Loganville, Dacula and Bethlehem Real Estate - The Rains Team

3. Be aware that large electronic files with attachments or lengthy faxes may be a burden on recipients.

4. Notify the listing broker if there appears to be inaccurate information on the listing.

5. Share important information about a property, including the presence of pets; security systems; and whether sellers will be present during the showing.

6. Show courtesy, trust and respect to other real estate professionals.

7. Avoid the inappropriate use of endearments or other denigrating language.

8. Do not prospect at other REALTORS open houses or similar events.

9. Return keys promptly.

10. Carefully replace keys in the lockbox after showings.

11. To be successful in the business, mutual respect is essential.

12. Real estate is a reputation business. What you do today may affect your reputation - and business - for years to come.

1. Be responsible for everyone you allow to enter listed property.




2. Never allow buyers to enter listed property unaccompanied.




3. When showing property, keep all members of the group together.




4. Never allow unaccompanied access to property without permission.




5. Enter property only with permission even if you have a lockbox key or combination.




6. When the occupant is absent, leave the property as you found it (lights, heating, cooling, drapes, etc). If you think something is amiss (e.g. vandalism) contact the listing broker immediately.




7. Be considerate of the seller’s property. Do not allow anyone to eat, drink, smoke, dispose of trash, use bathing or sleeping facilities, or bring pets. Leave the house as you found it unless instructed otherwise.




8. Use sidewalks; if weather is bad, take off shoes and boots inside property.

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It’s a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you’re a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today: 404.357.2231!

The following are some professional courtesies that every REALTOR should strive for. Using good manners is important in this business that is built on relationships. These 21 suggestions are all ways that show respect for the public.

1. Follow the “Golden Rule” - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
2. Respond promptly to inquiries and requests for information.
3. Schedule appointments and showings as far in advance as possible.
4. Call if you are delayed or must cancel an appointment or showing.
5. If a prospective buyer decides not to view an occupied home, promptly explain the situation to the listing broker or the occupant.
6. Communicate with all parties in a timely fashion.
7. When entering a property, ensure that unexpected situations, such as pets, are handled appropriately.
8. Leave your business card if not prohibited by local rules.
9. Never criticize property in the presence of the occupant.
10. Inform occupants that you are leaving after showings.
11. When showing an occupied home, always ring the doorbell or knock - and announce yourself loudly - before entering. Knock and announce yourself loudly before entering any closed room.
12. Present a professional appearance at all times; dress appropriately and drive a clean car.
13. If occupants are home during showings, ask their permission before using the telephone or bathroom.
14. Encourage the clients of other brokers to direct questions to their agent or representative.
15. Communicate clearly; don’t use jargon or slang that may not be readily understood.
16. Be aware of and respect cultural differences.
17. Show courtesy and respect to everyone.
18. Be aware of - and meet - all deadlines.
19. Promise only what you can deliver - and keep your promises.
20. Identify your REALTOR® and your professional status in contacts with the public.
21. Do not tell people what you think - tell them what you know.

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It’s a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you’re a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today: 404.357.2231!

Photo By: Jack Duval

Previously this government incentive to purchase a home was limited to $7,500 and had to be paid back over the course of 15 years. However, some changes have been made, which I will outline here that will hopefully answer all of your questions.

Photo By: Simon Doggett

1. Who can receive the credit? Only first-time home buyers are eligible and they must close between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009. Investors or people purchasing a second home can not receive this credit.
2. What is a first-time home buyer? A buyer who has not owned a principal residence in the 3 previous years before buying a home. If you are married taxpayers, NEITHER you nor your spouse can own a primary residence; in other words if one of you owns a home (a primary residence) you can’t obtain the tax credit if the other spouse purchases a home.
3. How is the amount of the tax credit determined? It is limited to 10% of the sales price of the home, but a maximum of $8,000.
4. What are the income limits on people claiming the tax credit? For single taxpayers the income limit is $75,000 and for married taxpayers filing a joint return it’s $150,000. If you want more specific details on this, please visit http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com or ask your CPA or a tax professional.
   How do I claim the tax credit? Simply claim it on your federal income tax return; just fill out IRS Form 5405 to help you know how much to claim and write it on Line 69 of your 1040 income tax return. No other forms are required.

An important difference between this tax credit and the $7,500 credit put into effect July 2008, is that this $8,000 DOES NOT have to be paid back! The only stipulation is that you must live in the home as your principle residence for at least three years, if you don’t you will have to pay back the credit.

