Century 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc.

Century 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Moving On: Powerful Tips for Selling Your Home

Maybe you're moving to a larger home to accommodate a growing family, relocating for a new career opportunity, or purchasing a townhouse for retirement. Whatever the reason for the move, you'll need to take the necessary steps to sell your home for the best possible price, within a reasonable amount of time. Where do you begin?
If you're like most people, you'll start by seeking assistance from a professional. A local real estate sales associate, who knows your neighborhood, can help you determine a fair market price. The sales associate should also recommend the extent to which you should make repairs or improvements to your house.
In order to select a real estate professional who's right for you, ask family, friends and neighbors for referrals. Attend open houses and interview several sales associates to find out how professional or experienced they may be. Get a written outline of how they plan to market your property and the services they will offer you.
Once you've identified a qualified professional, the rest is chemistry. Is the sales associate someone with whom you would like to work closely? Do you feel comfortable with the sales associate as your partner, working with you to give you advice and acting as your representative? Does he or she practice a consultative selling approach, focusing on the long-term client relationship and on the importance of exceeding client needs and expectations or is he or she caught up in the proverbial 'hard sell?'

The brokerage firm that your agent is associated with is also important. Research the firm's success rate and commitment to quality service. Does it survey existing clients in order to ensure customer satisfaction? What are the results of those surveys? How in tune are they with consumer needs? Do they offer guidance with mortgages or any discounts for other home related or moving services?
Determining your home's fair market value is one of the most important decisions you'll make during the home-selling/buying process. Your sales associate can help you set a fair price based on local market conditions. For instance, she or he will provide sale prices and other statistics of homes similar to yours that have recently been sold. Prospective buyers will be comparing your home to others on the market. Therefore, setting a comprehensive price can determine if your property will or will not sell.

For the first offer made, it's rare that the prospective buyer matches the asking price. If the offer is reasonably close to the asking price, carefully consider the offer before you consider turning it down. Curiously, it's the first offer that can often be the best offer. If the first offer is unacceptable to you, it may in your best interest to have your sales associate respond with a counter offer. Whenever considering an offer, ask yourself if you would purchase the property for the amount being offered. Always be willing to negotiate, especially if the prospective buyer is pre-qualified for a mortgage.

Once you decide what terms are acceptable, let your sales associate negotiate with the prospective buyer to work out the best agreement for you. You'll need to be patient while the buyer arranges financing and as the real estate company compiles and prepares pertinent data.

Careful planning and sound advice from a real estate professional can make selling your home a very satisfying experience.

To obtain more information about listing your home, contact a Real Estate Agent at Century 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc. today. Affordability and Mortgage Calculators can be found at our website so you can determine your price range. To look at homes for sale in your neighborhood, check out all the property listings in central Arkansas, watch our television show, or read our Central Arkansas Homes Magazine. You may also call our office at 501-327-2121 or 800-490-0021 to set up a private home or land showing with one of our award winning Real Estate agents today.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Finding a Capable Agent to Meet your Real Estate Needs

Whether you’re a first-time buyer, selling your current home or relocating to a different part of the country, the support of a qualified, knowledgeable real estate agent can alleviate many of your concerns and ensure a smooth transaction. A professional agent can market your present residence, help you locate the home of your dreams and assist in making your transfer to an unfamiliar area easier.


To find a trained sales associate or broker, you may need to look no further than your own neighborhood or home town. If a well-established brokerage is involved in many listings and sale, this is a god sign. Speak with some of the agent’s past customers about the quality and integrity of service and performance. Successful real estate agents rely heavily on customer referrals and will therefore strive to provide the very best in customer service and satisfaction.

Set up appointments to “interview” agents and brokers much like an employer world interview a prospective employee. Inquire about their training, marketing programs and specific service policies. Also determine how many years of experience they have, the number of listings they have had, and the number of homes they have sold within the past few years. More importantly, find out how well they know the area. Ask for references, and check them out.

Your goal is to determine just how knowledgeable the agents are. Question them on financing, closing costs and/or local market conditions, depending on whether you’re a prospective home buyer or seller, to determine their expertise. If they know their stuff, they should be able to answer your questions effortlessly.

If you’re selling your home, learn what they will do if you decide to list with them. How do they plan to market your home? Will they provide you with a market analysis to help you determine the most effective listing price for your property? Will they supply regular progress reports and assist with negotiations once you’ve received offers?

If you are relocating to a different part of the country, is your agent connected with a national relocation service that will not only expose your present property to incoming transferees, but assist with your search for a new house?

To buy homes for sale in Conway, Arkansas or in Faulkner County, Conway County or Perry County, contact a Real Estate Agent at Century 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc. today. Affordability and Mortgage Calculators can be found at our website so you can determine your price range. To look at homes for sale in central Arkansas, check out all the property listings in central Arkansas, watch our television show, or read our Central Arkansas Homes Magazine. You may also call our office at 501-327-2121 or 800-490-0021 to set up a private home or land showing with one of our award winning Real Estate agents today.

