The Value-Boosting Qualities of a Home

What are the characteristics of a home that will really increase its value? Today I’ll discuss.

There are several qualities of a home that will increase its market value when it comes time to sell:

1. Being located in a cul-de-sac.

2. Being located on or near a golf course.

3. Access to great mountain views.

4. A view of the lake.

As you can see in the video above, I’m coming to you today from a beautiful lake home with four
bedrooms, a full basement, a new kitchen, and a fantastic view. If you have any questions about what
increases a home’s value or if you would like to see the home featured in the above video, please
reach out to us at Potts Realty.

The Truth About Decorating Your Holiday Listing

Today, we’ll get to the bottom of whether decorating your holiday listing is necessary.

Recently, we discussed the question: “Should sellers list during the holidays?” If you checked out that
message, you’ll remember that the answer was yes. Now that that’s sorted out, though, the next
question sellers must consider is, “Should I decorate?”

Those looking to list over the holiday season might worry that the extra decor will make their listing
look and feel too cramped. So, what should you do?

Well, if you enjoy decorating, then go for it! Just don’t go overboard. Even if you don’t particularly
enjoy decorating, but feel like you should, it won’t hurt to add a little bit of holiday cheer.

However, if you are adamant against decorating, or simply don’t have time, don’t worry about it. All
your home really needs to succeed in the market is to be neat, clean, and well-lit. Seasonal
decor can be a nice touch, but it certainly isn’t necessary.

If would like more information or if you have any questions about how our team can help your home
sell this holiday season, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to hearing
from you soon.

The Truth About Listing Over the Holidays

Today, we’ll highlight the three main benefits sellers can enjoy by listing this holiday season.

With the holiday season just around the corner, many are wondering whether there’s still time to sell.
Is listing over the holidays a good idea? Actually, yes, and there are three reasons why:

1. Less inventory. People assume the market takes a turn for the worse over the holidays.
However, this isn’t the case. Those who are able to look past the rumors will find that listing
over the holidays means you’ll face less competition and have a greater opportunity to make
your home stand out.

2. More serious buyers. While there aren’t as many buyers looking over the holiday season,
those that are still searching for the perfect home are much more committed. As a seller, this
grants you a high degree of leverage.

3. Interest rates are still historically low.  Though they have risen in recent months, interest rates
are still low compared to historical averages. Back in the 1980s, for example, it wasn’t uncommon to see rates above 12%. At just below 5%, rates today are still fantastic. 

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give us a call or send
us an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

3 Reasons to List Your Home During the Fall or Winter

Though spring and summer are often considered ideal times to sell, the fall and winter months carry three unique advantages of their own.

Many people believe the fall and winter months to be a poor time to list. However, this is certainly not
the case. These later seasons actually hold several unique opportunities for sellers, and today we’ll
highlight three such benefits:

There is less competition. Given that fewer sellers choose to list during these months, those

who do will face a lower level of competition. With up to 50% fewer listings on the market during the fall

and winter, the listings that are active during those seasons are sure to see greater success.

Sellers will have fewer showings to prepare for. There are approximately 15% fewer buyers in the

market during the fall and winter, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Those who are in the market at

this time are highly motivated. In addition to that, a lower volume of buyer traffic means sellers will

have fewer showings to prepare for.

There are still many sales taking place during fall and winter. Spring and summer aren’t the only

times of year during which sellers can succeed in our market.

The bottom line is this: You still have a chance to list your home and get it sold, even in the later
months of the year. That said, conditions between individual markets may vary. If you’re curious about
the outlook in your specific area, I would be happy to speak to you about your circumstances.

As always, if you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call
or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why You May Want to Sell Now

If you’ve been thinking of listing, there are three reasons why now is an ideal time to do so.

If you’re thinking of selling in the next year or so, right now may be the ideal time to make that move.
Why? There are three key reasons:

1. Interest rates are at a seven-year high. As rates continue to climb, homes become less and less

affordable. This discourages buyers from entering the market, which is bad news for anyone looking to list. In other words, it may be smart to put your home out there before rates go even higher.

