My New Blog

     Flat-fee listings are great for the homeowner that feels that are confident in their abilities to sell their own home without the services of a real estate professional.  Yes, it is possible for one to sell their own home without an agent, or a law suit.  But, numbers don't lie.  Like the fact that 97% of For Sale by Owners (FSBOs) end up listing with an agent.  That's a lot! 

     The biggest reason for their flamming demise are two fold.  1.) They cannot advertise to the level of an agent without spending more than it would cost to hire an agent to being with.  2.) They try to eliminate the agent completely.

     I understand the concept of saving money, but to alienate a very large group of people whos' main purpose is locating home buyers is just plain stupid!  Let me break it down to you in terms every business person understands, "It takes money, to make money".  Where as, if you use an agent - either to list your home or sell your home (allowing a buyer' agent) - you will have to spend money, but you will lose much less.  And, in most cases, even make more than if you try to do it yourself.  There are tons of sources to verify these numbers.  This doesn't even begin to relay how much you can lose in court if you screw it up after you secure a buyer!

     This is where flat-fee listings come in.  First, you tell all buyer's agents to bring you qualified buyers.  Then for a pre-determinded price (one that is not based on the final sales price), you advertise your home to those agents.  It is really that simple!

    Visit http://www.HamiltonsRealty.com if you are interested in listing your home, or if you have questions.  We are always here for you.

     In one of my next blogs, I will explain why Agent based Flat-fee Listings are leaps and bounds beyond For Sale by Owner assistance companies.  You can also follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

    According to my counter it has been 159 days since my last blog, so I figured it was about time to get back to it.  Before that time, there were literally 100s of people that were checking back every single day to see what my current take on the market was, or what is new at Hamilton's Realty, or just what other crazy things might be on my mind that day.

    Well, its time to get back in action with my blog.  I don't have a good excuse for why I haven't been writing except for some personal issues that have been plaguing me.  Anyhow, I AM BACK AND READY TO ROCK! 

    If you like following my blog, then also check me out on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HamiltonsRealty, and Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Virginia-Beach-VA/Hamiltons-Realty/47476938579.  I have been writing little tidbits on there nearly everyday.  I love a spirited conversation, so I welcome everyone to not only follow, but jump in add some comments of your own, or ask questions (the odds are that others have the same question).  The more you get involved, the more I will.  Keep everything appropriate please.

    I look forward to getting back in the grove with everyone.  See you all around.

    As the Principle Broker/Owner of Hamilton's Realty, I founded this firm on the principle that Real Estate is first and foremost a people business. While technology has greatly advanced the efficiency and aids in reducing errors, it is by no means a replacement for the foresight, knowledge, personal experiences and compassion that can only be shared in a person-to-person transaction.

    Hamilton’s Realty is a boutique real estate firm that while serving all forms of Buyers and Sellers in their Real Estate transactions, specializes in the Marketing and Sale of Luxury Homes, Vacation/Second Homes, and Investor Representation. We pride ourselves in consistently delivering a degree of excellence not found anywhere else. Offering the highest level of service to our clients throughout the sales process and beyond. The benefit to the customer is a service that is personalized to them, and backed with extensive knowledge, discretion, and a disciplined, efficient, and systematic sales approach.

    Due to consumer demand many Real Estate firms across the country have switched from being customer-centric to be being agent-centric. By this I mean that real estate companies used to be almost completely focused on offering the best possible service to the customer. Real estate agents were all compensated mostly at the same rate no matter their company and were true representatives of their respective company. Unfortunately, this has reversed nearly 180 degrees.

    Now with consumers demanding more and more free information all while chanting "no agents", they have forced companies to comply, but at the cost of them delivering quality service. So, now consumers can search nearly all available listings without an agent, but what are they to do when it is time to purchase. With real estate's legal issues always changing (especially now), it wouldn't matter if someone has sold 20 homes in their lifetime there is still no way that they are up to date on the current issues. Think of it like insurance, you pay them whether you get injured or not, but you definitely want them around if you ever do get injured. While yes, you can buy or sell a home successfully without an agent. If a legal issue does arise, the cost of an agent will quickly be outweighed with legal fees and the consequences of losing.

