Snip Snip SNIP!

First Things First

I’m not going to get into what Tariffs mean for the overall economy as that’s not a pot of water I’m qualified to stick my finger in. However, on the real estate side, I’ll give you three thoughts.

1. The stock market was way down as I’m sure you are aware. Oil was also way down. Even Gold was down! Gold isn’t supposed to be down when markets drop. So, when it comes to uncertain markets, real estate has always been a safe bet. Real estate is real and over the long haul, it goes up. That happened after 9/11 and during the pandemic. We are short millions of homes in the United States and that is not going to change because most either own their homes outright or have a mortgage under 4%. There is not going to be any significant foreclosure or short sale crisis no matter what.

2. Mortgage rates have tumbled. They were near 6.5% for a 30-year fixed and 6.25% on a 15 year fixed. 6.00% for an FHA or VA. My mortgage guy, Ryan Brown told me that he just locked in a guy on a Jumbo loan for $5.125%.

This might reverse itself and if inflation comes, you will need to act quickly as I’d be surprised if these hold. You can check out the latest mortgage rates here.

3. If inflation comes, you will want to consider purchasing now if you are on the fence. In that scenario, new construction will jump considerably, and resale prices today could be a cheap bargain because they will rise with inflation.

Now on to today’s JJ.

Snip Snip SNIP! That last snip is how our son, Sam, at age three, heard the scissors, when getting a haircut. Yes, the same Sam who last week I wrote about taking 45 minute showers.

We tried everything and everywhere. Logic. Being funny. My hairdresser. Veronica’s hairdresser. Kid hairdresser. Nothing worked.

It took going to Disney World to break the spell. The first little town shop when you go straight through the gates at Disney is the barber shop. We were going to Disney World and decided to stop in. That barber for the next two years became Sam’s go to barber. He had these Disney Character stickers. Snip. Mickey. Snip. Winnie the Pooh. Snip. Goofy.

All of a sudden Sam’s bangs were cleared and we could see his face. With real estate, we adopt the same strategy. We need to clear the sea and see your bangs (pun intended).

Here are four snip snip Snip strategies (with a few before and after photos) to open up your home whether you are just living and enjoying it or want to sell…..

1. The Landscaping

Homeowners don’t like to cut their landscaping. This is because they paid for it and like the privacy. The problem is you can’t see beauty when you can’t even see the beauty. Take a home we just closed last week. It sat for months and expired. The Seller came to us and said what do we do? Is it the price? It actually wasn’t the price. We took the hedge cutters out and got rid of the landscaping. All of a sudden there was a magical lake view that was blocked by the hedge. The Seller questioned about the privacy. I shot back that, you aren’t living in the house anymore and even if you were, who was going to see you? A duck? She obliged. Within two weeks the house went under contract and closed last week.

2. The Front Door Field Trip

When was the last time you visited through the front door? For some of you, maybe when you first looked at the home. Many of you just enter through the garage door and never enter through the front door. However, your visitors and Buyer will as a first impression. Take a look at these photos. The first photo was photos we took of a home we just listed. The first has indoor furniture and outdoor furniture that is blocking the view bath of outdoor living and pool areas. Sweep them away and let us see the beauty of living in Florida sunshine.

3. Blinds

Open up all window treatments. Too many homeowners have heavy window treatments or never open up the blinds. Your visitors and Buyers will be blind (another pun) to what is outside. Plus, everyone wants light, open and spacious. Open them up.

4. Counter Space

I recently wrote about how I purchased an ice making machine to save my teeth from cracking. Chomp Chomp Chomp. Move it away along with any other contraptions you’ve been suckered into buying. Less is more when it comes to counterspace.

If you are still having trouble with any of these concepts and want to list your home, just remember to stick with the sticker plan. If not, expect the Buyer to stick it to you!