Atlanta GA Real Estate and Community News

Sept. 8, 2017

Astrid Says Pazi Is a First-Class Realtor

 

 

"Actually I had another Realtor that had initially sold me my home back in 2009 so I had a very good relationship with him, very happy with his services and I called him when I was interested in putting it on the market. He no longer serviced the area or was doing something different, I’m not sure what it was, but he referred me to Pazi and said that he would be great person to work with me on selling the home. We exchanged contact information, a few days passed, he came by and walked through the house and everything and we established our relationship from there. There had to be some communication between me and my ex-husband at the time and he was really good. There wasn’t really anything to mediate, so I wouldn’t say that but there were times that I was working to get some things done around the home and tidying up some things he went above and beyond in terms of telling me of this strategy to do that and what I needed to do to make sure that we were able to market the home for as much as we possibly could. He did a lot to contribute to that. Just making sure that I got all of the little things together and that I did what I needed to do to get everything in place to maximize the selling opportunity. I would say that he is a very professional young man, not only in how he handles his business even his appearance and the way that he came when I first met him. It was late in the evening, but you couldn’t tell from looking at him. He was refreshed and professional and sharp and just overall a very good Realtor. He’s very thorough in what he does, he doesn’t pull any punches, he’s pretty straightforward about things, even all the way up through the closing and afterwards. He’s just a first-class Realtor, that’s how I’d sum it up." -Astrid

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Aug. 22, 2017

Why Backup Offers Need to Be Considered in This Market

Selling your home? Get a home valuation. | Buying a home? Search the local MLS.

I never thought I would be talking about this subject, but here we are. After some recent changes in the market, I want to talk a little about backup offers.

A backup offer is when a property that you were interested in goes under contract, but you submit a “backup offer” anyway. This puts you in second position, behind the person whose offer was accepted. If the initial buyer backs out for any reason, your offer becomes first position and you get the home.

"Backup offers are more viable than they have been in the past."

In the past, this strategy was essentially a waste of time. There have been two recent changes in the market, however, that have brought back the need for backup offers.

One reason is the ridiculous amount of inventory for sale. Buyers have also become pickier because of this. Many times, buyers are making offers on homes they don’t really love just so they have the option of choosing it later down the line.

If your agent doesn’t understand the place that backup offers have in our market, they probably don’t understand the market very well.

If you have any questions for us about backup offers or anything else relating to real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

 

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Aug. 15, 2017

How Pazi Helped Billy Through a Smooth Home Buying Process

“Found him in a kind of roundabout way. We were looking into doing FHA and there’s a Georgia Dream Program out here and so we went to a bank that, according to Georgia’s website said that they did it and I guess they had changed things recently but the banker there was the one who recommended Pazi to me. We got in touch with him and he got us in touch with another institution that would help us out with the FHA stuff and we just kind of went from there. It took us little bit over a year and half to get everything in line and get our down payment set up and all of that but Pazi was able to help with that. Once we were ready to go we already had a list of houses and we just kind of picked which ones that we were serious about and one of his agents helped show them to us. It was a pretty smooth process actually. He got us in touch with Dean and Sandy at Home Bridge and they kind of helped us with the financial planning aspects of it. And we went through his website to look at most of the houses before we even went out to see them and that was kind of our main go-to, was the website to put the list together so that we could see everything out there and then he just facilitated once we knew which ones we wanted to go to. We’d send him the list and he’d provide some feedback about ‘this one is good, this one some of the key phrases or the history of the property doesn’t look like it would be a good idea, a bunch of people have backed out on deals’ and that kind of stuff. Pretty good experience. I’d say the main thing is it seems like he’s got a fair number of people working for him and with him so you know it was kind of nice, any time I tended to make phone calls or anything I’d be dealing with Pazi himself. It was just the showings and stuff that would be different agents. It would be a Saturday and I could still shoot him a text message and he’d respond usually within the hour and that was our primary mode of conversation for a while. Other than Sundays he’s available pretty much any day of the week. He was more than happy to answer our questions.”

