September 09, 2011 at 03:21 PM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
Three years from now as you are having one of your famous parties some of your friends will want to hear the story of how you managed to get this fantastic home for such a deal. They will all say to you, “I wish I knew about this house, I would have bought it.” But the reality is that you are the proud owner of this stately Nantucket home with six natural fireplaces. As the guests mingle on the lavish porch overlooking your private pool your peers muse a loud that they cannot believe you bought this six bedroom home with two offices and a playroom that is the envy of most for only $795,000. “How does this guy get so lucky?” is the common refrain. You know that luck had nothing to do with it. As Ernest Hemingway said, “You make your own luck” in other words you took full advantage of the market and turned what some viewed as a desperate situation into your own personal gain. Today the opportunity is right before you, will you “make your own luck?” This stately Nantucket shingled-styled is awaiting your approval. Click for a private viewing.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
December 30, 2009 at 02:44 PM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
Robert Shiller, of the Case Shiller Index is interviewed in this video by the WSJ. The outlook is not that great, but there is good news. First our area has not been affected as severely as other parts of the country. We see that the first quarter of 2010 and perhaps into the second quarter the activity will be stronger than 2009. The threat of rising interest rates should be of concern to sellers and buyers. So while the saying sounds overused, NOW is the time to sell for two main reasons. First as a seller you can take advantage of the opportunity while the homebuyer tax credit is still available. Buyers must be under contract by April 30, 2010. The second reason is that most economists believe that interest rates will have to rise in 2010. If rates go up from 5% to 6% this decreases the buyer’s top price by 10% if the buyer is payment sensitive—which almost all are today. If you would like more information about our local real estate economy or the value of your home feel free to call me.
April 22, 2009 at 03:39 PM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
You have decided to sell the home and wonder to yourself, “What do I have to do to make sure my home sells quickly?” Here are five quick tips to make sure your home does not become ‘stagnant’ in the market.
Clean and organize your home. Remove all the clutter. If you need assistance with what is ‘clutter’ I can assist you with this. A clean home, even if it is dated, is more attractive than an updated home that is messy.
Air fresheners, scented candles and plug-in’s are not to be used when showing a home. Many buyers are either allergic to these products or find them offensive. Almost all buyers think you are hiding a noxious odor. The reaction I have seen over the past 22 years of selling does not warrant their use. If you have a pet odor that you are trying to eliminate plug-ins are not the answer.
Make sure all maintenance issues are resolved before you actively market your home. Buyers will determine how well you take care of your home by how well you take care of the little things. Issues like loose caulking around a tub, dirty furnace filters, broken doorbells, scratched front doors, windows that need cleaning,–you get the idea, are turnoffs for a buyer.
Make sure your curb appeal is appealing. Poorly maintained lawns, heaving sidewalks, overgrown bushes don’t give the prospective new homeowner a real warm fuzzy feeling as they make their way to the front door.
Price your home according to the market. This is probably the number one reason why homes do not sell today. The sellers expectation of “what they want” or “need” compared to the market value are often times significantly different. My job as a professional is to give you the market data and guidance as to what price your home is realistically worth in today’s economy.
If you have further questions or would like a personal evaluation of your home feel free to call me at 1-888-HEY GLEN or email me at ghanon@shorewest.com
April 09, 2009 at 07:17 PM · Posted under Glenn Hanon
One of the jewels of Lake Country is Lac La Belle. The sprawling 1164 acres of Lac La Belle stretch into three different communities, The City of Oconomowoc, The Town of Oconomowoc and The Village of Lac La Belle. At the deepest point the lake is only 46 feet, which offers some of the warmest lake water in the Lake Country region. The sandy bottom and low vegetation growth offers a swimmers a very clear lake. The shallow lake attracts many different kinds of fish as well from largemouth bass, bluegill, crappie and walleye. If you would like a complete synopsis of the lake from a fishing standpoint just email me at; ghanon@shorewest.com or Click Here for a Map. If you Click Here, you can view the lake characteristics for fishing. Besides fishing many lake residents enjoy, sailing, water skiing, pontoon boating, swimming and enjoying the spectacular sunsets.
Currently we have 17 properties for sale on the lake from $330,000 to almost $2,000,000. This stunning home that is pictured is just off the lake and has fabulous panoramic views of a good deal of the lake. The stunning attention to detail for this shingle styled home is apparent in each room. The entire house has cherry floors. Priced at $1,499,900, this is a great opportunity to own a large estate just off Lac La Belle. For more details on this home at 160 Monastery, call me at 1-888-HEY GLEN or drop me an email (ghanon@shorewest.com). Lac La Belle is truly one of the hidden secrets in Lake Country!
Glenn Hanon
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?
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.
Clean and organize your home. Remove all the clutter. If you need assistance with what is ‘clutter’ I can assist you with this. A clean home, even if it is dated, is more attractive than an updated home that is messy.
Many buyers are either allergic to these products or find them offensive. Almost all buyers think you are hiding a noxious odor. The reaction I have seen over the past 22 years of selling does not warrant their use. If you have a pet odor that you are trying to eliminate plug-ins are not the answer.
Make sure your curb appeal is appealing. Poorly maintained lawns, heaving sidewalks, overgrown bushes don’t give the prospective new homeowner a real warm fuzzy feeling as they make their way to the front door. 
is just off the lake and has fabulous panoramic views of a good deal of the lake. The stunning attention to detail for this shingle styled home is apparent in each room. The entire house has cherry floors. Priced at $1,499,900, this is a great opportunity to own a large estate just off Lac La Belle. For more details on this home at 
