Don’t List Your Home as For Sale By Owner

Do you need to hire a real estate agent even if the market is doing well? Yes, and there are three reasons why.

A lot of people have been saying, “The market is so good right now. Why do I need to hire a real estate agent? Why not sell my home myself?”

There are a number of reasons why you should hire a real estate agent to sell your home. I’ll go over three of them today: 

1. Price. Price depends on exposure. The more people who know your home is on the market, the better your price is going to be. If nobody knows your home is on the market, then your price is going to be lower. According to the National Association of Realtors, agent-assisted sales get 15% to 16% more money than For Sale By Owner homes. After you pay the 6% commission to the agent, you will still end up with 9% or 10% more than you would get selling on your own. 

90% of real estate litigation involves For Sale By Owner transactions.

2. Properly executed documents. An agent has been taught to do these things properly. Why? We don’t want to do anything improper and get sued. In fact, 90% of real estate litigation out there involves For Sale By Owner transactions. 

3. After closing, you won’t hear from the buyer when you list with an agent because we have settled everything at closing. When you do a For Sale By Owner transaction, you may have to unnecessarily hear from the buyer after closing. 


I have been selling homes for 32 years, and I can certainly help you sell your home this spring. If you have any other real estate questions for me, just give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

How to Choose the Right Real Estate Agent

If you plan on selling your home, it’s important that you hire the right real estate agent. I’ll go over three tips to help you do just that.

Last time, I went over why you should hire a real estate agent. So, how do you choose the right agent to get your home sold? I have three tips to share with you today: 

1. Check their track record. They should have one. Make sure they give you the number of homes they have sold in the last few months, as well as another other information that you may require. 

2. Ask for references. Remember, this is a job interview. You are hiring someone to sell your home. Find people they have worked with before. Past clients can provide a picture of how the real estate agent works. 

An agent who tells you a low price is just looking for a quick commission.

3. Make sure they give you a fair price. An agent doesn’t control the price of your home; the market does. If an agent tells you the price that you would really like to hear, you should be suspicious. They may just want to take your listing and then beat you up on the price week after week. If an agent tells you a low price, they are just looking for a quick commission. You want a fair price that makes sense according to the comparable properties the agent brings. 

So, how do you choose an agent? Very carefully! 

We would like to apply for the job. As always, we are here to answer any real estate questions that you have. Just give us a call or send us an email. We would be happy to help you!

What Does the Arrival of Our Spring Market Mean for Home Sellers?

What does spring’s arrival mean for sellers in our market? More inventory, more buyers, and more market activity. 

Now that spring is here, what can you expect from our market if you’re a home seller? 

One thing to know is we have more inventory now than we had in winter. Once the leaves begin to bloom and yards start to look nicer, people think it’s a good time to put their home on the market, and they’re right because we also have more buyers out there. 

Many people think spring is a good time to put their home on the market, and they’re right.

With more house for sale and more buyers out and about, we naturally have more market activity. This goes without saying, but you must prepare your home to sell in this spring market. 

If you have any more questions about our market or you want to know what your home is worth, don’t hesitate to call or email me. I’d be happy to help you. 

What Does the future Hold for the Rest of 2018?

Because interest rates are level and we’re short on inventory, we should see prices rise for the rest of 2018.

What can you expect from our market for the rest of 2018? There are a few important points to remember.

First, interest rates are supposed to remain pretty stable or rise slightly into the 4.2% to 4.5% range.

Second, we’re still short on inventory. When interest rates are level and inventory is short, prices go up.  
This is great news if you’re a seller.

The rest of our 2018 bodes well for sellers.

Lastly, home prices are dramatically higher than the median average in some areas. In other areas, though, 
that’s not the case.

If you’re curious about what your home is worth or you’re thinking about buying or selling a home sometime 
soon, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’d love to help you.