2. Affordability is at a 10-year low. As indicated in the last point, this means buyers will be increasingly

hesitant to enter our market as time goes by.

3. We may be at the peak of the market. There’s no way to know for sure whether we’ve hit this

point, but sellers shouldn’t risk letting this moment pass in case we are.

All in all, the window of opportunity sellers have available today won’t last forever. Now is the time to list your home and secure top dollar.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me
an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Tips to Help You Prepare Your Home to Sell This Fall

Earning top dollar from your fall home sale means following these important tips.

If you’re preparing to put your home on the market this fall, there are a couple of important steps you need to take in order to earn top dollar for it. First, don’t make your home look like it’s still spring outside. In other words, use the fall foliage—it works just fine for a fall sale.

Fall foliage works just fine for a fall sale.

Inside, make sure the home’s paint and flooring look nice and crisp. To hear my full message about how to prepare your home for a fall sale, watch my latest video.

Why Fall Is Still a Great Time to Sell Your Home

Fall is still a great time to sell your home, and there are a couple reasons why.

If you’ve made all the necessary improvements to your home but you think you can’t get it sold because you missed the summer selling season, don’t worry. The fall is also a great time to sell your home.

" In the fall, there are still lots of sales. "

Lots of sales happen during the fall, and by listing it during this time, you won’t have to deal with as many showings and you’ll face less competition. I check the market every day, and every day there are fewer and fewer homes being listed. To hear my full message about the benefits of listing in the fall, watch my latest video.

How Is Our Summer Market in North Atlanta Doing?

What is happening in our North Atlanta real estate market? Let’s take a look at three key factors.

What is going on in the market? For one thing, interest rates are on the rise and are now sitting at
between 4.5% to 4.8%. Yet, historically speaking, these rates are still very low. When I started working
in real estate back in 1985, my first deal had an interest rate of 14.75%. 

Additionally, inventory is still low and prices remain high, as well. Those who are thinking of selling 
should know that now is a great time to do so. To see my full message, watch this short video.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What's It Like to Sell in the Summer?

What should sellers know about listing in the seller months? There are three main points to focus on.

The summer is here and things are certainly hot here in Atlanta, including our market. Sellers are
currently in a favorable position, so, with that said, what must be done to take advantage of these
conditions? There are three factors to consider when selling your home in the summer:

1. There is less activity. It may sound counterintuitive, but a smaller pool of buyers can actually be beneficial. Having fewer offers to choose from can sometimes make your role as a seller easier.

2. There are fewer sales.

3. Prices are still higher. This means sellers are able to ask for more money when listing their home.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send
me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

This 3-Point Checklist Will Tell Us If We Are in a Bubble

Are we in a housing bubble? There are three indicators we must look to when considering this question.

Today I would like to focus on a question I am asked all the time, which is:
“Are we in a housing bubble?”

The important thing is that you, the seller, are able to accept an offer
that fulfills your wants and needs.

There are actually at least three requirements that must be met for a housing bubble to occur:

1. There must be low inventory. As you have likely noticed, this is a factor in our Atlanta market

2. Prices must be rising. Once again, this is something that has been the case for our
local market lately.

3. There must be crazy loans. Fortunately, this is not true for our area. At least, not yet.

Overall, the bottom line is that you should not worry about a housing bubble for now. But it is a
great time to list. You could get a fantastic deal for your home if you sell right now.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What Should You Do When Your Property Receives Multiple Offers?

Today I would like to review a three-step guide on how sellers can navigate a multiple offer situation.

In a hot market like what we are seeing today, multiple offer situations are very common. It takes
just days for a property to see three, four, or five or more offers. That being said, how can you handle
these circumstances as a seller? There are three steps I recommend.

1. Identify the situation. When your home has just been listed and your agent is already receiving calls
after call inquiring about the property’s availability, it is a good sign that multiple offers are in store.

