My Blog

I've finally decided to post "publicly" what we've seen coming for months now... Salina's real estate market is very low on inventory. Actually, it's the lowest I've ever seen it and according to other professionals with 20+ years of experience, it may well be the lowest they've seen it. Although I'm not allowed to share specific numbers on a public forum I can assure you that, depending on price range and other factors, it has definitely become what some refer to as a "Seller's Market".
What this means for Homeowners: Depending on your situation, I do not recommend waiting for Spring to list your home for sale if it is something you are considering. Whether you are moving up, "right sizing", or relocating now is a prime time to list your home with very little competition in the current market (Again, depending on price range, location, and other variables). I say this as a person who currently has a home on the market that hasn't sold... I'm not saying that every home will sell in less than a week for full asking price... I'm saying that if the odds have ever been stacked in your favor it is now. Spring brings with it an increase of homes for sale, which equates to an increase of competition for others who choose to list their home for sale. Our office is running a Sunday ad with a list of some "wish lists" for qualified Buyers that there is no home currently for sale they are interested in.
What this means for Buyers: This situation with a shortage of inventory, coupled with increased lending standards that took effect Jan 10, equates to a much greater demand for you to speak with a lender and get prequalified. This is a must in today's market, and something I recommend as a first step regardless of the market conditions. It ensures that any offer you choose to write will receive a Seller's complete attention, and take precedence over any other similar offers that are not accompanied by a letter of qualification from a reputable lender. If you have been waiting for the right home that meets your wish list to come up for sale, there is a very good chance that someone else has also (if not 3 or 4 others). This means that meeting with a Realtor to view homes and get a great feel for what you want, should be moved up in your timeframe. We all want to window shop for as long as we can before stepping foot in the store, but we never know exactly what we want until we try a few things on for size. We don't bite, I promise ;) And the sooner you know exactly what you want, the sooner you're comfortable jumping on the perfect place the day it hits the market!
I absolutely suggest talking with a licensed professional to get their views, and I'm always available and eager to help!

By Ashley R Jarvis
RE/MAX Advantage Realtors, Inc.
785-822-1622

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/d-sidney-potter/2014-real-estate-predictions_b_4535471.html

As dry as it's been, here's a little known tip to prevent water in your basements with the coming rain. "Lightly" Water your foundation all the way around your home. Yep, water your foundations!
As the soil around your home dries, it pulls away from your foundation forming a void, sometimes very large, allowing the rain water to flow down between the soil and your basement walls. 
By watering your foundation, lightly, it will allow the soil to expand and fill the void forcing the water to flow away from your home (assuming the ground around your home has proper slope).
Hope this helps, feel free to contact me with any questions!

There are many advantages in trusting a RE/MAX Agent to list your home. 
We have the  #1 Real Estate website among all Agency brand sites. The 'My Home Finder' feature allows us to pair with online clients, helping us to turn web traffic into actual foot traffic. We are able to harness the hundreds of online viewers of your home into actual clients with actual phone numbers etc. RE/MAX has partnered with many of the top real-estate search engines, feeding our listings directly to them. And because our Buyers seem to love our website, they use it as their primary search site.

The 'Sellers Report' feature allows us to send weekly reports, showing all web traffic that has viewed your home. How many have seen it in their search, have clicked to view details, additional pictures, and 'saved it as a favorite'. There is also a feature allowing me to contact the RE/MAX Agent whom they are registered under, and request feedback on the property. Again, greatly increasing the chance of turning the web traffic, into actual foot traffic.

Our 'Design Center' is only available to RE/MAX agents. This is a vast collection of various tasteful designs to market your home. These are tried and proven designs that we simply add your homes pictures, click, and there is the most eye-catching flyer available. We can use this for over 4,000 flyer designs, 300 virtual tour designs, and endless online/print/television marketing adds to get your home the most exposure possible.

I look forward to the opportunity of sitting down with you and discussing how to market, price, and sell your home. To making it as enjoyable as possible. To helping you make your next 'move' in life!

By Ashley R Jarvis
RE/MAX Advantage REALTORS®, Inc.
785-822-1622

Being a RE/MAX Agent allows me the ability to show my Buyers any property for sale, not just my own listings. I have the flexibility to show any and all homes for sale in Salina and all surrounding areas without the worry of being penalized. Allow me to clarify...Many other Agencies have pay systems that actually penalize their Agents with higher fees/less compensation for selling a property that is not listed with their office. Although many times the Buyer insists on viewing other offices homes, this most likely persuades some Agents to "steer" their clients.
At RE/MAX, we are paid the same regardless of whose sign is in the yard, or if there is any sign at all! This allows us to put our Buyers wants and needs far before our own, and focus on simply finding them the best possible home for their budget.

The RE/MAX website is ranked the #1 Real Estate website among all Agency brand sites, Worldwide! One of the many reasons I believe, is that it is geared towards teaming the Agents with our Clients. Every time a buyer saves a favorite property, we are notified. This allows us to look at the properties you choose, and use this to get a much better feel for what your perfect home will be. In effect, greatly reducing the amount of time we spend driving around, and increasing the time we spend oohing and ahhing while standing in your new home. Another reason I believe our site ranks #1, is that it provides you with detailed information for Every Salina Home For Sale, not just the ones with RE/MAX signs in the yard! Again, my ONLY concern is that it is the right home for you!

By Ashley R Jarvis
RE/MAX Advantage REALTORS®, Inc.
785-822-1622