Class A motor homes are usually utilized by famous bands especially when they are in tour. There are also some rich families that own Class A motor homes for vacation and travel. A Class A motor home is perfect for those who can afford its high cost. Most Class A motor homes have all leather interior, a wet bar, big screen TVs, an advanced sound system and other high technology that may not be available to lower income families.

Considered to be top of the line, Class A motor homes measure at about 24 feet or 7.3 meters and can be as long as 40 feet or 12 meters. Their weight can range between 15,000 to 30,000 pounds or 6,804 to 13, 608 kg; the undercarriage may be custom or a 3 to 10 ton truck chassis. Class A motor homes come with each of the luxury amenities you can fathom like a kitchen, a bathroom with shower and a tub, and sometimes a separate bedroom at the back depending o the floor plan of the truck. They also have heating and air conditioning, hot and cold running water, 100-125 volt electrical system, a dinette or living room area complete with couch and recliners, closets and an entertainment center. This is just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, some of these motor homes can be more elaborate than homes themselves.

Depending on the model and the floor plan a class A RV can accommodate up to 8 people. But all of this luxury comes at a price. New, lower-end models are sold at up to $50,000 US dollars while larger and much nicer class A RVs can even cost more than any house in many states coming in at about $300,000+. Class A RVs are really very expensive; in fact even used class A RV can still be sold for $30,000-$40,000. If you prefer luxury lines, you may start saving about $325,000 up to over $1 million if you prefer the crème de la crème of all RVs.

Dinettes are not always present in class C motor homes and if ever there is one included, it usually converts into a double bed. If a dinette is not present, two captain chairs are available instead. Sometimes, the motor homes contain a couch and chairs instead of captain chairs. The couch may also be turned into a sleeper couch.

Also you can search for a truck using a lot of RV and motorhomes sites.

Because of the overcab bed, a Class C motor home can sleep more than a comparable Class A motor home, accommodating up to 10 people are accommodated. The cost of class C motor homes ranges from $50,000 to $170,000.

Last but not least are Class C motor homes. Class C motor homes can also come in very luxurious models or more economical ones depending on your budget. They are much lighter in weight, ranging only from 10,000 to 15,000 pounds and generally run from just under 20 to 44 feet in length. They are constructed on cutaway chassis depending on the model. The cab is usually similar to that of the truck with a bunk above plus a rear bedroom. Just like the class A, Class C motor homes have all the amenities of home including kitchen, bathroom, dinette, heating and air conditioning system, and an entertainment center for additional cost.

The common features of Class A and Class C motor homes are their slide-out wherein with a simple touch of a button the wall of the living room expands outwards to extend the living space by several inches.

Another type of motor home is the Class B which is usually referred to as van conversion. Class B motor homes look like pop-top camper vans and are self contained but cramped compared to their big motor home counterparts. The advantage of purchasing a Class B motor home is in terms of handling and size that is if you don’t want spacious motor home. They are usually promoted as a place to sleep more than what is deemed comfortable by most people. The class B motor home can also be used as a second car. Its price ranges from $38,000 to $75,000.

Motor homes are great for camping, road trips, or just simply living in style. If you are interested in purchasing a motor home, it is definitely wise to take time to do some comparison shopping and research as these motor homes can prove to be very expensive.

If you looking for a cheap boat, then take a look at inflatable boats, also SeaEagle boats are very good boats.

An overpriced listing is like death to a serious home seller, but sometimes the reason a home hasn’t sold has nothing to do with the current price. Elsewhere, I’ve written about the danger of overpricing, and that should be a consideration, but there is a huge factor that may be far more important in “getting attention” from prospective buyers.

In my experience, whenever the DOM (days on market) exceed 90 days, and especially when the DOM approaches 200, the first question everyone focuses on is the price. “Oh, it must be priced too high. Let’s drop it and try to get some attention that way.”

