Posted by benanton in Blog
The last week has been a hectic one, it seems everybody is “getting back to work”. Fencing, not sword play but the screening and privacy type, came up several times with both current clients and a few that have already bought. When I shop with buyer’s we are always looking at the houses next door to get a feel for the neighbors and how much value they add or detract from our love of the potential new home. Sometimes the best solution is keep looking and sometimes the best solution is a fence.
I took a call yesterday about the specific rules and regulations regarding fences. There are a couple resources people in Madison can turn to. I would first locate your boundaries. A look at the City of Madison’s Assessor website is the place to start. Look up your home, find the frontage dimension, and have a look at the plat map. You should be able to use the lot area, map and frontage to figure out the dimensions and give you a good idea as where to look for the lot stakes.
Once you have decided where the fence will go, then you need some guidelines. You will not need a permit for a fence but you should know the rules. The city has compiled this pamphlet with all you need to know. As far as best practices in building the actual fence, well, you’ll have to have me over for a beer. I have built quite a few and they are all still standing. Good luck and for your sake I hope your neighbors like your new fence too.
Posted by benanton in Blog
Maybe this only happens to me, but every once in a while people will get down on the title company, calling them vultures of the real estate industry with their nickel and dime fees, added costs and perceived bureaucracy. I had never called them all those names but they do sell title “Insurance”, which as Ned Flanders the devout Christian on “The Simpson’s” will tell you is a form of gambling. Title Insurance as we know it today replaced the previous practice of a lawyers review of a properties abstract. So let me tell you what I just did. At the advice of several folks in the insurance, tax and real estate industry I am transferring ownership of the two rental properties my wife and own to an LLC. Anton Homes LLC to be exact. The quit claim deed can be used in this circumstance. It allows and individual to transfer whatever right they have, limited or total, whatever they are to another party. As Sandy and I will transfer it to ourselves, we did not need a title search or insurance, just a deed with our signatures, and our signatures.
Simple, Right? Wrong, you forgot about the government and taxes. We will not be taxed on the transfer as we are married but are still required to file a transfer return. This tedious process can only be done on-line and was clearly not designed to be consumer friendly. It was ridiculous. I gave up 2/3rds of the way through and called Jeanie the title lady. It was that poorly designed difficult to work with. So while a title company does have all sorts of fees and costs and perceived layers of bureaucracy, they also specialize in dealing with and creating a buffer between the consumer and other agencies, governmental and/or financial that have even greater costs, fees, and countless layers of bureaucracy.
Posted by benanton in Blog
I shy away from networking events. They seem fake and forced. The ability to show up, drink average beer, and pass out cards is not an indicator of excellence in any industry I am familiar with. That being said I love making connections. If you know me well you have probably heard me say “I know a guy.” When Isthmus reporter David Medaris asked around his office about where to start an article about neighborhood handy-people, someone said, “I know a guy.”. That guy was me. Have a read of this Isthmus Abode feature story.
thedailypage.com/isthmus/article.php?article=30560
Unlike my last few brushes with media fame, David did ask and include in the piece what I do for a living. Good job David.
Posted by benanton in Blog
You may or may not know that I keep some chickens in the yard so if that is a pre-requisite for your next real estate agent, we’re all set. If it is merely and added benefit that your agent can advise you on coop design and the suitability of your yard for poultry raising then that is okay too.
Recently our coop was featured in the Madison Magazine. The print version featured a photo of my lovely girls (Lola and Evelyn) so the on-line version is far less attractive but here it is.
Posted by benanton in Blog
I read articles all the time that link a spending habit or surge in one categories numbers to a different industry or market trend. Evidently the $4 coffee has seen a re-birth in the last few months. Starbucks and other purveyors of overpriced lattes are back in the black. Pundits, journalists and baristas alike feel this is a sign of our economy’s rebirth and we are on the mend.
The masses’ willingness to indulge, treat themselves, pay more for less, spend outside their means, and exercise a “we’ve worked hard to get through these “trying times” mentality all point to consumer confidence and the light at the end of the tunnel.
I though might take a moment and ask of you this: Is not the four dollar coffee and all it stands for exactly what got us in trouble the first place?
Posted by benanton in Blog
Yesterday I showed a home on the Isthmus with a list price of 141k. It sold just a few years back and had seen some recent updates but was priced below what the current owner paid and was languishing on the market. The home also had a list, as in the eastern edge of the home was probably 6 inches lower than the western edge. Other than the obvious difficulty of frying a decent egg on a stove that was not level, it was a fine house. Keep in mind that in hot markets or even in areas perceived as hot, you may feel forced to accept less than the ideal. Make sure that whatever you buy will be acceptable to the next buyer in a potentially less attractive market and you’re covered.
