Winter Question in Kansas City - "How is the real estate market?" - The Bubb Cribb Team @ ReeceNichols Answers It!

After thinking a bit over the holidays about our team, team / personal goals & making a few new years resolutions I came up with an everyday what do I do statement.  I truly hope that I win the POWERBALL this week and my 1.5 Billion dollars will allow me to retire from Real Estate, but I think the odds are a bit slim.

I am proud to be a member of The Bubb Cribb Team with my wife Megan Bubb Cribb & brother in law (brolo) Eric Bubb.  I have been working on getting my Dad, Garry Cribb, to join us, but he is pretty loyal to the horse that brought him to the dance, I think he will see the light!

"How is the real estate market?" is what people ask me on a daily basis, the easy answer - The market is GREAT ( a bit low on inventory for some parts of town, but that is raising sales prices), interest rates are LOW and KC is a place people want to be!  If you are thinking of buying or selling I would encourage it, who knows what the election will bring later this year!

For our team I must now toot our horn a bit (you do want someone selling your house that has a little swagger) :) and I am proud to boast that for the second year in a row we as a team have more than doubled our sales from 2014 to 2015!  We have also been recognized as one of the fastest growing teams in the KC area, KC Magazine has awarded Megan her 8th straight Best in KC Real Estate Award, for the second year in a row our team was awarded in the Top 1% Nationally of Premier Selling Agents from Trulia.com and the best part about it, we are all having fun while doing it!

Thanks Meg and Eric for making this our best year yet!

And therefore back to my resolutions & what I pledge to do in 2016 for my clients & team...

I make #KC Home Purchases / Sales An Enjoyable, 
Smooth & Profitable Process!  

The market is going to get worse at some point, I urge you to consider reward yourself in 2016 with a #HomeUpgrade, my family grabbed one in 2015 and while I still hate moving, having the new home to make your family's own is an awesome feeling.  Getting back on track, let me introduce you to our team, who we are, and what we do to ensure our clients get that smooth transaction, profitable outcome and home of their dreams!

The Bubb Cribb Team - Who Are We?


The Bubb Cribb Team Is Proud to Be a Top Producing Team With The #1 Firm For Residential Real Estate In Kansas City - ReeceNichols located at the 76th and State Line Office (Southgate) we work all parts of Kansas City with our top sales coming from Kansas City, MO and Johnson County, KS.

Kansas City Experts – Single Family, Luxury Homes, Condos, Investments, Rentals

• Over 75+ Homes Sold In Kansas City During 2015!
• Homes Sold In All Parts of KC & Suburbs
• Downtown/ Midtown/ Plaza Condo Specialist Group + One Park Place KC
• HUD / Foreclosure Certified Investment Agents
• Relocation, Lease Purchase & Referral Partner Programs

Eric Bubb, Megan Bubb Cribb & Chris Cribb, as the collective Bubb Cribb Team, are excited to assist you and make your real estate dreams a reality! The Bubb Cribb Team is a family team comprised of Kansas City natives that have lived and worked in this remarkable city for decades, are committed to raising our families in Kansas City while giving back to our community.

Everyone knows 10 realtors - why use The Bubb Cribb Team?  We have a plan!

Marketing / Promotions

• FOR SELLERS -  We Provide:  Targeted Online / Direct Mail / Social Media Campaigns With Professional Photographs / Video, Premium Marketing Materials, Reverse Prospecting, Open Houses, Agent Tours, Home Staging & Great Client Support For Every Listing!

• FOR BUYERS - We are home matchmakers for the right home with all of our buyers, we start online with you & continue to walk you, as a partner, through the process & tough shark negotiators to get you a great price!

You have likely heard the phrase, "Two heads are better than one," The Bubb Cribb Team realized this is just as true in real estate as it is making family decisions... why choose one REALTOR when you can have three to help you?  :) We guarantee that you will never be passed along to a junior agent & we sell every home with a focused marketing plan including a top presence online, professional photos / video, direct mail integration, social media campaigns, home staging assistance & much more!

Accolades / Awards

• Best in KC Real Estate – KC Magazine – 8 Straight Years (2007 – 2015)
• Top 1% Of All Agents – Trulia.com – 2014/2015
• Zillow 5 Star Premier Agents – Certified Educators / Zillow Local Experts Brookside (Kansas City), Prairie Village, Leawood, Johnson County, KS - Trulia PRO Agents

With experience and home sales knowledge from KC North across both state lines to the lakes of Lee's Summit and all of KC's ever expanding borders we are here to assist you. Don't forget our favorite pocket communities like Brookside, Crestwood, Parkville, Prairie Village, Fairway, Sunset Hills, Mission Hills, Leawood & Overland Park - simply put, we cover all of KC & do it well.  Our office and home neighborhoods are located in the State Line Corridor, (Kansas City, MO & Johnson County) allowing us to be top producing specialists that get you access to hot properties in the area first and/or make sure your home is marketed right to sell quickly for top dollar!