How well is your home being marketed? Is your marketing plan reaching buyers (wherever they may be) in this price range and for your area and for the floor plan and features of your home? If your marketing is ineffective, the price is not why your home has not sold. It’s because buyers are not even aware of your home.

Anyone who reads my blog articles knows that one of my pet peeves is ineffective marketing of homes and over priced FSBO listings. So many FSBO’s and so many practicing real estate agents think that simply putting a house in the MLS and in some local newspaper ads is all there is to this marketing business. [Realtors, don't get mad. Many of you do a great job marketing, but honestly many agents do not.] Some think they have the secret key, because they’ve placed a few haphazard ads on the Internet. There’s so much more to marketing and placement. There’s so much more to knowing how to reach prospects on the Internet.

Why does a marketing expert like Jay Abraham get paid as much as $1 million dollars to draft one letter for major retailers? Because the company can make an extra $200 million dollars in sales.

I recently listed an incredible home with an unbelievable view of International waters. It was listed by another agent, but nothing happened for six months. So my client asked me, “Do I need to reduce the price.” My answer was a probing question, “Was your house effectively marketed to your potential buyers?” His answer was a quick, “No.” He knew it wasn’t. My response, “Then we don’t know if we need to reduce the price yet. First we market, then we adjust price if those buyers are telling us the price is too high.”

Getting a home sold includes effective marketing plus a reasonable listing price. Effective marketing is not for the inexperienced. The difference between good marketing and poor marketing is 60 DOM or 324 DOM. It gets even better than that. The house that is on the market for a long time before it sells will also get a lesser price than the same house sold in 60 days with good marketing.

If you had a home listed at $425,000, but it was not effectively being exposed to prospective buyers, you could drop the price to $400,000, and still you would have no activity, except tire kickers. You could drop the price 6 months later to $387,000, and still you would have no offers. How much money are you willing to lose until you actually sell it to someone who is just looking for a steal. It isn’t always about price. YOU CAN’T SELL A HOME AT GARAGE SALE PRICES IF YOUR “FOR SALE” NOTE IS HIDDEN AT THE BACK OF A CAVE.

In today’s real estate market, effective marketing is more important than ever.

You don’t need to be a realtor to know it’s a �soft market� yet it’s much better here than most other places! So, with all the number spewing which numbers tell the most compelling story? Let’s compare!

We do have those numbers, which are through May 2nd and updated continuously. You can also track the information through www.foreclosure.comwhich is a subscription site with a free trial offer but you actually don’t need to pay to get listed areas and street locations! You can look through any state, county or city in the U.S.

The latest home sales figures tracked in March through the Chattanooga Area Realtors Association (including North Georgia) showed 565 sales, compared to 753 in March/2007. The median price transacted was $138,500. While there’s no figures to know foreclosure/bank sales to break down…let me also suggest that there’s plenty of those around!

Here’s a snapshot of interesting statistics for today’s area buyer:

So, what does this all mean? You can get some great deals as long as you know the territory! These numbers cross all demographics, genders, income levels and even many great credit consumers! There’s likely a neighbor of yours or someone you know stuck in this dilemma. I saw a story on CNN this weekend about how angry homeowners trashed their beautiful homes in upscale areas on the way out the door…Roman columns torn out, fireplaces trashed, holes in walls or floors, swimming pools damaged, and even toilet commodes taken out of one house!

Pre FC In FC In BK Sheriff FSBO’s

Guide: Pre FC is the initial filing process; In FC is the period of time during legal and public notification of a foreclosure sale; In BK is included in either a Chapter 7 or 13 bankruptcy (Chapter 7 turns into a foreclosure); Sheriff is for property taken back by the county; FSBO’s are �for sale by owner�.

My point is that you probably will have to buy �as is� and fix some paramount issues on the way to moving in. The obvious attraction is price though and if you check around on foreclosure properties, you will find some great deals! Usually, the bank will pay half your closing costs too. Keep in mind it’s not in the bank’s interest to keep the house..they just want the monthly payment!

