge dividends when it’s time for buyers to make an offer.

3. Move out of the house. Make it appear as though you’ve moved out. If you’re still living in your home, get rid of as much as you can. Like we always say, “Clutter eats equity.” Clutter can make buyers think that the house is smaller than it is or has less storage than it does. The more you can get rid of, the easier it will be to get the home ready for showings, and homes that show well tend to get more offers.

4. Price your home correctly the first time. We analyze price changes and days on market for homes that have sold recently, and most of the time we’ve found that the homes that were priced right the first time sold quicker and for more money than the homes that reduced their price. Even if you’re not in a hurry to sell your home, a home that is priced correctly will net you more money on the bottom line in the end, so it’s important to get out onto the market with the right price the first time.

Homes that sell faster sell for more money.

Follow these four tips, and you’ll sell your home faster than anybody else on your block. If you have any other questions about buying or selling a home in the Northwest Arkansas market, give me a call or send me an email. I’d be happy to help you!

Use Technology to Draw Buyers to Your Home

2016-09-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home search

Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

How can technology attract high-end buyers to your home? HGTV actually said that 46% of consumers think technology is very important for their current or future residencies. In fact, Digital Interior said that 94% of buyers surveyed would sacrifice 1,000 square feet of living space for new technology in their new home. Obviously, technology is important to home buyers. One of the latest trends in home technology that will draw high-end buyers is the smart thermostat. Smart thermostats allow you to control the temperature in your home from your smartphone. You can change the temperature from your couch or your car while going to work.
Home surveillance technology is also very important. Cameras can be mounted discreetly on the walls and ceilings. Buyers will appreciate that they can check in on their home even if they are at work or on vacation. Not only that, you will feel more secure knowing that you can see what is going on in your home.

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About 94% of buyers would sacrifice
1,000 sq ft of living space for new technology.

”

You should also pay attention to technological developments in the kitchen. There are touchless water faucets that come on with just a hand motion, and there are also smart refrigerators. Smart refrigerators will alert you when you’re running low on groceries so that you know when it’s time to head to the store. You can also get a Bluetooth thermostat so that your meals will be perfectly cooked all the time. Finally, luxury entertainment is always a big draw for home buyers. Flat screen TVs and home theaters are fantastic. Not only that, you can control your entertainment system, your security system, and your thermostat from one remote control by Savant! If you have any questions about the latest trends in home technology or want to know more ways to prepare your home for the market, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Tips to Win in a Seller's Market

2016-05-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home search

Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

As you may have heard, the real estate market is incredibly busy. A lot of our buyers are running into multiple offer situations. How do you win?

First, make sure you are pre-approved and that you have a letter in hand. If a seller receives two offers and only one has a pre-approval letter, they will obviously go with the pre-approved buyer.

Let’s say you have two offers and both have been pre-approved. One buyer got pre-approved through a local bank, and the other worked with an out-of-town bank. Any Realtor will tell you that working with a local lender is incredibly important.

Our team works with several lenders on a daily basis, and we definitely trust them. It is much easier to get things done when you work with someone local. Local lenders close loans faster, and there aren't as many headaches during the closing process. Why complicate the biggest purchase you will ever make by working with someone from out of town?

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Make sure you are pre-approved!

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Another tip for buyers in multiple offer situations is to be flexible. Sellers don’t necessarily go for the offer with the best price. Other factors often come into play. Some sellers might not want to move until school is out, so if you can be flexible with your closing date, you will have the advantage over other buyers.

The main thing you can do to win in a multiple offer situation is work with a professional real estate agent. There are a lot of new agents in the market and selling real estate can be a complicated process. Last year, our team sold over 500 homes, so we have lots of experience negotiating the right deal and helping buyers get the keys to their brand new home.

If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

How Can We Guarantee that Your Home Sells?

2016-04-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home search

Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

I know that people always wonder about our guaranteed sale program and how it works. It’s a big promise to make, and I’d like to explain how we manage to keep this promise for our clients who qualify for this program.

Most sellers are often uneasy about the selling price of their home and if a buyer will be found for it. However, with our Guaranteed Sale Program, we agree on a price and a time frame immediately. In the last two years, we have only had to buy one property from our clients using this program.

We have used this program with many of our clients, and it’s worked very well for almost all of them. As you can see, these two people that we helped in the past also thought that the Guaranteed Sold Program was too good to be true. However, their home did sell and they walked away very happy and willing to recommend us to their friends.

Keep in mind that the Guaranteed Sale Program is only available in Benton and Washington Counties, but that covers a majority of Northwest Arkansas.

If you’re selling your home, you owe it to yourself to come down and meet us. We would love the opportunity to help you buy or sell a home!

