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When Offering on Homes, Keep the Big Picture in Mind

In keeping with the theme of affordable homes in Branson, Missouri, let’s talk about making offers. Most buyers get very hung up on the sales price of the home, which is understandable but not very practical. For instance, if a home is for sale for $150,000 and there are other offers on it, make your best offer and call it a day. When you take a $150,000 payment on a 30 year amortization schedule, there is very, very little difference from $145,000. In addition, most people never retire their mortgages as they move more often than every 30 years, so the paydown of the principle is modest difference at best.

Now I am not saying that you should be making full priced offers in every situation, or even in the majority of situations, but in this tight market under $150,000 it is a good idea as you may end up with a lesser home if you offer low and don’t get the home. Most buyers don’t want to hear this, but there is high competetion and not much inventory at this price range in the Branson, Mo area, which pushes prices higher. I don’t see prices getting any lower as many homes have been sold at or less than it cost to build them…and there aren’t many builders with starts in this price range as they can’t make enough money when building them to bother.

Moral of the story: Be aggressive with your first offer so you get a quality home. The difference in payment is nominal, and is especially small when amortizing and paying down the home over 30 years. So if you are in the market for a home in this price range, give me a call at (417) 337 – 1627 and I’ll go to work for you.

Affordable Homes in Branson, Missouri In Short Supply

In the past few months I have written a handful of posts about the lack of affordable homes for sale in the Branson, Mo area. Today’s post will be no different, as it is one of the most significant trends in the real estate market today. First time home buyers and buyers relocating to Branson have been scooping up this inventory at a ravenous pace, especially in a few choice subdivisions for this price range: Savannah Place off Bee Creek Road, Highlands of Branson on T Highway, Country Club Heights on East 76, and Emory Creek Ranch Estates on 248 north of the Highroad. All of these subdivisions are in the Branson school district and have an average price that makes the mortgage payments similar to a rent payment. This similar monthly payment combined with USDA loans and other programs that don’t necessarily require large down payments has been a boon for home sellers in this price range.

If you are reading this and are serious about purchasing a home in this price range, pick up the phone and give me a call at (417) 337 – 1627. A home is too big of a purchase to be pigeonholed into buying a home in a picked-over market. And one last thing, when you do find a home that you like in this price range, make your best of offer as the competition is too great for this price range to dally around with too many offers and counteroffers.

Trading Up Will Be Expensive In The Future

Lately I’ve talked with a few bankers and mortgage brokers here in Branson, Mo and we’ve come to a basic conclusion: buyers should purchase as much house as they can afford now because when interest rates rise from their current all time lows the difference in payments for the same size home will be staggering. Since we’ve basically had falling interest rates for the last 25-30 years, most prospective homebuyers have probably not stopped to think of the paradigm shift we are about to witness. If interest rates get to 10% in the next handful of years and the home you are selling was financed at 5%, you will not even be able to get close to the same price home for the same monthly payment, and likely won’t get in the home with as little as is required for down payment in many situations currently. So if you think you will “trade up” in the next few years, you may want to evaluate your current options and decide what fits your particular situation the best.

Now please don’t take this little note as a “sky is falling” warning — it is certainly not intended to be construed that way. I just wanted to give a little example of the foresight and thought I put into my job and what I bring to the table. I won’t just show you a home, I will advise you about all facets of the transaction — so feel free to call me at (417) 337 – 1627 if you have questions about buying or selling real estate in Branson or on Table Rock Lake.

What do you think of loudanner.com?

I’d like to take a minute to ask you, the reader and potential real estate buyer or seller, what you think of my site and the information I provide. Do you find the site helpful and informative, or dull and boring? Is there other information that you’d like to see me write about that I currently haven’t? How is the functionality and look — appealing and useful, ugly and clunky, or somewhere in between? Everything I post on the site is original content and it is time consuming to produce, but I feel like it helps buyers and sellers glean a bit more about the Branson / Ozarks housing market than they could piece together from a bunch of other sites.

