Are you a potential buyer but aren’t sure where to start the buying process?

Or

Are you a seller looking to generate feedback and gain exposure to your property?

I have your two word answer:  OPEN HOUSE!!

Open houses are typically held on the weekends and are a couple hours in length. They are hosted by local real estate professionals during which time a potential buyer can visit a home on the market, walk through and get additional information on the property.

As a buyer, open houses are a great opportunity to “get your feet wet” and see what’s on the market in your area. It also helps to get a sense of how far your dollar will take you in the current market. You will also meet Realtors in your area that can help answer questions you have about the property buying process.

As a Seller, it’s a great way to get feedback and a sense of how your property is positioned in the market place. For agents, it gives them the feedback they may be looking for regarding the property’s price and condition. It also gives agents an opportunity to network within the community, and meet potential buyers to gauge their reaction to the property first hand.

If you’re looking for information regarding Open houses in your area, contact a local Realtor and they can help you in the right direction!

~Meghan Hess, Realtor

RR and Company Realty

We all watch the shows on HGTV like Flip this House or Property Brothers, and wonder what it would be like to move into a completed renovated house, done our own way.  Well, if you’re reading this, you are actually much closer than you think.

Our company has a knack for finding hot deals and our connections in the construction industry allow us to package together some amazing opportunities.  So, what does it all mean?  If you’re patient and serious you can design and buy the finished product (your dream home), and not have to deal with the hassles of living in a renovation zone.

There are LOADS of distressed properties out there.  Unfortunately, a number of foreclosures and short sales are completely uninhabitable in their current state.  If you are working on a budget (like most of us) you have to balance the cost of buying a home (down payment, closing costs, inspections, etc.) and then the renovations afterwards.  It is not unusual for these construction projects to cost $50,000, or $100,000, and sometimes even more.  And while there are lending programs out there, like the FHA 203k loan or Fannie Mae Homepath Renovation mortgage, they come at higher interest rates and have limits to how much work can be done.

So how does it work?  We help you find a home that is in a location you want, and has the core fundamentals you need.  Your team will then help you layout the project, improvements, modifications, and finishing touches.  In the end that same team will actually purchase the house, complete the renovations your way, and then sell you the finished product.  This allows you to get a more traditional mortgage on a house you love, done your way, and the whole process can be completed in 90 – 120 days.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, get in touch!

RR and Company Realty

Buying a house at the Cape was always on my “someday” list.  Right up there with visiting the moon and placing my feet on every continent before I die; somewhere between wishful thinking and remote possibilities.  I was the girl who drove around the Cape and looked at the “For Sale” signs with slight envy for the people who were able to act on them.  My reality, or so I thought, was calling on the houses that had “Summer Rental” signs on them, and imagining what it would be like to own one and create a home away from home for my family.

Then the real estate market did what it did, and suddenly that one remote possibility became something to consider with a little more seriousness.  On a whim, I contacted my lender and floated the idea of getting pre-approved for a second home on the Cape.  A phone call, an application, the submittal of supporting documents and a few days later, we got our pre-approval. Shocked doesn’t come close to describing the realization that my dream would come to fruition.

Now, this in no way implies that the journey from dreamer to buyer was all roses.  There was the first house we saw, a foreclosure with mold on the walls, followed by the house that was packed from floor to ceiling with “stuff”, then another one with no utilities turned on and old water bill to be paid and a bank that wasn’t cooperating as we saw fit.  I was determined; my house was out there. I scoured the internet, did some drive-bys, and found my Cape Cod dream house. We put our offer in on March 21, 2012, and closed on April 26, 2012.  It was a whirlwind month of inspections, negotiations, and documentations that seemed to take forever but at the same time flew by.

As I sat on the deck of my 3 bedroom South Dennis ranch this past weekend taking in the sun and listening to the birds, I thought about a lot: my three mile drive to the beach, the memories I will make with my family and friends, and lastly, how completely happy I am with the risk my husband and I took. At that moment, I decided I wanted to let other people who have this dream know that now is the time to make it a reality. We  have a sign hanging in our new vacation home living room; it reads:

 Wish, Dream, Hope…Then Make it Happen

Maybe your dream vacation home isn’t at the Cape, but wherever it is, don’t let it pass you by. Seize the moment, take advantage of this market, and let today be your someday.

