Real Estate Question - Who owns the house?
no_green_thumb
9 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (54)
no_green_thumb
9 years agomaddielee
9 years agoRelated Discussions
Intro and Real Estate question
Comments (8)You're not crazy and it WILL work! :) New roof and new furnace? Talk those up when you sell it ~ those are major expenses if they need to be replaced, so it sounds real good that they're new. Find the receipts if you can and give your real estate agents copies when you list it. Ditto for the siding and bay window. Siding is another nice thing to be new when you're selling. Floors are important. You know how everything looks great right after you vacuum, even if there are a few clothes on the couch and everything needs dusting? ;) Fix those floors if you can right before you put it on the market, even if you just do a quick sand/buff job on the wood and put in cheapo linoleum elsewhere ~ it's new and clean and will look good for the moment. Fill the holes in the walls ~ white toothpaste works great on a white wall and is so easy. If you can touch up the walls inside, do. Even if you don't have any paint left from the last paint job, but can computer match it at the paint store. Attempts at touching up look better than no attempt at all. Bathrooms and kitchens are "in" right now and everyone wants a custom job, so I wouldn't worry TOO much about them as whoever buys your house will probably want to do something different anyway. Fix anything that won't allow for immediate move-in or just looks really bad and leave it. And remember curb appeal. Go out to the street in front of your house and take a loooong, hard look at it, remembering that this will be the FIRST view the buyers will get of your place and you know how people go for first impressions. THAT will tell you more of what you need to do than I can. Good luck! :)!...See MoreMajor real estate brokers not showing house
Comments (18)There are going to be some REA's on here that don't like hearing this but here goes.... Realtor's and Brokers don't sell homes. They facilitate all the paperwork, process and people involved in a home sale. But in an internet-driven, mostly buyers market, the internet and the buyers use of same is driving more showings than is a Realtor or broker. If you aren't getting showings, its because of one or more of the following: -Your home is priced too high relative to competing homes/comparables in your market. Price drops, even minor ones, push you back to the top of the search engines as "changed" and signal potential buyers that you are motivated to sell. If you are NOT motivated to sell, then keep your price where you are and wait for a buyer with deeper pockets to come along. -Your home doesn't look good on the MLS and portal sites. Colors may be off, perhaps its empty and/or needs some staging, not enough pictures, too many pictures, low curb appeal...tons of reasons. See above...if you add/change pictures, it usually triggers a refresh in the MLS database and the sites will filter you back to the top as a changed listing, giving you temporary visibility again. -Ditto for MLS listing descriptions. While I personally don't read them first (I am looking at pictures and features like 3-car garage, bedrooms, baths, etc.) I have seen some that are outright deal killers. I saw one here just the other day that literally led off with this sentence. "Back on the market due to failure to perform by prospective buyers and no fault of the seller." C'mon, that just sounds like a childish agent/owners having some beef that the former buyers couldn't obtain financing and/or the appraisal came it below contract price. Stuff happens, be professional and if you put it in writing, it better be positive and genuine. Likewise, the text description shouldn't sound like the freaking Sham-Wow commercial guy or that's an equally bad turnoff. Accentuate the positives without screaming out every superlative you can squeeze into the 1000 character limit. You know the drill. -Your home may be absolutely great, but your lot/location is less desirable than your competition. I can't tell you the number of times I've decided AGAINST a showing on a home because I simply hit the "view on Google maps" button and noticed that the home backed up to a busy street, had little privacy between me and my neighbors, etc. It used to be that you really had to go visit a house to get a feel for its surroundings and this is simply not true any more. Doesn't matter to me how nice the home looks in pictures, if I can see my neighbors from my back deck, I'm not even going to consider it. Keep also in mind that with both Google street views and birds-eye satellite views of your home, it may be showing something less desirable than your perfectly-staged MLS pictures. For example, I once found a great home with a nice piece of property but noted that my neighbors on both sides of me had really poorly maintained yards. Big open areas of erosion, holes/ruts from something, etc. I passed on the property entirely. This was just visible from the Google maps views, not from the MLS pictures. I guarantee you that I'm not the only genius using this technique. I'd say that the reputation/demeanor of your broker/REA is the least of your concerns as they are the least of your influences to get a showing. The buyers most likely won't even interact with your REA until they submit an offer, and by that time, who cares what they think about the broker/agent? You are in offer stage if that happens. Today's home sellers need to recognize that the rules have changed. Buyers are more informed, and more empowered, to pick and choose what homes they want to see and less reliant on a broker/REA to make that decision for them. Doesn't mean REA's are worthless...quite the contrary. But it means they have far less influence on obtaining/pushing showings than they once had. This post was edited by Tony2Toes on Tue, Apr 2, 13 at 16:19...See MoreBuying a home & need a real estate agent