    If you are currently in the market for a home or someone you know is, please have them contact us at HamiltonsRealty@cox.net or visit our site at www.HamiltonsRealty.net. If you are outside of the areas covered below, but would like someone to help you with the same regard to service, then contact us and we will get you hooked up with someone in your area.

    Hamilton's Realty proudly services the areas of Hampton Roads including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, & Newport News. As well as, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown & the surrounding counties.

Thanks for reading, please come back and look for future post soon.

Chris Hamilton

    Many companies are self-proclaimed as innovative, because they do simple little things such as add a new feature to their website that no one else has. Although a true innovative company is one that changes the industry as a whole. Hamilton’s Realty is one of the truly innovative companies. They are now further changing the real estate sales industry with their introduction of their flat-fee services in addition to their traditional commission-based full-services.

At Hamilton’s Realty we want to give our condolences to all of the victims of the recent tornado crisis in Suffolk, Virginia. We have tried to contact all of the property owners of the homes that we have sold in the Suffolk and Eastern Chesapeake region to make sure that there have been no injuries or damage to their properties. If we have been unable to get a hold of you, please take a moment to reach us and let us know that everything is alright. When we say that we at Hamilton’s Realty are for you during and beyond the sales process, this is where we shine.

If you have any kind of property damage or loss, we can help. We have retained copies of all of your sale documents which could be of use now. We have copies your appraisal, current tax assessment, home warranty information, and home inspection report that could prove to be vital to insurance claims and will greatly help speed up the process.

We appreciate your business at Hamilton’s Realty, and we will help anyway we can. Good luck to everyone, and we are glad to hear everyone is okay. Contact us at Hamilton’s Realty, (757) 573-3367 or HamiltonsRealty@cox.net.

     "The way to make money is to buy when blood is running in the streets" - John D. Rockefeller    

    I am often asked the question: With the economy looking gloomier by the day.  When should I buy real estate?  The answer is always: NOW!  Yes, the economy has its ups and downs.  And yes, the current economy is currently in a slump, but history has proven that the housing market has always continued to rise even through the toughest of times.  The world has a natural order to it, and when things shift towards one extreme beyond that of normal, it will always correct itself back to its original state (i.e. What goes up, most come down).  So, the housing market in 2002 went to one extreme (very high), and now it is settling back to it's norm.  Fortunately, that norm has an average annual appreciation of approximately 7% (which is better than nearly all other investment vehicles).

    The second problem with timing an economic cycle is that you never know when the cycle will change until well after it already has.  Even the top analyst/forecasters cannot pinpoint the day, week, month, or sometimes even the year when an economic cycle will change.  Remember that they started guessing when the bursting of the housing bubble would happen 3 YEARS before it actually happened.  Therefore, if you are holding out on a purchase of real estate, because you want to wait until the the cycle is at its lowest point.  Then most likely you will end up paying more than if you were to pay a higher price now, because you don't realize the bottom of the cycle until prices are rising.  For all we know, now is the bottom of the cycle.  Waiting, actually has many more consequences. One being, that once the Fed decides that the cycle has changed (which is likely to be well before you do), the first thing they will do is raise interest rates to combat inflation.  Another consequence is that as prices being to rise, sellers will stop negotiating.  Once sellers realize that they can get more for their property you can forget about talking them down on their price, or requesting closing cost assistance.  So, not only do you pay more on the purchase price, you also don't get to negotiate favorable terms, AND you your payment is actually more than if you had paid thousands of dollars more during the cycle's downturn due to higher interest rates.

    If you are currently on the fence about purchasing real estate, call Hamilton's Realty and get the guidance you want and need to make a smart decision.  Don't miss out on the opportunities available to you, call Hamilton's Realty now at (757) 573-3367, or simply fill out a request on our "Buyers" page.  Thank you for reading, and check back frequently for more.