buy property, the agent

The Peoples Guide to Mexico: Real Estate in Ajijic and Lake Chapala, Mexico People's Guide Homepage • Copper Canyon • Live & Retire • Carl's Notebooks • Letters • Favorite Books • Visit our Sponsors • Table of Contents • The Best of Mexico: Favorite Places Live & Retire in Mexico Lake Chapala area Buying Property in the Lake Chapala Area by Tony Harries & Teresa A. Kendrick In the last decade or so, it is estimated that more than 10,000 foreigners have purchased property on the Northshore of Lake Chapala. Long prized as a weekend retreat by wealthy Guadalajarans, the villages from Lake Chapala to Jocotepec now boast an expatriate community said to be the largest in the world. Ajijic has become the prime location for foreigners because of its infrastructure of services, such as internet access, and the existence of the Lake Chapala Society, an English-speaking resource center for newcomers and residents. The Real Estate Climate on the Northshore At present, the Northshore has 20 real estate agencies. Their level of competency and expertise vary. In Mexico, the real estate industry is not regulated by the government. It is self-regulated. Two associations are responsible for training agents and policing the ethics of the agencies: AMPI (Asociacion Mexicana de Profesionales Inmobiliarios) is the national organization (with a lakeside chapter) and Gil (Grupo Inmobiliario del Lago) is the local organization. Many offices belong to one or the other, and some belong to both. They provide multiple-listing services that allow agents to show properties listed by other agencies, an advantage for both buyer and seller. The most professional agencies also provide their own in-house training for new agents. Several agencies have websites that will allow you to get a feel for the company, the houses that are available and the prices of property and land. The websites allow you to interact with the agency via email, and, if the site is good, will offer background information and answers to frequently asked questions. It can also provide you with the name of an agent. Choosing an Agent Good agents tend to work for well-run organizations. When walking into the office for the first time, take a look around. Does it look professionally managed? Are key personnel bilingual? Are listings photographed, detailed and organized so you can spend time reviewing available properties and evaluating how much your money will buy? Talk with several agents to find one you feel is knowledgeable, experienced, available, compatible, and upfront. Professional, reliable agents provide service before, during, and after a sale. If a problem or error arise, your agent should work hard to correct it. After your initial meeting, ask around about the reputations of various agencies and agents, but be aware that while gathering information, it is very likely you will also gather misinformation. One person can easily contradict another; this is human nature and common in a small communities. Being a Good Client/Firing an Agent Agent- and agency-hopping is an ethical no-no, but after viewing several properties reevaluate your agent. If you feel that the agent is not listening to you, tell him or her; they will appreciate you restating your requirements. Often clients are confused about what they want, or unrealistic about what their money can buy. Be clear about what you want. Buying a house is an emotional process, so be prepared to experience some unusual feelings and reactions and understand that an agent has the dual job of steering you through the process of buying property in another country and your own learning curve. If you are unable to work with your agent, graciously fire that agent and find another. You might use a simple, “Thank you for your time and efforts. We feel we wish to expand our search and thought we might consult with another agency. If we feel you can be of further service, we will get back to you.” Remember, the agent you are releasing is a member of the community in which you will live and diplomacy will save some feelings down the line. How to be a good Client If your first visit to the area is an exploratory excursion, tell your agent. He or she will guide you as you gather preliminary information. If you are not in a position to buy at the time, limit the time you spend with the agent as he or she has other clients to serve. If you have funds available to buy property, the agent will intensify the search for a suitable property and guide you through the process. Be clear about how much you can spend and when you plan to resettle. Remember agents often work for months without reimbursement for their out of pocket expenses. The Nitty Gritty At this time, prices for houses on the Northshore run anywhere from $22,000 US to 1.35 million US. The average home with the amenities sought by North American buyers are in the $100,000 US range. Location, as everywhere, is one of the most determining factors for setting the price. The further out from services you go, the lower prices will be. View, construction type, size and amenities determine the rest. Clients