Julie Sells Dreams in Wisconsin's beautiful Northwood's: February 2009

When purchasing Northern Wisconsin property you may want to ask for Buyer's Agency. Northern Wisconsin has some built in challenges that if you, as a Buyer, are not too familiar with may cause you a bit of head scratching.  I really feel like in my real estate business in Northern Wisconsin I am selling dreams and helping families make memories and in this market I want to be able to help my buyer's to make certain they are confident in their purchase and are buying no surprises. For this reason I always discuss Buyers Agency with buyers before getting to far along in the home buying process.

In Buyer's Agency the REALTOR and the buyer sign a WB-36 Exclusive Buyer Agency Agreement that includes a Disclosure of Real Estate Agency. The Disclosure lists the fair treatment duties owed to all parties and the duties owed to you as the client, and indicates that the buyer's agent is the agent of the buyer. I think of it as "listing" the buyer as I list a seller when I list their home for sale.The buyer's agent works for the interests of the homebuyer, but also must know how to work with the listing agent. A buyer's agent can-Give a negative opinion or critique of a seller's property beyond disclosing defects.

• Recommend or suggest an offering price or give you an opinion about whether a particular house is priced too high or too low.
• Structure the offer and draft offer provisions with the buyer's best interests in mind.
• Recommend and assist the buyer with negotiation strategies for the best price and terms.
• Disclose all information and research a property's history and liens so the buyer can make an informed decision.
• Give advice within the scope of the agent's expertise as a licensed real estate professional.

It is importanct to point out that your REALTOR whether they are working as a buyers agent or sellers agent owe you, the buyer,  honesty surrounding any negative factors affecting the property. However, representing the buyer means the ability to give and interpret comparable sales and pricing information. When working with a buyers agent you can simply give an opinion on pricing where a sellers agent simply cannot.  This can be very helpful for people purchasing in a market they are unfamiliar with, like ours in Northern Wisconsin where secondary homes are a large part of our market.

So, call your local REALTOR for more information on Buyers Agency and see how they can assist you! In an economy like this a service like Buyer's Agency can be more beneficial than ever. So, when looking to invest in Northern Wisconsin property call a local expert and don't miss this local resource for all buyer and seller information as well as all listings!! 

For more information on Northern Wisconsin Real Estate and property listings 

Copyright©by Julie Paez, All Rights Reserved, When purchasing Northern Wisconsin Property  you may want to ask for Buyer's Agency

Not yet committed to a Northwood's Destination?  Then take a peak at the value you recieve with this unique parcel on the Three Lakes Chain in Oneida County, WI!!!

This rare find on arguably the BEST lake , on the BEST shoreline, with the BEST exposure of the BEST chain is your opportunity to get on the Three Lakes/Eagle River Chain of Lakes.  This unique custom built home on Planting Ground Lake in Oneida County, WI  is priced to sell and ready for NEW owners. In fact, this area is so coveted that the Sellers are only moving next door because they can not bear to leave this lake and this location behind.  The home has everything for those looking for that Northwoods getaway and whether you are looking for a permanent residence or a second home this will suite any of your needs.

The home itself is custom red cedar log sided with on open concept feel to it where the master overlooks both the great room and amazing Planting Ground Lake.  It offers 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a full finished lower level with 2 walkouts that are lakeside. It has over 3500 square feet of living space,birdseye maple flooring, soaring ceilings, and a wall of windows that takes your breath away and will impress your family and friends when you entertain in the amazing great room.  There is also a full deck and screened in porch that overlooks the lake , two steam showers, a Pearl hot tub,  2 fieldstone heatilator fireplaces,  a central vacuum system, skylights , new appliances and a new roof in 2007. The Seller has lived here year around and has meticulously maintained this home.  

This home also offers an oversized 2 car attached garage as well as a large oversized toy storage building for all of your extra equipment. It is 26 x30 in size and does have an upstairs with lake views as well that you could turn into your own guest house in the future for family and friends. The opportunities are limitless. 

The grounds are located just 8 miles from Eagle River and 4 miles from Three Lakes so you are nestled in the center of all the activity. It is 1.79 acres in size and has 103 feet of fronatge. You would be near the end of a dead end road for limited traffic and additional privacy. The lot offes a gentle slope to the lake which only enhances your lake views. You would have some of the most gorgeous sand frontage available on the chain as well as the bonus of southwestern exposure for sunsets and warm breezes. Planting Ground Lake itself offes over 1000 acres of water and is located just  one lake away from th dam taking you between chains so you have loads of privacy for teaching the kids/grandkids to ski on those hot summer days. All the access of the chain with the privacy of being on a secluded lake!!!

This is a rare find and a great opportunity.  For those not yet committed to a Northwoods destination take a peak at this great find and see how much you will get for your dollar on Planting Ground Lake.  The following is a direct link to a virtual tour of this home, the property, and the lake itself from the waters edge.

For more information on this property and others go to the your source for all Northwoods real estate info.

