The EZ Sales Team Blog

The EZ Client Party 2010_0001.wmv

2010-10-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

The 2010 EZ Sales Team Customer Appreciation Party! Thank you all for helping us achieve Top 5 Realtor Team in the State of Ohio in Home Sales and makeing us the #1 Keller Williams Realty Team in Ohio!

Falls Point Cluster Homes in Olmsted Falls Ohio

2010-03-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

Falls Pointe Cluster HomesIn Olmsted Falls, Ohio
Natural Beauty Abounds Outside Your Back Door!

Beautiful woodlands around a scenic lake create neighborhoods that are perfect for walking, jogging or cycling and complement the beautiful recreation center. Falls Pointe's natural beauty is enhanced by professionally planned landscaping, lawns with sprinkler systems, ornamental trees and cascading beds of flowers.A Place to Meet and Play!

Residents not only revel in the natural beauty around them, they have their own million-dollar recreation complex of their own. The Falls Pointe Recreation Center and Clubhouse is the perfect place to meet your friends or neighbors from throughout the community. Amenities include a swimming pool, tennis courts, fitness center, a children's playground and the private clubhouse.

The Builder
Over 60 years in business
Built over 6,000 homes and apartments
Built award winning communities throughout the Greater Cleveland area
H.B.A. member with H.B.A. warranty
Certified Graduate Builder

Standard Features at Falls Pointe

Certified Green Professional Exterior Features
Low maintenance vinyl siding and shutters
Low-E, tilt-in, easy cleaning, insulated glass, single-hung vinyl windows with screens
25 year fiberglass shingles
Decorative 15 light, low-E front door
Schlage, Kwikset or equivalent locksets
Exterior frost free hose connection
Exterior lighting package
Professionally designed landscaping and site planning for maximum privacy
Full four season grounds maintenance
Concrete drives and walks, street lighting
Guest and off street parking Interior Features
Vaulted ceilings with additional insulation*
Round top, transom or triple stacked windows*
Low-E UV skylights as per plans*
6 panel colonial style doors
Schlage or Kwikset lever handles on doors
2 coats of low-VOC latex flat paint/standard selection
Woodwork and trim in low-VOC semi-gloss latex
Armstrong Initiator vinyl flooring or equivilent
Stain treated carpet in a wide selection of color (5 yr. Warranty) plus 1/2” padding
Pex plumbing system
Cable and telephone wiring
Category 5 telephone/data rough-in for high speed electronic data transmission
Spacious closets with vinyl coated wire shelving
First floor laundry room with tub/cabinet, 30” wall cabinet and shelf
Washer/dryer hook-up
$1,000 lighting allowance
Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors

Energy Features
90 percent-plus efficient gas furnace
13 SEER Central air conditioner
40 gallon gas hot water tank - power vent
2” rigid insulation in interior foundation (slab only), R-15 walls, R-38 ceilings
Basement foundation to grade R-20*
Special air infiltration reduction package
Tyvek semi-permeable wrap Kitchen Features
Whirlpool appliances including self-cleaning electric range/oven, space-saver microwave with interior vent exhaust fan & light and 1/2 HP disposal
Energy Star dishwasher
Variety of cabinet choices
Wide selection of laminated counter tops
Double-bowl stainless sink
Moen single handle, water-saving faucet or equal
Ice maker water line
GFI electrical outlets Bath Features
Skylights or transoms*
Variety of cabinet choices
Wide selection of laminated vanity tops
Full vanity width mirrors
5’ seated shower with glass doors in owner’s bath
Second bath with bath/shower combination
Moen single handle, water-saving faucet or equal with scald guard in showers and tubs
GFI electrical outlets
Large linen closets* Garage Features
Polyester finish over steel garage door
Electric opener with 2 transmitters and wireless remote keypad
Self-closing fire rated passage door
Pull-down stairs for attic storage*
Oversized 2 car attached garage
Frost free hose connection Standard Green featuresAdditional Choose Your Green™ features availableSenior Sensitive™ features available* where applicable

Location and Directions to Falls Pointe
Falls Pointe Homes9500 Ravinia DriveOlmsted Falls, Ohio 44138

