What exactly is a “seller’s market”? This generally refers to a period of time when sellers have the upper hand in negotiating the sale of their home – seemingly able to name their price and terms to the detriment of buyers. How does this situation occur? Usually by high buyer demand, favorable interest rates for … More Buying in a “Seller’s Market”
Source: Hard surface flooring: Hardwood/Laminate
Many homeowners and potential buyers are attracted to hard surface flooring over wall to wall carpet. The reasons are obvious: Better for allergies, better for cleaning and better for durability. There are real hardwoods, engineered hardwoods and laminates of all kinds. Many of these can and are installed by homeowners – which is fine if … More Hard surface flooring: Hardwood/Laminate
Why go through all the stress and hassle of buying a home, why not keep renting? There’s an old saying: You are going to be paying someone’s mortgage – either your own or the landlord’s. There are three basic reasons to get shopping for your home today: Building equity: For most Americans, it is a … More The “Big Three” reasons to buy a home
There are many hurdles in the purchase of a home. Most buyers need to be qualified by a lender to assess their “lendability”, the right home has to be found, the offer needs to be crafted, presented and accepted – and usually an inspection of the home has to be done and repairs negotiated. Whew! … More What happens when a home does not appraise for at least the agreed upon price?
It seems like everyone knows a Realtor or has a friend of a friend who sells real estate. If you are buying a home or selling, how do you pick the one that is right for you? Many people look for an agent with a big on-line presence and good reviews. That is reasonable, however, … More How to choose a Realtor
The old adage that everything is negotiable is especially true world of residential real estate. The listing forms used by the multiple listing service that I belong to have four blank spaces regarding fees, allowing Realtors and their clients to fill in either a flat amount or a percentage of the sales price as the … More “Standard Commission” Fee
When I have an opportunity to meet with a new client to talk about selling their home, I bring lots of printed material with me to discuss a possible listing price: a list of similar homes that have sold recently in their area to compare and adjust to their home, their tax evaluation from their … More Zillow anyone?
In western Washington, most home buyers get a home inspection prior to closing a home purchase. This is not required by the lender and is very different than an appraisal. An appraiser is seeking to determine the value of the property to be financed. The inspector is creating a report to document current and potential … More The Value of a Home Inspection
Recently, I wrote up an strong offer for a home for a super nice family. The home had been on the market for a while and there were no other agents in sight. After the offer was presented, another offer appeared and was accepted. This left me and my clients scratching our heads. What to … More My offer was beaten out, what now?
