Behind The Scenes With David Blomster Local Business Owner Of Pat's, Dick Blomsters, and Studio Blomster

David Blomster is a local business owner that happens to own one of the town's most beloved restaurants...Pats! He came to the Russian River to visit a friend and it didn't take him long before he decided to come out and open an art gallery called Studio Blomster. He would go on to open Dick Blomster's Korean Food which would become one of the most successful business on the Russian River and eventually buy out the town's most beloved Pat's Restaurant as well. He has recently opened a second Korean Restaurant in Santa Rosa and business is booming.

How it began...

David was raised in Detroit and later moved to Las Angeles next to Korea Town. He grew up surrounded by an eclectic crowd with a passion for art and design. When the time came for him to leave home he adventurously took his seat at Otis College of Art and Design and began to make a name for himself. After college David headed out to Cal Poly to get his Masters in Design and his love of the arts began to flourish. Some time later he came for a visit to the Russian River to help out a friend and fell in love with the overwhelming beauty of the area. He decided to move to west county and settled in Sebastopol. After a year he decided to dive right into life here and in 2003 he bought his first home near pocket canyon. Aside from the art's and his entrepreneurship, David enjoys spending what little free time he has on the Russian River with his two small dogs going on hikes, or to the river. He also enjoys walking at Armstrong Woods and biking through the beautiful forest. David is also a member of the local Russian River Chamber of Commerce in addition to being a prominent local business owner.

"I know the area is changing but I feel a responsibility to preserve the history of the area...like Pats, when I bought it I tried to preserve it's history, same name, same look, many of the same employees, after all Pats has been here for more than 75 years!" ~David Blomster

Studio Blomsters

After years of interior design and graphic design work David became frustrated at creating art under the instruction of others. Intent on being able to express his creativity freely and show off the work of artists that he admired, he decided to open Studio Blomsters. This was his first move toward becoming a prominent local business owner on the Russian River. Seven years ago David opened the doors to Studio Blomsters and made beautiful art easily accessible to the general public. This art gallery would serve to be quite different from other studios in the area because not only would it feature the local art, but it would also bring National and International artists to the area to display their art and serve to help expand the views of the locals here on the Russian River.

Dick Blomsters Korean Restaurant

David drew on his upbringing and seeing a need for a delicious Korean restaurant he decided that it was time to take the plunge and open his first restaurant. When David decided to open Dick Blomster's Korean restaurant here in Guerneville he wanted to have it moonlight in the back room of Pat's and the Bar, with permission from the owners he soon made his dream a reality. David says Dick Blomsters is a "playful combination of American and Korean Food," featuring everything from rice and noodle bowls and lettuce wraps, which are traditional Korean, to a more American burger with seaweed, fried pickles, and mac & cheese with short ribs. This eclectic postmodern mix of delicious food would be nearly impossible without David's head chef Nick Pepper who has been with him for 3 years creating works of art in the kitchen.

David has a soft spot for any cause or charity that is happening on the Russian River which is another reason he is a prominent local business owner. Dick Blomsters and the bar is actually very community oriented having made donations to local charities often over the years. There is a game that they play with visitors in the bar which is that if you throw a dollar up with a tack and it sticks to the ceiling you can get a dollar off your drink. When the ceiling gets full of dollar bills David takes them to donate to a cause such as El Molino School and Guerneville School.

Pat's Restaurant

Pat's Restaurant is known as the go-to place for breakfast and lunch. They serve a very traditional country breakfast and many of the locals can be found there first thing in the morning for coffee, as well as on their lunch break. After a year of having his very own restaurant here on the Russian River, this local business owner decided to take another risk and buy Pat's Restaurant that had been on and off the market for a few years. The transaction closed escrow on New Year's Eve and David had become the proud owner of yet another business here on the Russian River. That is not the end of the story though...David went on to open another Dick Blomster's Korean restaurant in Santa Rosa and has dreams of expanding in the not too distant future!

"The Russian River is full of incredible beauty, delicious wine, great food, along with a compassionate and generous community...and we have art!!!"~David Blomster

Photos Courtesy Of David Blomster

The Nuggets Of Social Media

In the social media world there are a ton of Do's and Don't and everyone is trying to sell you what they say is going to skyrocket your social media presence...but what is it that really works? I have done extensive research and weeded out all of the information that is outdated or does not apply and I have come up with a few golden nuggets of information that will boost your social media presence and it will save you all of that time and money from all the classes and webinars and programs that you would have to participate in to pick up these few tricks!

