Glenn Hanon
June 27, 2010 at 05:00 PM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
Grumbling, venting, complaining and overall frustration. Those are just a few of the emotions felt when it comes to property taxes especially in a market when you may never sell your home for the assessed value. So what can you do? I have included a copy of the appeal process from the state department of revenue here for your revue. You need to make sure you understand what your rights are when it comes to your property evaluation. You can contest your assessed value and if the municipality does not agree with your opinion you can appeal this to the state. The appeal needs to have factual data. Simply venting about your situation will get you nowhere. I hope this information helps as you prepare to re-negotiate your assessed value on your home.
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Glenn Hanon
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June 26, 2010 at 06:57 PM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
The heartbeat of my business is the lifeline of referrals. I love them as most do. There is no greater compliment on past service than a referral for future service. Did you know though, that if your brother is moving from Dallas to Phoenix that I can help too? That is right I have been doing this for years with the help of our relocation department. Shorewest belongs to one of the largest relocation networks in the country—RELO. As a founding member of this network we are at the forefront of assisting transferring families. With a few calls I can make sure that your favorite relative obtains the same great service with an experienced agent for that big move whether it is here or to Anchorage Alaska. So next time you need a trusted advisor in San Diego give me a call and I will make sure that you or your relatives, friends or neighbors get the best possible agent for the move. Feel free to call me at the office 1-888-HEY GLEN or email me at if you need assistance.
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June 25, 2010 at 12:00 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
I love a good Reuben and I think I have had some of the best around the country. Nosh-A-Rye on Longboat Key is as authentic as you get. Well a new restaurant opened here in Oconomowoc just the other day. For those of you locals this is the old Chuck’s Supper Club. The new establishment is Burke’s Lakeside and it is located on Valley Road about a mile and a half west of Hwy 67—right across the street from Silver Lake.
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I met a friend there for lunch today and quickly scanned the menu for a Reuben and to my relief they offered one with a huge plate of fresh fries. My midline could do without the fries, but I have to try them for the sake of the blog! This scrumptious sandwich offered thick strips of corned beef a light sauce and not too much sauerkraut on a beautifully toasted marble rye all for an affordable $8.95. We sat on the deck since it was less humid today, but the inside of this new eatery is very trendy with linen table cloths, nice flatware and a comfortable environment. I definitely want to try their dinner menu in the near future. I think I found my new favorite place for the trusty Reuben.
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June 23, 2010 at 11:07 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
Why is it that many buyers do not make offers on homes that they have some interest in? The best way to answer this question is to give you a glimpse of what I have witnessed over the past 20 years.
Many buyers do not want or like to negotiate. It bothers them for a few reasons, first of which is they probably feel they are not good at negotiating, and like public speaking, they fear the process. Many do not like 
haggling over the price for a home. The fear is that they will have left “money on the table” which prevents them from entering the process.
Some buyers have bursts of anger which is counterproductive in negotiating.
In a University of Washington/University of Colorado study by researchers Leigh Thompson and Reid Hastie, they concluded that the more a person can learn about the other person’s interests and desires the better the outcome for you. In other words, if you are trying to win at all costs you probably won’t get a very good deal. But if you want to obtain a great deal in whatever you are negotiating for, investigate what the other party wants and values and be willing to give it to them. Both parties rarely value the same thing.
The fear and frustration of negotiating are two factors that keep many, not all, from writing offers on a home that is overpriced. That is why it is so important to price your home correctly right from the start.
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June 22, 2010 at 10:00 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
In my last blog entry I discussed some of the objections buyers have with homes. One dicey topic is price. Sellers generally want more than the house is really worth and buyers generally want to pay less than the house is really worth. There are several reasons why you should price your home right from the beginning.
1. An overpriced house generally sells for less than a comparable home that was priced right from the start.
2. Most buyers don’t like to negotiate when the price is out of range
If I price my house high I have room to wiggle, so why is this a bad idea? Some sellers still think that this is an appropriate model for pricing your home. Rather than debate the merits of this let’s look at it from the buyers perspective. Remember the buyer is looking at many homes and yours is just one in the “Tour of Homes”. A typical buyer will look at 35-40 homes before purchasing a home. They will become experts on pricing in a relatively short period of time. 
