2013 Was Record-Breaking, 2014 is a Time to Give Back

Thank you for joining us today! It's the holiday season and that means a time for giving thanks and giving back. We first wanted to thank you for all of your support. This past year was record-breaking for our team; we sold almost 300 homes with a total worth of $50 million. That's incredible and we couldn't have done any of it without you! We also want to thank you for continually tuning in to our video blog; it's always our goal to be your #1 real estate resource and we are excited to have almost 20,000 viewers!

To show our appreciation, remember that we have a free moving truck to anyone who has bought, sold or referred anyone to us. It's an F350 with a 12-foot enclosed bed. It's also available to any church or charity that needs it. That's one less thing you have to worry about! Just let us know a couple weeks in advance so we can be sure to reserve it for you.

The holidays are a time for family, friends and fun. Some families, though, are struggling and we want to help them. Can you help us find a couple of Omaha families in need? If you know anyone in need of assistance, please send us an email telling us how we can help them. 

If you have any questions, have a friend looking to buy or sell a home, or you yourself are looking, please reach out to us at (402) 957-1116 or check us out on our website: www.OmahasElite.com.

Again, thank you for all of your support this year. We're looking forward to see what 2014 has in store for all of us!

New Construction vs Buying an Existing Property

Today I am onsite of a new construction home to talk to you about buying either a new or existing property.

There are many benefits of buying an existing property. First, you are buying a home in a mature, existing neighborhood so you won’t be dealing with muddy roads and loud construction equipment. Secondly, you can typically purchase a home in an existing neighborhood for 15-20% cheaper than new construction. Finally, with purchasing an existing home, you can usually close in 35-40 days versus five months to a year of new construction.

Purchasing new construction also has its advantages, too. With new construction you have the ability to pick the location and lot you want and also what builder you want as well. Second, with a little extra money, you can have a completely custom home to conform with your family as it grows. Finally, although it may take longer, you have complete control on how everything is done.
If you or anyone you know is considering either new or existing property, don’t hesitate to call (402) 957-1116. Thanks and have a great day!

New Home Valuation Tool

Hey, guys! Thanks for watching today!

We are excited to announce the winner of our iPad mini drawing. In our last video we asked all of you to send in some topical ideas for us to discuss on our video blog. We received an overwhelming response and are excited for the next videos to come! Thank you all for participating!

The winner of the iPad mini is Ben Kenny! Congratulations, Ben! You can expect your prize at your door in the next couple of weeks!

We also invite you to vote for us at www.BestOfOmaha.com! Just visit the site and in the top right hand corner enter the QVC code 90688 and click submit. You must vote for 19 other local businesses, but as a perk, many of those businesses offer coupons and discounts for voting!

Today, we also wanted to introduce our new home valuation tool. Just visit our website www.OmahasEliteRealEstateGroup.com and in the top bar there is a ‘Resources’ tab. There is then a link “What is my home worth”. Once you click the link you type in your home information and can find out the results instantly.

We have tested the results and it is amazing how accurate the evaluation is. A similar algorithm is used that Douglas and Sarpy county also uses. The information will give you a high and low evaluation along with sale prices of homes in your neighborhood.  It also gives the average sale price in your neighborhood and the active listings near you.

Every home is unique and talking to a Realtor can help you know exactly what needs to be done to sell your home. I would love the opportunity to work with you. So, if you just click ‘contact agent’ at the bottom of the page, we can set up a time to meet and discuss your next real estate move. Or give me a call at 402-957-1116.

Thanks again for watching!

Best of Omaha Vote & Free iPad Mini!

Today we're reaching out to all of our followers to thank them for their referrals and encouragement over the years. Omaha's Elite Real Estate Group simply would not be where we are today without YOU!

We're excited to announce that our team is up for the Best of Omaha Award, presented by Omaha Magazine. We would really appreciate a vote from you this year! Voting is very easy and quick, just click to follow this link>> www.BestOfOmaha.com/90688.
This will take you right to our voting page and all you have to do is click Submit! Thank you in advance for your vote. We're looking forward to providing our clients with elite service for years to come. Please note that you'll need to vote for 19 other local businesses for your ballot to count.

Also, we're giving away a FREE iPad Mini! Enter into the drawing for the giveaway by emailing Jeff@OmahasElite.com with an idea or suggestion for our next blog video. Any topic that is real estate related and you'd like to learn more about qualifies you for the drawing. We'll announce the lucky winner in about a month from now!

Once again, thank you so much for your support and we look forward to reading your suggestions for our next video!

Omaha's Elite Real Estate Group: Blooper Edition!

