Omaha, NE Real Estate Podcast with Adam Briley

Happy Holidays from Our Family to Yours!

adam@brileyhomes.com (Adam Briley) — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 13:08:00 -0800

The Omaha area has an excellent variety of homes within a vibrant market of both buyers and sellers. If you're considering purchasing property in Omaha, GO HERE to perform a Full Home Search, or if you're thinking about selling your property, CLICK HERE for a Free Home Value Report. For any other questions you have regarding current market trends or your own home's value, please don't hesitate to call me at (402) 614-6922, or email me at adam@brileyhomes.com.

I want to take a moment today to wish you all a happy holiday season and a great end of the year.

Heading into next year, if you or or someone you know is considering making a move, now is the time to begin that process! We would love to help you get the ball rolling. Give us a call or shoot us a quick email sooner than later so we can get ahead of the competition!

Thank you for your continual support of what we're doing here at Briley Homes. We truly enjoy your company and look forward to working with you in 2016!

Tips for Holiday Decorating on a Dime

adam@brileyhomes.com (Adam Briley) — Fri, 4 Dec 2015 12:30:00 -0800

The Omaha area has an excellent variety of homes within a vibrant market of both buyers and sellers. If you're considering purchasing property in Omaha, GO HERE to perform a Full Home Search, or if you're thinking about selling your property, CLICK HERE for a Free Home Value Report. For any other questions you have regarding current market trends or your own home's value, please don't hesitate to call me at (402) 614-6922, or email me at adam@brileyhomes.com.

The holidays are approaching. Today, we thought we'd do something a little different and share this festive video on holiday decorating tips from HGTV. Designer Angelo Surmelis shares several great ideas to spread holiday cheer throughout the home. Here are some of our favorites.

Pay attention to the mantle. If you don't have some already, buy some kind of garland to drape over the mantle. Next, use leftover ornaments and candles to add light and texture. When choosing ornaments and candles, ensure they are in the same color-palette. This helps make your mantle a great focal point!
Use smaller Christmas trees. Every house has their main Christmas tree. In addition, you can also purchase smaller, inexpensive, eco-friendly trees to place throughout the home. Decorate these trees with strips of fabric from a T-shirt in holiday colors to save money for the main tree.
Use what you have. Be resourceful. Adding a plate charge and place mat to your everyday dining set adds some jazz to your table. Fresh-cut flowers and candles will help finish the look. You don't need grand, expensive candles -- a little candlelight goes a long way!

As you can see, it doesn't take much to make your home feel more festive. If you have any questions, give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

What New Loan Programs Are There for Omaha Buyers?

adam@brileyhomes.com (Adam Briley) — Thu, 16 Apr 2015 12:07:00 -0700

Hey guys, today I wanted to bring in Jeremy Wilhelm, one of our preferred lenders at Private Mortgage Group to talk to you about some exciting new loan programs that are out there for buyers in the Omaha metro.

There are 2 different programs that we are going to talk about today. The first is for first-time home buyers who might have less than perfect credit. With this program, you purchase a property, and take it "as-is", with no repairs done or negotiated. This option allows you to go in, renovate the property to your specifics, and allow you to get the home quickly and inexpensively.

Another program is a conventional program called the HomeStyle program. This program allows people to do renovations with a loan all the way up to $417,000. This means renovating basements, adding pools, and other things that clients were told in the past weren't an option, are now an option with this program. New construction is very popular right now, and homes without finished basements are a perfect candidate for this type of loan. With conventional financing, you can get in with 5% down, and with an FHA loan you can get in only paying 3.5% down.

If you have any questions about mortgages, feel free to give Jeremy a call at (402) 210-8352.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to speaking with you!

Why Is FHA Financing a Great Choice Right Now?

adam@brileyhomes.com (Adam Briley) — Fri, 27 Mar 2015 11:44:00 -0700

Hey everyone, today we wanted to send you a quick update about some changes in the mortgage world you need to know about. We have invited mortgage professional Jeff Williamson here today to take us through all the news.

Recently, there have been some changes to FHA mortgage insurance premiums. Over the last few years, those premiums have been on the rise, and a lot of people have deferred from FHA financing because of the high premiums. However, FHA recently announced a 50-point reduction for new loans. To give you an idea of the kinds of savings people are seeing, imagine you bought a house last year at $160,000. Your monthly mortgage insurance premium payment with this home is right around $175.

Now, if you were to buy the same house this year, your premium payment would be lowered significantly, down to about $115 a month. You're looking at a $60 per month savings each month with these lower premiums.

In addition to this, FHA mortgage rates are down to around 3.5%, making homes even more affordable.

Right now is a perfect time for first-time home buyers to enter the market because the low premiums, low rates, and low down payments are working together to make home ownership more affordable than ever.

If you have any questions about mortgages, feel free to give us or Jeff a call. We would be more than happy to help.

What Can You Expect for Omaha Real Estate in 2015?

adam@brileyhomes.com (Adam Briley) — Wed, 18 Feb 2015 10:52:00 -0800

Today we want to give you 5 key points about the 2015 real estate market that are being made by chief economists and forecasters across the country. These tips will give you a better picture of what will happen in the market this year, and help you navigate it better, whether you are a buyer, seller, or both.

1. Interest rates
They are probably going to rise this year. They have been kept down artificially in the past, but are going to rise as the economy continues to recover.

