Real Estate - Sherrie Barnett

Real Estate - Sherrie Barnett Your real estate home girl! Always: no pressure just great service! No pressure just great service!

Combo post for buyers and sellers...Buyers: I know the seller paid $185,000 in 2012 for that house that’s listed at $47...
09/19/2026

Combo post for buyers and sellers...

Buyers: I know the seller paid $185,000 in 2012 for that house that’s listed at $475,000 today. They also bought a loaf of bread for under $2 that year, but nobody is using that in the appraisal. 📝 What they paid for the house has absolutely nothing to do with what it’s worth today.

Sellers: I know you dropped $75,000 on marble from some factory in Italy, and it had to be flown here on a special plane. That’s incredible. It’s beautiful. But what you “need to get out of the house” doesn’t determine what it’s worth either.

I need to be 5'10" with luxurious long red hair. Unfortunately, neither the housing market nor genetics accept requests!

Your house is worth what the market says it’s worth, what a buyer is willing to pay based on the market. It’s not based on what you paid. Or what you owe. Or what you spent. Or what you need.

I know. I’m sorry. But it’s true. Market data doesn't lie. 📈

August stats just in!
09/17/2026

August stats just in!

Sellers: has your carpet seen better days? If you don’t want to replace your carpet before you sell your house, offer ...
09/12/2026

Sellers: has your carpet seen better days? If you don’t want to replace your carpet before you sell your house, offer a flooring allowance.

By offering an allowance, it tells the buyer and their agent exactly what to expect. Instead of walking in and thinking “Wow…this carpet is rough” they are already thinking "The seller knows the carpet needs replacing and are willing to help with it." That completely changes how buyers look at the house.

The flooring allowance is then advertised in the MLS description and the agent remarks so buyers know about it before they even schedule a showing.

Most loan programs don’t allow a flooring allowance after closing.
So instead, it’s typically structured as a seller-paid closing cost credit. The buyer uses that credit toward their closing costs, then uses the money they would have spent on closing costs to install the flooring they actually want after they own the home.

It’s a 🤝 win-win: the seller doesn’t have to guess what flooring buyers will like, the buyer gets to choose exactly what they want.

Sellers: Water 💦 is one of the things that scares buyers the most. I get it! When buyers hear “water in the basement,”...
09/09/2026

Sellers: Water 💦 is one of the things that scares buyers the most. I get it!

When buyers hear “water in the basement,” their minds immediately jump to expensive repairs, foundation problems, and mold.

Prevention is key! Keep your gutters clean and securely attached, add gutter extensions. Check around the foundation, ensure the land slopes away from the home, not towards it. Water will go where there is least resistance. Move the water away from the foundation!

I even replaced a gutter on one of my homes, setting the downspout to the other end of the garage, so when it rained the water was even further away from the house.

If you are selling a home that occasionally gets water during heavy rain, don’t ignore it. Figure out why. Fix what you can. And disclose what you’re required to disclose. Buyers are much more comfortable when they know a problem has been addressed than when they discover it themselves!

Sellers: Are other agents suggesting a lower price for listing your home than you had in mind? Did they bring the data...
09/04/2026

Sellers: Are other agents suggesting a lower price for listing your home than you had in mind? Did they bring the data?

There is a huge difference between an agent saying:
“I think your house is worth $500,000” and an agent showing you why they think it’s worth $500,000.

If I’m pricing a house, I’m not just bringing three comparable sales.
I’m bringing everything that helps a seller understand the market.
✔️ Comparable homes that have sold.
✔️ Comparable homes that didn’t sell.
✔️ The homes you’re competing against today.
✔️ Days on market.
✔️ Price reductions.

Because pricing isn’t just about what sold, although your financing may believe that to be so. It’s about understanding the entire market your buyer will see. Their agent should show them the data too!

Surprise: I absolutely think sellers should decide what they list their home for, it’s their home, their equity, their decision. My job is to provide the best information I can, to explain the risks and benefits of different pricing strategies. To answer questions. To show the data. At the end of the day, the seller decides.

If we price it higher than the market supports and it doesn’t sell, then we have to be willing to revisit the conversation. Because the market always gives us feedback. No showings? Feedback. Tons of showings, no offers? Feedback. Lack of feedback is also feedback. And ignoring that feedback doesn’t usually end well.

