Does Your Content Pass the ‘Strawberry Test’?

Does Your Content Pass the ‘Strawberry Test’?

With any content marketing you do online, says Forbes guest columnist William Arruda, founder of CareerBlast, it’s important to follow the “strawberry test”: making your content inviting, bite-sized, and healthful.

After all, the competition for eyes online is steep. There are 130,000 new long-form posts published each week on LinkedIn alone, more than 500 million tweets a day, and 300 hours of video uploaded to YouTube per minute, according to Expanded Ramblings. How are you going to attract people to your content?

Arruda breaks down how to make sure your content passes the “strawberry test”:

Inviting: Your message needs to be immediately compelling, he notes. “With so much content vying for our attention, we are only going to consider the truly enticing ones,” Arruda notes. “In a split second, we will decide whether to keep reading.”

Bite-sized: The average attention span in 2000 was 12 seconds, according to the Statistics Brain Institute. In 2015, it was even less: 8.25 seconds. So your content can’t take a huge amount of time to read and digest. It needs to be short and scannable.

Healthful: “People will only invest in your content if they believe they’ll get something from it,” Arruda writes. “Perhaps they want to learn and grow, solve a problem, laugh. This is the ‘nourishment’ element.” He notes the more valuable your content can be, the greater the likelihood it will garner social actions such as liking, commenting, and sharing.

“Ticking at least two of [these] three boxes is essential, but ticking all three will have a lot more impact on your brand,” Arruda writes. “Yet most content I see only ticks one of the three measures.”

He also notes that your content can be “dipped in chocolate” to further entice readers. “That is typically achieved with the headline or title and first few sentences (or seconds of a video) and/or the associated image—drawing in the viewer the same way the chocolate-covered strawberry calls to you from the plate,” Arruda writes.

Source: “Does Your Content Pass the Strawberry Test?” Forbes.com (May 7, 2017)

Dos and Don’ts for Estate Sales

Dos and Don’ts for Estate Sales

Some sellers have a house full of belongings that they need to dispose of before putting their home on the market. In these cases, an estate sale may be necessary to get rid of the items quickly while also putting some extra cash in your client’s pocket.

Here are a few tips you can pass along to sellers to make their experience working with an estate sale company smooth and profitable.

Don’t…

• Throw anything away. Likewise, don’t casually give items to friends and family, thinking they’re not really worth much. Let the estate sale pro review your assets before you decide to dispose of something.
• Cancel your utilities or home insurance policy before the sale. In many cases, local officials won’t allow a sale to be held at a home with no running water or electricity. Also, you will be held legally responsible for any accidents that occur during the sale, so you want your homeowner’s insurance to still be in effect.
• Remove items after the estate sale company’s walkthrough. Doing so will likely breach your contract and may result in cancelation of your sale. Removing items after they’ve been advertised for sale is unethical and could even result in legal action.
• Participate in pricing items or conducting the sale. The estate sale company, whose fee is usually a percentage of the total proceeds of the sale, has in-depth knowledge of current values and will price accordingly. Some companies may allow you to set a minimum price for a few special items. Also, family members should not be present during the sale, as they may reminisce with neighbors and other attendees—which can negatively impact sales.
• Expect to be paid immediately after the sale. The estate sale company will need time to make sure all check and credit card sales clear and there are no disputes about any items purchased. This may take extra time if you elect to sell some items online. After the sale, the company should send you a check—any fees will be deducted—typically within 30 days.

Do…

• Choose the right kind of sale. A reputable estate sale company will help you decide whether an auction or garage sale is the best forum for your types of belongings. An estate sale ideally consists of an entire household of items, from special antiques or collectibles to useful household goods, and services will include organizing and staging, photography, advertising and signage, and post-sale disposal of remaining items.
• Make sure to get a written contract.  A contract spells out the responsibilities and obligations of both the seller and estate sale company. Don’t go with a company that doesn’t offer a contract. Before you sign, make sure that all heirs and interested parties are in agreement with the sale plans.
• Schedule the sale as far in advance as possible. Many companies are booked months ahead of time. If the first company you call is not available in your time frame, check with another company. To have the best possible sale, the company must have sufficient time to advertise it properly.
• Remove family heirlooms and items you want to keep before the walkthrough. The company bases its acceptance of your sale on the value assessed at the walkthrough. If you remove items after the walkthrough, you may be charged commission on those items.
• Negotiate access to the home. Ask the estate sale company to commit to a certain time frame when they will need to be in your home because you’ll want to make it available for buyer showings as soon as possible. Have a set of house keys ready to give to the company, as they’ll need frequent access to set up. Most will ask that you not give out any other sets of keys at this point because they are accepting responsibility for the items.

—By G.Williamson, owner of LoveVintageStuff Estate Sale Services

Making an Offer: 5 Mistakes to Avoid

Making an Offer: 5 Mistakes to Avoid

In competitive housing markets across the country, making an offer that sticks has become increasingly difficult. Ensure your client doesn’t make the process even tougher by succumbing to one of these common mistakes.

Delaying

“Time kills deals,” says Andrew Sandholm of BOND New York Properties in New York. “Dragging your feet means you could wind up paying more in a bidding war situation or missing out on the property altogether.” Buyers need to be ready with their paperwork, such as bank statements, a preapproval letter, and documents supporting proof of funds, from the day they begin house-hunting mode. That way they can pounce quickly with an offer when they do find a home they like.

Making an offer for their preapproved amount

Smart buyers are getting preapproved to show a seller they’re financially able to purchase a home. However, Chuck Silverston, principal at Unlimited Sotheby’s International Realty in Brookline, Mass., warns buyers against using that document to come up with an offer amount.