Know What Your Up Against

Due to the onset of the world wide web, the real estate industry has changed dramatically over the last decade or so. Today's buyer no longer has to go to their agent in order to find out what is listed for sale, they can simply sit down with their laptop or mobile device and search homes for sale online. Also, real estate agents no longer need to be sending out postcards or flyers when they have a listing. Social Media is where the buyers and the agents are communing in today's real estate marketplace. Andrew Fortune wrote an article called 18 Real Estate Professionals Discuss The Internet's Influence on the Real Estate Industry and he quotes Lynn Pineda who says "In the years ahead, the internet will continue to impact the Real Estate industry where if you're not an active participant you'll be left by the wayside. It's not about whether or not you participate but rather how are you going to participate. It will be imperative that you have a Social Media plan that you can stick to and make work for your business model. Real Estate content is the new door knocker where the content you put out will open doors for you. You'll have to continually write (drip) Real Estate content that our customers demand in order to be seen as a knowledgeable, trusted Real Estate professional; think of it as the new drip campaign." It is vital that you are not discounting social media as unimportant because this is the present and future of real estate marketing.

The Human Factor

In the social media world there are billions of ads bombarding consumers daily...possibly even hourly! People, in general, don't care if you have a new listing...not even people looking for a home to buy. This is almost unheard of in the real estate industry because for years the agents were the keepers of the listings...now I hate to inform you that the internet is the keeper of the listings and the more you bombard a buyer with listings the more they are going to back away. In the social media world, the main key is that you need to invoke an emotion. A person will rarely remember what you said, but they will almost always remember how you made them feel. If you are posting gorgeous pictures of the beautiful area that you live in, you will invoke a feeling of inspired beauty and want...oh the want...that is where you will catch your buyers. Invoke the human factor...appeal to their human side. Those pictures make them want to live in your area! Those videos make them feel like they know you already and they will be more comfortable working with you. The human factor can make or break your social media marketing in a heartbeat! David Amerland of Social Media Today posted an article recently called A Year of Valuable Social Media Insights for Marketers that has a video about the human factor.

Video Marketing and Images

There is a ton of information out there and many potential buyers are not going to read 97% of it! The rule of thumb is that a person will scan a title and if the title is interesting enough then they will look at the images or watch the video. YOU MUST HAVE FANTASTIC IMAGES AND INTERESTING VIDEO! This is the key...if you can't catch them with the title and the images or video, then your awe-inspiring information written in your articles is worthless because nobody is going to read it. This would be a total shame, a waste of money and time, and unnecessary. Take the time to film fun, interesting videos and use Canva.com to design gorgeous images to decorate your articles and blogs so that your wonderful content is getting the attention that it deserves. 

Group Interaction

One of the best tips in social media marketing is the groups...believe it or not the groups are where your content is going to soar! On Facebook use your personal account to share your content from your business page to a local group. This will cause your visibility to skyrocket and your interaction to increase as well. On Google Plus make sure that you are part of a few real estate communities that are associated with your field and share your content there as well. Groups are also available on Pinterest and Linkedin. A very important note is to be careful with your content and the way you are presenting it. You are going to want to tailor your content to your audience which means if you are posting in a Facebook group post about local events and the beauty of your community...don't post your listings or information on real estate! If you are posting to G+ or LinkedIn then try to leave out your local information and go straight for the down and dirty real estate facts. Different groups will have different rules depending on which social media platform you are using so be careful to follow the rules so you don't upset the group. Bill Gassett wrote a great article called Best Real Estate Social Media Groups that is a great way to get the help you need to begin joining groups and boosting your visibility.

Be An Early Adapter

There are thousands of social media platforms to choose from but the top professionals in the field will ALL tell you that if you want to be successful in the social media world then you need to be an early adapter. Basically, an early adapter is someone who is on a social media platform first and therefore has the monopoly on catching new people as they begin to use it. Take Gary Vaynerchuck for example, he is an early adapter who has been on a number of social media platforms long before anyone else has arrived. He was on Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and Youtube before very many people were using it. His theory is that if you are a cat and you go to a cave where there are lots of cats you are not going to get very many mice, but if you go to a cave where all the mice have begun to arrive and there are no cats there yet you get all the mice. This is how he lays out his social media marketing...go to a platform when it is new and start marketing...if it takes off great then you have all the attention until more marketers come. He was one of the first on YouTube accurately predicting that video marketing would be the next big thing and today when video marketing is coming to fruition Gary has a hefty 154,061 subscribers to his channel and an arsenal of videos that have spanned over years that rank on Google. Besides that, he is now the leading expert in the field of video marketing all because he was there at the beginning! Paul Sian wrote a wonderful article recently called Great Social Media Platforms To Use For Real Estate that outlines some of the newer social media platforms to be explored. They may or may not take off but being present first will be hugely beneficial to you if they do.

