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Another Miracle! Sold - higher than 95% visitors' expectation!

8/23/2018

 
I always think real estate is a local's game, and that's what I told my clients too.  However, this time, I worked out of my area and went down to South Bay Santa Clara. 

Client was my first boss in US from years ago. I was working in my dorm in UC Berkeley, helping them on marketing and graphic design, and thank god my boss enjoyed my work! Now that she had a condo she would like to sell, she approached me.

​I was excited and nervous. I did a great job in my neighborhood, am I going to make it all the way 45 mins away? Challenge accepted!

Replacing the flooring? Done! Paint over the property? Done! Replacing appliances? Done! I studied all the property sold in the complex, walk around the area and learned all the information from neighbors; I called up school district to verify school information one by one and nailed down the Cupertino School features; I did my homework, put up a projector to display video, set up a bulletin board to show comparables, lay out multiple display stands to highlight the upgrades... and of course, multiple rounds of buyer education and final negotiations too!

During the open house, buyers came in, neighbors visited, brokers joined. I set up a raffle box and had everyone to guess the final sold price, the closest will win $50 gift card. 22 people participated the game.

Finally, after a nice 2 week, we closed at $130k over asking! Out of 22 people, only 1 got a price that was higher than what we actually sold for!!! Even the neighbor were caught by surprise - "I heard the market was softer now, not really for you isn't it?!"

So very happy for my boss client, glad that all our hard work got paid off. 

If you are also thinking about selling your property for top dollars, call me - 650.817.5000. I am absolutely obsessed with working on listing and hitting historical high sale price for you!
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The extra miles from us..

7/17/2018

 
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Every night, after all meetings are done and then kids falling asleep, I finally got to shower and meditate, recap and think about my goal and business.

While the water is running tonight, I came to a conclusion that, it was not only a number's game in this business, it was the quality and how much focus I had with each client that got me this far in a short time. Yes we need to cold call and door knock to generate a certain amount of leads, but without thoroughly understand each single case, and help out to provide more value than just buying and selling, numbers won't convert.

Ray and her two houses in a month
Ray is a flight attendant that doesn't get to check out open house due to her busy flight schedule. For 2 years, she has been working with numerous realtors and still hasn't find a home. While she got priced out from 2 bedroom to 1 bedroom, when she met me, her $500k budget was good for a studio. Poor thing! I felt a regular process of show and buy would not work for her, as she has been very specific about her requirement and budget, so specific that there's almost no inventory on the market; and once if any shows up, it would be gone by the time she flew back to check them out.
So instead of waiting and missing deals, I started digging into off market listings, expired listings, cold calling, mailing out flyers, door knock her specific neighborhood just for her. Finally, I found an owner that was willing to sell through off market over a couple months, connected the deal at $480k. Same unit closed on $555k the same week, Ray just made 16% on day one!
Ray was so happy, that she came back to me to purchase another property with her boyfriend, the same day she got the key for her studio.
I got busy again, I am that kind of agent that never stop at just selling, I started helping her to source contractor and handyman to update the condos, listing her property on Zillow to look for tenants, showing her how to do rental open house, etc.
Thank you for the opportunity, and I am glad that my efforts converted twice in a month!

SqFt increase
There was this seller, no matter what happened, he would only extend listing agreement with me and never gave out the listings to any other agents. Because either he's ready to sell or not, I already help him to make $200k before even selling.
Hong is the owner, he has this house in the city as rental. As a friend, he invited me to check out his house. After a tour, I realized there's some discrepancy on the county square footage. Who would drive up all the way to the San Francisco and wait for hours in the building department in the middle of a week to check out the permit for not even a client yet? I would!
And my architect instinct was right - the house was missing 500+ sqft when drawing was submitted 20 years ago! I called through multiple agencies - planning, building, tax accessor etc., finally I got this 1300 sqft house increased into 1900 sqft.
Listing agreement signed right away!
This is not the only one though, I also got another couple listing signed as I helped out with their inlaw legalization process, or I helped increasing bedroom count in county record for sellers.

