This is really only a post for a home buyer. And it really is only for a buyer who is buying a house with someone else, be that a significant other, a friend, or any other situation. It is just that when I have talked with people about this it has been so helpful for them that I thought it was worth sharing with all of you.

When you are out looking at houses there is only one way that you know which one to buy. It is a feeling. You get a feeling where you know that this is the one. It is really that simple, and it is really that difficult. Unfortunately, I can’t explain it better than that. I have asked countless questions of my buyers to try and figure out a better way to explain what happens, and it really just comes down to you knowing that this is the one.

Honestly, it is magical. I have watched countless people walk into a house and within 60 seconds they are overcome with joy. This is the one! Let’s make an offer. Many more times I have watched people know in 60 second that this is not the one and then spend 30 minutes trying to convince themselves it is.

Now, when buying a house with a partner you are dealing with two people who can have two totally different reactions to a house. What I would caution to stay away from is when one partner loves the house, and the other isn’t sure: don’t give in. Wait for a property where you both love it. I promise it will happen and you both will be so happy when it happens.

Why it is important that I am saying this? I am a realtor who will wait for everyone to be happy. I will not pressure one partner to get a deal together when I know that you will both be more happy (and more happy with me) if you both are excited about the house. Don’t get stuck with a realtor that is in it only for the transaction. I want to be your realtor for life. I want to make sure that you are happy, with the house and each other. Don’t you want someone like that on your team?

Call me today. You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am good at what I do, and I want to help you.

~Ryan Lynch

Have you been thinking about selling your home? According to the National Association of Realtors everything from April of this year is fully in and accounted for and the average days on market hit a record low for that month of 26 days! A full 57% of homes on the market NATIONWIDE were on the market for less than one month.

Looking in the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors market we averaged just 16 days on the market in the month of May. We averaged only 11 days on the market for the month of May if you look only at resale properties (not new construction).

A more telling set of numbers than that:

Listings added to the market in May – 1,228

Listings that went under contract in May – 1,609

A full 31% more listings sold than were put on the market.

What does this mean to you?

If you are thinking about selling, there is more demand than supply at this point. List with me to take advantage of my strategies to get the most amount of money in the least amount of time.

If you are thinking about buying, you need to work with me to have a level headed, experienced professional guide you through the insanity that is this market.

Call me today. You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am good at what I do, and I want to help you.

~Ryan Lynch

Two very interesting things are happening in the housing market right now. The first is that according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) buyer demand is still higher than normal for this time of year. The second is that housing inventory has declined year over year for the past 35 months!

What does this mean to you?

If you are a seller, we are still not seeing the huge influx of houses for sale that the Spring and Summer typically brings. If you are thinking about selling, getting on the market now, before more competition floods the market is a very good place to be. A lot of buyer demand plus less sellers means that you are in one of the best positions to sell quickly.

If you are a buyer, you need a professional on your team who can get you what you want. Last week I was helping buyers in two different transactions where there were multiple offers and I got both sets of buyers the homes that they wanted. In one instance they got it for less than they were willing to pay by trusting my advice.

Put me on your team. I have a proven track record of helping people sell their homes faster, for more money, and helping buyers get the home that they want. You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com. Call me today!

~Ryan Lynch

Here is a very interested pair of statistics for homes sales in the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors (DMAAR) market for the month of April:

Total listings taken: 1,127

Total listings sold: 1,620

44% more houses were put under contract than were actually listed in the month of April! There is a huge demand for more houses to sell. As of the end of April we were only 2 closed sales total behind that time last year, and we had a much worse winter which kept buyers inside. Except it did not!

What does this mean to you?

If you are thinking about selling, talk to me. You are in a position where your house is very likely to be in demand if marketed and positioned correctly. For example, last night I was out with buyers who were interested in a house that had been bought 4 years ago. The sellers were asking for $56,000 more than they had bought it for 4 years ago. When I ran a market analysis this morning, I found that they were actually $1,000 under priced. That is a $14,000 price increase per year.

