Fall 2013 Newsletter

Dear Brixton Friends,

Fall is such a beautiful time of year and we hope you are enjoying the season! As we come to this time of year we see a lot of transition in our lives and in the world around us. Kids are back in school, leaves are changing and people are starting to reflect on 2013 and plan for 2014.

In the Morrison household, the biggest amount of change we see is with Eva and Ellie. They turned three at the end of August and are energetic, curious, little people! They are in class during the week to feed their curiosity while also taking dance and gymnastics to burn their energy. Eva and Ellie are loving every minute of both!

At Brixton, we have expanded our business this year by recently hiring a new broker, Christa Smith. The end of summer and fall have been full of success stories for many of our clients; winning competitive situations, selling with multiple offers in 24 hours, and buying homes that appraise for higher than the purchase price! The additional help and increased competitive advantage has been wonderful as we are able to offer clients more services and amazing brokers! Brian and Ty are also continuing to expand TK Morrison and already have 15 homes to build within the next year!

Thanksgiving is almost here! We are so grateful for our family, friends, clients and networks. To share in our gratitude we will be hosting another charity party in February to give back to our community. More details coming soon!

Please feel free to share this newsletter with anyone looking for help with real estate, and contact us anytime regarding help with home assessments, strategies for effectively buying and selling, and insight into the current market.

All our best,

Brian and Jenn Morrison

Many of our clients experience HUGE success selling their homes! The market has been strong for sellers and we employ a number of strategies to make this happen consistently.

1. Get the real data on your home and neighborhood with a Comparable Market Analysis from a Brixton Broker! Contact us
2. Take the staging consultants advice. We offer a FREE staging consultation to help our clients prepare their home for sale (THANK YOU Diane Palazzo – diane@5280realestatestaging.com)
3. Make your home shine! Photos get people into homes and they have to want to see a home to buy it.

In the example below, this couple listened to this exact advice and won big! They sold their home in less than 48 hours for $7,000 over their asking price! The photos tell the story!

If you would like a Market Analysis on your home, please call 303-949-7959. We promise a report back to you in less than 24 hours!

www.tkmorrisonconstruction.com

Christa is originally from Stillwater, Oklahoma, but moved to Castle Rock, CO at age 12. She went to Fort Lewis College in Durango where she studied Marketing and Business Administration. Customer service is her number one priority and has been doing it for 10+ years. Helping people, giving advice, and listening to others needs and wants is what makes her so great in this role.

Being that she is from Oklahoma, Christa is a diehard OSU football fan, but don’t worry, Oklahoma doesn’t have an NFL team so she is a Bronco fan as well. She also loves to stay active with yoga, dance and anything outdoors with her family.

She is married to Ty Smith and they have a beautiful baby girl, Tylee, who is turning 2 at the end of December. The Smith family loves to travel back to Durango every chance they get to visit family and enjoy the gorgeous mountain views.

We love having Christa on our team and know you will enjoy getting to know her too! Would you like to meet with Christa to discuss your home buying needs? Contact Her Here

1. Find a Qualified Broker Who Will Be Your Partner

• Ask questions seeking information about knowledge and accomplishments helping clients win!
• Friends and family are lovely, but be careful that they have the experience and knowledge before taking advice.
• Make sure the broker has a strong team and network of resources
• Check on their negotiation skills, process knowledge, and references.

2. Get the Financial Details Early

• A well-connected broker will have great contacts for lenders and resources to understand the overall costs of buying a home.
• Once you speak with a lender, your spending criteria will be set and you should have a good faith estimate of your closing costs.
• Get your pre-approval letter before you shop so you are ready when you find a home you love.

3. Narrow Down Your Needs vs. Wants

• Now that you have the financial aspect clear, you will want to start narrowing your location. What is the most important for your family now and in the future, your commute, the type of community, and the inclusions and the layout of the home?
• Have a criteria conversation with the broker discussing your ideal home and be open to ideas based off your financial capacity.

4. Shop With a Plan and Learn Along the Way

• Once you have a plan with the broker, setting up showings and seeing properties is the next step.
• Your criteria may change when you see properties, start paying attention to what compromises you may make to get aspects of the home you really want.
• After seeing 5-10 properties, your criteria should be narrowed further. Most of our clients go out on 3-4 showing excursions before finding a home.

5. Make an Offer – Always Negotiate and Be Careful

• Work with your broker to determine the best price for the property and re-assess how it fits your needs and criteria.
• Get a market analysis to show you recent sold properties to justify the value.
• Outline a strategy to purchase, including negotiating tactics and bottom line numbers.
• Be careful of contract loopholes and deadlines
• Confirm your offer once you are 100% comfortable
• Submit earnest money. An effective broker watches closely for every possible threat and protects your earnest money.
• Inspection and appraisal are also times to negotiate, so make sure to have guidance and a plan for items that come up.

6. Closing and your HOME!

• The final day can be stressful, but if you have completed these steps you are ready for closing:
• Do a final walk through of the home
• Review the settlement statement with your lender
• Have your funds ready for closing – cashier’s check or wire
• Bring your drivers license to closing
• Have the location and time confirmed with the title company
• Be ready to sign a lot of paperwork
• Get the keys and head home!

The home buying process is tricky to navigate, but it can be very hassle free and stress free if you know these steps ahead of time and by working with a qualified agent. Feel free to contact Brixton Real Estate at 303-949-7959 to set up a time to meet with one of our highly qualified brokers to help you buy your new home!

In addition, here are a few estimates of anticipated costs to consider during the home buying process:

• Credit Check – up to $30 (usually, but it’s up to the bank)
• Appraisal – around $400 (but also up to the bank)
• Earnest Money – $1000+ (depends on purchase price)
• Inspection – $200-400
• Radon Test – $100-200
• Sewer Scope – $99-125
• Closing Costs – $3000+ (depends on purchase price)
• Down Payment – usually 5%-25% of purchase price
• Having Two Months Loan Payment in Reserve
• Appliances
• Moving Costs

We know you have a lot of options to help you buy or sell a home in the current market. Some companies out there are offering discounted listings and buying services, and utilizing a broker staff for simply opening doors. Our philosophy at Brixton is to offer so much more, save our clients from serious pitfalls and increase their bottom line unlike any other real estate partner they could hire. Conan Bliss, a member of our Brixton team, has lent us his perspective on the recent headlines boasting about flat rate or internet based brokerages.

“This is just another publicity stunt for a company that is pretending to re-invent the wheel. There are plenty of flat fee brokers who will list a home for under $500, and plenty of “Assist to Sell” type brokerages who will list for 4% or less, and they have been around since the dawn of the internet.

While these have their place in the market for sellers who want a no-service entity in a hot sellers’ market, they are virtually useless for sellers in a strong buyers’ market or for buyers in a strong sellers’ market. Also, the sellers using these products need to either be well-versed in the market strategies, involved in real estate or investing, or suffer the consequences of less than optimal price for the sale of their home. I am speaking from personal experience, having used flat fee listing companies with outstanding success and also with dismal failure, prior to getting my real estate license.

As a parallel, look at a good CPA: This individual will charge a healthy premium to do your taxes, when you could do them yourself for free. However, the good CPA will do your taxes faster and more accurately, saving you not only the time, but likely also saving you more money in tax payments than they are charging you in fees. In other words, they save you time and allow you to keep more of your money. A good real estate professional does exactly this.”

We take your best interests to heart, making sure you are getting the most for selling and buying your home, while reducing your stress and helping you to navigate the ever changing real estate market. This is what makes a quality broker and this is what you will find with the Brixton Team.