Have you ever encountered that awkward moment when a friend or family member thinks they should be your real estate agent, but they might not be the right fit? Real estate is probably one of the biggest investments you’ll make, so it’s important to choose the right agent for the job. Here are some tips for navigating that dilemma without wanting to disappoint or displease family and friends.
1. It’s a business decision. This is not necessarily a personal decision. There’s a lot at stake when choosing the right real estate. The right professional for the job will value that importance.
2. Interview for best choice. It’s not about you who like most, it’s about who can help you achieve your goals in the time frame you want. Interviewing for best choice will allow you to be confident in the plans and tools that the right real estate agent can offer.
3. Generalist vs. specialist. If you’re buying or selling a specialty property, like a lake home, a general real estate agent isn’t going to know all the nuances about that market. Someone who knows your market is going to likely be more effective than someone who doesn’t.
4. Look for unique offerings. Does the real estate agent have a unique skill or quality that no one else has? Compare the agents that can help you locate the property you want faster or maximize the number of buyers for the property you’re selling. Whether you’re buying or selling your lake home or property, our agents at Lake Homes Realty can help provide insight in today’s lake real estate market and guide you in your home journey.
Whether you’re buying or selling your lake home or property, our agents at Lake Homes Realty can help provide insight in today’s lake real estate market and guide you in your home journey.
Lake Homes Realty has added The Evergreen State to our business footprint! We’ve added our first beachhead on the west coast in Washington in our march to the Pacific Ocean. We’ve been searching for the right broker to join our team, and we’ve found him. Kelly Larson became our newest team member and is working hard to build his team.
We’ll be adding the beautiful lakes of Washington to LakeHomes.com in the coming days and weeks. As we have done with all the states and lakes that we serve, we’ll display all the homes and land listed for sale across the state. Listings that are added by Lake Homes Realty’s agents will always be featured on the website.
From Lake Washington, one of the largest natural lakes in the state, to the metropolitan Lake Union in Seattle, Washington’s lakes are stunning. We’ll be adding profiles for every lake in the state to inform our readers about the style of living available on each. From the size and depth of each lake to the type of fishing and boating available, you will have all the information you need to decide which lake best fits your lifestyle.
Keep a watch here on LakeHomes.com for more information on the lakes of Washington and more new states very soon. Our goal is to be your nationwide lake resource!
There’s no question that the pandemic has rendered city life stifling. With no bars, movie theaters, or indoor dining, the draw of big cities has dissolved. As a result, more people are investing in lake houses for the freedom the city doesn’t provide anymore. Real estate appraiser and consultant Jonathan Miller told CNN that he calls these “co-primary” homes.
Instead of spending more time in one home and occasionally vacationing, those with co-primary residences spend equal time at both. According to Forbes, people are especially seeking markets where you can live comfortably “off the grid.” As the pandemic continues, this trend isn’t slowing down. If you’re looking to make a lake house your co-primary home, check out the key reasons driving this trend.
A simple rationale for this trend is that due to the pandemic, a city home isn’t necessary anymore. Many people stayed in cities for their in-person obligations. However, more shutdowns of offices and social life defeat the purpose of owning a city home. According to brokerage firm Miller Samuel Inc., Manhattan Sales have fallen 54% from last year. Instead, New York dwellers are investing in lake houses and other vacation homes in places like Connecticut and the Hudson Valley. This way, they can go back and forth between their co-primary homes whenever they need.
Before COVID-19, a thriving social scene, and employment opportunities were a huge draw for urban environments. Living in a small apartment didn’t matter because many people practically lived at the office. However, as non-essential workers continue to work remotely, spacious homes are a bigger priority. With more people choosing open spaces over proximity to a now fading city life, investing in lake houses has become popular. According to a Zillow survey, among Americans working at home currently, 66% would consider moving homes if their job continued remotely. This majority position marks a clear priority shift from access to work to access to space.
