Selling • September 4, 2024

How to Use Wellness and Healthy Lifestyles to Attract Luxury Homebuyers

by Earl Coleman

Luxury homebuyers purchase a fabulous lifestyle as well as a home. Agents who recognize the lifestyle preferences of these discerning buyers can corner this lucrative niche market. Discover how to use wellness and healthy lifestyles to attract, and sell homes, to high-end house hunters who know how they want to live.

Glorious Gardens

Expansive properties mean having room for glorious gardens, including fresh vegetables and herbs. Show luxury buyers aromatic gardens with regional fruits, vegetables, and spices. Let them know they can pick fresh produce and herbs to use in their daily cooking. Having a well-established garden is a strong selling point for people focused on wellness. Remember to point out special features, such as an organic garden or one surrounded by beautiful flowers that also keep bugs and pests away.

Fantastic Fitness Center

Homes with a workout room or luxury communities with fitness centers are sure to appeal to buyers focused on good health. Mentioning a home has space to build a fitness area can help. However, most luxury buyers prefer move-in ready houses that already have it all. Having these types of amenities in-place can help sell a house faster and increase its value to fitness-minded purchasers.

Sensational Sporting Opportunities

Estate homes often have sporting areas, such as tennis and basketball courts. A swimming pool, sauna, and hot tub are also alluring amenities for buyers with a healthy lifestyle. Make sure the sports courts are updated, clean, and safe for the new owners to use immediately. Keep the swimming pool and other water fixtures well-maintained at all times. Display related sporting gear so potential buyers can imagine themselves enjoying outdoor sports in their new backyard.

Waterfront Living

Waterfront homes are desirable to many high-end buyers because there are fewer of them than landlocked ones. Whether a summer home or used year-round, waterfront living is enticing to everyone from beach bums to sailors and fishing enthusiasts. Homes with dockage appeal to boaters while a house on a private beach is ideal for sun lovers. Craft listing descriptions that focus on all the waterfront opportunities at the home and in the area. Mention yacht clubs, favorite fishing piers, and other hot spots where healthy lifestyles are in full swing.

Wellness, Walking, and Riding

Accessibility to walking, hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails appeals to wellness-minded buyers. Vast estates might have their own trails, which are best showcased by aerial photography. Give prospective buyers a bird’s eye view of the places they can walk, hike, and ride around their home. Include a map of the property, and surrounding trails, and encourage them to explore the beauty for a while on their own.

Proximity to Healthy Lifestyle Options

If a home is located near a notable fitness center, golf course, and other healthy lifestyle options, mention the proximity to possible buyers. Include these places in the listing description with tags, so buyers searching for specific properties will find the house for sale. Include colorful images of the house and neighborhood. Better Homes and Gardens® affiliated agents have access to an impressive library of professional photographs to complement their listings and promotional materials.

Indoor Wellness Features

Jetted tubs, rainwater showers, saunas, and sunbeds are indoor features to mention as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Luxury buyers appreciate having a spa experience at home, with amenities such as heated bath towel racks, radiant heated flooring, and cedar closets. Beyond the little details, transform a space into a massage room or yoga studio to appeal to health-conscious clients. A few simple updates can grab the attention of luxury buyers and help sell the house faster.

Clean Air and Water

Wellness-minded buyers are likely to be concerned about the quality of the air and water in a house. An air purification system and water filtration systems are smart investments that benefit the current homeowner and future ones. Sellers should be encouraged to get these systems, so the house always appears clean and healthy.

Staged for Success

Keep in mind health and well-being as the home is staged for open houses and future showings. Hide all personal items, so house hunters can picture themselves at the property. Ue neutral, earthy colors that bring to mind a spa feeling. Display complementary accessories that help people imagine all the possibilities, such as bubble bath and fluffy towels near a jetted indoor tub.

With a focus on wellness and healthy lifestyles, agents can attract more luxury buyers. From millennial buyers with an eye on fitness to seniors looking to maintain good health, savvy agents know how to showcase wellness features to sell houses fasters to buyers who can’t wait to live in them.

Customer Service • August 29, 2024

10 Ways to Wow Your Real Estate Clients

by Earl Coleman

Good customer service is imperative for real estate agents, but being polite and knowledgeable about listings is not usually enough to retain clients over the long haul. So, how do you make an impression among buyers and sellers that makes them think of you whenever someone mentions “real estate?”

Here are 10 ways to wow your clients and set yourself apart from the competition.

1. Build Genuine Relationships

Real estate is a business, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave your relationship with your clients strictly in the professional zone. Make an effort to get to know your buyers and sellers on a personal level. Ask them about their family, work, and hobbies. If you have common interests, don’t hesitate to suggest getting together outside of listing appointments and home showings.

2. Hire a Cleaning Crew

Do your sellers need to spruce up their homes? Hire a crew to give the interior a deep clean or to tidy up the outside. Homeowners will likely be surprised and grateful you took some of the pre-listing load off their backs. Equally impressive, give the gift of house cleaning or gardening to buyers moving into a new home.

