Atlanta Home Selling Advice  – Pricing & Selling your Atlanta home for top dollar

If you are thinking of selling your Atlanta or Decatur home this Spring, it is more important that ever to do your homework PRIOR to pricing and listing your home.

Pricing your home correctly the FIRST time can not only get your home sold faster, it can save you thousands.  As of 3Q09, homes that price their home correctly (and didn’t have to reduce), sold their home in 27 days.

Yes,  even in this crazy real estate market, you CAN sell your home in 30 days or less!

As you’ll see in the first chart below, those Atlanta home sellers that had to reduce the price one or more times, they were on the market for 256 days… that’s almost 10 times longer.

If you think you have the patience to wait 256 days to sell your home, consider your pocketbook.  

The  sellers that priced the home correctly the first time, sold their home for 96.8% of the their listing price. 

For those sellers that wanted to “test the market” and start with a higher listing price, they ended up selling their home for 75.7% of the original list price.  

On a $300,000 home, that is a difference of more than $60,000.

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So how do you make sure that you price it correctly the FIRST time?  I would recommend the following:

1)  Interview three local Atlanta real estate agents

2)  Ask them to walk you through the neighborhood sales from the last 3 MONTHS.  The market is constantly changing, so a home that sold a year ago in your neighborhood is no longer a true comparable

3)  Understand your current competition – ask the real estate agent(s) to show you the other homes that are for sale in your neighborhood so you have a clear understanding of how your home stacks up 

4)  Get the agents honest feedback on your home’s value.  If you receive three separate opinions, you should be able to determine the fair market value for your home… and GET IT SOLD!

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 Thank you for visiting our Atlanta Real Estate Blog

Posted by:  Kerry Lucasse – Atlanta GA Real Estate Agent – Atlanta Home Search Team
The ATL Home Search Team is part of Keller Williams Realty,
specializing in Intown Atlanta and Decatur Real Estate, Foreclosures and Bungalows & Historic Homes

CALL US ANYTIME AT 404.432.1844

SEE MY CLIENT FEEDBACK AT:  http://www.KUDZU.com/merchant/1106107.html

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Just announced this week:   Keller Williams Realty is now the THIRD largest real estate company in North America passing Re/Max.

Thanks to incredible leadership, an amazing culture, state of the art training programs AND profit-sharing, it’s not suprising that Keller Williams Realty is not only surviving in this market, we are THRIVING. 

I am VERY proud — and thankful — to be associated with a company like Keller Williams.

There is something to be said about the company you keep! If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about the real estate industry or Keller Williams, please don’t hesitate to call me at (404) 432.1844.  It would be my pleasure to speak to you about our agent programs, profit-sharing and training programs. 

To follow are just a few of the articles announcing Keller Williams promotion to #3 in North America:

Austin Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/03/02/daily9.html

MarketWatch: http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/keller-williams-realty-climbs-third-largest/story.aspx?guid={2E5A6EA1-C83D-4777-AE3A-CFE07A817117}&dist=msr_1

RISMedia: http://rismedia.com/2009-03-03/keller-williams-realty-climbs-to-third-largest-real-estate-franchise/

Realty News Now: http://www.realtynewsnow.com/keller-williams-realty-climbs-to-third-largest-real-estate-franchise-in-united-states

Streetinsider.com: http://www.streetinsider.com/Press+Releases/Keller+Williams+Realty+Climbs+to+Third-Largest+Real+Estate+Franchise+in+United+States/4448618.html

Yahoo Finance News: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Keller-Williams-Realty-Climbs-bw-14513634.html

Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS188216+02-Mar-2009+BW20090302

Hot Property, one of the largest real estate sites in the UK, http://news.hotproperty.co.uk/Keller_Williams_Realty_Prospers_in_the_USA_2009030409145044.html

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KERRY LUCASSE  ::  INTOWN ATLANTA REAL ESTATE AGENT  ::  404.432.1844

www.ATLhomesearch.com

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The results are in! 

