Looking for Classic but Updated?

This is your dream home!

This new listing at 903 N Main St in Aberdeen is a rare warm and inviting 2-story built in 1910 with all the classic features like gorgeous woodwork throughout–but completely updated with amazing amenities. Beautiful hardwood floors in formal dining room and spacious living room (with built-ins and a 55 inch TV w/surround sound that stays!). Crown molding, custom vanities and granite counter tops in bathrooms are just some of the perks. Stainless steel appliances in the kitchen and front loading washer/dryer all stay. Must see to appreciate this Aberdeen gem!

Click here for more information or to schedule a private showing.

1116 SE 6TH Ave: Outstanding Commercial Rental Opportunity

Prime 6th Ave location next on the corner of 6th Avenue and Harrison in Aberdeen–right next to stop light for easy customer access. For lease at $10.50/square foot.

1116 SE 6TH Ave in Aberdeen now for lease!

Lots of parking, updated exterior, and an amazing location with lots of traffic are perks. Up to 4,500 sq. ft. possible; owner can subdivide if needed. Contact me for more information.

Are you Happy in Aberdeen?

If not, I think you should be. You’re surrounded by three of the happiest places in the United States according to Prevention Magazine Online.

Sioux Falls, SD was awarded the honor of being the “All-around healthiest” city. “Why it won: Highest levels of self-reported health,” according to the article.

Fargo North Dakota was another winner. Why it won: very high scores in regular church attendance

“Sure, the winters are long, snowy, and cold. But Fargo’s fans say the city’s strong sense of community, which shows up in high scores for regularly attending religious services, makes up for it. It’s also a big clue to the town’s warmth, says Stephanie Tollefson, 35, a pastor at Hope Lutheran Church, which welcomes some 5,000 worshippers weekly. ‘People say a generous heart is a happy heart, and I see that here. The more you connect with other people, the more joy you get back,’ she says. ‘And the more joy you have, the more you want to give back.’ In Fargo, she says, ‘people genuinely seem to want to belong to something that’s bigger than just themselves.'”

Reminds me of Aberdeen! The sense of community is very strong here, as I’ve blogged about before.

Minneapolis, MN ranked #3 with top scores for heart health. And to the Southwest, Lincoln, NE boasts “the country’s lowest unemployment rate; healthy hearts.”

And a postscript to my friends around here from Boise: Prevention praises Boise for the “lowest rate of traffic fatalities; lots of regular exercisers.”

Sweet Little Investment Opportunity in Aberdeen

Just listed (NOW SOLD) on SE 7th in Aberdeen:

This affordable 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath home features a main floor laundry, updated kitchen and an attached garage.

Centrally located: less than half a mile to grocery shopping, Northern State, University, downtown. Investment/rental possibilities. Plenty of charm that just needs some TLC.

PRICED AT: $74,900.

Click here for more information or to schedule a showing.

Inventory Slowly on the Rise

I’ve heard some of my friends express frustration at the low inventory in the Aberdeen real estate market right now.

Take a look at this graph showing active listings from this time last year until March 2014. You can see it begin to spike in May and rise until October then mostly drop until March. It’s just a fact of real estate, and is probably especially true in a climate like NE South Dakota’s, that inventory declines in the winter. So hang in there! We should see more listings in a wider variety of price ranges soon.

How to Sell Your Home in Aberdeen: Patience

Patience has got to be humanity’s most unpopular virtue. Trying to sell a home requires a lot of it so naturally it’s not really popular to talk about in relation to home selling either. But buying a home is a huge investment and in any other than a bloated, soon-to-burst real estate market, buyers do not rush into this decision. So we must exercise patience.

You can really increase your chances of a quick sell by following the advice I’ve outlined in the previous posts: common sense (including appropriate pricing), elbow grease (taking the time and effort to make it ready to show and sell), and good marketing.

The purpose of this preparation and hard work is to attract potential buyers into your home until the “right one” sees it. As a Realtor, I’m hired to market your home and help you prepare the paperwork from pending to close. But Realtors are not magicians. We have to be honest about the home (pros and cons) and we can’t push buyers into a purchase.  The transaction has to be a win-win.

So we both need patience as we work to get your home in front of as many buyers as possible.  Days on Market in Aberdeen in 2013 averaged 128 days. So far this year we’re at an average of 121. (Both of these are down from 156 and in 2011 and 144 in 2012.) Keeping in mind that this is an average, you can reasonably expect to have your home on the market for at least four months, depending on inventory, time of year, and how well you’ve applied the three principles outlined in previous posts.

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So that concludes this mini-series on how to sell your home in Aberdeen.  This is a good market for sellers and you can make it a GREAT market with some preparation. I have a comprehensive marketing packet for sellers that will help you accomplish your financial goals through real estate. Let me know what you think and if you’d like to talk!

Click here for an introduction to this series and links to previous posts.

New Radio Spots!

Speaking of marketing, listen for my new ads on the radio. (Recording ads was an interesting experience!) Here’s the text for the ad about marketing distinctives I offer sellers.

Selling a home isn’t as simple as putting a sign in the front yard. What works is a personalized marketing strategy unique to our market. This is Aaron Darling with Mickelson Realtors, and I can help you sell your home with a fresh, contemporary approach that works in today’s era of social media. To end with success, we begin with preparation and work the details.