3. Connect Them to Trustworthy Businesses

Successful real estate agents should have a database of trustworthy professionals to refer clients. Save contact information for best-in-class inspectors, handymen, electricians, plumbers, general contractors, gardeners, and local service providers who can assist buyers and sellers as they navigate the home sale process.

4. Help Clients Pack

Depending on your relationship with your clients, you can help them pack their personal items before moving or send a team to wrap and box their belongings for them. Delivering packing materials, tape, and boxes is also a thoughtful touch.

5. Share Your Social Scene

Use your local area knowledge to refer buyers to the best businesses near their new home, such as noteworthy cafes, restaurants, country clubs, gyms, bookstores, and specialty grocery stores. Additionally, make sure your clients know about any local social groups online that can be a source of information and offer a warm welcome.

6. Use Their Business or Refer Others

Whether your clients own their own companies or work somewhere you can frequent as a patron, pay their businesses a little love if possible. Let your buyers and sellers know that you want to support them in more ways than simply showing homes or assisting with document preparation. Consider giving their businesses a shout on your social networks too like Facebook, Google, Yelp, or LinkedIn.

7. Buy Them a Cool Smart Home Product

Wow your buyer and seller clients with a cool smart home product for their new abode. There are many fun features to play around with on the latest smart technology devices, so consider gifting your clients a new toy for their home, such as a camera-enabled doorbell or exterior lighting set, an Apple HomePod or Amazon Echo, smart lightbulbs, or a Wi-Fi-enabled sprinkler controller or water monitor.

8. Get Buyers a Gift Certificate or Membership

Discovering the best places to eat or enjoy entertainment in a new city can be challenging. Help your buyers find what’s amazing in their new surroundings by giving them a gift certificate or membership to somewhere that you love. Is there a produce box delivery you can sign them up for? Do you have a museum nearby that offers annual memberships? Your clients with kids might appreciate a gift certificate or membership to a play place or children’s gym.

9. Send Dinner on Moving Day

Your buyer and seller clients will probably be pretty busy on moving day. Make things easier for them by delivering dinner, wine, and dessert. Choose your favorite restaurant and order family-sized portions of the most popular dishes. Or, casually inquire about your clients’ food faves and surprise them.

10. Give a Best of Basket

Curate a basket with some of the best products in various categories, such as a top wine, bag of whole bean coffee, local honey, or Italian pasta. You might also include coupons and gift cards for the most popular places to eat and drink, listen to live music, get a car wash, or spend a Sunday.

The key to wowing your clients is to get personal and let them know in a unique way that you value them as more than a transaction, but rather as a member of your family.

Selling • August 22, 2024

How to Sell a High-End Home During Any Market

by Earl Coleman

Considering the value of high-end homes, it’s understandable that luxury homeowners and agents would be interested in moving these properties in any market. The world of high-end real estate is unique, however, in that it doesn’t follow the standardized formula that many agents are used to. A repetitive sales system or a one-size-fits-all strategy doesn’t apply when entering into multi-million dollar listings.

Why not? For one, buyers of luxury properties are different than those who purchase homes at a more modest price. Additionally, part of the secret to selling high-end homes lies in creating the right story to connect with potential purchasers.

Here are some tips you can implement to sell a high-end home in any market.

What is a Luxury Home?

Before we get into how to sell a luxury property in any market, we need to define what a high-end home is. Keep in mind that this definition can vary depending on area, but generally, a luxury property is any home above the grade of the current market. It typically has high-end finishes, compelling architectural design, and a higher square footage than most surrounding properties.

Luxury properties often have distinct views and special features like expansive outdoor living spaces, a chef’s kitchen, a wine cellar, sports courts, or a theaters. Luxury real estate is usually exclusive with highly-desirable features like location in a private community or townhomes on a private floor.

Who are Luxury Home Buyers?

Luxury home buyers are sometimes seasoned real estate purchasers and almost always affluent people motivated by desire and not need. They look for a connection with a property, in its current state or as a framework to create something that allows them to live a specific lifestyle.

People who buy high-end homes want properties that work seamlessly with their lives in every aspect from morning to night, considering factors like rest and relaxation, work and the care of children, entertainment and more.

Creating the Story

Asking your sellers the right questions and listening carefully to their answers helps you craft the right story to sell a property. Understanding the high-end homeowners’ psychological connection to where they live is key. What makes their life the way it is because of their home? What do they love about the property? Strive to leave no detail uncovered as you delve into the homeowner’s relationship with such a home and what would compel luxury buyers to part with their cash to achieve the same.

Once you’ve uncovered the story and considered how you’ll tell it to potential buyers, it’s time to market the home in a way that specifically targets those who would be an excellent fit for the property. Consider a cinematic video where you show humans interacting with the home as they would in real life, such as a person waking up in a bedroom and walking out onto a deck to enjoy the morning view. Or scenes that show a homeowner entertaining poolside or in a private vineyard.

Create a script and storyboard based on your discovery question and answer session with the seller. Think about how you can incorporate current lifestyle and design trends and show what life in the property is like without the buyer even stepping foot in the home. Today, video is one of the most effective ways to connect a consumer with a product instantly.

