YOUR WARNER ROBINS REAL ESTATE SPECIALIST

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Anita’s Corner

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Do I Need A Termite Bond?

Recently a client asked me this question while we were previewing a home. Living in the south where termites are a major problem, my response was it is always advisable for a buyer to have a termite inspection. While they are typically required by the lender, technically in Georgia, a Termite Bond is not required to sell a property. However, I always do my due diligence and advise my buyers to obtain a new or assume an existing bond. A Termite Bond is a contract between a homeowner and pest control company, effective after an inspection has been accomplished and any treatment performed. Treatments for termite recurrence are free for the life of the bond. An annual inspection is typically included and many companies also provide damage compensation (they pay for repairs/replacement) if the termites did damage. The seller indicates on the sellers disclosure whether they have a transferable bond or not so there shouldn’t be any confusion on whether or not one already exists. As a buyer, you’re spending a lot of money for the home, why not have the peace of mind knowing your home is termite free? With termites, if you

you don’t pay for protection now, you will definitely pay more later!

So what are termites? Termites are small burrowing insects that feed on wood (the cellulose). There are over 2,000 species but they can generally be grouped into four categories: Dampwood, Drywood, Subterranean, and Formosan. Dampwood Termites are found where there is a high moisture content like in forests or near ponds. They are typically not found in homes. Drywood Termites do just that, they attack dry wood. Wood above the soil level is susceptible to infestations, such as attic framing. Sealing all structure cracks will help keep these pests out. Subterranean Termites live in large colonies and build mud tubes to attack wood and protect themselves from open air. With up to 2 million members per colony, they are the most destructive. Formosan Termites are the most aggressive subterranean species and can collapse a building if left untreated long enough. Difficult to control, prevention is key with these wood lovers.

Tips to help avoid termite infestations Get a Termite Bond and have regular

inspections Move all untreated wood products away

from the house and avoid wood-to-ground contact

Eliminate water leaks and fix any cracks/holes in the foundation

Keep gutters/downspouts clear of debris and avoid rainwater buildup wherever possible

Basement, crawl space and attic should be well ventilated and dry

Avoid wood mulch and keep all vegetation away from the foundation

Treat exposed wood and/or paint where appropriate

Screen your vents…termites can fly

Fun Termite Facts Termites look a little like ants but are

most closely related to the cockroach The termite is the most destructive insect

in North America Termites cause billions of dollars of

damage annually in the U.S. The queen can live up to 30 years, laying

hundreds of eggs each day Termite nests can be 20 ft. high and hold

well over a million insects The colony eats 24 hours a day, every day

January 2015

Anita’s Corner

Welcome Home To…

Houston County!

Asking Price: $312,503

Sq. Ft.: 2867 Year Built: 2014 MLS #: 121853

FEATURED

LISTING

303 Opal Court, Bonaire, GA

Beautiful, custom all brick home by Jon’s Custom Homes, located on a cul-de-sac in the Windsor Heights Subdivision. This 2867 Sq. Ft. home will have five bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a two car garage. The

gorgeous kitchen will have custom cabinets, backsplash, granite countertops, and a breakfast area. Other features will include a great room with a gas log fireplace and a formal dining room. The home will also have a

rocking chair front porch and an extra-large covered rear patio. Stop by and view this home soon!

+[=h7j

What is the Secret to Selling your Home for Top Dollar

Putting your home on the market can be a stressful time as a homeowner. No doubt, you probably have a lot of questions about the process, what are the steps you should follow, what will your agent do for you, and of course the secret to selling your home for top dollar. As it turns out, there are several answers to that last question. This guide will help you understand what the secret to selling your home for top dollar is and answer the other questions too.

Discussing Home Pricing Bar none the most important factor to help you get the mist for your house is pricing it correctly from the start. Find an expert Realtor® in your area that knows the fair market value of homes and use their expertise to help gauge where your home should be listed at. Priced competitively from the onset your property the very best opportunity to get seen and sold. Big market or small, the story is the same too. Chris Feltus, who sets up shop as a Realtor in Dallas (one of the most competitive housing markets in the US), sees some homeowners trying to price their property high, then negotiate it down. He understands where they are coming from, but does not think it is a good way to go about it. According to Chris, “The reason is, if you price it right to start with, you are helping create demand at what the market will bear.” He makes good sense too. Price the home right from the beginning and more buyers will be interested, they will potentially put in stronger bids, which can lead to multiple offers. This is a situation which definitely benefits the homeowner. On the other hand, if you price it too high from the onset it might lead to a mindset by some of “What is wrong with the house syndrome?”. Buyers and agents alike start to wonder what could be wrong with the house which always leads to other questions such as:

from the crowd. You want every advantage over the home down the street or across town…insist on good photos of your property, you will not regret it!