Dedicated REALTORS Licensed In Both MO & KS

• Buyers Agents & Sellers Agents – From 1st Time to 50th Sale
• Top Real Estate Additional Team Certifications - CRS – Certified Residential Specialist, ReeceNichols Client Care Team, eProfessional - ePro, 
• Fannie Mae (HomePath)  / Freddie Mac (HomeSteps), HUD Homestore & VA - Veteran Property  Registered Foreclosure Agents / Selling Brokers
• Leader’s Choice / Real Estate Pro & Top / Peak Producer - Brian Buffini Graduates

Proud Members of ReeceNichols Real Estate

No question about it, in KC you want the #1 selling firm, with the highest used local home web search site & 50+ years of experience as the sign in your yard.  One Company, One Resource, One Solution. ReeceNichols lists and sells more homes Kansas City than any other local or national company. Kansas City area residents know that ReeceNichols will create and deliver a remarkable home buying and selling experience - maybe that is why ReeceNichols sells more than the next 11 companies combined. ReeceNichols, A Berkshire Hathaway Affiliate - has sister companies across the US and partners internationally for any relocation needs.

CONTACT US - We Work  Days, Nights, 

Weekends  - Whenever Our Clients Need 

Call / Text / Email us at any time, we appreciate your business 
& are never too busy for your referrals / home buying and selling needs!

           Megan Bubb Cribb – 816.813.0132 – meganb@reecenichols.com
           Eric Bubb – 913.428.6052 – ericbubb@reecenichols.com
           Chris Cribb - 816.982.5990 - chriscribb@reecenichols.com

The power of getting a pre-inspection on your home! - #KCRealEstate from @BubbCribbTeam

Simple statement to show you the power of the market in Kansas City right now....

It is the BEST time to sell in KC since 2007!

If you have thought about jumping into the market and putting your house up for sale, I want to definitely encourage you, this is a great time to MOVE UP, get that dream kitchen that you have been waiting for or possibly DOWNSIZE to a property that makes more sense for your family,  One item that our team has seen as a growing trend in the real estate industry is to get a PRE-INSPECTION on your home to show your buyers that you are serious about selling and have taken part of the "unknown" out of the equation for them.

Post by The Bubb Cribb Team.

American Home Shield recently did a study on how a "pre-inspection" can assist you in the sale of your home and the results were the same as what we have seen in the market...

Please see their findings here - HOME Warranties Lead To Faster Sales, Higher Prices

Pre-Inspections will help you:

• Get a higher resale value for your home - if you are pre-inspected and the buyer knows that you have taken care of the issues that came up during the inspection your house (and their OFFER) will likely be higher than what you would find without the pre-inspection.  Think about the auto industry, do you think there is a good reason why there is a whole class of cars being resold in the auto industry as "Certified Pre-Owned Cars" - this inspection and service gives the buyer a comfort level on what will likely be the largest investment of their life that can make all of the difference when it comes down to choosing between the last two houses and where they are going to make an offer.  According to American Home Shield in a recent study, homes that include on of their warranties sell for an average of $2,300.00 more than comparable homes.

• Sell your home FASTER than the competition - if you have not sold a home in a while, one of the big questions and areas that make people queasy in the stomach is the "inspection period".  This time is when the buyer has an opportunity to inspect the home for X number of days and come back to the seller with any findings of "unacceptable conditions" than must be remedied before the contact is valid. Every home has things that are wrong with them and frankly I believe that home inspectors feel as if they need to find a few things to validate their cost.  The inspection by a professional home inspection company on behalf of the buyer is a necessary item and something that we recommend with every home purchase.  From a real world perspective, think of it this way, you are paying someone to be the expert to tell you ANY and ALL flaws they find in a home.  A great service, we have many home inspectors we LOVE to work with & I have mentioned a few at the bottom of this article.  What did American Home Shield find when they did their study about "Pre-inspections"?  Homes with one of their pre-inspections spent an average of 11 days LESS on the market than their comparable competition.  11 Days may seem like a small amount to many, but think, this 11 days is actually 15,840 minutes you would get back in FREE TIME to think about your NEW HOME purchase, not selling your house.

Convinced yet to get a pre-inspection, well if so let me give you a couple resources to help you along this path in the Kansas City market.

For home inspections in Kansas City, a few of our most respected partners are:

HOME INSPECTION EXPERTS IN KANSAS CITY

• Golden Home Inspections - Call Dev Van Dyne and  team to get straight shooters to you about what they finds possibly wrong in your home.  Dev's 10+ years of engineering experience make him a tight eye to make sure systems (HVAC, Water Heater, Plumbing, Electrical) are operating correctly & are up-to-date.  With great certified partners across KC to look at Radon, Mold, Termites and more you are in good hands.  With every inspection they include a complimentary RECALL check on all appliances & free membership in the HOME OWNERS NETWORK to allow you to diagnose and deal with issues that occur in everyday average home ownership.

