A home: it’s so much more than just brick and mortar.
For this, Cleveland County Lifestyle’s Home issue, we asked Kathy Griffith, who with her husband, Steve, own Prime Realty, what—in her opinion—home ownership means.
“Many have asked about the importance of home ownership, and although some concepts are difficult to break down, the concept is an exciting opportunity I love to share: It's ‘The American Dream!’” she says. “Home ownership is not just a roof over your head; it represents shelter, stability, wealth and pride!”
She adds, “For the 64% of households in the United States, home ownership offers the feeling of 'owning a part of the neighborhood’. Homeowners have a stronger connection to their neighborhood and are more committed to volunteer. Home ownership also has a positive impact on academic achievement, including improved reading and math performance in children. Plus, there is the freedom to customize your home according to your likes and personality. A well-maintained home not only generates benefits through consumption and safety, but a high-quality structure also increases mental health balance. The pride of ownership comes from knowing 'this place is uniquely mine!'”
Kathy also listed the following benefits of home ownership:
1. Stability: Rent prices increase 4% annually, while a fixed mortgage rate allows you to save for future projects and help guard against inflation.
2. Forced Savings: Your mortgage is like a forced savings plan! As each payment is made, your principal loan balance is being reduced.
3. Appreciation: On average, home prices appreciate annually. This helps create a safety net for you.
4. Home Equity: Home equity refers to the difference between your mortgage balance and your home's market value. Home ownership builds equity every single month, which you can later use to start a business, send your children to college, etc.
5. Net Worth: A homeowners’ net worth is 44 times greater than renters, giving you the financial freedom to re-invest!
6. Tax Benefits: Think government-created tax benefits (ask your CPA for details).
7. Future Predictions: Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and the Mortgage Bankers Association all believe that homes sales will increase steadily this year.
8. And the social benefits don't only pertain to the family, but extend to the communities, the state and the country! Buying a home is an investment in YOUR future!
About Prime Realty and the Prime Realty Team
Prime Realty Inc.—and its owners/brokers Kathy and Steve Griffith—have deep roots in Cleveland County, roots that tie them to their neighbors in ways that transcend selling houses, although it’s an endeavor for which they share a deep passion.
The company contributes annually to the Backpack for Kids Program, an annual effort headed by the Regional Food Bank in which pre-assembled food sacks and backpacks are delivered to participating schools at no cost to the school or the child. The food bags contain approximately 10 different purchased foods designed to provide nutrition and calories for chronically hungry children over the weekend. They also contribute to the American Business Women's Association, Norman Chapter, whose mission is to bring together business women of diverse occupations and to provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support and national recognition.
Furthermore, says Kathy, Prime Realty Inc. is driven by a team spirit and a devotion to the community in which they live. “Our Realtors are connected with the fibers of this community—not only do we live, work and play here, but each of us track market conditions at the local level, giving our unique perspective that it takes to get deals done in this competitive climate.”
Local and Global Expertise
“We watch trends in financing and mortgage rates, the stock market, and local, national and global economics—all of which can affect the final price and terms of your sale. We have our finger on the pulse of Oklahoma City-area real estate market! We can best advise where to give and when to hold the line to yield the best possible price for the house you’re selling or buying,” Kathy says.
Integrity and Customer Service
“We believe that without integrity, nothing else matters,” says Kathy, adding that their team “specializes in providing world-class integrity-focused customer service to the Oklahoma real estate market.”
For buyers looking to find their perfect home, Prime Realty offers a concierge level of assistance that sets them apart from most of their competitors in the metro area, and beyond.
“When you come to us to list your property, we will be honest and won’t tell you what you 'want' to hear just to get your listing. And we won’t cut corners to make our job easier. When your house is sold, you’ll know we did everything possible to get you the best deal, and we didn’t leave any of your money on the table,” Kathy says.
Visit PrimeRealtyLuxuryHomes.com for more information about the Prime Realty team and the products and services they offer.
How to Get Your House Market Ready
Unlike real life, in the real estate industry you have three opportunities to make a first impression, and we break each of those opportunities down. The first is online, the second is at the curb and the third is at the front door.
The last step is where ‘Get Your House Market Ready’ plays a vital role in our complete listing package. At no cost to our clients and as part of the amazing support and customer experience we offer all our clients, Prime Realty offers an awesome program called “Get Your House Market Ready,” by master occupied stager Micah Abbananto.
At the heart of the program is a video in which Micah describes the science of staging and shares her Market Ready secrets. Included are 15 downloadable graphics covering topics from furniture placement and shelf staging to making a beautiful bed and downloadable master lists that allow you to check off tasks as they are completed and keep track of your progress. Bonus features include an interview in which Micah shares more secrets as well as downloadable paint color guides.
Clients also receive two coaching emails from Micah designed to encourage you during what can be a stressful time for many home sellers.
I’d like to share just one of the market ready tips you’ll learn about in the video. When selling a house, you want to strike the perfect balance between depersonalization and creating a warm, welcoming home. This means putting away the majority of framed photos, bulletin boards and personal items (think photo albums, magazines, toys, equipment, awards, etc.). Leave a few nice, framed photos to make the house appear inviting and lived in and, most importantly, balanced.
Selling a house successfully will involve some pre-packing and purging of your belongings. Having a self-storage unit nearby will give you somewhere to temporarily place all of your extra stuff when getting your house market ready.
This program is just one of the ways we go above and beyond to help our clients. Market ready houses sell 79% faster and for between 6% and 25% more money. Pretty impressive!