2. Set a time limit. Such a high level of competition over your listing may seem overwhelming, so the
best way to proceed is by setting a time limit. This will give you the chance to review and compare
offers.

3. Choose the best offer, not just the highest. While the highest-priced offer and the best offer are
usually one in the same, this is not always the case. The important thing is that you, the seller, are able
to accept an offer that fulfills your wants and needs. And because multiple offer situations can result in
bidding wars, it is important to make sure a potential buyer will be willing to make up the value
difference in cash in case the property does not appraise accordingly.

The important thing is that you, the seller, are able to accept an offer
that fulfills your wants and needs.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me
an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Is Your Home Improvement Project Worth the Cost?

“Should I redo my kitchen or bathrooms? Should I install hardwood floors? What’s the best way to
get the best return for the money I invest?”

I hear questions like these quite a lot, so today I’d like to talk about costs versus values when it
comes to making changes to your home.

According to the Appraiser’s Board, there’s very little you can do to actually increase the
value of your home. If a renovation costs $50,000, you’ll probably get only about $30,000 back.

So what’s the point? If you spend that money, you might sell your home faster, your agent
and buyer might be happy, but YOU have lost money.

“

Many times you can recover your investment and then some, but you have to consider the
update on its own terms.

”

On an individual basis, you can often actually recover your investment and then some, but you have to consider the update on its own terms. For example, if you were to redo your counters, that
might cost around $5,000 to $8,000 and you’d likely get that back. But if you redo the whole
kitchen, you probably won’t get a full return.

So is it worth it? Sometimes it is and many times it isn’t

If you have any questions about whether or not a project you have in mind will yield a high return,
please feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to give you advice based on your individual circumstances.

How Have Rising Interest Rates Impacted the Market?

Interest rates—mortgage interest rates, to be specific—have increased four or five times in
last 60 to 90 days.

Mind you, they’re going up little bits at a time, but the big question is whether it’s really affecting
the market.

The answer is: not yet, but they will—interest rates always change the market. So far, I haven’t
seen any major impacts yet.

“

You still have loads of time to get your home on the market and get it sold.

”

We’re still selling just as many homes. We’re still as short on inventory as we have been.

You still have loads of time to get your home on the market and get it sold. For buyers, rates haven’t yet increased so much that you won’t be able to purchase, so start looking now!

If you have any specific questions, please reach out to me. I’d love to help you

Don’t List Your Home as For Sale By Owner

Do you need to hire a real estate agent even if the market is doing well? Yes, and there are three reasons why.

A lot of people have been saying, “The market is so good right now. Why do I need to hire a real estate agent? Why not sell my home myself?”

There are a number of reasons why you should hire a real estate agent to sell your home. I’ll go over three of them today: 

1. Price. Price depends on exposure. The more people who know your home is on the market, the better your price is going to be. If nobody knows your home is on the market, then your price is going to be lower. According to the National Association of Realtors, agent-assisted sales get 15% to 16% more money than For Sale By Owner homes. After you pay the 6% commission to the agent, you will still end up with 9% or 10% more than you would get selling on your own. 

90% of real estate litigation involves For Sale By Owner transactions.

2. Properly executed documents. An agent has been taught to do these things properly. Why? We don’t want to do anything improper and get sued. In fact, 90% of real estate litigation out there involves For Sale By Owner transactions. 

3. After closing, you won’t hear from the buyer when you list with an agent because we have settled everything at closing. When you do a For Sale By Owner transaction, you may have to unnecessarily hear from the buyer after closing. 


I have been selling homes for 32 years, and I can certainly help you sell your home this spring. If you have any other real estate questions for me, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

How to Choose the Right Real Estate Agent

If you plan on selling your home, it’s important that you hire the right real estate agent. I’ll go over three tips to help you do just that.

Last time, I went over why you should hire a real estate agent. So, how do you choose the right agent to get your home sold? I have three tips to share with you today: 

1. Check their track record. They should have one. Make sure they give you the number of homes they have sold in the last few months, as well as another other information that you may require. 

