Looking for Home Selling Tips?

January 23, 2008 – 12:58 pm

Everyone who is going to be selling a home - whether they use flat fee MLS, FSBO or sell with a real estate agent - is going to be looking for the home selling tips that will help them to get their homes ready and not just on the market, but also off of it quickly.

Home selling tips are going to include discussion of what’s working for others who are going through the process, and will focus on other elements as well. You’ll be able to learn more about home warranties. You’ll find tips for projects that will help you to boost your property value. You’ll also get tips for keeping in touch with prospective buyers who have stopped by at an open house and for getting the word out within your own neightborhood.

If you’re still thinking about selling a home and haven’t moved forward, you’ll find other great information too. Talk with others about whether or not it’s a good plan to put your home on the market or if you could better reach your goals by renovating your home and adding on a bedroom or family room. Get perspective - learn what’s working and what doesn’t.

Home selling tips are - obviously - designed to help you to find yourself in the right position to sell, but there’s more value than just that. Sometimes just knowing that there are others who are going through the same process you are is enough to let you take a step back, take a deep breath and move forward without the panic.

By Manager | Posted in home selling | Comments (0)

Selling a Home in a Cooling Market

December 20, 2007 – 9:02 am

When you are going to be selling a home, especially when the housing market is in a bit of a cooling off period or a slow season, there are two things that are absolutely essential.

First, there’s setting the right price. It’s impossible for sellers these days to sell their home when the price is too high, and when the market has slowed a bit, you’re going to find that it’s even more difficult to get your asking price. This is mostly because there are less buyers vying for the property. However, if you’re able to take the time to set the right price for your home - based on other properties in the area and the size and condition of your home - your chances are going to be a lot better. And, of course, when you sell with flat fee MLS, you’re still in a better position to profit when you sell.

Flat fee MLS also addresses the second essential element for selling in a cooling market: exposure for the property. With flat fee MLS, your home will be listed alongside those represented by listing agents and you’ll have the chance to clearly identify all of the house’s best features and selling points. As a result of increased exposure, there will be increased interest and that leads to a greater chance that your home will sell.

What you’ll find when you use flat fee MLS to sell your home is this: you’ll have access to the tools you need to sell your home, be able to access tips and tools designed to help you sell and, even in a cooling market, you’re in a better position to sell the property regardless of what the market is like.

By Manager | Posted in home sale, home sales, home seller, home sellers, home selling, home selling alternatives, selling a home | Comments (0)

Home-Selling Strategies For a Buyer’s Market

February 23, 2006 – 4:54 pm

How to sell your home when prices start to level off

Reports abound that the real estate market is heading for a slowdown. Depending upon the recent runup in your area, the landing could be hard or soft. Here are some strategies for selling in a level or declining market:

Find a good discount broker - Internet companies now provide services for home sellers that weren’t available just a few years ago. Flat fee MLS listing is now a good option that allows you to keep more of your home equity. Instead of paying a listing commission for inclusion of your property in the Realtor MLS and on Realtor.com, you can pay a flat fee of somewhere between $400 and $500 and get the same exposure as Realtor listed properties.

Get proper pricing assistance - correctly valuing your property is ALWAYS priority #1 when selling your home. Lots of online services provide access to property sales data. You can also get this information yourself with a trip to the local property assessor’s office. If you have a unique or unusual property or have made major upgrades, your best route is a professional appraisal. Although this is a bit more expensive than other alternatives, it truly provides the most accurate valuation. 2 truisms apply: 1) You get what you pay for 2) appraisal isn’t an exact science

By admin | Posted in CMA, Flat Fee MLS, Home Appraisal, home selling, house values, selling in a buyers market | Comments (0)

Housing Market Slowdown

February 14, 2006 – 9:15 am

White House expects home price increases to cool

The White House Council of Economic Advisers wrote in its annual Economic Report of the President, which was sent to Congress yesterday that, "Prospects remain good for continued growth in the years ahead." While the overall economy is expected to continued growth, the CEA’s assessment of the housing market was somewhat more subdued. According to CEA member, Matthew Slaughter, the rate of home price appreciation is "likely to slow in the future."

After 5 years of 9.2 percent annual growth rate, due to low interest rates, strenghtening job market, and rising income, the next 5 years is likely to see a downward trend in part due to rising interest rates, the report said. A dramatic housing bubble burst is not expected because "the elevated level of house prices will sustain homebuilding as a profitable enterprise for some time."

See Also

By admin | Posted in home price, home sales, home selling, home values, housing bubble, housing market | Comments (0)

Flat fee MLS helps Sell Your Home

January 27, 2006 – 10:05 am

When the Housing Bubble Bursts…,or, just slowly leaks air.

Patrick Newport, U.S. economist at consulting firm Global Insight in Waltham, Mass., said in a recent statement,  "Interest rates have eased in recent weeks, but we are expecting them to drift back up over the first half of 2006," he said, adding that if the Federal Reserve raises interest rates two more times before pausing, the increases "will cool off the housing market and deflate many local housing bubbles."

It seems that everywhere you look today, a housing bubble burst imminent. So, what do you do if you want to sell your home in a slowing market? In a buyer’s market, pricing it the number one most important factor in selling a home. Obviously, anyone can sell their home by lowering the price enough to cause a sale, but for most home owners, this option leaves a bit to be desired.

So, to re-phrase the question, "How do you sell your home and still NET the most  during a market slowdown?" Enter "flat fee mls" listing. A relatively recent entry to the real estate brokerage industry, a flat fee MLS listing allows home sellers to place their property in the Realtor MLS and on Realtor.com for an upfront fee (usually in the $500 range) instead of paying a whopping 6% commission at closing.

A flat fee MLS listing allows a home seller to lower their price and still, maximize their net return. Studies show that a MLS listing increases the odds of selling a home by providing the highest marketing exposure possible. Higher exposure means a greater demand and consequently a higher price. 

Here’s how it works: Instead of listing with a traditional broker, find a flat fee broker offering MLS entry only listing of homes for sale. (for a nationwide listing of flat rate brokers visit www.MLSLion.com). A flat fee broker will enter your property into the Multiple Listing Service in your area where it can be viewed by all of the real estate agents as well as their buyers. If a buyer’s agent brings you a buyer, you pay them 1/2 of the normal commission amount, generally around 3%. For every $100,000 of your sales price, you save approximately $2,500. That means on an average $200,000 home, you can lower the sales price by about $5,000 and still net the same amount of money from the sale as if you had used a traditional real estate agent. Of course, all other factors being equal, a house selling for $195,000 sells before one selling for $200,000 in any market.

If you’re not ready to go the For Sale By Owner (FSBO) route, most flat fee brokers also can provide additional assistance for marketing, contract preparation and transaction management and closing. Flat fee MLS also provides significantly higher marketing exposure than FSBO. The reason is simple - most buyers go to real estate agents using the MLS to purchase a home. In fact, the most r