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All of our videos are made with your best interests in mind. We want to help you understand the market and what you need to know as a buyer and seller. Sometimes, though, we get a little tongue-tied along the way!

Top 3 Questions to Ask Potential Listing Agents

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Picking a great real estate listing agent is crucial to success when selling your home. But with so many Realtors in the Omaha marketplace, how do you find the best one for you?

A good place to start is asking these three questions of every potential listing agent.

The Top 3 Questions to Ask:

1. On average, how close are your listing prices to your actual sales prices?
This question is important, because some agents will list your house above market value so they can secure the listing. But if you look back at their averages, you’ll see their actual sales prices are 5 to 10 percent under the listing price.

Our group prides itself that the difference between our listing and actual sales prices is less than 2 percent over the past 12 months. We make it a priority to market our homes at market value.

2. What will you do differently to market my home?
Many agents will just plop a sign in your yard and hope someone stumbles upon it on the multiple listing service (MLS). But you need to know the marketing you are paying for. What does the commission you will pay actually cover?

When you work with us, we provide these outstanding marketing services to ensure your home sells quickly and at the right price:

1.       We have professional photos taken of every property

2.       We host a professional video tour on YouTube

3.       We employ a professional staging company for every property we list

4.       We provide you with a free moving truck

5.       We have 10 full-time agents working hard to sell your property

3. How many homes did you sell last year? This is my favorite question. You want an agent who sells a lot of properties, but what do “a lot of properties” mean in today’s market? Last year, we sold 260 homes in the Omaha market. This year, we are on track to sell 360 homes – nearly a house a day.

We are a full-time, full-service real estate group.  We’ll put the most amount of money back in your pocket with the least amount of hassle and time.

Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group   (402) 957-1116   info@omahaselite.com

Low Interest Rates and Their Effect on Our Current Market

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The media has recently been abuzz with the news of the continuation of our nationally historically low interest rates. With a current rate at 3.5%, the environment for buying a new home has never been better. Because of these low interest rates, inventory in Omaha has dropped over 30% to around 3000 homes currently listed compared to 4500 homes on the market at this time last year. Many people are taking advantage of these rates by buying new property or refinancing their existing properties, but what exactly do these low interest rates mean to you? We have the numbers.

You may hear that interest rates are extremely low, but how does this actually affect payment plans? We’ve done the math for you. Today, with the current interest rate of 3.5%, you can purchase a $150,000 home for only $1100 a month. Five or six years ago, that same $150,000 property would cost $1500 a month. That’s a $400 a month difference, which is a savings of $4800 a year. With a 30-year mortgage you can see that this difference is astronomical!

A $200,000 home at an interest rate of 3.5% figures out to be around $1450 a month, while a $300,000 property is just about $2000 a month. An easy way to figure how much your monthly payments will be is to use the “rule of $10,000.” This technique in determining buying power is for every $10,000 increased or decreased at the current rate of 3.5% your monthly payment will be affected by about $35. (This technique is used only to calculate the monthly payment; it does not take into effect the insurance or taxes paid on the property. The higher priced the property, the higher the insurance and taxes will be.)

If you are considering purchasing a property, now is a great time. With low interest rates and 3-7 months’ worth of inventory on the market, you will be able to find the perfect house for you at a great price. If you are looking to sell, now is a terrific time too. You will be able to get your house sold quickly and at the price you are looking for. If you are looking to buy or sell or have any real estate questions, give us a call at (402) 957-1116 or email us at info@OmahasElite.com. Thank you and we look forward to working with you!

Tips on Selling Your Home

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If you’re in the market to sell your home, you want to sell it fast with the least amount of hassle that puts the most money in your pocket. To get you the results you want, we use four distinguishing tactics. And since 90% of buyers start their search on the Internet we make sure your home is presented in the best possible light. Here’s how.

First, we use professional photographers to take pictures of your home. The company we rely on continually invests in their equipment making sure every photo online is the best in the business.

Second, very few agents provide a state-of-the-art video tour, but we believe it makes an impact. A potential buyer can go online day or night and do a virtual walkthrough of your home. It’s a 3D view of every space your house provides and makes the buyer feel like they are in your home.

Third, staging makes the photos and video stand out. We work with a professional stager who spends approximately two hours with you going room by room, closet by closet, outlining what you need to do so your home is in the best condition possible. This step gives you, the seller, a definite edge over the competition.

Remember, when a home hits the market, the buyer is thinking about price, condition and location. It’s very important that through photos, a video and staging, we give the buyer the best experience.

