Posts in category: Agents

As a Realtor®, have you ever wondered what keeps customers coming back to you every time they move or refer their friends and family to your services? Have you ever broken it down to see what they really wanted and what you delivered? It is very important in the real estate profession to keep your customers happy and meeting the needs and desires that they have expressed in their ideal home!

Here are a few qualities to present when you are talking with new and returning customers:

• Make sure you are representing your client’s best interest. Fight for what they are looking for and don’t push them into a house that is convenient. Make sure the house they are looking for is the house they end up purchasing. They will be very grateful for your loyalty.
• Be sure they know that you love your job and you are enjoying the process of helping them find their home. When the buyers see the excitement in you it will make them appreciate your efforts that much more.
• Take away the stress of the buyers by educating, guiding and answering their questions. If you don’t seem to know the answer, find it for them and provide results the next time you meet. When it comes to signing papers they will know you have their best interest and trust that they have made the right decision.

If you are looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current home, please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

With everything in life, there are actual rules and there are common courtesies that aren’t set “rules” but appropriate behaviors. In Real Estate, there are some things that are not hard-core rules, but are absolutely the best practices to consider.

1. Don’t make an offer without pre-approval: Be sure you have talked with a lender and have been through the pre-approval process. You don’t want to get stuck making an offer you cannot afford.

2. Use a real estate agent: Real Estate agents are an integral part of the buying process. Since they negotiate, show homes and close deals every month, it’s critical to have them to help make your important buying decisions. No one better understands the process than a licensed real estate professional.

3.Put down a deposit: Talk with your real estate agent and decide on an appropriate amount when you make an offer on a home. Be sure your agent includes contingencies in the contract for a refund if the deal falls apart!

4. Sell Yourself: If you are shopping in a competitive market you want to take every opportunity to tell the seller how much the house means to you! Your agent can help draft a letter to present along with your offer.

5. Tour homes in person: Technology has made it so much easier to tour homes online, especially if you are moving to a new state. These tools are great for ideas and impressions but nothing quite compares to the actual experience and for this, you need a real estate professional!

If you are looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current home, please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

Summerlin is a master planned community made up of 22,500 acres on the western rim of the Las Vegas Valley. Summerlin was built on the idea that your home lies not in its foundation but rather in the foundation of the community it is surrounded by. Just miles from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, every detail of Summerlin was carefully constructed to provide residents with a place to call home, now and forever.

Summerlin is one of the most desired destinations in the Las Vegas Valley with award winning trail systems connecting more than 150 neighborhood parks including Cottonwood Canyon Park, Mesa Park, Ridgebrook Park and The Hills Park! Summerlin is also home to 9 of the finest golf courses and allows access to a world of lifestyle opportunities and amenities to create your ideal quality of life. If you are a golf enthusiast, you may have played on one or two of the Tournament Players Club courses or the Bear’s Best Las Vegas course in the Summerlin area.

Home to 10 nationally recognized private and public schools, such as Faith Lutheran Academy and Bishop Gorman High School and 12 public schools along with higher education facilities and learning opportunities for all ages, Summerlin is the best address for education. For information regarding public schools in this area simply call the Clark County School District at 702-799-5000. You can also download the reference sheet for schools in the area by clicking here.

Summerlin is more than a place to live. It is a way of life. Visit Summerlink to learn about resident services, community information and events like the 20th annual Patriotic Parade and Firecracker 5k walk/run coming up for the 4th of July. There is also a Pumpkin Festival in the fall and a Hometown Holidays event in December! Welcome to Summerlin, a deeply rooted community master planned to perfection. Where neighbors become friends and friends become family.

If you are looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current home, please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

A woman of many talents, Broker/Owner Joanna Piette of New Home Resource, has built one of the top-performing real estate firms in the state of Nevada. Located in the historic city of Las Vegas, Joanna and her team of agents primarily serve the west side of Las Vegas, more commonly known as Summerlin. Over the years Joanna’s business has excelled by relying on a unique set of skills to set her apart from other real estate agents.

Prior to her real estate career, Joanna lived in Salt Lake City, where she worked in the mortgage lending business. When Florida based company Suncoast Savings approached Joanna about opening a new office in Las Vegas, she jumped on the opportunity. “I moved to Nevada to help them open their office, and 104 days later they were out of business. I didn’t know anybody, and was without a job, so it was pretty overwhelming.” Joanna then interviewed with Pulte Homes, which offered to put her through real estate school if she came to work for them. “That did not materialize, but it planted a seed of going to real estate school on my own. I worked in the mortgage business since I was 17, so it was just kind of a natural progression into real estate.” In January of 1999 New Home Resource was created, and the rest is history.