Phone: (440) 427-4663

Hours:Saturday and Sunday2 - 5pm

The EZ Sales Team

at Keller Williams Realty

WKYC.com | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland: West Side historic Capitol Theatre alive again

2009-09-28T07:16:00.001-07:00

WKYC.com | Cleveland, OH | Cleveland: West Side historic Capitol Theatre alive again

Shared via AddThis

Live by Rocky River Wine Bar

2009-09-20T06:33:00.001-07:00

Rocky River wine bar is one of the best hidden away gems of Rocky River Ohio. Last night at a house warming party for one of my sellers who actually sold their home in Bay Village with The EZ Sales Team in 6 days! I got their early and decided it would be a good idea to tell anyone looking to buy a home in Rocky River about one of the best little hidden treasures. All week long Rocky River Wine Bar has a large crowd. Everyone from Realtors having parties to workers having a simple one on one happy hour.

The crowd is drawn to their outdoor patio and hidden location. The wine and food is great and service can not be beat. The attention to detail has made this a local and now regional favorite.

Wine Bar Rocky River

1313 Linda Street ● Rocky River ● Ohio ● 44116 (440) 799-4300 ● info@winebarrr.com

Serving Lunch & Dinner
Sunday Brunch 10am to 1pm
Open Mon-Sat 11am and Sun at 10am
until 2am every day!
Seating is first come, first served - no reservations

‾‾‾‾‾

Been to Flight School yet?
Click here for all the details!
‾‾‾‾‾

Winner of the Cleveland Magazine
2009 Silver Spoon Award
for Best Wine List!

Call us today if you want to purchase a home in Rocky River by The Rocky River Wine Bar,

Greg Erlanger

The EZ Sales Team

Keller Williams Realty

Cell: 216-570-3270

Office: 216-916-7778

Fax: 216-916-7778

Greg@EZSalesTeam.com

www.EZSalesTeam.com

EZ Sales Team On CBS

Contratulations to our 100th Home Sold

2009-09-14T06:30:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to 100^th Home Owner of 2009!

The EZ Sales Team is truly excited for our Fairview Park homeowner who became our 100^th home sold for 2009! As of September 14^th (the date of this post) The EZ Sales Team has sold over 120 homes in 2009 putting us in the top 20 of all Realtor’s in NE Ohio! We attribute our success to the marketing system that we have perfected as a team over the past 2 years. This marketing system helps sell homes by focusing on the Internet. When you put “home for sale” signs in your yard you will pick up 5 people perhaps. When you put “home for sale” as a metatag on the internet you will pick up 500 people for example. The real estate market has changed over the past 5 years and if you want to list your home with the most cutting edge technology, contact The EZ Sales Team today! Here what this client had to say:

Dear Heather & the EZ Sales Team,

We are writing to express our deepest gratitude for the outstanding job you have all done in the sale of our home. We were blown away by the dedication and professionalism that you have shown us from the beginning to the end of this process. In first meeting Heather, her confidence, friendliness and willingness to assist us at working through this sell blew away any of her competitors and it paid off. We couldn’t believe that our home sold in less than 9 hours! The other houses on our street that were represented by competitive realty companies are still for sale, and have been for some time. I knew that Keller Williams EZ Sales team would give us more of their time and get the job done as soon as the team sat down to tell us how they work together until our house was sold. The photographer made our house look amazing which caught the buyer’s eye immediately. Mike was there answering any questions or concerns we had. Heather went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure the job was done. Thank you all for your hard work!

Sincerely,

Amber, Kirk, Mea, Colson and Skyler West

__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4423 (20090914) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

Rocky River Pool Dog Days!

2009-09-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

Once a year The City of Rocky River allows you to take your dogs to play in the new outdoor swim park. If you have not yet seen the improvements to both the recreation facilities and library of Rocky River, take a tour today! Personally, I love living in Rocky River and it is the small reasons that make this city a true community. Yesterday, we took our dog Rocky to Dog Days and it was an absolute riot. Dog owner or not you should take the time out of your day once a year to witness this display of canine mayhem and fun. Truly a people/dog watchers paradise. We had more fun then Rocky. Rocky then came home and slept for about 14 hours straight. Check out http://www.ezsalesteam.com/rocky-river.asp for more information on living in Rocky River or buying/selling your next home in this great city!

