Savvy Lane has bridged the gap between for sale by owner and traditional brokerages. We realize real estate is not a one size fits all traditional commission. Our do-it-yourself platform enables our customers to buy and sell real estate for a fixed fee. Join the thousands that have save millions by using our services.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Leading Flat Fee Brokerage
In a short period of time we've proven a successful formula for helping sellers achieve their goal: selling their home without a high cost of real estate commission. We are the NUMBER 1 Flat Fee listing brokers in the Northwest. Our sellers love us, as we provide all the tools and services as a traditional agent for the fraction of the cost.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Tips on Hosting an Open House
Many sellers ask if open houses are crucial to selling a home. While it may be not be the most vital it does give the public an opportunity to take a look at your home that will lead to someone buying. Many buyers will dedicate a Saturday/Sunday to driving around the neighborhood they are looking to buy in. The open house will attract real buyers.
Savvy Lane has a dedicated list of ways to prepare your home for sale and an open house.
Here are some steps in hosting a successful open house:
Advertise
The best way to advertise the open house is on the MLS. When an open house is added to the MLS it will syndicate to third party sites, where most buyers are searching for open houses. Another great place is social media. The day of the open house place open house signs leading to your listing from the major street with balloons attached to the top.
When listing with Savvy Lane we offer open house signs and all marketing materials to successfully sell your home.
Prepare
First impression is everything. Make sure to clean up the front lawn giving your home the best curb appeal. A home with great curb appeal will not only maximize the property's value but it will attract buyers to come into the home to take a look inside. Now that the buyer is inside it is important to declutter and clean. Make the home inviting by rearranging furniture to make the space more open and functional. It is best if a friend/neighbor/relative will walk through your home with a new perspective on the space to give you an unbias option on decluttering and/or rearranging furniture.
Have more questions on preparing your home for an open house? Call our licenses staff 7 days a week and we will be happy to advise you on your open house.
Day Of
It is important to give buyers their space during the showing. Greet them with a flyer in hand and give them a general overview of the home but let them take a look without hovering. In addition to the the flyer play to the senses, walking into a home smelling like fresh cookies gives an inviting feeling to the home.
Savvy Lane offers PDF flyers to our Full and Premium packages, or you can add it to any of the listing packages.
Follow Up
Have all parties sign in giving basic contact info, some may not want to sign in, that is fine but try your best to get as many as you can. This way you can call them that evening to get feedback on the home.
Savvy Lane offers all sellers with an open house sign in sheet. Once you list you will have access to this sheet.
Savvy Lane has a dedicated list of ways to prepare your home for sale and an open house.
Here are some steps in hosting a successful open house:
Advertise
The best way to advertise the open house is on the MLS. When an open house is added to the MLS it will syndicate to third party sites, where most buyers are searching for open houses. Another great place is social media. The day of the open house place open house signs leading to your listing from the major street with balloons attached to the top.
When listing with Savvy Lane we offer open house signs and all marketing materials to successfully sell your home.
Prepare
First impression is everything. Make sure to clean up the front lawn giving your home the best curb appeal. A home with great curb appeal will not only maximize the property's value but it will attract buyers to come into the home to take a look inside. Now that the buyer is inside it is important to declutter and clean. Make the home inviting by rearranging furniture to make the space more open and functional. It is best if a friend/neighbor/relative will walk through your home with a new perspective on the space to give you an unbias option on decluttering and/or rearranging furniture.
Have more questions on preparing your home for an open house? Call our licenses staff 7 days a week and we will be happy to advise you on your open house.
Day Of
It is important to give buyers their space during the showing. Greet them with a flyer in hand and give them a general overview of the home but let them take a look without hovering. In addition to the the flyer play to the senses, walking into a home smelling like fresh cookies gives an inviting feeling to the home.
Savvy Lane offers PDF flyers to our Full and Premium packages, or you can add it to any of the listing packages.