Add Value

There are people on social media who will read long blogs, look at pretty pictures, click on interesting links, and watch cool videos...but there are no people on social media today that are going to read a full page ad! If your blog is reading like an ad for your company then they are going to skip right past it and onto something else! "In order to capture the attention of the people who are watching you on social media you need to have an 80%/20% combination. The 80% needs to be interesting content that provides information, humor, or value of some sort. The 20% can be the part that markets you, your listings, and your company. If you break the 80/20 rule you can severely damage your relationships with your fans," says Kerry Rego a leading expert in social media marketing. You need to add value to all of your content so that your fans have some reason to keep coming back to your page. Xavier De Buck wrote an article called How To Ensure Success As a Real Estate Agent in 2016 in which many of the tips are on how to best approach content on social media and on your blog. This is a great read if you are looking for ways to add value to your content.

Find A Champion

Children have heroes and role models that they look up to and idolize that either demonstrate how they want to be or a knowledge of something that interests them. For instance, a child who loves to read will have a favorite author and look up to them and a child that loves a specific sport will idolize a player of that sport. As a real estate agent who is trying to make a name for themselves on social media or in real estate, you will need to pick a champion, an idol, or a role model...or actually a few of them. There are professionals out there with more knowledge then you have and you are going to want to link to their articles to give your content credibility, learn from them, and follow their lead! Find those real estate agents that are dominating social media and do what they are doing! Kyle Hiscock wrote a wonderful article called 3 Tips for Social Media Success for Real Estate Agents that is helpful in explaining this a little better.

5 Tips For Buying A Vacation Rental Or Investment Property

This is a great time to consider buying a vacation rental or investment property. The market is thriving and investing in real estate for income is a smart financial move, as long as you are financial stable enough to maintain it. There are a few idea's you should consider before you get started. Do you want a flipper and is this the right time to be flipping a home? Are you planning on holding your investment property or vacation home for an extended amount of time? Do you think that a vacation rental or an investment property would fit you and your needs the best, and how do you manage your new investment once you have closed escrow? This article has answers to all of those questions and will help you as you move forward into your next real estate adventure.

#1 Decide If You Are Going To Hold Your Property Long Term Or Not

There is a term often used in real estate that is "a flipper". This is a house that you buy, make the necessary updates and repairs, put some work into and then sell at a higher price then you bought it for a short time later. If you plan on doing this then you will want to consider the market you are buying in. If the market is nearing it's peak then you will not make any money on your investment and you may even lose money in the process. If the market is bottoming out and you have the income to buy a house and fix it and wait awhile for the market to go back up, then this is a great way to make some money in real estate. Paul Sian has a great article called Tips For Buying An Investment Property that describes the fix and flip process in detail. Vacation rentals and investment homes (long term rentals) are more likely to bring you steady income over time and pay off better in the long run as long as you have the managing expertise to maintain them. If you are looking for an investment that you can hold long term that will continue to generate income for you, or if it is the wrong time in the market for fixers and you want to start generating income, then you may want to consider this method as opposed to a fixer.

#2 Decide Whether You Want A Vacation Rental Or Investment Property

This decision is going to rest entirely on you and your ideas about your investment. Are you looking for a home in a vacation town that you can use every summer for a couple of weeks, or on the weekends and rent out the rest of the time for income or are you looking for a house that you can lease to someone else for an extended amount of time to generate income? If you are unsure about what you want your ultimate goal to be then you may want to consider looking into what the benefits are to each investment and then decide which choice will fit you the best. Chris Highland wrote an awesome article comparing the benefits of buying a vacation home or a vacation rental in her article "Considering A Second Home?".

#3 Decide Where You Are Buying A Vacation Rental Or Investment Property

Whether you are buying a vacation rental or investment property you will need to carefully consider where you are buying it. If it is a vacation home then you will need to think about not only your habits as a vacationer who may use it, but also the habits of other vacationers that will use it. First you should consider that most people go on vacation to get away so a home with privacy, such as one in the country or forest that is within walking distance or a short drive to town, will be more pleasant for you and your family as well as anyone who may want to rent it. Also is it near a body of water? Many people like to hang out on the beach on their vacation and a home that is lakefront, oceanfront, creekfront, or riverfront is going to do a lot better in drawing people in then one that is not. Also consider the lifestyle of the location...make sure that the house you are looking at matches the atmosphere of the community. If it is a condo near a lake it may not be as appealing as a small rustic cabin near the same lake. The feel of the lakeside town will most commonly be small and rustic so the cabin would be the charm that the person going to visit is looking for. Another thing to consider is the view...like any home the better the views the higher the price! If the house you are looking at using is a vacation home with great views then more people will be interested in staying there. Tim Anderson and Harry Chandler wrote a great article about this called "How to Choose the Perfect City for Your Vacation Home".