The numbers will continue to change and likely will grow too. According to the Wall Street Journal, nationally we are going to hit the record spike of Adjustable Rate Mortgages (ARM’s) re-setting in May and June. Those of you in one of these ARM’s better check your mailboxes, emails and or last transaction papers or you could get burned! Call me soon!

Let me give you a quick assessment of values and savings if you are good at house repair, or know the right people! As mentioned above, the median price of a realtor-listed home sold in Hamilton County and North Georgia is $138,500. The average sales price on an area foreclosure is $79,272. In many cases you will find 33%-50% reductions for quicker sales. Why? The latest foreclosure filings for Tennessee showed 2,315 brand new filings with 215 new foreclosure sales scheduled. It may be well into 2009 before we turn it around too.

As for those rankings I mentioned at the top of the column…As of February, the latest set of numbers available, your top six states with the highest foreclosure filings are: 1) Florida (chomp chomp for you Gator fans); 2) California (they’re probably glad they got bumped out of first last month); 3) Texas (everything there is bigger including home losses); 4) Michigan; 5) Ohio (these last two are dealing with the highest unemployment rates) and 6) Georgia (1 in 194 homes surrounding Atlanta are in foreclosure). Tennessee is currently 11th with 1 home in 639 in foreclosure. For once, a poll the Volunteers don’t want a Top 10 ranking!

Personally as a buyer, I think you are not getting any better of a deal buying FSBO homes. I know the reasoning is that you are buying a house without a real estate agent fee on top, but from what I saw years ago researching it, is typically a FSBO wants full maximum dollar, that’s why they won’t pay fees, and they’ll wait until they get it, often I’d argue it’s over market value much of the time, that’s just what I’ve seen. I know their are cases where you’ll get a better deal FSBO. I would buy a house from a friend FSBO, or an investor not listed, that makes sense. Probate, foreclosure deals, you could get a better deal as just a FSBO. One argument I will make that FSBO could be a better deal is that they don’t have a listing agent representing them to really look out for the seller, so the seller is often bad at negotiating or may say the wrong thing or become too emotional.

Now from the seller’s side point of view. First off I am a real estate broker, been an agent/broker for 5+ years, and I don’t even list my own houses to save money. Why is that? Because it takes time, and I make more money per hour focusing on other parts of the business I am good at. I personally think people should just pay agents to list a house for them. It takes a long time to do the FSBO by yourself. Also the MLS -Multiple Listing Service, although it may not be as effective as it once was, has a lot of market exposure to provide to your house. You need that exposure, especially if you are vacant. I will write a post on why you should go with a full listing over not going with a full listing on another post, it’s well worth it, I see the value myself, like I said to even pay someone else to do it. For you that don’t know what it is, it’s something that just about every agent in the state or at least metro area logs into for access to view properties for sale, that way you have a chance to get other agents out there seeing your listing.

As an agent prospective, their has been a lot of articles written that seller’s get less money for their home selling it themselves then if an agent had just sold it for them on the market. These articles could be written by agents, and could be bias, but here is what I’ll say to that. There is no question that an experienced agent has experience negotiating, and his/her full time job is to show prospects and to put out a lot of marketing, this is an advantage that the real estate agent has. There are you in other states that say houses sell in 1 day with a FSBO sign, that’s fine, in those days maybe you didn’t need an agent, but where I am you have to hustle hard and still wait 4-12 months on the market to get showings, and even after you get an offer it’s still a lot of work. Some of us can change our own oil, or do our own taxes and read up on it, their is a point at which you just pay a professional. I like to think of myself as a pretty experienced salesperson, maybe 10+ years experience, but if I had a $10,000 car for sale right now that was used or new. I’ll be honest here and say that I’d be better off trading it in, or better yet putting it on consignment at a large car lot, the car lots just get far more exposure. They can do a better job than me. There are agents out there that just list houses and don’t sell, that’s not what I am talking about. The other thing I’ll say is, doing an agents job takes so much time.