Also, because this tax credit is refundable, you could potentially receive a check from the government for part or all of the $8,000. To help you understand this a little better, here’s an example from the Federal Housing Tax Credit’s website:

“For example, if a qualified home buyer expected, notwithstanding the tax credit, federal income tax liability of $5,000 and had tax withholding of $4,000 for the year, then without the tax credit the taxpayer would owe the IRS $1,000 on April 15th. Suppose now that the taxpayer qualified for the $8,000 home buyer tax credit. As a result, the taxpayer would receive a check for $7,000 ($8,000 minus the $1,000 owed).”

Photo By: Visit Hillsborough

So, first-time home buyers, with this excellent tax incentive, coupled with the low interest rates and the extensive amount of homes on the market, why wouldn’t you buy a home this year?

If you still have further questions, please watch the video below provided by the National Association of Home Builders.

Are you thinking about selling your home? Or maybe your home is already on the market, but is not getting shown as much as you would like. It may be time to take a look at the color on your walls and in your home decor and make changes if necessary. Did you know that color can have an emotional and psychological impact on a potential buyer? Which is why it’s important that you learn which colors create certain feelings in a person and carefully choose the colors in your home. In turn it can lead to a faster home sale…which is the goal, right?!

Photo by Tanakawho

Tips and Suggestions for helping your home sell:

*Off-White and Beige Walls: Most people will advise that having off-white or beige walls is great because it gives the potential homeowner the opportunity to envision how their furniture and decorations will look in the home. Having a “blank canvas” is great, but may not bring on any of the positive feelings that a well-chosen wall color can elicit. To solve this dilemma, you might want to paint an accent wall or use certain colors in your accessories. We’ll talk about which colors work best in certain rooms a little later.

*People’s Moods are Affected by Color: People’s moods are influenced by color, so if you want to create a sense of coziness, excitement or energy choose colors such as red, yellow or orange. If you are trying to calm someone down or relax them, the cooler shades of blue work. Green was found to be the number one color to lift people’s spirits–but be wary when choosing the shade, stay away from lime-green tones as those often had the effect of making people feel sick. Medium green shades such as sage is a better choice. I once had a listing where the hallway was painted lime-green, from the minute I walked through the home I advised the homeowner to re-paint it a lighter neutral shade of tan. Not only was the lime-green color not pleasant to look at, but the rich, dark shade made the hallway feel much narrower than it really was–a neutral tone would make the hallway feel more open. (By the way, they did not re-paint and the listing expired before it sold.)

*Make Sure the Colors Flow from Room to Room: A home will not flow as well or transition as smoothly throughout the home if every room is a different contrasting color. Instead, choose variations of the same color for a seamless design that promotes a sense of balance. An easy way to do this is to find a paint card at the store that has four or five shades of the same color. If you need a hallway color use the lightest shade and then move two or three shades up on the paint card and use that color for the family room or kitchen. This also works well for bathrooms attached to bedrooms.

Photo by BobJudge

Effects of Colors and Which Rooms they Work Best in:

*RED: stimulates the appetite, increases energy and heart rate, enhances excitment.

Best in: Dining Rooms

*ORANGE: when used in moderation it can create feelings of comfort, warmth and cheerfulness.

Best in: Family and Living Rooms

*YELLOW: enhances positive thinking, encourages happy and welcoming feelings.

Best in: dimly lit or dark hallways and entry ways; buttery tones are good for Living Rooms

*GREEN: most peaceful color; diminishes nervous system activity and muscular tension; helps to calm and relax.

Best in: lighter shades in Living Rooms and medium shades in Kitchens and Dining Rooms

*BLUE: encourages feelings of cleanliness, calmness, tranquility; cools down a room; suppresses appetite; lowers blood pressure.

Best in: Bedrooms

*PURPLE: enhances creativity and imagination; many adults don’t like purple walls though.

Best in: Play Areas and Children’s Bedrooms

I hope this has given you more insight into which colors to choose when painting your home or getting it ready to put it on the market. Color is a personal preference and the colors that you really enjoy may not be what a potential buyer would put on the walls. I always advise my clients who are purchasing a home to keep in mind that paint is not permanent and is pretty cheap! Not liking the color on the walls should generally not be a reason as to not buy a home; however, if you’re trying to sell your home, you want to make it as attractive as possible–so if changing the paint color will help it sell faster, why wouldn’t you do it?

Thanks for Reading!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

In order to have a successful open house, sellers need to make sure their house is looking its best and standing out from the rest. Here are 11 tips to help your house look attractive to potential buyers:

1. The Outside Must Shine: Curb appeal is so important when selling your home, because it’s the first impression a potential buyer gets of your home–it is what makes them want to take a deeper look at the property. Some ways to increase your curb appeal are: mow the lawn, trim the bushes and put out fresh mulch in the flower beds. Also, spending a couple hundred dollars on fresh exterior paint can increase the sales price by thousands. Make sure the trim is touched up too.