2. Millennials
Millennials, or people between the ages of 25-34, are going to make up 60% of home buyers this year. These first-time home buyers and those looking to move up will have the biggest impact on our market in 2015

3. New Construction
Another theme of 2015 will be the rise in new construction. We are seeing a ton of new construction right now in places like Elkhorn, Gretna, and Papillion. This will be another huge part of our market this year.

4. Credit
Credit is still going to be a huge factor in real estate. There are strict requirements on credit scores for buyers, but we can help. We have some great lenders who can help guide you and advise you on what your next step should be.

5. Foreclosures are gone
Those bargain, bank-owned properties we saw after the housing market bubble in 2008 are nearly all gone. If you are waiting for a steal, you will be disappointed. Don't miss the boat on low interest rates by being set on buying a foreclosed home.

If you have any questions for us, we would love to be of assistance. Just give us a call or send us an email and we will get right back to you.

Hardly Anything Surpasses a Positive Attitude – Chad Goldwasser Shares His Life’s Success With Area Agents

adam@brileyhomes.com (Adam Briley) — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 08:55:00 -0800

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If you have been in the real estate business long, or even if you’ve just started – there is a good chance you have heard the name Chad Goldwasser. As one of the most prolific REALTORS® of our time, Chad has overcome so many obstacles despite being involved in the industry in the heart of the housing market crash several years ago.

Yet he stands at the pinnacle of success and has no inhibitions about sharing it with the world. His rich history with countless experiences that lend him the honor of an industry-wide well known institution that he is today, is rife with awards and accomplishments. But his most acclaimed accomplishment, perhaps, is his penchant for quality customer service.

At Briley Homes, we want to surround ourselves with people just like Chad Goldwasser, that’s why we invited him for an event where he spoke to 250 agents about the quality of life and how you can constantly strive to do better. We like to be among those that push us to the maximum potential of success – and beyond.

Not only does it better the lives of our agents but also our clients and their families as well. See what Chad is all about on his website. You will be blown away.

And of course if you’d like to talk to us about real estate here in Omaha – contact any of us at Briley Homes. We look forward to talking with you!

Ten Questions Every Homeowner Should Ask an Agent

adam@brileyhomes.com (Adam Briley) — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 11:29:00 -0700

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As you embark upon what will be one of the most important transactions of your life – whether buying or selling a home – you should be absolutely certain that you are happy with the real estate agent you have hired to help you manage it.

To help you with this all-important hiring process, here are ten important questions to ask an agent before you decide on whether or not to hire them:

Question #1

How Close Do You Get in Sale Price Related to Asking Price?

It is important to ask for this information as it relates to the past 60 days. Given that many agents are not that active in the market, you would be best served to obtain the most recent information possible. As a seller, your agent’s ability to come close to the asking price is a strong attribute and can mean a difference of thousands of dollars in your transaction.

Question #2

How Many Days on Average Does It Take You To Sell a Home?

What’s the average number of days on the market for properties listed by your prospective agent? Since this statistic can reach as high as six to nine months and in some cases and as much as a year, it is important to ask how your prospective agent ranks on the scale.

Question #3

What is the Rate of Homes Sold on a Monthly Basis?

Knowing the absorption rate of homes similar to yours that are on the market allows valuable insight as to how the market is performing for your particular needs. Not only does it give sellers a glimpse into the system and how it would translate to their own sale but it also presents a broader view of the entire market in general.

Question #4

What Do You Do Differently To Get Homes Sold?

Especially with the current trying economic times, many agents have been faced with adversities trying to sell the homes on their list. One of the best ways to learn whether your agent is a self-starter is to find out what they have done in the past when they were unable to successfully sell homes. Ask why the agent feels the home(s) did not sell and then find out what they are doing differently to get them sold.

Question #5

What Percentage of Deals Do You Represent the Buyer Versus Seller?

Some agents work primarily with sellers while others work mostly with buyers and still others are experienced with dual-agency deals. Depending on your needs, you will benefit from an agent that specializes in one of the two. It is important to ask which side of the fence your prospective agent tends to represent.

Questions #6

How Many Homes Did You Sell Last Year?

Nothing speaks louder than numbers. A very important statistic, ask what the total number of homes sold last year was and if possible try to get a more long-term picture of the agent’s performance in this regard. You can also ask for a month-to-month breakdown to see if there are certain stronger months.

Questions #7

Can You Provide a List of the Ten Most Current Clients You Have Worked With?

Rather than rely on the given list of referrals that many agents have handpicked, it’s a good idea to obtain a list of clients that are currently working with this Realtor. It will provide a much-needed glimpse into the agent’s performance on various stages of real estate transactions.

Question #8

How Much of Your Work Day Do You Dedicate to the Real Estate Industry?

You want an agent that is 100% committed to their job and if they are focusing more on a day job with real estate being a secondary thing, you run the risk of inaccessibility, lack of knowledge and experience plus lackluster motivation. Find out how they feel about the real estate industry and whether they are passionate about their work.

Question #9

What is Your Style of Marketing – Proactive or Reactive?

What is your potential agent’s style of working? Does he or she speak to a large number of people each day? Are they proactive or reactive in nature when it comes to marketing? See how this lines up with your real estate needs. Are you in a hurry to buy or sell? Does a laid back agent hinder your efforts? Or does slow and steady work better for you?

Question #10

What Does Your Daily Schedule Look Like?

The typical schedule of a real estate professional can be very telling. By asking for a copy or general idea of how they conduct their day in terms of their work, you can get a good idea of how much time is devoted to the profession and what kind of business they are running.