Midtown Tulsa Real Estate - Lori Cain

My Dad came to Tulsa to visit for a week and was here to join our annual 4th of July party. We also enjoyed outdoor music at The Square, saw the performance of Patience at Light Opera Oklahoma and toured the OU campus in Norman, where he graduated in 1956.

Dad wears his hair in a pony tail, but decided to let it down once (see photo below). Yep, that's where I get my curly hair from, and MORE.  He's my hero.

Imitation is the Best form of flattery OR Re-Blogging a fellow Rainer's Post

Nothing is more flattering to me than when a fellow Rainer re-blogs my post! When you re-blog a colleague's post, you are saying, "This is great information - I couldn't have said it better myself!"

Not only do you get to share each other's google juice, but you are providing valuable information for your blog readers. When I re-blog a post, I preface it by saying, "This Philadelphia Realtor writes a great post about pricing your home correctly from day one. If you are considering putting your home on the market for sale, please take a moment to read his post."

The preface clearly indicates that the content is not mine and gives credit to the original author.

Imitation is the Best form of flattery OR Re-Blogging a fellow Rainer's Post

I also just started "disabling comments" when I re-blog a post, because this forces readers to go to the original post to make a comment. After you re-blog the post, go back to "edit" the post and you will have the opportunity to disable comments.

So much great information available here in the Rain - if you see a post worth re-blogging, hit that little green button!

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

A picture tells a thousand words - especially when you are selling your home! Prospective home buyers are shopping on the internet and whether they choose to consider your home is greatly dependent upon the quantity and quality of photos available.

Yes, we run across listings every day that have only four photos, when every property should have a minimum of two dozen photos, even if it's only a two-bedroom home. Extensive verbiage detailing the FEATURES of your home need to be included in your internet presence and advertising also, but this post is just about the photos - we'll get to verbiage in another post.

Quality counts. Is your Realtor using a professional photographer who gets the best shots from the best angles and understands the importance of lighting?

Quantity counts. Prospective Buyers won't consider the unknown. They want to see every angle of the dining room; they want to see where the washer and dryer are in relation to the rest of the house. They want to understand the flow.

Virtual tours. Virtual tours are a must. As mentioned above, prospective home Buyers want to understand the flow of your home. Is the butler's pantry in between the kitchen and dining or in between the kitchen and living area? Is the washer and dryer located by the kitchen or garage entry? After viewing the virtual tour, do the Buyers WANT to come see your home?

A Picture Tells a Thousand Words - and it makes or breaks whether Buyers will ENTER your home. They won't consider purchasing it, if they don't ENTER it. And, prospective home buyers are shopping on the internet -- the photos of your home displayed will be a deciding factor as to whether or not your home will be selected for consideration.

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Found this photo on Facebook and thought it worth sharing. I use to text quite a bit on my blackberry while driving side streets, but find it impossible to do on my iPhone. Great reminder to pass along to kids and grandchildren!

Speechless Sunday: Don't Text-Message While Driving

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Congress voted NOT to extend the June 30th deadline to qualify for the $8000 or $6500 stimulus package - and you're not angry?

I have one Buyer waiting on Congress to vote to release more RD (rural development) funding before she can close. She's a single mother who has worked for a YEAR to improve her credit score and set aside money for closing. She desparately needs the $8000 stimulus incentive to complete some repairs after her purchase. She's already spent $1000 earnest money, $800 on inspections, $400 on appraisal and worked as much overtime as allowed to pay for that.

My Seller's Buyer is waiting on the $6500 stimulus money, and her Lender's Underwriter demanded that ALL repairs be made prior to closing (despite the fact that she has conventional financing and is paying 20% down), and we can't find available repair people who aren't already booked. [Expect a vent soon about Arvest Bank.]

We damn near killed ourselves before the April 30th deadline to get under contract. And Congress can't extend the time allowed for closing? Underwriting requirements are becoming more stringent, arbitrary and complicated - changing every day. Are our repair people, title companies and others in the industry expected to work 24 hours a day?

Congress voted NOT to extend the June 30th deadline to qualify for the $8000 or $6500 stimulus package - and you're not angry?

Stimulate the economy, then SHUT US DOWN?  I'm ANGRY! This extension would cost nothing - and will adversely affect hundreds of thousands of potential home owners. Where is the outrage???!!!!

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Communication is key between Home Sellers and Realtors - we must work as a team.

I was pulling my hair out trying to communicate with a home seller who lives out-of-state. He is a referral via Social Media and we spoke on the phone at length in December 2009. At that time, I explained my marketing strategy, listing services and stressed how important it was to get his home "move in ready" and on the market while the first-time homebuyers were shopping prior to the April 30th deadline.

His options, I explained, were to sell his vacant home in its current condition for $75,000 OR spend $7,500 painting, putting in new carpet, installing new fixtures and selling for $90,000 to $95,000.

I met a locksmith at his property as he'd lost his key. I had a contractor give me a bid for the rehab work. I sent a roofer by to give him a quote.

Time drug on - no listing paperwork signed. He sent someone by to give him another quote on fixing the home up, which was fine. More time passed. We missed the April 30th deadline where we would likely have picked up a 1st-time home buyer, and his property still sits vacant.

He decided  in May that he wanted to sell "as is" for the same price suggested for the "move-in ready" model. Despite my comps and knowledge of our market, we simply could not communicate and agree on price or selling strategy.

Communication is key between Home Sellers and Realtors - we must work as a team.

The home Buyers in my market have a huge inventory of homes from which to choose. If the photos on the internet are not attractive, it is unlikely that a Buyer will consider that home unless it is priced dirt cheap. If the home is not "move in ready," the Buyers will walk three doors down and select one that is.

