Don't Ignore the Selling Power an Open House Brings

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For many, many years I didn't really believe in open houses as a selling tool. I primarily believed that they were simply for agents to recruit potential buyers. The likelihood of someone coming in and deciding to buy a home during an open house is not super high.

However, there are some factors that can make an open house worthwhile. If your home is in a desirable and high-traffic location, I think an open house can work very well.

I recently did an open house on a property that had 20 showings but received no offers. When I conducted an open house I got 3-5 people to come through, but 2 of those people absolutely loved the home and we got multiple offers and were able to sell the home above list price.

Given the right circumstances, open houses can help. If you live far away from town or are in a place that's not convenient, I would suggest going another route. People like the convenience that comes from an open house which is why it works in high-traffic areas.

If you have any questions or concerns about this issue, or if you'd like to learn more about Lane County real estate, please don't hesitate to contact me!

Lane County Borrowing Tips

Selling your Lane County Home? Get a free home value report

Buying a Lane County Home? Search all homes for sale

Is there a difference between having no credit and having bad credit? Many people are unaware, but there is a significant difference between the two.

When you have bad credit, it's likely because you stopped making mortgage, credit card, or car payments at some point. When you haven't made a payment, you begin to get derogatories (30 days late, 60 days late, 90 days late, etc.). You also may have had a bankruptcy in the past, which will negatively affect your credit.

If you have failed to make payments, or if your credit is just bad, it will take some time to improve your score. The longer you get away from your last negative derogatory, the better your credit will become. In other words, if you start making payments regularly, you can get your credit back on track.

If you have no credit, it means you need to apply for some and start making payments on time. This is a better situation than having bad credit because you can earn good credit much faster than you can recuperate it!

If you have any questions about this topic, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to hear from you!

Why Should You Take Zillow's Values with a Grain of Salt?

Selling your Lane County Home? Get a free home value report

Buying a Lane County Home? Search all homes for sale

How does Zillow affect buyers and sellers in the Lane County area? Today, we'll explain that while Zillow is a useful tool, you need to be careful about trusting everything you find there.

Often, I meet with sellers who tell me how much their home is worth according to Zillow and buyers who question the price of homes I show them because of what Zillow told them. What many people don't realize is that there are a lot of things Zillow can't do. It uses a database-structured algorithm to come up with home prices, so there are a lot of things it cannot take into consideration.

Zillow has no way of taking into account a home's curb appeal. They have no way of separating a dream yard from a dumpy one. A home with a pristine yard and one with grass ten feet tall, given the same statistics, will be valued the same on Zillow. In some aspects Zillow can be pretty accurate, but it's best to take all the information you get there with a grain of salt. More often than not, Zillow's values are either low or high.

If you have questions about the best way to find the most accurate and up to date real estate information, don't hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email. I would love to assist you in any way possible!