Search results for: “Multiple Listing Service”
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Would You Become a Real Estate Broker to Buy Your Own Home?
Recently, a D.C. schoolteacher was in the news after getting licensed as a real estate agent. Why was this newsworthy? Because her reason for getting licensed was to learn the ropes, stop renting, and buy a house in the burbs. Save the buyer’s portion of 5% to 6% in agent commissions, get access to the…
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Pennsylvania Sues Broker for Recording Sneaky Liens on Homes
The Harrisburg office of Attorney General Josh Shapiro recently announced a lawsuit against Amanda Zachman, founder of MV Realty, and the company itself. A.G. Shapiro slammed the company for misleading Pennsylvania homeowners with a so-called Homeowner Benefit Program and recording liens on homes without notice. MV Realty charges an upfront payment in return for getting exclusive listing…
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New Year’s Resolution: Sell My Home!
Is a real estate move among your New Year’s resolutions? If so, there are some advantages in selling early in the year. But whenever you do it, successful selling is an art. Here are a few tips to create the perfect mindset.
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We Bought Our Home Years Ago. Why Is It Still on the Internet?
Why are all those staged photos and information about your home still open for all to view online, along with the history of the home’s pricing? If you haven’t looked since you bought your home, it’s likely to be easy enough to find. Just do a search for your address. Whether the internet puts your…
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Social Media Real Estate Scams
Know the Signs Have you noticed homes for sale on the Facebook (Meta) Marketplace? Or Craigslist? Some of the listings offer a great way to spot a home. But shopping for homes online is not without risks. This year in Florida, three scammers have swindled more than a dozen people who thought they were browsing…
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Will a Seller Accept an Offer on a “Pending” Home?
What Home Buyers Need to Know In a seller’s market, buyers anxious to start touring homes may find very few opportunities. Some buyers might try to make offers despite pending deals, eager to be runners-up just in case a sale doesn’t make it to closing. Here’s what to know about pending offers, and whether a…
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How Much Will You Pay Your Real Estate Agent?
Homes are among the priciest items most of us ever buy. A significant slice of the purchase goes into paying the real estate professionals. Clients should know what they’re paying. Listing agents throughout the United States charge sellers 5-6% of the home’s sale price. In cold, hard, dollar terms: a commission of 5% on a…
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How Not to Overpay Your Property Taxes
Homeowners pay taxes on their real estate to fund local services. Renters, too, pay property taxes, as they’re rolled into monthly rent charges. The property taxes we all pay go to sustain libraries and schools, emergency services, environmental projects, sewer work and road maintenance. How much is one property’s share? To determine this amount, an…
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Foreign Nationals Buying U.S. Real Estate: How It Works & Latest Quirks
Many international buyers — often from Canada, China, Mexico, India or Great Britain — buy U.S. real property to offset the risk of their country’s currency devaluation, or simply to diversify their assets. If you’re a buyer from outside the United States, or a seller making an international sale, advance knowledge can help you navigate…
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Buying a Home? How Covid-19 Has Changed the Game
COVID-19 has changed the real estate market. Understanding the recent changes can help buyers prepare for the transaction, and set reasonable home buying timelines. Here is an overview of changes in the buying process. We conclude with a 6-point checklist for the buyer coming into the market today. It’s springtime — always a great season…
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As Asheville Recovers, Home Buyers Rethink the Whole “Climate Haven” Idea
Asheville, a quaint and popular North Carolina town, has long been known for its welcoming atmosphere and a mild, inviting climate. Indeed, a public radio station once showcased Asheville as winning the real estate stakes of an unsettled climate. It’s now well understood that tropical storms get supercharged by human-driven effects on the atmosphere’s temperatures.…
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Acquiring a Deed in Stormy Times: Consider the Contractors
If you’re making plans to buy a home, heads up. Especially if the location has been exposed to storms or other physical disruptions. When the Clever Real Estate company surveyed homeowners this year, a third of the poll responders said they might hire a contractor with a flawed reputation to save funds. In the aftermath…
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What Is “Subject-To” Home Buying? AKA: Taking Over the Mortgage Payments
Ever heard someone say they got a “subject-to” offer on their home? Or maybe you or someone you know is contacted with a subject-to offer. Maybe you saw a sign saying “We buy homes!” and wondered what’s going on. Subject-to is a little-known strategy in the world of deed transactions. It comes in many forms.…
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Quitclaim Forgery Is Snatching Florida Homes From Seniors and Dead People
Some people will steal their own mothers’ homes. In a stunning case of deed fraud, a woman named Wanda donned a wig and pretended to be her own elderly mother, then tried to steal her home in Hillsborough County, Florida. A video recording shows Wanda using the Notarize computer-based notary service, signing a quitclaim deed.…
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The Truth About Buying a Home in Winter
Spring is high season for home sales. But buying in winter means settling down in time to watch the garden bloom in a new home. There’s a lot to be said for that. In the northern latitudes, home shopping can mean weather-related holdups here and there. But winter is a great time to work with…
