What Are Your Auction or Real Estate Sales Expectations?

Let's face it. We are not in a booming economical cycle. Unemployment is currently in excess of 8% and has been for quite some time. With regards to housing, with a hand full of exceptions, home prices continue to decline. With some commodities like food, and energy, prices are going up. Yet interest rate on savings is at an all time low. My bank wants to pay me 1% on my savings but with true inflation in excess of 4%, I'd be going broke if I did that.

And let's not forget what is going on in the European markets. With the euro on the verge of collapse, and with many US Banks invested in the European Banks, is it any wonder banks are unwilling to lend.

Plus, Israel and the US continue to threaten to bomb Iran because of Iran's possible nuclear capability and that will certainly affect gas prices at the pump and transportation cost to get the goods delivered. Then there is the election coming up in November With all these uncertainties, businesses are not going to hire or expand. You might ask, "What does all this have to do with an auction? Plenty. Let me explain.

We recently sold a home via auction that brought less than the seller expected. Was the seller disappointed? Yes, but not devastated, as it was the seller's decision to sell at the last high bid price. While the seller was disappointed, I felt we had done a good job educating the seller with regards to her expectations.

You see, she had the home appraised and was given a dollar valued that was stuck in her mind. When I saw the appraisal, I told her that the appraisal was just an "opinion of value" which it really was, and that I didn't think she would get close to that value with an auction or even with a traditional listing. The appraiser had to go pretty far out to get comps, of which none of them were recent, as this property was in a rural area.

You see, prior to the auction contract being signed, we sat down with the seller to explore her expectations, to see if they were realistic. She had bought the home during the last real estate boom, viz., she over paid in comparison to today's market price. We explained to her unless we had a cash buyer, it would be more difficult to get a buyer qualified for a loan in today's market because the lending requirements had changed in the last year or so. In addition, the home needed some cosmetic repair that a traditional lender would have required the seller to fix.

We even explained to her how all the other things mentioned above (world events) would affect price. While not getting the price she wanted, her disappointment was lessened because of being informed of what to really expect. I would rather turn a client down than let them down. As auctioneers or real estate agents, we must inform and educate our clients with regards to their expectations.

What are your expectations? Are they real or just a wish, want or desire?

For more information on our auction and real estate services, go to http://www.cansellnow.com or call us at 252-257-4822.

Ron TaylorAuctioneer/Broker
Ron Taylor and Sons Real Estate and Auctioneers
252-257-4822
www.cansellnow.com

Seniors Target of Scammers

Almost on a weekly basis, I receive e-mails from some foreign country's ambassador, banker, attorney or heir, willing to pay me millions of dollars if I would help them transfer some money out of their country. There are many variances to this, like the Nigerian Scam going around on the internet. Of course to get the money, they need some more personal information about me and my bank account... yea, sure.

It appears these scammers are targeting senior citizens as if all senior citizens have lost all their faculties or need to supplement their Social Security check. These scammers must be having some success based on the number of e-mails I get. Being 66 years young doesn't necessarily qualify someone for stupidity.

Our staff had been discussing how to expand our Senior Move Management service when I got the latest scam e-mail. It reinforced to me the importance of honesty and integrity in dealing with the senior market. When a senior is downsizing, getting ready to retire, looking at a retirement community, etc., they are faced with many decisions about their personal needs. In many cases their children are too busy or live far away to take the time to assist them with their planning. Here are a few topics the seniors are faced with:

• Placement Specialist
• Senior Real Estate specialist- traditional listing versus auction
• Assisted Living Advisors
• Home Renovation Specialist
• Independent Living Advisors
• Reverse Mortgage Specialist - do I want to receive monthly payments from the equity
• Residential Care Home Advisors
• Estate Sale Coordination - tag sale versus personal property auction
• Home Health Care Specialist -Medicare supplement programs
• Financial Advisor/Planner - what to do with the 401(k) plan?
• Senior Move Managers
• Legal Assistance Counselors/Attorney- updating wills/medical will-estate distribution

Being a senior myself, my wife of 38 years will not admit to being a senior :-), I think I have a good understanding of the needs of a senior. If you would like to discuss your needs on a no obligation basis, go to http://www.cansellnow.com/seniormovemanagement.html and check us out, then give us a call.

Ron Taylor<><

President/Broker/Auctioneer/Personal Property Appraiser

The Restorer, Inc.

Ron Taylor and Sons Auctioneering and Real Estate

Taylor Estate Services

252-257-4822 (Office)

www.canSellnow.com

 

Are Better Off Today Than You Were Three Years Ago?

The elections are about 10 months off and we already are hearing all the promises from both parties. Rather than addresses his first three years in office, Democrat strategist are saying he will blame Congress, viz., the Republicans, for all the nations problems in his efforts to get re-elected. But is he forgetting that he had full control of both houses of Congress for the first two years and never even proposed a budget.
As an auctioneer of real estate, both residential and commercial, I am very concerned about 2012. The banks are still not lending, and foreclosures are continuing at a steady pace. The national media would tell us that foreclosures are decreasing but the truth is the banks are slowing down their foreclosure process. They would rather have the homeowner stay in the home and make no payments than to have some Wall Street Occupier move in and trash it. It like saying the unemployment rate is decreasing when the truth is, many Americans have simply given up looking for a job.

This nation is on the brink of collapse both financially, economically and socially, via class warfare. (The have not's versus the haves.) Capitalism is trying to be replaced with Marist Socialism. More and more people are depending on the government to look after them. Where has the spirit of "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" gone?

Do you know what the price per gallon of gas was on the day Obama took office? Do you know what the unemployment rate was? How many people were on food stamps? What our national debt was?  I simply ask you," Are you better off today than you were three years ago?

When I showed these figures to a young Democrat friend and asked him who he was going to vote for, he answered, "Anybody but Obama."

Ron Taylor

President/Broker/Auctioneer
Ron Taylor and Sons Auctioneering and Real Estate
http://www.cansellnow.com
252-257-4822