- Nikki Malloy

RR and Company Realty

It was just another day in the life of a real estate agent, and I was closing it out with a client meeting to execute a purchase and sale contract on a new construction project. In this business, sometimes you walk into a meeting with a client or another Realtor about homes for sale, and you don’t really know what to expect. On this day, I planned to walk out the door with a signed contract but it had been a long day full of unexpected surprises. The optimist in me was hopeful (imagine that), but the realist in me couldn’t help but anticipate a flurry of questions that I didn’t have the answers to.

The clients I was meeting with were a recently married couple, young and full of energy, buying their first house. Not just any first house… a brand spanking new place still under construction, full of choices and decisions to be made prior to closing. Paint colors, finishing fixtures, flooring, on and on the list went. Fortunately for us all, both the seller and myself had a “little” experience with projects of this nature and were confident we could lay it all out appropriately and deliver a gorgeous product without any headaches. So I showed up with contracts in hand and shielded them from the rain as I leaped over a few puddles on my way inside.

And right then, as they greeted me at the door, I knew exactly how everything was going to turn out. You see, I was welcomed by two of the biggest smiles you’ve ever seen. Not a polite welcoming smile, nor the forced friendly smile that you sometimes get at the end of a long day. Smiles of pure joy, of elation. These are the smiles that make a lasting impression on you when you see them. You can’t fake or replicate this sort of facial expression, and it is a pleasure and an honor to behold them. I spent the better part of an hour just basking in their delight and answering a few questions. I left with all the appropriate signatures and escrow… and a memory that puts a big smile on my own face.

RR and Company Realty

So I went zip lining with my brother Andrew, aka BroBro, a couple weeks back.  It was an awesome day overall and we made the most of the experience.  There’s something about dangling several stories up from a braided steel cable that may bring new clarity to your life (or not.)  But once you commit, your only option is to enjoy the ride.

One thing that stood out to me during the day, was something one of our guides said.  He said, “We have to do something so they’ll let us call this work.”  He was referring to the requirement that only the guides clip us in and out, but the sentiment that he loved his “work” rang true.  For those of us that love our jobs, another day at the office translates to more fun/learning/pride/joy/success/challenges.  Considering the amount of time you’ll spend working in your life, why not love what you do or do what you love?

I’m glad I found work that is challenging, rewarding, and fun so early in my life.  So here’s to being a Realtor and loving it.you’re considering going zip lining and aren’t sure about how well you’ll handle the heights, go on a day where there is ZERO wind.  Those platforms you stand on are generally attached to big trees, and big trees have a tendency to SWAY in the wind.  I didn’t mind it, but there were a few that did.

Roger Roberge

RR and Company Realty, LLC

RR and Company Realty

A conversation occurs between a hard working Realtor and an excited Client.  The discussion covers preparations for a Friday closing… and then this gem emerges:

Client: “Ok, so our partnership ends Friday.”

Realtor: “No.  You and I will be partners forever!  What’s our next move?”

Client: “Nope, I’m breaking up with you Friday.  I will send tissues.”

Ahhhhh, the joys of real estate sales.  I’ve learned that you’ve got to take the time to appreciate the humor, diverse personalities, and joys that we encounter almost daily.  This semi-sarcastic and wholly awesome buyer does not realize that you can’t dump a good Realtor.  We might not talk for days, weeks, or months… but we’ll be there.  And when you need us, we’ll be ready to help and pick it up wherever we left off.

Not to mention:  Any client that prematurely dumps their Realtor before a house warming party is making a major faux pas.  We don’t stay long and generally bring stuff you like.   :-)

RR and Company Realty

My father has always told me, “Hard work builds character.”

He called me yesterday, from the beach, to ask me what I was doing.  I told him I was working my butt off and he chuckled aloud. He then told me about the weather, the sand, and closed saying that I should work smarter, not harder.  LOL.  Thanks Pops.

Anyways, it got me thinking:

I’m in the middle of a deal (actually nearing the end) that has been a challenge from the get go.  Our list of road blocks and impediments to the sale is at least a mile long.  All through the process, my buyers have asked me “Is this something you usually have to do?”  My answer, most of the time, has been “No”, “Never”, or something to the effect of “I’ll do whatever it takes to make this deal happen.”

