Status

No, not what car you drive, mansion you own, single, married or “it’s complicated” status. We are talking real estate! In real estate jargon we have Active, Under Contract, Pending and Closed for our various statuses in real estate. These are fine and do a good job letting the buyers and sellers of this great nation know what they do and do not have a opportunity to purchase. However, we are missing a major status that we feel would really help in the buying and selling process.

The negotiating status. Why is this not a thing? Think about all the buyers that look at a property, they love it, it meets everything they have told you they are looking for and low and behold, they do not make an offer. In fact they come at you with one of my all time favorite lines, “why hasn’t it sold?”

Grrrr. So they are saying they only want it if someone else wants it? Like watching our two dogs fight over the same bone even though we have provided each with enough cow femurs to make our living room floor look like the Chicago stockyards of the 1880s.

We at the Lake James Team would be thrilled to be able to have button to click that says “NEGOTIATING” or “OFFER In PROGRESS”. Think about all those buyers that may come out of the wood works and make offers thus possibly resulting in the seller making more money?!? If I got an offer in writing, the first thing I would do would be to change that listings status! It would feel so go to let the world know that we have two people interested in trying to make a deal.

We do recognize that this proposal is not without a potential downside. If you were representing just the buyer and this status change caused another buyer to make an offer it might not work out for you, but it would encourage your buyer to quit screwing around and make the best and strongest offer possible instead of a terrible low-ball that is never going to work out and wastes everyone’s time and energy.

We feel that the upside far outweighs the downside and would like to see the MLS of the world and/or the Zillow’s of the world make this “a thing” to use the parlance of the younger generation.

Like what we have to say? Like what we are selling? Come see us at http://www.nclakejames.com

Why we have to give Zillow money and hate it

Y’all ever go on Zillow? Don’t lie, we know you do. Everyone does, apparently.

Ever wonder how it works? Well, basically, we hand over our MLS data and money to them because we know you go to their website and our listing clients need your attention. It’s that simple.

Why does it suck? Well, as a Zillow Premier Agent, let me be frank on a few points:

• It pits agents against each other. To make Zillow’s list as a contact for a listing you visit in a particular zip code, you have to “out bid” other agents in that zip code.
• Their mapping stinks. Sometimes because agents mark it wrong, but mostly because it just stinks.
• Have a problem with something? Be prepared to take that to your grave. That is, unless you’re paying them. In that case you’ll hear from them in 4 to 7 business years.
• The “Zestimate.” Need I elaborate? Hope there aren’t any mobile homes near your waterfront mansion. On the flip side, your mobile home looks pretty good if you can get it underpinned near Doral.
• It only uses zip codes as dividing lines. I don’t know that much about Tar Pit Hollar south of Yonder Patch, but I’m learning.
• It is expensive. Just heard from a friend that some high-end areas are paying Zillow $20K per month. Geez.
• The public may not be getting the best agent for the job, just the agent that pays Zillow the most. Sad but true. And, if you’re able to figure out who the listing agent is, you should be working for the CIA.

Y’all ever try REALTOR.COM?

Why are we REALTORS?

It’s gets confusing, even for those of us who are around it everyday. But REALTORS are more that just licensed real estate agents and we should be proud of the difference. Here’s a good list I found that describes what makes REALTORS more accountable and responsible to buyers and sellers.

Here are 17 things that a REALTOR® promises to do, which non-affiliates don’t: 

1. Pledge to put the interests of buyers and sellers ahead of their own and to treat all parties honestly.
2. Refrain from exaggerating, misrepresenting or concealing material facts about a property; and is obligated to investigate and disclose when situations reasonably warrant.
3. Cooperate with other brokers/agents when it’s in the best interests of the client to do so.
4. Disclose if they represent family members who own or are about to buy real estate, or if they themselves are a principal in a real estate transaction, that they are licensed to sell real estate.

1. Avoid providing professional services in a transaction where the agent has a present or contemplated interest without disclosing that interest.
2. Not collect any commissions without the seller’s knowledge nor accept fees from a third party without the seller’s express consent.
3. Refuse fees from more than one party without all parties’ informed consent.
4. Not co-mingle client funds with the agent’s own.
5. Attempt to ensure that all written documents are easy to understand and will give everybody a copy of what they sign.

