Anyone that knows me very well knows about my inner computer geek. I am always looking for cool new features or extensions to increase my productivity or honestly just make my life easier. 

For years I have been a Google Chrome user and despite completely transitioning from a PC guy to a Mac fanatic my appreciation of Chrome continues. Not only do I think it's the best web browser but it's been made even better by all the genius developers who have created awesome extensions. 

These 4 extensions will help you do things you never even knew were possible with Chrome:


Send Secure Email With Virtru:











As a Amarillo Realtor one of the most crucial parts of our business is keeping our clients information safe and secure. With all the personal information that can be found on contracts, listing/buyer agreements and financing information it is more important that ever to send safe and secure emails. At Mitchell Realty our go to email extension is Virtru, allowing us to send safe and secure emails and attachments where we choose who can view and revoke privileges at any time. 

Condense Those Open Tabs With OneTab

I must admit, I may at any time have 20 or so open tabs! Not only does it drive my wife bonkers but it drastically slows down my computer. So download the OneTab extension and next time you find yourself with a whole screen full of tabs open just click the OneTab icon and it will convert all your tabs into one list that you can easily access again.

Access From Anywhere with Chrome Remote Desktop

Ever leave a file on your work computer that you have to go back to get? As a Realtor you never know where you will be when you need to access a Seller's Disclosure or a Listing Agreement and that is where Chrome Remote Desktop becomes a life saver. Remote in from where ever you are and access all your files whether across town or on the beach on vacation! 

Avoid The Grammar Police

We have all written that "perfect" email to a friend or client and after typing it out hit "send" only to realize we mistyped the spelling on multiple words. Avoid asking yourself "do I send a 2nd email correcting the spelling or hope they don't notice" by installing Grammarly, it will over night improve your spelling and grammar. 

These are just a few of the awesome extensions I use for Google Chrome. Check em out and let me know what you think, or if you have an awesome one you like that you don't see here please share in the comments!

Here we are kicking off the new year and one of the common misconceptions in real estate is how slow it is this time of year. The reality is there are ALWAYS buyers in the market, they key is getting your house to stand out. 

So what can you do to insure your house sells faster? 

1. Start with curb appeal. It's the first thing your potential buyers will focus on when they pull up to your home so it needs to be the first thing you focus on. Even during the winter months making your home look warm and inviting is key, Time.com found that great curb appeal actually increases selling price by 17%. So trim those bushes, rake those leaves and some color to your front yard and entry way.

2. Get your home show ready. Every agent you talk to the first thing they are going to recommend decluttering. Clear the counter tops, box up some of the knick knacks and kids toys and pair down the closets. Those are real estate 101 and a great place to start. If you want to distinguish yourself from the other houses on the market though you have to take it a step further. There was a time when STAGING your house was something expected only on high end homes but the truth is any how staged well sells well. It's not about hiring a professional to come in and bring in other furniture, it can be as simple as clearing out as much of your personal items as possible and moving your furniture strategically in the house to utilize the space making it as appealing as possible. 

3. Hire the right agent. The days of having an agent list your house on MLS, put a sign in your yard and run an ad in the paper don't yield great results anymore. All buyers, especially all the millennials who are now in the market place are doing their searching online. Having a solid online presence for your home is vital to getting your house sold fast and for top dollar.

For example when I list a house I start the process with professional pictures, my iPhone cannot begin to compare to our professional photographers quality. This is key as we know the first impression most will have of your home is online. Then I take those photos and on top of the traditional MLS marketing we build a unique landing page just for your home. We then include that link on all of our social marketing and when people click the link they are focused on your property, not clicking on links to look at all the other houses on the market. We also build a customized video tour for your home as well so before they even pull up to your house the buyer feels at home. 

For some this list seems so short but the reality is a well staged home with great curb appeal that is marketed properly is going to sell fast. If you have any questions on selling your house or other real estate related questions give me a call (806) 677-6462 as I would love to help.

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven

     In the book Be Great, Peter Thomas tells the story of two men who are chopping wood. One is a big guy standing 6'6" and weighing in at 250 lbs the other a scrawny guy who weighs 130 lbs. They both start chopping the wood the same morning and when it was time for the morning break the little guy stops and has a cup of coffee and takes his break while the big fella just keep chopping away at the wood. When lunch comes around the same thing happens, the little guy stops and eats his sandwich and relaxes for a bit while the big man just keeps chopping away. As the afternoon break rolls around the same thing happened again. When quitting time rolled around the little guy packed up and headed home while the big guy kept working late into the evening. As one week turned into another this same routine happened day after day for two weeks. 

     At the end of the two weeks the big guy was frustrated, despite working long hours and not taking breaks his wood pile really wasn't that far ahead of the little guys. As another week passed the big guy was getting very frustrated. Every time he looked at the little guy's pile it was still almost even with his own. After the fourth week he finally had enough and when the little guy got up from his morning break the big guy said "I cannot understand how you've split more wood than me. You are smalled that I am. You don't have the strength that I have and your axe is smaller than mine." The little guy replied, "Yes, my friend, but you never stop to sharpen your axe."

     We have all been there, we find ourselves in a place where we are doing the same thing over and over again and often even doing more of it and it leads to be just as frustrated as the big guy chopping wood. As I have now spent some time on the Realtor side of the real estate market I see houses sitting on the market for long periods of time caused by dull axes. Agents who haven't taken the time to sharpen their axes as they wake up each morning, get the kids out the door, grab their cup of coffee and head out to the office to start swinging their axe. When the axe fails to get results the first thought is to just swing harder and harder. Doing the same things that have always been done to sell a house (IE: List in MLS, ad in the paper and a sign in the yard) when really what the house needs is an agent who has sharpened their axe. 

     To me a sharp axe isn't about re-inventing the wheel as I still want to utilize all the traditional avenues at my disposal but it includes sharpening the axe with social marketing, unique landing pages for each property and getting buyers not only looking at your property but scheduling showings and writing offers. 

Over the last few weeks I have been asked multiple times, what does the Fed raising rates by .25% mean for Amarillo? 

Yes this is the first interest rate hike in almost a decade so logic would say it's a big deal but the reality is it is unlikely to have much of an impact on the Amarillo real estate market at all. My experience from my years in the mortgage bank is that Fed rate increases do not impact mortgage rates percentage to percentage. For example we can look back to 2004 thru 2006 when the Fed rates increased 4% and mortgage rates only increased about 1%. 

Now in saying all that we must keep our eyes on what the Fed does over the coming year as they have signaled that this is not the only rate increase we will see. Quite a few experts expect a gradual increase that could look like a .25% increase every quarter for the next year. So this initial .25 increase won't have a major impact but if we see the possible increase some predict of 1.25% over the coming year then mortgage rates will see upward movement. 
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How would this larger rate increase impact our Amarillo market? Currently we have a very stable market, though with prices trending upwards you can make the case that it is a sellers market. Though it could change a little as with a .25% mortgage rate increase if you are currently qualified for $200,000 the house you can qualify for with the same monthly payment is closer to $194,000. That doesn't sound like a huge change but do this a time or two over the next year with a mortgage rate change of .5% and it can make a big difference in getting the house you want or into the neighborhood you are looking for.
In saying all that I don't expect much of a change in the Amarillo real estate market in the short term, though I do think we could see some changes in the market in the next year to 18 months. So if you are thinking of buying in the near future, you may want to consider buying sooner than later. 

Much like my listing on Michelle Dr this one didn't last long! Some believe that real estate slows down this time of year but the reality is buyers are ALWAYS shopping but with some many waiting to sell their house in the spring NOW is a great time to be selling your house in the Amarillo real estate market.