Happy Valentine’s Day from the Limbird Team

2016-01-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home search

Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

Hello from the Limbird Team! Join us on Tuesday, February 9th between 4 and 7 p.m. Life is like a box of chocolates for our raving fans. Enjoy a box of chocolates, champagne and chocolate covered strawberries, on us! Visit limbirdloyaltyclub.com to register! We look forward to seeing you at our office at 5247 W Metro Park Crossing in Rogers. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Important Questions to Ask Before Buying a Home

2016-01-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home search

Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

Choosing to buy a home is an important decision, and one you shouldn’t make without doing proper research. Today, we’ve got some tips for you on the types of questions you should be asking the homeowner or your Realtor about a potential home purchase. Proper preparation is the key to getting what you want in a home. Here’s where you should narrow your focus:

The Neighborhood

The location of your home is very important. How close are you to different stores, gas stations, or other amenities? Would you rather be in a bustling area or a quieter part of town? Is there any new construction going on in your neighborhood? If so, how will this affect your home’s value? These are all different questions you should be asking when determining where you want to live.

Schools

Another equally important topic to learn about is your potential home’s proximity to different schools. Find out what district your home is in. Even if you don’t have any kids, being in a good school district increases your home’s value when it comes time to sell.

The Little things

There are a ton of different, little things you need to check up on when researching potential homes. Ask about the little things like electric and utility bills, the age of the roof, hot water heater, and other appliances. If you have a lot of maintenance to do on a home, that will impact the kind of offer you make on it.

These are just a few of the questions you should be asking when researching homes. If you have any questions for us, or want to learn some more of the questions you should be asking when looking for a home, give us a call or send us an email. We would love to help!

Is It Possible to Live in Your Northwest Arkansas Home While Selling It?

2015-12-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home search

Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

Living in a For Sale home is often a very stressful experience, but it doesn't have to be. I have a few tips to help make the selling process go as smoothly as possible in this situation:

- Start packing now. The nice thing about starting the packing process soon than later is it gets rid of the clutter. One thing to remember is that clutter eats equity, so this is a crucial thing to do when selling.

- Clean up your home. Make sure everything from your baseboards to your ceiling fans are clean. If clutter eats equity, clean means green, which means more money in your pocket when you sell.

- Store valuables in a safe place. We've never had anything go missing from one of our listings, but it does happen! Make sure your valuables are in a safe place, away from anywhere a buyer might be looking.

- Get your kids involved. Getting your kids involved in the selling process will take a lot of the stress off. Have the kids help you get the home ready for showtime!

If you're living in your home while it's on the market, these things should make a huge difference! If you need real estate assistance, or if you have any questions for us, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

Don't Miss Our Wine and Pie Giveaway!

2015-11-13T10:39:00.000-08:00

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home search

Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

Today we want to give thanks for all the support and patronage that everyone has given us this year. As a small show of our appreciation, we'd like to invite you to our pie and wine giveaway!

It will be taking place on Tuesday, November 24th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at our new location 5247 W Metro Park Crossing, Rogers, AR 72758.

We will be giving away both pie and wine, so you will not want to miss out!

Please click here to reserve your pie or wine.

Happy Holidays from the Limbird Team!

What's the Best Way to Attract the Right Buyers to Your Northwest Arkansas Home?

2015-07-30T12:40:00.001-07:00

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home search

Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

Today's topic is a crucial one if you're a homeowner who is looking to sell: pricing your home!

We cannot stress enough how important pricing is when you're selling. Often, sellers think they can list their home high with the hope that, if anyone is really interested, they will at least make a lower offer. The problem is that overpriced homes can go unseen by the buyers most likely to buy it; buyers typically avoid overpriced homes all together!

Another issue is the need for wiggle room for sellers. In our area, although a lot of homes are selling for full price, there are often many concessions made by the seller in these sales. It also depends on the price range; there are certain price points in our market with limited supply and high demand, which results in little negotiation. However, in other price points, more negotiation is expected because the market is more competitive. Although you do need some wiggle room, if you try to give yourself too much, you may never receive an offer as a result.

We typically know if a home is overpriced by looking at the number of showings. Additionally, we take note if a home is getting a lot of showings but not receiving any offers. Really, the devil is in the details, and our team is good at determining what action needs to be taken to get a home sold. Our 89-Point Marketing Plan sold over 200 listings last year, and we know that when this plan works, it ultimately comes down to pricing!

If you have questions about how much your home is worth, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

Who's the Best Real Estate Team in Northwest Arkansas?

2015-07-28T13:04:00.000-07:00

Buying a Northwest Arkansas home? Get a full home search

Selling your Northwest Arkansas home? Get a Home Price Evaluation

VOTE HERE!

It's that time of year again, and we need your votes to become the best real estate team in Northwest Arkansas for the third consecutive year!

We were incredibly honored to win this award in 2013 and 2014, and we would love to win again this year.