The vendors I suggested to this prospective Seller are ones that could have waited to be paid out of his selling proceeds. His 20 year-old roof would have to be replaced regardless, and that is often paid out of closing proceeds. I offered to coordinate all of the work.

Several weeks ago, a neighbor called (she got my phone number from one of the contractors who went by to give a bid) to complain about the overgrown lawn. I asked this kind lady to find a neighborhood kid to take care of the lawn and I promised she would be reimbursed. She promptly e-mailed a quote to me and the Seller -- to which the Seller replied, "send me a bill if you deem that necessary." Now, the neighbor is not responding to the Seller's e-mails and he can't understand why. His response should have been, "thank you - to what address shall I mail a check?"

I decided it was time for me to cut my losses on this possible transaction and move on. If I can't communicate to a home seller what are his obligations and my obligations, I can't imagine communicating well enough to negotiate a contract. It's so important the we work as a team, and for that to happen, communication is key.

Lori is a residential Realtor with Chinowth & Cohen Realtors serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

First-time home buyer at age fifty. She cried when we wrote the contract, cried at inspections, and cried at closing. Pictured below is when they handed her all her closing paperwork - a tearful and joyful moment.

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Real Estate Professionals - our most valuable asset is our ability to deliver

Buying or selling a home can (and should be) a pleasant experience but it rarely comes without stress - our challenge as real estate professionals is to deliver excellent service to our clients and promote a profitable and positive transaction to both home buyers and home sellers.

It doesn't come without pitfalls. If I recommend an inspector that misses something and my Buyer winds up with an unexpected out-of-pocket expense three months after closing, my Buyers will look to me for an explanation. If I recommend a Lender and the Underwriting process takes longer than expected, that also is a reflection of my performance as a professional within the industry. If my preferred repairman corrects a defect found during inspections and doesn't fix it properly, that's another hit against me.

What home buyers and home sellers need to understand is that real estate professionals do not get paid until we reach a successful closing of the transaction. Realtors don't get paid if the transaction falls through, Lenders don't get paid . . . and the domino continues. So, rest assured that we ALL work together to promote a successful transaction and the ability to deliver positive results.

Real Estate Professionals - our most valuable asset is our ability to deliver

Buying or selling a home can be a truly emotional experience, so make sure you are working with a real estate professional who can negotiate in a calm manner and will communicate with you as often as you require. Home buyers and sellers often feel that everything is out of their control, leaving them feeling extremely vulnerable - and they look to their real estate professional to "make things right."

We can't always "make things right," but we can involve you in the process as much or as little as you wish. Sometimes the update that there is no update is better than no communication at all. Realtors adhere to the code of ethics as dictated by the National Association of Realtors and are held to a higher standard of service in our ability to deliver professional, ethical and beneficial outcomes.

As a real estate professional, MY most valuable asset is my ability to deliver positive and successful results to my clients. Sometimes it's a rocky journey, but I will never leave your side, and I will always be your advocate.

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Susu's favorite spot - on the stairs. Sigh. Comfy and loved.

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.

Soliciting feedback to report to home Sellers

I'm wondering how you communicate with Realtors who show your properties when you are soliciting feedback to report to home Sellers?

Recently I've been showing a LOT of properties. Kayla is shopping in the $100K range; Betsy is shopping in the $165K range; Gabbi is shopping in the $180K range, and other clients are looking between $90,000 and $400,000.

While driving around with Buyers, trying to locate a property with my GPS, I receive a call from a Realtor. Of course I answer my phone - it could be a Buyer interested in one of my listings!

Conversation goes like this:

Me: Hello, this is Lori - how may I help you?

Realtor: Hello Lori. You showed my listing on 37th Street and I wondered if you could provide me with some feedback to report to my Sellers?

Me: 37th Street?

Realtor: Yes, the house with the brick exterior.

Me (thinking): The $400,000 home on 37th Street off of Peoria had a brick exterior and so did the $90,000 home off of 37th & Mingo.

Me (talking): Could you be more specific?

Realtor: The kitchen is darling and the tile flooring is new!

Me: You’ve called while I’m out with Buyers - away from my notes and my computer. Can I get back to you later?

I know that my preferred method of communication, especially when providing feedback on homes I’ve shown to Buyers is via e-mail. This week, I’ve received e-mails from two Listing Realtors, one using FeedbackCentral and one using HomeFeedback to solicit feedback.

Soliciting feedback to report to home Sellers

I provide feedback because I want to RECEIVE feedback to report to my home Sellers.

If a Listing Realtor hears from three Realtors that their Buyers liked the layout but thought the house was dark, perhaps that gives our Sellers a chance to change paint colors, increase lighting or remove heavy drapery. If we hear over and over that there is a musty smell or unpleasant odor, Sellers will have an opportunity to clean or replace carpet.

The purpose of soliciting feedback to report to home Sellers is to have an opportunity to overcome Buyers’ objections!

I usually send an e-mail with a link to my listing in case the Realtor has shown thirty or fifty houses and needs to be refreshed about which listing I’m soliciting feedback. 95% of Realtors will respond.

So, the reason I don’t like phone calls soliciting feedback is that (1) the calls do not always come at convenient times, (2) I may need to refer to notes, and (3) photos help me recall which property I need to provide feedback on!

What is your preferred method of soliciting feedback to report to home Sellers? Do you still make the calls?

Lori is a residential Realtor serving the greater Tulsa area, and specializing in midtown Tulsa real estate. Please visit Lori’s web site, LoriCain.com or call 918-852-5036.