Get the Word Out Exposure is your best friend when it comes to selling your home for its maximum value in the quickest amount of time possible. At a minimum, your agent needs to blog about your home for sale, produce a personal video of your property and share it online, and utilize as many social media platforms as possible to ensure your home gets seen by consumers who are perusing the Web, preferably in your local area. If your agent does not mention their marketing plan, you need to ask about it, and ensure they show you examples of what, how, when and results they attained in the past. If their online presence is weak you may need to consider finding another agent who understands the importance of online marketing. As a homeowner, one of the things you can do to assist is share what your agent posts (ask them to send you the links as they post) with your network of online friends. If you are a fan of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or any other social site, put your agents content out there so your friends will see it. You will be surprised the effects that sharing with your sphere of influence can have. The bottom line is, both you and your agent want as many eyes to see your home as possible. That means consumers should be finding your home both online and in person. The more traffic your home receives, the more quickly a potential offer will come in, and at potentially the price point you are looking to get for the house. -Continued on Page 3-

The Remington Chase Subdivision is a growing community located East of Perry Parkway off Gurr Road. This subdivision consists mainly of one and two-story brick and vinyl homes with the first residents making this community their home in 2007. This community is conveniently close to a variety of restaurants, shopping, and a quick 30 minutes to Robins Air Force Base. It could be the perfect location for families with kids, professionals on-the-go, or seniors looking to downsize. The Houston County Public Schools for this Perry GA Subdivision are Kings Chapel Elementary, Perry Middle, and Perry High School.

Visit my Warner Robins Real Estate Specialist website to preview a complete list of Homes for Sale in Perry or to Search for Homes in Houston County GA. Call me today at (478) 960-8055 for all your Middle Georgia real estate needs.

Does the house need repairs? Is the seller hiding something? Why has it been on the market so long? Is the seller unreasonable to deal with? Something wrong with the neighborhood?

In addition, homes that have been on the market for a long time tend to generate less interest and weaker offers too. Plus there is less urgency to buy the house right now because the thought it no one else is interested. Homes that have been parked on the market for quite awhile gives buyers the impression it is not a good deal. This often causes them to continue to browse other inventory instead of taking a long look at yours.

A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words Today’s world is very visual and buyers are more tech savvy than ever. In fact over 90% of homeowners now start their home search online. It is now more important than ever to showcase your home in the best light possible to entice buyers to stop by and take a look. How is this done? Professional photography! Unless your agent can provide example photos of previous homes they have listed, insist they utilize a professional photographer to take photos of your home. While some agents may balk at this, you only get one opportunity to make a good first impression online. Having top notch photos is one of the easiest ways to get your home to stand out

Featured Neighborhood: Remington Chase

Subdivision in Perry GA 31069

Click to watch my video about this

subdivision!

L I S T I N G S If you know anyone who might be interested in one of these homes, or might need

the assistance of a Realtor®, please feel free to call me or to pass on my number.

P E N D I N G S

307 Skyway Drive Warner Robins, Georgia

3BR/1.5BA, 1847 SQFT $84,900, MLS# 119895

602 Lattice Bend Bonaire, Georgia 3BR/2.5BA, 2133 SQFT $189,900, MLS# 119108

309 Laurel Woods Drive Warner Robins, Georgia 3BR/2BA, 1478 SQFT $99,900, MLS# 121254 Closing Date: 12/19/14 Call Anita Clark today to find your future home!

106 Fifth Fairway Warner Robins, Georgia 4BR/4BA, 3665 SQFT $329,900, MLS# 121223

Direct: (478) 960-8055 | Business: (478) 953-8595 x227

159 Addington Drive Kathleen, Georgia 4BR/3BA, 2541 SQFT $195,000, MLS# 122144 Closing Date: 01/24/15

280 Southfield Court Bonaire, Georgia 5BR/3BA, 2760 SQFT $300,000, MLS# 118625 Closing Date: 02/24/15

105 Rustic Oaks Court Warner Robins, Georgia 4BR/4.5BA, 3698 SQFT $408,250, MLS# 122083 Closing Date: 05/22/15

303 Opal Court Bonaire, Georgia 5BR/4BA, 2867 SQFT $312,503, MLS# 121853

For additional information on my listings check out: www.anitaclarkrealtor.com

First Impressions are often Last Impression

So far so good…you are following along and checking everything off this list. Pricing it right, check. Photography, check. A great agent and exposure, check. The next step is to make sure your home is clean, reasonably de-cluttered, all visible maintenance is completed, and the property has been updated as necessary. This needs to happen both inside and outside the home. When a consumer pulls your listing up on the Internet or rolls up outside, you want to leave them with the thought, “I want to see more…this may be the home.” At a minimum, the bathrooms and kitchen need to be clean, pets need to be put away, smells need to neutralized, and as much as practical the property needs to be in a neutral setting (de-personalize) so it will shine. The old adage is definitely true. You only get one opportunity to make a good first impression! Purchasing a home is an emotional experience and buyers must be able to envision themselves living in the house. No one is perfect, and it can be hectic trying to keep your

Continued- What is the Secret to Selling Your Home for Top Dollar

house clean for showings (especially if you have kids). We get it. But taking a few simple steps can really help make a difference. If you are really looking to make a great first impression consider professionally staging your home. It can definitely help you in the home selling process. If you do not know of someone who can perform this task, ask your agent for a list of home staging resources.