Now 15 years later, Joanna’s passion for real estate has endured, and her business has flourished. Based just outside of Summerlin, New Home Resource maintains a team of five agents. “I like to keep the business small, which in result creates a very family-like atmosphere. We are all very close and tight knit. Working with us is seamless. You’re not being cast around if you’re working with me. I’ve shown up at a property in my gym clothes, because it’s more important for me to show this property right now than for you to see me in a business suit.” Always looking to improve herself, Joanna became a certified broker in 2009, and carries designations as a Certified Distressed Property Expert and Accredited Buyer Representative. Several years ago, Joanna also earned her RRG from a Las Vegas Risk Reduction Course through the Board of REALTORS®. “I take courses that teach us the law, keeps us out of trouble. I’ve never once had any issue with Real Estate Division or with the Board of Professional Standards, and I have never had a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. We operate on the up and up, and this particular designation that I retain keeps us all on the straight and narrow.”

So what else separates Joanna from other REALTORS®? “I don’t sleep, I’ve just given up on sleep,” laughs Joanna, “We are customer service driven to the 10^th power, and all of our Internet reviews reflect that we truly do provide incredible customer service.” Due to this fierce commitment to her clients, the majority of Joanna’s business comes from client referrals.

For all her efforts, Joanna was the recipient of Best of Silver State Awards, Best Real Estate Agent in 2013. She is currently up for nomination again in 2014, selected out of 15,000 licensed agents. “There are only four people on the ballot and I’m one of them, so I am pretty proud of that.” In May, Joanna is also being named as one of the top 25 women in real estate in Las Vegas. “That will be a very big accomplishment for me. I am a single woman that owns her own brokerage, and I am very proud to run my own ship.”

Outside of her career, Joanna enjoys exercise and is an avid road cyclist. Due to this passion, Joanna’s company sponsors, promotes and gives a portion of their closings each month to the charitable organization called Every Kid a Bike. “This organization helps underprivileged children by providing them with bicycles and helmets. We’re often present at many of their events, and support them financially because we believe in that particular kind of work in our community.” Taking her community service work a step further, Joanna and New Home Resource sponsor Pedal for Pooches through their cycling team Vegas Woman’s Racing. “We cycle to raise money, awareness and donations for the Animal Foundation which is a non-profit organization operating Nevada’s largest animal shelter and adoption center. Founded in 1978 as a small low cost spay and neuter clinic, today the Animal Foundation operates and manages an 8-acre campus that provides a refuge for the approximately 45,000 homeless, lost, neglected, unwanted and abused animals received each and every year.” As a result of their hard work, the Vegas Women’s Racing team was also recognized as a Safe Routes to School Partner by the Clark Count School District Board of Trustees. “We participate with the Clark County School District and Las Vegas Metro Police to teach bicycle safety to elementary children, usually in the underprivileged districts. We donate brand new bicycles, helmets and a lock (to protect their bikes) to the children at the ‘Rodeo’s’, as we call them.”

At the end of the day, it’s helping others that mean the most to Joanna. “Buying a home is still the American Dream. There is nothing more satisfying than handing someone the keys to the house, except for maybe giving a seven year old a bicycle. It’s kind of like the same thing if you really think about it.” It’s this giving attitude that will continue to make Joanna and New Home Resource a powerful real estate presence.

See the story on the Top Agent Magazine website here…

If you are looking for a new home or wanting to sell your current home,  please contact a New Home Resource Realtor® today at 702-365-1000. Broker Joanna Piette, and agents Denise Moreno Thrasher, Jessica O’Brien, Evelyn ‘Beng’ Kern, Lance Partin and Kathy Paterniti are all here to help!

The Top Agent Magazine is a real estate magazine that features some of the best agents in the United States, Europe and Canada. This month, New Home Resource’s own, Joanna Piette, is the Top Nevada Agent and is featured on the cover! This story shows her accomplishments in the Nevada real estate industry and proves that hard work really pays off! Read the May cover story of Top Agent Magazine featuring Joanna Piette!

“Buying a home is still the American Dream. There is nothing more satisfying than handing someone the keys to the house, except for maybe giving a seven year old a bicycle. It’s kind of like the same thing if you really think about it.”

Be a smarter energy user and save yourself some money while you’re at it! Below are different things around your house that you could adjust to essentially save on energy and your monthly bills.

Water Heater:

• Set your water heater to a lower temperature that still provides you with sufficient hot water. During the summer in Las Vegas this should be relatively easy since it is so hot outside.

Cooking:

• Grill outside more often than using the oven, weather permitting. This will help to keep your kitchen cooler.
• Don’t pre-heat your oven unless it is necessary. Baking is usually necessary but broiled items or casseroles usually don’t need it.

Drying Clothes:

• Clean the lint filter more often to create more air-flow and less energy usage.
• Many clothes should be hung up to dry instead of in dryer. Read labels and don’t use the dryer if you don’t have to.
• When you do use the dryer, make sure the loads are even and full but not oversized. Having loads that are too small or too big can cause an unnecessary amount energy to be used.

For more energy saving tips at no cost or low cost, click here 

PLEASE Click Here to VOTE FOR ME as 2014 BEST OF SILVER STATE AWARDS/BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT!