Follow Up
Have all parties sign in giving basic contact info, some may not want to sign in, that is fine but try your best to get as many as you can. This way you can call them that evening to get feedback on the home.
Savvy Lane offers all sellers with an open house sign in sheet. Once you list you will have access to this sheet.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Sell With Savvy Lane
We know that selling "For Sale By Owner" seems complicated, it's not with Savvy Lane. We have licensed agents here to assist you 7 days week. With our easy step by step process we can list you on the MLS for a flat fee rather than a traditional 3%. Our license staff can answer all your questions along the way.
Now that you realized you know your home better than any agent and you can save 3% listing your home it is time to start the listing process. Savvy Lane has the quickest turnaround time in the industry on listing your home on the MLS. As quick as same day!
Once you decide on one of the four listing packages that works best for you it is time to start the process of submitting the detailed info to your listing. Once this is completed documents are emailed to you automatically for you to review and sign.
Once Savvy Lane has your signed documents and you have uploaded photos you are ready to get listing on the MLS. After this point agents and buyers will be calling you to schedule showings, ask questions and submit offers. Once you get an offer you may send it into the Savvy Lane office and we will help you go over it.
See, that isn't so complicated. Savvy Lane makes selling your home "For Sale By Owner" easy giving you the support your would get from a traditional agent. Don't take our word for it, here are all the amazing reviews from our sellers that have sold via Savvy Lane.
Now that you realized you know your home better than any agent and you can save 3% listing your home it is time to start the listing process. Savvy Lane has the quickest turnaround time in the industry on listing your home on the MLS. As quick as same day!
Once you decide on one of the four listing packages that works best for you it is time to start the process of submitting the detailed info to your listing. Once this is completed documents are emailed to you automatically for you to review and sign.
Once Savvy Lane has your signed documents and you have uploaded photos you are ready to get listing on the MLS. After this point agents and buyers will be calling you to schedule showings, ask questions and submit offers. Once you get an offer you may send it into the Savvy Lane office and we will help you go over it.
See, that isn't so complicated. Savvy Lane makes selling your home "For Sale By Owner" easy giving you the support your would get from a traditional agent. Don't take our word for it, here are all the amazing reviews from our sellers that have sold via Savvy Lane.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
9 Helpful Tools for Fixing Your Credit
You know you have a problem — a credit score problem — but you don't know how to fix it. There are so many different possibilities that could be the source of your credit problems that it's hard to know where to start. Here are some tools to help you understand, diagnose and manage your credit problems so you can fix your credit once and for all. Full Article
1. Spending Alerts:
One of the biggest factors impacting your credit score is how much debt you have. Setting up spending alerts on your credit cards can help you make sure you don't let your balances wreck your credit. Spending more than 30% of your credit limits on revolving accounts, like credit cards, can do major credit score damage. In fact, people with the best scores spend less than 10% of their limits. Some credit card companies let you set spending alerts for when you've charged more than a certain dollar amount or a certain percentage of your credit line. These alerts can help you make sure you keep that major credit scoring factor in check.
2. A Credit Card Payoff Calculator
The easiest way to hurt that "amount of debt" credit scoring factor is by carrying a balance on your credit cards. When interest charges accrue, they can quickly add to an already-high balance, doing double damage — you're in credit card debt and your credit score is taking a hit. You can use a credit card payoff calculator to get a handle on your debt and make a plan for paying it down.
3. Free Annual Credit Reports
If you don't know what the problem is, how can you fix it? That's why your free, federally-mandated annual credit reports are so important. Your credit reports have the raw data your credit scores are based on. You can get a free annual credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com from each of the three major credit reporting agencies.
4. Free Credit Scores
There are a lot of places where you can get your credit scores for free nowadays and many credit card issuers and banks offer a monthly credit score for customers as well. Checking your credit scores regularly can help you track your progress as you work to improve your scores.
