10 Strategies to Win in Multiple Offers Every time!

• 1. Non Contingent on home sale
  2. You may need to offer over list price.
  a. Highest and Best FIRST- One and Done.
  b. More offers = likely higher price.
  3. Understand the mindset from the Seller’s perspective
  a. Closing Costs are an expense to the seller.
  b. Work within their closing time frames
  c. Nothing Weird.
  4. Handwritten letter with offer
  a. Sell story with pictures
  5. Guaranteed Pre- Approval
  6. Short closing time frame. We can close in 21 days.
  a. Seller does not make next payment
  7. Contract –
  a. Appraisal Contingency- Agree to Pay $X.00 amount above low appraisal.
  b. Shorten contingency timelines
  c. Extra time to vacate at no extra cost to seller
  d. Big Earnest Money- Entire Down payment?
  e. Short Inspection with a reputable company (limit on repairs)
  f. Clean, no warranties,
  8. Allow seller lease back up to two months
  9. Lower down payment show asset statements
  10. Play the game to win!

Twin Cities Real Estate Market February 2016

Consult an Agent

If you have been thinking about listing your home, it might make sense to contact a real estate agent to look at your options. An experienced Twin Cities real estate agent can help you to determine what your home might sell for in this market and come up with a plan to help you and your family reach your real estate goals.

Preparing Your Minnesota Home to Sell This Spring

The Twin Cities spring selling season is almost upon us! Here are a few tips to get your house ready to sell for top dollar this spring! You only get one chance to make a first impression and the following tips will help to make sure your home has a good one!

De-Clutter Your House

You want your home to appear as big and inviting as possible. Potential buyers need to be able to picture how the house will look with their belongings. This means getting rid of or storing any extra you might have. Taking down knick knacks or personal photos. Cleaning out your closets and kitchen and bathroom cabinets.

Clean Your House

It should go without saying, but buyers will be turned off by a dirty house. If you are planning on selling your house this spring, take your spring cleaning to the next level. Make sure windows are clean and bright. Hire a cleaning company to come in and clean your carpets and remove stains. Make sure grout and caulking are clean and free of mildew and discoloration. You want your house to be fresh and clean, and this includes taking care of any odor problems.

Brighten Up the House

Most people want a lot of natural light, so make sure your window coverings are operational and open. Also, if there are any light bulbs that are burnt out or dim, be sure to replace them with a properly sized bulb.

Paint Your Walls and Ceilings

It’s amazing what a little bit a paint will do to freshen up a house! If you have walls that are a little bit on the bold side, it would be a cheap investment to paint them in a neutral color. Walls that are already painted in a neutral color, but are faded, stained, or damaged could benefit from a fresh coat of paint. If you are ceilings are discolored or stained a fresh coat of new paint can make the room look like new.

Cheap Bathroom Repairs

It’s no secret that kitchens and baths sell houses, but sometimes the cost to update these rooms would not be worth the expense. If you are looking for a cheap and easy way to make the bathroom pop, a new shower curtain can do wonders. It’s also a good idea to re-caulk around the tub, toilet, and vanity.

Get a Free Home Minnesota Home Valuation

Greenlaw Realty Listings Services

One of the biggest factors in selling your home is to expose it to as many potential buyers as possible.  We have developed the Greenlaw Advantage Marketing Plan to make sure anybody that is looking for a property will see it. Many agents will simply put your home on the local MLS, put a sign in the ground, maybe an ad in the local real estate guide, and wait for offers to come in.  While this may have been how homes sold in the past, it is no longer the way it should be done. Most buyers in today’s market, over 90% according to the National Association of Realtors, start their search online.

Greenlaw Realty has developed a comprehensive marketing plan that makes sure our listings are seen by as many potential buyers as possible. Sure we do all of things most realtors do, but our system is at the forefront of the online marketing world.

Super Bowl 50 Party Ideas and Recipes

It’s already Super Bowl time!! I’m disappointed the Minnesota Vikings didn’t make it to the dance this year, but here are some ideas to make the game and your party a little more fun!

Super Bowl Party Ideas for the Kids

Pre-Game Touch Football Game

I think a nice game of touch football before the real game is great way to get both the kids and adults outside for a little physical activity before the game. The kids will have a great time running around playing football and it might have the added benefit of wearing them out a little bit, so they aren’t as restless during the game.  This is also good for the adults, because lets face it, we are going to be eating and drinking a lot and this will help burn a few calories!

Games While Game is On

Let’s face it, some kids are not the biggest football fans, for them game can seem to take forever. Keep your kids engaged by asking them about their favorite Super Bowl commercials during each break. You could also turn the game into a competition. Have each kid guess what they think the score will be after each quarter, the kid with the best guess can win a door prize. Have them guess if the next play will be a run or a pass. You could also have some sort of a target and see if the kids are able to throw a football through it. Just like Peyton Manning.

Football Based Craft Project

Another project to keep the kids attention during the game would be to have football themed crafts. They could cut and color footballs, footbally players. they could make popsicle stick goal posts, etc.

Party Ideas for Adults

While the game, food, and commercials should be enough to keep the adults entertained. Here are some ideas to take it to the next level.

Super Bowl 50 Board

You can have a football board where every one at the party chooses a spot on the board and whoever gets the right numbers at the end of the game wins the prize.

Super Bowl 50 Drinking Game

1. Take a drink every time Phil Simms compliments Peyton Manning.

2. Take a shot every time they mention Cam Newton’s pre-game, dabs, ball giveaway.

3. Take a drink every time they show the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, or the Fisherman’s Wharf.

4. Take a drink every time they show a celebrity in the crowd.

5.

Recipes

Ski Resorts in the Twin Cities

While Minnesota is know for it’s 10,000 lakes, it is also know for it’s winter weather. The winters can get pretty long, but there are many outdoor activities that can pass the time. One of my favorites is downhill skiing and snowboarding! There are many ski resorts in the Twin Cities metro area where one can have a great time! Here they are in alphabetical order.

Afton Alps

For 52 years, Afton Alps has delighted the Twin Cities’ families as one of the Midwest’s premier winter destinations. Nestled in the scenic St. Croix River Valley just outside Minneapolis and St. Paul, this sprawling resort poured $10 million the fall of 2013 into re-imagining the guest experience with the base area facilities, a powerful state-of-the-art snowmaking system and a cutting edge terrain park.

With nearly 300 skiable acres, 48 trails, 18 lifts and four terrain parks, there is enough terrain to challenge experts to beginners, day or night.

Buck Hill

Buck Hill, located in Burnsville, MN, is a ski area just south of Minneapolis, one of the three ski resorts in the Twin Cities metro area. Buck Hill offers skiing and snowboarding over 45 acres of skiable terrain and a 309’ vertical drop. Buck Hill is easily accessed via Interstate 35, and provides night skiing and tubing as well as regularly operated skiing and snowboarding. It also has ski tubing and an airbag jump.

Hyland Hills Ski and Snowboard Area

Hyland Hills Ski and Snowboard area is located in Bloomington, MN inside the Hyland Park Reserve.  They have skiing hills and a terrain park that is full of progressive and innovative features. They also have the ski jump, which towers over the Bloomington skyline. This is the same type of ski jump that you see in the olympics.

Greenlaw Realty

Greenlaw Realty is a full service real estate company with offices in Ham Lake, MN we service the entire Twin Cities area.