Thursday, September 10, 2015

Totally SAFE or super CREEPY - what do you think?

MAKE SURE YOU CLICK THE LINK BELOW IN THIS POST AND GIVE US YOUR OPINION

Virtual 3D tours have been around from different companies and at varying levels of quality for a long time, but with increased bandwidth access, the mass adoption of mobile hardware in our hands 24/7, and the app race that is going on in many industries, I have seen it really pick up steam lately. In the Real Estate industry specifically this 3D tour technology is becoming more accessible, easier to create, and the experts are starting to label it as one of the big upcoming trends ...that may soon be a new standard. Pushing out the age-old online "stack" of boring room pictures that "just doesn't cut it anymore".

Here's an example of the technology we are talking about: 3D Virtual Tour
Make sure you check out the "dollhouse' view on the bottom left. Click/tap/pinch in a room to zoom into a picture on the wall. Pretty cool, BUT...

I'm a little conflicted.

The Realtor geek in me LOVES the cool factor of this tech. I totally see the great marketing benefits and advantage for the Seller side; and I definitely see how Buyers would love being able to evaluate properties through the virtual experience of standing in the home, getting to really looking around, instead of just flipping through a few pics. I mean what Seller is not going to totally love looking INSIDE the neighbors' house, walk through it, steal decorating ideas, get some decorating tips, copy paint color schemes, laugh at their furniture choices, make note as comparison for when they might list their house for sale ...ya, no one'll do that.

The more cautious side of me has a few more than just mild concerns.

The first one is for the safety of the Seller. For an occupied property; imagine you are selling your home; you've put your kids to bed and are settling in to read a book before going to sleep yourself. Without you even knowing, someone in a white van trolling around your neighborhood just drove by your house and saw the For Sale sign; they pulled over - maybe out front or maybe down at the nearest Quick Trip - and took out their iPhone, did a quick internet search to find your property listing - if your agent is doing their job, it's SUPER EASY to find your house online - so they click the link for the awesome 3D tour of your beautiful home. That's what they get right there on their phone sitting just down the street from your house ...[click the link up above again]. Pause for a sec, imagine that 3D virtual tour is really your house that someone in a white van is looking through, while you and your family are sleeping in your beds. Now, after you get over the excitement that you live in this $16 Million mansion in DC ...or maybe like me, the pit in your stomach of how much the utilities and insurance are for such a massive home goes away - how does that make you feel - not the pit in your stomach about the A/C bill - the white van guy looking through your house? Hold that thought for a second - we'll come back to this.

Next, what about for the Buyer. Does this "pull back the curtain" too much and allow buyers to start justifying more and more making the largest and most important financial purchase of most peoples' lives without feeling like they need to go in it - experience it for REAL - smell it? Will they completely rule out a home that doesn't have a 3D tour that may have been the perfect house - it will take time before every listing has something like this as a standard, so not every house will have one in the beginning. Certainly there are people that HAVE to purchase properties site-unseen - for them this technology is pretty darn awesome. International buyers. What about investment buyers - pretty cool tool to help them get things done quicker. I get that there is a lot of awesome here.

But let's also not forget the security concerns for the Buyer as well. Some Buyer is going to become the new owner of that once listed house with it's worldwide nakedly exposing 3D tour that someone may have somehow "pulled" offline to save for later. These new 3D tours are NOT EVEN CLOSE to the same as having a bunch of pictures online that ANYONE can flip through, like we have now. They aren't even the same as the video tours that we have now - closer but still not the same. This offers a whole new perspective into a house - someone's home - good or bad.

SO - I truly am not a paranoid person - at least I try not to be - and we absolutely can't stop technology. I'm just curious about your opinion. What do you think ...if you were looking for homes as a buyer? ...how'bout if it was your house that you lived in while it was on the market? ...what about if you were looking at buying a house, would you care that everyone - ANYONE - has basically been inside your soon to be new home - virtually anyway? Do you feel totally safe - it's no big deal - no different than a bunch of pics of your rooms being online everywhere? OR does it completely freak you out? OR are you somewhere in between?


We are constantly watching the trends for our Buyers & Sellers, and soon enough - maybe even sooner than we think - we'll have to decide how to start implementing this technology ...or at least offering it. Privacy & security have always been something that we coach our clients on from the very beginning. Letting them know that their home is now on stage for everyone - anyone - to see and they need to be aware. The internet is a fabulous and dangerous thing. Even with just some pictures of your home posted online there are real security and privacy risks. We help our clients with strategies and tips on how to protect themselves, their families, and their privacy while still successfully marketing their home. We already have some great ideas on how we are going to go even farther and step-up our game on these points with our clients to further guard against the risks that come with additional exposure like this. It may seem obvious but we hear from clients all the time that hadn't thought of these or any  risks.

Bottom line - technology makes this possible ...

 ... and this too...


Regardless, most likely at some point it, this tech or something like it will become the new standard and in this world of constant exposure and lessening privacy, I imagine this is going to be a reality on some level no matter what.

So we're really curious what YOU think. Leave us a comment.

*I apologize for picking on white vans.

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

In A Nutshell: Real Estate Market Trends for Western Shawnee, KS 66226

Local real estate conditions are changing and your Market Insider provides valuable, up-to-date information about the communities important to you. View critical information about what is happening now, so you can be a "Market Insider"!
Market Area: 66226
Listing Price$344,670
Listing Price Trend-0.06%
Sold Price$367,370
Sold Price Trend+ 6.74%
Just a fraction of what's happening...

click now to view more local market conditions!
View Market Insider
Buying or selling a home involves many factors. Stay on top of current community trends by viewing these listing and sale prices, demographics, school performance, area comparisons, and more. Of course, you can always call or email for help understanding what this information really means for you.

