Todd Jones

I will give you a one word answer...BUYERS. Homes are still selling well in this part of Northeast Pennsylvania. Rates are still extremely low. Buyers are in the driver's seat because their options are endless. If sellers do not put their best foot forward they are in trouble. Sellers need to be very aware of a few things. The first is price. It is human nature to always think that YOUR home is worth MORE than it actually is. Despite agents performing a market analysis and providing comparable sales, sellers 8 out of 10 times will say "I know you say my house is worth $150,000, but I want to list it for $175,000." This outlook has got to change. If you are a seller and you are priced too high, the buyer has another 5-10 equally comparable houses to choose from. The competition is fierce in this market. Another thing sellers have to keep in mind is that the house needs to be in its best condition for each showing. Take a tip from FlyLady.The first impression is huge.

With that being said, if your home is priced right and is neat and clean, it will sell.

Buyers are realizing that now is the time. People who were casually thinking of buying are now seriously looking at homes. These rates are not going to last forever. Smart buyers know that and are acting now.

Looking to buy or sell??

Todd Jones - Selling Scranton and Clarks Summit Real Estate. Serving all of Lackawanna County

www.realestatebytodd.com

Let me start by saying I know many people reading this are in fact part time agents. With that being said I appreciate your input on this topic and would love to hear your point of view. I think the dissension among part time Realtors all started within the last year as the media had been bashing the overall real estate market. Let me also say that I still believe it is a great time to buy and sell locally. You can read my last blog for more info on that.

A few days ago my local paper started a series called "Facing Recession" and they started by zeroing in on real estate. They picked part time agents who did well when the market was booming a few years back and now are not getting sales as easily as they were before. These agents are not in the top of the ranks among the local market and some have other jobs and or are pursuing other jobs. They all sulked about how bad the economy is and that they can't stay afloat.

I don't understand why the paper would search out part time agents. Does the paper want to strike fear into the people of the community. Why can't they advertise that rates are very low, houses are readily available, and that Scranton was just listed by Money Magazine as the 7th fastest growing real estate market?

My thought is this...Would you interview the guy working at Best Buy 4 hours a day 3 days a week and say to him how are electronic sales this year? Does he really know? Does he really care? Why not ask the full time employee who is invested in the business, has company stock and is interested in the latest electronic gadgets?

Back to the articles on "Facing Recession," do these agents think this negative view on real estate is going to help them pick up more clients? Would you want to work with a Realtor who says he hasn't sold anything in months?

If you are a potential buyer or seller of real estate, do your homework. Make sure you choose a Realtor who works full time and takes his/her business seriously. Don't work with someone who is not invested in his/her career.

Looking to buy and sell in the Clarks Summit, Scranton area? Give me a call! www.realestatebytodd.com

Check out Scranton's good news from Money Magazine

What can it be???

Maybe it is because Scranton is home to The Office.

Maybe it is because the cost of living is relatively cheap.

Maybe it is because of our many universities.

Maybe it is because Scranton residents aren't buying in to the national media's negative outlook on real estate. I bet this wonderful news will barely make the media spotlight. That is why I feel compelled to share it with all of you.

If you live in Scranton or the surrounding areas, now is the time to buy and sell. The market is doing great. Homes are affordable and people are buying them.

Todd Jones - Realtor, ABR, SRS, OA - Your Scranton, Clarks Summit Realtor

Serving all of Lackawanna County

www.realestatebytodd.com

It is about time that the national media starts giving some good news when it comes to real estate. But as soon as they do, they sabotage us by then focusing on the regions of the country that are hurting the most. What about the good stories? What about areas like Scranton, Pennsylvania that are increasing regularly and are on the up and up? In any real estate market there are going to be slumping areas. Why is that what the media focuses on?

If I were an anchor for a major Tv station, I would let people know that this is a great time to buy. Good deals are out there and rates have been very good for a while now. This is also a great time for those who are looking to sell and "move up" to something bigger. There are lots of buyers out there looking in that median price range and they can most likely get a deal moving up to a higher price range home.

The national average of existing homes sales rose 2.9%in February according to NAR. That is even with all of the hurting markets. That means some markets are seeing great strides and much higher percentages of home sales increases.

Looking to buy or sell? Come to Lackawanna County and look in the Scranton, Clarks Summit area. Or stop by my site to learn about the area. Homes are selling and now is a great time to be in the real estate market.

Have you looked at the calendar recently? Can you believe that it is almost March already?

With the national media still taking the baseball bat to real estate, is your market staying afloat? I was excited this afternoon when I picked up the local newspaper

and saw NEPA House Prices Rose 7.2% last year. Finally some good press! Locally, my real estate area (mostly Lackawanna County - Scranton and Clarks Summit real estate) has not seen the national drop that many areas have seen. Regardless of the market that you are in, how are you reacting to it?

At the beginning of the year I set up 3 goals. I am gradually progressing at all of them and am seeing results too. I am learning more about the inside approach to foreclosures, my website is almost complete (still in progress), and I have been fine tuning my client database and keeping in touch with them. This is a good time to evaluate how your year is shaping up so far. If adjustments need to be made, now is the time.

Speaking to local buyers and sellers... The market is steady in Lackawanna County. If you live in the Scranton, Clarks Summit area, it is a great time to buy and sell.

I end by asking the questions I started with...

How are you doing so far this year?

How is you market doing?

Todd Jones Realtor, ABR, SRS, OA - Selling Scranton, Clarks Summit Real Estate