Comments (13)I am a Realtor and can give you a little advise even though I dont know your state laws. First of all never ever sign anything unless you are 100% comfortable with it. What I would recommend is talk to a few LOCAL agents and "interview" them. See which ones listen to what you want, are responsive and have personalities that you are able to work with and enjoy. Something to the effect of making a call and seeing how long they take to send you some listing sheets and what homes they are for and meet them to see one or two of these. Then pick ONE (the one who found you the homes you liked best- meaning they listened to you and whose personality you enjoyed)of them dont keep working with a bunch of agents it's just not fair to us and you will not get the best service. Even if they have you sign a contract at least you can be comfortable with them now- I personally would never sign a buyers agency contract on the first meeting. Also remember contracts are changeable so if you want to write in something about FSBO's and if you are responsible for payment put in a number that you think is fair but remember its not fair to them if they drive you all over the place spend hours and hours on you and then you take the education they have given you and use it to cut them out of the deal. Good luck!...See MoreIf you could ask a real estate agent only one question
Comments (9)I would ask about his/her "networking circle" and how quickly they respond to calls or inquiries. Anyone can list your house. You can list it yourself with a FSBO broker paying the buying agent 2-3%. Although, not ALL agents utilize all the possible websites to market your property. It costs money, so some scrimp, and therefore your house may show up only on the MLS and couple of other sites. They all work hard, and all promise to sell your property. Some will claim that they have a buyer in order to get your listing... To me, an agent who is liked in the community and one who has a lot of friends, and one who is active in the community has a larger buyer pool....friends of friends, fundraiser friends... They have to be responsible (answer calls promptly, keep their word), a go-getter, an outgoing person with PEEPS ;) If you try to reach them and it takes a while for them to return your call, do NOT employ them. That tends to be more of an irresponsible personality....See Moreno_green_thumb
9 years agoNothing Left to Say
9 years ago4boys2
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agomaddielee
9 years agojlc712
9 years agoErrant_gw
9 years agoredtartan
9 years agomaddielee
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoredtartan
9 years agoUser
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agocyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
9 years agoeld6161
9 years agoMtnRdRedux
9 years agoroarah
9 years agoMagdalenaLee
9 years agopalimpsest
9 years agoroarah
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agopalimpsest
9 years agoUser
9 years agoMtnRdRedux
9 years agono_green_thumb
9 years agoMtnRdRedux
9 years agogsciencechick
9 years agocyn427 (z. 7, N. VA)
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agochickadee2_gw
9 years agoMtnRdRedux
9 years agopalimpsest
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoseww1
9 years agoterezosa / terriks
9 years agoMtnRdRedux
9 years agorobo (z6a)
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoMagdalenaLee
9 years agono_green_thumb
9 years agoUser
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agobeaglesdoitbetter
9 years agoUser
9 years agoUser
8 years agono_green_thumb
8 years agoOutsidePlaying
8 years agono_green_thumb
8 years agoMagdalenaLee
8 years agoOutsidePlaying
8 years ago
Related Stories
SELLING YOUR HOUSE15 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Real Estate Agent
Here’s what you should find out before selecting an agent to sell your home
Full StoryMOVINGHiring a Home Inspector? Ask These 10 Questions
How to make sure the pro who performs your home inspection is properly qualified and insured, so you can protect your big investment
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESConsidering a Fixer-Upper? 15 Questions to Ask First
Learn about the hidden costs and treasures of older homes to avoid budget surprises and accidentally tossing valuable features
Full StoryORGANIZINGPre-Storage Checklist: 10 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Store
Wait, stop. Do you really need to keep that item you’re about to put into storage?
Full StoryWORKING WITH PROS12 Questions Your Interior Designer Should Ask You
The best decorators aren’t dictators — and they’re not mind readers either. To understand your tastes, they need this essential info
Full StoryGREEN DECORATING8 Questions to Help You See Through Green Hype
With the ecofriendly bandwagon picking up some dubious passengers, here's how to tell truly green products and services from the imposters
Full StoryHOUZZ TVHouzz TV: This Dream Midcentury Home in a Forest Even Has Its Own Train
Original wood ceilings, a cool layout and, yes, a quarter-scale train persuaded these homeowners to take a chance on a run-down property
Full StoryFEEL-GOOD HOMEThe Question That Can Make You Love Your Home More
Change your relationship with your house for the better by focusing on the answer to something designers often ask
Full StoryHOW TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR HOUSEAttract Home Buyers Easily With Great Photography
Show your home's best face in real estate listing photos to have potential buyers knocking down your door
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESThe Most Helpful Furniture Piece You May Ever Own
Use it as a table, a seat, a display space, a footrest ... and indoors or out. Meet the ever-versatile Chinese garden stool
Full Story
User