Spring is in the air, so before the summer heat hits Las Vegas, it’s time to host a garage sale! We want you to have the most successful garage sale possible so even though most people know the basics, here are just a few tips to kick off the season and maybe some new tricks you’ve never tried before! Happy Selling!

1. Be Prepared: organize, label and have your cash ready the night before. Most effective garage sales happen before 10am which doesn’t give you much time to prepare these things the day of your sale.

2. Make sure people know about your sale: put your address in the newspaper, put a notice on craigslist and be sure to have a sign (or multiple signs) around your neighborhood. Click Here to see some great examples.

3. Never leave your money out. Always keep your money on you or inside your house away from your garage sale. Also, it is a good idea to have at least twenty $1 bills and plenty of $5 bills in case people need change!

4. Create an inviting display: every driveway looks the same during garage sales so be sure to make yours stands out! Put the big items in view of people passing by and have items easily accessible. Lemonade and water are always nice additions as well!

5. Bargaining: be very flexible to bargaining, after all you are selling these items because you don’t use them anymore. Be sure to start your price at what you think it’s worth and have a minimum price you will be willing to accept.

6. Keep track of your sales: When you make a sale, write down the item and how much it sold for so you can keep track of the money you’re making and the items you are selling.

Most importantly, have fun! It can be stressful setting up your garage sale but once it is in motion, the more fun you are having, the more fun your customers will have. If items don’t end up selling, think about donating them to a charity or local church before you throw them out. Good Luck!

PLEASE Click Here to VOTE FOR ME as 2014 BEST OF SILVER STATE AWARDS/BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT!

There are many things that are obvious when you decide to host an open house: Make sure things are cleaned extremely well, clear out clutter and fix damages or to the house. Here are a couple other things to think about when you are ready to sell your home and host an open house:

Take advantage of Technology – Most people start their housing search online so it is crucial to have your home front and center!

Put a sign in the yard that says “open house”! It may seem “out of date” but people driving by are more intrigued to stop in or come back during the open house because you have made it easy and obvious to them.

Invite your neighbors. Even if they seem to be snooping, they’ll have good things to say about the location; schools, shopping, neighborhood, etc.

Create a neutral environment: You want buyers to feel at home but not like they are invading someone else’s home. Pictures and decorations are great but avoid drawings on the refrigerator or overflowing closets. Storage is important so they will be looking in the closets!

Since it is still your home it is ok to have some rules such as, bathrooms are just for showing, remove accessible medication, and just make sure valuables are out of sight. Everyone will be chaperoned but you should always be prepared.

The outside of your home should be just as well put together as the inside. Make sure the garage is cleaned out, the grass is trimmed, weeds are pulled and toys/objects are out of sight.

Your agent will take care of the actual open house. For the most successful events, the homeowner and pets should be absent!

An open house can be a lot of work but it can also be exciting and is very important for making a sale. Entrust in your agent to steer you in the right direction and you will have a smooth experience!

PLEASE Click Here to VOTE FOR ME as 2014 BEST OF SILVER STATE AWARDS/BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT! 

Many people are nervous, anxious and distracted when looking to buy a home. What location? What is our budget? What if we buy the wrong one? Research and asking questions will kick start your process, along with these seven secrets for buying your next house…

1. When you are looking to buy your next home, avoid moving large amounts of money around or making uncommon, large purchases. Lenders need to see your stable and risk-free financial lifestyle so that you get the best loan possible.

2. Get pre-approved for your home loan before you start seriously looking to buy a home. Knowing how much you can afford and how much a lender will loan to you is crucial so you aren’t looking at houses you cannot afford.

3. There is no such thing as “the perfect time to buy”. The market is a constant, changing cycle and the right time to buy is when you find a house you love and can afford.

4. Don’t allow yourself to settle when buying a house, but bigger isn’t always better. The value of a larger home will continue to rise so don’t let your eyes be the guide. Think about living within your means.

5. Be sure to recognize when you’re getting a great house for a great value and try not to let your emotions overpower your instincts.

6. Hire a home inspector to look into your new potential home. Spending a few hundred in the beginning is better than wasting away thousands later on. Fixer upper areas are also good for bargaining,

7. Make sure you like the neighborhood. How far is it from schools, grocery shopping, work, etc? Drive around the neighborhood before buying into it so you don’t find out a little too late that the neighbors are loud or the area isn’t safe.

New Home Resource’s, Joanna Piette, winner of the 2013 Best of Silver State Award, Best Real Estate Agent Category has been nominated once again. She needs your vote this year via Facebook Voting App, which closes April 12.

On Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014, TMG Entertainment will present the highly anticipated ”The Best of Silver State Awards” hosted by Emmy Award winning news anchors, Nina Radetich, Dayna Roselli, and Robin Leach recognizing excellence and exemplary achievement by individuals & companies in 34 categories.

Tickets to the awards show are available for purchase from The Best of Silver State Awards.