Posted in Buying a Home
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Aug. 2, 2017

How Pazi Sold Stephanie’s House Within a Week

“I found him through the Fischer Homes housing developers who were trying to help me sell my home so I could buy a new home. I had decided not to buy the home with them, but I decided to stick with Pazi because he was very sharp and he seemed to be the person who would get the job done. He helped me get my home sold within one week. He ensured that I got the viewers for the home out to my house. I had many viewers to my home within a week, I had about 30. He got me in contact with all the people who were interested in my home and helped me to pick out the best buyer that was perfect for me. Pazi is very professional he is dedicated to his work. Not one time have I had to follow up with Pazi. He was always following up with me and making sure that I was informed of everything that was going on and that’s what I like about Pazi and I’m pretty sure if I referred him to someone else they would notice that about him as well.”

Posted in Selling Your Home
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July 26, 2017

3 Events That Can Stress a Real Estate Transaction

Selling your home? Get a home valuation. | Buying a home? Search the local MLS.

 

When people are facing difficult times, they tend to make the same mistakes as it relates to real estate. My hope is that if I can share some of those mistakes with you, if you ever find yourself in a similar stressful situation, then you won’t make them yourself.

The first thing I wanted to talk about relates to suddenly losing your job. If you lose your job and you’re still able to make your mortgage payments on time, continue doing so until you can find another job. 

If you are unable to keep up with your mortgage payments, you need to call your agent immediately and discuss a game plan that you can put into action to help get you out of that situation. 

Another time where things can get very stressful is when you are going through a divorce. A divorce is already stressful enough, and when you throw real estate into the mix, it can become a mess. 

"There is no one-size-fits-all solution to handling real estate."

You’ll need to figure out what the best course of action is for you and the other party, and then we can come in a help facilitate whatever that decision is in regards to the property, whether it be a buyout or just a sale of your home.

Another trying time that can cause stress around real estate is the loss of a loved one. When somebody passes on, I believe there is a natural grieving process that needs to take place. Usually what happens is people tend to move too quickly, or they hold onto the property for too long. 

I generally tell my clients to take the time they need to grieve their loss, and then we can sit down and make a game plan about what makes sense for them once that grieving process has concluded.

The most important thing to remember is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to handling real estate. We have to take a look at every unique situation and handle it appropriately. We want to make sure that you know that we are available to answer any questions you may have.

If you have any other questions about this topic, please give me a call. I’d be happy to help.

 

Posted in Buying a Home
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June 19, 2017

Home Improvements That Won't Add Value to Your Home

Selling your home? Get a home valuation. | Buying a home? Search the local MLS.

 

Today I’ve compiled a list of home updates that you should avoid before putting your home on the market.

1. Wallpaper. As a rule of thumb it won’t give you back the investment that you put in, primarily because it’s a specific choice that’s personal to you. 

2. Flooring. You don’t want to replace carpet with more carpet. There are a lot of hard surfaces out there that are reasonably priced that will appeal to more buyers.

3. Lavish lighting. There are a lot of beautiful options out there for light fixtures. You want to keep your choice simple and plain, instead of choosing lighting that is too trendy.

 

"Paint is a critical piece to any listed property."

 

4. Paint. Paint is a critical piece to any listed property. You want to make sure that you don’t have loud colors, dark accent walls, or super bright rooms. You want to paint in neutral colors that no one will complain about.

5. Pools. Appraisers won’t give you value with that pool, and buyers won’t understand how much it costs. It’s a great addition if you want it for you and your family, but don’t install a pool for the sole purpose of adding value to your home, as it won’t.

If you have any other real estate questions or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, please give me a call. I’d be happy to help!

 

Posted in Selling Your Home
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June 6, 2017

Why You Can't Trust Zillow for Atlanta Home Valuations

Selling your home? Get a home valuation. | Buying a home? Search the local MLS.

 

With property values here in Atlanta going up, we've received a lot of questions about Zillow Zestimates lately. The Zestimate is a value estimation that Zillow comes up with for your property. The No. 1 question about them is whether they're accurate and trustworthy, and how they even come up with this value.

The Zestimate is a proprietary algorithm that uses things like public data and tax records to estimate your home's value, but there are many things that they can't consider with an algorithm. 

