Myths & Truths of the Open House

Gary & April Greer (Tarbell Realtors) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:47:11 -0600

Let's face it...a lot of Agents don't do them anymore. They can be dangerous. They can invite in trouble and they can be a waste of precious weekend time. An in depth discussion with your Agent can determine if they are right for you and your family.

However, over the course of 12 years we've discovered the following:

Myth & Truth #1: Neighbors are going to be in my house, nosing around. And while initially this is true, they are also the voice of your community and since homes do sell often times to friends of friends in your neighborhood....why the heck not let them nose around? Haven't you known someone that has been interested in living where you do? Anything that may instigate a "showing" on your home is one step closer to a sale.

Myth & Truth #2: A real buyer would be pre-approved and looking with their Realtor this weekend and my home would get shown to them anyway. True again and yet not everyone does the home buying thing in the right order. Pre-approval first and so on and so forth. Or maybe their Realtor is not available today and they are out just driving around. Maybe they don't even know what they want yet and since home buying is "an emotional purchase" most of the time...well you just never know what can be accomplished when folks see the right house.

And with all of the internet marketing available...homes are deleted from showing lists often due to misconceptions about the home based on photos or lack of information. (Example later)

Myth & Truth #3: Nothing ever comes of it. Well I would beg to differ. On our latest listing alone, 2 qualified showings resulted from open houses because the Realtors stopped by the open house and decided that the home in fact did match the criteria of the Buyer or...yep you guessed it...they had ruled the home out based on a misconception of the usability of the lot.

Myth & Truth #4: My agent just wants to do an open house to get more business. This may be the truest statement of all and yet it doesn't negate in any way the desire and goal to sell your home in the process. And if number 1, 2 and 3 above hold true than isn't it worth it?

Quote from our latest open house "Well, I saw the pictures of this house when my Agent sent it to me but I thought it was somewhere else and further away from town than this and had ruled it out." Hmmm.

Voice of April Greer

"The Team To Trust"

(951) 522-0518

Temecula Valley Real Estate

Southern California Wine Country

Gary & April Greer (Tarbell Realtors) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:06:21 -0600

Luxury View Home For Sale

Temecula Valley Wine Country, California

GORGEOUS MOUNTAIN, VALLEY & CITY LIGHTS VIEWS

4.86 Acres Fully Fenced & Useable

Add Grove, Vineyard, Horse improvements, Guest Home?

Single Level, Nearly 4000 Square Feet

Custom Upgrades & Decorator Touches Everywhere

Infinity Radius Edge Pool, Spa & Wading Pool

12' Ceilings, Crown Moulding

See My Lovely Photos Here www.teamgreer.com Under Featured Properties

36427 Linda Rosea Road, Temecula, CA 92592

Voice of April Greer

"The Team To Trust"

(951) 522-0518

Temecula Valley Real Estate

Empty Flyer Boxes Everywhere

Gary & April Greer (Tarbell Realtors) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:09:53 -0600

Is it just me or does the sight of an empty flyer box on a For Sale Sign make you crazy?

In Temecula Wine Country I pass 7 For Sale signs on my drive into town, 6 of the boxes have been empty Forever.

For some reason I take it personal. These are my peers. My profession.

1 of the listings has flyers nearly every day. I'm impressed by that agent.

And really, this should not have that kind of impact.

There is the option to leave it off the sign completely and then the Potential Buyer has to call you.

Okay, I get that. I totally get that. It's called a strategy.

But what I don't get is the strategy of the empty flyer box.

Nope. Can't even come up with one. Not one.

So if you are going to go through the trouble of putting one on there. Fill it.

Oh yeah and check it once in awhile....in case you need to fill it again.

If you are a Seller....don't you feel anxious when you run out of flyers?

If you are a Buyer....aren't you exasperated by the empty box?

If you are an Agent....why do you or don't you use a flyer box on your For Sale signs?

Voice of April Greer

"The Team To Trust"

(951) 522-0518

Temecula Valley Real Estate

Temecula Valley Dream Home

Gary & April Greer (Tarbell Realtors) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:40:52 -0600

Dear Realtor,

Here is what we are looking for in our next home;

Single Story in Temecula

Private with Amazing Views

Quality Upgrades

Infinity Edge Pool and Spa

Useable Property
Close to Town
Great Schools
Low Taxes

To see the complete information and the VIRTUAL TOUR on this property, check out www.teamgreer.com

Voice of April Greer

"The Team To Trust"

(951) 522-0518

Temecula Valley Real Estate

Tarbell Realtors, Temecula

Gary & April Greer (Tarbell Realtors) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:16:44 -0600

If you drive through the Temecula Valley it becomes obvious that Tarbell Realtors is the company working the hardest in the area. We have aligned ourselves with a great company that we can be proud of. I thought I would share with you a little about them. Because they really are a "them". Our company is founded and run by a family, not a corporate giant nor a franchise. Because all of the offices are owned by the same person, we are free to utilize resources in every location.

