.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationCall me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation Fall is in full swing here in Grand Rapids, and many people are wondering whether selling now is a good idea. There is a lot of speculation about when the best time to sell is, so we thought we would share our opinion on the matter. Many people believe that the fall is not a good time to sell. There is an entire subset of potential sellers who are waiting to list their home because they feel it is not the right time. There is another set of sellers who have had their homes on the market for a long time and are getting ready to take it off because they are exhausted. Most of these sellers are deciding not to sell at this time because they think there is a lack of buyers looking for homes. The truth is, with so many homeowners deciding to take their homes off the market and waiting to sell, there is a great opportunity for those of you who want to have a successful sale. Now is a great time to be the beneficiary of the many relocation buyers that come to town during this time and other serious buyers. The real estate market does not stop just because it's a new month. At the end of the day, people buy and sell real estate whenever they want to! Inventory is already low as we head into the next 90 days, and that number will continue to decrease. Of course, as a seller, this is great news, as demand will rise as inventory continues to fall. If your home is the only option in an area a buyer wants to purchase in, you benefit by the general lack of competition. The bottom line is, if you are ready to sell, there is simply no reason to wait! If you have questions about selling in the fall months, or if you have real estate questions of any kind, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationCall me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation The summer market has been awesome so far in West Michigan. Inventory is low, and interest rates are stellar. However, today we are going to be talking about some potential deal breakers that may occur in our market, and how you can fix them. The new market has brought some potential challenges to us, but we want to share with you the problems we’ve been seeing, so you know what to do if faced with any of these potential issues.  Here they are: 1.  Bad Appraisals The market has improved, and we want nothing more for our sellers than to have them experience the benefits of an improving market condition. When you go under contract and have your home sold, everyone is clearly happy. However, when the bank comes in to do the appraisal, and it comes back lower than the purchase price, it’s always disappointing. When this happens, you will have to renegotiate the price, or the deal will fall apart. We recommend that sellers make sure their agent is doing a thorough, detailed market analysis of their home to avoid any potential appraisal issues. 2. Credit Mistakes Nothing is more frustrating than when a buyer who has a pre-approval letter goes out and makes large, expensive purchases before the deal closes. If you are a buyer, don’t make any big purchases until your loan clears. It will affect your debt-to-income ratio and could delay the closing of your loan for quite some time.  3. Bad Home Inspections These tend to happen during the due diligence period. When home inspections are done, the inspector does their best to do a thorough job and go through every nook and cranny in the house looking for any defects. Sometimes, they aren’t able to uncover things because you haven’t done the due diligence as a seller to fully inspect the entire home. Bad home inspections can kill a transaction, and create a lot of unexpected expenses.  4. Bank Delays Lending is taking longer nowadays, and loans are getting extended. If the seller is not prepared to have a conversation with the bank, that’s frustrating. You have got to have good communication between your bank, your agent, and your lenders. If there’s an indicator it’s not going to close, the seller should be in a position to back out of that contract. Understand that when you decide to enter the market.  5. Intense Negotiations When it comes down to the negotiation table, look at the big picture. A few thousand dollars is not a good enough reason to abandon the transaction. Try to find some common ground and consider what your alternatives are. If you went back on the market, are you going to end up regretting it?  These are just a few of the ways that a transaction can fall apart, but hopefully if you find yourself in any of these situations, you’ll know what to do. If you have any questions for us, feel free to give us a call or send us an email. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationCall me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation The summer market is crazy busy. Today, I'll discuss some key strategies for a buyer to navigate a multiple offer situation. The underlying concern for the buyer is overpaying. There are ways to avoid overpaying, and still get the home you desire. We always, always recommend that the first thing you do is get a pre-approval from a lender. You could be up against one other offer or ten other offers. A seller won't consider your offer without a pre-approval. A pre-approval is much stronger than a pre-qualification, because a pre-approval letter means that the lender has verified your credit score and your income. Pre-qualifications can turn into a disaster when the lender does their homework two weeks later and discovers that the buyer wasn't telling the truth about their income. My second strategy is use a reputable lender. Find out if they have a positive reputation in the real estate industry. Agents advise sellers on which lenders are best, so your choice of lender could have an impact on the seller's agent, who would influence the seller's decision on your offer. Next, it's important to know the score. Learn about other offers. Find out how many offers you're competing against. Going up against one other buyer is different than going up against ten. Know the story of the home as well; a home that's been vacant and on the market for 180 days with one competing offer is much different from a home that has been on the market for one day with three competing offers. If you know the story, you can put your offer in a strong position. It's important to understand that multiple offers usually result in the sales price being higher than the list price. If you really want the home, it's okay to go over list price. Have your agent do a market analysis first to make sure you're not overpaying. Also, understand that the appraisal process protects you from overpaying for the home. The lender doing your mortgage will order an appraisal, and that appraisal will determine the true value. If you paid more than the true value in the purchase contract, typically the seller will do their best to match the appraised value. Lastly, ask yourself this question: would I make an offer on this home if it was $5,000 more than it is today? If the answer is yes, then you know that the list price is arbitrary. A list price does not necessarily match the true value of the home. Buyers often overthink the list price. If you can afford $20 more in monthly payments, then you can afford to go $5,000 over the list price. It's hard to make a mistake as the market continues to improve. This is an exciting market, and homes are selling fast. Make sure you hire an agent who does their due diligence and gives you quality advice. If you have any questions about today's topic, or about real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I'd love to help you!