can choose from gated communities which offer security (a plus for residents who spend 6 months in Mexico and 6 months elsewhere), large country estates, and village living. Village homes are connected to one another by common exterior, and, occasionally, interior walls and allow residents to live within walking distance of most services and activities. Do not let any agent sell you ejido land. No matter what future promises anyone may make, you will not get a legal title. This is land set aside by the government for the indigenous people of Mexico and cannot be sold to foreigners. Also, there are a few places on the Northshore known for their instability due to soft soil or geothermal faults, and some places have water supply problems. Informed, wise agents will steer you away from these trouble spots. The Buying Process Purchasing a home or lot on the Northshore is primarily a cash transaction, but occasionally short-term owner financing is available. When you make an offer to the seller you must present a check for 10% of the value of the house. A photocopy is made of this “earnest money” and the check itself is placed in the agency safe. Once negotiations are completed under the supervision of the respective buying and selling real estate agents, and both parties have signed a purchase agreement, the check is deposited into the escrow account of the selling agency. The check is later applied to the balance of the purchase price at the notary public’s office. (Note: The actual sale price of a property is not a matter of public record in Mexico, nor is it registered with the government. It is unethical for an agent to tell you the sale price of a property. He or she can tell you what the property was listed for, but not what was paid.) The Closing Closings take place in the office of a Notario Publico, or notary public. These are lawyers of very high standing who, after 5 years of legal practice, apply to the government for notario status and must undergo strict scrutiny to be awarded the title. With it comes many responsibilities and important legal functions. One of these is to preside over and ensure the legality of property transfer. The notary authenticates the seller’s right to sell the property, scrutinizes the history of the property for any irregularities, and makes sure the deed is clear and free of liens through appropriate government offices. Since the buyer pays for the closing costs and notary’s fees, it is his or her privilege to select the notary. The notary can advise the buyer which type of deed meets his needs: direct deed or bank trust deed. The notary will file with the Mexican government the application for the transfer of the deed from seller to buyer. His official signature on all documents finalizes the purchase and makes it a legal transaction under Mexican law. From purchasing to closing the norm is 30 to 60 days, but motivated parties can complete the process within 15 days. Differences in Home Construction There is no slab-frame construction in this part of Mexico. A home here is usually of concrete, glass, stone, brick, iron and rebar construction. Wood is expensive and used little except for design affect. Each wall is load-bearing and has its own foundation. Many houses have exterior walls and decorative metal work to ensure privacy and security. There are "aljibes" (cisterns) for water storage and in some of the newer homes, water purification and pressure systems are built-in. You will also find tanks for storing propane used for cooking and heating water as there is no infrastructure to supply natural gas. You will notice a lack of central heating and air conditioning, as it’s not essential. A fireplace on a cool evening or morning is charming and does the trick. There are no building codes so a good agent will provide you with information about levels of construction quality and what might be buried within the walls. Developers The north shore of Lake Chapala has recently seen a rise in new, speculative construction meant to appeal to buyers from the North. Much of this work is being done by young, Mexican architects from monied Guadalajara families with varying degrees of experience and dependability. There are also projects being developed by American, Canadian and European companies. Remodeling Many buyers purchase a home with the intent of upgrading and remodeling the existing structure. Craftsmen, laborers, architects and artisans abound in the area. If you are in the market for such services, perhaps your agent can help direct you to a general contractor who has a good reputation. Be sure to get a signed, witnessed contract stipulating prices and the quality of work and materials to be used. If language is a problem, get a translator to help you. Several translators are listed in the Lake Chapala Society directory, a members-only book that can be loaned to you by your agent. If, during the remodeling, you feel you have been financially abused, the government has an agency with an office in Chapala called PROFECO which helps consumers receive satisfaction. The pace of work is probably not what you are used