For one, Zillow's algorithm can't take your area or neighborhood into consideration. If, for example, you're in a cookie-cutter new construction neighborhood with similar houses and a small handful of floor plans, it will actually be a little more accurate. However, if your property is unique or has been renovated or is just very different than the other properties around it, you need to be aware that Zestimates can't account for this. They also can't account for any upgrades you've done in your home, which can add significant value. 

 

"Zillow can't take your neighborhood into consideration."

 

Also, remember that Zillow has a margin of error of about 7%. Think about that in terms of a $300,000 house; that's a lot of money! That could cause the price to be overinflated by $20,000 or it could cause you to leave money on the table.

So be careful with Zillow Zestimates when you're thinking of selling your home as they can't account for some very important factors in your home. If you'd like a custom valuation of your home or you have any questions about the Atlanta real estate market, don't hesitate to give me a call or send me an email soon. I'd love to hear from you!

 

 

Posted in Selling Your Home
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May 8, 2017

If You Want to Buy a House in Atlanta, Avoid These 6 Mistakes

Selling your home? Get a home valuation. | Buying a home? Search the local MLS.

 

If you want to buy a house in a hot seller's market like Atlanta, there are six major mistakes you should try to avoid:

1. Not starting with your strongest offer: You have to be prepared to put your best foot forward to be taken seriously by sellers. I understand it's ingrained in all of us to try to get the most and pay the least in a deal, but if you don't get the property you want, it's a waste of your time.

2. Over-analyzing the purchase price: In a seller's market, this can be just as risky as impulsively buying a house because you might end up with no house at all. Once you talk to a mortgage lender and determine the price range you want to buy in and the area you want to live in as well as the type of home you're looking for, you need to jump on the right house when it comes along.

3. Working with an inexperienced agent: Buyers need every little bit of help they can get in this seller's market, so you want to work with a seasoned professional who sells more than one or two houses a year. You want an agent with a track record of helping their clients get exactly what they want.

 

"You have to be prepared to put your best foot forward to be taken seriously."

 

4. Not being pre-qualified or pre-approved for financing: With inventory as low as it is and homes selling so quickly, we suggest that our clients go through full underwriting approval on the front end before you even find a house. It speeds up the process after going under contract on the property so you can move quickly through the due diligence period, which can only be done if you've gone through the pre-approval process.

5. Not being prepared for a bidding war: Bidding wars happen more and more now than we've seen in the past, so we want to be sure you're ready for it. A bidding war totally changes the game as far as time frames, contingencies, terms, conditions, and the dollar amount that go into your offer. You might also want to shop a little below your budget in case a bidding war takes place and the price comes up. We don't want to bid you out of your pre-qualified amount.

6. Not being able to learn from mistakes: You should be able to both acknowledge that you've made a mistake and learn from it. There's no shame in realizing your offer wasn't accepted; the issue comes in when you're not willing to adjust your strategy to win the next time you make an offer.

If you have any other questions about the home buying process or anything at all relating to real estate, give me a call or send me an email. I'd be glad to help you out!

 

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April 6, 2017

How Pazi Sold Sam's House for $5000 Over Asking

"Initially Pazi sold me a home back in 2011, so when I got ready to sell it, the same house he sold me, we sold it together. We actually, it was great, we actually got $5,000 more than we were asking for. We had one person under contract and what took place is that person's credit didn't go through at the last minute. And the very next day Pazi had 3 other offers for me, out of those 3 we closed with one of those. He's very fair, he very transparent, and he's very prompt. He's going to look out for your best interests."  

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March 21, 2017

Why Carmen and her Husband Were Confident in Pazi D

"Pazi and my husband are very good friends, they went to college together. He sold my husbands house a few year ago and he just remained good friends with us. And of course when I was getting ready to sell my house, first person we called was Pazi. And as usual he did an awesome job! He just made sure that we stayed up to date with everything that was going on with the house. If there were any set backs or any issues he made sure to keep us informed but he always had a solution to the issue. So we didn't have to wonder what was going on. He always had an answer and a solution, so we were fine, we were confident in him. It's a great experience. you will be comfortable he's very easy to talk to, you'll be confident in his work, he does a good job doing his homework to make sure that he his pricing the house so that it will sell and not sit on the market forever. It will sell pretty fast and it's a pretty reasonable process. So you'll have someone who's very transparent, who's willing to work with you, and will get the job done."


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