5. Disputes
By law, every major credit reporting agency must have a dispute process in place for correcting errors on consumers' reports. Just one late payment reported in error can drop your credit score significantly, so a dispute can be a powerful tool. Here's an in-depth guide to disputing credit report errors.
6. Credit Repair
For people with many errors on their credit reports, the dispute process may not be sufficient to get everything fixed with all the credit bureaus. Some people want to hit the easy button and not have to file all the disputes and track whether the errors are removed. Those people may want to consider a credit repair company — here are tips for picking a reputable one.
7. Credit Freezes & Fraud Alerts
If you're a victim of identity theft, fixing your credit can be incredibly difficult. Someone took your personal information, like your Social Security number, old addresses, maiden name, etc. It's one thing to dispute incorrectly reported information on your credit report when you hold all the information, but it's another thing entirely once those details are out of your hands. In fact, you run the risk of being victimized over and over and over again — your Social Security number doesn't expire, after all. That's where filing for a credit freeze or fraud alert can come in handy. These are tools the major credit reporting agencies provide to help fraud victims protect their credit.
Fraud alerts require a lender or creditor to further verify your information when anyone applies for credit in your name. This helps ensure it is actually you who is applying for credit and not your identity thief. A freeze goes one step further and essentially shuts down access to your credit file until you unfreeze it. Depending on where you live, a credit freeze may be free or come with a fee.
8. Cash
A credit problem is often a cash problem as well, but sometimes it isn't. For example, if you're recovering from bankruptcy, short sale or other credit disaster, it can be hard to get new credit because your credit score is so low. But, you can get a secured credit card and start rebuilding your credit if you have some cash you can use to "secure" the card. These cards require a cash deposit that generally serves as your credit limit. Treating that account right, paying your bill on time and managing your credit usage, can help you build credit quickly and allow you to eventually access a standard credit card.
9. Lifetime Cost of Debt Calculator
Sometimes the key to building good credit is simply to stay motivated. That's where this lifetime cost of debt calculator can come in handy. Plug in your age, where you live and a few other details and you can see just how much a good credit score can cost you in a lifetime vs. how much a bad credit score will cost you. The price tag alone will keep you focused on a better credit score.
1. Spending Alerts:
One of the biggest factors impacting your credit score is how much debt you have. Setting up spending alerts on your credit cards can help you make sure you don't let your balances wreck your credit. Spending more than 30% of your credit limits on revolving accounts, like credit cards, can do major credit score damage. In fact, people with the best scores spend less than 10% of their limits. Some credit card companies let you set spending alerts for when you've charged more than a certain dollar amount or a certain percentage of your credit line. These alerts can help you make sure you keep that major credit scoring factor in check.
2. A Credit Card Payoff Calculator
The easiest way to hurt that "amount of debt" credit scoring factor is by carrying a balance on your credit cards. When interest charges accrue, they can quickly add to an already-high balance, doing double damage — you're in credit card debt and your credit score is taking a hit. You can use a credit card payoff calculator to get a handle on your debt and make a plan for paying it down.
3. Free Annual Credit Reports
If you don't know what the problem is, how can you fix it? That's why your free, federally-mandated annual credit reports are so important. Your credit reports have the raw data your credit scores are based on. You can get a free annual credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com from each of the three major credit reporting agencies.
4. Free Credit Scores
There are a lot of places where you can get your credit scores for free nowadays and many credit card issuers and banks offer a monthly credit score for customers as well. Checking your credit scores regularly can help you track your progress as you work to improve your scores.
5. Disputes
By law, every major credit reporting agency must have a dispute process in place for correcting errors on consumers' reports. Just one late payment reported in error can drop your credit score significantly, so a dispute can be a powerful tool. Here's an in-depth guide to disputing credit report errors.
6. Credit Repair
For people with many errors on their credit reports, the dispute process may not be sufficient to get everything fixed with all the credit bureaus. Some people want to hit the easy button and not have to file all the disputes and track whether the errors are removed. Those people may want to consider a credit repair company — here are tips for picking a reputable one.
7. Credit Freezes & Fraud Alerts
If you're a victim of identity theft, fixing your credit can be incredibly difficult. Someone took your personal information, like your Social Security number, old addresses, maiden name, etc. It's one thing to dispute incorrectly reported information on your credit report when you hold all the information, but it's another thing entirely once those details are out of your hands. In fact, you run the risk of being victimized over and over and over again — your Social Security number doesn't expire, after all. That's where filing for a credit freeze or fraud alert can come in handy. These are tools the major credit reporting agencies provide to help fraud victims protect their credit.
Fraud alerts require a lender or creditor to further verify your information when anyone applies for credit in your name. This helps ensure it is actually you who is applying for credit and not your identity thief. A freeze goes one step further and essentially shuts down access to your credit file until you unfreeze it. Depending on where you live, a credit freeze may be free or come with a fee.
8. Cash
A credit problem is often a cash problem as well, but sometimes it isn't. For example, if you're recovering from bankruptcy, short sale or other credit disaster, it can be hard to get new credit because your credit score is so low. But, you can get a secured credit card and start rebuilding your credit if you have some cash you can use to "secure" the card. These cards require a cash deposit that generally serves as your credit limit. Treating that account right, paying your bill on time and managing your credit usage, can help you build credit quickly and allow you to eventually access a standard credit card.
9. Lifetime Cost of Debt Calculator
Sometimes the key to building good credit is simply to stay motivated. That's where this lifetime cost of debt calculator can come in handy. Plug in your age, where you live and a few other details and you can see just how much a good credit score can cost you in a lifetime vs. how much a bad credit score will cost you. The price tag alone will keep you focused on a better credit score.
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| © Hero Images/Getty Images Worker swiping credit card reader in shop |
Monday, May 2, 2016
3 Things That Won’t Ding Your Credit Score
Many consumers understand the basic circumstances that can negatively affect a credit score. But there are a few concerns on the list that actually won’t damage your credit. This Bankrate article by Mike Cetera highlights the results of a recent Financial Literacy Survey by Equifax, pointing out some common misperceptions we have about credit. Full Article
The 2016 Equifax Financial Literacy Survey showed 3 key things consumers think will damage their credit that won’t:
Being denied credit. When you apply for a mortgage or an auto loan and are rejected, that negative mark doesn’t get placed on your credit report, so it won’t damage your credit, as 58% of the survey respondents believed. But FICO says asking for new credit can temporarily damage your score. If you get rejected, your score may fall, but it’s not because you didn’t get the loan; it’s because you tried to get the loan.
The interest rate on your loans. About one-third (30%) of the survey respondents indicated that the interest rate on their loans could hurt their score. Not true. But if your interest rates are so high that you can’t pay your bills on time or you build your balances too high, that could damage your credit.
Checking your credit report. Experts recommend you check your credit report often. It won’t hurt your credit as 30% of respondents believe; in fact it may help. If you find mistakes or unauthorized accounts, report them to the bureaus.
The 2016 Equifax Financial Literacy Survey showed 3 key things consumers think will damage their credit that won’t:
Being denied credit. When you apply for a mortgage or an auto loan and are rejected, that negative mark doesn’t get placed on your credit report, so it won’t damage your credit, as 58% of the survey respondents believed. But FICO says asking for new credit can temporarily damage your score. If you get rejected, your score may fall, but it’s not because you didn’t get the loan; it’s because you tried to get the loan.
The interest rate on your loans. About one-third (30%) of the survey respondents indicated that the interest rate on their loans could hurt their score. Not true. But if your interest rates are so high that you can’t pay your bills on time or you build your balances too high, that could damage your credit.
Checking your credit report. Experts recommend you check your credit report often. It won’t hurt your credit as 30% of respondents believe; in fact it may help. If you find mistakes or unauthorized accounts, report them to the bureaus.
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