The Unexpected Cost of Banning Rentals in Your Neighborhood
No one wants to own a house in the midst of a sea of rentals, but banning rentals altogether may end badly…
Buyer’s Agents: Who Needs ‘Em? We Got Zillow!
A recent lawsuit against real estate brokerages questioned the value of buyer’s agents, stating that there is little need for these agents since buyers now can find their own houses on Zillow. The claim betrayed a lack of understanding of real estate but particularly a knowledge of what buyer’s agents actually do. If the job […]
Tired of Bad Advice on Getting Your Offer to Stand Out in a Crowd?
I’ve read a lot of expert opinions about how to write an offer that “stands out” in a multiple-bid situation. So far, nearly every one of these opinions describes doing the exact same thing everyone else is doing. Not that that’s a bad thing. In most cases, they’re all doing it because it’s the minimum […]
Avoiding the Bidding War
“I don’t want to be involved in a bidding war!” There’s nothing more unsettling to a buyer than the idea that the list price is not the eventual price, And worse, that it’s going to be thousands of dollars higher by the time the dust settles. How to avoid that? Easiest way: Buy a house […]
10 Old House Features We Wish We Had
We love the new house smell: Drywall mud. New paint. Sawdust. Mmmm good! Best of all are the features we’ve come to think of as necessities – double-pane vinyl windows, vaulted ceilings, wood laminate or luxury vinyl plank floors, stainless appliances and wide hallways. Way to go, builders!! But not everything that’s new is best. […]
Contracts You Probably Shouldn’t Sign
For the most part, real estate contracts are standardized. If you work with a Realtor who is a multiple listing service (MLS) member, you can be assured that the sales contract has certain elements intended to protect you. You can be sure that the contract has contingencies that allow you to terminate if an inspection […]