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Sellers: Have These Documents Ready

September 30, 2020 by Christen Ward Leave a Comment

Come on in and grab this:

✔️ Your Mortgage Documents (including a payoff estimate)
✔️ Your prior title policy (this will save you money on the order of the new title policy)
✔️ Homeowners Association Documents
✔️ List of home updates
✔️ Home Repair and Maintenance records
✔️ Age of Mechanicals and FAQ (average heating/cooling costs)
✔️ Copies of any pre-sale inspection reports
✔️ Tax records
✔️ Any permits or property surveys

Filed Under: Home Selling

The Modern Agent Advantage

August 20, 2020 by Christen Ward Leave a Comment

THE MODERN AGENT ADVANTAGE  (Read this before hiring an agent to sell your home)

Here’s what you can expect when working with someone who follows less traditional (aka more modern) methods when it comes to strategically marketing your listing

✔️ They utilize digital marketing strategies: They know how to position your home on social media in a way that will result in more eyeballs on your listing. They are also active on their social platforms which means they are continuously growing their network and are connected with agents all over the country.

With having an active social media presence on platforms such as Instagram, they have the ability to connect with and reach more millennial home buyers which make up the largest share of home buyers at 38%, according to a report done by the National Association of Realtors.

✔️ Modern Agents keep up with the latest design trends to give you the competitive advantage when it comes to prepping your home from sale. With their active social media presence, they have the ability to connect with and learn from interior designers right from the Instagram app on their phone!

✔️ Modern Agents know the importance of hiring a professional photographer to take their listing photos. They understand that the majority of buyers are first seeing your home online which means that is your first chance at capturing their attention. Blurry, iPhone photos aren’t going to create the same demand that professionally done photos will.

✔️ They have a quick response time as they communicate via text and email while on the go and at home. Many areas are experiencing very limited inventory and an abundance of buyers looking for homes. This puts sellers in the driver’s seat but if you’re not hiring an agent that does what is necessary to capture the most buyers possible, you could be leaving money on the table.

✔️ When a home hits the market, buyers want to get in immediately if it fits within their search criteria. Modern Agents have set up easy ways for other agents with active buyers to get their showings scheduled and make sure they’re not left waiting around.

Before you put your house up for sale, ask the agents you’re interviewing if they are following modern marketing methods that will put your home in the best position possible (not just in MLS)! Do you have a question about the marketing strategies I (as a modern agent) follow? Leave your questions below!

Filed Under: Home Selling

Is Now A Good Time To Buy?

August 12, 2020 by Christen Ward Leave a Comment

The question I am getting on repeat: Is now a good time to buy?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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Let me break it down because my answer varies depending on where you’re at!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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For starters, interest rates are at historic lows which makes locking in a great rate on your mortgage super appealing – if you’re ready. It’s also important to be prepared before you dive into the process, especially with the lack of inventory we’re experiencing, so let’s chat! Here are a few questions I would consider before taking your next step!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👉 Do you know your current credit score and approximately what you’d be comfortable spending monthly (for mortgage & taxes)?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👉 Do you have an emergency fund (this will be essential to make sure you’re prepared for home maintenance, repairs and other costs of homeownership)?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👉 Do you currently renting? If the answer is yes, do you know if the terms of your lease are flexible (do they offer month to month or allow you to sublet if you find a home prior to your lease being up)?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👉 Are you prepared for the expenses associated with the home buying process? (home inspection, appraisal, closing costs, down payment, earnest money)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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👉 Have you talked to a lender to determine if you qualify for any down payment assistance programs?⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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If you want to talk about these questions more in depth and what specific costs you should be prepared for, I’m only a zoom call away! Send me a message and let’s get your buyer consult on the books.

Filed Under: Home Buying Tagged With: home buying

Home Staging Checklist

August 1, 2020 by Christen Ward Leave a Comment

Make your internet time be productive! Take a break from the bleak news and have some home shopping therapy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Home Staging Made Simple – Here’s your checklist:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Solid neutrals > bold patterns and colors⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

White linens for the bedrooms and bathrooms⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

New doormat and entryway rug for a fresh first impression⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Shelf styling like a pro (*search Pinterest for inspiration)⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Pre-pack: take out half of everything in closets, cabinets and your pantry and pack it up!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Light your way to sold! Always have the lights turned on, the blinds opened up and bring in as much natural light as possible.

Invest in additional lighting for darker rooms and spaces.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Show off the lifestyle of your home – highlight your favorite rooms and what you love most about the house.⠀⠀

Filed Under: General Home Tips, Home Selling

Housewarming Gift Ideas

July 20, 2020 by Christen Ward Leave a Comment

My go to housewarming gift ideas:

Step 1 – Head to Target

Step 2 – Find a decorative basket that can be used on a shelf or somewhere in their home

Step 3 – Always include champagne (don’t worry, I included more than the one can – this is just for photos)

Step 4 – Throw in a cute dish towel because you can never have too many and is something that is probably buried in a kitchen box on moving day!

Step 5 – Add some greenery – it always adds life to a space

Step 6 – Search the aisles (most likely Hearth & Hand Magnolia) for a cute decorative item – This “Welcome Home” sign is perfect!

Step 7 – Add in an “extra” – in this basket I chose the Homebody book by Joanna Gaines which makes a gorgeous coffee table book (with or without the cover)!

PS: If you need a friend who is going to be needing a housewarming gift, don’t forget to tell them I can help (and create an Instagrammable basket for them on closing day)!

