DAVE'S BLOG

Well, what does Leigh Carson know?

Leigh Carson is a St. Louis based Family Law Attorney who writes about the Real Estate Industry.  She sees it everyday and how families and their emotions swing through the Home Buying/Selling experience.   

In her article, “What a Home Inspector Can Do for You When You Are Selling Your House“,  she writes, “A home inspector is trained to identify items in a home that need either replacement or repair. A certified inspector will carefully examine the structural components of the home, including roof, windows, insulation, siding and tuck pointing, as well as the heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical systems. The home inspector’s report will give far more information than an appraisal or an analysis by a real estate agent.”

Ms. Carson continues with the process, “Most buyers make an offer to purchase property that is contingent upon the inspection revealing no significant issues; and even though the buyer will have their own inspection done, it is important to talk with your real estate agent about the benefit of having an inspection done yourself before you put your home on the market.“

She also points to one advantage of having your home inspected is that the report can be attached to the seller’s disclosure, assisting the buyer and reinforcing the idea that you are being forthright and straightforward in your disclosures about the property. It also puts you in a good position to maximize the listing price and ultimately the selling price.”

The Sellers inspection is not intended to replace the buyer’s inspection; it is there to inform the Seller as to what items are in need of repair.  Decisions can then be made by the Seller as to what repair direction to take before the property is put on the market.  The direction also can move to what concessions on price need to be considered before the home is on the market and offers are being made to the Seller.

A Prelisting Inspection allows the Buyer to purchase your home with confidence

Closings are not delayed due to unknown conditions. Adverse negotiations are minimized since all parties involved know the condition of the home before an offer to purchase is made

A Prelisting Inspection is proven to Sell your home faster

Make your home stand out in the marketplace as one that can be purchased with confidence. A documented Home Inspection and Home Warranty increase the odds of selling your home. It is a proven fact that homes with warranties sell faster and at a higher average price.

Ms. Carson concludes that “the right inspector will be experienced, meticulous, plainspoken and ideally have a proven track record in your area.” Ask your agent for a recommendation or check for local members of the North Carolina Licensed Home Inspectors Association (www.NCLHIA.org) or the National Association of Certified Home Inspectors (www.nachi.org).

Maverick Rules!

Advantage Inspection Raleigh perform the Nation’s Best Home Inspection and provides the Nation’s Only “No Denied Claims Warranty” available in the industry. 

For the last 17 years, Advantage Inspection has been the deciding factor for the people we serve:  Buyers, Sellers, Real Estate Agents and Home Inspectors.  Advantage Inspection Raleigh serves Raleigh, Durham and the Triangle area. 

Advantage Inspection Raleigh

“more than just an inspection company!”

www.adrdu.com

Shipshape
defn:  Leadership-the ability to guide, direct, or influence poeple.
defn:  Craftsmanship-somebody who proforms with great skills and expertise. 

True leaders deliver performance that is durable, that unifies staff, and treats them fairly. Leaders are intrinsically motivated to improve oneself and their organizations. True leadership is creating environments where excellence in performance becomes inevitable.

I have seen this environment where excellence in performance is given each and every day. You can hear it in the receptionist; her smile is given over the phone. You can feel it in the post card; reaching out a helping hand. You can see it the habits; creating power not by fame, but power in true service.

The leader of this environment is Linda Craft and along with her team, they create an environment where excellence in performance is inevitable. Linda fosters a spirit of teamwork that is critical to any organization’s success. And a key element is trust. Trust for the leader and trust for each other. Her team works at the speed of trust.

Success is a very personal thing, but I think most people would agree that true success is about being fulfilled in LIFE. And, I feel there would be no greater feeling to look back toward the end of your career with a “smile in your heart” knowing that you made a positive difference in the lives of others.   

Linda Craft and her team have made a difference in my life and I am sure whenever they decide to look back, they will smile.

Maverick Rules!

Dave Park
The Maveick Builder

I’ll bet you can’t say it three times real fast!

And I’ll bet you can’t stand pushy salespeople.

How often do people try to sell us something before we have expressed an interest, have a desire, or are in the market for what they have? It seems the standard for many salespeople is to try to sell to anyone and everyone regardless of the interest level.

When someone attempts to sell us something before we have expressed an interest, the initial thought may be, “Why would I buy from you? You haven’t earned the right to sell to me!”

The fact of the matter is that selling, both online and off, is about determining if there is a need before ever attempting to match a buyer with a product or service. It is about providing enough information for the buyer to make the best decision based on their needs. And it is about gaining trust.

The most successful Sales Professionals are those who are a resource before they are a vendor.

Having been in both brick-and-mortar and online sales and marketing for many years, it never ceases to amaze me how many people try to sell without determining the customer’s needs. They don’t seem to realize that the better the match, the more likelihood for return business.

The better the match, the more trust gained.

If you depend on repeat business or referrals, trust is absolutely a factor in your customer’s decision to come back to you when they need your product or service.

Anyone who has been in business for an extended period of time (or plans to be) would be hard pressed to believe otherwise. Whatever you are selling, the buyer’s experience from the initial visit and/or purchase will likely determine whether or not they will ever purchase from you again.

When a customer has a great experience from the beginning the chances of them turning into a repeat buyer is more likely.

It is a proven fact: it is more cost effective to have repeat buyers than it is to constantly seek out new customers. That is not to say you shouldn’t be adding new clients as part of your business model. Building trust with existing clients will add to your conversion rate more consistently.

What is often missed in the equation of sales and marketing is the lifetime value of a customer. Once the initial sale is made they are forgotten. With proper care, a one-time or occasional buyer can turn into a loyal buyer.

And loyalty is based on trust.

We live in a “try before you buy” society. Because of this many buyers use what is referred to as the buying ladder. The buying ladder is very applicable to brick-and-mortar sales.

Before buying a high ticket item, buyers will “test the waters”. This can be done in a number of ways: by test driving a car, taking a tour of a home, asking friends and associates for a recommendation.

When purchasing on the Internet it can be downloading a free information item or buying an inexpensive product from a website to test out the level of service, quality of product, delivery time, quality of information (in the case of an information product), and response time.

It may even depend on the buyer’s “gut feeling.” What are your own buying habits? What process do you go through before making the decision to buy?

When you gain trust, people want to do business with you. And they want to tell others about the experience. Have you heard the expression that if someone has a bad experience they will tell more people about that experience than they do a good one? I can’t say that I necessarily agree with this statement. There are occasions when I have heard people rave about a great experience over and over again.

Buying decisions are made for a number of reasons, but they ultimately depend upon whether or not the buyer trusts the process. And if they trust you.

It is through the process of building trust that we have earned the right to sell, not the right to PUSH!

Maverick Rules! Maverick Rules! Maverick Rules!

Dave Park
The Maverick Builder