Alpharetta Real Estate Homes for Sale

Pictures are not enough and virtual tours are terrible.

First, Pictures:

My grandfather was fond of saying:  "Pictures are easily made."  And he lived BP, Before Photoshop.

Such was the wisdom of a west Tennessee farmer, but it rings so true of people’s skepticism of marketing and advertising.  No one wants to be tricked into buying anything and advertisers are the worst at making something look better than it actually is.  Think picture on the cover of a frozen dinner.

I have edited my fair share of pictures, lightening, brightening, cropping, colorizing, adding contrast.  I’ve always tried to make my real estate pictures make the house show better, rather than outright deceive.  I’ve equated photo editing to staging a house:  you are only trying to make it show as well as possible.  It is no different than cleaning up and putting some perfume for a date.  I’ve never, for instance, photoshopped away power lines or the neighboring house. 

But people love pictures even if they can be deceiving, probably because most of use are dominantly visual - and lazy.  Why does everyone go see the movie but relatively few read the book?

With the advent of online everything, real estate also leans heavily on "the picture."  Experts maintain that the main picture of a house, particularly a luxury house, is the single most important marketing asset (although I would argue price is ;->).  Buyers are online and they are looking at pictures.  First MLS in Atlanta finally just increased (from eight) the number of pictures you can have for a listing to twelve.  In today’s real estate industry, the mantra is:  More pictures; more pictures.  More pictures online equals more page views, and by inference more sales, although I’m skeptical.  Anyway, this presumed causality is what Realtor-dot-com wants agents to believe in order to pimp their "enhanced products" and what the buying and selling public seem to demand.

So, give the people what they want!  Enter virtual tours.

I’ve always hated virtual tours and never really thought they were "tours" anyway.  Rather, they are just slideshows of still photographs set to much with fancy transitions added between the pictures. 

But the point is that you get MORE pictures to look at, it gets around the limitations of some MLS data structures and it was a way for more vendors to make money off realtors.  Plus, listing agents now had another useless service to offer sellers in order to justify their commission ;->.

What is the best way, then, to really communicate to buyers the benefits of a property listed for sale?  How can you show - I don’t believe that people will read long enough for you to tell them - buyers the property in context?  What is the neighborhood like?  What does the view look like from the kitchen window?  How far are the kids rooms from the master bedroom?  How does it compare to other similar properties?

Welcome the video tour.

I read a lot about marketing, real estate and real estate technology.  A site like BloodhoundBlog is chalk full of useful real estate marketing ideas.  I’ve implemented many ideas that I’ve read about, including this very blog, which I started in 2006.  The latest idea that I’m implementing is the video home tour.

I’ve started doing these this year because I’m sold on the power of video and enough people have the bandwidth to handle it.  In fact, I’ve started an entire new website dedicated to video home tours in the North Fulton (Alpharetta, Roswell, Milton and Johns Creek) area.  Check out www.AlpharettaRealEstate.tv to see my progress.  Plus, I’m loading my videos on youTube so they get syndicated around the web.  I want to be known as That Video Tour Guy for Alpharetta real estate.

These are not professionally polished videos.  Just the opposite; this is homemade North Georgia moonshine.  It is just me walking through a house with a camcorder narrating as I go.  Amateurish, maybe.  Authentic, absolutely.  This is the same experience you would get if I were personally showing you property…same comments, same observations, same dumb jokes, same sarcastic remarks!

The point being, you’re getting both pictures and words, albeit audio and not text.  I can show you and tell you at the same time.  Bye bye virtual tour - actually I never did them anyway.

If you are a buyer and would like to send me on assignment, I’m happy to do it.  I want more practice and I want the opportunity to show and tell you about the house in context. 

If you are a seller and this approach to marketing catches your fancy, let’s talk.  Every house has a story.  Let me help you tell yours.

http://www.alpharettarealestatehomes.com/003907

I’ve written before of $100,000 price reductions for homes in Alpharetta, well, how about $1,000,000.  It is the season of giving, afterall.

This home in Echelon at 230 Traditions Drive is on the auction block starting at a price of $1,675,000.  The home is appraised at three million dollars and has been on the market for the last 14 months at $2,750,000.  With a lot of pressure on local builders who have been holding large inventories of "spec houses," it is time for this one to move.

This house built by I.Q. Homes is phenomenal inside and out.  It has everything and more you could want:  huge living spaces, four-car gargage, top of the line cabinets and fixtures, four fireplace, heavy trim and floorplan built for living as well as entertaining.  When you walk into this house you definitely say, "Awesome."

