[5-DayForum] completed the process-SIGNS

Mon Apr 30 11:23:58 EDT 2007

question for Tom or anyone who used the signs for ads.

Do you put the roadside signs out for 5 days starting
Wed thru Sun or just Sat and Sun? When you got most of
the calls from the signs?

I understand the longer the signs are there, the more
exposure. Because of the code violation concern, I
might have to put up the signs for the most effective
exposure period.

thanks

--- infore5860 <infore5860 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Scott
> 
>     I want to add and subtract from Eric's list. I
> too did two 5-day sales using George Cappony's
> services. If done according to the book (which
> George helped me stay on track) it will work. So
> first do not do it on a holiday weekend if you want
> success.
> 
> What I do agree with Eric about what worked is 
> 
> #1 - Using a website created by George Cappony with
> the listing insertions into Craigslist every few
> days was really helpful. The traffic tracking
> software that you get use of helps you keep track of
> how many people are interested and from were they
> are coming from. Most of my traffic came from
> straight load and not click through's like
> Craiglist. 
> 
> #3 - I ordered the yellow, brake screeching signs
> from George. You get 40 signs to put around the
> neighborhood on all the different roads leading to
> your house. This worked the best because more than
> 80% of the visitors who came to the open house did
> so because of the signs. People that were just out
> looking for property to buy. In other words some of
> my true bidders (non tire kickers). I would not have
> gotten those bidders if it wasn't for the signs.
> 
>  #5 - Info signs in each room are a big help. It
> keeps you from having to repeat the same answers to
> the same questions throughout the day. It also gives
> you the ability to let each person walk through your
> house without having someone right there to answer
> all these questions. 
> 
> #6 - Although my homes were vacant, cleaning out the
> clutter and minimizing the furniture is a must. Also
> take all your valuables out of the house or lock
> them in a safe. 
> 
> #8 - The more people you can expose to your sale and
> what you are doing the more people you will have at
> your open house and the more people you will have
> bid on your house. I also had fliers printed and I
> left them every place I could. 
> 
> #10 - The inspection report shows credibility to the
> potential buyers. It shows you are not hiding
> anything. 
> 
> What I do not agree with is 
> 
> #2 - Getting charged $3,000 is too much money. You
> can hire a title company or attorney (depending on
> the state your in) to handle the whole transaction.
> It will be a fraction of the costs as what
> Help-U-Sell charged Eric.
> 
> #3 & #1 - The money you save from using a title
> company or attorney, put towards signs that George
> sells on his website. I used them in both of mine
> and 80% of all people who showed up for the open
> houses did so because they saw the signs throughout
> the neighborhood. It is a powerful tool if you use
> the right brake screeching signs. Putting a sign on
> a telephone pole will not get noticed if it is too
> small. 
> 
> #9 - Your reserve price should be undisclosed. You
> should never disclose your minimum reserve price.
> You should never show your poker hand before the
> river. Let people bid up the price on your property
> and keep an undisclosed reserve. This way if the
> reserve is met the bidders will keep bidding it up
> because they do not know what the reserve is.
> Disclosing your reserve is like saying this is what
> I will accept for my house. People who may still bid
> won't if your minumum reserve is more than what they
> think the home is worth.  On the other side if the
> reserve is lower than what they think the house is
> worth they will think you are real desperate and try
> to command the bidding process by making a
> ridiculous high bid that will scare away all other
> potential bidders. In the end they won't go through
> with that price, but will offer you your reserve.
> You will be stuck and you will either have to take
> it or do the sale again in 3 weeks. Either way you
> lose. 
> 
> #2 - If you do place your add in the paper place it
> for 8 days and place it in the paper that has the
> most real estate adds. This will generate a lot more
> interest. It did for me.
> 
> #1 - Flat fee MLS do not do it. You can not legally
> add a three percent brokers fee to the final price.
> The final price is what the commission has to be
> based on. If you try and tack one on the commission
> you could have problems with governing bodies. Plus
> I believe you can only advertise a sale price with
> them not a starting bid price. I tried the flat fee
> MLS and ran into nothing but headaches. Every
> realtor went after me with every legal body they
> could complain too. Don't Do IT it's not worth it. 
> 
> Final suggestion is to also get an 800 number voice
> mail. This will also reduce the number of actual
> callers you get and free up your time for other
> things. George Cappony also offers this service. By
> getting it through George it will be a flat fee
> instead of buying the number and paying per minute. 
> 
> 
> If there is something I missed and you want to ask
> go ahead and ask.
> 
> Tom
>  
> 
> 
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: eric huang 
>   To:
> 5-dayforum at mailman.howtosellyourhomein5days.com 
>   Sent: Sunday, April 29, 2007 1:00 PM
>   Subject: Re: [5-DayForum] completed the process
> 
> 
>   Scott,
>   I sold my San Francisco condo last year using the
> 5-day method. It was fast, it worked, and everything
> went smoothly. I'm not good of a "story" teller, but
> I'll tell you what worked and what didn't: 
> 
>   What worked:
>   1. Website created by George Cappony's service.
> Included listing in craigslist.org, updated every 3
> days. Also included traffic-tracking software.
>   2. Closing agent - I used Help-U-Sell, they charge
> $3000 to handle the transaction. They also let me
> borrow A-frame signs 
>   3. A-Frame signs to advertise our open-house on
> the day-of. Decorate the signs with helium balloons.
>   4. Walkie-talkies to handle communication between
> me and my helpers - got lots of compliments on this
> ("You are so organized!) 
>   5. Info-signs in each room (lets people do
> self-guided tour) about size, carpeting, blinds, etc
>   6. Cleaning out all of the clutter. Think
> "minimalism" as your home-decorating theme. (got
> lots of compliments about this). Minimize the number
> of pieces of furniture in each room, get rid of
> knick-knacks, etc. 
>   7. Minimum reserve price made me more confident
> about putting on the sale, but wasn't really
> necessary. 
>   8. Sending info about your sale to every mailing
> list I belonged to
>   9. Making the reserve so low, people said, "are
> you crazy?" 
>   10. Pre-inspection report
> 
>   What didn't work:
>   1. putting up signs around the neighborhood before
> the day of the open-house. Takes a lot of
> time/energy, but nobody looks for a house by reading
> signs on telephone poles. 
>   2. newspaper ads - it did generate some interest,
> but I think readership for newspapers is way down.
> If you are going to do this, buy Sunday to Sunday (8
> days)
> 
>   What I wish I had done:
>   1. advertise with flat-fee MLS - there is no
> reason to fear/dislike buyers agents. Just say in
> your materials that people who have a buyers' agent
> will get a 3% fee tacked on to the final bid price.
> That way everyone is happy. 
> 
>   By the way, with the website, you don't have to
> stay home to answer the phone before the open house.
> I just went to work as usual and answered people who
> left message on my answering machine. I got maybe 10
> calls by Friday, but almost 1000 unique IPs on my
> website by the end of open house (about 600 by
> Friday night). 
> 
>   If you want to know any other details, just ask. 
> 
>   Eric
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>     ---------- Forwarded message ----------
>     From: Scott Clawson <scott at scopeitout.us>
>     To:
> <5-dayforum at mailman.howtosellyourhomein5days.com >
> 
=== message truncated ===>
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