1. Not discriminate in any fashion for any reason on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.
2. Be competent, to conform to standards of practice and to refuse to provide services for which they are unqualified.
3. Engage in truth in advertising and marketing.
4. Not practice law unless the agent is a lawyer.
5. Cooperate if charges are brought against them and present all evidence requested.
6. Agree to not bad mouth competition and agree not to file unfounded ethics complaints.

1. Not solicit another REALTOR’S® client nor interfere in a contractual relationship.
2. Submit to arbitration to settle matters and not seek legal remedies in the judicial system.

The National Association of REALTORS® was founded in 1908 and its members number more than one million. If an agent is not a member, often it’s because they don’t do enough business to justify the expense of membership.

Full disclosure: Elizabeth Weintraub is a REALTOR®.

At the time of writing, Elizabeth Weintraub, CalBRE #00697006, is a Broker-Associate at Lyon Real Estate in Sacramento, California.

How Built Out is Lake James?

We get this question almost as much as “how deep is the lake?” so I figured I would take advantage of the slower time before the summer rush and actually count ever waterfront lot on Lake James, besides it is a much easier question to answer than the lake depth question.

Here is what I came up with, 749 waterfront homes and 596 undeveloped waterfront lots. I even broke the list down by communities and further broke the list down by communities according to what decade they were developed. It was all very interesting and you can see this break down on your LinkedIn page. Not that we ever expect anyone to check that page, but it is full of interesting and useless information like this.

The bottom line is there are becoming fewer and fewer waterfront lots, and to find a quality waterfront lot has become even more challenging. Many of the lots that are out there never should have been a lot, but developers in the mid 80’s and 90’s didn’t care much about laying out a lot that fit the topography because they knew that if they priced it low enough someone would buy it.

Our advice to people looking at lots is come see us, we know what we are doing! http://www.nclakejames.com #nclakejames #lakejames #lakejamesnc

Just downstream – Lake Rhodhiss

We’ve decided to dip our toes in a different lake, but y’all know the water comes from Lake James, right? You may have noticed a couple new sections on our website dedicated to Lake Rhodhiss. As is our style, we’ve got community mapping for Lake Rhodhiss you won’t find anywhere else. Here’s a link:

http://www.nclakejames.com/communities-map-lake-rhodhiss.cfm

McGalliard Pointe is located on the south side of Lake Rhodhiss, bordered by park land, and within 4 miles of downtown Valdese, NC. This is a Lake Rhodhiss jewel. More land for your money and close to town. Here’s a link to one of the lots we have for sale in McGalliard Pointe:

http://www.nclakejames.com/property-detail.cfm?mls=3480520

McGalliard Pointe at Lake Rhodhiss, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2019. © Photography by Kathy Kmonicek

Check out Lake Rhodhiss on nclakejames.com and then come see it in person, preferably with Bryan, Fletcher, or Lew to help show you around.

Lakefront Liquidation Sale!

On a postcard.

What makes folks believe that they were just lucky enough to be one of the chosen few (or current residents) to receive the magical purchase options on beautiful yet undiscovered land that needs immediate liquidation?

And if they hurry to make their “priority appointment,” they can purchase waterfront estate property for less than the value of a used Honda Civic?

Ever wonder why the postcards often don’t mention the location?

Anyone notice that when the postcard urge comes to fruition and folks arrive to the magical meeting point (high school parking lot) near the magical property (part of a hastily developed area harvested of hardwood trees), the used Honda Civic prices are gone but the new Farrari prices are flying off the shelves?

Here’s a very simple word of advice from REALTORS with 30 years of lake experience in development and sales: If you can figure out where the postcard property is located, check REALTOR.com, or Zillow, or Trulia, or Google, or just call a REALTOR before you get enthralled. If you go to the land rush sale, go armed with market knowledge and know the prices of comparable property nearby in already successful communities.

With the exception of a few lost leader lots, every postcard sale we’ve seen has sold waterfront lots at or around market value. Interior lots, sadly, often sell for more than better lots in proven neighborhoods right next door. This is the most painful aspect of the process because interior buyers are usually stretching just to be a part of what they perceive to be a good investment. Hearing from these owners interested in selling afterwards makes for a hard and sad conversation.

It’s the frustration we’re left with after these conversations that compels us to warn you about the reality of these postcard sales.

Postcards that seems too good to be true, generally are. If you’ve received one that seems to be referring to Lake James or Lake Rhodhiss, give us a call. We’ll tell you the whole truth about the whole market.

The Journey Begins

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton