>>>
>>> ONE
>>> ONE OF THE REALITIES OF THE HOME IS THAT YOU MIGHT NEED TO
SELL OR BUY ONE EVEN AMIDST A
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC.
PANDEMIC. WE CHECKED IN WITH EVERETT REAL
ESTATE AGENT ANNA BROOKS ABOUT
THE NEW REALITY IN THE REAL
ESTATE MARKET.
ESTATE MARKET. >> THE MARKET IS DOING PRETTY
WELL.
WELL.
WELL. THERE IS DEFINITELY A SLOWDOWN.
THE NUMBER OF NEW LISTINGS IN
THE AREA IS DOWN SLIGHTLY.
BUT HOMES ARE STILL SELLING AND
ASKING PRICE.
ASKING PRICE. AND WE ARE KIND OF WAITING TO
SEE WHAT APRIL IS GOING TO LOOK
LIKE RIGHT NOW.
>> WE ARE HEADED INTO THE TIME
WHEN PEOPLE NORMALLY BUY AND
SELL, LATE SPRING AND SUMMER.
IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE YOU ARE
GOING TO TRY TO SELL IN THAT
PERIOD OF TIME, WHAT SHOULD WE
KNOW ABOUT SHOWING IT, FOR
EXAMPLE?
EXAMPLE?
EXAMPLE? >> WE DON'T HAVE OPEN HOUSES
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE.
ANYMORE. THAT IS ONE THING.
THAT IS A BIG THING.
AS FAR AS US AS REALTORS BEING
ABLE TO TAKE CLIENTS TO HOMES,
WE ARE ALLOWED TO BE WITH ONE
CLIENT AT A TIME.
ALL SHOWINGS HAVE TO BE DONE BY
APPOINTMENT ONLY.
APPOINTMENT ONLY. WE TAKE A LONG WIPES AND GLOVES
AND WIPE ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN
TOUCHED.
TOUCHED.
TOUCHED. WE TELL PEOPLE TO KEEP THEIR
HANDS IN THEIR POCKETS.
A LOT OF SELLERS ARE REQUIRING
THE BUYERS COME WITH
PREAPPROVAL LETTERS BECAUSE
THEY ARE WANTING SERIOUS BUYERS
IN THEIR HOMES.
THE OTHER THING IS WE HAVE SEEN
A LOT OF VIRTUAL SHOWINGS,
VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSES AND
FACETIME TOURS QUITE REGULARLY.
>>
>> INTERESTING. CAN YOU STILL DO A VIDEO TOUR
OF THE HOUSE?
CAN YOU GET REPAIR PEOPLE TO
COME IN?
COME IN?
COME IN? CAN YOU GET NEW CARPET?
CAN THAT STUFF STILL HAPPENED?
STAGING FOR EXAMPLE?
>> FOR A WHILE ALL OF US WERE
SHUT DOWN LATE FIGURED OUT HOW
TO DO THAT, GET US SAFELY OUT
THERE FOR THE PUBLIC AND
OURSELVES.
OURSELVES. BUT NOW YOU CAN GET
PHOTOGRAPHERS IN.
PHOTOGRAPHERS IN. YOU CAN GET STAGERS IN.
IF YOU HAVE AN INSPECTION AND
ITEMS COME UP THAT NEED TO BE
FIXED, IF THEY ARE EMERGENCY OR
CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL, YOU CAN
GET THEM FIXED.
BEFORE EXAMPLE IF YOU HAVE
YUCKY CARPET AND YOU'RE MOVING
INTO A HOUSE YOU WILL PROBABLY
END UP HAVING YUCKY CARPET WHEN
YOU MOVE IN BECAUSE THAT ISN'T
CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL.
CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL. >> WHAT IS THE BACKUP TIME FOR
PREAPPROVAL OR GETTING A
MORTGAGE?
MORTGAGE?