2. Ask for references. Remember, this is a job interview. You are hiring someone to sell your home. Find people they have worked with before. Past clients can provide a picture of how the real estate agent works. 

An agent who tells you a low price is just looking for a quick commission.

3. Make sure they give you a fair price. An agent doesn’t control the price of your home; the market does. If an agent tells you the price that you would really like to hear, you should be suspicious. They may just want to take your listing and then beat you up on the price week after week. If an agent tells you a low price, they are just looking for a quick commission. You want a fair price that makes sense according to the comparable properties the agent brings. 

So, how do you choose an agent? Very carefully! 

We would like to apply for the job. As always, we are here to answer any real estate questions that you have. Just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

What Does the Arrival of Our Spring Market Mean for Home Sellers?

What does spring’s arrival mean for sellers in our market? More inventory, more buyers, and more market activity. 

Now that spring is here, what can you expect from our market if you’re a home seller? 

One thing to know is we have more inventory now than we had in winter. Once the leaves begin to bloom and yards start to look nicer, people think it’s a good time to put their home on the market, and they’re right because we also have more buyers out there. 

Many people think spring is a good time to put their home on the market, and they’re right.

With more house for sale and more buyers out and about, we naturally have more market activity. This goes without saying, but you must prepare your home to sell in this spring market. 

If you have any more questions about our market or you want to know what your home is worth, don’t hesitate to call or email me. I’d be happy to help you. 

What Does the future Hold for the Rest of 2018?

Because interest rates are level and we’re short on inventory, we should see prices rise for the rest of 2018.

What can you expect from our market for the rest of 2018? There are a few important points to remember.

First, interest rates are supposed to remain pretty stable or rise slightly into the 4.2% to 4.5% range.

Second, we’re still short on inventory. When interest rates are level and inventory is short, prices go up.  
This is great news if you’re a seller.

The rest of our 2018 bodes well for sellers.

Lastly, home prices are dramatically higher than the median average in some areas. In other areas, though, 
that’s not the case.

If you’re curious about what your home is worth or you’re thinking about buying or selling a home sometime 
soon, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.

How to Sell a Home in the Winter

Do you have plans to sell your home this winter? If so, I’ve got three key tips for preparing your listing during these colder months.

It’s gotten pretty cold out there lately, so today’s topic is very appropriate. Today, I’ll be sharing some tips on how to prepare your home for sale during the winter. 

1. Prepare your yard. If there are any dead leaves left over from fall, now is the time to remove them. Don’t worry that your yard doesn’t look as lush as it will during spring months. At this time of year, no one’s yard looks that way.

2. Prepare in the same ways you would before winter. Thoroughly clean your home, make it smell beautiful, and take care of all the other steps you would at any other time of year.

The more comfortable potential buyers are in your home, the longer they will stay to look around.

3. Regulate your home’s temperature. During colder months, this is the most important advice I can offer. Keep your temperature at 68 degrees Fahrenheit, at the very least. Preferably, you should be keeping the temperature closer to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The more comfortable potential buyers are in your home, the longer they will stay to look around. And, the longer they stay to look around, the better your chances are that they will buy.

If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Why You Can Expect Great Results From a Winter Home Sale

What can you expect from a winter home sale? I’ll explain why you can expect great results.

Last time, we talked about preparing your home for a winter sale. This time, we’ll go over what you can expect from a winter sale.

The good news is that you can expect great results.

For one thing, inventory is the lowest it will be for the rest of the year. From here on out, inventory starts building and reaches its highest point in June or July, which means more competition for you.

A lot of people say, “Yes, there’s low inventory, but there aren’t any buyers.” This is where people miss the boat. There are 15% fewer buyers in the market, but the ones that are looking for homes are highly motivated and ready to buy.

Winter buyers are highly motivated to make a purchase.

Some of these buyers are those who sold their homes last week, those who are being transferred, and those who need to buy for tax purposes.

Ultimately, the combination of low inventory and motivated buyers will help you get great results.

If you have any other questions about selling your home this winter, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!