to, but in Mexico, patience is required as distribution of materials, cultural standards, and community -- and family-based events interrupt building schedules. Real Estate Agencies/Developers/Internet Websites In Ajijic: Abode Realty: Adj Corporation Ajijic Developments: http://www.ajijicdevs.com Ajijic Real Estate, http://www.ajijic.com ; email: ajijic@infosel.net.mx Ambience Fine Home Builders: http://www.ambiance.com.mx America Mexico Builders Camille’s Realty/Coldwell Banker Chapala Realty: http://www.chapala.com Continental Realty Chula Vista Norte Eager & Asociados: http://www.mexconnect.com/MEX/ea/ea.html Laguna Real Estate: http://www.mexconnect.com/amex/lgna/ Marnher Group RE/Max Ajijic: http://www.desconresorts.com In Chapala: Coldwell Banker/Chapala Realty (Chapala Office), http://www.chapala.com Sierra Vista: In Chula Vista: Century 21 Vistas: http://www.lagunanet.net.mx/c21vistas In Jocotepec: Semprex Realty In Riberas del Pilar: Sunset Realty: http://www.sunsetrealty.com.mx In San Antonio Tlayacapán: Re/Max Fenix About the authors: Tony Harries is a real estate agent who has been working in the Lake Chapala area since June 1997. He is an award-winning school teacher from Texas who retired after 31 years of service. Proficient in Spanish, he has developed a deep appreciation of Mexico following several decades of travel in Mexico before his retirement. He has helped clients from all over the world buy property in the area and this year became a top producing agent for one of the area’s leading agencies. His email is tonyharr@prodigy.net.mx Teresa Kendrick is the author of the recently published book “Mexico’s lake Chapala and Ajijic: The Insiders Guide to the Northshore for International Travelers” Highly detailed and up-to-date, the 208 page book boasts 143 color photographs, a well-organized table of contents and index, and information about nearly everything available on the Northshore of Lake Chapala for travelers and newcomers. The book is available with a full-color map of the Northshore for $26 US plus shipping and handling. The book will be available to purchase locally by calling 76-6-3163 or by ordering from her website: http://www.chapalaguide.com Teresa's email is ajijic@chapalaguide.com . Top of Page Homepage Table of Contents Site Map Write to us, Carl & Lorena http://www.peoplesguide.com ©1972-2001 by Carl Franz & Lorena Havens Copper Canyon • Live & Retire • Table of Contents • Book Reviews • Letters

Sell House

Selling Houses from Channel4.com/4Homes E4 More4 FilmFour FourDocs TV Listings Site A-Z NEWS FILM HOMES LIFE ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY SCIENCE COMMUNITY SHOP SPORT CULTURE CARS MONEY VIDEO LEARNING HEALTH MUSIC GAMES Home Welcome News On TV Grand Designs Grand Designs Abroad Previous Houses Features Information Streets Ahead Property Ladder Location, Location Relocation, Relocation Home from Home City Gardener Selling Houses Room for Improvement Up Your Street Making Space A Place In The Sun The Great Garden Challenge Home or Away A Place in France A Place in Greece A Place in Greece House Auction More Programmes Presenters TV Listings Buying & Selling Where to Buy How to Buy How to Sell Special Cases House Price Index Renting Property Search DIY & Building Guides Building a House Ask the Expert Style Design Guides Features Living Rooms -- Bedrooms -- Kids Rooms -- Storage solutions -- Dining Rooms -- Home Office -- Hall -- Outdoor Living -- Period Styles -- Buying Abroad Country Guides Features Property of the Week Chat, Vote & Win Vote Win Forum -- Newsletter Forum Profit from Property Buy to Let Property Development Money Deals SEARCH All 4Homes: On TV Buying & Selling Renting Property Search DIY & Building Style Buying Abroad Chat, Vote, Win Profit from Property SELLING HOUSES In this new six-part series of Selling Houses no-nonsense estate agent Andrew Winter takes homeowners to task as they struggle with the nation's hard-to-sell homes, from listed buildings to ex-council houses. And this time he's reprimanding the estate agents as well as the homeowners. This Week Ian and Kim Saunders were so confident they'd sell their four-bedroom house in Tongham in Surrey for £435k that they cashed in their equity to release £100,000 as a down payment on a brand new villa in Spain. Now they're in trouble. They're still stuck on the market after 16 months, despite slashing their price to £400k. Andrew tells Kim she's pushing it "getting pets to actually co-ordinate with your sponge-effect wall" and discovers their agent's always known their décor was a problem, but didn't have the heart to tell them. Gallery See the dramatic change Suppliers Want some of what they got? Selling Tips Expert advice on how to sell your house Ask The Expert Submit your questions to our resident Selling Houses guru, Andrew Winter Related Features Appear On TV Fancy a visit from Andrew and City Gardener, Matt James? How To Sell How to get the best price for your home Choosing An Estate Agent How to choose the best person to sell your house Psychology of Estate Agents There are four types of estate agent - which one