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

It's Your Advantage

Technology has certainly streamlined the home buying process and introduced things that help purchasers make better decisions. Buyers have enthusiastically embraced video tours, digital signatures and the enormous amount of information available about a home, neighborhood, schools and neighbors.
The ironic thing is that buyers are ignoring the one single thing that can help them secure the “right” home. Talking to a lender or using a financial calculator is not pre-approval.
Pre-approval requires written verification on employment and income and ordering a credit report for the purpose of obtaining a mortgage. A mortgage credit score is different than what a person might see from credit reporting websites. 
Pre-approval gives buyers the confidence to know the amount they can borrow which can result in bargaining power when dealing with a seller or competing against another offer. Transactions can close quicker once a buyer has been pre-approved.
If any issues are discovered in the initial process, the purchaser and lender will have more time to correct them compared to trying to get it done during the loan approval period as stated in the sales contract.
Most lenders best interest rates are only available to the best borrowers. You might get approved on a loan but at a higher rate than you expected which could make a significant difference in the monthly payments.
The “right” home without financing will never have the buyer’s address. Getting pre-approved with a trusted mortgage professional is one of the first steps in the buying process. It can definitely be an advantage that will benefit you in negotiations and ultimately, during the time you own the home.

Check out The Bubb Cribb Team - Your Key To KC Real Estate!

Early Burnout Could be Good

Most of us understand the expression "burning the candle at both ends" to mean working so hard that you burn yourself out. Normally, that wouldn’t be a good idea unless it is intentional.

If the candle is your mortgage and the strategy is to get it paid off early, being “burned out” would be a good thing. One end of the candle would be your regular mortgage payments and the other end would represent additional principal contributions.

Since the Great Recession, lenders have been reporting a higher than normal number of borrowers getting shorter term mortgages not only when they purchase the home originally but when they refinance them also. It seems like the mindset of America’s homeowner has shifted a little from the belief that they will always have a house payment.

The extra $100, $200 or $500 in your checking account isn’t earning interest. Additional principal contributions with your regular payments on a fixed rate mortgage will save interest, build equity and shorten the term of the mortgage.

Wealth management is about making financially wise choices. If having your home paid for by retirement age is one of your goals, making extra contributions regularly could get you there. Use this Equity Accelerator to see how it will affect your loan.

Emergency Ready Kit

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that all Americans have some basic supplies on hand in order to survive for at least three days if an emergency occurs. It is recommended that the Ready Kit should be assembled well in advance of an emergency.

The concept is to be able to survive for at least 72 hours until local officials and relief workers arrive on the scene. The disaster could be wide-spread and involve a lot of people that makes it difficult for relief workers to reach everyone immediately.

• Water, one gallon per person per day for at least three days
• Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Battery powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA weather radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications (prescription and basic)
• Whistle to signal for help
• Dust mask to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter in place
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
• Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities
• Manual can opener for food
• Local maps
• Cell phone with chargers, inverter or solar charger
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Pet supplies if necessary

Click here for a print version of this list and additional items to consider adding to an emergency ready kit. The American Red Cross has a suggested list for first aid kits and has other items available for purchase at their online store.

Forced Savings

One of the big banks has a voluntary program available that transfers $100 each month from your checking account to your savings account. In five years, the account owner would have over $5,000 because of a type of forced savings. 

Similarly, when a person buys a home with a standard amortizing loan, each month, a part of the payment is used to reduce the principal loan amount. Amazingly, over $4,000 would be applied toward the principal in the first year of a $250,000 mortgage at 4% for 30 years. In five years, the loan amount would be reduced by almost $25,000 through normal payments.

The other dynamic that is in play is that while the unpaid balance is being reduced, appreciation causes the value to increase. The difference between the two makes the equity grow even faster. Three percent appreciation on a $250,000 home would increase its value in five year by almost $40,000.

A 30-year mortgage of $250,000 will be paid for in 30 years. At an average of 3% appreciation, the asset would be worth about $600,000. If you continue to rent, the asset belongs to your landlord instead.

Many experts believe that the homeowner benefits from the forced savings of amortization and the leveraged growth that takes place in the investment. It has been observed in the tri-annual Consumer Finance Survey by the Federal Reserve Board that homeowner’s net worth is considerably higher than that of renters.

More Equity...More Options

The more equity in your home, the more options you have. Since equity is determined by the difference between value and what is owed on a property, when homes lost value during the Great Recession, homeowners’ equity decreased.

Negative equity occurs when the value is less than the mortgage owed. According to CoreLogic, 91% of all mortgaged properties have equity and only 4.4 million properties remain in negative equity at the end of the second quarter in 2015.

A homeowner, who qualifies, can release part of their equity by refinancing the existing loan and taking out additional cash or by getting a home equity loan. The benefits include:

• To get a lower rate on your current mortgage
• To finance capital improvements on your home
• To payoff higher interest rate debt such as credit cards or student loans
• To purchase items that would not have deductible interest like personal cars, boats, etc.

It could be as simple as waiting for positive home equity so owners can move to another home without having to pay out-of-pocket expenses to sell their home.

Two things everyone needs to know about plumbing

The first thing every homeowner needs to know about plumbing is how to turn the water off in case of an emergency. It’s like having a fire extinguisher; you hope you never need it but you want it just in case you do.

Generally, the cutoff is in the front of the home. There may be a separate cutoff box on the owner’s side of the meter. If not, the owner needs to be able to open the water meter and turn it off there. This will require a water meter key which can be found at a local home improvement store and a wrench. Once you have the key, practice opening the meter door and check out how the shutoff valve works. Then, put the key in a quick and easy place to find when you need it.

The second thing a homeowner needs is a recommendation of two good plumbers. Having a backup name is always good in case your first choice can’t make it when you need them.

Some homeowners prefer to go the do-it-yourself route. There are plenty of DIY videos on the Internet but having the name of a good plumber if the job gets out of hand can be the tool that saves the day.

Our business puts us in touch with some of the most reliable and reputable service providers and we’re willing to share their names with you. Regardless of whether you “do it or delegate it”, being familiar with the basics can be very helpful.