If you are thinking about buying an investment property to lease long term then you will want to look at the neighborhood. Remember that a beautifully designed home in a bad neighborhood is going to have to charge less rent then the same home in a better neighborhood because no one will want to live in the bad neighborhood. Also if there is a lot of vandalism in the bad neighborhood the cost of upkeep plus the lower rent may cause you to end up losing money rather than making money. Keep in mind that a nice house in a nice neighborhood is wonderful unless you have obnoxious neighbors that cause all of your renters to pack their bags and head for the hills. Consider talking to the neighbors before you purchase the house you are planning on renting.

#4 Discover All Financial Aspects Of The Investment Before You Buy

There are two financial mistakes that are very common for anyone who is buying a vacation rental or investment property. The first one is that the buyer will get a loan for a second home instead of for an investment property. This is very important because a second home cannot be used to generate income. A second home must also be a reasonable distance from your primary residence and you must have a legitimate reason for needing a second home. However, if you get a loan for an investment property then it can be anywhere, you can generate income, and you don't need to have any reason for buying it other then that you want it! Luke Skar wrote a great article- "Second Home Mortgage Information" that explains this in more detail.

The other financial mistake that is very common is an idea that you when you are buying a vacation rental or investment property all you have to do is find someone to rent it and then start collecting a paycheck. This is not the case! If you are a homeowner and you are renting your home then you are responsible for the maintenance and repairs on the property! This may seem like common sense but many houses that are rented are in disrepair due to homeowner neglect. There are a number of basic maintenance jobs that must be done regularly in order to rent the property out, Lynn Pineda wrote an article called What to Consider when Investing in Real Estate and The Big WHY that has a section on managing your real estate investment that will help you to get a better understanding of what will need to be maintained on your property. Check your state, county and city codes, rules, and mandates to make sure that you are up to their standards as they will vary depending on where you are located.

#5 Get Some Insider Tips On Managing Your Vacation Rental Or Investment Property

If you have decided on what type of property you are looking for and where you are buying a vacation rental or investment property then you are going to look at how you are supposed to manage it once it is yours! There are five pretty common practices among anyone who owns an investment property. The first one is that you should keep the costs within your budget so that you don't fall into debt. The second is to maintain open communication with your renters. The third is to maintain the property and keep up with necessary repairs. The fourth is more common to long term rental property owners and that is to screen your renters very well before you rent to them and the last is the very most important of all...Get EVERYTHING you and your renters agree to in writing! 

5 Tips For Selling A Home With Kids Without the Stress

Selling a home with kids or without can be a hectic time, but it doesn't have to be. There are ways that you can help extinguish the stress aspect for both you and your children. Children often have a lot of questions and they will pick up on your energy as well. To help make your sale easier here are 5 tips for selling a home with kids without the stress!

#1 Give It To Them Straight!

Kids are curious by nature and if something is going on they are going to want to know what it is! Don't try to hide your move from your children it will only make them feel out of the loop and like they are being lied to. You will want to tell your children honestly that you are moving. Explain to them why you are moving so that they understand and make sure that you are answering all of their questions as honestly as possible. This will put their minds at ease and help to make sure that you and your children maintain an open communication throughout the process. Ferris Property Group even suggests hosting a going away party in his article How to Prepare Kids for a Move.

#2 Get Your Kids Involved

It is a child's natural state of being to want to play and discover and try new things. Make your home selling process all about this for them. Let this be a chance to take out all of their old toys, clothes and books that they no longer use and talk to them about donating them to a child who has nothing. Go shopping and pick out some storage containers that they can label and organize their stuff in...but let them choose the containers! This is still their room and the new containers will make packing easier when that time comes. Teresa Cowart has some great organization tips for boys and girls rooms in her article PREPARE YOUR CHILD’S ROOM FOR SHOWINGS – GETTING IT ORGANIZED Let them help you reorganize and clean the house so that they feel like they are part of the process and let them know when someone is coming to see your home and when you get an offer. Allow them to feel like they are part of this process! This is one of the best pieces of advice I could ever give for selling a home with kids.

#3 Watch Your Energy

Children are like little emotional sponges; they can feel everything you are feeling. Make sure that you are making this experience joyful and exciting for them and for yourself. Whether this was a choice of necessity because of some factor like a new job or financially downsizing, or if it is a choice in order to buy a bigger home or move closer to other family members, you and your kids need to look at this as an exciting new adventure that you are going on. Fear of the unknown can spread it's way through your family like a deadly poison causing undo stress and irritation. Make sure that you are putting a stop to it from the beginning by creating an atmosphere of fun and anticipation for you and for your children. Selling a home with kids doesn't have to be stressful, you can keep the lines of communication open and talk about their fears with them and comfort them as you go making it a more joyful experience for the whole family. Once you have moved there are some things that you can do to make the settling in process easier. Barb Bottitta has written a wonderful article called How To Explain Moving To Children and if you look at the second half she has some fantastic ideas on how to make settling into your new home less stressful.

