Category: Uncategorized

How to Use the Force in your Home Hunting!

by realtyepicfayetteville, posted in Uncategorized

In the beginning, homes were very simple things. First, it was a lush garden, & all was permissible with the exception of two trees. Then we started building walls, & we became afraid of all with which we were not intimately familiar. Fast forward to the 1940’s when Real Estate Boards openly engaged in price fixing to establish a ‘standard’ rate. The process was an outright unfair practice, but in the 40’s the attention of the nation was fixed on other priorities. In the early 1950’s, the Supreme Court ruled that an established 6% commission was illegal, so the Real Estate Boards shifted gears with some fancy linguistic footwork and began to call the 6% commission the ‘suggested’ amount. And, that is how it began…
Now. Who pays that? Seller? Buyer? I guess that it depends on where you stand, but you need to remember that the BUYER is always the one writing the CHECKS. That’s the real money into the transaction, Folx! Mortgaged at 4% over 30 years is ALOT of hard, cold cash… You’ve been led to believe that the Seller takes care of all the fees, while the Buyers Agency is being COMPENSATED by the Seller. That’s only equity, not to mention that everybody on the planet knows that you work for who you are being paid by. And, it is not even disclosed to the Buyer (until shortly before Closing) if their Agency is even being paid 3%, or if they’ve been incentivized to an even greater extent, directly working AGAINST the Buyer’s best interest. Paying a 3% commission for services that are only worth about $1500 is an abomination of the Dark Side…

Some of us are engaging in an open Rebellion, & are resisting the power of the Dark Side by innovating, educating, & empowering all Padawans, young and old, to fight for their rights for more peaceful, profitable adventures.
In today’s installment, our Jedi-in-training are a 30-something year old couple who dream of a home in a specific area. Rather than waiting around in their Tatooine desert, they engage a local Yoda to help them harness the power of community connection. The Master assures them that the training & assistance is valuable, & that it does in fact come at a cost. But, it doesn’t need to be 3%, & they don’t have to wait around for some sign to be stuck in the sand. “You must unlearn what you have learned. You will know good from bad when you are calm.”, Yoda says. He then tells the Jedi Buyer that he will charge them $1500-$5000, depending on how many doors he must knock. He then knocks on 20 doors in the area of interest, acquires 6 home owners who would be interested in selling to you. Especially when they are told there is only $5000 in fees, as opposed to 6%, & that they may have from 1-12 months to find their next planet of habitation. Then, each of those 6 home owners become new Padawans, & in the course of two transactions the Force has saved the Republic an average of over $20,000 (or, $33,344.32 if you paid 4% for 30 years…)
And then, Skywalker flies in and blows up the Death Star. The End.

Ask us about our Targeted Acquisition Program (TAP), which is the only brokerage model in Northwest Arkansas that can GUARANTEE saving their Client’s money!$!$!$! while getting them EXACTLY the home they had hoped for BEFORE it ‘hits the market’!rebel

12-Hour Adventures Near Fayetteville, Arkansas

by realtyepicfayetteville, posted in Uncategorized

As winter sets in and the temperatures drop, all you want to do is spend time inside enjoying the heat and a nice cup of tea. When you do get outside, you want your trip to be worth it. Luckily, the beautiful state of Arkansas is centrally located to a number of winter-friendly activities that will enrich your season and bring joy to yourself and family or friends without needing to take any days off work.

 

Though we all wish we had endless time to go wandering around our state and neighboring states, we often don’t have the three or four days necessary to really make the most of a road trip. Luckily, we’ve put together a series of trips that don’t require an overnight stay or a large budget, so the next time you have a free afternoon, pack some snacks and turn on your road-ready playlist because you’re going adventuring. Take one each month to start 2018 off right, and it will be springtime before you know it.

  1. In January, embark on a magical quest at Terra Studios

Only 13 miles east of Fayetteville, Terra Studios is a wonderland of art, a popular Northwest Arkansas tourist attraction, and a family friendly destination. Known particularly for their vast collection of glass-blown bluebirds made by local Arkansas residents, Terra Studios even offers glass demonstrations daily 11:30 – 4:30, mid-March through New Year’s weekend.) They showcase American arts and crafts, Ozark crafts, handmade collectibles, and unique gifts created by local artists. But Terra Studios is more than just a magical maze of art installations. Interact and make your own art at their Art Lab, which offers free to moderately priced arts and crafts for all ages, or take a more in-depth art technique workshop and be taught by an artisan maker to craft your own vision.

 

  1. In February, explore Branson, MO for thrill and variety

Nestled in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, Branson, MO is an obvious choice for a day trip originating near Fayetteville. Branson is acclaimed for its amazing 100-plus live shows, including the China Acrobats; 60s, 70s and 80s music acts; the Charlie Daniels Band; the Charley Pride show and oh so many more.


Get your adrenaline pumping at Silver Dollar City where there are 30 thrilling rides, including the Fire in the Hole, the Powder Keg, Wildfire, the Giant Swing and Outlaw Run, the world’s newest and most exciting wood rollercoaster. When your crew gets hungry, dining options are varied and delicious. No matter your eating preference, Branson restaurants will sate your appetite. Choose from a wide range of cuisine, including American, Chinese, Italian, Japanese, Mediterranean, Mexican and many more. Many restaurants deliver right to your hotel, resort or campground. Try the famous Cantina Laredo, and enjoy the chicken or steak topped with one of a kind signature sauces like chipotle-wine and Portobello mushroom or sautéed artichoke heart and roasted red bell pepper. Pair that with an award-winning margarita.

  1. In March, take a trip through time at Har-Ber Village

Perfect for a family outing, Har-Ber Village is a pioneer-era village and history museum located on the shores of Grand Lake o’ the Cherokees in Oklahoma, only 1.5 hours from Fayetteville. Visitors experience the area’s history and ecology through self-guided tours. Antiques, collectibles and reproductions are displayed in exhibitions representing the mid-1800s to the early 1900s in the local four-state region (Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas). Be the star student in a mid-1800s classroom, soup up in the log cabin dining hall, and face justice in the period-style jail. Many of the Har-Ber Village exhibits have been renovated and new, hands-on activity stations have been added to the grounds. Be sure to check out their calendar for special events and workshops. Har-Ber Village is closed for the winter, but re-opens in March.

  1. In April, go out of this world in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Explore the state-of-the-art planetarium, climb inside a Spartan Executive Model 12 airplane, and use a remote-controlled flight simulator to experience first-hand the thrill and the challenges of flying your own plane. All this and more at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum Planetarium. Tulsa is 2 hours west of Fayetteville, and there are plenty of things to do in the city with a few hours of time on your hands when you’ve finished getting your intergalactic explorer on. If you’re a music aficionado, you can’t miss the Woody Guthrie Center, which celebrates Guthrie’s body of work and celebrates his life and the continuation of his legacy. They provide resources to students, teachers, and academics about Woody’s important role in American history and his advocacy for social justice, but the center also hosts live performances and events, so check their calendar to find a show you’ll love and enjoy some live music, while you’re at it.

The Most Affordable Education in Northwest Arkansas!

by realtyepicfayetteville, posted in Uncategorized

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There are a group of men in Tontitown that have been developing their skills for decades, & are willing to train you for a very nominal fee. This group has been relentless in their pursuit of the craft, & have dedicated hundreds of hours to mastering the intricacies of the processes involved with generating a successful outcome. Everyone uses the same tools, but not everyone knows how to execute on the same level. They could teach you for free, but they understand the age-old adage that ‘you get what you pay for’, & they are not interested in entertaining you. They want you to have a little ‘skin in the game’. You can find them almost every day at Harry Sbanotto Park at the bocce ball court, & it’ll cost you a quarter to play. Don’t get your hopes up to ‘win’, but I’ll guarantee you’ll get your money’s worth in the department of education…

 

Have you ever heard the term ‘you’ve gotta spend money to make money’? Well, part of that is true. Spending money doesn’t infer a return, however INVESTING it does.

 

At Realty EPIC, the story goes something like this: I often wondered over the past 10 years why I chose to carve out my niche in the Fayetteville real estate market by altruistically serving the underserved-undervalued. For Sale By Owners, negative-equity, people who chose to DIY, and folks who simply couldn’t afford conventional representation. I spent hundreds of hours coaching, consulting, developing marketing strategies and variable commissions structures to help those folks achieve their objectives. I performed these services pro bono, aside from my work for my contracted clients. The effectiveness of my marketing methodologies has always proven more profitable for my clients than the ‘average’, & has generated some really cool success stories from those that just needed a little help tuning their instruments. I’ve always been a fan of the underdog. Spiderman was my favorite superhero as a boy (still is!) because he was just a regular Joe who was determined to make a difference, regardless of the bad press and lack of proper credit. Well, now that I’m a big-boy entrepreneur-type, I’ve decided it’s time to start asking people for their quarters. I have boiled all those years of tools, processes, & execution down into consumer-friendly bites. If you choose the conventional real estate brokerage model, you are agreeing to swallow the elephant in one fell swoop, & maybe that is what is best for you and your family’s digestive tract. If you can walk away from that closing table feeling like you got a FULL value (6%? is that negotiable?) for the services that you required, then by all means, turn right around and write ANOTHER check that includes ANOTHER 6%(is that negotiable?) for the next house you buy, regardless of the likelihood that you found it yourself. I’m sorry if I’m being a lil harsh. But, I get upset that more people are not more educated on some of the base principals of a free-market economy. They say that it’s all about the $$$, then they turn around and submit to the norm without putting up any kind of fight. Maybe that’s my problem. I’m willing to preserve, protect, & promote YOUR interests, even when you and your family are feeling weak. When you want to just throw in the towel. But, if you are looking for another way, give me a call (relatively harmless), I can help you. And, I can guarantee that I can save you money/stress/headaches compared to tradition. I am a truly COMPETITIVE enterprise. I am in the business of redeeming FAITH in the community of service providers, restoring HOPE in the fact that there is a wonderful way out, & I absolutely LOVE what I get to do when I am Entertaining, Educating, & Empowering people to do their BEST.

But, don’t act surprised when I ask you for a check. It’ll likely be more 25¢, but your real assets aren’t bocce-ball either…

Our Manifesto

by realtyepicfayetteville, posted in realty EPIC, Uncategorized

Realty EPIC values_web

We believe that your individual interests are ours only to preserve, protect, and promote.

We believe that your Mama was wrong, and that the World does revolve around you and your Family.

We believe that it is your Story, and we are privileged to be a Character in a couple of chapters.

We believe that, unless you are in your ‘forever’ home, that your house is an asset that is perpetually ‘on the market’ for the right price at the right time.

We believe that if we’ll say it we’ll sign it, while founding relationships that will flourish on a handshake.

We believe that when trust is there, it’s palpable. And when it’s not, people talk about it a lot.

We believe that Fayetteville, Arkansas is the Center of the Universe, & we are relentless in our pursuit to Improve and Appreciate it.

We believe that hanging out at the Castle at Wilson Park generates creative ideas, and helps restore a critical childlike wonder.

We believe that it takes a village to make a Village. And a Broker is designed and responsible to bring all of the best people to the party.

We believe that working collaboratively rather than competitively with each other makes us smarter, stronger, and a heck of a lot less paranoid.

We believe that if we only worked 3 days that there is NO WAY we righteously earned $18,000 of your home equity.

We believe – buyer or seller – that you should get exactly what you want, be ridiculously well informed, and feel as if you have been served by royalty all the way throughout our relationship.

We believe matters of money and realty can be gnarly, overwhelming, and complicated. Thankfully, they can also be understood, reasoned with, and put in their proper place.

We believe in sharing the wealth of our relationships with Fayetteville’s finest service providers, tradesmen/craftsmen, and design professionals. Gratis.

We believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, & the Holy Ghost, live life by the Apostles Creed and the Scout Law, & do all we do to advance His Kingdom while taking care of your Castle. Alpha & Omega. Amen.