If you have any suggestions or comments, praise or scorn for the site, please do me a favor and post them in the comments section below. Thanks for your feedback. (And as always, if you would like assistance in buying or selling real estate in Branson, Missouri feel free to give me a call at 417-337-1627 or drop me an email on the Contact page).

Siena at Branson Hills Is Shaping Up Nicely

While I was out and about on Sunday, I toured Siena at Branson Hills for the second time.  A lot of progress has been made and the development is really coming together.  The roads are in and a handful of models are nearing completion.  List prices start in the mid $300,000s, which seems reasonable for an active adult community that sits right in the middle of the newest master planned community in the area, Branson Hills.

The thing I like best about Branson Hills is the fact that it is  nearly all completed.  I know this might sound strange to out-of-area buyers, but so many developers promise the moon and the sky and simply don’t deliver.  With the Villas already complete, the RecPlex already open,  Eagle Bunker Condos finished, and the $30 million Payne Stewart Golf Club ready for play it is obvious that the developers of Branson Hills know how to plan, design, and complete large scale communities.

So if you are in the market for a low maintenance home in the newest area of Branson, with common sense protective covenants and a great architectural look, Siena at Branson Hills might just be the place for you!  Follow the link ( Branson Mo Homes for Sale — Siena at Branson Hills ) to one of home listings in Siena.

9 Tips To Ready Your Home For Sale

When selling a home in a “buyer’s market”, you need your home to stand out. Since Branson is a very competitive market, the following 9 low-cost tips will help your home stand out:

1. Buy a new doormat
2. Put a fresh coating on your driveway (assuming its asphalt)
3. Clean your gutters
4. Edge the grass around your sidewalk and driveway
5. Put new doorknobs on your doors
6. Make sure toys and nicknacks are put away
7. Buy a new mailbox
8. Steam clean carpet
9. Finish honey-do lists that have been put off

If you would like more tips on getting your home ready for sale, give me a call at 417.337.1627 and we can discuss how to get top dollar for your home in a challenging market.

Branson, Missouri: A Two-Tiered Housing Market

A theme I have been seeing for the past few months is still going strong: Branson has a two tiered real estate market. Affordable homes for sale near Branson, Missouri (under $150,000) have been selling relatively well considering overall economic conditions, while homes over this mark have been selling at a much more sluggish pace. I would go as far as saying that it is a seller’s market under $150,000 (especially under $125,000), as renters with steady jobs and good credit can buy a home near Branson or Hollister for less than they currently pay in rent — taxes and insurance included. If you are in the market for a home in this price range, give me a call at 417.337.1627 and we can talk about what’s currently on the market here in Branson, Missouri.

Supply of Homes For Sale in Branson, Mo Under $135K Dwindles

Though the first time home buyer’s tax credit was extended until April 30, 2010, buyers in Branson, Missouri have been scooping up homes under $135,000 at a voracious pace. In the past few weeks I have seen multiple homes for sale in Branson have 2,3 and 4 offers at once. Builders stopped building in 2008 and the overhang inventory was largely soaked up in 2009 (specifically in this price range, not in the overall market). As 2010 gets underway, the homes for sale in Branson or Hollister are in high demand and short supply. If you are considering purchasing a home before the tax credit deadline, I suggest you do it soon. It has become a seller’s market in this price range.  Call 417.337.1627 if you would like buyer’s agency representation when purchasing one of the available homes in the area.

Taneycomo Condos At Great Prices

At the end of December 2009, a condo project on Lake Taneycomo was foreclosed on. It is a beautiful development and the prices are VERY attractive, well under $200,000 for brand new condos. Don’t want to say a whole lot about them right this instant, other than that if you are interested in purchasing a condo or second home on Taneycomo these condos should be on the top of your list. Give me a call at (417) 337 – 1627 for more details.

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