However, we need your help to do this. You can go to NWADG.com/best which is the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette's website, and vote for "Limbird Team". Once you're there you'll need to click to the left on the 'Best Home & Finance' button, then scroll to the bottom to find the 'Individual Real Estate Agent' selection button. Type in Limbird Team and hit vote! Nominations can be made NOW until August 10th!

We love winning awards, and we're blessed to have won many in the past. However, this award is special because it comes directly from you.

As always, if you need any assistance buying or selling real estate in Northwest Arkansas, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Northwest Arkansas Real Estate Review for 2014

2015-02-05T10:49:00.001-08:00

There are many great Northwest Arkansas area homes 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 (855) 755-SOLD for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today we wanted to cordially invite you to our office on Thursday, February 12, from 4-7pm for chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne. We'll give you a box of chocolates just for showing up! If you plan on joining us for chocolate and drinks please click here to fill out your own Valentines Day card. You can't lose.

But now, onto the important stuff...what has been happening with Northwest Arkansas real estate? Let me fill you in. Overall, 2014 was a stellar year, but I'll give you the details you need to know. We've broken down some numbers from Benton County and Washington County for your convenience:

Benton County saw a 2% increase in sales in 2014 over 2013.

The average sales price rose by 6% ($184,867 to $195,794 year-over-year).

Washington County were about the same from 2014 to 2013.

Average sales price rose by 1.65% from $177,225 to $180,164.

Prices have been going up because there has been lots of new construction and less properties available. This is a simple function of supply and demand.
If you're a buyer in Northwest Arkansas I recommend taking a look at houses now. Spring and summer are typically busier time frames, so if you wait there is going to be more competition and you will end up paying more. Get a head start on the competition and start looking around now!
If you're a seller, this is a great time to get your home on the market. Low interest rates and lower down payment requirements from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are increasing the spending power of most buyers, so you can expect a lot of qualified buyers for your property. If you wait to sell until late spring and early summer, you're going to be facing a lot of competition, so now may be a good time to get started.

Contact us now for a specialized plan, because whether you're buying or selling, I'm sure our team could assist you. We're always your #1 resource for Northwestern Arkansas real estate

How we helped Ronnie sell his home with our excellent service

2014-12-29T11:53:00.000-08:00

"The results we had were very positive, in fact the house was sold 5 hours after it hit the internet! We had people from West Texas come over for a showing. We showed them the house and they wanted to make an offer so I called Michelle, who was watching the game, and she actually left and came over on a Saturday afternoon to work on it. They were all very good and everything was excellent. It was a smooth process!"

-Ronnie Prophet, Home Seller

How we helped Marlo sell her home by handling a situation while they were out of town

2014-11-26T08:15:00.000-08:00

"We got good results from the Limbird Team. At one point there was a leak in our bathroom ceiling and we were getting ready to head out of town so we couldn’t really handle it. We hadn’t been in the house for 7 years so we didn’t even know where the attic entrance was to get up there. Our Realtors basically handled the whole thing for us which was a complete relief!"

-Marlo Saucedo, Home Seller

How we helped Laura with her real estate needs by keeping in constant communication

2014-10-24T13:08:00.003-07:00

"I’m probably the most picky customer service person there is and what I require from people, I seldom get. That being said, I was completely wowed by the Limbird Team. My first experience was when I called on a listing and somebody got back to me within minutes. I was just blown away. They weren't just fabulous in the beginning to gain my business either, I could probably text her right now and get a response. They stayed in constant communication with me and just provided great service."

-Laura Tucker, Home Buyer

How Can Staging Help Sell Your Home?

2014-09-09T12:52:00.001-07:00

Many of our clients have been asking us about staging lately, so we thought we would answer some of the most common questions we've heard. There are two different different types of staging: one done to vacant homes and one done to occupied homes. Today we'll talk about staging occupied homes.

The second home we ever sold had been professionally decorated by a well-known decorator here in Northwest Arkansas. We thought it would be simple to sell - the home looked great. When the first feedback came, they said the house was nice but that they couldn't look past all the decorations. In other words, the home was too personalized; people couldn't see themselves living there because too much of our stuff was around.

If you want to get your home ready for the market, you need to start by decluttering your home. Your home needs to be as neutral as possible. If you have things in your home that you don't use every day, get ride of them. There are many things in your home that you don't even notice because you're so used to them; these can hurt you when you're trying to sell your home.

This is why it's important to align yourself with the right Realtor. We work with a stager who is an extension of our company - she can take an objective look at your home and figure out what needs to be done to maximize its appeal. A professional stager doesn't come through and expect you to throw everything away or buy a bunch of expensive furniture. Rather, a stager will use what you have, put things away, and rearrange furniture to make better use of space and give your home that WOW factor you need.

If you would like to know more about what our stager can do for you or have another real estate question you would like answered, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We want to be your number one source of Northwest Arkansas real estate information!