#4 Have A Plan For Show Time

It is important that any buyer coming to look at your home find it empty of all dirty dishes, bad smells (cat litter box, dirty clothes, pet odors, etc) clutter, personal photographs and you and your kids. A buyer needs to be able to imagine themselves living in their new home. If you and your kids are there then they will be imagining living in your home and taking it from those adorable little children and it will make them uncomfortable. You need to have a plan for what you are going to do during showing times and you need to have a bag packed for each of your children with necessities like diapers, snacks, toys, change of clothes, formula, books and other things to keep them occupied. Kyle Hiscock has a wonderful list of ideas on how you can let your children help you clean up before a showing and where you can go while your agent shows your house in his article Tips For Selling A Home With Kids

#5 Stay Organized

Selling a home with kids needs to be a very organized process in order to eliminate undo stress on you and your children. To make sure that you are organized make sure to talk to your agent about good show times and have them let you know in advance so you can tidy up the house and your children can tidy up their rooms. Also have their show bags packed and in the car so that you can leave quickly and easily without the fear of forgetting something. Deb Rhodes has some great suggestions including getting small chalk boards for each of your children and writing a job list of things that they need to do to keep their room and the house tidy between showings in her article How to Stay Sane When Listing Your House....with Kids

Tips And Tricks From Agents On Selling Your Home.

In this industry real estate agents can typically nail the reason why your home isn't selling from the beginning. If this is not the case then there are some actions that you can take to make sure that your home is ready to sell. The first and most important is that you must have an agent that you trust! If you don't trust your agent's advice, then no matter what they tell you needs to be done to sell your home, you will not believe them. You need an agent that you really trust and whose advice you will take when you are selling your home. To get a collective conscious I have studied some articles from other professionals in my field and found that they too had the same basic ideas when it comes to home preparation for selling. So I have composed a list of actions for you that could make all the difference between a home sitting on the market for an extended amount of time and a home that sells quickly with multiple offers.

Remove Clutter and Personal Items

This is the one piece of advice that EVERY real estate agent has in their article! It is really important that your home looks as elegant as possible. Remove as much of your personal belongings as possible, and try to make sure the flat surfaces in your home (countertops, tabletops, dressers, etc) are clear of any debris. This will make your home look a lot more appealing. Also remove any personal items, especially any photographs! You want the person thinking about buying your home to be able to envision themselves in the house creating their own memories...you want them to imagine it's their home already so they become attached. This isn't going to happen if you have reminders everywhere of your life in the house. They will see it as your home and not want to take that from you. Check out this article 6 Reasons Why Your Home Isn't Selling from Ferris Property Group for more home selling tips!

Do Minor Repairs

This is what agent's call cosmetic work. This is not replacing the roof or putting in a deck! This is simply fixing the squeaky doors and leaky faucets...It is about fixing the broken towel rack in the bathroom and getting replacement burner plates for the stove. These repairs should be low cost and fairly easy to complete. If you can afford it, and you have the time, another good idea is a fresh coat of paint! New paint makes the house feel new even if it isn't new at all!

Clean Your Home Thoroughly And Remove Odor

When you are having company you typically straighten up a bit before they arrive. Well, when you are selling your home you need to clean like you are expecting the queen of England! The carpets need to be cleaned (professionally if possible), everything needs a good scrubbing, all dirty dishes need to be cleaned and put away, and the curtains need to be washed. Also if you own pets then you need to remove any and all pet odors from your home. If you have a cat, make sure the litter box is cleaned daily, if it's a dog make sure that the dog toys are put away and that you remove any dog hair from the floor and furniture...fish tanks should be cleaned thoroughly and so on. You are presenting your house to your potential buyers and you want to make a great impression. For more home cleaning tips for selling read Paul Sian's article 10 Great Tips For Selling Your Home.

Price It Correctly The First Time

Over-pricing your home can damage your chance of a quick and satisfying real estate journey. You should explore which homes have sold in your neighborhood that are similar to yours and which ones are listed for sale that are similar to yours. This will give you are good grasp on what the market value of your home is. Take a look at my article 7 AWESOME TIPS TO ACCURATELY PRICE YOUR HOME to get a better understanding of how to price your home.