MORTGAGE? >> IT IS STILL KIND OF NORMAL
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT. WHAT IS DIFFERENT IS IT MAY
TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK
WHILE YOU ARE UNDER CONTRACT,
FOR EXAMPLE WE HAVE SEEN A
NUMBER OF LENDERS ARE ASKING
FOR EXTRA EMPLOYMENT
VERIFICATION.
VERIFICATION. THEY DO IT MORE TIMES DURING
THE TRANSACTION.
THE TRANSACTION. THEY ARE ALSO ADDING LAYERS.
FOR EXAMPLE THEY ARE REQUIRING
SOME AFFIDAVITS, AND THIS ISN'T
ALL LENDERS, BUT SOME ARE
REQUIRING AFFIDAVITS FROM THE
BUYERS EMPLOYER THAT THEY DON'T
EXPECT LAYOFFS TO HAPPEN
ANYTIME SOON.
ANYTIME SOON. >> THAT IS INTERESTING.
THAT IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF
THE CIRCUMSTANCE WE ARE IN.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> WHAT WOULD YOU ADVISE PEOPLE
WHO ARE BUYING OR SELLING, IT'S
ALREADY PRETTY TENSE PEOPLE GO
THROUGH THAT, IT'S AN UPHEAVAL.
WHAT WOULD YOUR ADVICE BE NOW?
>> IT IS DEFINITELY A VERY
EMOTIONAL PROCESS. AND HAVING
THIS ADDED ON TOP OF IT MAKES
IT EVEN MORE SO.
SO WHAT I WOULD RECOMMEND FOR
EVERYONE TO DO, IF YOU ARE IN A
POSITION WHERE YOU DO HAVE TO
BUY OR SELL, YOU WORK WITH YOUR
REALTOR, YOU SIT DOWN AND HAVE
A LONG TALK ABOUT EXPECTATIONS
AND GET THOSE SET.
I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE TO PREPARE
FOR THE WORST AND WORK HARD TO
MAKE IT THE BEST.
>> IS IT IMPORTANT NOW MORE
THAN EVER TO REALLY HONE IN ON
PRICING, APPROPRIATE PRICING?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE
FEWER HOMES ON THE MARKET, AND
PROBABLY FEWER BUYERS OUT THERE
LOOKING, A WELL PRICED HOME
WILL STILL SELL.
IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE LONGER,
BUT IT IS STILL GOING TO SELL.
IF YOU THINK, I CAN SLAP ANY
NUMBER ON THIS HOUSE AND GET IT
SOLD, THAT STILL WILL NOT
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. >> APRIL AND MAY, DO YOU HAVE
ANY IDEA WHAT'S COMING DOWN THE
PIKE?
PIKE?
PIKE? >>
PIKE? >> THERE WILL BE A SLOWDOWN IN
APRIL.
APRIL.
APRIL. IF
APRIL. IF WE GET PEOPLE BACK TO WORK
IN MAY, THINGS WILL RAMP UP.
AND THEN AUGUST WILL BE HOT IN
THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THIS YEAR
WILL BE BIGGER THAN LAST YEAR'S
FOURTH QUARTER.
FOURTH QUARTER. THAT IS WHAT INDUSTRY EXPERTS
ARE SAYING.
ARE SAYING. >> I KNOW TYPICALLY WHEN YOU
CLOSE A HOUSE WITH SOMEONE YOU
LEAVE THEM A BOTTLE OF
CHAMPAGNE AS A GIFT.
AND YOU ARE DOING THAT
DIFFERENTLY IN THE PERIOD OF
COVID-19.
COVID-19.
COVID-19. WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW?
>> WE HAD SOME BUYERS COMING IN
FROM OUT OF STATE A COUPLE
WEEKS AGO.
WEEKS AGO. INSTEAD OF CHAMPAGNE, WE GOT
THEM A BIG BASKETFUL OF HAND
SANITIZER AND WIPES AND
CLEANING SUPPLIES AND GLOVES.
AND TOILET PAPER.
BECAUSE THAT IS THE BIG THING
THESE DAYS.
THESE DAYS. THEY WERE ACTUALLY REALLY,
REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
>> WELCOME TO THE NEW NORMAL.