They will understand what the price point offers for “Shoulds” in a home. A “Should” is granite counters for some homes, finished basements for some, in-home theaters for others. You get the idea. The buyer will also have a list of features that they prefer in their home. This list of preferences comes from their personal experience in their last home. For example, if the buyer is from the south they maybe accustomed to all brick homes, soaring ceilings and painted woodwork. Here is a timely piece of advice I give to all potential sellers; A buyer with cash in hand, no home to sell is NOT coming to buy your home—they are coming to cross it off the list! IF your home has enough of the items that most buyers want then you will probably make it to the next step, BUT if you do not have enough of those items, then your home will be removed from the list. This is where pricing comes into the picture. Homes with fewer of the features generally cannot command a market level price. The price must reflect not only square footage, but the amenities of the house. I am not saying this, the buyers are. If you have a lovely home that is 5,000 sq ft finished basement and the home was built in 1995 and you have not made any updates to your home since then and you are competing with a 2008 home that is essentially the same size, take a guess at which house the buyer might go for?
This is the hardest part of selling homes—giving the seller the hard facts. I have always been committed to this. A seller deserves the honest truth in a kind manner of course. Think about your home from the buyer’s point of view and you will do well in the long run. I will discuss point #2 in my next blog post.
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June 21, 2010 at 08:16 PM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
Sometimes concepts or ideas make better sense if you can see the issue from another perspective. If you are thinking about selling your home a Buyer’s perspective may help you make better decisions. I produced a DVD called “What a Seller Should Know” and it is a compilation of interviews of real buyers on various topics. I provide this DVD to prospective clients. It lets them see what a real-time buyer thinks and says when walking through a home. I asked all of these buyers questions like, “What do you think when you see a litter box for the cat” or “What do you think of plug-ins or potpourri? 
All of the respondents indicated that the sight of a litter box was a huge turn off. Now I found this personally interesting because over the past 20 years of selling homes I have had few buyers vocalize an objection to this issue. But the buyer’s in the interview said that the sight of cat poo in the box was disgusting and they began to wonder if the cat peed and pooed in the house, while this is gross it does indicate that the aversion was strong enough to deter them from pursuing the home. Many buyers are allergic to animals and the reminder of a pet can be an instant disqualifier.
The plug-in/Potpourri answers were obvious because I have seen firsthand buyers react very poorly to plug-ins when viewing a home. Most buyers feel that the seller is trying to hide an unpleasant odor in the house. In many cases they are correct. If you have an odor problem in your home– fix it. Many owners cannot smell pet odors in their own home so it is always a good idea to ask the agent if they can smell the pet or offensive smell.
Here are a few other issues that buyers have with homes that they view and their assumptions about the home.
1. Overall un-cleanliness of a home meant the seller did not care about the house and probably did not care for major items like the roof, furnace and overall upkeep of a home. Can you see why having your home presentable for showings is so critical? Sometimes you never get a second chance.
2. Overpricing the home gave the buyer license to either write a very low offer or in most cases pass on the house. They want to make an offer on a house that they feel the price is in line with the market.
The pricing issue I will discuss in my next blog post.
When a REALTOR provides advice on how best to market your home, listen to them. We have years of experience and have worked with hundreds of buyers. We see firsthand what they like and don’t like. Tap into the resource, it could save you thousands of dollars.
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June 21, 2010 at 12:00 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
Do you know where your lot lines are? You may have an approximation of where those lines are but if you have an outbuilding or utility easement running through your yard a survey may help avoid problems in the future. Shorewest offers a service through Blueline Technologies that can help avoid these problems. Here are some benefits of a survey with your home:
1. Surveys are the only way encroachments or other land defects can be properly identified.
2. Surveys before closings help prevent unnecessary delays or problems at the closing.
3. Sellers who provide surveys are eligible to receive coverage against future claims involving property line disputes.
4. Surveys completed at the time of listing can uncover any potential problems that can be addressed before an offer is obtained.