In Northern Wisconsin's Vilas and Oneida Counties we have been hard hit by the past 18 month  market slowdown and have alot of work to do to show our Sellers how we can get their homes sold in this current market.  Pricing will be the key in the next 18 months and a good agents' job is to price their Seller's homes realistically to SELL, as well as, to show your Seller's how you have come to the numbers you are at. Price tags from the booming markets in years prior need to become a thing of the past if our Seller's want to move on in this market. So, in Northern Wisconsin pricing will be the key if you want to sell you home in 2009.

Our most recent numbers show that in Vilas county our volume from 2008 to 2007 was down an average of about 40 percent. There were 736  units sold in 2007 and only 430  units sold in 2008.  Our average price also fell by about 20% with our average sale price in 2007 being around $150,000 and our aveage sale price on 2008 being around $120,000.  We are  better off that many states in the union but still far from where we would like to be. 

These stats coupled with the medias obsession with foreclosures has created a "deal or no deal " mentality in the buyer.  They want a deal or what they perceive as a deal or they will not make a deal.  We are that Banker on the phone trying to meet both the sellers expectations of what they want/need in order to sell and the buyers feeling that it has to be  a great steal in order to purchase. 

For the above  reason buyers are scouring the interent looking  for new listings, new reductions, and new foreclosures so  that the average well priced listing just doesn't appear as desireable unless you, the agent,  can show the value there. The best approach is to try and get your listings 3-5% below current market price , we are able to exclude the foreclosures in our market,  and then buyers will see the value.  The good news is that they tend to not dicker in pricing if they feel it is marketed well.  Pricing competitively will be be key to motivating buyers to move NOW and take the risk to buy. It will also begin to create a demand in our marketplace. 

So if your thinking of selling start preparing now , read this article for some helpful hints  click here, and call a local expert, TODAY..

Remember dreams are what we sell in the Northwoods!

Julie Paez, GRI, REALTOR, Coldwell Banker Mulleady. Click Here to visit my website for all home selling information.

Thinking of Selling in 2009 then now is the time to start getting prepared.

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If you are thinking that you may want to sell this spring then I suggest you take a proactive approach to getting your home and property prepared for sale. In this market when all we keep hearing is " it's a buyer's market"  the best way to get top dollar for your home now is to get a head start on the process. 

If you want to feasibly have your home on the market, sign in the ground, and showing ready by May 1st then March 1st is not a bad time to start meeting with your local REALTOR.  A good agent will help you sit down , go through your home, and get a plan of attack. Sure, this will mean some homework assignments for you but if it means less time on the market and more dollars in your pocket then isn't it worth it??

A good agent can generally lead you through your home , inside and out, and tell you small things that you can do to make a difference to prospective buyers.  Some of this is staging and some of this is basic maintenance that you often will not think about when you live in a  home every day.  A few small examples of this I will list below:

       - Clean up the front door and door knob .. make your buyers first impression of your home functional and clean not sticky and hard to open.  These first impressions leave a buyer with the idea that everything inside will be as functional as this 1st experience is..

        - Open doors and cabinets in your home.. You know buyers will, so do it yourself.  Is everything orderly and tidy? Is there room so they have the idea that the home is spacious and large or is everything shoved in and disorganized leaving the impression that you have outgrown the home and it is small and contained.

         - Depersonalize! Make your home spacious enough so buyers can see themselves living there but not Baron so that it has a cold, empty feel. Again, a REALTOR in your area can help you see the difference.

Many people often ask about vacant land.. How can I prepare that for sale?  Well, a local expert will go over with you the best way to stage your land so that a prospective buyer can actually "see"it.

So, if spring is when you were thinking of selling don't be discouraged call an expert. Now, is not the time to cut corners, it is the time to hire the best and most qualified for the job.

 Happy Selling!!

Julie Paez, REALTOR click here to visit my website for additional information.

In Eagle River  Wisconsin it IS the TIME to BUY if you are a first timer!!

With all of the media noise about the market these days the one item that I will agree with is that it remains a great time to be a first time home buyer.  In our community of Eagle River , Wisconsin, we have a large amount of homes for sale whether you are a buyer looking for in-town living or country living.  There is something for everyone and if you are willing to shop around there are definite "deals' to be had.  While it is true that lending has tightened up if you have some money down and good credit you should be able to secure yourself decent financing that will rival interest rate all the way back to the 1970"s.  This is good news for many of your out there. 

If you are concerned about the market being at its bottom or if the time is right for YOU, with your special circumstance , definitely talk to a local professional and get their advice.  Remember, the benefits of purchasing now rather than continuing to wait for a bottom that may have already past us are great.

Some of those advantages are:

1. Less competition so you are less likely to get into a multiple offer situation.

2. Interest rates are at an all time low and the new tax credit could allow you up to 7500 dollar in tax credits .

3. We are inventory rich so you have a lot of parcels to choose from.

4. With increased inventory there is often an increase in the ability to negotiate.

For a complete list of all advantages including tax advantages , again, contact a local expert in your community.  Depending on purchase price and the amount of money you have down a REALTOR in your area should be able to give you an idea of all the advantages that come with home ownership.

So, start looking and seize the opportunity at hand. Remember, the one investment that has continued to increase over time has been the value of homeownership!!!