No pain, no gain. The more we offer, the more we receive.
​The extra miles are always so worth working on, for you, and for us.

All about Off Market Listings

6/22/2018

 
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Recently lots of people asked me about Off Market Listings. As an Off Market Listing Specialist, half of my business are Off Market deals. Let me give you a brief introduction of what Off Market Listings are about:

What are Off Market Listings?
- They are the listings you don't find in Redfin, Zillow, or any MLS online websites, only local realtors would know them, they also call "Pocket Listings".
- They are available only through words of the mouth. For my own Off Market Listings, my VIP buyers will firstly get to know, as well as my partner agents, and then it might go over to top agents around the area.

Why do seller wants to sell in Off Market?
- It gives seller an opportunity to gauge interest and pricing prior to officially listing via traditional methods before the "Days On Market" clock ticking.
- It offers seller privacy as Off Market Listing offers private showing only, so no nosy neighbors and no strangers from public open house.
- It mostly does not require seller to move out and stage the property and offer convenience in selling.
- Sometimes the listing went on market before and was not sold for some reason, while the seller is not desperate, s/he can leave it to off market for the right buyer without a time constrain.


Why do buyer wants to buy Off Market Listings?
- No bidding war, as most of Off Market Listings are marketed with "buy it price", they are available in first come first serve base. In such a seller's market, buyer could get overbid multiple times and be frustrated, Off Market Listings offer the transparency in pricing that they desire.
- As distressed properties often get sold through Off Market, buyer might be able to find good deals.

Available Off Market Listings:
Here's a List of "Off Market" Listings I'm aware of or mine. Alot of these could be great deals for the right Buyer!
Contact me with any interest 650-817-5000

  • San Francisco, 136 Thrift St, $1.1M. 2000+/- sqf single family house, function as 4 plex, good for large family or live in one part and rent out the rest. 
  • San Francisco, 1927 22 Ave. $1.25M. 2bd/2ba, 1,513 sqf, 1 protected tenant. Duplex with inlaw.  
  • San Francisco, Central Richmond, 5 plex for rebuilt or flip, contractor special, 4000+sqf structure. $1.6M. 
  • San Francisco, 651 15th Ave. $1.9M. 2bd/2ba, 1,798 sqf Triplex with 1 vacant unit.

  • South San Francisco, 1 Appian Way condo, 3bd/2ba, 1475sqf, needs cosmetic update, $680k
  • South San Francisco, 112 Madrone Ave, $1.225M. Duplex in Diamond Height/Peck Lots, 2b/1b rent for $2695 in each unit.
  • South San Francisco, 3770 Carter Drive, $1.1M. large 4bd/2ba, 1,810 sf on a corner lot.

  • San Bruno, Eichler building in Mills Park. $1.5M. 3bd/2ba, 1360 sqf, open floor plan with updated kitchen.
  • San Bruno, 172 Elm Ave, $1.5M. 4bd/2ba, 2140 sqf. Could use as duplex - 3bd/1ba as main house and 1bd/1ba as in-law, or combine both and use as a large home. Beautifully updated!

  • Millbrae, 320 Vallejo Dr #32. $1M. 3bd/2ba, 1411 sqf. 
  • Millbrae, Millbrae highland/Mills Estate, $2.5M, 3000+/-sqf, 3bd/3ba, almost half acre lot!
  • Millbrae, 363 Millwood Dr, $1.88M, 1800+/- sqf, 4bd/2ba. 

  • Burlingame, Ray Park, $2.8M, 4bd/3ba plus bonus bedroom and bath.
  • Burlingame, 4 Mariposa Ct, $2.5M, 4bd/2ba, 1920 sqf, Eichler building.
  • Burlingame, 110 Park Rd, $1.6M. Penthouse condo, 2bd/2ba, 1600sqf, sweeping city view, updated, stunning!

  • Hillsborough, 2 lots, 1.3 acre lot with a house, $6.5m; another 0.8 acre lot with building plans, $3m 
  • Hillsborough, 70 Rowan Tree Ln 3 BR 2 BA, 3010 SF living space, 23,250 SF lot, contemporary sleek updated home - Swatt Mier remodeled. $5.8M range, pano views!
  • Hillsborough, 2595 Butternut: 4 BR, 5 BA, 5000(approx) SF living space, 60,750 SF lot-new construction, large downstairs bonus with inlaw space, office, views! $6.25M
  • Hillsborough, 1120 Bromfield 5bd approx 5000sf completely redone like new, $6.9M 10 Downey 4BR,3 BA, 3400 SF living space, 28,950 SF lot- needs updated, flat large lot with lots of potential, $5M range
  • Hillsborough, 35 Aster Ave Hillsborough $6.3M...

  • San Carlos. 1510 Cherry #1. $799K. 2bd/1ba, 992 sqf, HOA $285/month.
  • Los Alto newly updated home, level ranch style, 4br 3ba, 2800sqf, 14000sqf lot, $3.13m
  • Pacifica, 4500+sqf luxury home with in law, $2.2M​

The list of Off Market listings are pushed through emails from time to time, please feel free to sign up and get my off market listing alert, or simply call me 650.817.5000.
Sign up for Off Market Listing Alert

Another Listing Sold at Historical Record High!

6/20/2018

 
Just closed another deal yesterday, 627 Capuchino Dr, Millbrae.

It's a bitter sweet feeling out there, as I am selling my neighbor's house. They are my neighbor that in Valentine's day we exchanged chocolate, when their water heater stopped working they would jump in my shower... And then now they are moving away, I miss them dearly already!

But then, I am blissed for them, deep in my heart! I was able to hit another historical high number in Capuchino Area, so that the mother get to retire after working hard a whole life, and the kids get to use the proceed for some better investment.

It was a longer journey than you thought though, nothing was easy.

The house was on the market last year, through a different agent, for multiple months, and didn't get an offer.

Some neighbors got curious, more got concerned - Millbrae was a hot market, wasn't it?

After seeing me selling another properties 532 Barcelona Dr in the area over $2M and didn't even go on the market, seller offered me a chance to list it again.

I did everything many realtors would do, and many other things that most realtors won't - other than exquisitely directing the staging with my 10 year architect/designer experience, I also personally touched up all professional photos, I dressed up and stand in the house to do a trilingual presentation video, I had drone flying over the neighborhood for video and photos, I got the house 3D scanned, 2D floor plan drafted, printed high end brochure,  customized website, posted in multiple social media, broadcasted overseas for global exposure, I even customized water bottles for guests with the house printed on the label... the list goes on and on, I was not only passionate about marketing, but I truly want the best for my neighbor seller!!!

With all the positive energy putting together, while Redfin estimate was $2.09M, Zillow estimate was precisely $2M, woohoo, we just hit a new record for the whole area at $2.26M!

Very excited for my seller, now they reached their real estate goal, finally can move out of state and re-invest their proceeds for higher yield rental properties. With the sale here, they should be able to retire in another state.

While I miss them a whole lot, I get to visit them when traveling to their town! Plus, I got new neighbors that just moved in and I can make friends with =)

I wish everyone happy ever after. ​​
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Telephone

Wen Guo             +1 (650) 817-5000

Erik Rivera          +1 (650) 766-0596

Jennifer Zhang  +1 (650) 867-1128

Ecem Polat         +1 (650) 556-4992

Team Office .      +1 (415) 857-1677

Email

Wen@HomesByWen.com

Erik@HomesByWen.com

Jen@HomesByWen.com

​Hello@HomesByWen.com

Office Address

1430 Howard Avenue
​Burlingame, CA 94010

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