Ask for a written guarantee that everything promised will be delivered. The CENTURY 21® organization, for example, backs its listings with the CENTURY 21 Seller Service Pledge. This 11-point written commitment covers everything from furnishing the seller with a marketing plan to monitoring pre-settlement activities throughout the closing process. It also gives the seller the right to terminate the listing if the pledge is not fulfilled.

A qualified real estate agent should be able to answer all your questions and provide you with qualify service that is courteous and responsible. Finding the right person may take time and patience, buy when purchasing or selling a home, the selection of a dependable agent should be tops on your list.

Monday, July 19, 2010

A Few Easy Ways to Take the Headache out of Moving

Moving from one house to another is always a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. Here are some simple tips on how to get it done with minimal stress and strain.


• Look at all the alternatives: hiring a moving company, for example, versus renting a truck and doing it yourself. Whichever alternative makes most sense for you, get bids from more than one vendor.

• A few days before the moving company is scheduled to arrive or you’re supposed to pick up your rental truck, call to confirm that everything is on track to happen when it’s supposed to .

• Prepare your change of address cards in advance and send them out as soon as it’s appropriate to do so. The post office, utilities, companies and people you do business with, city hall, friends, relatives – all should be notified of your move.

• Get an early start on packing by concentrating on seldom-used items first. Each box should have its contents and the room those contents belong in written on it clearly.

• Take a hard look at things you seldom or never use and throw away as many of them as you can. The more you throw away, the less you’ll have to move. Every item you throw away is one less item to clutter up you new home.

• Use your extra towels and linens to protect breakables. When your supply of these things is exhausted, crumpled newspaper makes an excellent substitute. Write “Fragile” on all appropriate boxes.

• Put your valuables (such as jewelry) and important documents (birth certificates, car titles, etc.) aside in some safe place where they won’t be misplaced.

• When the house is empty, go back for a thorough final inspection. Check closets, crawl spaces, basement, attic, out-of-the-way nooks and crannies of all kinds. Have a second person make the same inspection separately.

• Clean your new home thoroughly before moving in. It’s infinitely easier that way.

• Decide in advance where you want the heavy furniture. Changing your mind after the movers have departed is no fun – especially for your back!

• Locate all fuses, circuit breakers, and water/gas and electrical valves. Record the meter readings and check the smoke detectors.

• List the phone numbers of the local police and fire stations, doctors, nearby hospitals, etc. Put a copy of your list near each phone.

Above all, plan, plan, plan and plan some more. Make a schedule you can live with, and then stick to it. Preparation and forethought will help you to keep everything under control and finish the move with your sanity and your nervous system intact.

To buy homes for sale in Conway, Arkansas or in Faulkner County, Conway County or Perry County, contact a Real Estate Agent at Century 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc. today. Affordability and Mortgage Calculators can be found at our website so you can determine your price range. To look at homes for sale in central Arkansas, check out all the property listings in central Arkansas, watch our television show, or read our Central Arkansas Homes Magazine. You may also call our office at 501-327-2121 or 800-490-0021 to set up a private home or land showing with one of our award winning Real Estate agents today.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Times is running out for the Homebuyer Tax Credit

First-time home buyers and move-up buyers have another great reason to get on the path to purchasing a new home! The benefit to first-time homebuyers is a tax credit up to $8,000 and for move-up buyers a tax credit up to $6,500. But this opportunity ends in April.


Until April 30, 2010, homebuyers that have a signed binding contract to purchase a home may be eligible for the tax credit. The transaction must close no more than 60 days after April 30, 2010.

First-time homebuyers may receive a credit of 10 percent of the purchase price, up to the $8,000 tax credit amount. If you have never owned a home before or have not owned a principal residence in the last three years, you are considered a first-time homebuyer.

For home-owners, a tax credit of $6,500 is available for homeowners who have lived in their current residence for at least five of the past eight years. Homebuyers can also receive a 10 percent credit up to $6,500 when they contract to purchase a home between now and April 30, 2010, provided they close no more than 60 days after this deadline.

The tax credit does not have to be repaid provided you live in the new home for a minimum of three years. Military families are exempt from this stipulation.
 
To look at homes in Conway, Arkansas or in Faulkner County, Conway County or Perry County, contact a Real Estate Agent at Century 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc today. To look at homes, check out home listings in central Arkansas, watch our television show, or read our Central Arkansas Homes Magazine. You may also call our office at 501-327-2121 or 800-490-0021 to set up a private showing today.

Monday, March 22, 2010

2009 Fundraising Activity Earns Century 21 Dunaway & Hart Recognition among Top Easter Seals Contributors in CENTURY 21® System’s Desert West Region

CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc. announced today that CENTURY 21 Real Estate LLC recently recognized it as second among CENTURY 21 System’s top Easter Seals fundraiser in the Desert West region for 2009. The Desert West Region is comprised of: Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Arkansas. In 2009, CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart donated $5,860 to Easter Seals Arkansas in Little Rock.
"CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart is proud of its affiliation with Easter Seals and takes great pride in helping so many deserving people with disabilities gain greater independence," said Mitch Hart, broker/owner, CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart.