If you are thinking about buying you need help. I had a listing last week that sold in three days. I had multiple sign calls from unrepresented buyers who were already too late. The house had already sold.

I am very good at what I can do and you can put my skills to service for you. You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com. Call me today and put me on your team.

~Ryan Lynch

Recently I wrote about two different markets in the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors market. It can be looked at another way as well. As of April 30th this year, there is a huge difference in your market depending on your price range. Let’s look at the numbers:

As of April 30th here are the inventory counts in several price ranges:

$0 to $100,000 – 207 houses for sale
$100,000 to $200,000 – 492 houses for sale
$200,000 to $300,000 – 914 houses for sale
$300,000 to $400,000 – 824 houses for sale
$400,000 to $500,000 – 351 houses for sale

The numbers jump dramatically from $200,000 to $400,000. This comes back to new construction flooding the market. The large majority of the new construction market that I wrote about is above $200,000. It is crazy to think there are 1.5 times as many houses for sale between $300,000 and $400,000 than houses for sale under $100,000.

So what does this mean to you?

If you are thinking about moving up, I have great news for you. Let’s say you are moving from a $150,000 house to a $300,000 house. Your $150,000 house has huge demand. 586 houses sold in the month of April from $100,000 to $200,000. More houses sold in that range than are currently on the market. Think about that! Then when you look at your new home you have almost twice as much inventory to look at. Life is good, and using me to position yourself correctly will mean you get maximum dollar for your house.

If you are selling in the $250,000 to $400,000 range you are in a tougher spot. You have a lot of competition, and much of your competition is new construction. Positioning yourself correctly from the start will help you out tremendously. There are pockets around the Multiple Listing Service where you could have tons of competition, and there are still spots where there is no competition. Using me to understand the market will help you tremendously.

If you are buying in the ranges of $250,000 and up, you have many pockets where you are in a buyer’s market. Using me as your realtor means you can take advantage of that and get the best deal possible.

If you or someone you know is looking to buy a home, sell a home, or invest in real estate, put me on the team! You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com.

~Ryan Lynch

I have had a lot of people asking me to come look at their home to help them get ready to sell. I love adding value, and I think this is one area where having an experienced eye and strong understanding of the market really helps me do that. Here are some thoughts on where investing in your home can add the most value in the order of cost/benefit significance. :

CLEAN!!! – Do a deep clean or hire someone to come and get the nooks and crannies. Buyers will look everywhere. Open everything you can open and clean inside of it. If your home is beautiful and then the buyer opens a door where everything inside has an inch of dust, you will lose them 90% of the time.

Carpet and Paint – Simply making your home pop can add a lot of value to those people that are coming to look at your home. If you think about it, many people are taking 20-30 minutes to decide on making one of the largest investments of their life. The more you can stand out in a good way, the better off you will be. Making your home look clean and fresh will go a long way in doing just that.

Kitchen – First off, if you do a full remodel you are likely to, at a maximum, get 50% of your investment back. If you are going to redo a kitchen completely, do it when you buy so that you get to enjoy it. Unless you bought your property at a deep discount, you are not going to see that money come back to you. There are several things you can do in the kitchen for less cost that will add value. Paint the cabinets, and/or add a tile back splash. These cost effective improvements can do a lot for you.

Bathroom – Same note as the kitchen. You will not get your money back if you do a full remodel. Here are the cost effective moves: Update the fixtures. Re-caulk and re-grout the shower.

Whole House – Replace dated light fixtures. You can get new fixtures for less than $50 a piece. Take advantage of that.

All of these are great ideas. You might have more benefit from some than others depending on the rest of your house. Also, ask other people about colors. I learned early on that some sellers cannot be trusted to pick complementary colors. If that is you, I am happy to help.

Call me and let me help you. You can reach me at 515.639.0047 or RyanLynch@KW.com. I am very good at what I do and I would love to be on your team.

~Ryan Lynch