The Top 6 Reasons Why Kansas City Homes Do Not Sell
1) The home was OVERPRICED.
2) The home did not SHOW WELL.
3) The home was in a bad LOCATION.
4) The home had to much COMPETITION.
5) The homeowner hired an INEFFECTIVE real estate agent.
6) The homeowner chose an INEFFECTIVE MARKETING PLAN.

With over 35% of the homes in the Kansas City real estate market not selling and increased competition from short sales and foreclosures, doesn't it make sence to review your options?

Contact the Kansas City Real Estate Market for your Kansas City real estate needs!

Over the past few weeks, The Dowell Taggart Team has been asked how the real estate business is doing in Kansas City. Instead of caving into news media reports that real estate is sluggish and really down, we typically tell homeowners and news reporter quite the opposite. Our real estate business is doing very well and a matter of fact, our Kansas City real estate business has increased. Surprised by our answer, the typical response is how is that so?

In order to grow our Kansas City Real Estate business in a down real estate market we have worked on four areas. The four areas are: 1) The Dowell Taggart Team has attended specialized training 2) Created the #1 Kansas City online real estate marketing program 3) Created an aggressive networking program 4) Offered additional assistance to our home sellers.

1) The Dowell Taggart Team started preparing 5 years ago for the real estate market corrections that we predicted would happen by the end of the decade. We attended special classes on learning on how to do short sales and market our listings in a down market. As many of our fellow colleagues are starting to attend specialized training today, we've been ahead of the mold and attended those seminars, webinars and classes for the past 5 years. We have had 5 years to perfect our talents as successful short sale and real estate marketing specialist. We understand now that we're ahead of the curve and can offer our clients a higher quality service. If service and knowledge is important to you maybe we should talk. Many of our clients tell us that the service and wealth of knowledge they receive is unbelievable and they would recommend us to their friends and family.

2) Next, the Dowell Taggart Team, saw in the horizon a few year back that the internet would be where a majority of home buyers would start their search for their next home. We abandoned many of the traditional real estate marketing practices and started embracing the new technology. Replacing emotional words for keywords, low resolution pictures for high quality pictures and direct mail for online directories was only a small part of the change. We also set out to understand search engine optimization, quality content and blogging. We understood that the typical home buyer will not go past 3 clicks to view a home, so our goal was to have our website on the first 2 pages of the top 100 keywords in Google. After achieving this goal we have been continually working on improving our online presence, and we've developed some very powerful online tools for our sellers. Our website www.DowellTaggart.com gets more real estate web traffic then 100 KC real estate agent websites combined and that is just our main site. We'll also market your home on over 1000 websites. If real estate marketing exposure is important to you, maybe we should talk. Many of our clients tell us that they chose us for our incredible online real estate presence.

3) The third aspect to growing our Kansas City real estate business is we understand the power of referrals. We have been leaders in Kansas City Networking Group and BNI #11 as well as other business networking groups. We belong to networking groups in Kansas City; as well as, national real estate referral groups. We have created some powerful referral relationships using tools like Twitter, Friendfeed, MyBlogLog, Linked In, Facebook, Google Profile and many more.  With over 15000 relationships we understand networking. If networking is important to you, maybe we should talk. Many of our clients tell us that they chose us because of our powerful networking.

4) Lastly, and the fourthly we understand that it is difficult to sell and buy a home on your own. You may need assistance so we have anticipated what those maybe and we have created a list or powerful tools and people to assist you. We'll offer a Pre-Sale Inspection, Home Warranty, Valuable coupons, Movers, Attorney, Financial Planner, Re-modelers, Carpet Cleaners, Plumbers, Electricians, and much more . . . Our goal is to help you sell your home and net the most possible in the time frame you desire. If netting the most out of your home is MOST important to you, maybe we should talk. Many of our clients tell us that we save them money over the whole move.

Although there are more ways that we use to build our Kansas City real estate business in the current downturn, these are our top four. Being visionaries who are constantly looking to the future for its technology tools and bringing them back to the present has helped us become leaders. If you would like more information about the Dowell Taggart Team, please visit our website, www.DowellTaggart.com. 
 

The Dowell Taggart Team will market your home with our 1100+ step marketing program. Click here for details!

Essential Kansas City Home Selling Preparations

10 Important Steps to Take Before You Sell Your Kansas City Home

There are important steps in Kansas City  that most home sellers should take before listing a house with an agent. Every bit of prep work you do helps you get the most return from your investment. The Dowell Taggart Team will work with you to develop a plan that fits you. If you need help searching for the REALTOR that will fit your needs and wants, we have prepared a comparison worksheet  for you. Most sellers find that it is best to get their REALTOR involved at the beginning of the move rather than the day before you decide to sell. Better planning typically results in better results for you. Here are the Nine Basic Steps to prepapre yourself in selling your home.

1. Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan

We’ve known sellers who signed a contract to sell their house before they knew if they were qualified to buy another. Either their financial circumstances had changed since their last purchase, and they could no longer qualify for a loan, or they weren't able to sell at a price that allowed them to buy the type of replacement house they wanted. They ended up renting or buying something that was far from ideal.

Before you decide to sell the house, get pre-approved by a lender you trust and research the housing market in the area where you wish to live so that you have a good idea how much it will take to buy a replacement. Look at a worse case scenario. Be prepared for surprises. What happens if you sell for less than anticipated or the car breaks down?

Start looking for two types of real estate: houses that seem to match the one you'd like to buy and houses that are similar to your current home. How do the two categories compare in price? Can you handle the difference if you're planning a step up?

By talking and having open communications with a reputable mortgage officer, you’ll be more prepared. If you need a referral for a mortgage officer, feel free to contact the Dowell Taggart Team. We have a list of mortgage professionals and we would be more than happy to match a mortgage officer with your needs.

2. Check Your Mortgage Payoff

Call your lender to check the payoff for your current home mortgage. You'll need the figure to complete Step 6.   Give your current mortgage company a payoff date 2 months in the future. Don’t forget some mortgages have fees if they are not paid off by the end of the month or are paid off too soon.

3. Determine How Much Your Home Is Worth

Determine your home's fair market value. A professional real estate will usually help you determine value as a courtesy, but you might take it a step further and have an appraisal completed on your home. Remember that buyers determine actual value. Real Estate agents give an estimated value. Sometimes real estate agents over inflate home values to earn real estate business. Use logic and get second opinions. The Dowell Taggart Team will present you a comparative market analysis. A comparative market analysis compares will help you determine the best price to list your home for sale. Remember, listing too high, will probably be harmful. Your home maybe on the market longer and it might sell for much less than expected.

4. Estimate Your Costs to Sell

• Real estate commission.  
• Attorney, closing agent and other professional fees.
• Excise tax for the sale.
• Prorated costs for your share of annual expenses, such as property taxes, home owner association fees, and fuel tank rentals.
• Title insurance, courier fees and seller concessions.

The Dowell Taggart Team work on transactions every day and can give you a very close estimate of seller closing costs.

5. Estimate Costs to Buy a New Home

• Calculate moving expenses, loan costs, down payment, home inspections, title work and title policy, paying for a new hazard insurance policy--all expenses related to buying a home.   The Dowell Taggart Team will use an estimated costs from your lender and add fees that lenders don’t add like home warranty and inspection costs.

6. Calculate Your Estimated Proceeds

1. Deduct your mortgage payoff from your home's fair market value.
2. Deduct your costs to sell from the remainder to get an estimate of the proceeds you will be paid at closing.

Will your closing proceeds cover your costs to buy a new home? If not, do you have cash or other funding to make up the difference?   You may want to keep your cash assets and look at 100% financing. Contact your lender and run over some financing scenarios.

7. Make Necessary Repairs

Make all needed repairs unless you want the house to be regarded as a fixer-upper. We’re not referring to cosmetic updates--just items in need of repair. Anything that's obviously broken gives potential buyers a reason to offer you a lower price, especially if it's one of repair or cosmetic issues that worry buyers.

The Dowell Taggart Team will preform an inspection on your home and will  make suggestions on repairs. Remember, the buyer and you view repairs differently. A very personalized wall color may appeal to you, but may turn off 75% of the potential buyers. Older carpet may only take $1500 to replace; however, a buyer may calculate that it will take $5,000 to replace. Is it worth to do these minor repairs to net more money and sell in a shorter time period? The Dowell Taggart Team will guide you through this step and make cost effective suggestions. The Dowell Taggart Team also has a team of professionals that can generally complete repairs at a much lower costs.

8. Get the House Ready to Show

Most houses need at least a little sprucing up before they are shown to potential buyers. Enhance the curb appeal, freshen up some walls,   sparkling clean windows, highlighting focal points in rooms and de-cluttering rooms are essential if you want the house to appeal to buyers. The Dowell Taggart Team will make suggestions to sprucing up your home. We will walk you through your home and show you the things buyers like and we’ll work with you in overcoming the things that buyers dislike.

9. Get Psyched Up to Let People In

If you're listing with a real estate agent, they’ll ask you to leave when the house is shown. Why? Because lurking sellers make buyers nervous--they don't feel comfortable inspecting the house when they feel they are intruding in your personal space.

Unless there's a valid reason for it, don't ask your agent to be present for all showings, because that requirement can be the kiss of death for showing activity. Other agents want privacy with their buyers and they don't usually have time to work around your agent's schedule.

