2018 Homes Report

2018

Homes Report

Why Kline May

“Service, Not Sales” & how it drives us

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Market Trends

Low inventory’s major impact

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2018 HOMES REPORT Kline May Realty - Main 1962 Evelyn Byrd Avenue Harrisonburg, VA 540.437.3500

E-mail address and website for main office and branch offices: info@KlineMay.com KlineMay.com

Kline May Realty - Broadway 415 South Main Street Broadway, VA 540.896.6488

Kline May Realty - Downtown 83 South Main Street, Suite 101 Harrisonburg, VA 540.437.3535 83 South Main Street, Suite 201 Harrisonburg, VA 540.437.1777 Kline May Realty - Augusta 2352 Jefferson Highway Waynesboro, VA 540.943.7410

Kline May Realty has grown steadily over the past 20 years, enabling agents at our four offices to offer residential real estate guidance throughout the central Shenandoah Valley.

As part of the Kline May Company family, we understand the importance of real estate in our personal and business lives and take our responsibilities to our clients very seriously. To best serve our clients, we need to be experts in specific areas of real estate practice. At Kline May Realty our focus is residential real estate sales. Over time we have created 3 additional companies which focus on areas of real estate outside of residential sales: • • •

Cottonwood Commercial Priority Property Management Cottonwood Auctions

Commercial and large farms sales and leasing Residential leasing Real estate auctions

We hope this report will help you learn more about our company, our people, and our commitment to our community. If you have been a client of Kline May Realty or one of our sister companies, we thank you for the opportunity to be of service. If you have not, we look forward to having the chance to work with you in the future.

Thank you, Karl Waizecker, Principal Broker & Keith May, Owner

"Service, Not Sales"

IS WHAT DRIVES US Satisfied 7.5%

Very Satisfied 90.8%

98.3% Overall Client Satisfaction in 2017ow it

1

We Strive for Excellence

2

We Know How to Network

3

We Are Skilled Negotiators

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We Operate as a Team

Founded in 1970, Kline May Realty has grown to become the leading real estate firm in Virginia’s Central Shenandoah Valley by providing an unparalleled level of service to residential Buyers and Sellers. We understand the sale or purchase of a home is a tremendously important event for those involved, and we treat the transaction with the respect it deserves. If you are looking to buy or sell in 2018, here are the top 4 qualities that set us apart as residential real estate agents.

We believe the business of residential real estate sales has very little to do with “sales”, rather, it has everything to do with service and education. Kline May Realty agents have a thorough understanding of our local market and industry trends, and our responsibility is to help guide clients through the buying or selling process.

Our agents are titans of networking. We have a list of preferred providers who we have worked with in the past and who we trust to work as a part of your team to make your dream come true.

This includes home stagers, mortgage professionals, home inspectors, plumbers, contractors, painters, landscapers, and so many more!

In today’s market, hiring a talented negotiator could save you thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of dollars. Each step of the way – from the original offer to the possible renegotiation of that offer after a home inspection, to the possible cancellation of the deal based on a troubled appraisal – you need someone who can keep the deal together until it closes.

Kline May Realty truly believes our greatest strength lies in the collective passion, experience, intelligence, and values of our team. Management, agents, and staff collaborate on marketing strategies and company direction and have seen and experienced the positive results of working together.

P. S . W E A L S O R E A L LY L O V E H O U S E S !

Complimentary Staging STATS ON STAGING

To assist our Seller Clients in preparing their home for the real estate market, Kline May Realty makes available a professional in-house stager as a complimentary service to homeowners. Kline May Realty’s professional stager walks through the listing with the Seller, making notes and giving them advice on decluttering, furniture layout, paint colors, and more. This process improves the home’s presentation for professional photography and showings.

Professional Photography YOUR CHECKLIST

Industry studies show that professional photography is the most important aspect of marketing homes for sale. The photos of your home will be an important first impression, so, if you’re listing your home, it’s important to think of your listing photography appointment as your most important showing! You can help by making every room of your home look its best before our professional photographers, Swartz Photography, arrive. Simple things like freshly vacuumed carpets and scrubbed sinks make your home look appealing in photographs. On the other hand, a cluttered countertop or dusty mantle can be a big distraction. Additional photography services include virtual floor plans, and twilight and aerial photography.

This checklist can help you prepare your home for photos (or even events)!

Rooms & Common Areas ☐☐ Vacuum Carpets ☐☐ Dust/Polish Tables and Chairs ☐☐ Create Open Space on End Tables/Coffee Tables ☐☐ Make Beds

Bathrooms ☐☐ Vacuum/Wash Floor ☐☐ Clean Faucet/Sink ☐☐ Clean Shower and Shower Curtain/Door

Kitchen ☐☐ Clean Dishes ☐☐ Vacuum/Wash Floor ☐☐ Dust/Polish Cabinets and Countertops ☐☐ Clean Faucet/Sink ☐☐ Create Open Space on Face and Sides of Refrigerator

Outside ☐☐ Mow and Trim Lawn ☐☐ Sweep Driveway ☐☐ Move Vehicles out of the Driveway and Away from the Front of Your Home ☐☐ Schedule Photos for the Time of Day When Your Front Door Gets Direct Sunlight

The Kline May Realty Television Showcase FUN FACTS

Kline May Realty airs a weekly television show called the The Kline May Realty Television Showcase. Our partnership with the visual marketing team at Appeal Production makes it possible for Kline May Realty agents to showcase their listings each week on the small screen. Our host, Meg Robinson, keeps viewers watching from week to week as she guides them through the Showcase with her warm smile and charming personality.

