January 2024 Newsletter

Happy New Year! We've turned the page on a whirlwind year,and January beckons with the promise of fresh beginnings.In this newsletter,you’ll learn about some digital and analog tools and tips that can help you meet your productivity goals.

You’ll also learn about easy ways to eat a more plant-based diet without spending a fortune, design updates and renovations that may hurt your home’s value, and how to build a spending and savings plan you’ll stick with – plus fun facts, a trivia challenge, and lots more

Finally, I want you to know that you may call me for any reason. And please let me know if a friend, family member or neighbor needs a caring, competent real estate professional to help in buying or selling.

I truly appreciate your friendship and referrals. Enjoy your issue!

Warmest regards,

Bill Watson
President | Managing Broker


6155 S Main Street, Suite 270
Aurora, CO 80016
720-463-0002
bill@watsonrg.com
www.yourhomesoldguaranteedrealtyco.com

P.S.When you notice people talking about real estate in the next few weeks, can you tell them about the free consumer information I provide?

They may be people looking to buy a home and you can mention my Free Consumer Report: “8 Secrets For Saving Thousands When Finding, Buying and Financing Your Next Home.”To request a copy for a friend, simply call me at -720-463-0002.

SELL YOUR HOME FAST and for TOP DOLLAR! Get this FREE Report that
Reveals 27 Tips to Give You the Competitive Edge! www.Our27Tips.com

The Watson Group
Elevating Homebuying and Homeselling Experiences

Welcome to Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty - The Watson Group, where we are committed to transforming the homebuying and homeselling journey into a seamless and stress-free experience. Our dedicated team of experienced real estate professionals is here to navigate the intricate nuances of the real estate market on your behalf, ensuring you discover your dream home or secure the optimal price for your property. What sets us apart are our exceptional buyback and satisfaction guarantees. These exclusive offers instill confidence in our buyers, reassuring them that if their new home falls short of expectations, we'll step in and purchase it back within 12 months.

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What You Need To Know About Saving for a Home in 2024

If you’re planning tobuy a home, knowing what to budget for and how to save may sound intimidating – but it doesn’t have to be. One way to ease those concerns is to make sure you understand some of the costs you may encounter up front.And to do that, always turn to trustedreal estate professionals. They can help you set a plan and take a strategic look at your budget and your process before you even get started.

Here are just a few things experts say you should be thinking about.

1. Down Payment

Saving for your down payment is likely top of mind as you set out to buy a home. But do you know how much you’ll need? While every buyer’s situation is different, there’s a common misconception that putting 20% of the purchase price down is required. An article from the Mortgage Reports explains why that’s not always the case:

“The idea that you have to put 20% down on a house is a myth. . . . The right amount depends on your current savings and your home buying goals.”
To understand your options, partner with trusted real estate professionals to go over the various loan types, down payment assistance programs, and what each one requires. The more you know ahead of time, the easier the process will be.

2. Closing Costs

Make sure you also budget for closing costs, which are a collection of fees and payments made to the various parties involved in your transaction. Bankrate explains:

“Closing costs are the fees you pay when finalizing a real estate transaction, whether you’re refinancing a mortgage or buying a new home. These costs can amount to 2 to 5 percent of the mortgage so it’s important to be financially prepared for this expense.”
The best way to understand what you’ll need at the closing table is to work with a trusted lender. They can provide you with answers to the questions you might have.

3. Earnest Money Deposit

If you want to cover all your bases, you can also consider saving for an earnest money deposit (EMD). An EMD is money you pay as a show of good faith when you make an offer on a house. According to Realtor.com, it’s usually between 1% and 2% of the total home price.

This deposit works like a credit. It’s not an added expense – it’s paying a portion of your costs upfront. You’re using some of the money you’ve already saved for your purchase to show the seller you’re committed and serious about buying their house. Realtor.com describes how it works as part of your sale:

“It tells the real estate seller you’re in earnest as a buyer . . . Assuming that all goes well and the buyer’s good-faith offer is accepted by the seller, the earnest money funds go toward the down payment and closing costs. In effect, earnest money is just paying more of the down payment and closing costs upfront.”
Keep in mind, an EMD isn’t required, and it doesn’t guarantee your offer will be accepted. It’s important to work with a real estate advisor to understand what’s best for your situation and any specific requirements in your local area. They’ll advise you on what moves you should make so you can make the best possible decisions throughout the buying process.