Posted by benanton in Blog
Every time I list a house I have to fill out a profile sheet. This data is what becomes the MLS sheet with all its dimensions and numbers. I usually skip over the part for noting the “Environmentally Friendly Features.” I sell mostly older homes. Homes built before it was cool to be green (yet oddly built in very green ways with far more locally sourced and natural materials). Some of the choices are Certified Green Built, Energy star certified, or that you have energy star certified appliances. As far as I am concerned these are all a bunch of hooey. My old house has an exceptionally low fuel usage because we are responsible, have made updates and try to be efficient. The irony is that the homes that can boast these features are often in car centric new subdivisions carved into farm fields on the cities periphery. Shouldn’t I get to list a green feature like, can walk to get beer, or dinner, a show, the market. At what cost are we discarding or devaluing the old so we can save the environment. To test another “green” aspect of your home, check you address at www.walkscore.com. I got an 83.
Posted by benanton in Blog
…and then Tyra said, I hate group dates. A recent Tyra show featuring one of the discarded bachelorettes sharing why she felt she was not the “chosen one.” She was never able to shine, to show her stuff. There was too much going on and she was unable to sell herself through all the chatter. I have never been on reality television but like this bachelorette, I too have suffered at the hand of the group date. When viewing home, especially occupied ones, it is easy to be distracted by photos, bad decorating. Even generally quiet folks are often willing to make a comment or remark about an odd style choice or dated feature. The more people on an outing, the more the comments and commentary can spiral and take over. I too am guilty of the occasional quip, it’s my nature.
In my years of helping buyers find a home I not had too many group dates but some buyers prefer to make the shopping experience a family affair or one for friends and loved ones to share in. You must be careful when doing so, it is so easy to get caught up in the joking and fun that you could easily overlook a gem in disguise or miss shortcomings. Enjoy the visit but make sure you stay centered, keep on task, follow a plan or the house your viewing could end up on Tyra, discarded for no reason. I too need to remind myself to do this, the more people on the outing the easier it is to get caught up in being charming and making certain to pay attention to the comments and questions of each person, making little to no time for me to work my craft. Yeah, that sounds cheesy but you get the idea. I just went back now to highlight the 8 or so important words in this post.
Posted by benanton in Blog
For a moment yesterday I was contemplating what it means to have a lawyer draft an offer to purchase rather than a real estate agent, broker or Realtor. (You can ask me later how those are all three very different things.) I think I can sum it up by saying: A lawyer can get so bogged down in covering your ass that it may take some time for your ass to get an accepted offer. If you are buying a house from another attorney this may not matter but chances are you are not.
There are all sorts of little nuances that go into writing an offer. Expectations that need to be met, unwritten rules and standards. A lawyer will generally not know that a pre-approval letter should accompany an offer and that it has become expected and the lack of one could mean a counter offer. Do they know that an inspection contingency of 10 days or more may raise a red flag. Do they step back and ask what the terms of the offer will mean to the seller and their ability to accept it, or do they move forward with a single goal that has nothing to do with making a deal happen. In my own dealings with lawyers, after the offer was accepted and the deal underway, subsequent deadlines were often ignored or missed. If real estate is not their primary business, a single deal can easily get lost in the shuffle.
I am reluctant to suggest that lawyers go too far to protect their clients interest, as it might suggest that I stop short of that ultimate protection. I don’t. Years of experience and learning the nuances of the dance allow me to help a client achieve a goal while at the same time protecting their interests. If you just do one or the other you will be protected from risk, but not from the rain.
Posted by benanton in Blog
The new Real Estate year started yesterday, the 4th of January, 2010. The first business day of the year was a cold one, the low temperature was the same as the date, 4. By the days end I would see as many as 20 new listings in the area surrounding my home. These few square miles blossomed like a spring garden even though the sun only shone for 13 hours. What’s the rush you ask? Here is how I see it. The extended tax credit, $8000 for first time buyers and $6500 for move-up buyers, has a sunset of April 30th. That’s just 4 months away and I don’t think any sellers want to miss this opportunity. The new credit it written that there must be ab accepted offer by that date, and the closing will need to happen in the subsequent 60 days. I am certain the first few months of 2010 will be busy ones. My fear is that it will be busy like a be hive is busy, lots of buzzing, bumping, flying, and constant activity. The real story I want to know is how much honey will they make.