is yours? Previous Episodes Revisit some classic episodes UK PROPERTY SEARCH Over 150,000 homes Type a location: Price range: Min Price £0 £50,000 £75,000 £100,000 £125,000 £150,000 £175,000 £200,000 £225,000 £250,000 £275,000 £300,000 £325,000 £350,000 £375,000 £400,000 £425,000 £450,000 £475,000 £500,000 £550,000 £600,000 £650,000 £700,000 £750,000 £800,000 £850,000 £900,000 £950,000 £1,000,000 Max Price £50,000 £75,000 £100,000 £125,000 £150,000 £175,000 £200,000 £225,000 £250,000 £275,000 £300,000 £325,000 £350,000 £375,000 £400,000 £425,000 £450,000 £475,000 £500,000 £550,000 £600,000 £650,000 £700,000 £750,000 £800,000 £850,000 £900,000 £950,000 £1,000,000 £10,000,000 Min bedrooms: Min Beds 1 2 3 4 5 6 New homes only FEATURE Profit from Property How to pick a property that's ripe for development GRAND DESIGNS CD ROM A comprehensive 'info tool' for anyone looking to renovate their dream home ON TV Your Favourite Property Shows Find out more about your favourite shows and presenters About C4 | Jobs | Text Only | Access Advice | Contact Us | Terms and Conditions | Privacy | Help | Online Ad Sales

Real Estate Listing

Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation Today's Mortgage Rates 6.06% APR* 6.225% > Go to Mortgage Center > Apply now Quick Search country United States Australia Bahamas Bermuda Canada Cayman Islands Dominican Republic Jamaica Mexico Nevis/St. Kitts Philippines Saint Lucia Turks & Caicos US Virgin Islands or by map search by price No min $10,000 $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000 $450,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 $750,000 $800,000 $900,000 $1M $5M $10M to No max $10,000 $25,000 $50,000 $75,000 $100,000 $125,000 $150,000 $175,000 $200,000 $225,000 $250,000 $275,000 $300,000 $350,000 $400,000 $450,000 $500,000 $600,000 $700,000 $750,000 $800,000 $900,000 $1M $5M $10M beds Any 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ baths Any 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ new listings in past 7 days only Detailed Search Special Properties country United States Australia Bahamas Bermuda British Virgin Islands Canada Cayman Islands China Costa Rica Dominican Republic Egypt France India Indonesia Ireland Israel Jamaica Lebanon Mexico Netherlands Nevis/St. Kitts Poland Singapore Sint Maarten Spain Turks & Caicos US Virgin Islands Venezuela or by map city state AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY zip radius n/a up to 1 up to 2 up to 5 up to 10 up to 15 up to 20 up to 25 miles first name last name language Any English Albanian American Sign Language Arabic Armenian Bulgarian Burmese Cambodian Cantonese Chaochou Chinese Creole Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Farsi Filipino Finnish French Gaelic German Greek Gujarati Hawaiian Hebrew Hindi Hindustani Hmong Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Luxembourgish Malay Mandarin Morrocan Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Punjabi Romanian Russian Serbian Shanghainese Slovak Spanish Swahili Swedish Swiss Tagalog Tahitian Taiwanese Tamil Teluga Thai Tongan Turkish Ukrainian Unknown Urdu Vietnamese Yiddish Yoruba Detailed Search country United States Australia Bahamas Bermuda British Virgin Islands Canada Cayman Islands China Costa Rica Dominican Republic Egypt France India Indonesia Ireland Israel Jamaica Lebanon Mexico Netherlands Nevis/St. Kitts Poland Singapore Sint Maarten Spain Turks & Caicos US Virgin Islands Venezuela or by map city state AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY zip radius n/a up to 1 up to 2 up to 5 up to 10 up to 15 up to 20 up to 25 miles office name language Any English Albanian American Sign Language Arabic Armenian Bulgarian Burmese Cambodian Cantonese Chaochou Chinese Creole Croatian Czech Danish Dutch English Farsi Filipino Finnish French Gaelic German Greek Gujarati Hawaiian Hebrew Hindi Hindustani Hmong Hungarian Icelandic Indonesian Italian Japanese Korean Latvian Luxembourgish Malay Mandarin Morrocan Norwegian Persian Polish Portuguese Punjabi Romanian Russian Serbian Shanghainese Slovak Spanish Swahili Swedish Swiss Tagalog Tahitian Taiwanese Tamil Teluga Thai Tongan Turkish Ukrainian Unknown Urdu Vietnamese Yiddish Yoruba Detailed Search city or by map state AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY zip radius n/a up to 1 up to 2 up to 5 up to 10 up to 15 up to 20 up to 25 miles office name Detailed Search SM -- My Coldwell Banker SM Let us do the searching for you! With the Coldwell Banker Personal Retriever ® Service Learn more Sign up today! Log In Forgot your Password? Concierge Home Services International Coldwell Banker Commercial® About Us Careers Contact Us Site Map Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy Buy | Sell | Contact | Learn | My Coldwell Banker © 2005 Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation . Coldwell Banker ® is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation.An Equal Opportunity Company.Equal Housing Opportunity.Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated Except Offices Owned and Operated By NRT Incorporated.