Many buyers cannot afford a lake house as a co-primary residence. These individuals may move to the lake full-time, in part, because it’s less expensive. This trend is especially true for buyers who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic. The country’s unemployment rate rose from 3.8% in February to 13.0% in May. According to the Pew Research Center, even these numbers might be underreported. When money is scarce, why stay in a pricey urban apartment when you can retreat to a less expensive lake house? Saving on expenses is just one reason why city renters are buying lake houses as a first home.
Typically, buyers see lake houses as an investment—something to put stock in and reap the benefits later. However, now that things are more distressing and uncertain, buyers want something they can enjoy immediately. For similar reasons, rentals have been harder to come by. Robert Nelson, sales managing director for Brown Harris Stevens, told CNN that those who may typically rent their lake house to guests are opting to spend more time at their vacation residence. When everything else is up in the air, being at a lake house offers a sense of immediate security.
This Pandemic Was the Last Straw
For many buyers, investing in lake houses during the pandemic was not a split-second decision. They had been mulling over it for a while, and COVID-19 was the final straw that prompted the purchase. In New York specifically, an influx of people have left the city in favor of more remote locations. According to CNBC, there are not enough homes on the market in nearby vacation areas to meet the current demand. Many of those who said “maybe one day” to their dream of a lake house are deciding that day is today.
With so much uncertainty ahead, owning a lake house provides a much-needed sense of warmth and comfort. Are you interested in hopping on the bandwagon? Check out our listings in multiple states at Lakehomes.com!
If you’re considering selling your lake house, you might be wondering if now is the right time to do so. In today’s Whiteboard Wednesday video, Lake Homes Realty CEO, Glenn Phillips, gives 4 reasons why Summer 2020 is a great time to sell your lake home.
Lack of high competing prices
Ability to get ahead of the economic decline
Opportunities for short-term rentals
Regulation changes are continuing in lake markets
Looking ahead, it’s unlikely that you’ll get a better opportunity to sell than right now. Since lake property is more difficult to sell than other markets, now is the perfect time to take advantage of this window!
Check out what’s happening in your current market at Lakehomes.com.
Lake Homes Realty CEO, Glenn S. Phillips, reveals two unspoken real estate secrets– not all real estate agents are equally skilled, and many use the same formula when listing a home. With a special property like a lake house, how do you determine which agents can successfully sell your home?
Glenn recommends interviewing potential agents and asking three questions: What else will you do to sell my home? Who do you know? and Can you name 15 areas where people are shopping at my lake? The best lake home agents will feature your property on highly-targeted websites, have connections with multiple lake-focused agents, and have expertise in several lake areas.
How do you maximize your opportunity to sell your lake home? When it comes to selling, here’s the real goal: you want to maximize the odds that you will get the maximum price the market will bear in a timeframe that is suitable for you. Here are five ways Lake Homes Realty can help you sell your lake property.
Maximize exposure
Pricing guidance
Lake real estate expertise
Unique network
Buyers from across the country
As mentioned in the video, the Lake Real Estate Market Report contains unique multi-state market information about lake homes and land, including lakefront property, lake access property, lake view property, and near-lake property.
Free to the public, the market report can help lake home and land buyers and sellers better understand their local market, and how it relates to other similar competing markets. Download it HERE.
During the pandemic, many lake homeowners are concerned about their investment. If you aren’t using your lake home anymore, is now the right time to sell? Glenn Phillips, Lake Homes CEO, answers this question. Due to the market’s price peak, high buyer demand, limited appropriately priced inventory, and low mortgage rates, now is actually one of the best times to sell a lake home. To explore your options in selling your property, connect with one of our Lake Homes agents. With both local market expertise and a national presence, we’re here to help.
Lake Homes Realty CEO, Glenn Phillips, discusses five myths about selling a lake home. While there are many similarities between selling a lake home and a primary residential home, there are key differences. For lake homes, these include the higher percentage of out of town buyers, the impracticality of open houses, unusual aspects that break automated valuation systems, and buyers’ value shifts from opulence to practicality. If you’re considering selling a lake home, find a lake agent who understands these unique traits of the market.