The basement is completly finished with top of the line entertainment area, theatre, exercise room, etc.  The exterior of the house has a pool with waterfall and broad walk out patio.  It is definitely impressive.

So, why has this house not sold to date?  First of all, there are twenty-six other homes in the 30004 zip code on the market for over $2,000,000, so there is some market competition.  Second, this house is in Echelon.  Echelon has been slow gathering development momentum:  the golf course is built and open (and it is a terrific track), but none of the other amenities have been constructed (although they are now starting) and some people think that marketing Echelon as The Georgia Tech club backfired.  Prospective buyers thought that if they hadn’t gone to Georgia Tech that they somehow wouldn’t be welcome.  They were worried that Echelon would be clickish, which isn’t the case.  None the less, market conditions and marketing strategy have left Echelon underachieving as a community, although I think that in years to come Echelon will be one of the more exclusive addresses in the area becuase it has larger lots and an outstanding golf course.

A couple of other factors working against the sale of this particular house are that it is not on the golf course.  The 1.1 acre lot is pretty steep and there is really no back yard to speak of; the pool and waterfall are cut into the slope behind the house and it is a great solution to a sub-optimal lot, but there is still no place to play soccer with the kids.

Finally, there are some high wire, low voltage power lines that run close by and some people may not like that although you never see them from inside the house.

The auction for this house started this past week and has been extended through December 3rd, maybe because they have not received an acceptable bid, but I can only guess. 

No doubt about it, this is absolutely the most and best house you will find at this price within 100 miles.  Feel free to contact me with questions.

http://www.alpharettarealestatehomes.com/0038EC

In honor of the number 2, on this second day of the new year, I thought that I’d mention two properties that are not on the market yet, but will be momentarily.  For those early birds out there, this represents an opportunity to get first dibs on these homes.  Both are in the Milton High School district. You might be saying to yourself:  “But it’s January and not exactly a seller’s market…why the rush?” My answer to that is that you’re right, to an extent.  As we enter 2007, the local real estate market is more in equilibrium than anything else:  There is about 6 months of inventory on the market and the “Days on Market” is between 65-70.  However, you have to look at the market in price segments - and homes priced between $400,000 and $700,000 are still selling briskly, particularly if the house is at all in decent condition.  It is the higher end of the market that is slower and dampening the overall market. Within that context, here are two homes that I suspect will sell relatively quickly.  The first is in the Crabapple Crossing Elementary school district and is in one of the few newer sub-divisions.  Three-years old, three sides brick and three-car garage – hey, I thought this post was a tribute to the number two!  Anyway, this home has 5 BR and 4 BA, fireplace in the master and a full unfinished basement.  The asking price will be $522,000. The second house is on an acre lot with woods in the back.  It has 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths three-car garage, too.  It has a finished basement with entertainment room.  It is $700,000 and for the money a better buy than comparable new construction because the basement is already finished and the house is in top condition. These homes will hit the Multiple Listing Service in the next week or so, so get the worm now, if you’re inclined.

http://www.alpharettarealestatehomes.com/00387E

The housing inventory at the $300k price point in the Milton High School district is thin to say the least. Most of what you find are older homes. However, if you know where to look (and I do ;->) you occasionally find a keeper. Recently I previewed this home and wanted to bring it to your attention mostly because of the lot. It has an unbelievably large, flat, fenced backyard. You could literally hold soccer or lacrosse practice in your own backyard. And if child safety is on the top of your priority list, this is an incredibly safe environment for kids to be kids. The house itself is a pretty standard 4 BR 2 and a half BA house. It does have a two story living room and granite countertops in the kitchen. But it is the neighborhood and setting that make this house attractive. The neighborhood was originally developed by DR Horton and in the words of the current residents “they did it right". The neighborhood has a great wooded feel to it; the homes sit back off the road and there is a ton of privacy. Combine that with great schools and you have the American Dream. Contact me for more info. Š

http://www.alpharettarealestatehomes.com/003872

Everyone always tells me to let them know when I come across a motivated seller. Well, here is one. These people are trying to sell their home to move out West. It’s only three years old and in great shape. It has FIVE bedrooms and FOUR FULL BATHS. Perhaps the sellers are having trouble selling it because they are Florida Gators: the study is appointed with tons of gator paraphernalia, but none it stays with the house so don’t let that turn you off. The home is located in Alpharetta / Fulton County. It is convenient to Windward and Johns Creek, including the new Emory Hospital there. If you are looking for an opportunity to get into the area in a practically brand new house for around $350k, give me a call.

http://www.alpharettarealestatehomes.com/00386F