Thanks,

Greg Erlanger

The EZ Sales Team

Keller Williams Realty

Cell: 216-570-3270

Office: 216-916-7778

Fax: 216-916-7778

Greg@EZSalesTeam.com

www.EZSalesTeam.com

EZ Sales Team On CBS

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The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

Bay Villiage Lake Front Home Now for Sale!

2009-08-15T07:47:00.000-07:00

To watch the video, you'll first need to install the flash player.

North Royalton Home Builder Shows Style!

2009-07-28T19:49:00.001-07:00

North Royalton has one of the best home builders in the business. Republic Construction has been building homes for decades. Check out more at www.republic-construction.com

__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4286 (20090728) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

Home Sales on the Rise in Cleveland Ohio!

2009-06-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

Home Sales on the Rise in Greater Cleveland!

Contact The EZ Sales Team Today!

216-916-7778 or Sellmyhome@ezsalesteam.com

Junk Fee or Necessity?

2009-05-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

'Junk' fee or necessity?
Part I: Broker fees divide industryBy Matt Carter, Wednesday, May 27, 2009.
Inman News
Flickr photo by Tetsumo.
Editor's note: With more brokerages charging consumers flat fees on top of their traditional percentage-based commissions, Inman News explores the legal, ethical and competitive issues involved. Part I explores the industry's rationale for instituting the fees, and the reaction of agents. Part II will examine potential legal liability under the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), and Part III looks at the online backlash from consumers and real estate professionals.
In what's become standard practice at a growing number of real estate brokerages, homebuyers and sellers are being asked to pay flat fees of several hundred dollars per transaction on top of the percentage-based commissions they've traditionally been assessed.
The fees can come as an unpleasant surprise to consumers, and some have charged that they violate federal law. Many real estate agents don't like the flat fees, either -- in most cases, they don't receive a cut, and some end up paying them out of their own commissions.
But with revenue dwindling and commission splits with agents shrinking, an increasing number of brokerages seem willing to run the risk of generating ill will, lawsuits, and revolts by their own agents in order to collect the additional fees at the closing table.
Some who defend the fees say real estate brokerages need to recoup rising overhead expenses and investments in technology. Collecting a flat fee that's paid directly to the brokerage is less onerous to consumers than boosting percentage-based commissions, they say.
As long as the fees are disclosed correctly -- defenders of the practice say -- they are not only legal but also ethical.
"All of the major full-service companies in markets across the country have made tremendous expenditures (in technology), because I think they felt consumers wanted and needed that stuff," said Jay Varon, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney whose clients include real estate brokerages that have instituted such fees.
"At the same time, agent splits have been increasing toward the agent, and the brokers are getting a smaller and smaller part of the overall commission pie."
Varon believes the flat fees have become "very widespread," with many brokerages concluding that "if they are going to continue to invest in technology, they need to increase the price" they charge for their services.
"It's more efficient if you increase it in a way that (the increase) is not shared with the sales agent, because that's part of the problem in the first place," he said.
No salesperson likes to tell their clients the price of the services they are offering has gone up, Varon said. But the alternative is to cut back on services or renegotiate commission splits.
The extra charges have been labeled administrative fees, technology fees, transaction fees, flat fees, and administrative brokerage commission (ABC) fees. Critics say they should be called "junk fees," because the brokerages collecting them are providing no additional services.
Many of the most vocal critics of the practice are agents and brokers who work or worked at brokerages that have instituted such fees.
Ronald Ogden, an associate broker at RE/MAX Metro in Salt Lake City, is among those who think "junk fees" is often the best way to describe the charges being added by many brokerages.
Ogden said his current brokerage lets agents decide whether or not they want to charge transaction fees. But he said a company he was previously with imposed a mandatory $199 fee on both buyers and sellers, which he decided to pay out of his own commission.
"I had a hard time explaining it (when the fee was instituted), because nothing had changed as far as the procedures that were performed for the client," Ogden recalled. "I felt the brokerage should be profitable with the (standard brokerage fee percentage), and raise (commission) rates if not."
The practice has become "quite prevalent" in the Salt Lake City area, Ogden said.
On several occasions when he challenged his former brokerage's practices, he was told that other companies were collecting a flat fee and that "to remain financially viable, we should charge it as well. Morally, I didn't feel good about asking my clients to pay an additional fee."
Ogden thinks brokerages are collecting the fees largely because they can. On a transaction involving hundreds of thousands of dollars, a fee of a few hundred dollars is easily lost on clients.
"They are just happy to be done with the transaction," Ogden said. "They say, 'Don't confuse me with the details.' "While some consumers may not be concerned about the fees, they have caused some agents to rethink their brokerage affiliation.
Marian Gregor, an agent in Ann Arbor, Mich., said she and more than 40 other agents left their brokerage and opened a new office after the owner instituted an administrative fee.
"The manager went to the owner of the firm, and she told him this was a very bad idea, and not to implement it" because agents would leave, Gregor said. "He didn't believe her, and a bunch of agents walked" when the fee was put in place.
Gregor said the incident occurred several years ago, and she declined to name the brokerage. But in Ann Arbor today, she said, "there are several firms that slap on this ridiculous fee."
If they're not collected at the closing table, agents may be required to pay the fees out of their own commissions.
In a recent Inman News column, St. Paul, Minn.-based real estate broker Teresa Boardman related how her previous brokerage had taken a $300 flat fee right out of her commission check.
Although her buyer had agreed to pay the fee, it hadn't been collected by the title company at closing. So her brokerage tried to take it out of her share of the percentage-based commission -- "a common business practice" in the area, Boardman said.
"It is far easier to take money out of an agent's check than it is to collect it any other way, and most agents just let it go," Boardman wrote.
Although Boardman ultimately prevailed, she said the practice "is so ingrained in our industry that no one wants to challenge it."
Not all agents are opposed to the fees, which aren't new in some markets.
Devon, Pa.-based real estate agent Michelle Leonard said every brokerage she has worked for dating back to 1987 has charged what she referred to as a "conveyance" fee.
"I've been selling real estate for 22 years, and most (clients) don't have a problem with the fee," Leonard said. The lone exception, Leonard said, was an attorney who had read and signed a disclosure statement revealing the fee before raising objections to it.
Leonard said that because it is disclosed up front, buyers and sellers are accepting of the $345 flat fee her brokerage, Long & Foster, charges in her market (Varon, who counts Long & Foster among his clients, said the fee can vary from market to market).
But not everyone who is assessed such fees is so complacent. A class-action lawsuit against a real estate brokerage in Alabama claims the company violated the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) by imposing a $195 flat fee at closing -- leaving the company exposed to a potential $13 million in damages.
Next: A federal judge's ruling raises questions about the legality of brokerage flat fees under RESPA.