Filed Under: General Home Tips, Home Buying

“Show Ready” in 15 minutes

July 15, 2020 by Christen Ward Leave a Comment

It’s Wednesday, you just walked in the door from a day at the pool. The kids are cranky and tired, you’re ready to relax in the AC UNTIL you remember you have a showing scheduled in less than an hour!
Incase you ever find yourself in a crunch (whether it’s guests coming on short notice or you have a last minute showing) here are my tips for getting your house “show ready” in 15 minutes!
1. Get yourself a last minute basket – Pick up an extra laundry basket from Target that is dedicated for “showing time”! Before you leave the house, you can do a quick scan of the house and throw in any scattered toys, dog dishes, magazines, any little things laying around that you want out of sight but don’t have time to put away. Then take it with you in the car!
2. Fluff the couch pillows – you know how they get when the kids, spouse or significant other has been laying or sitting there. Fluff them up to make the couch look good!
3. Light the candle – don’t overpower your house with all the smells but one simple candle on the kitchen counter adds a nice touch that also makes it feel homey!
4. Turn on every single light (including exterior lights, accent lights and lamps) and open all blinds and curtains. Seriously – all of them no matter what time of day it is! Your home shows best when it’s light and bright!
5. Close the toilet seats – just telling you incase you forget (a lot of people do!)
6. Tell Alexa to play some background music that sets a classy, relaxing or inviting mood.
7.  Keep containers of cleaning wipes in the kitchen and bathrooms so you can quickly wipe down countertops.
There you have it, your house will be ready for a showing in no time! Before I go, I wanted to let you know about my showing prep checklist! I packaged up all the tips I give my sellers when prepping for a showing, into a PDF checklist and I’m sharing it for free! It’s the list they follow to make sure their house looks it’s best before buyers arrive.

Filed Under: General Home Tips, Home Selling Tagged With: home staging, selling a house, showing a house, staging

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Christen Ward

Christen Ward

Louisiana REALTOR®
225-505-7583
Contact Christen
Listing Alerts Your Home's Value

Categories

  • General Home Tips
  • Home Buying
  • Home Selling

TESTIMONIALS

Home Buying Process a Breeze

Christen made the home buying process a breeze. She always responded to emails and texts regardless of what day of the week it was. She helped me find the perfect home for me and my family.

Crystal W.
Christen Ward Realtor
5
2018-08-08T14:32:08-05:00
Christen made the home buying process a breeze. She always responded to emails and texts regardless of what day of the week it was. She helped me find the perfect home for me and my family. Crystal W.
https://www.yourbrrealtor.com/testimonials/crystal-w/

Wonderful Experience

Christen was so sweet and helpful when we were buying our house! She was always available any time we called with questions about anything. We had a wonderful experience with her and would definitely recommend her to anyone needing an awesome realtor!

~Lisa W.
Christen Ward Realtor
5
2019-02-09T14:29:22-06:00
Christen was so sweet and helpful when we were buying our house! She was always available any time we called with questions about anything. We had a wonderful experience with her and would definitely recommend her to anyone needing an awesome realtor! ~Lisa W.
https://www.yourbrrealtor.com/testimonials/lisa-w/

Hands Down the Best Realtor I’ve Worked With

Christen is hands down the best realtor I've worked with! My boyfriend and I moved to the area from out of state and she made the whole process easy for us. She knows the area very well and was able to help us to find the best location for our needs. She was always three steps ahead of us and had everything we needed set up before we even thought about it. I would recommend her to anyone and we will definitely be calling her when it's time to sell in the future!

~Jessica B.
Christen Ward Realtor
5
2019-02-09T14:30:51-06:00
Christen is hands down the best realtor I've worked with! My boyfriend and I moved to the area from out of state and she made the whole process easy for us. She knows the area very well and was able to help us to find the best location for our needs. She was always three steps ahead of us and had everything we needed set up before we even thought about it. I would recommend her to anyone and we will definitely be calling her when it's time to sell in the future! ~Jessica B.
https://www.yourbrrealtor.com/testimonials/jessica-b/

Completely Satisfied

I highly recommend Christen and appreciate all the work she has done while purchasing my new home. Her due diligence and experience with real estate not only made my new investment easy, but she made sure I was happy with my new home. I am completely satisfied with all the hard work she has put in  and will be contacting her with any future purchases or property sales!

~Dane H.
Christen Ward Realtor
5
2019-04-10T14:33:27-05:00
I highly recommend Christen and appreciate all the work she has done while purchasing my new home. Her due diligence and experience with real estate not only made my new investment easy, but she made sure I was happy with my new home. I am completely satisfied with all the hard work she has put in  and will be contacting her with any future purchases or property sales! ~Dane H.
https://www.yourbrrealtor.com/testimonials/dane-h/

Not Going to Waste Your Time

Best realtor ever. You will not be disappointed in her professionalism and she is not going to waste your time showing you homes that you are not interested in seeing.

~Sherry G.

 
Christen Ward Realtor
5
2019-10-08T14:24:17-05:00
Best realtor ever. You will not be disappointed in her professionalism and she is not going to waste your time showing you homes that you are not interested in seeing. ~Sherry G.  
https://www.yourbrrealtor.com/testimonials/best-realtor-ever/
5
Christen Ward Realtor

Christen Ward

225-505-7583|Contact Christen
Supreme Realtors
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