2008 was a challenging year for many areas of Metro Atlanta, but Atlanta’s popular intown neighborhood, Kirkwood fared quite well overall. 

To follow is an overview of the sales activity in Kirkwood  from 2006 and 2008. 

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Information retrieved from First MLS by Kerry Lucasse on 01/04/09 and is believed to be accurate but is not guaranteed.

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SO WHAT DO THE NUMBERS ACTUALLY MEAN TO YOU?

• NUMBER OF HOMES SOLD IN KIRKWOOD — The number of homes sold year over year declined 16% from 2006 to 2008, but only 3.3% from 2007 to 2008. 
• KIRKWOOD HOME PRICES — The average home price in Kirkwood spiked in 2007, partially due to a higher number of new construction home sales, high-end bungalow renovations, and the completion of the new Kirkwood Village.  The average list price AND the average sale prices in Kirkwood were much lower in 2008 due in part to the higher number of foreclosure homes.  I will say that the high quality bungalow renovations are still demanding a price similar to 2006 and 2007.  It isn’t an exact science, but quality updated homes are almost always the first to sell in any neighborhood — and even in this market, we are still seeing multiple offers.
• HOW MUCH DID SELLERS REDUCE THEIR ASKING PRICE?  The percentage of list price to sale price ratios remained fairly constant over the last three years, which tells us that sellers and their agents are doing a good job pricing the homes correctly.  Using the average percentage from 2006, if a home was listed at $300,000 the average final sales price would be $291,000.  In 2008, the $300,000 home (on average) would sell for $288,000.
• HOW LONG DID IT TAKE HOMES IN KIRKWOOD TO SELL?  The number of days that a Kirkwood home was on the market has also remained fairly stable — approximately 6% longer from 2006 to 2008.  If you are thinking about selling your home in Kirkwood — or any neighborhood — it is so important to price you home correctly the FIRST time.  Research tells us that your home will sell faster and for a higher price. 

If you have any questions about the sales data or if you would like to understand what your home is worth in today’s market, please call anytime at (404) 432.1844 or email me.

 KERRY LUCASSE   ::   KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY   ::    404.432.1844   ::    KerryLucasse@yahoo.com

**Serving Metro Atlanta and specializing in Atlanta’s Intown Neighborhoods, including Kirkwood, Oakhurst, Grant Park, Ormewood Park, East Atlanta, and Virginia Highlands

 Metro Atlanta Home Search – Marietta GA Real Estate

After MULTIPLE OFFERS , I am happy to report that this charming 4 bed / 2 bath home in East Cobb has officially SOLD for FULL PRICE!

The sellers, Eric and Susanna, worked so hard remodeling their home and it really paid off.  They were such a pleasure to work with and they took all of my recommendations and ran with them. 

I think that we received multiple offers and sold for FULL PRICE for several reasons:

• The home remodel, decor and paint colors were simple and tasteful, which appealed to a wide array of potential home buyers
• Eric & Susanna (the sellers) were very flexible with home showings and so buyers and agents were able to view the house within one hour of scheduling an appointment
• The sellers always kept the home spotless
• We PRICED the home correctly

… and of course, they hired me as their real estate agent!   My agressive marketing strategy targeted first-time home buyers, relocation specialists and local real estate agents. 

CONGRATS, SUSANNA & ERIC!  I am so happy for you both and I hope you enjoy your beautiful new loft in Midtown / Old Fourth Ward.

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Kerry Lucasse proudly serves home buyers and sellers in Metro Atlanta. If you are thinking about purchasing or selling your home in Marietta, Roswell, Smyrna, Decatur and the neighborhoods of Intown Atlanta and want to work with a local area expert, call me at (404) 432.1844.

In today’s competitive market, it is so important that you choose to work with the real estate agent who is knowledgeable in your neighborhood. I provide a results-oriented marketing plan when selling your home.  I do everything in my power to make the process of selling your home a stress-free experience.  Contact me anytime  for an in-home or phone consultation.   

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KERRY LUCASSE  ::  Keller Williams Real Estate Agent  ::   404.432.1844

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