Consider Having It Staged Or Rearrange Furniture

I love love love Deb Rhodes way of wording this in her article Don't Make These Mistakes When Selling Your Home, she says "Poor 'Buyer Eye Appeal'" which is perfect! When a buyer sees a home with a very critical eye they need to see the most appealing home that they have seen! This is a great way to generate multiple offers...if your home is the prettiest on the market then more buyers will want to see it! This applies to both the inside and the outside. Teresa Cowart has laid out some great ideas on how to make the inside of your home more appealing in her article HOUSE NOT SELLING? TRY THESE TIPS! Consider having your home staged or rearranging your furniture to create more space. Debbie Drummond in her article How To Sell Your House Fast for the Highest Price calls this process setting the stage! You want your home to feel warm and cozy but to look spacious as well. RisMedia makes a great suggestion in their article Home Seller Tips: Focus Perceptions by Enhancing Your Visual Thinking to invite a very critical and judgmental friend over when you are ready to list and have them analyze your home. This is going to help you to know what could be seen as visually unappealing before you invite actual buyers into your home.

 Touch Up Your Landscaping And Curb Appeal

The front of your home is the first thing that buyers are going to see when they drive up to it. You want to put your best foot forward so rake the leaves, mow the lawn, clean off the front porch, add some flowers for decoration, clean or replace your front door, and make sure that all bikes and children's toys are put away. This will help to welcome people to your home by giving your home an inviting look before they ever step through the front door. Explore Raleigh Realty's article 7 Cost Nothing Tips to Sell Your Home Faster for more landscaping and curb appeal tips.

Make Sure Your Agent Is Properly Marketing Your Home

Tina Isrealson makes another excellent point in her article 8 Reasons Why Your Home is STILL on the Market which is that you not only need amazing photographs of your home but you also need to make sure that someone is seeing them! You should have professional photographs taken and your agent should have taken a video of your home. Your pictures and video should be spread across the internet on any and all possible channels to make sure that the maximum number of potential buyers are seeing your home. This includes social media, which is often put to the wayside by real estate agents when they are selling a home but it is vitally important! There are more than 3 billion people on social media and your home should be there too!

DO NOT RENT IT OUT!!!!!

If you have a vacation home or an investment property and you are planning on selling it then DO NOT rent it out! This is vital. If someone is in the house how are buyers supposed to go look at it? When you get into contract how are inspectors supposed to inspect anything if you have a renter in the house? By renting it out you are making the process of selling your home much more difficult then it needs to be. If you want to rent it then rent until you are ready to put on the market and then make sure that the home is free and clear before you actually list the property.

Don't Let Your Emotions Dictate Your Decisions

Bill Gassett brings up an excellent point in his article Ways Sellers Sabotage Their Home Sale, when you are selling your home you cannot take negotiations personally! It is not common in America to negotiate over the price of something...we typically just pay the cost and move on, but in the real estate world negotiations are very common. Selling your home is an emotional experience so you will need to check in with your emotions regularly to make sure you are not letting your emotions run the show. A good example of this is Suzy Homeowner is selling her home because she is downsizing into a smaller home, but the home she is selling is the one she grew up in and has made some amazing memories in. The house is old and in need of a lot of repairs and Bob Buyer offers her less than her asking price to cover some of the costs of repairs. Suzy is outraged that Bob does not see the value that she sees in the house. The problem is that Suzy is seeing emotional value, not actual value. Suzy could potentially destroy her chance at selling her home to Bob because she is letting her emotions make her decisions.

How To Choose The Right Listing Agent

If you are thinking about selling your home you are going to want to make sure you are choosing the right listing agent. In order to do that you will need to look at why you need an agent when you are listing your home for sale, what the difference between a listing agent and a buyers agent is, which agent's to stay away from, and what to ask a potential real estate agent before you list your home with them. All of these questions will be answered for you in this article and in the links to other professional articles on this subject.

Why You Need A Listing Agent

Anyone who is thinking about listing their home will need to make the first of many decisions...will they hire a listing agent or will they sell it themselves. If the seller decides to list the home without an agent this is known as for sale by owner or FSBO. You are well within your rights as a homeowner to sell your home by yourself without an agent however, before you make a decision it would be wise to get some information on why a real estate agent is strongly suggested as an alternative. First of all you are going to want to think about your home's exposure...how do you plan on marketing your home? Do you have resources available to you that will market your home effectively. If you hire a successful agent they have many channels they can use to market your home. Also accurately pricing your home is tricky business and done the wrong way can severely damage your chance of selling your home quickly and getting the best offers. Another thing to consider is the buyers...how good are you at reading people? Do you know what to ask a buyer that is interested in buying your home? What about the transaction? Do you know what needs to be disclosed? A good listing agent would be doing all of this for you! Kyle Hiscock explains this perfectly in his article Should I Hire A Real Estate Agent To Sell My House?