Fourth, we offer an instant database of thousands of buyers who have registered on our website. We have 10 buyers’ agents working with buyers so our entire team is working with you to get your home sold as soon as possible and put the most money back in your pocket with the least amount of hassle.

If you’re considering selling your home or are in the market to buy, call us at (402) 957-1116 or visit us at omahaselite.com.

Trucking Along

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What a year! NP Dodge, the oldest real estate company in the country, awarded Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Team with a prestigious award, recognizing the group as the top-selling team in 2012. We also set an all-time record for overall sales.  We wanted to thank all our clients, both past and present, as well as all those who gave us referrals. To show our gratitude to our fans, we decided to invest in a moving truck. You can use it for a day, and all you have to do is put gas in it.  Again, we thank you!  

The following is a press release that features some of our accomplishments in 2012 and outlines unique strategies we implemented in our business to become the number one team at NP Dodge.

Jeffrey M. Cohn of Omaha's Elite Real Estate Group Reports Record-Breaking Year for 2012

Jeffrey M. Cohn of Omaha's Elite Real Estate Group announced this week that his team has set a new record for residential sales at NP Dodge in 2012. NP Dodge is the oldest real estate firm in the U.S., and the largest in Omaha.  

OMAHA, Nebraska, (PRWEB) March 11, 2013

Realtor Jeffrey M. Cohn and his team at Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group broke the record for residential sales in units and overall production at NP Dodge in 2012 with more than 230 sales and $38 million in volume.

Cohn is the leader of Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group, one of NP Dodge’s many real estate teams working in the Omaha Metro Area. Founded in 1855, NP Dodge is America’s oldest family-owned, full-service real estate company.

Omaha's Elite Real Estate Group consists of a team of 15 real estate professionals who specialize in assisting real estate buyers, sellers, and investors. The group’s expertise extends past traditional sales and in to categories such as short sales, REO and bank-owned properties, new construction, property management, land and commercial real estate. Cohn says that their aggressive marketing approach and innovation has helped the team grow business exponentially – more than 300 percent in 12 months – making it one of the top five ranking real estate groups in the Omaha Metro area.

Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group also has offices in Lincoln, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. Cohn aims to grow the group to the number one spot over the next few years, and at its current rate of growth it could happen sooner than anticipated. Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group hired 10 new buyer’s agents and three customer care staff members in 2012.

Cohn says his team has adapted cutting-edge technology to its operations, including Smart-Drip Email and eAlerts, part of the BoomTown online marketing system utilizing the latest technology and strategies to generate more qualified leads for real estate professionals.

BoomTown recently released a new “Best Fit Leads” feature which allows team members to search their database of more than 5,000 buyers and determine which leads are the ‘best fit’ for listed homes.

“We film a state-of-the-art video tour of every property we list, whether it’s residential or commercial, no matter what the sale price,” Cohn says. “We bring in professional photographers, videographers and even provide our clients with their very own stager to assist our clients in staging their property, essentially conditioning it for sale.

“We top that all off with a complimentary moving truck available to anyone who buys or sells with our team.”

Cohn adds that in addition to the team’s personal and company websites, Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group utilizes social networking including Facebook and Twitter, YouTube, their video blog and more than 100 websites both locally and nationally.

“We spend tens of thousands of dollars every year on Internet marketing alone,” Cohn says. "We know that more than 90 percent of buyers go to the Internet to search properties, so we want to be sure they see us and our listings while they’re out there.”

Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group also offers a real estate search app, compatible with tablets, iPhones and smart phones, for clients and potential clients to search for properties using a variety of different search options and filters. The app makes it easier for anyone with a smart phone, iPhone or tablet to find exactly what they’re looking for wherever they are.

This year, searches with these types of devices are up 10 percent from last year, contributing to one-third of the group’s monthly website traffic.

“We average around 40,000 visitors to our website each month, which generates about 1,000 buyer leads,” Cohn says.

Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group combines more than 30 years of experience,

offering a team with all the expertise necessary to meet any real estate need. For more information, visit the Omaha’s Elite Real Estate Group website, Email Jeff@OmahasElite.com or call 402.957.1116.

About Jeff Cohn:

Jeff Cohn has been active in the Omaha real estate scene since 2006. Cohn has worked with thousands of customers buying and selling both commercial and residential properties. A native of Omaha, Cohn earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration Education from the University of Nebraska, Omaha. Throughout his career he has excelled as a leader in the industry and has consistently earned the Million Dollar Producer designation every year since 2006.

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If you know of anyone who wants to buy or sell a home, let them know we have a complimentary moving truck ready for them. Give us a call at 402.957.1116 or email us at Jeff@OmahasElite.com.