Woodlake is located on the pristine waters of Norris Lake. There are many recreational opportunities available; a par 72 championship golf course (rated one of the “best new courses” by Golf Digest in 2000), swimming, tennis and all forms of boating. At the end of the day enjoy fine dining at the Country Club. Click on the video to see the Woodlake Community for yourself.
This home features a quiet wooded cul-de-sac location, plus charm and luxury. It offers a gourmet kitchen with granite countertops, office space on the main level, 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths and a bonus room for extra space. Check out the video on this great home!
Enjoy lake living at its best in this home that’s located on Watts Bar Lake in Indian Shadows. It offers a master bedroom that faces the lake, bonus and hobby rooms, both a screened porch and a covered patio to enjoy the lake views. It’s an easy stroll from the house to the private boat dock with lift. Watch the video to see all of this, plus more for yourself.
The REALTORS®’ Code of Ethics was established in 1913 by the National Association of REALTORS®. It’s a set of rules that were established to raise the standards of professionalism and service in the real estate industry. The rules are divided into three areas: 1) a broker’s duties to his clients, 2) a broker’s duties to his fellow brokers and 3) a broker’s duties to the public. The current Code of Ethics contains seventeen articles.
Over its one hundred year history, the Code of Ethics has been amended and revised to keep up with the changing times. Local REALTOR® Associations are charged with enforcing the Code of Ethics and handing down punishment to those found to be in violation of one or more of the articles.
To keep REALTORS® up to date on the Code of Ethics, the National Association of REALTORS® requires all REALTORS® to take a training course on the subject every four years.
In recognition and appreciation of their obligations to clients, customers, the public, and each other, REALTORS® continuously strive to become and remain informed on issues affecting real estate and, as knowledgeable professionals, they willingly share the fruit of their experience and study with others.
Source: National Association of REALTORS®
Selling a home For Sale By Owner (FSBO) is not an easy task, that’s why most FSBO’s end up hiring a REALTOR®. Nationally the success rate of FSBO’s is very low. Over 80% of all FSBO’s end up hiring a REALTOR® to get their home sold in the end.
Why is it so hard to sell without a REALTOR®?
1. Determining the right listing price – Pricing a property correctly is probably the most important step when placing your home up for sale. If your home is not priced right, then you stand a slim chance of selling in a competitive market. A REALTOR® will have access to the sales data, plus their experience to best advise you on a proper listing price.
2. Buyer’s want your commission savings – One of the things most sellers don’t understand when deciding to go the FSBO route, is that many buyers know you are marketing you own home in order to save the commission, and they want a part of that savings. Many of the buyers will take 5% right off the top regardless of whether the home is priced well or not.
3. Availability for showings – It’s hard for many homeowners to be available to show their home at the time buyers want to look. Buyers can come at all hours of the day and night. Most serious buyers are looking at a number of homes within a given time period and are not willing to rearrange their schedule to accommodate an unworkable seller. One advantage of having a REALTOR® is they can take care of all showings, thus freeing you up to keep your life as normal as possible during the selling process.
4. Showing to unqualified buyers – It’s a waste of your time and the buyers if they are unable to obtain the financing needed to complete the purchase. If a REALTOR® is involved, in most cases only pre-qualified buyers will be looking at your home.
5. Negotiations & inspections – This is an area where an inexperienced seller can put their self at great risk. When your dealing directly with the buyer you can be put of the spot with answering questions and making decisions without thinking them over carefully. You might unknowingly commit to something without understanding all of the cost and time considerations. Negotiating buyer inspections on your home can be tricky as well. These are areas were a REALTOR® will look out for your best interest.
While it’s not impossible to sell your home on your own, you can see there are many pitfalls along the way if your not experienced. By hiring a REALTOR® studies have shown that you will usually sell your home for a higher price, and you will have someone on your side to make the process much easier.
1. Find the right real estate agent
2. Get pre-approved for a mortgage
3. Create a “must have” list for the type of home and location
4. Be open to adjusting your “must have” list
5. Learn about the neighborhood once you identify a property
6. Always have a home inspected
7. Understand the process and the paperwork
8. Submit a reasonable offer
9. Don’t expect the seller to make too many improvements
10. Stick to your pre-determined budget
Most buyers find their real estate agent in one of the following ways (listed from most common to least common):
1. Referred by a friend, relative or neighbor
2. Website
3. Used agent previously
4. Saw contact info on a For Sale or Open House sign
5. Meet agent at an open house
6. Referred by another agent
7. Personal contact by agent
8. Employer or relocation company referral
9. Office walk-in
10. Internet search engine
Source: National Association of Realtors®
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Here are a few of the ways that buyers can annoy sellers:
Disrespectful house visitors: This could include going in with muddy shoes and tracking up the carpeting, allowing children to run loose and play with the seller’s stuff, changing the heat and air settings, leaving lights on; and worst of all, leaving a door unlocked.
Submitting a long list of defects: Doing this will leave the seller questioning; does the buyer really want this place? If your wanting to buy a particular house, the better approach might be to give the seller a hand written note accompanying your offer introducing yourself and explaining why you would like to buy their house.
Too many visits: After committing to purchase a house, some buyers will want to get access to the property for a number of reasons prior to closing. These could include measuring for window treatments, planning furniture placement and obtaining repair estimates to name a few. Many sellers find the constant visits disruptive because they are in the middle of packing and making their own plans during this period.
Renegotiation: Once a contract is signed and the price and terms are agreed upon, many buyers will come back before closing and want more concessions from the seller. Most often this is being driven by the results of a home inspection. A realistic buyer should know that everything is not going to be in perfect condition, so common sense needs to come into play at some point when dealing with repair or replacement demands.
Sources: Bankrate.com & REALTOR® Magazine
Access to mortgage credit is at its highest level in three years, and credit standards are expected to loosen even more this year, according to a newly released index by the Mortgage Bankers Association.
The Mortgage Bankers Association index rose to a 114 reading in March of this year, which is the highest reading in the gauge’s three year history.
Mortgage underwriting standards have gotten easier over the last two to three years, but nowhere near the loose standards of the 2005 and 2006 era.
Nearly 17 percent of the large banks recently eased their credit standards for prime purchase mortgages, while 5.6 percent have tightened their standards. The remaining banks have left their standards the same. This information comes from the Federal Reserve’s recent senior loan officer survey.
Source: Realty Biz News (4/14/2014)