Pricing High-End Real Estate

Pricing luxury real estate correctly is crucial. Because there’s a smaller percentage of high-end homes on the market than average-priced properties, luxury buyers and their agents will likely remember every home they’ve looked at and will easily recognize price drops.

Additionally, luxury agents should clearly understand the difference that location makes when choosing comparable properties. For example, they should know in detail what makes one neighborhood or street more desirable than the other and be able to account for unique factors that influence luxury home values like views, controlled access, and privacy.

What to Include in a Luxury Home Sales Strategy

What might a good luxury home sale strategy look like? Among other tactics, you should:

Build a buyer persona. Become familiar with the desires of the luxury buyer.
Interview your seller. Ask questions to determine why the home is desirable.
Draft your story. Create a storyboard complete with model profiles.
Take impeccable photographs. Look for a photographer who is a great visual storyteller.
Shoot cinematic video. Show buyers what a luxury lifestyle in the home looks like.
Host events. Showcase the high-end home through broker and client parties.

Assumable Loans for Sellers • June 1, 2024

Assumable Mortgage for Sellers FAQ

by Earl Coleman

Assumable Loans for Buyers • June 1, 2024

Assumable Mortgage for Buyers FAQ

by Earl Coleman

What is an Assumable Mortgage?

An assumable mortgage is a type of home loan that allows a homebuyer to take over the existing mortgage terms from the seller. Many government-backed loans, such as FHA and VA loans, are eligible for assumption, and millions of these mortgages are available.

Why do buyers use Assumable Mortgage?

Assuming a mortgage can seem complex and unfamiliar. Earl simplify the process by providing white-glove support and expertise at every step.

Earl helps home buyers find and purchase homes with a low-rate assumable mortgage included. Once you find your dream home, Our team manages the process of assuming a low-interest rate mortgage, helping buyers save thousands a year on mortgage payments compared to buying with a traditional mortgage at today’s rates. On average, buyers who use our service and save $15,000 in mortgage payments annually.

Why is an assumable mortgage valuable?

When interest rates on mortgages are high, assuming a mortgage with a rate as low as 2% allows buyers to save up to thousands monthly compared to buying a home with a traditional mortgage at today’s rates. A low-rate assumable mortgage could be the key to finding your dream home at an affordable price.

Will an assumption work for me?

An assumption might be a suitable option for you if you meet the lender’s qualifications. We also offer Roam Boost to help buyers reduce the down payment required to a minimum of 15%.

What does it take to qualify for an assumption?

To qualify, you must meet the current FHA, VA, or USDA loan requirements depending on the type of loan you are assuming. This typically means a minimum credit score of 580, although most lenders prefer 620-640. Your debt-to-income ratio should be under the 50% max under FHA guidelines. Additional information such as employment history, explanations of income for each applicant, and asset verification for a down payment may be needed to process the loan.

Will you approve me for the loan?

No, we do not handle mortgage approvals. The lender or servicer who holds the original mortgage handles the approval. Roam’s role is to facilitate the process and provide coordination, support and guidance along the way.

Do I need a preapproval?

Yes, most listing agents will not entertain an offer without a preapproval. Once your offer is accepted, the seller’s servicer also underwrites the loan and checks your credit score, debt-to-income ratio, and other financial factors to see if you meet minimum requirements.

Can I assume a VA loan if I’m not a veteran?

Yes. Non-veterans can assume a VA loan, provided they meet the lender’s VA criteria. When a qualified buyer assumes a VA mortgage from a veteran or active-duty service member, the seller’s VA loan entitlement remains tied to the assumed loan until the buyer pays off or refinances the loan. This process restores the veteran seller’s entitlement, enabling them to use their VA benefit for a future home purchase.

How much are typical closing costs and can they be wrapped into the assumable loan?

Closing costs can vary significantly based on the specifics of the transaction. They typically include fees for services such as home inspection, title search, and other administrative tasks. Generally, these costs cannot be wrapped into the assumable loan. However, if you’re using a second mortgage to finance the home, these costs could potentially be incorporated into that loan.

Can I put more money down to lower my payment?

For the mortgage you are assuming, the payoff schedule remains the same, and putting more money down would only affect the outstanding mortgage balance. However, if you are using a second mortgage to finance some of the home, putting more money down reduces the amount you need to borrow, which can lower your total monthly mortgage payments.

Do I have to pay a down payment?

The required down payment amount for an assumable mortgage is the difference between the purchase price and the seller’s remaining loan balance. You can either use cash, a second mortgage, or a mix of the two to fund the down payment. If you need help connecting with a secondary mortgage provider, our partner SpringEQ offers assumption-specific options.

I am interested in buying a home with Earl, what should I do?

Earl has compiled available listings with low-rate assumable mortgages for you to browse. To get started, enter the city, state, zip code, or school district you’re interested in purchasing in. Utilize the search filters to narrow down your search. Click “Get Notified” to save your search preferences and activate listing notifications—we’ll email you as soon as new listings match your criteria.