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16 Days

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24/7 Access

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50+ Dogs and Cats

If you watched every episode of the show back-to-back, it would take 16 days. After fourteen years and over 700 episodes, the show has developed a regular following with as many as 3,000 views each week, and hundreds of additional views on social media. We’re the longest running show on local television!

Some loyal fans incorporate our show into their weekly Sunday routine, but if you miss an episode, you can always catch it on YouTube!

• Sunday, WHSV TV3 at 7:30AM • Sunday, The Valley’s Fox at 8:30AM • Sunday, CBS the V at 6PM • Any day, any time at YouTube.com/KlineMayRealty

Kline May Realty partners with the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA as well as Anicira to help shelter animals find homes. Each month on The Kline May Realty Television Showcase’s “Finding Forever Homes” segment, Aimee Roberts, the Kline May Corner host, introduces the community to two animals available for adoption. We’re humbled to announce that we have featured over 50 animals and have a 100% adoption success rate!

Why Buy with Us . . .

HEART OF A TEACHER

There are a lot of questions you may have as you approach buying a home.

A significant one being, how do you select the members of your team who are going to help you make your dream of owning a home a reality?

The most important characteristic that you should be looking for is someone who is going to take the time to educate you on the choices available to you and help you understand your ability to buy in today’s market.

As Dave Ramsey, the financial guru, advises: “When getting help with money, whether it’s insurance, real estate or investments, you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman.”At Kline May Realty, we pride ourselves on our “Service, Not Sales” approach to residential real estate.

Not sure what else to ask? Feel free to consider these questions as a starting point!

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Why do I need an agent when I can just as easily find the house online myself?

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Is it better for a first time buyer or a move-up buyer to wait until they save a bigger down payment before they purchase a home?

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Is buying a home a good investment for my family?

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Where will 30-year mortgage rates likely be in 12 months?

Market Overview

2017

HARRISONBURG AND ROCKINGHAM Overall Area Summary

NORTHWEST ROCKINGHAM

Timberville Broadway Interstate

81

NORTHEAST ROCKINGHAM MASSANUTTEN

Elkton Route

33

HARRISONBURG JMU Route

33

SOUTHEAST ROCKINGHAM

SOUTHWEST ROCKINGHAM Bridgewater © 2014, Kline May Realty

Interstate

81

Grottoes

Source: Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service, 12/31/17, Single-Family, Townhouse, Condo, and Duplex Sales

S TA U N T O N , W AY N E S B O R O , A N D A U G U S TA

Source: Greater Augusta Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service, 12/31/17, Single-Family, Townhouse, Condo, and Duplex Sales

2 0 1 7 T O TA L S A L E S V O L U M E

Source: Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service, 1/1/18

Low Inventory’s Major Impact

A Message from Karl Waizecker, Principal Broker We discussed lack of inventory repeatedly in our monthly market reports throughout 2017 and believe this had a larger impact on our market than any other single factor.

In 2017 compared to 2016, Rockingham County sales were down by 60 homes, which is about 4.5%. In our opinion, this was entirely due to the profound lack of inventory in both the city and county. The inventory of homes for sale in 2017 was about 1/3 to 1/4 of what is typical in most areas. To compound the problem, many potential Sellers did not put their homes on the market because they were afraid they would not be able to find a home to purchase.

Augusta County had tight inventory as well, but they were not in the dire straits Rockingham County was. Their sales increased nearly 5% for the year, with reasonable increases in pricing as well. The City of Waynesboro especially had a very strong year.

CHECK OUT OUR INTERACTIVE MARKET REPORT WEBSITE:

HOMES.REPORT

Rockingham County’s strongest area was Massanutten. Sales in Massanutten were up nearly 15%. We believe this is because this area was one of the only places in the county that did have a decent supply of inventory throughout the year.

Despite the local inventory situation, Kline May Realty’s sales volume was up 9.5% in 2017. Our Augusta County office continues to grow, and our Rockingham offices fared very well in this tough market.

Your home tells a story.

W E ’ R E G R AT E F U L F O R T H E

OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE YOU!

COMMITTED TO OUR COMMUNITY Being active in the community where we live and work is an important aspect of the Kline May Realty vision.

Kline May Realty management, agents, and staff financially support and volunteer their time with many area non-profit organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Shenandoah Valley Autism Partnership, Night to Shine, and Broadway High School Athletics. We also enjoy participating in a wide variety of community events, like the Staunton Braves games, as well as area holiday parades in Harrisonburg as well as Augusta County.

New this year, Kline May Realty has committed to be the lead sponsor for Staunton, Augusta, Waynesboro Habitat for Humanity’s (SAWHfH) Build the Block campaign. SAWHfH is currently in the process of building and rehabilitating four homes on the historic Stafford Street in Staunton. The community will also feature green space as well as additional off street parking for residents.

Kline May Realty’s $20,000 donation to the Build the Block campaign was used during a match campaign at Habitat for Humanity’s annual gala. With the incentive of our matching donations, the auctioneer raised over $50,000 during the course of only 10 minutes. Be sure to check our television show and social media for updates.

Some additional organizations the Kline May Realty Community actively supports include: • • • • • •

Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA Anicira American Cancer Society Hope Distributed Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance Generations Crossing

• • • • •

K9 for Warriors Boys and Girls Club Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center Cinderella Project VA Blood Services, and more

Thank you for your business!

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K L I N E RMe aAl tYy Sister Companies: Cottonwood Commercial | Priority Property Management | Cottonwood Auctions