Posted by Manager on May 31st, 2007
When it comes to making buying and selling properties, you’ve got options. You no longer need to work with a seller’s agent or sell your home by owner. You no longer need to hire a traditional real estate broker when you are buying a home either - nor do you have to find and buy a home entirely on your own. A transaction broker can help - regardless of what your real estate needs are.
A real estate transaction broker is a real estate professional who acts as a consultant, who ensures that your needs are met in the transaction.
For sellers, a transaction broker may help to establish the right price for selling your home or by offering a flat fee MLS listing service that ensures that buyers and their agents know that your property is available. For buyers, a real estate transaction broker can help you to prepare an offer on a home or walk you through the closing process to ensure that everything goes smoothly.
But the best part about using a transaction broker is that you only pay for the services that you need - and not for anything more than that.
Flat Fee Realty
Learn more about services provided by a real estate transaction broker.
Internet Home Services Real Estate Blog
Posted by Manager on May 30th, 2007
Photos are an important component of online marketing when you are selling a home. Therefore, it’s important to consider the photos that you take and learn to choose the very best when you add them to your home listing.
Here are some tips for getting the photos that will cast your home in the best light:
- If you’re taking a picture of your dining room, be sure to set the table. Consider adding fresh flowers as a centerpiece and make sure that all of your family photos are out of the frame. You want to be sure that, based on the photo you take, prospective buyers can see themselves sitting down to dinner.
- Planning to take photos of the outside of your home? Make sure to take them on a sunny day where the colors will be more accurate. Be sure that your yard is cleaned up - prospective buyers want to see a green lawn and, prospective buyers with kids want to be able to picture their children playing in the yard.
- Taking photos of the kids’ playroom? Make sure that the room is neat and clean; though you may be used to seeing toys and art all of the room, prospective buyers won’t be lured in by photos of a mess. This same point can be applied to bedrooms, bathrooms, family rooms, living rooms, finished basements - essentially, every room of your home
Remember, when you are selling a home, the photos you share are a way in which prospective buyers can see inside - just as they would if they were to attend an open house. Most home showing tips can also be applied to the photos that you show - keep them in mind when you add photos to your home listing.
IHS Realty
Selling a home? Apply showing tips to the photos you use in your listing online.
Internet Home Services Real Estate Blog
Posted by Manager on May 19th, 2007
When you’ve decided to purchase a home, it’s important to know that you are protected. One tool for this is to invest in real estate title insurance.
When you use IHS Realty as your buyer’s agent - paying a flat fee rather than a commission - it’s easy to request a quote for real estate title insurance.
Visit IHS Realty. Fill out basic information about yourself, the sale, property information and a few other details and submit the form.
You’ll receive title quotes and settlement services from recognized providers - it’s as easy as that!
Flat Fee Realty
See how easy it is to get a quote for real estate title insurance.
Internet Home Services Real Estate Blog
Posted by Manager on May 18th, 2007
There are many reasons for selling a home - needing more space, needing less space, relocating for a job, relocating to be nearer family. But what happens when you find a home to purchase before your current home has sold? Should you take the leap?
If you find the right new place, you may be reluctant to buy while your home is on the market. However, there is a chance that not living in your home could help it to sell faster.
This is the case for a number of reasons, the most important of which involve the appearance of the home. Your personal touches will be out of the space. As a result, prospective buyers will be better able to see themselves living in the home. And, because of this, the home becomes more likely to sell quickly for a higher price.
Therefore, if you are selling a home, consider the benefits of not living there. Or, if you are, consider the benefits of home staging - creating the right feel for prospective buyers.
Flat Fee Realty
Selling a home? Get tips about home staging and more from IHS Realty.
Internet Home Services Real Estate Blog
Posted by Manager on May 17th, 2007
Virtual tours provide sellers a chance to show off their homes to those who might not be able to make it to an open house. Similarly, virtual tours offer buyers a chance to see whether or not a home is of interest to them - something that is particularly useful when they are moving to a new area.
And, as virtual tours become increasing popular ways of showing and seeing a home, new trend emerge. Among them are photo tours and a talking house tour.
What is a talking house? It’s a chance for buyers to place a call at their convenience - 24 hours a day - to hear details about a property. In addition, the call will allow them to hear about special features, get your contact information and access to info about mortgage lenders.
But more importantly, it’s another way to market your home.
Flat Fee Realty
Learn more about virtual tours and the talking house program from IHS Realty.
Internet Home Services Real Estate Blog
Posted by Manager on May 16th, 2007
Sellers need to consider the price of homes and factors that affect them when planning to sell a property. Buyers should be aware of what contributes to a home price as well.
Each of the following will have an affect on price:
- Location. The exact same home in the same condition may have a different priced based on its location. This is true whether you’re comparing homes in Baltimore and Boston or just from one neighborhood to the next;
- Condition. A home that is well-maintained will sell for a higher price than homes that are in a state of disrepair;
- Market Conditions. Unfortunately, when the market has slowed, properties - even when well-maintained and in a great location - will sell for a lower price.
Of course, there is another contributing factor as well: incentives that the seller offers. If the property is near a marina, offering a slip as an incentive may help your home to sell for a higher price.
Flat Fee Realty
Learn more about the price of a home.
Internet Home Services Real Estate Blog
Posted by Manager on May 15th, 2007
There was a time when there were few options other than to pay high commission rates to buyer’s agents when you wanted to buy a home. However, now things are beginning to change.
On May 13th, CBS News aired a feature on 60 Minutes discussing the state of the real estate market. During the episode, agent commission rates as well as buyers’ rebates/commission rebates were talked about.
The point of rebates is to put more money back in the pocket of the home buyer. The point of buyer’s rebates is that there is a lot that the buyers themselves can do during the home buying process - scheduling visits, searching for the right property online - that they do not necessarily need to have an agent’s assistance with.
If you are a buyer who is questioning commission rates, why not learn more about buyer’s rebates and the process of using a flat fee real estate broker to purchase a home?
Flat Fee Realty
Questioning commission rates? See how much you can save with a buyer’s rebate.
Internet Home Services Real Estate Blog
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