Realtor Thursday

A conversation with Claudia Connerly, Residential Agent @ Crye-Leike Realtors Kanis Branch, Little Rock, Arkansas

Personal Experience
Funny you should ask.  I just happened to have had this conversation with a
gentleman who’d contacted me from one of my social websites, currently living in
Michigan, asking me about Arkansas and Little Rock.  He’s considering a move and
just wanted my personal opinion.  According to him, I should run for city council!

I grew up living all over the US.  My father was under government contract and
we moved about every four to six months.  So, it would probably be easier for me
to tell you where I haven’t lived, than where I have.  And, I’ve seen it all.
From the frozen tundra of the North, to the sweltering heat of the really deep
South.  By the time I started junior high school and got into sports, my Mom
thought her children had a right to a stable home and chose Arkansas to settle
in because her parents were here at the time.

I lived here until I graduated high school and moved to an unnamed place way far
West, just a little short of California.  I absolutely hated it.  The landscape
was far too boring, going to purchase a Christmas tree in the convertible with
the top down just wasn’t right and the thought of decorating a Saguaro cactus
with tree trimmings make me ill.  There was too much traffic, too much concrete,
too much exhausting heat, too many tall buildings with reflective glass.  It
seemed if you hadn’t been born there, you were considered a “snow bird” and
friends were hard to come by.  So, a year later I moved back to Arkansas.

Bridal Veil Falls

The “why” part hit me hard upon my return.  I’d grown accustomed to the beauty
of green forests, the rolling hills, the mountain streams, the beautiful crystal
blue lakes, lazy rolling rivers, the agreeable climate, and the Southern charm
of the people in Arkansas.

The People

Pictured Above: AR Arts Center, Greers Ferry, Downtown Nightlife

Now, don’t get me wrong.  Little Rock is not, by any means, some backwoods,
ignored place.  See, that is the other side of its beauty.  Not only are the
people charming, Little Rock is also big enough to do anything in the world
you’d want, but small and warm enough to get to do it here without all the
negatives of larger cities.  Yes, we do have culture and the arts here… and, plenty of “quiet” money. We get to enjoy a mild climate, year round, have four full seasons with all
their glory, yet none of them last too long.

Rivermarket

The Location
We are a 6 hour drive to St. Louis, 4 hours away from Dallas, 2 hours from
Memphis, and best of all, only an 8 hour drive from the white sandy beaches of the
Gulf Coast….without the threat of hurricanes and oil spills.

Home Buyer’s Tax Credit
July 31, 2010 saw the latest close date for first time buyers.  I believe the
allowance from our government did exactly what it was intended to do.  Our lower
end, first time buyer’s type home, sold as quickly as they hit the MLS and
everyone scrambled to get these buyers closed by the deadline.  I expected to
see sales in this area decline, but really haven’t noticed a difference in
volume at all.  While these buyers have expressed remorse over not having been
able to take advantage of the credit, they conclude it is still worth the
investment to move forward, take the plunge, and start their growth in home
ownership.

Bottomed Out
From my own personal business experience, it seemed we hit our lowest market
about a year ago.  Even that wasn’t a huge difference, only the normal reaction
to a national economy downslide.  Clients are still coming to me asking “Isn’t
it a buyer’s market?”  Not so much here at all.  We still have a fair share of
foreclosures and short sales but even those normally sell at close to list
price, once the correct price for condition and location are set.  Personally,
I’m seeing the best deals coming from short sales and motivated sellers on homes
that are usually easily financed with FHA or VA loans.

The Economy and Prices
We are also the third strongest real estate market in the United States….yes,
that’s true…but don’t tell anyone…we want to keep it quiet, okay?  Our
economy is stable with the diversity of many, many industries.  

Our Town

Pictured above: Arkansas State Capitol, President Clinton Library, Arkansas Fine Arts Center

Why do I think we are so stable?  Think about it.  We have the Walton’s
(Wal-Mart), the Rockefeller’s, the Stephens’ (one of the largest off Wall Street
investment firms), the Gleason’s’ (Bank of The Ozarks), the Hunt’s (trucking
industry) and many other “big money” families glued to this place.
Consequently, we’ve steered clear of all the “ups and downs” in real estate
witnessed these past few years in larger cities.  We are a rooted society.

So, we have the largest of multi-million dollar mansions, to the old historical
parts of town with all their charm, the tourist attraction of our River Market
Area, the charming older area of smaller homes in transition and set to become
the next “hot” areas, to the Nuevo money subdivisions with their own country
clubs and golf courses for the younger, upscale thriving people.  Whatever your
style, we have it and at a reasonable price where your investment will have a
good chance at remaining stable.

