We decided to sell our home and called Marvin for an Opinion of Value so we could get an idea of price. We told him our wish list: We wanted to sell now but not move for about 15 months! We were building a new house and have two dogs and didn't want to move twice and have to rent for a year..

He said he was showing clients the next day in our price range. As it turned out, his clients were only looking as they weren't able to move to Mexico till a year or more. Marvin quickly put two and two together and brought them to see our home. Then we sat down and discussed our respective situations and got a feel for what each others needs were.

Then Marvin left with his clients and structured an offer that worked perfectly for both buyers and sellers. We couldn't be happier. It was a complex contract and few others could have put this particular deal together. Marvin, you are truly a professional and an experienced Realtor capable of looking after all your clients needs. You cannot help but be successful as you put your clients' needs ahead of your own.

We called you because of the incredible marketing you do for your listings - Home Books covering every detail of the property, full color Feature Sheets and all the added promotion you do. By doing this you get to know your listings inside and out and are clearly in a better position to properly promote them. I know the new buyers were thrilled with the Home Book as it allows them to show their family and friends their new home in Mexico, even though it was prepared after they actually purchased our home.

Another important part of the equation is Barbara, and we can't thank you enough for all your hard work. Barbara works behind the scenes creating all the marketing materials - Home Books, Feature Sheets, advertising etc and looks after all the paper work for the closings.

Since we had a quick closing, Barbara had to go above and beyond getting all the paper work together in time - Power of Attorney and Apostile, going back and forth with the buyers in the States and the Notario here in Mexico. There is an incredible amount of documentation required to close a transaction in Mexico and Barbara makes it seem easy and seamless. We can't thank you enough. Everything worked out perfectly.


Very sincerely, and with our greatest appreciation,
Marie Dwyer-Bullock & Ray Bullock

We are very proud of our Home Books. They evolved from our clients who were always asking for additional information and more pictures of our listings. Sellers wanted thorough and accurate information available on their home. Realtors cannot know nor remember all the information on a particular property. Our Home Books satisfy all these requirements. They are a valuable tool making home selling easier. Realtors have favorably responded to our Home Books knowing that all the information is readily available when they walk in to show the property.

When the job is done they are great keepsakes for both the Buyer and Seller.

The Home Books are available on-line and are printable. ONE copy is placed in the home and another copy in each of our offices. They assist in pre-qualifying Buyers and save on unnecessary interruptions to the Sellers.

The Home Books often begin with information about the neighborhood. We belive strongly that you are buying more than just a home; you become part of a community. There are descriptions of the various rooms, their features followed by the exterior. Lost of full color pictures. A full inventory is included, room sizes and another page itemizing special features. Frequently there is an "Opinion of Replacement Value" sheet. And finally, there is a directory of the services, restaurants, etc, of the surrounding area that is appreciated by newcomers.

We are working hard to have these Home Books become the norm for the real estate industry in Lake Chapala, Mexico.

There is a lot more to selling a home
than placing a sign on the lawn.....

The goal of a good realtor is to sell your home for more money, net to you - after commissions, than if you had done all the work and sold it yourself. This takes a lot of planning and hard work.

In today's challenging real estate market, there is a lot more to selling a home than placing a sign on the lawn, an ad in the paper and waiting for the buyer to come. If you want to get the highest possible price for your home and not be waiting for months and months to find a buyer, you need to have an intensive plan of action.

Our objective is to turn your 'For Sale' sign into a 'Sold Sign' in the shortest period of time while getting you the best possible price. To do this, we have developed a comprehensive marketing plan.

21 Point Marketing Plan

We have to aggressively market your home if we want to get the best results. Before we can market your property, we must package it; we must look at what we have to offer and where it fits in today's market place. What is going to sell your home is not always apparent. Seldom does a home sell itself.

1. Finding the Unique Selling Proposition of Your Home

It is necessary to start the whole selling process with a thorough analysis of your property, looking at the characteristics, specifics on construction, the location, special additions, special features, the neighborhood, etc. Armed with all the information, we determine the USP (Unique Selling Proposition) of your property and then we create a marketing plan around it.

2. Target Marketing

Once we have identified the Unique Selling Proposition of your home, we can then anticipate who the potential buyers might be. We work with you to determine the reasons you bought your home. We look at what specific features and benefits you saw in the property and what additions you have made and why. Once we have created the 'profile' of the potential buyer, we can target our marketing to that person. This can be extremely effective at increasing the quality of the showings on your home. When someone finds that exact property they are looking for, quite often they are prepared to pay more for it.

3. Preparing your Home

There are a number of things you can do to prepare your home so buyers fully appreciate all it has to offer. We will work with you in setting the stage so your home will show its very best.
Click here for a FREE copy of "22 Ways to Dress Your House for Success."

4. Digital Pictures

A complete portfolio of pictures, inside and outside, will be taken of your home as well as the views and the surrounding area. Pictures can say so much more than words. These pictures will be used in our adverting, brochures, newsletters, digital e-mail flyers, the Home Book, the Internet, information to all the local Realtors (MLS) in the Lake Chapala area to help tell the story of your property. People buy on emotion, not facts. Pictures help us touch that emotional part of people to make them want to come see your home.

5. Multiple Listing Service (MLS)

The full details of your property will be submitted to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) where it can be accessed by the 168 real estate agents in the Lake Chapala area. The information can also be accessed via the Internet (MLS web site) by the public.

Surveys by local and national real estate boards in North America have shown consistently that 86% of all buyers purchase through a real estate agent. Therefore we aim a good percentage of our marketing at the Lake Chapala real estate industry. This consistently brings your home to the attention of all the local real estate agents working with qualified buyers.