So as I reflect on this transaction, and many others, a recurring theme has surfaced.  Not surprisingly, it is like a sound track to my real estate career…

Hard work.

The concept is simple, but the actual implications are quite grandiose:  When a human being sets his or her mind to achieving something, and simply will not back down, success is inevitable.

I tell some people this, and they try to come up with scenarios where it is impossible to succeed.  I remind these people that throughout history mankind has regularly made the “impossible” possible.  Advancement ensues, and everyone is better for it.  But, the vast majority of said growth is the result of hard work.

I truly believe that for every problem, there is a solution.  You just might have to work harder to find it.

How hard?  Don’t bother to ask that… just keep working at it until you find out, that’s what I do.

Roger Roberge

RR and Company Realty, LLC

RR and Company Realty

So a week ago, I had the pleasure of serving as a groomsman in a wedding.  The beautiful couple were friends of mine, (both of them), and also clients.  Now everyone knows they are clients simply because HE keeps introducing me like this:

Mr. Groom: “This is Roger, my Realtor.”

Me: “Hi, nice to meet you.”

New Acquaintance: “Hi.  Do you go to all your client’s weddings in a matching tux?”

Me: “Yes, it is part of my amazing commitment to all my clients.  No, not really.  We are actually friends and I’m in the wedding party, I just happen to be helping him buy a house as well.”

So back to the story… when you have the privilege of being a groomsman, you get to wear a totally awesome tuxedo.  Our groom picked out some pretty fly duds (that means cool clothes), and all we had to do was get fitted,PAY, pick them up, and return them when we were done.  Sounds easy, right?

Two days before the wedding, I go to pickup my tux.  I try it on, it fits nice, I look about as good as a guy like me can, so I bag it all up and head to the register to pay.  Then this conversation occurs:

Mr. Sales Associate: “Your tux has already been paid for.”

Me:  ”No it hasn’t.”

Mr. Sales Associate: “Yes it has, somebody paid.”

Me: “Who?  No.  That is unacceptable, I’m paying for it.”

Mr. Sales Associate: “We don’t keep card info on file, it was paid for, tough luck, thank you, have a nice day.”

So… I thank them for their help, exit stage left, and my first call is to Mr. Groom:

Me:  ”Did you pay for my tux?”

Mr. Groom: “Nope.  Definitely not.”

Me: “Don’t lie to me, because I will find out and hunt you down.” (This is exactly what I said.  I take my financial obligations seriously.)

Mr. Groom:  ”I’m not, I didn’t, I’ll double check.  Nope, DEF no.”

I decide I’ll ask (forcefully interrogate) the other guys at the wedding.  No result.  NOBODY paid for this tux, unless it was a random act of kindness/charity.  Conventional wisdom (from a few well dressed but slightly buzzed groomsmen) stated that I had hit the jackpot and scored a free tuxedo rental.  A wonderful night ensued, but a day of reckoning was on the horizon.  Queue the dramatic music.

I found myself distraught as I drove to the rental place to return everyone’s tuxedos.  I decided that I would attempt to clear my conscience and solve the mystery.  When I arrived, I pulled aside Mr. Sales Associate and implored him to dig deeper and check the accounting.  A few short moments later, we found the answer.  An answer that had been shrouded in mystery and haunted me for days…

…

……

………

NOBODY HAD PAID AFTER ALL.

There was a minor mistake on the part of Mr. Sales Associate.  It was all just a mix up.  I whipped out my trusty Discover card, promptly paid the charge, and exited to a salvo of praise and thanks for my honesty.

Some might call me crazy, but when in doubt I always do what I think is right.  A business provided me with a valuable service, and I paid for it.  It is a fairly simple concept, but one that I think is lost on people sometimes.  Some folks forget that on the other side of that counter is a business that relies on paying customers to provide income for people, which in turn helps put food on a table somewhere and a roof over that table.

I think it is important that in this day and age, we remember and honor our debts to the best of our abilities.  Whether the debt is gratitude, time, or renumeration, paying in full and on time will yield a sense of pride and accomplishment unlike any other.

Roger Roberge

RR and Company Realty, LLC

RR and Company Realty