Real Estate Prices Still

Agricultural Economist Newsletter: Winter 2001--Farm Real Estate Prices Still Rising in Minnesota Farm Real Estate Prices Still Rising in Minnesota Steven J. Taff Average Minnesota farm real estate sales prices just keep on climbing (figure 1). This despite low output prices, rising input costs, and continued uncertainty about the future of federal subsidies. Sales price increases were seen in all parts of the state except in the northwest. In this annual sales price summary, I can provide only an overview, some cursory analysis, and--as always--a few opinions. I'll not bore you with text that simply repeats what's already shown in the charts. Instead I'll spend some time discussing how land transaction data are recorded, adjusted, and employed. I think it's useful to go through some administrative and procedural details to further our understanding of what these data are and what they are not. If this prospect makes you say, "Just show me the data, Steve," then you can stop right after the sales summary section. Or, if your impatience knows no bounds, go straight to the Minnesota Land Economics (MLE) Web site at http://apec.umn.edu/faculty/sjtaff/landdata/index.html and start working the numbers yourself. Farm Land Sales in 2000 Assessors are required to report initial assessments in late fall, based on sales data to date. That's why the data are reported on a "record year" basis: these are the sales that were, presumably, available for assessor scrutiny at the time the initial estimated market-values are calculated. Final values are set by summer, to be used in the succeeding tax year. So, for example, sales made in late 1999 are used by assessors to set initial values for January 2001. These estimates are adjusted in spring 2001, finalized in summer 2001, and then used for tax purposes in 2002. The adjusted record year 2000 sales data were therefore not available until April of this year. Figure 2 shows the distribution of all farmland sales in 2000. The bulk of the sales lie between $500 and $2,000 per acre. I excluded a small number of sales that exceeded $5,000 per acre as well as those involving parcels of land less than 20 acres in size. Both were excluded as not being plausibly "agricultural"--despite their designation on the Certificate of Real Estate Value (CRV) as "agricultural" land. (Although excluded from figure 2, these data are included in the MLE Web site data.) Even though MAE readers and MLE Web site users can view the full distribution of sales prices, most still ask for a single number that somehow captures the story behind the figures. Obviously, for a set of sales that span such a wide range in prices, any single number fails completely to accomplish this end. Movements in averages, while arithmetically correct, usually fail to tell the entire story. The particular average I use in this article is a location- and size-weighted mean (table 1). In last year's farm real estate report ( agecon.lib.umn.edu/mn/mae699.pdf ), I discussed the usefulness of such weighting as well as the desirability of examining sales data at the smallest geographic scale possible. Table 1. Minnesota farm real estate sales summary Record year Number of sales Acres sold Average price* 1996 2,504 263,728 936 1997 2,641 296,803 1,039 1998 2,724 303,968 1,113 1999 2,212 235,359 1,196 2000 2,258 250,979 1,222 * Location- and size-weighted per-acre mean Figure 1 compares the movements of actual sales price averages with those two other estimates of land value--the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) annual state estimates (based on a farmer opinion survey) and the average assessor estimates (the location- and size-weighted mean estimated market value). The University of Minnesota sales prices averages are location- and size-weighted means. The fact that all three (somewhat) independent estimates of farmland real estate values shown in figure 1 move in lockstep adds credence, I believe, to the conclusion that, on average, farmland values really are increasing in Minnesota. Geographic variations in real estate values for the past 11 years are shown in the box-and-whisker plots of figure 3. (District boundaries are shown in figure 4.) The range of sales prices for each district for each year is shown by the endpoints of the vertical lines. The ends of each box show the prices at which 25 percent of the sales were higher (or lower). The median is indicated by the horizontal bar within each box. So, for example, the median Central district farmland sale was about $1,200 per acre, with 25 percent of