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation Call me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation Today I'm going to walk you through how to capitalize on a multiple offer situation to net the most that you possibly can from your home sale. I'll be shooting a separate video for buyers in a multiple offer situation, but this one is for sellers.  There are multiple steps that you can take to maximize your return as a seller, but I advise you first and foremost to know the score. What I mean by this is that you should always try to garner multiple offers in every instance and your Realtor should know how to find interested parties. You want simultaneous offers to come in on the same day, so you need to create a sense of urgency with your buyers. You want your buyers to make a decision as quickly as possible, and this will help you to get the most amount of money possible for your home.  You also need an agent who is looking out for your best interests. Sometimes you won't need the most amount of money - you may need the speediest closing date or the offer with the best terms. You want a Realtor who realizes your needs and will stop at nothing to help you satisfy them. If you need help selling your Grand Rapids home, please don't hesitate to contact me!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationCall me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation Recently, a client came to me asking about current market conditions in the Grand Rapids area, so today I thought I would give you a quick rundown of trends we've seen in recent months. The real estate market is in full swing right now; it's the time of year when most people who have been thinking about making a move actually jump into the market. However, unlike most years, we currently have low levels of inventory. In 2008, for instance, inventory was at 13.3 months. Since that time we've seen a steady decline to reach our current levels, which sit at about 2.5 months. Why is this? There are still sellers with low equity: Believe it or not, there are still some sellers out there who are not quite where they need to be with equity. I recently saw a stat that said around 19% of sellers are still in the low equity or no equity status. Many potential sellers refinanced after the bust: Because many people refinanced after the market crash, they now plan to stay put for a bit longer. About 16% of all potential sellers are those who refinanced with very low interest rates. A lot of people purchased within the last 7 years: About 14% of potential sellers purchased a home within 7 years, so we probably won't see them putting their homes on the market anytime soon.  These three groups add up to about half of all potential sellers, and none of them will sell in the next year. Additionally, there are some potential sellers who don't understand how much their homes are currently worth! Some sellers have watched the market decline for years, but haven't yet realized that we have made a substantial recovery. There's also another group of sellers who were shocked by the crash and simply don't want to take the risk of another decline in home values. In a sense, the past trauma of lost equity is stronger than their desire to own a home again.  The thing everyone needs to realize is that now is an ideal time to sell. There are hungry buyers out there desperate for a new home. With inventory as low as it is, it is likely that you'll receive multiple offers and sell for top dollar! There's no reason to sit this one out!  If you have any questions about current market conditions, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to us! We would love to hear from you! 

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation Call me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation Today, I want to address a topic many Grand Rapids residents are very curious about: price bracketing. There are a lot of agents getting their licenses back now that the market is starting to recover. With so many agents out there, it's difficult to tell if you hired the right agent.  The majority of homes that don't sell are homes that aren't priced well. If your home is overpriced by even a small margin, it could cause your home to be in the wrong price bracket. If this happens, you won't get the right eyeballs, if any, on your home and it will sit on the market for a prolonged period of time; as we all know, a stale listing usually sells for quite a bit less than it would have if it was priced right from the get go.  When buyers look for homes, they search by price brackets. If your home is just outside of the proper bracket, the kind of people that would actually buy it won't know it exists.  In order to avoid having this happen to you, give us a call or shoot us an email. We are experts when it comes to pricing and would love to help you get your home sold quickly and for top dollar!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home searchSelling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price EvaluationCall me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation Hello, and welcome to another episode of KevinYoder.TV! Today, we want to address a dilemma many homeowners find themselves in: not knowing what to do when you can't sell your current home until you find a new one.  Inventory is quite low right now in Grand Rapids. Since our market began to recover a few years ago, most homeowners have recovered enough of the equity they lost in the crash and are ready to make their move. The problem is that there are not enough homes on the market! Inventory usually picks up in early summer, but at this time there just isn't much to choose from. The key question you need to ask: Do you absolutely need to sell in order to buy? Are you a cash buyer or someone who needs to sell their home first in order to get a mortgage? Most homeowners need to sell first, but don't have the right strategy; they want to find their dream home and submit an offer that is contingent on getting their current home sold. It's important to note that contingent offers aren't worth the paper they're written on, especially in this market! The home that you write a contingent offer on is still available on the market. So, while you think you've found the right home, there is a chance other buyers will come along and make a better offer, and you could lose the home as a result.  