I am very excited to announce that I have received my EcoBroker® Designation. Through this great program I learned about the latest topics influencing the way potential clients buy and sell real estate when it comes to energy efficiency as well as "living green". Being an EcoBroker® will help me stay current with the growing green real estate market and the opportunities it presents. Many real estate professionals focus on the normal visual features of a home. This program has changed the way I look at things though allowing me to focus on the things that make my properties stand out from the crowd from an energy efficiency standpoint. I do not think that living green is just a fad as many people in the industry believe. With energy prices getting more and more expensive I think that people will truly embrace being green if for no other reason than just from a cost savings standpoint.  Look for more information in the coming weeks as explore the opportunities being an EcoBroker® presents.

I guess I am getting addicted to learning new things. After completing the requirements to get my GRI designation back in April, I have been working toward getting my CRS (Council of Real Estate Specialists) Designation. The training and networking that I am recieving from this program has been wonderful and I have learned quite a bit about the latest in how to use technology to enhance my business as well as business planning and marketing so that I can utilize my time and marketing budget in the most cost effective way. The recurring thing that I am learning though is that spending money of print marketing is one of the least effective ways to go about getting business. The Internet is really no longer the future of real estate but the present and best way to market properties, attract new clients as well as network with other agents so that we all learn from each other. I will let you know as soon as I am done but I encourage all agents to go down the road of getting your NAR sponsored designations. They will not only help you professionally but personally as well.

www.mikekellyjr.com

 

I have noticed that when working with buyers that some would love a swimming pool and some do not. When I lived in NJ it was somewhat of a negative to have one, In Florida it seemd like a necessity. In the Hickory NC real estate I feel it could go either way. I would leove to get some opinions about other parts of the country and see if having a listing with a swimming pool is great or a burden.

I have lived in Hickory for a few years now and I think it would have been helpful if someone had explained how the road structure of this town was set up. Basically the City was divided into 4 quarters, NE, NW,SE,SW Therfore you should be able to figure out what part of Hickory you are going to by the last two letters. Route 127 runs north south and seperates east west, and main ave in Downtown Hickory pretty much separates north south. Once you realize how that is set then things will make alot more sense to you. I will say that having a GPS has made things much easier though.

I almost don't want to let out this secret but we were out on Lake Hickory last night (July4th) and there were quite a few really nice fireworks displays going on around us. It was a pretty amazing sight sitting in the middle of the channel and watching the multiple displays going on around us. Thanks to all of the people who provided entertainment to their guests but to those lucky enough to be trolling around last night.

Mike Kelly Jr

www.mikekellyjr.com

 

I am currently trying to get a better Google ranking for my site and need to increase my Google ranking from a 1. Although I believe that my website www.mikekellyjr.com is quite good I can not seem to break past a 1 ranking. Any advice?? I have been to several spots like websitegrader.com as well as scrubtheweb.com for advice but still can not seem to get the ranking higher.

My last 2 years in Real-Estate I have found this week of July 4th to be quite quiet. I am happy to reoprt that things have actually been pretty busy this week with many of my houses getting some showings and actually having a few buyers that I am working with. Oh well hopefully everyone has a great and prosperous weekend. Hopefully things will stay busy for all of us.

 

 

I was just wondering if other people have been noticing something that I have seen as a mini-trend.

Here is the scenario:

Person buys house fixes it up to be the nicest home in a neighborhood. Person puts home on the market and immediately finds multiple buyers who would like the property. Buyers can not get a mortgage on the property because there is no history and it will not appraise for that amount. I never noticed this happen before but seems to happen more and more lately. Shouldn't the market decide the price of a house and not an appraiser?? Just wondering if this is a local thing or if it is happening elsewhere?

One thing I did think of is that people are not going to be really happy with the return they are getting form their stock portfolios....maybe they will be more likely to put some money into real estate again especily if theyt are able to get a mortgage on investment property under 6%.

I know this may seem like too simple of an idea but My vision is that people only place their homes up for sale that truly need to sell. This is not a time to "test the market" or say "well if I sell my home for this then I will then be able to build my dream house". I feel that if this was done then the only homes that buyers will have to look at are the ones that are priced to sell and have motivated buyers. But with many areas sitting with a 1 year supply of homes or more in their inventories I think we are doing a disservice to our clients if we take a listing that should not be on the market. Maybe we should send them to Zillow.com and have them post a "make me move" listing. In my market there are plenty of buyers for homes out there but there is such a glut of supply that our buyers have too many choices and end up suffering from analysis paralysis. This is just my opinion and I am sure that it is too simplistic but it would be a quick fix to a problem that I know exists in many markets.