• Star Home Inspections - Larry Carter & team has been inspecting homes across KC for MANY years.  His team provides a fully quality inspection from top to bottom and has even come up with a GUARANTEE for pre-inspections.  If you get your home pre-inspected by Star and a true problem is revealed by the buyer during inspections (that Star did not catch / recommend fixed) they will pay for 1/ 2 of the cost to fix this issue.  

• Five Star Home Inspections - Mike Blackman & team have a great reputation in Kansas City in "sniffing out" the problems for their clients before they become a BIG DEAL.  As Mike himself will tell you, a home inspection is a visual evaluation of the major systems in the house including the foundation, siding, windows, doors, roof, attic, heating/cooling systems, plumbing, electrical, and the interior of the home.  They evaluate all homes using the standards of practice of the American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI!   PLEASE NOTE , I am ready to handle ANY transaction in Missouri or Kansas with my team, but I do not do work outside of KC (besides a bit of consultation / brokerage in the WINE industry), if you want to know more about certification for home inspectors, I would encourage you speak with The American Society of Home Inspectors - ASHI.

HOME WARRANTY OPTIONS IN KANSAS CITY

• A.B.May - Warranty Company that is based in Kansas City and offers a home warranty to cover a new home purchase with around a $75.00 service fee and under $50.00 for a year (please see website for actual prices).  A.B. May has an absolutely great program going with Reece & Nichols (that I happen to be able to provide) called HOME WARRANTY PLUS that allows the seller, at no cost, to have a home warranty that can be sold with the home that covers the home from the date that it is listed with Reece & Nichols.  

• Old Republic - National warranty company that has a great, 5 star reputation and offers a home warranty product for around $400/$500 with a $90.00 service fee (please see website for actual prices).  For Old Republic - the standard home warranty is a one-year service contract that protects a resale home buyer or current homeowner against the cost of unexpected repairs or replacement of major systems and appliances that break down due to normal usage.  Does this possibly sound like another program we all must do, INSURANCE... there definitely are similarities.

• American Home Shield - One of the countries largest warranty companies with a strong reputation and sister companies that include Merry Maids, ServiceMaster & more (please see website for actual prices).

One good tip & a shout out to some of our favorite partners in the inspection business, if you are ready to list your home for sale in Kansas City or are considering buying, keep these companies in mind and understand that everything that you can do to MITIGATE RISK for the buyer will help you in the long run!

If you are looking to sell and list your home or to put an offer in on a new home, now is the time and the Bubb Cribb Team would love to help you!

The Bubb Cribb Team at Reece & Nichols would love to be your neighborhood experts in buying or selling your home in any part of Kansas City.  We have great area specialists in Union Hill, Hyde Park, Brookside, Sunset Hills, Waldo, Mission Hills, Prairie Village, Overland Park, Fairway, Leawood, Kansas City North, Lees' Summit and more; please contact Christopher Cribb, Megan Bubb Cribb or Eric Bubb for assistance!

Christopher Cribb - The Bubb Cribb Team 
Reece & Nichols - Southgate  Direct Line 913.239.2023

14 Reasons to List your Home During the Holidays

14 Reasons to List your Home During the Holidays

The holidays are a great time to list your home, check out these 14 reasons why you should be looking at listing today so that you can sell at top dollar and move to your new dream home!

#1 ~ There is less competition for buyers.


#2 ~ Winter prospects are more serious and motivated buyers.

#3 ~ Homes shows better when tastefully decorated for the holidays.


#4 ~ If the landscaping is the one drawback to your curb appeal, winter is a great time to sell.

#5 ~ One of the highest ratios of “Listings Sold” to “Listings Taken” occur during this time of year.

#6 ~ You may receive more money for your home because there is less competition.


#7 ~ Throughout the holiday season you may restrict showings during personal family gatherings.

#8 ~ Buyers have more time to look at homes during the holiday season, especially during vacation time.

#9 ~ January is traditionally the biggest transfer month and they will use their vacation time to scout out a new city. So you must be on the market to capture them!

#10 ~ By selling now you can have a delayed closing or extended occupancy until the beginning of the year.

#11 ~ If you sell during the winter, you may chose to purchase during the spring when there are more homes to choose from and more competitive prices.

#12 ~ You may have fewer actual showings, but more qualified and motivated buyers.

#13 ~ Corporate transferees, who need to buy a home now, can’t wait until spring to purchase.

#14 ~ Bottom Line- By listing NOW you may have fewer showings, but more qualified and motivated buyers, which should result in a quicker sale and better price for you!!!

If you are looking to sell and list your home, now is the time and the Bubb Cribb Team would love to help you!

The Bubb Cribb Team at Reece & Nichols would love to be your neighborhood experts in buying or selling your home in the stalwart Kansas City locations, of Union Hill, Hyde Park, Brookside, Sunset Hills, Waldo, Mission Hills, Prairie Village, Overland Park, Fairway, Leawood and more; please contact Christopher Cribb,Megan Bubb Cribb or Eric Bubb for assistance!

Christopher Cribb - The Bubb Cribb Team 
Reece & Nichols - Southgate  Direct Line 913.239.2023