Schools
We are also blessed with one of the best public school systems. Within this past year we’ve started the Arkansas State College Lottery system and will be awarding over one million in scholarships for our college students annually.  Little Rock’s Central High School, rich in history, is well known for being ranked among the best 100 in the nation, most National Merit Scholars and National Achievement Finalist in the state over the past 10 years with over $4 million in scholarships awarded, has had five Presidential Scholars in the last decade, hundreds of AP Scholars, dominates at regional and state Science Fairs, has the largest number of delegates to Boys’ and Girls’ State, the most participants in Governor’s School Gifted and Talented Program, and has competed
in chemistry Olympiad, Arkansas Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, mock
trial, various mathematics competitions, and the SECME Olympiad. In addition,
Central has had 55 Stephens’ Award winners for outstanding academic achievement.
Our own University of Arkansas Medical Center is a world renowned medical
training and cancer research center and Arkansas Children’s Hospital is one of
this country’s top children’s hospital.

Preparing to Buy
I love working with first time buyers!  Their enthusiasm is contagious and I get
a great deal of enjoyment working with them.   I’m very firm in stating that the
process of purchasing a home is like a recipe and you’d better put the
ingredients in the correct order to avoid disaster.  First step, get
pre-approved for the mortgage!  Without that, you’re running in blind circles.
Having been a first time buyer (OK…that was a very long time ago) but I do
remember the fear of being told “no.”  And, I thoroughly understand and
sympathize with this dilemma.  I know it’s scary!  But I make it clear to them I
do not want to start showing them 250K homes, they fall in love with one, only
to find out they qualify for 150K.  Going backwards is more depressing than
moving upwards!  It’s a waste of both our time and a good way to set them up for
potential heartbreak.  A pleasant surprise to find out you can actually afford a
little more than you thought, is a good thing! 

So, my friends, if you are looking for a place to start, or retire, where the
people are charming, the city is clean, the weather is wonderful, the money is
“quiet”, the landscape looks like a painting, fishing is great, hunting is
bountiful, the social life is stimulating and your investment is safe, I say
“look no further because you’ve just arrived in Little Rock”.

About Claudia Connerly

Having been in sales for the first 25 years of my life, and recently divorced after 20+ years of marriage, I truly believe God lead to me Real Estate.  I still vividly remember leaving my desk for lunch, getting in my car, and something unexplainable told me to register for Real Estate school.  It’s been the most challenging and rewarding thing I’ve ever done.  I truly believe it’s a job worth doing and a good way to help others achieve their dreams, goals and financial wealth.  Most days I work from 9 a.m. until at least 10:00 p.m., seven days a week.  It’s clearly not a career cut out for most people.  But, my worst nightmare of a job is being told what to do, every day, sitting in a cubical, with my own fate in the hands of the unknown.  My mother tells me I shall never die, I will simply spontaneously combust and become a big greasy spot on a wall somewhere!  And, of course, there have been one or two clients I truly wanted to strangle, but 99% of my clients love me in the end and are the biggest supporters of my business. I know buying or selling your own home is one of the most stressful things people can ever do and I dedicate myself to them during
this process.  My goal is to take the stress upon my own shoulders, never even let them know of the problems, solve them quickly and simply take the stress away from them.  They end up one of my dearest friends and loyal clients for life.  Every deal is different, every client is different, and every home is different.  And, if it’s weird or hysterically funny, it happens to me.  One day, when I get some spare time, LOL, I’m going to write my book titled, So, You Think You Want To Be A Realtor, Huh?  I’ve sold seven thousand dollar houses (along with the 30 cats that came with the home) and million dollar homes, and one is just as important to that buyer as the other.  Lord help me, this is what keeps me challenged and loving the work I call my own!

Claudia Connerly
Residential Realtor, Multi-Million Dollar Producer
Recently voted by Soiree Magazine as one of the top 20 “Favorite” Agents in LR
Crye-Leike Realtors, Kanis Branch
Little Rock, Arkansas, 72211
Cell 501-551-3824
claudia.connerly@crye-leike.com (email)

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/claudia-connerly/13/2a2/152
http://claudiaconnerly.crye-leike.com/
http://twitter.com/ClaudiaConnerly
www.homes.com/Agent/2324067/CLAUDIA-CONNERLY

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This guest post is part of our Realtor Thursday Series. We invite realtors from towns and cities all over the country, big or small, to participate. Our goal is to “travel” to as many towns as we can in every state. Every town is unique and wonderful to our readers. If you would like to showcase your town, your neighbors and your talents as a realtor, please contact us at liz@dalesiegel.com