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tarbell

The company was founded in 1926 by Frank Tarbell. That's more than 80 years of dedicated service to the real estate industry. By constantly growing and changing (as they should) along the way, Tarbell, Realtors has positioned itself as a leader in real estate today.

Don & Betsy Tarbell

Don Tarbell, the second generation and current owner of Tarbell, Realtors has led the company into the age of technology while keeping the emphasis on service, making the name Tarbell, Realtors synonymous with professionalism and integrity. This man, Don Tarbell finds the time to attend our training events. That just amazes me. Especially when he oversees 31 offices in LA Counties, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and the Desert areas.

He has built a great team too. Tina Jimov is the president of the company and has a great passion for our success. She attends all of our training events and sets the tone of positive attitude for our company. This can be carried throughout the staff of office managers and assistants, graphic artists, advertising staff and so on. All with something excellent to offer our personal real estate business which directly effects the Buyers and Sellers we work with in Temecula.

We feel that we chose wisely.

Voice of April Greer

"The Team To Trust"

(951) 522-0518

Temecula Valley Real Estate

Please Get off the Phone, Temecula

Gary & April Greer (Tarbell Realtors) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:12:00 -0600

Have you been through the drop off loop at an elementary school lately? This is a scary place. I'm not sure what it is like in the rest of the country but here it is crazy. I'm only familair with elementary since I have 3rd graders.

So picture a lot of parents (moms mostly) lining up in their cars and slowly taking their turns pulling through a loop to drop off their kids. Some are awake and dressed for the day. Some are not. Some are eating. Some are drinking coffee. Some are yelling at their kids (some days this is me).

But what I am NOT doing is talking on my cell phone while driving my huge vehicle within feet of your kids walking on the sidewalks, crossing the streets, etc. all around me. WHO does this? I mean is the president on the phone? All it would take is one kid to bump another kid off the curb and then even with my best intentions...someone could get hurt.

I do talk on my phone in the car, respectful of the new law, always with my earpiece. But even then...never ever in the school zone which I'm pretty sure includes that scary loop place. I am continually amazed that there are people that actually think that it's okay.

So really what I wanted to say in a nutshell....Temecula moms and dads....please get off the phone while you are driving your SUV within feet of my two little boys.

Did I mention I have to go back there again today since it is also the "pick up" loop??

Voice of April Greer

"The Team To Trust"

(951) 522-0518

Temecula Valley Real Estate

Luxury Custom in Temecula Wine Country

Gary & April Greer (Tarbell Realtors) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:53:23 -0600

There is nothing quite like waking up to the sight of Mount Palomar looming gorgeous in the background of your backyard. And wait...is that a crystal clear pool spilling over the side? I must be dreaming. The sound of gently cascading water is beautiful. There is a wonderful scent of orange blossoms wafting in. Maybe I'll have my coffee there on the patio this morning and watch this Temecula morning complete itself.

Okay, okay it's not my house. I'm imagining it. But it can be yours. See it here:

36427 Linda Rosea Road, Temecula, California

Voice of April Greer

"The Team To Trust"

(951) 522-0518

Temecula Valley Real Estate

Glenoak Hills, Temecula Wine Country

Gary & April Greer (Tarbell Realtors) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:50:31 -0500

We live in the community of Glenoak Hills. It is nestled in the foothills of southeast Temecula, California overlooking Temecula's Wine Country. A pleasant rural community that is only minutes from all of the conveniences of the city. All of the homes are on a minimum of 2.5 Acres, paved roads and city water. Nearly every home has a fabulous view of the surrounding mountain ranges, vineyards, city lights, hot air balloon weekends and let's not forget the sunsets! We have a resident engaged homeowners association with low quarterly fees of just $127.00 that gives us a forum for maintaining and improving our community along with amenities that few rural communities even have. We have tennis courts, a community clubhouse, park and play equipment and a horse riding arena. We have rules in place that restricts building to a minimum of 2500 square feet and custom homes only to ensure a consistent quality of living.

We have lived in Temecula since 1991 and could have chosen to live in any of the wonderful communities but we chose to make our home in Glenoak Hills. There are a wide range of homes available and still a few lots here and there to build on! Part of what we love is that every home and lot is unique. You can see all of the homes available on our Glenoak Hills page at our website www.teamgreer.com

Voice of April Greer

"The Team To Trust"

(951) 522-0518

Temecula Valley Real Estate