Setting the right price is an important first step in the process of selling a home. Is it necessary to spend $200 to $400 for a professional appraisal of your property before placing your home on the market? A professional appraiser’s opinion of a property’s market value is based on the recent sales of similar […]
A Home With a History
A colorful history can add significantly to the value of a home. Researching the provenance of a property you are interested in buying can be both interesting and ultimately profitable. The market value of a home will be greater if it was designed by a notable architect, built by a company with a reputation for […]
Tips for First Time Investors
When starting out as a real estate investor, you can choose either the conservative approach of holding a property until it increases in value or the riskier approach of “flipping” – reselling very soon after making some improvements that add value. If you plan on taking the safer approach, keep the following factors in mind […]
Who Pays the Commission
Does it cost the homebuyer more to be represented by a buyer’s agent who serves their interests exclusively? No, because the listing agent splits the sales commission, which is customarily paid by the seller of the home, with the buyer’s agent. The sales commission split is usually 50-50, but the listing agent and buyer’s agent […]
The Language of Real Estate Agents
Technical terms can be confusing to people who do not work in a profession, and real estate agents use language that may be confusing to many home buyers and sellers. If you find your eyes glazing over when your real estate agent starts talking about escrow, clear title, easements, encroachments, contingencies, financing, appraisals and the […]
Real Estate Agent Representation
Which party in a real estate transaction is represented by the real estate agent–the buyer or the seller? Until recently that question was never asked because the answer was always the same. Traditionally all the marketing professionals involved in real estate transactions were legally and ethically obligated to conduct business on behalf of the seller. […]