The best pricing decisions happen when sellers and agents work together; not when one side ignores the other. 🤝

Buyers: Assume you are being recorded. 📹There is a very good chance the sellers have security cameras. And yes, in many ...
08/30/2026

Buyers: Assume you are being recorded. 📹

There is a very good chance the sellers have security cameras. And yes, in many situations, they are recording.

I think we’ve become so used to seeing security cameras everywhere that people stop noticing them. But sellers notice. And hearing negative comments about their home can make negotiations much more emotional than necessary.

Whether you’re a buyer, an agent, a contractor, or anyone else walking through a listed home: be respectful. Save your opinions until you’re in your car. Even the good opinions, as they tell a seller how interested you are in the home!

It protects you, and it keeps emotions from getting in the way of a successful transaction.

A real estate agent should follow their client’s lawful instructions.If a buyer wants to write a lower offer…I write it....
08/28/2026

A real estate agent should follow their client’s lawful instructions.

If a buyer wants to write a lower offer…I write it. That doesn’t mean I won’t give my opinion. I’ll explain what I think is likely to happen. Seller has 3 options: counter, reject, don’t even respond. I’ll prepare my buyer for the possible outcomes.

But if they still want to submit the offer? I’m submitting it. 📝

Because after 9 years in real estate, I’ve learned one thing: You never know the seller’s motivation.

Once upon a time, in a market very nearby a lovely home sat on the market, overpriced for months, no showings. My buyers entered the market and liked it. They submitted an offer based on market data: what sold recently, same area, same square footage. Seller's agent fumbled it, on many levels. Long story short, our offer was rejected. Eventually the home sold for what we offered, much much later in the year. The data doesn't lie.

My buyers moved on and found a great home in a great location with a beautiful big back yard for their kids and dog. 🐾🚸

Buyers: To inspect or not to inspect? 🔍One of the hardest things for buyers is paying for a home inspection…and then d...
08/22/2026

Buyers: To inspect or not to inspect? 🔍

One of the hardest things for buyers is paying for a home inspection…and then deciding to walk away. It feels like you wasted the money. But did you? Really?

Think of inspections as you paying 💲 for information. The entire purpose of a home inspection is to uncover issues before you own the home and they are your problems to solve. If that inspection reveals a major foundation problem, a collapsed sewer line, a failing roof, or another expensive repair that changes your mind then the inspection did exactly what you hired it to do: protect you.

That doesn’t mean every inspection should end with a buyer walking away. My first recommendation is to negotiate by asking the seller to address the major issues. Focus on the things that affect the home’s safety, livability, or could cost thousands of dollars. Items like: roof, sewer line, furnace, foundation, electrical or plumbing issues. Those are the conversations worth having.

What I don’t recommend is sending a repair request with every tiny cosmetic item you can find: a loose doorknob, a cracked outlet cover, a missing cabinet pull, etc.

When you focus on the major items, sellers are much more likely to understand that you’re negotiating in good faith instead of trying to nickel-and-dime them. Sometimes the seller says yes. Sometimes they say no. And sometimes, even after negotiating, you realize the house just isn’t the right fit. That’s okay.

Have you ever gotten under contract, had the inspection and then negotiated fixes to the home? Did the seller fix the issues or did you get an adjustment at closing and take care of them yourself? 🔨

Thinking of buying or selling soon? Some data to wet your whistle: July 2026 County stats. 📈
08/20/2026

Thinking of buying or selling soon? Some data to wet your whistle: July 2026 County stats. 📈

Buyers: no one can predict exactly what the rates will do! 📈We do know when rates drop, more buyers enter the market = ...
05/22/2026

Buyers: no one can predict exactly what the rates will do! 📈

We do know when rates drop, more buyers enter the market = increased competition putting upwards pressure on prices ⬆. While waiting may help your rate, it could change what you are competing against.

Instead of trying to time the market perfectly, DATE THE RATE, marry the home 💍!! You can refinance. Look at your goals, your finances and whether the payment is comfortable (or a bit of a stretch until that next raise).

The 'right' time ⏰ is more about YOU and YOUR FINANCES than headlines.

Reach out: 248-387-9734 ☎

Address

14600 Farmington Road Ste 108
Livonia, MI
48154

Telephone

+12483879734

Website

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