When it’s time to sell, call me, Aaron Darling… I’ll go the extra mile for you.

How to Sell Your Home: Good Marketing

(This is part three in a four-part series on Selling Your House in Aberdeen, SD.)

What does good marketing do for your efforts to list and sell your home? In plain terms, if no one knows your home is for sale, it won’t sell. 

The primary thing I do for you is list your home on the MLS. This is no small thing. I pay to be on the MLS so my clients get IMMEDIATE exposure to hundreds of local agents and all their clients. Just google the numbers to understand the advantages of listing with an agent over and against trying to sell for sale by owner. (For example, the Natl Association of Realtors 2010 Home Buyer & Seller Survey reports that the median home price for sellers who used an agent was $199,300 vs. $140,000 for a home sold directly by an owner.)

But putting a sign in your yard is not the end of the story. I go the extra mile. I provide you with a comprehensive marketing plan so you can see–on paper–exactly what I will be doing for you to help sell your house at top dollar, in the shortest amount of time. I take the time to take good photos of your home. We design and provide beautiful listing fliers for drivers by.

And I make sure your house is online everywhere, making it easy for today’s home buyer to find your home instantly. (This includes ways for you to post your listing to your favorite social media outlet, like Facebook).

Marketing alone will not sell your house. But it will present your house in the best possible light, expose it to the largest possible audience of buyers and increase your chances of a quick sell.

I really do offer something special when it comes to selling your home in Aberdeen. Call or email me to get a private consultation if you want to see exactly what I can do for you!

How to Sell Your Home: Elbow Grease

Repeat buyers, especially move-up buyers, tend to want their next home to be in great condition. Usually, when homes are located in a neighborhood that attracts those buyers, homes need to be pristine to stand out from the rest.

In addition to cleaning and organizing your house — this includes eliminating and boxing up clutter (hey, you’re hoping to move anyway, right?) — I can’t emphasize curb appeal enough.

“Studies have shown that curb appeal can increase the value of a home by 4 to 5 percent. Homes with poor curb appeal in neighborhoods with excellent landscaping sold for 8 to 10 percent less than the market rate.

In Aberdeen,  it’s fundamental for sellers to make essential repairs to their homes before listing, and curb appeal is particularly important. This is a first step to getting buyers in the door. Sellers who choose to make enhancements to their front yards tend to have good-to-excellent results in comparison to the 68% who don’t. By boosting curb appeal, sellers tend to receive their first offer six days faster and sell seven days sooner than sellers who choose not to focus on first impressions. 

Here are four easy ways to get started increasing your home’s value with a little elbow grease.

1. Simply ask yourself if your home’s exterior looks the way YOU want it to. If the answer is no, you have a jumping off point.

2. Get opinions from a few friends whose taste you trust. What do they notice when they drive up? What annoys them or what do they love? Would they want to look inside if they were home shopping?

3. Spend a little money. It might take $100 or it might take $1,000.It takes money to make money. See the statistics above to understand why increasing curb appeal is a good investment.

4. Get professional help. I’ve been in home construction, remodeling and real estate for over a decade. But if you’re not ready to call me, here are two online sources that I recommend:

• 17 Hacks to Get Your House Sold. Some are common sense, but I like her idea to walk up to your front door, ring the door bell and walk in–looking at your home as a stranger might.
• Clever Curb Appeal Ideas from House Logic (Pinterest). There is enough here to keep you reading for a week.

The bottom line: getting top dollar for your home requires elbow grease. The clutter, dirty baseboards and corners, overgrown shrubs, and peeling paint that you are used to living with could turn your buyer away.

This is part two in a four-part series on Selling Your Home in Aberdeen. Next up: good marketing.

How to Sell Your Home: Common Sense

The cliche that common sense is not that common holds true when it comes to home owners trying to sell.  If you like the home you’re living in, it’s natural to assume that others will too. But anything beyond that assumption will leave you floundering with an overpriced, underprepared listing.

For example, many sellers think it’s best to list their home at a higher price. “You never know; someone might buy it. I think it’s worth it!”

When it comes to listing price, timing is extremely important

But common sense dictates placing your property on the market at a realistic price and terms from the beginning.  Statistically, a property attracts the most interest from the real estate community and potential buyers when it is first listed; therefore, it has the highest chance of a sale when it is new on the market.

Getting your home ready to sell also seems logical, doesn’t it? But a cursory glance at listing photos makes it clear that it’s not. If you’re hoping to sell your home at top dollar, it needs to LOOK valuable; this means well taken care of, repairs handled and house tidy. If you’re in an urgent situation that means getting out NOW, that’s a different matter. Otherwise, think about what you would want a home in your price range to look like if you were paying top dollar and act accordingly.

Finally, have realistic expectations about the real estate market. I can help you manage those expectations by providing you with detailed analysis on the local market, comparable homes in your price range and how long it’s taking those homes to sell. But Realtors are not magicians. My job is to market your home. If I’m doing that well, the market dictates the result.

This is part one in a four-part series on Selling Your Home in Aberdeen. Next: Elbow Grease