The Difference Between a Listing And Buyers Agent

A Listing Agent and a Buyer's Agent are very different. Their job descriptions are different and their day to day life is quite different. Some real estate agents can fit into both categories easily adapting a workload that balances the two but for many agents that try this they tend to excel more as one or the other. A good buyer's agent will work around the clock building connections with other agents and potential buyers and stay on the lookout for what homes best fit the buyer and who is listing that house at that time. They will be out of their office the majority of the time showing property and nurturing these connections. A listing agent is more likely to be marketing homes and setting up appointments to list new homes. This type of agent will have a much stronger marketing strategy and will be more effective in selling your home. The agents that specialize in both fields either do less business or have someone helping them such as an assistant. Anita Clark does an excellent job of breaking down buyer representation, and seller representation in her article Choosing the Right Realtor.

Questions To Ask An Agent Before You List Your Home

If you are choosing a listing agent you will need to ask some questions to make sure that your home is getting the best representation! Read my article Top 5 Things Sellers Should Consider, Barb Bottitta's article HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT, and  Dan Miller's article Interviewing Listing Agents? Here are Three Critical Questions to get lists of good questions you should be asking a listing agent before you allow them to list your home for sale. A great listing agent should be able to calmly answer each of the questions posed in these articles and if they can't answer them or get upset that you asked you should consider choosing a different agent.

Signs That You Should List With A Different Agent

Have you EVER bought anything more expensive than a house??? For the majority of people this will be the biggest transaction of their life! Don't list your home with an agent because they are a friend or a family member, ask all of the appropriate questions, and keep your eyes peeled for signs that your agent may not be doing you and your home justice. Take a look at Karen Highland's article Is Your Real Estate Agent A Trusted Adviser?, Janis Borgueta's article SELLING YOUR HOME? WHERE IS YOUR REALTOR?, and the Bad Real Estate Agents article by HouseHunt to learn what the signs are that you listed your home with the wrong agent.

Top 5 Campgrounds On The Russian River

Explore these great campgrounds on the Russian River to get a good idea of where you want to pitch your tent the next time you come to visit and reconnect with nature! There are so many amazing campgrounds in West Sonoma County but here is a small assortment of what you can find on the Russian River. 

#1 AutoCamp Russian River

The first on the list of campgrounds is AutoCamp Russian River. This is not your average pitch-a-tent and rough it in the wild kind of camping... this is official Glamping! Wifi? Check. Complementary Bicycle to use? Check. Fire pit? Check. You can also find a clubhouse  with a fireplace to relax in, a store for snacks and supplies, as well as weekly activities including Yoga and live music. They also have dog-friendly sites. Leave your tent at home, though as they spaces are full with their Airstreams, luxury tents and Suites. 

#2 River Bend Campground

River Bend is known for the lumberjack statue that stands boldly in the dead center of the park visible from River Road and is one of the best Russian River Campgrounds because of it's ability to accommodate almost everyone. They have tent sites, cabins, RV sites or you can even camp in one of their Volkswagen Buses! Riverbend is right on the Russian River and offers plenty to do. There is an arcade, sports court, dance pad?, playground, dog walking area, general store and more. They are also conveniently located next to the Russian River Pub where you can grab a meal or slip away for a quick drink. 

#3 Casini Ranch Family Campground

Casini's Ranch is among one of the most popular campgrounds on the Russian River and once a year they hold the civil war reenactment known as  "Civil War Days ". There is no shortage of activities to do and will keep your young ones (and you) busy and entertained. Movies, hay-rides, ice cream socials, farm animals to feed, fishing, swimming and seriously the list of activities just goes on forever. They offer tent & RV sites and rentals and cabins. Although you will find everything you need on site, there is also plenty of restaurants, shops and things to do in Duncans Mills. 

#4 Johnson's Beach Resort

Johnson's beach is among the best campgrounds on the Russian River because of its River access, as well as its proximity to downtown Guerneville. They have shaded tent sites available as well as cabins and a large 4 bedroom lodge. They no longer have RV sites available. The beach is probably the most popular beach in the Russian River area and has a snack bar as well as canoe and kayak rentals. You will find plenty of restaurants, shopping and things to do in downtown Guerneville. 

#5 Burke's Canoe Trips-Camping

Burke's Canoe Trips is set in the redwoods and on the Russian River giving campers beach access and lots of room to enjoy nature. They offer good-old-fashioned camping: bring your tent or RV and make your s'mores around the campfire. What sets Burke's apart from the others is they offer canoe/kayaking trips with everything you need. You can take a leisurely (or not so leisurely, if you're inclined) canoe trip down the river and they will shuttle you back. They offer group & corporate outings and can accommodate your special group or family event; they even offer group catering. Burke's is located in Forestville and is just a short drive down the road to local restaurants and stores. 