Bottom Line

When buying a home, being informed about what to save for is key. Let’s connect so you’ll have an expert on your side to answer any questions you have along the way.

8 Productivity Habits

‘Tis the season for good intentions about being more productive. But productivity isn’t about making time to do even more things every day. It’s about making sure the important things get done—and done right. Some aspects of productivity involve finding the right tool for the job—the perfect time-tracker or the best to-do list. Others involve knowing your own habits and routines so you can play to your strengths. No one trick or hack will work for everyone, so be prepared to try a few things on for size before you find the one that works for you.

Here are a few online and offline productivity tips to get you started.

Digital Productivity Tips

• Establish “office hours” and silence work notifications on your phone and computer outside those hours. As much as possible, keep work tasks within that time frame. Filter your inbox to make sure just the most important emails are seen promptly, while the time-wasters wait elsewhere. Some tools for this are Unroll.me and SaneBox.com, or you can use your email program’s built-in filters. Download social media blocking apps, like Freedom.to and AppBlock.app, to help you focus during specific tasks. >Create templates that can save you time, such as email templates for messages you find yourself writing repeatedly.

Analog Productivity Tips

• Identify your most focused hours of the day and plan your schedule around them, rather than forcing yourself to take on complex tasks at a specific time of day regardless of your focus level. Test drive to-do lists. Maybe there’s a method that works the way your brain works—like colorful post-it notes, white boards, or bullet journals. Try out some trusted time management methods (like Pomodoro, time blocking, and the charmingly named “eat the frog.”). Click these links to learn more about each! Get comfortable with saying “no” more often. You simply can’t do everything yourself and trying to will only make you less productive (not to mention more exhausted). Learn to delegate at home AND work.

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Meet Our Team

Get to Know Our Team of Seasoned Experts
Dedicated to Your Real Estate Needs

At Your Home Sold Guaranteed Realty - The Watson Group, our team comprises experienced and devoted real estate agents who are wholeheartedly committed to realizing your property aspirations. We listen to your concerns, provide answers to your questions, and empower you with the insights you need to make well-informed decisions. What truly sets us apart are our exclusive guarantees: our buyback guarantee reflects our unwavering confidence in the homes we represent, and our satisfaction guarantee assures that you'll adore your new home, or we'll buy it back within 12 months. Choose us for a tailored, results-driven real estate journey.

AT MURPHY CREEK

Introducing Elevations at Murphy Creek by Montano Homes – the ideal place to embrace as your new home! Nestled in this centrally planned community, you'll enjoy convenient access to DIA, savor the gourmet dining and shopping delights at Southlands Mall, and relish picturesque views of one of Colorado's premier links-style golf courses.

Now Selling from the High $400's

Find out how this changing market has affected your home value! Your home may be worth more than you think.

Visit www.AccurateHousePrice.com or Call Us at720-463-0002.
This is a FREE service with NO OBLIGATION to list.

Accurate House Price

Renovations That Can Devalue Your Home

Contrary to what you might think, not all home improvements and renovations increase the value of your home. In fact, some do the opposite. You might want to reconsider these changes if you want to boost value:

• Bold colors: Brightly colored walls can be off-putting, especially on the exterior (as it’s more costly to change). Neutral colors better allow buyers to envision themselves in the space.
• Pools or hot tubs: Between maintenance, insurance costs, and safety issues for families with kids, pools and hot tubs can seem like a headache to potential buyers.
• Some major conversions: Turning a bedroom into a walk-in closet or a garage into a living space can downgrade your home’s classification. Even changing a tub to a shower can be a dealbreaker for some.
• Carpeting: New carpet in a living room or bedroom is usually a perk, but most people think too much carpet (especially in odd rooms like bathrooms or kitchens) is a turn-off.