Check out this article from Inman News about adding an "Admin Fee" to all Listings/Sales:http://www.inman.com/news/2009/05/27/junk-fee-or-necessity

Understanding Credit Ratings

2008-10-20T17:37:00.000-07:00

Understanding Credit Ratings Your lender looks at information other than your credit rating when deciding whether to give you a home loan. Additional information includes:

Employment history, including whether you are self-employed
Monthly debt payments versus your current income (also known as debt-to-income ratios)
Savings patterns and amount of liquid asset reserves
The type of loan you want
The value of the property you want to buy or refinance
The amount of the down payment you plan to make or the amount of equity you already have in your home
All of these factors make up the loan application profile.

Once this information is collected, the lender uses computer-based programs referred to as Automated Underwriting. These systems evaluate all the information objectively and efficiently. Using these electronic evaluations along with other information, the lender will be able to create a detailed profile of your credit worthiness. Finally, the lender will make a final decision regarding your ability to repay your loan.

Credit ratings and Automated Underwriting are widely used today because they speed up the mortgage approval process for consumers. Credit ratings allow mortgage lenders to treat each person objectively by applying the same standards for everyone. They also do not include race, religion, national origin, or marital status as part of the evaluation process. Therefore, credit ratings are blind to demographic or cultural differences among all applicants, and assess each factor equally for every consumer, every time.

Contact The EZ Sales Team for any questions. www.EZSalesTeam.com 216-916-7778

Why Join Keller Williams Realty?

2008-03-09T23:25:00.001-07:00

Check out www.whykellerwhynow.com for information about how commissions work, our growth and how we have become the #1 fastest growing real estate company in the United States! We are also the #1 fastest growing real estate company in Greater Cleveland Ohio!