5. Providing a professional survey can help your property stand out from competing properties
6. Great references for future projects.
If you would like to know more about obtaining a survey for your home feel free to contact me at the office, 1-888-HEY GLEN–just one more service that I can provide to make your home more competitive in the market.
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June 19, 2010 at 12:00 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
When you are selling your home one of the requirements in the Offer to Purchase is that the Seller pays for the Title Insurance Policy. When the Offer to Purchase forms were changed early this spring, one of the provisions in the new contract was an option for the Seller to pay for a GAP endorsement to the title insurance policy. The option is almost always included in the offer to purchase based offer language. I won’t digress on that for now. Soon after the offer to purchase is accepted by both parties it now becomes a “Contract of Sale” and the listing agent usually orders a title insurance update. The title company will search for any liens or encumbrances against the property that is being sold and will issue, shortly after the offer is accepted a “Title Insurance Commitment” This is not the actual policy. The formal policy is issued about 2 weeks after the closing and is sent to the new homeowner. This time period between the issuance of the title commitment and the title policy is called a GAP. In this gap in coverage a seller technically could purchase a boat or car, use the house as collateral all un-noticed by the title company or the buyer. The Gap endorsement is signed by the Seller, under oath, which states that the seller will be responsible for this activity during this gap in actual coverage. I know you would never do something like this, but that is why we have a request for GAP endorsements with offers now. Someone abused the system.
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June 18, 2010 at 12:00 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
The Town of Summit and City of Oconomowoc’s new firehouse has a new address—just off the Oconomowoc Parkway and Hwy 67. The state of the art facility will be a welcome addition to the city and town. The current fire station on S. Concord Road will continue to operate and serve the south side of the city, but with this new structure train traffic will not impede service to part of the city of Oconomowoc. The bike path runs right past the firehouse so if you are out with the kids on your bike you can’t miss this impressive building. If you begin your journey by the Imagination Station in Oconomowoc and head south and east the trip to the firehouse is only about 5-6 miles. We have so many great resources here in Oconomowoc to take advantage of. If you have not been on the bike path try it out—It’s FREE!!
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June 17, 2010 at 12:00 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
It is always great to see builders busy these days with the ‘new’ real estate market. In the Brightwater subdivision, just across the street from the new Aurora Hospital, Kingsway Homes is busy building a new home. I have the house on Waterstone Circle listed for sale at $475,000 and this gorgeous subdivision has all the accoutrements of fine living. Let’s start with the clubhouse. A well appointed clubhouse with outdoor pool, bathrooms and a large gathering area is available for use by residents.
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What I like most about this fabulous neighborhood structure is one, the design is beautiful and two the quality inside is high end. The quaint older manor home, which I have listed for sale, is a terrific deal in the upscale development and has a detached carriage house complete with studio apartment, fireplace and full kitchen. The main house offers a Viking kitchen, granite counter tops, slate floors, Jack ‘n Jill bedrooms upstairs and 3 natural fireplaces in the main house. This unique property has the largest lot in the development at 2.5 acres. We are looking for someone who recognizes value when they see it and wants amenities such as the clubhouse and lake access.
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June 15, 2010 at 09:39 PM · Posted under Area Attractions & Events, Glenn Hanon
Have you ever done this? You find a great eating establishment and you order the same thing each time not wanting to switch to something different? I do it all the time, but last night rather than having the world famous Reuben at The Rochester Deli, I tried their Italian Panini and the Devonshire Panini. No I didn’t have two entrees, my wife, Lori ordered one and I the other then we swapped halves. WOW were they good. The Deli is such a great place to hang out. I prefer to eat outside at one of the patio tables, taking in the quiet pace of downtown Waukesha. Once those delish dishes were history I had my eye on the almond cookies that were hunkered down in the pastry case. I love almond and especially marzipan. If you don’t know what marzipan is go ask your grandmother. A hot cup of tea and a delectable fresh homemade almond cookie—ok it was really good. We chatted with friends until the place closed which was a little early for me 7pm, but hey it’s a deli and they were open all day. So now I can tastefully recommend the Reuben, Devonshire and the Italian Panini at The Rochester Deli.
