For Sale By Owners

Hello,
If you are thinking of selling your home without a Realtor, make sure you are prepared! There are a lot of papers, rules, inspections, and disclosures that occur in a deal. And although you may think that by not paying a commission you are passing on the savings to the buyer, keep in mind that those savings you give now may haunt you later!

Let's talk about this pet peeve: Disclosure! A lot of disclosure occurs, and from the last time you were in a real estate deal, do you remember what needed to be disclosed? It can be pretty confusing, and stuff could fall through those cracks!

Does the buyer have a Realtor? As I'm sure there are a bunch of good hearted Realtors in the industry, I'm not so sure that they would work for free. Now that "savings" you are passing just got reduced by half, or more!

How is your marketing? I'm sure that some of the online classifieds, such as Craigslist.com are being utilized. However are you listed in your regional MLS? Are you hosting any Open Houses? Have you checked the comparable properties to see if your asking price is too high (or to low)?

There is a lot of talent out there with Realtors, and there are a lot of people convinced that they can do the job themselves.

I like examples, so I am going to use one. If you were on trial for murder, and were innocent yet there was a stack of circumstantial evidence against you, would you represent yourself to save a few dollars?

Let me know what you think.
John

Mistakes of an uninformed Buyer

Hello,
I talk to a lot of people about real estate. I keep hearing the same thing over and over again; "I am just going to wait six months for the market to come back".

STOP!

Don't wait. I will guarantee, when you do wait and decide to get behind the eight ball, you'll be behind everyone else too! Good thinking you! Really knew when to strike when the iron was hot!

1. The early bird gets the worm. Prices may keep falling, yes, but really how much more? We have seen a lot of falling, and yes I will agree that they probably will fall some more. But ask yourself two things; One, do you know when they will bottom out? And two, can you finance right now?

If you answered yes to the first one, congratulations, you are psychic and should tour in Las Vegas. If there was a yes to the second question, and you haven't purchased yet, help yourself out by taking your right boot off and tap it against your head!

2. Would you pay a little extra for a sure thing? I sure as hell would. Why gamble with an unknown when you can have security for a little extra. This is just common sense! I don't even know why I am talking about this, but people, would you leave your front door unlocked on the chance you WOULDN'T be robbed just so you can open your door more conveniently?

Do yourself a favor, help the economy a little, and buy something! A house would be great, because those who can finance right now will be the foundation for what's ahead.

Let me know what you think.
John