Text your address to 720-605-1268 to find out what your home will sell for today. You will not receive a phone call, just a text!

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Why Now Is Still a Great Time To Sell Your House?

If you were worried buyer demand disappeared when mortgage rates went up, the data shows there are plenty of interested buyers still out there. The housing market isn't as frenzied as it was during the ‘unicorn’ years when buyer demand was through the roof, mortgage rates were historically low, and home values rose like we’ve never seen before. But that doesn’t mean the market is at a standstill. Nationally, demand is still high compared to the last normal years in the housing market and plenty of buyers are making moves right now. Here’s the data to prove it. Showing Traffic Is Up
The ShowingTime Showing Index is a measure of how frequently buyers are touring homes. The graph below uses that index to show buyer activity over the past eight Octobers: In the graph, the ‘unicorn’ years are shown in pink. You can see demand has dipped some since then. That’s in response to higher mortgage rates. But, when you compare 2023 to the blue bars on the left that represent the last normal years in the market (2018-2019), you can tell buyers are still more active than the norm. But showing traffic isn’t the only way to see buyer demand is still high. The number of offers other sellers are getting and the average days homes are on the market tell the same story. Sellers Are Still Seeing Multiple Offers
According to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), sellers are receiving an average of 2.5 offers on their houses. Let’s look at how that compares to recent years (see graph below): It’s true that’s fewer than the number of offers sellers were receiving during the ‘unicorn’ years (shown in pink). But compared to last year, the number is up slightly. And it’s higher than it was in the more normal, pre-‘unicorn’ years in the housing market too.
Homes Priced Right Are Selling Fast
And it’s not just that sellers are still typically getting multiple offers more than the norm, they’re also seeing their homes sell fast. That’s a direct result of strong buyer demand. According to Zillow: “. . . low inventory levels are spurring surprisingly strong competition . . . demand has remained resilient, and attractive, appropriately priced listings are moving quickly.” To help showcase that homes for sale are still going quickly, let’s look at data from NAR on the median days on market for this same time of year from 2018 through now (see graph below): As the graph shows, this year homes are sitting on the market only slightly longer than they were during the frenzy of the ‘unicorn’ years. And compared to the last normal years in the market, homes are still selling much faster than they did back then. That’s good news for sellers because it means there are eager buyers out there right now.

Bottom Line

You haven't missed your chance to sell at a time when sellers are receiving multiple offers, and homes are selling fast. When you’re ready to sell your house, let’s connect to get the ball rolling.

Recently Sold Properties

by The Watson Group

Creekside Eagle Bend
Sold for $974,990!

Trail Ridge
Sold for $487,500!

Highline East
Sold for $620,000!

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Northfork at Briargate
Sold for $510,000!

Sunset Terrace
Sold for $530,000!

Murphy Creek
Sold for $522,490!

Tollgate Village
Sold for $478,000!

Real Estate Corner…
Q: Will I net more money if I sell my home myself or should I hire a REALTOR® to do it?

A: It depends on your situation, time, and motivation. You can sell your home yourself by staging it, setting the right price, creating a marketing plan, and fulfilling all legal requirements. Or you may hire a “Home Marketing Expert,” who will charge a commission but help you with pricing, provide you exposure by marketing your property to other real estate agents, show your home and coordinate the closing process. You might consider these facts:

• According to a recent report by the National Association of Realtors, sellers who sold their own homes sold at a median of $310,000, significantly less than the median sale price for a home sold with an agent, $405,000. About 7% of homes sold were sold without an agent.
• Sellers who sold their own homes sold more quickly because the homes were typically sold to someone the seller knew.
• The most difficult part for those who sold their own home was: setting the right price.

To learn more about how to sell your own home, call and ask for my Free Consumer Report called “7 Insider Tips To Net More Money Selling Your Own Home.” I’ll send a copy right to you. Do you have a question you want answered related to real estate or home ownership? Feel free to call me at 720-463-0002.

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1-4-2024

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