It Is Dangerous to Go Alone: Use a Realtor®! If you had a legal issue you probably would not consider representing yourself in court. If you had a toothache I bet you would not ask a family member or friend to pull the tooth for

you. It is doubtful you would try to tackle complicated tax questions on your own either. The point is, selling your home needs to be left to a professional who does this for a living everyday. They know the local market, understand all the nuances that entail getting your home from listed to sold, and will have your best interest in mind as they negotiate on your behalf to get you the highest price possible. Good Realtors® do much more than just put a sign in the yard and hope for the best. They take the time to study the market, have a plan to right price your home, and market it to the fullest extent possible, Statistics bear out that homes which are listed with an agent sell for more and faster than their For-Sale-By-Owner counterparts. Hopefully after reading this guide you are convinced that the secret to selling your home for top dollar is an attainable goal. While selling your home can be a stressful time, with a solid plan, you can not only sell for a decent price but keep your sanity through the process too. Best of luck!

103 Spruce Street Warner Robins, Georgia

3BR/1BA, 1552 SQFT $65,000, MLS# 121801

100 Timber Mill Court Warner Robins, Georgia 3BR/2BA, 1562 SQFT $89,900, MLS# 121090 Closing Date: 01/21/15

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Warner Robins GA Real Estate Market in November 2014

ANITA CLARK, Realtor®, ABR, CRS, e-PRO Honors Graduate of Williams Real Estate Academy

ABOUT ME: I am a full-time realtor and will help you and your family find your dream home! I am British, a 20-year military spouse (retired), married with two grown daughters who are both married, and an active member of Harvest Church. I am an Honor Graduate of Williams Academy of Real Estate and a member of the following associations/services: Central Georgia Multiple Listing Service, Georgia Multiple Listing Service, National Association of Realtors, and the Central GA Board of Realtors. CONTACT: Business: (478) 953-8595/ext. 227 E-mail: anita@cbssk.com Toll Free: (888) 535-5055 Website: www.anitaclarkrealtor.com Cell: (478) 960-8055 Blog: www.sellingwarnerrobins.com COMMENTS: Selling, buying, or leasing, I am committed to provide you the best possible service to meet all your real estate needs. I will give you the personal attention you deserve, have high ethical standards, and look forward to working with you! TERRITORIES: Warner Robins, Centerville, Bonaire, Kathleen, Perry, Byron, Forty Valley, Hawkinsville, Jeffersonville EXPERTISE: First Time Homebuyers, Military Relocations, New/Resale Residentials, Leases

If your property is currently listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the

offering of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully.

CHECK OUT MY VIDEOS

ON YOUTUBE!

Available inventory dropped slightly this past month down to 460 homes for sale (4% drop). The weather may have scared some sellers off but the winter here is mild so they need to come back and get their property on the market. Sales went down significantly this past month (52 home sales) coming in 15 less than the 12-month average as both buyers and investors found what they were seeking in other communities in Houston County GA. Right priced homes are selling so ensure you are listening to your agent and market pricing your property or it may be awhile before you close. Pending sales went up 26% from October which means this market will end the year on a high note. Good advice for sellers is to ensure your home is reasonably maintained, updated as needed, and

Lower prices. The number of days-on-market for sold homes (89) and sales price to list price ratio (97.06%) both stayed in line with the 12-month average for both categories (84 days/ 96.97%). When you are ready, I am available to assist with all your Warner Robins home buying and selling needs. For a complete list of available Warner Robins homes for sale, click here for Warner Robins GA Home Searches or call me at (478) 960-8055 (C) / (478) 953- 8595 x227 (O) so we can discuss your specific housing needs.

“If you want it SOLD, call Anita Clark – she is a houseSOLD name!” l

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market priced to have its best shot to sell in the Warner Robins GA real estate market at the moment. With a decent amount of inventory in a variety of price points, there are good opportunities for consumers to find what they are looking for in Warner Robins right now! The average sales price stayed steady coming in at over $131K which improved on the previous months total by $9K but did come in just under $1K below the 12-month average of $132K+. As always, it was great to see a lot of lower priced inventory get contracted and sold. Also, 9 distressed home sales contributed slightly to the

Currently, the Warner Robins real estate market favors buyers with 8+ months of available inventory (460

homes) to choose from. The averages and totals for the Warner Robins GA real estate market are as follows:

Average Sales Price: $131,636 Median Sales Price: $130,500 Number of Monthly Sales: 52 Average Days-On-Market, Sold Homes: 89 Average SP/LP Ratio: 97.06% Highest Priced Sale: $327,680 Lowest Priced Sale: $8,000 Highest Priced Listing: $649,900 Lowest Priced Listing: $12,000 Largest Home on the Market: 7,200 sq ft Smallest Home on the Market: 720 sq ft

With lots of activity, you can definitely find what you need in this market. Happy searching!