9198 Farmstead Avenue, Monticello, MN Presented by Allison Deal.

Why Do Some Homes Not Sell?

Price- Overpriced homes don't sell. They either don't get showings or they get lots of showings and no offers. In this situation, the sellers are not realistic AND the agent was either not honest about the actual value or was not able to educate the sellers properly.
Lack of staging- Homes can start to looked tired and outdated after a family has lived in the home for several years. People get busy or low on funds and they may not fix little things. Buyers are more willing to pay full-price for a move-in ready home. Homes that are staged with quality furniture get more attention, more showings, and higher priced offers, and sell faster compared to homes that are not properly staged.
Bad Pictures- 99.9% of buyers shop online for a home. They look at hundreds of homes online and bad pictures make a home look bad which results in buyers not scheduling a showing. Bad pictures could be blurry, have weird angles that make a room look small, focus in on something unattractive in a room versus something beautiful (ex: the picture could be too low and showcase ugly carpet versus the actual room. Buyers get caught up on the carpet and ignore the rest of the room).
The good news is that these are three things that a seller and a good agent can easily fix! I take homes that sit on the market for 6 months with another agent and I sell them in less than a week! The home selling process does not need to be stressful and good communication can solve most problems.
Call or E-mail or Text me for real estate advice anytime!
Allison Deal 763-257-3436 allisondeal@kw.com

Protect Your Home In Winter

Extreme weather has a way of showing weaknesses in the infrastructure of your home. Oppressive heat tests your air conditioning unit, heavy rains can stress your drainage and brutal cold puts your furnace through the paces. As a homeowner, you have to be ready for the litany of events that Mother Nature can throw your way. If you’re enduring your first Minnesota winter as a homeowner, it’s important to understand a few basic precautions that will help you and your family make homeownership a joy, rather than a series of unpredictable home improvement projects.  Here are some simple home maintenance tips for the winter:

Pay attention to common house problems

• Frozen pipes.  Most homes in the Midwest are built with proper insulation around pipes, but when temps get really low, it’s always possible for pipes to freeze and burst.  Your best defense is identifying the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. In the case of a pipe bursting – turn off the main water immediately and call a professional.
• Ice dams.  If you’re a first time homeowner and are unfamiliar with ice dams, beware! It snows, the winter brings freezing temperatures, then a mild day and sunshine melts the snow, followed by more icy temps.  This can lead to ice dams.  Ice collects in areas on your roof, then water runoff from the roof gets trapped by the dam and eventually backs up the roof, travels under the shingles, and can leak into the house. While a permanent fix for ice dams usually requires increasing the insulation, sealing, and ventilation in the attic, there are ways to temporarily fix the issue.  There are roof rakes and de-icing products on the market that some believe will melt away the ice for a quick fix.  But, depending on the compound used, some damage can occur to your roofing materials.  Steam is considered the best way to remove an ice dam, which requires hiring an ice dam removal company.  Bottom line, is you want to take care of ice dams sooner rather than later.

Be prepared for outdoor hazards.

Many people spend time outdoors in the winter working, traveling, or enjoying winter sports. Outdoor activities can expose you to several safety hazards, but you can take these steps to prepare for them:

• Avoid accidental slipping on your driveway and walkways by sprinkling cat litter or sand on icy patches.
• Driveways that are not shoveled or plowed soon after snowfall can create an icy build-up on the surface, especially as cars travel over the surface. Try to clear snow from your driveway as soon as possible to prevent the slippery, hard, icy pack.

Take care of your furnace

Contrary to what many homeowners believe, long and sustained runs of your furnace are actually good for the HVAC system. Of course, if you like to sleep in a cooler house, turn the thermostat down at night. Most of all, be sure to clean the filters of your furnace once a month through the winter. When your furnace is working hard, you’ll help preserve the equipment by keeping the filters clean. Keep in mind, it breathes easier when the filter is clean and this will create less stress on this important part of your home.
Winter brings opportunities for outdoor adventures and cozy family time around a fire.  But it also can present some challenges for you and your home, so take the time to double-check you’re prepared for whatever the chill of winter brings.
Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

3 Reasons Why You Should List Your Home During the Holidays

1. Real Estate is all about supply and demand. Everyone takes their home off the market for the holidays so YOU should list your house and the few showings that you get will be ultra serious buyers who have a VERY limited number of homes to pick from.
2. Buyers search on logic (a specific search criteria), but they BUY based on emotion. Give the buyers an emotional connection to your home by decorating it for the holidays (avoid super religious). Have your home be warm and cozy when its cold outside. Clear your driveway of snow and ice. Add festive holiday lights to welcome guests into your home. Stage your home with holiday mugs on the table next to a plate of holiday cookies. Buyers should feel at home in your home. Very few people fully market their home the right way during the holiday season so this extra attention to detail will go a long way with buyers!
3. Buyers who are relocating for work, often begin work in January. These buyers need to buy a house ASAP, they use a realtor, that realtor searches for homes on the MLS, and then they write an offer on the best house they can find in the next 48 hours. They are often in town for a limited amount of time and they need to close on the house (which takes 30-45 days) by January. Don't miss out on these buyers!

Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty Integrity
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

Career Seminar

Come learn about a career in real estate and ask any questions you may have. If you plan on attending and would like someone to go with please let me know and I will go with you! Lindsay and Ted are awesome agents in my office and Matt Brady is one of the most incredible people I have ever met. Its a blessing to work with these agents and I love sharing my passion for real estate!
Come ask questions or just listen! This is a small, casual career seminar.

Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

Check Out The Newest Luxury Bathrooms in the Twin Cities!

Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty Integrity
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com

Thinking About A Kitchen Remodel?

Check out the newest kitchen styles in the twin cities!

Allison Deal
Keller Williams Realty Integrity
763-257-3436
allisondeal@kw.com