Friday, May 30, 2014

Real Estate Market trends and tips for the Western Shawnee, KS Area

Local real estate conditions are changing and your Market Insider provides valuable, up-to-date information about the communities important to you. View critical information about what is happening now, so you can be a "Market Insider"!
Market Area: 66226
Listing Price$357,940
Listing Price Trend+ 0.1%
Sold Price$477,980
Sold Price Trend+ 41.17%
Just a fraction of what's happening...
click now to view more local market conditions!View Market Insider
Buying or selling a home involves many factors. Stay on top of current community trends by viewing these listing and sale prices, demographics, school performance, area comparisons, and more. Of course, you can always call or email for help understanding what this information really means for you.

This Month in Real Estate May 2014

Monday, February 10, 2014

2013: A Record Year for PPG and Keller Williams!

Some pretty big things happened in 2013 for Pickett Property Group as well as Keller Williams.  With all the achievements Keller Williams experienced throughout the year, it was inevitable that those improvements would rub off on us. ;)

We could hardly count all the extraordinary reasons to celebrate – so Keller Williams decided to put them in a video.

Watch this short video, journey through an incredible year of achievements, and see how KW agents (especially PPG) set themselves apart from other agents in the nation.


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Real Estate Market trends and tips for the Western Shawnee, KS Area



Local real estate conditions are changing and our Market Insider tool provides valuable, up-to-date information about the communities important to you. View critical information about what is happening now, so you can be a "Market Insider"!  For example, check out the sneak peek of activity in zip code area 66226.  If you want to see what is happening in your area, click on the View Market Insider button below.        
Market Area: 66226
Listing Price$313,700
Listing Price Trend+ 0.1%
Sold Price$301,020
Sold Price Trend+ 7.31%
Just a fraction of what's happening...
click now to view more local market conditions!
View Market Insider
Buying or selling a home involves many factors. Stay on top of current community trends by viewing these listing and sale prices, demographics, school performance, area comparisons, and more. Of course, you can always call or email for help understanding what this information really means for you.
Featured "Insider Tip"
Article PictureFurnish Your Home For Less

Starting out with a "blank slate" can be both a blessing and a curse. The blessing comes if you have enough money to furnish your home with whatever you want from wherever you choose. Furnishing a home on a shoestring, though, takes creativity, an eye for a good value, and possibly some elbow grease. While some discount stores, such as Ikea, sell inexpensive new furnishings, careful shoppers can find better quality for less money with used furnishings. Here are a few ideas for getting what you need at dramatically discounted prices.

Inspiration

Whether you are furnishing one room or a whole house, it's important to have an idea of how you want the room to look before you go shopping. Once you have the design in mind, it's easier to shop for the components.
Model homes in new home communities are great places to get decorating ideas. These homes are carefully decorated to appeal to a broad range of homebuyers' emotions. Color schemes, accessories, and furniture choice and placement all play to the shopper's emotions.
Interior design and decorating websites may also be good sources of inspiration. Check out Better Homes and Gardens, HGTV, Real Simple and Southern Living for budget project ideas to get your household furnished for less.

Used is Good

One of the hardest things to learn is how to look beyond the obvious wear and tear to the actual "bones" of used furniture.  Look beyond the fact that the upholstery is ratty or the legs are scuffed – look at style.
If you like the lines of the coffee table, buy it. Scratches and dings are easy to fix. Hate the ugly green upholstery on the otherwise perfect Chesterfield-style sofa? Buy it. Have it recovered in a yummy fabric of your choice.
Once you've mastered the technique of not judging furniture by its cover, it's time to go shopping.

Garage and Estate Sales

Yes, there are differences between garage sales and estate sales. The latter is...

Learn more about successfully selling or buying a home and check out a whole library of tips and articles to help you!
As always,  feel free to contact us  if you have any questions.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

3 Bedroom Ranch Home For Sale in Prairie Village, KS!!

If you're looking for a home in Prairie Village WITH a full, dry basement, then this is the one for you!! 





Priced at $160,000
Bedrooms3Bathrooms1
Garage1CountyJohnson
Property TypeSingle Family HomeYear Built1955
MLS Number1840411
Property Description
Great 3 bedroom home with super clean dry full basement! NEW roof, NEW windows! Great updated bath! Living Rm has large picture window & beautiful hardwood floors. Newer stainless steel appliances in Eat-in Kitchen w/lots of cabinet storage & counter space. Wide driveway for 2 cars leads to extra deep garage w/access to large fenced backyard.
 
 
This cozy 3 bedroom Ranch is perfectly nestled in PV...close to schools, shops, restaurants, and more!   The Living Room greets you as you walk in with it's beautiful hardwood floors, large picture window and fresh paint.
 

 
The Kitchen is just past the Living Room...complete with tons of cabinet space and newer stainless steel appliances.  Enjoy your morning coffee or read the paper all with your kitchen comforts within reach.



As you walk through the Living Room, you'll notice the clean hardwood floors continue down the hall.  The Bathroom features vanity, sink, and tile upgrades...carefully selected to please even the pickiest Buyer.  The bedrooms are ample sized, with enough space for a full bedroom suite or to serve as your home office or craft room.


 

The basement is accessed through the garage, which is conveniently attached to the house.  Walk down the stairs and you'll find one of the cleanest dry basements we've seen in Prairie Village!  Plenty of shelving space for storage and a separate space for laundry.

 


And don't forget the backyard! With a patio slab large enough for grilling and entertaining, there is still plenty of yard space for the kids, the family dog, or a square foot garden.  Whatever your outdoor passion is, this yard can make it possible.

If you are interested in seeing this house or want to learn more about others in the area, please call/text us at 913-787-1870 or visit us at pickettpropertygroup.com.  We'd love to help!