6 Keys to Negotiating a Real Estate Deal
Many consumers hire a real estate agent to perform a task that most people don’t like: negotiating the deal.
When you hire a real estate professional to help you buy or sell your next home, ask them about their negotiating skills. Here are some tips from www.realtytimes.com that your agent should practice.
6 Keys to Negotiating a Real Estate Deal:
(see full article from Realty Times here)
Key # 1: Know your value: While you can’t know every possible result that the other party would want, be sure to understand what your offer or position can do for them. If your argument is lacking some key benefit, then it is up to you to figure out how to adapt it.
Key # 2: Personal relations: Relationship management is the key to showing the other party who you are as an individual, what you can do, and how the deal at hand will benefit everyone involved. Both parties must feel that there’s synergy; only then can a mutually beneficial relationship be forged.
Key # 3: Get buy-in on your vision: Getting others on board with your plan can be challenging, especially when there are many people involved and/or there is much at stake relative to risk and potential upside. A critical step is to convey your vision of the outcome so that the opposing party will desire that very same outcome.
Key # 4: Be humble: You have to be humble, but firm, to effectively broker a deal. There’s a fine line between the two, particularly when you’re dealing with people who have already attained a measure of success.
Key # 5: Finesse: No matter how large or small, almost every deal takes finesse, which is where skill and natural ability meet. This is where your personality shines. It means being able to explore different angles and find creative solutions.
Key # 6: Swagger: Swagger is an attitude you implement through finesse; it uses finesse as a tool. If finesse is about problem solving and outside – the – box thinking, then swagger is about having commanding and authoritative disposition and demeanor but without being pretentious or arrogant.
Only an experienced real estate agent or team will have the skills to negotiate for you at this level.
Dave & Kim Norberg
619-593-4314 | www.norbie.com
Should You Expect San Diego Home Prices to Rise?
Many potential home-sellers are asking us if we expect San Diego home prices to rise.
There are many factors involved, but right now, here’s what we know:
One the one hand, many sellers are apprehensive about selling their home right now, which can keep prices down for buyers since there is limited inventory. 
On the the other hand, Fannie Mae recently did a survey that indicates confidence in it “being a good time to sell” is rising…up to 15% from 10% 4 months ago.
While this number is still low, there is clearly a growing confidence in sellers, probably because of the number of buyers out there trying to take advantage of the historically low interest rates.
In the short-term, home prices are probably not going to rise significantly, however if sellers continue to grow in confidence, and inventory increases to meet demand, then prices will rise.
Remember, that many potential sellers are in a short sale situation and may not yet be convinced they can sell their home.
If you are in a short sale situation or know someone who is, we can help them get their home sold!
Dave & Kim Norberg
619-593-4314 | www.norbie.com <http://www.norbie.com>
We Have San Diego Home Buyers in Waiting!
Many San Diego home sellers are amazed when we tell them that we have buyers waiting to buy their home.
Through the Norberg Group’s “Buyers in Waiting Program”, we assist home sellers in finding a qualified buyer a lot faster than the normal real estate agent. 
Our team spends hours each day searching for, and qualifying buyers at multiple price points, in multiple geographic areas.
Once we find them, they are just waiting for the right home to come on the market!
Most real estate agents will only put your home in the MLS, put a sign on your yard and hope for the best. Why take that risk when you need to sell your home?
When you work with the Norberg Group, we find the buyers for you!
Dave & Kim Norberg
619-593-4314 | www.norbie.com
5 Ways to Prepare for a Short Sale
Many San Diego home-owners are finding a short sale of their home to be the best solution to selling their home for a fair price, and avoiding foreclosure.
In California especially, a short-sale of your home could be the answer you are looking for. The law in California encourages home-owners to complete a short sale in order to avoid foreclosure and damage their credit.
5 Ways to Prepare for a Short Sale
1. Use experts
Before you decide on a short sale, consult a team of experts, including an experience real estate agent. Only consider using an agent who has sold short sales in 2012 under the current laws and San Diego market conditions.
2. Prepare emotionally
If you want to go through with a short sale, prepare for what can be an emotional process. Your friends and family will be asking about the process so you’ll want to feel in-charge, and comfortable with your decision.
Rely on your team of professionals to keep your calm and find the best solution for your situation.