2. The Inside Must Look New: Okay folks, paint is cheap, so if a room is looking dingy–go ahead and give it a fresh coat of paint.

3. Make Cosmetic Repairs: Windows that are cracked, holes in the walls and tiles that are chipped send the wrong message to buyers–they figure if there are several minor flaws they can see, then there must be more serious flaws that they can’t see. You may tend to overlook these things on an everyday basis, but buyers tend to be very critical and will use the little things as reasons not to make an offer; your home will sell much faster if it’s in tip-top shape.

4. Let in as Much Light as Possible: Turn on all the lights, you may even want to increase the wattage, even if it’s in the middle of the day. Open all the curtains. Doing so will make your home feel warm, inviting and cheerful.

5. Get Rid of All the Clutter: I don’t mean stash all your extra things in a closet–get it off the property! Potential buyers have the right to inspect every room, closet and storage space in the home…and you need to give off the impression that there’s plenty of room for all of their things.

6. Set the Dinner Table as if You are Getting Ready for a Dinner Party: It’s time to bring out the china, the best glasses and the candles–set the table as elegantly as possible. Help your potential buyers imagine what it would be like to live in this home–how easy and fun it would be to entertain here.

7. Kitchens and Bathrooms Must be Absolutely Spotless: Shelves and countertops should be well organized and clean. Assume that people will be looking through your drawers and medicine cabinet–if there is anything you don’t want people to see, remove it from your home.

8. Remove Some of Your Possessions: Spaciousness is key–you want every room of your home to look open and roomy. To achieve this, remove extra pieces of furniture, especially big, bulky pieces. Take down some of the family photos. Make your home a blank canvas, allowing your potential buyer to picture how they would live there.

9. Put Your Pets Somewhere Else: Dogs especially can be a real problem–you don’t want them barking when someone comes to look at the home, this could interfere with the buyers looking at your home. Also, don’t just put them next door either–dogs can sense when strangers are around and they very well could start barking then too, you wouldn’t want a potential buyer to be turned off by the possibility of a loud dog next door, do you?

10. Bad Smells Kill Deals: It is important to make sure your home is clean and odor free, smells that you probably don’t even notice anymore will be noticed by visitors. Use air fresheners and carpet cleaners if need be to get rid of pet odors, urine on carpets, cigarette smoke, etc. Baking cookies or lighting cookie-scented candles can send an inviting aroma throughout the house.

11. Leave: As soon as your real estate agent arrives, (do you need an agent? how about contacting me?) you should pack the kids in the car and leave the premises. Potential buyers need the opportunity to freely walk through your home without you standing anxiously by.

Okay, now you know all the things you should do to get your home ready for an open house or to put it on the market. If you have questions, feel free to contact me today or write a comment below!

Tonight Matt and I met our current buyer couple at Outback Steakhouse for a nice meal and to sign the latest revision of their contract and discuss the different tasks that need to be completed before closing happens later this month. It was a fun night for many reasons…for 1. we got some business accomplished–always a plus!, 2. we had a great time talking and getting to know our buyers even more and 3. I had the great advantage of not having to cook tonight…although, as most of you know, I really enjoy cooking–but it’s always nice to have a night off now and again! Of course, I should have chosen my food more wisely–the cheesy bacon fries looked AMAZING and I’ve been craving them everytime I see a commercial for Outback, yep, you guessed it, I ordered them as my meal…I know that makes me sound like a pig for getting it as my entree; however, I did order the half portion (still HUGE) and only ate about half of that…still, my tummy is wishing I had just gotten a salad! Anyways, it was a fun night and we enjoyed taking our clients out to dinner! Only a few things have to be lined up and we’ll be all set for our next closing…

If you are in the market to buy a home, we’d be happy to help you! This year is the perfect time to buy! Low interest rates and an $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers!

If most of your marketing for your listings is not being done over the Internet, you should seriously re-think how you are marketing. In a study performed by REALTOR.org, over 80% of people check the Internet first when searching for a home; which is why it is so important for the Internet to be covered with your listings.

One of the best Websites I’ve found for this is Postlets.com; this Website is fabulous because it takes the information you put on Postlets and places this on over TEN other Websites–you don’t have to do a thing!!

Some of the sites are:

Backpage
Craigslist
Dothomes
Google
Hot Pads
Oodle
Properazzi
Trulia
Vast
Zillow

So go to Postlets today and sign-up…it’s free to create an account!