“Many buyers come in with a preapproval for the exact offer price, but when you’re competing against other offers, including cash offers, you want to show financial strength,” Silverston says. “An exact preapproval could make a listing agent nervous because not only does the buyer not have any wiggle room to negotiate, but they might no longer qualify if interest rates rise.”

Submitting a lowball offer

Lowballing a seller often backfires, particularly in a seller’s market. “A lowball offer that isn’t backed up with math or comparable sales data is disrespectful and could turn off the seller and possibly mean you will miss out on the property completely,” Sandholm says.

Waiving inspection contingencies

“I don’t care whether it’s new construction or even your mom’s house you’re buying from her – get it inspected,” urges Joshua Jarvis of Jarvis Team Realty in Duluth, Ga. Further, if you waive the inspection contingency in your offer, you may lose the earnest money if you later back out of the deal.

Not presenting yourself well enough

In a seller’s market, buyers need to take steps to make sure they look good in the eyes of the seller. “In today’s highly competitive environment, the listing agent is trying to determine which buyer will be the easiest to deal with,” Silverston says. Buyers may want to avoid pointing out every defect, making nitpicky queries, or questioning the seller’s tastes.

“Basically buyers who act less than enthusiastic will see themselves at a competitive disadvantage when sellers are comparing multiple offers,” he says.

Source: “In It to Win It: Land Your Dream Home By Avoiding These 7 Mistakes on Your Offer,” realtor.com® (May 10, 2017)

Seriously Underwater Homes Still a Big Issue

Seriously Underwater Homes Still a Big Issue

With home prices on the rise, more home values are climbing up above water, but in a few cities, the number of seriously underwater homes is still alarming.

Nearly 5.5 million U.S. properties, or 9.7 percent of all properties, were considered seriously underwater in the first quarter of this year. That number is down by more than 1.2 million from the 6.7 million seriously underwater in the first quarter of 2016, according to ATTOM Data Solution’s First Quarter 2017 Home Equity & Underwater Report.

“While negative equity continued to trend steadily downward in the first quarter, it remains stubbornly high in often-overlooked pockets in the housing market,” says Daren Blomquist, senior vice president at ATTOM Data Solutions. “For example, we continue to see one in five properties seriously underwater in several Rust Belt cities along with Las Vegas and central Florida. Additionally, close to one-third of homes valued below $100,000 are still seriously underwater.”

Cleveland, Las Vegas, and Akron, Ohio, posted the highest share of seriously underwater properties in the nation during the first quarter.

On a metro level, the areas with populations of at least 500,000 that had the highest share of seriously underwater properties at the end of the first quarter were:

1. Cleveland: 22.9%
2. Las Vegas: 22.1%
3. Akron, Ohio: 20.3%
4. Dayton, Ohio: 20.3%
5. Toledo, Ohio: 20%
6. Baton Rouge, La.: 19.7%
7. Detroit: 17.1%
8. Chicago: 16.4%
9. Lakeland, Fla.: 16.2%
10. St. Louis: 15.3%

Source: RealtyTrac

College Grads Could Get Home buying Help

College Grads Could Get Home buying Help

Several states are offering home ownership assistance programs to recent college grads that may help them receive thousands of dollars toward the purchase of a home. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced the “Graduate to Home ownership” program, which provides assistance to first-time buyers who have graduated in the past two years from an accredited college or university with an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree. Program participants may be eligible for up to $15,000 in down-payment assistance or a reduced-rate mortgage—but they have to agree to live in one of eight upstate New York communities in order to be eligible.

“Upstate colleges and universities have world-class programs that produce highly skilled graduates, who then leave for opportunities elsewhere,” Cuomo said in a statement. “This program will incentivize recent graduates to put down roots.”

Nearly half of states offer some form of housing assistance to student-loan borrowers, according to an analysis by Credible.com. Ohio offers Grants for Grads, which, like the New York program, offers down-payment assistance or lower-rate mortgages to people who have graduated from college in the past four years. Rhode Island’s Ocean State Grad Grant program offers up to $7,000 in down-payment assistance to college graduates who earned a degree in the past three years.

Many of these state programs, however, require college grads to live in certain cities within the state, similar to New York’s program. “It can certainly help people who are dealing with high student debt burdens,” says David Reiss, research director for the Center for Urban Business Entrepreneurship at Brooklyn Law School. “But programs like this have to deal with a fundamental issue: Do these communities have enough jobs for recent college graduates? Time will tell.”

Source: “College Grads Can Get Home Grants – But There’s a Catch,” realtor.com® (May 5, 2017)

Bad Credit Can Triple Home Insurance Costs

Bad Credit Can Triple Home Insurance Costs

Homeowners with a bad credit score can expect to pay double—in some cases, even nearly triple—what owners with solid credit pay for their home insurance, according to a new state-by-state study by insurance Quotes.

Policyholders with fair credit pay an average of 36 percent more than those with excellent credit, the study found. When a consumer’s credit is poor, premiums can more than double, increasing an average of 114 percent.

“Many consumers aren’t even aware that, in most states, credit plays a significant role in determining how much you pay for home insurance,” says Laura Adams, senior insurance analyst of insurance Quotes. “So, even if you don’t plan on using credit to borrow money, it still affects your finances.”

Consumers in these states saw the greatest spike in home insurance premiums when their credit was poor:

• South Dakota: 288.1%
• Arizona: 268.6%
• Oklahoma: 248%
• Nevada: 235.3%
• Oregon: 234.9%

On the other hand, consumers in these states saw the smallest increase:

• North Carolina: 0.2%
• Florida: 25.7%
• New York: 29.3%
• Wyoming: 43.9%
• Hawaii: 53.1%

The list excludes California, Massachusetts, and Maryland, which prohibit the use of credit scores when setting home insurance rates, the authors note.

Source: insuranceQuotes