3. Know the market
In order to successfully purchase a short sale you need to know the marketplace. Last year alone we helped over 250 people complete a short sale and the number of short sales in San Diego is expected to grow in 2012 due to market conditions that we fully understand and take advantage of.
4. Know the Process
The short sale process is different than that of a standard sale. The agreement to sell the home for less than is owed is actually made between the seller and the lender, not the seller and the buyer. The seller must first gain approval from the lender before the sale can be finalized. We’ll will guide you through this process with a lender so the short sale of your home can be completed in a timely manner.
5. Be Patient
A short sale typically takes longer than the normal home-selling process because of the different moving parts. If you need to complete a short sale of your home sooner rather than later, it is best to get started now by talking with a short sale specialist on our team.
For any questions and advice on how to best prepare for a short sale of your home, please call us at 619-593-4314 today.
Dave & Kim Norberg
619-593-4314 | www.norbie.com
What Does a Pre-Approval Letter Mean To a Seller?
In today’s world, home-buyers need a pre-approval letter before any seller will take them seriously.
A buyer needs to be pre-approved before they can make an offer on a home because the pre-approval indicates they’ve been approved to afford a certain loan amount. The best real estate agents make sure their clients are pre-approved at the beginning of the home buying process.
It is also important to know that a pre-qualification letter is NOT equal to a pre-approval letter.
A pre-approval letter means that the lender has independently verified your credit, income, and all the factors that are needed to determine a loan amount. The buyer has access to that loan when an offer on a home has been accepted. A pre-qualification letter is not an approval for a loan.
When you are pre-approved, there is very little that can stand in the way of you purchasing a home for the dollar amount you’ve been approved for.
What Does a Pre-Approval Letter Mean To a Seller?
1. Your pre-approval letter will either give the seller reasons to accept your offer or to reject your offer. Make sure you are making offers on houses within the range of what you’ve been approved for.
2. Sellers and real estate agents feel more comfortable if the letter is from a local lender. If the agent can vouch for the mortgage lender than it makes a great impression on the seller who may be skeptical about pre-approval letters from non-local companies.
The pre-approval letter also let’s your real estate agent know what you can afford so they can find a home to fit your profile.
Remember that sellers need to see that you are pre-approved, not just pre-qualified. For more help with getting your own pre-approval letter, contact us today!
Dave & Kim Norberg
619-593-4314 | www.norbie.com
Bidding Wars Erupt For First Time in Years
Bloomberg News released an article recently talking about the number of bidding wars for houses on the market.
Bidding wars, absent from most parts of the U.S. residential market since its peak in 2006, are erupting from Seattle and Silicon Valley to Miami and Washington, D.C.
The inventory of homes hovers close to a six-year low, while an increase in jobs and record affordability are tempting more buyers.
The number of contracts to buy previously owned homes jumped 14 percent in February from a year earlier, the National Association of Realtors reported yesterday.
There are many factors effecting this change in the market, including the low supply of houses from which to choose from.
However, if you are a potential seller in this market, you can hope for multiple offers on your property for the first time in over 5 years.
At the Norberg Group Realty, have 22 years of experience finding for qualified buyers for sellers like you so we increase the likelihood of a bidding war for your property!
Dave & Kim Norberg
619-593-4314 | www.norbie.com
Real Estate Internet Warning!
If you’re like most potential San Diego buyers or sellers in today’s market you are using the internet as part of the real estate transaction process.
While we believe in the power of the internet to help us communicate, market your homes to a broader audience, and keep your informed of on-going trends…the internet is not a replacement for an experienced real estate professional!
A Keller Williams agent from Newburyport, MA has a great warning on his website: 
“Despite advertising claims to the contrary, the Internet is not an experienced Real Estate professional.
It cannot consult, advise, have knowledge of local laws and market conditions, make judgements, own the result, or most importantly, understand your individual goals and needs and care about you as a client.
To obtain an accurate interpretation of any information you are receiving online, please contact me. I will not act as a salesman, but as a consultant. I will make sure you are provided with the education and support to make the best possible choice for you and your family.”
When you decide to buy or sell a home, we encourage you to use the internet to assist in your home search, but even the internet can’t make the judgements and connections an experienced real estate agent can!
Dave & Kim Norberg
619-593-4314 | www.norbie.com
