For the next 3 weeks I will be providing information to you in a 3 part series called “getting your home sold in this spring market”. Each week will provide you; the seller, critical information you need to know in order to get home sold. All of the information included in these emails will provide information directly related to our local Real Estate market and not the national market place. It is my hope that this will provide you with the peace of mind that you need in these sometimes rough times.
Week 1 – Where are the buyers?

The big question of the week is “will the government bailout package help stimulate the market?” Unfortunately I cannot see where the bailout package will aid us in getting buyers into the market. The giant tax credits and buyer incentives of $15,000 for buyers were replaced with an $8,000 tax credit upon the completion of the stimulus package. While this package will encourage some additional buyers to join the spring market it is unlikely that it will provide the market with the huge pick me up that we are hoping for.
For some long awaited good news; many home sellers will be happy to know that the start of the spring market is only 1 short week away; although the numbers show that we may already be in full swing.  Typically we will see an increase of buyers in the market place once the snow has melted and the children return from their school vacations. If this year mimics past years we should be looking at having a spring market that lasts 6-8 weeks. As anyone can imagine the better the weather this time of year the quicker we will see the buyers purchase homes. 
We are already seeing home sales increasing by the increased number of homes that have gone under contract in the past 2 week period compared to the last two weeks in January ‘09. With warm weather and eager buyers we have seen twice as many homes have contracts written on them. This number is a fantastic sign for home owners looking to sell their homes in the next few months.

As always the most important and crucial part to getting your home sold is pricing. Later this week I will go into this topic with part 2 of getting your home sold in this spring market.

Matt Kelly of Owner and Team Manager of Team Kelly annouces a new 2 family for sale in Newton, MA.

Check out the virtual Tour and HD Pictures:

With a new president coming into office this week and the promises of insiders saying; the spring market is going to be a great time to buy; you would think that everyone and their bother would be out buying a house. What’s happening is just the opposite for the 3rd month in a row we have seen our local market inventory (homes for sale) decline and new houses coming on the market; that are priced well selling in a short amount of time.  As I have stated in past weekly updates; if you’re not getting the showings that you were hoping for on your property then reduce, reduce, reduce.
Buyers today are on the internet seeing the same statistics, competition, and inventory that we are looking at. Unlike the buyer 20 years ago it is very hard to “pull the wool over someone’s eyes” today. The tools that they (buyers) have at their fingertips are phenomenal. With a click of a mouse a buyer can zillow your properties estimated value, Google map you and your neighbor’s property lines, and with a little digging almost find out what you paid and owe on the property you have for sale. In some aspects this becomes frightening when you think of it. Our lives and even some of the personal information we try to hold so close and confidential to us is almost attainable by anyone.
This is why in today’s world it is more important to be a seller that prices right out of the gate. Don’t let the buyers pass you by; because your competition or worse your neighbor my get them.
The spring market is just a few short weeks away and now is to take advantage of the early buyers; remember the early bird always got the worm!

Instead of writing my thoughts this week; I thought I would ask all the Realtors out there a question.

What do you prefer for your accounting software; QuickBooks or Quicken?

I have always used Quicken and find that it does not work well with the average Realtors business. Maybe it’s the case of a product needing to be very generic for all industries or maybe I am just missing something.

QuickBooks on the other hand can appear somewhat frightening. There are multiple choices to choose from and how should I know if I need Pro, Business, or Property Manager. And the price tag is a whole different story.

In any event; I encourage everyone to weigh in and tell us what you think.

It’s a Good Life,

Matt Kelly
“Team Kelly”
RE/MAX Executive Realty
Office: (508) 520-9669
Direct: (508) 294-3869
Fax: (508) 590-0278
www.MattKellyHomes.com

Oh By The Way… I am never too busy for your referrals!

One Holiday down and a few more to go! This is typically a slow time for the markets, however with the economy in such a complicated state, and the stock market that can’t make up its mind and rumors in mortgage market of 4.5% interest rates we are on quit the roller coaster.  If you think that you can find those rates that you are hearing on the radio and television; you’re wrong for now.  I say for now because at any minute they could happen. However what has happened; is the credit scoring companies have begun to tighten their belts and hold everything against you. Some credit scores of potential buyers have dropped 100 points due to 1 late payment or a small blemish.  This has made it even more important to look closely at every offer that comes across the table. To insure that all offers are up to par we are asking most buyers to get a second pre-qualication from one of our preferred lenders. This allows us to make sure that the buyer is qualified to purchase your property and provides us a backup in the event that the buyer’s lender goes defunct during the transaction.

Everyone here at Team Kelly and Associates is proud to announce our new logo. After 15 years of working towards the perfect logo of our business we felt that this new design speaks for us. We would love to hear what you have to say about it!

One would think that with all of the news and media coverage on the Real Estate Market this summary would be full of doom and gloom. In fact it’s just the opposite. Most sellers who don’t need to relocate have decided to hold off and others are seeing a fantastic value in moving and capitalizing on what’s available. If you own a $300K home and are looking to buy a $600K home; you are likely to save yourself $30K on your purchase. With pricing down in some areas as much as 10% the $300K seller might loose $30K on his or her home; however the $600K seller has taken a $60K loss. Along with the help of Matt, Arlene and the other agents of Team Kelly your savings on a trade up in this market could be substantial. Besides great rates, the best pricing in over 10 years this market is offering a great time to buy for 1st time buyers and any home owner looking to make a transition into a bigger home. I say BUY, BUY, BUY! Call (508) 294-3869

In the past few years many sellers will notice that print advertising amongst Realtor’s have dwindled while Internet advertising has exploded. This is a direct correlation with the youth of America who have grown up around the computer and now are old enough to have full-time careers and able to buy / sell homes. Since the start of the Internet our worlds has begun to more at such a fast pace that many times is seems to be going to have for us to handle. With this fast pace of the world and now especially the Real estate market it is more critical for sellers to price their homes at the right price to start vs the past when it was assumed that you could list a home and thanks to print advertising each time you had an advertisement in a paper slightly reduce the price and change a picture to cause the reaction of a new listing.

Lets face it! In today’s market the buyer is so engrossed in the market due to the Internets ability to search comparables for both listings and solds. My point is list your home for the right price the day you list it or face the results… a lower sold price in the long run. For the true price on your home be sure to call Matt Kelly at Team Kelly & Associates Realtors.

Welcome to Matt Kelly’s Blog! This blog will provide you with valuable information, tips, and general insight into the real estate market in Franklin.