Foreclosures Increasing What does this Mean?

2007-11-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Foreclosures: Moving on up
Filings rise with more on the horizon as interest rates jump on a record number of adjustable mortgages.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Foreclosure filings climbed during the third quarter of 2007 with no relief in sight, according to a report released Thursday.
The report by RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosure properties, showed the number of filings rose 30 percent from the previous quarter and nearly doubled from a year earlier.

"Given the number of loans due to reset through the middle of 2008, and the continuing weakness in home sales, we would expect foreclosure activity to remain high and even increase over the next year in many markets," James J. Saccacio, chief executive of RealtyTrac said in a statement.

More than 635,000 foreclosure filings were reported nationwide - one for every 196 households. The filings include everything from default notices to auction sale notices to actual bank repossessions.
"August and September were the two highest monthly foreclosure filing totals we've seen since we began issuing our report in January 2005," said Saccacio.

States in the Sun Belt and the Rust Belt continued to dominate foreclosure filings.
In the third quarter, Nevada had the highest foreclosure rate - one for every 61 households. Filings in the state rose 23 percent from the last quarter and more than tripled from the year before.

California recorded the second-highest foreclosure rate with one filing for every 88 households. Numerically, the state had the most filings with 94,772 properties, which was up 36 percent from the second quarter. That was nearly four times higher than a year ago.
Florida had the next highest total among the states, one for every 95 households. Foreclosure filings jumped to a total of 86,465, up more than 50 percent from the previous quarter and nearly doubling from last year.

Rust Belt states located in the nation's former industrial centers that made the top 10 included Michigan (one in 102), Ohio (one in 107), and Indiana (one in 196).
"Although not all areas are being hit as hard as others, the rise in foreclosures is quite widespread, with 45 out of the 50 states documenting year-over-year increases in the third quarter," Saccacio said.

Foreclosures are expected to continue to increase as many of the adjustable-rate mortgages written during 2004 and 2005 reset, causing interest rates and mortgage payments to rise.
Resets could turn affordable loans into totally unaffordable ones for some borrowers, forcing them to go into default. In October, about $50 billion in ARMs reset, driving interest rates up for many borderline borrowers.

Some consumer advocates forecast more than 2 million homeowners are in danger of losing their homes over the next couple of years.

GREG ERLANGER SUMMARY:

What does this mean? In short, i believe the thing to understand is that this is not going away soon so the following is something to consider:

My Buyers:
1. Buy now or prepare to invest or buy in the next year. You have time to study the market with me and educate yourself on what the steps are when buying a foreclosure. I have helped many buyers purchase investments and homes through forclosure.

2. Banks are literally loosing their butts here. They will take just about anything on certain homes right now. Some banks are more desperate then others and i can help you find out who and why.

My Sellers:
1. You will now be competing against about 5% to 10% of these foreclosures and short sales. That means there is an artificially low portion of homes that are on the market. It could be the house next door that is for sale for 50K less then you. It is important to be aware and compete.

2. You must compete. We can not sit back and wish it was different. You have to compete. The weakness of foreclosures and short sales is that they are usually in bad condition. Therefore, get your home clean and in great shape. This is your competitive advantage over their low price.

Call me for questions and or assistance direct at 216.570.3270!

Greg Erlanger

Our Listings and More!

2007-08-15T21:31:00.001-07:00

Please check out http://www.ezsalesteam.com/ to find out what listings are available in your area and call us with any questions. As a top Cleveland Real Estate Team, we look forward to assisting you anyway we can!

Buyers Market in Cleveland

2007-08-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

A perfect storm has been created for any buyer in the Cleveland Ohio market. Real estate is now at the best value and interest rates low. What more can you hope for? Call The EZ Sales Team today to find out more or email us at BuyNow@EZSalesTeam.com

Visit our Buyers Website at http://www.ezsalesteam.com/-ez-buying.asp for a buyers guide and a wealth of information we have provided to answer all your home buying questions. The EZ Sales Team is dedicated to helping buyers in Greater Cleveland and surrounding areas. Our mission is to advance the City of Cleveland by putting the residents in homes that they can both afford and love!