Make the house accessible. That means it should always be ready to show. Many agents won't bother showing a house that takes 24 hours to get into. Putting restrictions on when your home can be shown, typically results in less showings. Also, canceling a showing and hoping the buyer’s agent shows later, typically doesn’t happen. The buyer’s agent is showing many home and they are trying to show many homes. It’s hard to work around the seller’s schedule and typically the buyer’s agent replaces your home with another home to show.

If you have the opportunity to get a second showing, make sure your home is in pristine condition. Vacuum the carpet, open the shades, take out the trash, wash the dishes, and pick up the toys and so on.

The Dowell Taggart Team has an extensive 200+ step marketing program to help get your home sold for the highest dollar. Our goal is customize our marketing program to help you net the most amount of money possible in the least amount of time. Checkout our plan and compare, you’ll be happy that you did!

by Courtney Ronan

The deal sounded too good to be true: a two-story home, completely gutted and refurbished according to my specifications and design preferences. Coordination of contractors' services and all aspects of the closing and financing were to be handled by an in-house development group -- and at a price I could afford. The representative, draped in gold chains and reeking of dimestore cologne, grinned at me. "This is the easiest real estate transaction you'll ever have," he assured me, after informing me there was no need to use the Realtor I had selected to represent me just two weeks earlier. Being a first-time buyer, I nearly let the promise of a brand-spanking new home blind me. That's a scary thought.

Because once my Realtor caught wind of the development company's tactics, he did a little research ... and found out that these "developers" -- who, now that I think about it, never identified themselves as Realtors -- had a record of shady tactics with the state's real estate commission. What was sold as the "easiest real estate transaction" I'd ever have could have been a nightmare. It was a hard lesson to learn right out of the starting gate. And yet, I'm glad it happened. The experience taught me the value of having a bona fide Realtor on my side -- somebody who has appointed to look after my best interests, and sometimes even fight for them.

Sure, some people can and do go it alone when buying or selling homes. If you're savvy enough to navigate the occasionally murky waters of the real estate transaction, then more power to you. But particularly for first-time buyers, the value of an experienced Realtor is immeasurable -- a lesson I learned from the school of hard knocks. A Realtor's role extends far beyond just finding a buyer, or a nice house in a good neighborhood. In many cases, your Realtor is there to provide a reality check -- as mine did -- and to handle the tough negotiations involved before closing. My Realtor has assured me that regardless of what those developers tried to spoon-feed me, the real estate transaction is never, ever easy. He doesn't need to convince me.

Among a Realtor's areas of expertise are:

* Advertising properties both to other Realtors and prospective buyers on the MLS, as well as through other local and regional media;

* Creating marketing strategies to sell properties, based on accurate information and research about each property;

* Holding and supervising open houses in various properties on the market;

* Offering recommendations and information about various neighborhoods and properties that fit within a buyer's price range and individual preferences/lifestyle needs;

* Draw up an estimate of the market value of the seller's home;

* Drawing up the contract and negotiating its terms;

* Providing guidance to buyers seeking financing;

* Coordinating and handling all issues related to the inspection;

* Coordinating appraisals and contingency dates

* Negotiating offers and counteroffers;

* Screening prospective buyers and reviewing their offers before an acceptance by the seller;

* Assisting the seller when contract contingencies -- for example, furnace repair, new carpet installation, etc. -- are required; and

* Coordinating details of the closing day.

While some sellers choose to "go it alone" in order to avoid having to pay a real estate commission, if you don't know what you're getting into, the results could be far more costly than the commission. In fact, a commission is really the price you pay for peace of mind. And for buyers, a Realtor eliminates much of the legwork involved in finding your next home. The process is much like finding a needle in a haystack -- which is why it's so critical to find yourself an experienced Realtor who possesses an intimate knowledge of local-market conditions and properties which represent a good investment. Best of all, your Realtor can go to bat for you, steering you clear of such scenarios as the memorable one recounted above.

While the home  I lost seemed great, my Realtor reminded me that the process shouldn't be as shady as the one we'd just experienced. He successfully convinced me that this home wasn't worth the risks. So the search continues ... for me, a little more cautiously than before. Whether or not I'll find the home of my dreams, I'm not sure, but I do know that I'm sold on the merits of having a Realtor on my side.

Find out the biggest pricing mistakes Realtors make
Find out most common selling mistakes
Determine your Kansas City home's value
How to make your home more salable
How to sell your Kansas City home at the highest price
Perfect toolkit for Kansas City homesellers
How to pick your selling price for your Kansas City home
Steps to selling your Kansas City home
Should you remodel your Kansas City home or sell?
What do you need to do to spruce your home?
Why hire a real estate professional?
Why your home will not sell
Why Kansas City home buyers are afraid to buy from a FSBO 
Going it alone as a FSBO?
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Safety issues when marketing your Kansas City home FSBO

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