Why do we all pay when we eat out? Well, because once you go grocery shopping, carrying in the groceries, wasting some food, cooking, cleaning up, doing dishes and finally sitting down to relax, it’s easier to just pay. Well it’s the same with a real estate agent, it just takes a lot of time, so hire one and let them do their job.

I know agents who have sold and listed hundreds and hundreds of transactions, even per year, so if you want your house listed, and probably eventually sold, just email me at ron@minnesotainvestors.com and I’ll try to get you in contact with someone that can help you.

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The home selling environment has changed dramatically in the past year. Two years ago, in the heat of the sellers market, record-low inventory meant multiple buyers were bidding on properties. It was a different story then.

Now, there are fewer buyers out there. You want to keep them once you get them.

The top three turnoffs for buyers are:

1. Unexplained conditions

If there are signs of ground settlement problems, that may scare a buyer away because of the unknown costs associated with fixing it. Here is where a seller can be proactive and hire a structural and maybe a soils engineer to try and identify the cause of the problem to give the buyer options as to what can be done to remedy it.

2. High priced items

If the roof needs to be replaced, for example, that might turn off the buyer.

3. Safety issues

Electricity is something that concerns a lot of people. It’s a major safety issue. Sellers might consider updating their wiring to a grounded system if their home was built before the 1970s.

Here are some of benefits to conducting the inspection prior to the listing.

Aid as a pricing tool. Having a completed inspection report from a certified inspector will help you (the seller) arrive at a realistic list price. If you find out, for example, that your HVAC system shows significant wear and tear and will need to be replaced before the next winter season, you should take that into consideration when pricing your home for sale.

Identify defects and make repairs ahead of time. By identifying possible defects early on, you as a seller are in a position to handle repairs prior to listing, making the listing more attractive and the property more saleable. This may mean more money to the seller and a faster sale. Making repairs ahead of time will limit objections over ts during the negotiations. If the seller elects not to repair certain defects that turn up in the inspection, they can disclose the defects to potential buyers in the disclosure documents. State disclosure laws vary, and sellers should consult with their attorneys on state disclosure laws.

Provide a feeling of confidence to potential buyers. With a clean inspection in hand after viewing a property, potential buyers may feel more comfortable in moving ahead with an offer. When a buyer can see there are no major property defects in the property to be addressed, it is easier for them to determine how much they can comfortably spend on the house. If there is a problem that needs to be addressed, they buyers can write an offer that will reflect the cost of the needed repairs, or they can ask the sellers to remedy the defect.

Did you know? In 2006 the average FSBO sold their home for $187,200 compared to $247,000 on an agent-assisted transaction.. (With our Flat Fee Listing Service we help coordinate pricing on your home and advertise it in the highest traffic real estate marketing venues, bringing more demand and garnering higher prices)

Most Difficult Tasks for FSBO Sellers:
Getting the right price . . . 11% (We are experts @ establishing market value for your home & will help you do this)
Understanding paperwork . . . 16% (We teach you the contracts/disclosures needed to sale your home, reducing the liability of a negligent transaction)
Preparing/fixing up home for sale . . . 18% (We will introduce you to the best Handymans’ & home inspectors in Sarasota/Bradenton)
Attracting potential buyers . . . 9% (Our Marketing for the Flat Fee of $199 is all the “Butter you need for the Bread” to attract multiple buyers)
Having enough time to devote to all aspects of the sale . . . 9% (Your life is busy.. Shirley International Realty Inc. can take this stress out of your day..)