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June 15, 2010 at 12:00 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
The incredible event for downtown Oconomowoc resumes again this year with Moonlit Movies featuring Monster’s Vs. Aliens on the jumbo inflatable screen. The show starts at dark. But wait there is more!! The Badgerland ski show will begin before the movie. What a great night of FREE entertainment. Please bring a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the Oconomowoc Food Pantry.
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June 14, 2010 at 09:24 PM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
The fourth of July parade in Oconomowoc is just one of the great events that offer fun, entertainment and great summer food for the entire family. If you would like to participate in the parade please contact TJ Rinaldi of the Oconomowoc Rotary Club at www.oconomowocrotary.org for parade entrant details. The parade begins at Roosevelt Field and ends at Fowler Park. There will be tons of food and great activities at the park. The evening will culminate with a wonderful fireworks display. Come one come all to Oconomowoc JULY 3rd for a great family outing.
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June 10, 2010 at 12:00 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the FHA delinquency rate was slowing over the 2009 trend. They reported that only 8.5% of the loans in April were 90 days late vs. a high of 9.4% in January of this year. That is a lot like saying that last year our favorite sports team improving its record of losing 10 of the 11 games played vs. all 11 games lost the year before. The bottom line is the team still stinks. The housing market will continue to suffer due to a few fundamental factors.
First, low down payment loans are always risky. FHA has raised the threshold for the minimum credit score to obtain a FHA backed loan to 660 but buyers with stellar credit and little to no down payment will still walk away from the house IF they find themselves in difficult financial times, i.e. a job loss. The lenders of non FHA loans have tightened their standards and requirements for a loan much to the consternation of us in the Real Estate industry, but those buyers are less likely to default since they have lots of their own money into the home.
The second fundamental reason we have a troubled Real Estate economy, is that employers are still less likely to add to their ranks. Once job hiring becomes a routine event then this confidence will quickly move into the housing sector and we will see more than a glimpse of good news it will be here. But in this time of good news and bad news there is one thing we can do and that is to clearly look at the housing market with an unbiased view. Then and only then can we make really good decisions. For home owners who want to sell this is a good time. Yes you will sell your home for less than you thought, but you will also be buying for less too AND interest rates are so low that it seem silly not to make the move. We have seen an uptick in activity. Guess what? There is no tax credit. Savvy sellers know that they can sell their home now and buy a bigger or better home or for that matter downsize and do it all for less.
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June 09, 2010 at 10:11 AM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
Last night I was mingling with a bunch of friends and the topic came up. “What is your favorite restaurant?” My ears perked up since finding a good place to dine is like finding gold. Well not really, but you get the point. One of my friends is a real wine enthusiast and he seemed to know quite a few of the finer places, what the menu is like and the overall cost–who needs Google with this guy around? The great thing about this as a topic is instantly you will find out if others have tried the establishment and what they thought. If only the owner or manager of the restaurants could have heard the conversation. Sometimes the critique was less about the food and more about the service or attitude of the staff. Now I am not ripping on wait staff because they have a tough job. But here is one example of how a great place can miss the mark. This friend of mine visited one of his favorite places and quickly used the facilities before ordering. There in the restroom was a member of the wait staff who forgot to wash his hands!! Creepy huh? My friend said he should have left then seeing how he is a germ-a-phobe, but relented only to find that the dirty waiter was going to be his waiter! Feeling sheepish he didn’t say a word. I would have said something. He continued on with his meal but has not been back since. That little slip- up cost that well known and well respected restaurant business. The best thing my friend could have done was to politely tell someone. How can they fix the screw up if they don’t know about it? We all want second chances when we mess up, but what we don’t want is someone yelling in our face about how rotten we are. I think that is called civility. So if you see someone make a mistake let them know. If you see me mess up let me know…nicely, and if you have a favorite restaurant let me know that too.
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