In addition to receiving a personalized trophy during the annual regional year-end awards banquet, Century 21 Real Estate LLC recognized CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart before its peers at the CENTURY 21 International Convention 2009.

The CENTURY 21 System has been affiliated with Easter Seals since 1979 and raised more than $100 million to help children and adults with disabilities lead fuller, more independent lives. Easter Seals is a non-profit, community-based, health agency dedicated to helping people with disabilities attain greater independence. Today, millions of Easter Seals clients lead improved lives because of the high quality programs for children, vocational training and employment, and physical medicine and rehabilitation services offered by local Easter Seals organizations.

CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart offers full-service real estate capabilities, specializing in Residential, Commercial and property sales in Faulkner County and the surrounding area.

To buy homes for sale in Conway, Arkansas or in Faulkner County, Conway County or Perry County, contact a Real Estate Agent at Century 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc. today. Affordability and Mortgage Calculators can be found at our website so you can determine your price range. To look at homes for sale in central Arkansas, check out all the property listings in central Arkansas, watch our television show, or read our Central Arkansas Homes Magazine. You may also call our office at 501-327-2121 or 800-490-0021 to set up a private home or land showing with one of our award winning Real Estate agents today.

CENTURY 21 System Recognizes Century 21 Dunaway & Hart Real Estate Agents

CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc. announced that Century 21 Real Estate LLC recently recognized several agents with awards for real estate production.
Michelle Nabholz and Glenda J. Hoyt were both awarded with the 2009 Sapphire Award which recognizes agents with a minimum sales production of $60,000 or at least 20 closed transaction sides within a calendar year.

Judy Orozco and Kathy Nickles were both awarded with the 2009 Topaz Award which recognizes agents with a minimum sales production of $36,000 or at least 15 closed transaction sides within a calendar year.
“All four of these ladies approach everything they do with passion, and professionalism and they have truly become a fixture within the Faulkner County community that they serve and within the local real estate community,” said Mitch Hart, broker/owner of CENTURY 21 Dunaway and Hart, Inc. “CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart could not be more proud of Michelle, Glenda, Judy and Kathy.”

“It is a great honor to be recognized by the CENTURY 21 System,” said Orozco.

“The unwavering support of my family and my colleagues at CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart undoubtedly helped to make receiving this award possible,” Hoyt commented.

“Doing what you love makes even the most challenging days enjoyable,” said Nabholz.

"It is truly an honor to be recognized among such talented and dedicated group of real estate sales professionals" Nickles commented.

CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart is a full-service brokerage located at 575 Harkrider, Conway and specializes in Residential, Commercial and property sales in Faulkner County and the surrounding area.

To buy homes for sale in Conway, Arkansas or in Faulkner County, Conway County or Perry County, contact a Real Estate Agent at Century 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc. today. Affordability and Mortgage Calculators can be found at our website so you can determine your price range. To look at homes for sale in central Arkansas, check out all the property listings in central Arkansas, watch our television show, or read our Central Arkansas Homes Magazine. You may also call our office at 501-327-2121 or 800-490-0021 to set up a private home or land showing with one of our award winning Real Estate agents today.

Impressive Sales Earn Paul Nahlen Emerald Award

CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc. is pleased to announce that Century 21 Real Estate LLC recently recognized Paul Nahlen, sales associate with the office, as one of the System’s top-producers nationwide when it honored him with the coveted emerald level CENTURY 21 Masters Award.

Emerald level status is awarded to an agent who has met minimum sales production of $143,000 or 40 closed transaction sides within a calendar year. A gold-plated lapel pin with emerald accent is awarded to the agent during the Awards Ceremony, in addition to a trophy and a personal invitation to attend a CENTURY 21 Top Agent Retreat.

"Paul places his real estate wisdom and passion for life into his everyday business, helping to make clients more comfortable with the real estate transaction as they make what may be the most significant purchase of their lives," said Mitch Hart, broker/owner of CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart.

"Paul is a valued and trusted real estate resource for the Faulkner County community and a major contributor to the overall success of CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart and the CENTURY 21 System as a whole."

"It is truly an honor to receive the Masters Award and be recognized among such talented and dedicated group of real estate sales professionals," said Nahlen.

CENTURY 21 Dunaway & Hart is a full-service brokerage located at 575 Harkrider, Conway and specializes in Residential, Commercial and property sales in Faulkner County and the surrounding area.

To buy homes for sale in Conway, Arkansas or in Faulkner County, Conway County or Perry County, contact a Real Estate Agent at Century 21 Dunaway & Hart, Inc. today. Affordability and Mortgage Calculators can be found at our website so you can determine your price range. To look at homes for sale in central Arkansas, check out all the property listings in central Arkansas, watch our television show, or read our Central Arkansas Homes Magazine. You may also call our office at 501-327-2121 or 800-490-0021 to set up a private home or land showing with one of our award winning Real Estate agents today.