Top 5 Websites where REALTORS® place their listings:

Local Realty Firm Website (76%)

Realtor.com (82%)

Local REALTOR® Association Website (50%)

Franchiser’s Website (30%)

Broker IDX/Broker Reciprocity Website (29%)

There’s no other way to sell your home in any market, than the Flat Fee MLS Listing.. We are Southwest Florida’s #1 Provider of Flat Fee MLS Listings.. Our service is unparalleled, unbeatable, unmatched, the best, second to none, over-the-top, #1, distant from #2, uncomparable, the cookie not the crumb, & the finest while still getting refined.. We can help you.. Give me a call for anything.. 941-448-4872 (I even know the best babysitters if you need one.. )

The above percentages represent 72% of the traffic generated to sell your home with a full service listing agent (Charging you 6-7%).. We will list your Home on all of these sites for the $199.. You need this exposure.. Its that simple..

Like I described in my last post, video is much more portable and less expensive (and better for the environment) than most traditional forms of real estate marketing & advertising. and with the growth of the Internet, it also takes on a life of its own with viral effect, unlike traditional real estate advertising methods. Just submitting a video one time, to one site, can create a chain reaction that causes it to be syndicated across the entire Web, all without any effort or extra money from you! Email your virtual tour to friends & family, post it to other websites or blogs, even send it to mobile devices! In almost no time, your tour will be visible on major search engines, video sites and even local databases! This is more exposure than most real estate listings will ever hope to get, and all for free!

In the current marketing, FSBO or For Sale by Owner clients are at a great disadvantage. Not only do they not have access to the tools normally used to promote home listings, like the MLS, or access to lists of potential home buyers. For Sale by Onwer clients also don’t receive the kinds of discounts on services that would otherwise be discounted for Realtors. Most FSBO clients are probably working with a smaller advertising budget than most Realtors. However, things don’t have to be this way. There is a simple tool that can help For Sale by Owner clients promote their own homes with easy while saving money and time – a video-based virtual tour!

If you’re looking to sell your home on your own, a video-based virtual tour is a great way to level the playing field with Realtors. Once created, virtual tours are also normally free to distribute, and will go right on working for you and showing your property 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until it’s sold! No other form of real estate marketing & advertising is so effective, or brings in more serious buyers. Get a video-based virtual tour of your FSBO property today, achieve an unlimited amount of exposure for your listing, and save valuable time and money!

According to Forbes.com, these are the cities you should stay away from, investing-wise. Forbes arrived at these choices by looking at foreclosure statistics, job markets, selling/buying rates, and other numbers. Take a look below:

• Detroit, Michigan
• Cleveland, Ohio
• St. Louis, Missouri
• Orlando, Florida
• Miami, Florida
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Sacramento, California
• Tampa Bay, Florida
• Phoenix, Arizona
• Denver, Colorado

If you or someone you know lives in one of these locations, I’d love to hear from you! Do you think your city deserved to be on the list? Why/why not?

]]> http://sellahome.wordpress.com/2008/04/04/are-you-living-risky/feed/ 0 exfinancier http://sellahome.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/fsbo-sites-with-wide-appeal/ http://sellahome.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/fsbo-sites-with-wide-appeal/#comments Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:30:12 +0000 exfinancier http://sellahome.wordpress.com/?p=3 ]]> When you decide to sell your home, you will ask yourself why give away thousands of dollars in commissions if you are able to sell it yourself. The issue comes down to what “for sale by owner” site to use, to advertise your home.

It all depends to what your needs are and how you will meet those needs. If you are looking for a site that will appeal to the greater number of buyers while going FSBO, you have to ask yourself what kind of buyers do you expect and where are those buyers. If reaching out to the spanish speaking population is something that you would like to do, there’s some sites that target spanish speaking sellers and offer their services both in english and spanish.

The most popular site is elTerre.com. In this site you’ll be able to find general resources, answers and related real estate services, both in english and spanish. Many times the perception of buyers is that homes that are for sale by owner are lower in price and that the sellers will be able to give more concessions. This site is perfect for those sellers that want to reach these buyers. As a seller you have the convenience of listing your home in english, having your listing displayed both in english and spanish pages, allowing you to reach multiple kinds of buyers.