Your best course of action is to get your home on the market! Getting your current home under contract will give you leverage once you find a new one - you'll be able to place a confident, competitive offer on your next home! It sounds difficult, but in a market like this you need to be bold! If you have any questions about making a smooth transition in our marketplace, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us an email at any time. We would love to help you make the most of this market!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation Call me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation Hey everyone, today we have another market update for you that includes the latest real estate statistics from Grand Rapids. Spring is just around the corner, but the spring real estate market has already begun in earnest. We have more homes under contract right now than we have ever had at this point in the market. Whenever we are measuring the state of a real estate market, the first thing we look at is inventory. Right now, our inventory is sitting right around 7 months, which is much more balanced than the 8.5 months we saw at this point last year.  As we head into the summer, the absorption rate will lower, and so will inventory. This is a sign of homes selling faster and the fact that there are more buyers out there looking for homes.  Next, let's take a look at the average sale price of homes in Grand Rapids. At the end of February 2015, the figure was $139,000, up 4% from last year. The average sale price of homes right now is lower than it will be in a few months, when the market really starts to heat up for sellers. Another important statistic is days on market, or how long a home sits on the market before it sells. Last year at this time, our market average was 102 days. Right now, the number of days is even lower, at 86 days, and our team's numbers are even lower. I hope you've enjoyed this market update, and that it gives you a good glimpse of what's going on in our market. If you'd like to dig deeper into these numbers or want to know what your home could possibly sell for, give us a call or send us an email, we'd be glad to help out.

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } There are many great Grand Rapids area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. Today I want to speak with you about selling your home for the most money and in the least amount of time. There are three key factors involved in accomplishing this goal, and we're going to discuss them below.Location: This will ultimately determine how many buyers look at your home. This also determines what school district you belong in, and that's an important part of determining the future value of your home. Price: When you overprice your home, you risk losing buyers immediately. If they see your home is overpriced, they'll never take another look at it. Pricing your home correctly is the most important marketing tool that you have. If you do your research and price your home right, you'll be able to get multiple offers and that will generate top dollar for your home. Staging: This is an extremely important way to get a good first impression out of a buyer. Besides the price of your home, this is the number one way to appeal to customers. Make sure your home is sparkling clean, very well lit, and ensure that it is not cluttered and allows easy traffic flow for showings. You don't want the buyers to think that anyone lives in your property. Homes that are clean and neutralized often sell the best.The spring selling season is coming up, so we hope you've found some value in these tips. If you'd like more information on what you can do to net more money for your Grand Rapids home, then please contact my team. We're always willing to help you!

.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; height: auto; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } There are many great Grand Rapids area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (616) 942-2449 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions. The goal of every home seller is to get the most possible money for their home in the shortest period of time. Today we are going to share with you some of the methods we utilize to maximize the price when we sell a home. Sellers often want to get things going right away, and for good reason. They are excited toget their home on the market and are eager to sell. Our job is to offer them a little guidance in that area. Our goal is to help sellers maximize their potential price. The first thing we tell our sellers to do is take off their hat that says they live there, and put on their hat that says they sell there. The home is typically set up in a way for the people who live there. In order for the home to show its best, we need to make adjustments to the homes. Here are some tips and guidelines we give all of our sellers to help them sell their homes faster and for more money.  Our first tip is to not rush your home onto the market. Our motto is "No home is listed until it's time." If it takes a few weeks to get your home ready, that is ok. This will actually allow you to broaden your home's reach on the market. Another tip is to keep in mind that the first showing of your home is not in person, it's online. With the rise in internet home searching (98% of home searches begin there), people are deciding which homes they want to see in person based on the home's appearance online. One thing that buyers do really appreciate is a home that is "Move-in ready." This means making the home neutral, and inviting. We recommend the following 3 steps when getting your home ready to present to potential buyers: 1. Professional Painting  Paint your home neutral, bright colors. This will make the home more inviting to buyers and let in more natural light. 2. Home Staging  A professional home stager goes room to room and lets you know what to do to really help your home show its best. 3. Pre-inspection   Having your home pre-inspected is very helpful. Identifying where you need to make improvements and fixes  make it much easier to handle and overall makes everything easier for you. We hope you enjoyed these tips. If we can help you apply these concepts and get your home sold, give us a call. Until next time, happy holidays!