6. Marketing Campaign to Real Estate Agents

A series of color E-Brochures will be sent to the local Real Estate Agents in Lake Chapala.

• New Listing e-brochure
• Open House e-brochure
• Any changes to the listing e-brochure
• Reminder of your listing e-brochure
• By keeping your home at the top of the Real Estate Agents minds, we can maximize the exposure to your home.

7. Open House to MLS Agents

Soon after your home is listed, we will host an open house for the Real Estate Agents. This gives us the opportunity to highlight and promote all the special features of your property. We want to get them excited about showing your home.

8. Open House to the Public

There are pros and cons to 'Public Open House' events. The reality is that regular open houses are more beneficial to the Realtor than the Homeowner. It allows them to meet potential buyers, but not necessarily for your home. Seldom does a visitor to an open house buy that particular home.

By timing and focusing various marketing components, we can increase attendance response as well as target prospects that are actually suited to your home. For instance, the newspaper advertising and invitational e-brochures to my client list and to all Lake Chapala Realtors inviting them to send their clients, could be done in conjunction with the open house. And you can help, by forwarding the e-brochure announcement to your friends and neighbors inviting them to the Open House.

We will discuss this during our initial marketing plan and incorporate your preferences into the total marketing strategy.

The more people we can target to come through your home at the same time, the better. This creates a sense of urgency and enhances the possibility of getting an offer and a higher priced offer.

9. Signage

The Lake Chapala Real Estate sign is colorful and eye-catching! Having our sign on your lawn represents 24 hour silent advertising. Unique to our signage is the addition of a two-page laminated color feature flyer on the sign, allowing passers-by to ascertain if your home meets their basic requirements. This should result in better quality showings.

Sometimes buyers will rule out a home from its exterior. Having the feature flyer available on the For Sale Sign, may give them enough information to get them excited and call for a viewing appointment. It only takes one to be the right buyer for your home.

10. Home Book

11. Newspaper and Magazine Advertising

Lake Chapala Real Estate advertises in a number of newspapers (both English and Spanish), as well as Magazines - aimed at people interested in retiring or living in Mexico.

In addition we will advertise your home in the local newspapers in accordance with the total marketing plan.

12. The Internet

The selling process of your home to a specific buyer can actually begin on our web site.

The internet is a very valuable tool to present your home, with all its features and benefits, to clients in Lake Chapala, Mexico and those still in Canada, the United States or Europe.

Your home will be showcased in the Featured Listings page where it can be accessed by potential buyers and Realtors. All the information about your home, complete with pictures to tell the story, is displayed on our web site from the time your listing is taken until it is sold.  Click here to access Featured Listings.

13. International Promotion of Properties

We have cultivated relationships (and have become the Realtor of choice) with several groups and individuals who promote the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. This has been tremendously successful at generating high quality clients who are interested in buying real estate specifically in the Lake Chapala region.

14. Property Feature Flyer

15. Other Marketing Tricks

When all else fails, we go back to the drawing board and pull out additional marketing tricks to generate renewed interest in your home. Perhaps it is to coordinate an 'Art in the Garden' show in your back garden. Or, together with you, we look at any incentives we might be able to include that will create new interest. The bottom line is, we will not stop until your home is sold. There is a reason our listings sell for more money and on average faster.

16. Communication with You, the Seller

We will regularly give you status reports on what is happening with your property, the marketing, as well as any changes in the local market conditions. This will give you the information you need to adjust the marketing and pricing strategy as needed. Together, we will work to get the best results in the shortest time.

17. Custom Home Tours from our Lake Chapala Real Estate Office

Every week we advertise 'custom' home tours from our office (Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 2 pm). We sit down with these clients and together we select homes in their price range and in the neighborhoods where they would like to live. This is not just a curiosity tour for lookers.

18. How our 'Buyer Service Process" Works for You

19. E-Mail Marketing

We have a growing list of people who we have made contact with that we keep in touch with through e-mail marketing. This allows a relationship to build between us so when they are ready to make the move (or buy in advance of the move), it is more likely they will use our services in that process.

20. The Offer

Once we have an accepted offer on your home, there is still much to do. We will stay on top of all conditional dates, communicating with the buyer or buyers' Real Estate Agent until all the conditions have been met and confirmed in writing.

We will notify the Lake Chapala Real Estate Agents of the offer and advise them when conditions are removed. Once we have a confirmed sale, we will place a 'Sold Sign' on your property.

21. The Closing

Once we have the sale confirmed and prior to the date of closing we will look after the following on your behalf :

• Recommend a Notario Publico (lawyer) to suit the buyers' needs during the closing of the property. (In Mexico, the buyer is responsible to pay the full closing costs.)
• Obtain a certificate of no gravamen (no liens) from the municipal property registry office.
• Obtain a certificate showing that all property taxes are paid up-to-date in full.
• Verify that all utilities and colonos fees (homeowner's association) are paid up-to-date in full.
• Verify that all previous employees (i.e. maids and gardeners) of the property have been paid in full and have received their dismissal and severance package according to Mexico Labor laws.
• Assist the lawyer and the Lake Chapala local government land appraisers in establishing a fair avaluo (fiscal evaluation) that is used in assessing property taxes, legal fees and land transfer taxes.
• Assist the lawyer in obtaining permissions from the Federal Mexican government for the escritura (buyer's deed) or in establishing a fideicomiso (bank trust).
• Verify the seller of the property has paid the impuestos sobre la renta (capital gains) as required by Mexican law.

Click here to put this 21 Point Marketing Plan to work selling your home and for Free Home Evaluation and full Listing Presentation.