 

7 Awesome Tips To Accurately Price Your Home

There are so many ways that you can get the pricing wrong when you are getting ready to list you home. Here are some tips that will help you to accurately price your home the first time so you can sell quickly. Many sellers have already made up their mind on what they want for their house long before they ever decide to list it because they have checked Zillow, gotten an appraisal, or think they have a handle on the market. The problem is that only a small percentage of those sellers will be able to successfully sell their home at that price. Real estate when priced incorrectly will sit on the market until a price reduction is made however, once a house sits on the market buyers already believe that there is something wrong with it.

Tip#1 Don't Use Zillow To Price Your Home

Poor Zillow gets a lot of grief and the reality is that they are a great tool for people to use when they are looking for a home to rent or buy or looking to rent a home that they own. However, when you are listing your home Zillow is notorious for being inaccurate. The problem is that Zillow will look at bedrooms, baths, square footage, and lot size and come up with a price. Home values are rarely determined by those criteria. Your home could be ocean, creek, or riverfront and be worth more because of that and Zillow won't take that into account. There are countless other special circumstances that Zillow fails to consider when pricing a home. Bill Gassett  outlines this in a fantastic way in his article Ways Sellers Get Their Pricing Wrong

Tip#2 Don't Overprice Your Home

Real estate is like bread. If you leave bread sitting out for too long it gets stale. Well, real estate is no different, if your home is listed at a price that is obviously overpriced then you run the risk of no one wanting to buy it. Your home will sit there on the market in all of its glory getting stale! Now if you take it off of the market and you reduce the price and relist it then buyers recognize it and it's still stale. No one wants the bread that you left out on the counter for days until it got stale and then stuck in the fridge for an hour! The key is to not overprice your home to begin with and therefore have a better chance of selling. If you do overprice your home, then it is not necessarily a death sentence...if you have the right agent they should be able to sell it at the lowered price. Check out Ferris Property Group's article The 7 Deadly Home Seller Sins to get more insight into common home selling mistakes.

Tip#3 Don't List With The Agent Who Tells You They Will List At The Highest Price

This is the game in the real estate world. You will go to an agent and say you want a certain amount for your home. If they tell you that it is not plausible then you will get irritated and go to another agent and so on and so forth. Something to consider...the more your home sells for is the more commission that your agent will get. Why would they try to sell your home for less then they thought you could get for it??? That is crazy!!!! There are some agents out there that will tell you that they can sell your home at an inflated price just to get the listing and then when they get the listing they spring for a price reduction right away because they know that the home will never sell at that price! Kyle Hiscock has written a great article called Real Estate Pricing Mistakes that will help you understand why it's important to accurately price your home.

Tip#4 Review Active Homes, Sold Homes, and Pending Homes That Are Similar To Yours

Oooooh if the Price is Right then what is the right way to price it??? Lynn Pineda wrote an awesome blog on that old game show The Price Is Right and how it pertains to accurately pricing a home. To begin you are going to want to take a look at what homes that are similar to yours are listed in your area (town, subdivision, county, etc.) and what they are listed for. This will help you in accurately pricing your home because it will help you to see what the average price for your home is. Then take a look at what has sold recently in your area that is similar to your home and also homes that are in contract with the same criteria. This will give you a feel for the market and help you to accurately price your home.

Tip#5 Ask For Help From An Agent

So many sellers think that they can save themselves the money to pay a real estate agent if they just list their own home. This is NEVER a good idea. The reason is that you are not licensed to sell real estate so there is a lot about selling a home that you don't know. A good example is disclosures...do you know which disclosures are required by your state/county/city? How about the ones that are not required but are good to have to cover you against any liability for common issues? Most sellers cannot accurately price their own home, nor can they follow through with the transaction if they do get an offer because they don't know what is involved in the transaction. Anita Clark wrote an article called Selling Your Home For Top Dollar in which she states that "It is dangerous to go alone: Use a realtor!"

Tip#6 Find Out How Value Is Determined By Professionals

Asking for help does not make you weak, it makes you smart! Ask everyone you know what they think they would pay for your home; ask real estate agents what they think it's worth and finally choose an agent based on how honest you think that they are. You need to trust your agent to help you to accurately price your home. take a look at some of the advice professional real estate agents from all over the USA have to say about correctly pricing your home by reading Joe Manausa's  article How a Realtor Determines Real Estate Market Value.

Tip#7 Selling Land Is It's Own Animal...Price It Wisely

Selling land is totally different than selling a house. It has a unique set of circumstances and must be treated differently in pricing and in the rest of the transaction. DW Slater Co. does a fantastic job of breaking down how to accurately price land in their article Let's Talk Some Dirt- A Look at Land Values in Real Estate.