Welcome Mat Real Estate Celebrates 12th Anniversary
Photographer / Lana King
Welcome Mat Real Estate has been fulfilling home ownership dreams since 2008. Whether a client is buying or selling, Judy Flory and the Welcome Mat team have the experience and knowledge to make their clients’ goals a reality.
Flory, owner and managing broker at Welcome Mat, has more than a decade of experience in the world of real estate. Prior to obtaining her license, she found herself dabbling in real estate and realized she had a knack for the process.
“I found myself looking up properties for my Feed Barn customers and their friends from out of town, and sending them to Odenthal Real Estate next door,” Flory says. “The Odenthals came over one day and said, ‘Why don’t you get your license and come work for us?’ So I did.”
Flory returned to school after working as an agent for one year, and got her broker license. Undeterred by the 2008 financial crash, she opened the doors to Welcome Mat Real Estate and survived the economic downturn. She has since added three licensed brokers to her team.
Chandra Fase, Welcome Mat’s newest member, joined the team in March of this year. She has a degree in marketing from Manchester University, and looks forward to helping clients sell their homes or find new places to call home.
Mike Hajek has been a part of the Welcome Mat team since 2013. Hajek grew up on a family farm and learned the agricultural side of business from his father, who was also a licensed realtor.
Clyde Flory brings 12 years of broker experience to the table. He is a local business owner and has 30-plus years of experience in agriculture sales.
Today’s housing market involves low inventory, and houses that are priced right move quickly. Being prepared before submitting an offer helps to avoid delays. Flory recommends that buyers get pre-approved from a lender. You can visit this site to see more on what you can avail for your housing needs and dream house.
“[Pre-approval] lets the seller know that the buyer is serious and can potentially follow through with the deal,” she says. “Once you are approved, do not make any large purchases. This will interfere with your debt-to-income ratio and possibly make you no longer eligible for your loan.”
The Welcome Mat team’s mantra is, “The First Step Into Your New Home”. Flory’s favorite part of real estate is finding a client’s dream home and being involved in making their dreams come true.
“There’s nothing more rewarding than handing the keys to a new home buyer, and putting the ‘SOLD’ sign in the yard for the seller,” she says.
If a client is on the selling side of the real estate market, Welcome Mat will provide a comparative market analysis showing how the property compares in value to similar properties in the market. Once a seller decides on a listing price, a listing agreement is signed with a preferred six-month contract.
“If it is to the seller’s advantage to make the property eligible for FHA, VA or USDA, then we do suggested repairs to bring it up to that level,” Flory says. “If there is something we see that would make the property more marketable or have more curb appeal, we may suggest that also.”
Photos are also taken, and the listing is then entered into two multiple listing service (MLS) systems. Welcome Mat is a member of the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors and the Indiana Regional Multiple Listing Service.
“With these two memberships, the listing reaches most of the real estate brokers in the state of Indiana,” Flory says. “It is then fed to over 75 other web sites from the MLS system. We also participate in print advertising, including local papers and magazines.”
The staff updates the official Welcome Mat web site regularly with current listings and opportunities to search properties in Indiana. Welcome Mat’s Facebook page offers facts and tips to help clients in their buying or selling journey.
Welcome Mat Real Estate is located at 708 East Talmer Avenue, Suite A in North Judson. Hours of operation are Mon. through Fri. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To speak with an agent, call 574-896-5138. For more info, go to welcomemat.bz.