the sales lower than $750 and 75 percent lower than $1,850 per acre. In previous years' reports, I've noted the wide variation in average price movements among districts. Such differences were accentuated in 2000 by the continued climb of values in the South East district combined with the continued stagnation in the North West district (figure 5) . Farm Sale Data When a Minnesota property is sold, the transaction details must be recorded at the county courthouse on a form called a CRV. On it, the seller attests that such-and-such a property was sold to so-and-so on a certain date for a specific price. Other information about the property (its size, soil characteristics, prior year's estimated market value) is often entered on the CRV as well. Frequently, the per-acre prices that underlie this article and are also shown in the MLE Web site are not the prices entered on the CRV. Long before a land sales figure enters the official data base, it has been passed through an array of filters and adjustments designed to make comparison among transactions more meaningful and more reliable. Recording the Transactions There are many possible slips between an ownership change and data analysis. Of course, there is always the chance that simple recording errors are made. For example, numbers may be miscopied from bills of sale onto the CRV, or into a computer file, or into a spreadsheet. There is also a chance of misrepresentation. The person who fills in the CRV might have a reason to understate or overstate the actual sales price--perhaps to avoid a tax. This, of course, is illegal, but, as any courthouse veteran can tell you, it occasionally happens. Not every sale receives further processing. Local or state officials remove from subsequent analysis any sale not deemed "arms-length," because it was sold, for example, to a member of the seller's immediate family. Or, a sale might be pulled because the new buyer intends to convert the land to a non-agricultural use. Adjusting the Prices After this filtering, sales prices are frequently adjusted to make comparison among sales more appropriate. First, to expunge the effects of inflation, sales prices are deflated by an officially reported rate to January 2 of the year in which they were recorded. This "adjustment for time" is fairly minor in years (like the past decade) where inflation has been low. The second adjustment is "for terms." Not all farm real estate sales are for the full property. Some are made through a contract for deed, an arrangement that allows the buyer to pay a certain amount now and other amounts at stated intervals. Until the final payment is made, the property remains in the possession of the seller--even though it has been "sold." Because the full payment schedule is entered on the CRV, the Department of Revenue can calculate a present value of the initial and subsequent payments at an official discount rate. This becomes the official sales price of the property, regardless of what the buyer and seller had in mind when they sealed the deal. Adjustments don't end with a time- and terms-adjusted sales price, honestly reported and accurately recorded. In most cases, users of the data are interested in per-acre prices, not per-parcel prices. That means some chosen total price must be divided by some total acreage. But which price? Which acres? Should we use the total price or should we first subtract out the value of buildings, personal property, ancillary property, or machinery to get closer to the "true" land price? In this article (and on the MLE Web site), I choose to follow conventions established years ago in Minnesota. I report the time- and terms-adjusted total sales price, minus the value of personal property, divided by the entire acreage of the parcel. That's why, when I'm being careful, I speak of the average price of farm real estate, not of farm land . Employing the Data The sales reported here are only those recorded between October 1, 1999, and September 30, 2000. These "record year 2000" sales are so bundled because of the way real estate transactions are used to help local assessors value land for property tax purposes. Strange as it may seem, the Department of Revenue does not collect sales data merely to satisfy the data cravings of University economists like me. No, statewide sales data are collected principally to create statistics that are used to "equalize" property tax valuations across county boundaries. Each year, county assessors are required to assign an estimated market value (EMV) to each of the thousands of real estate parcels in the county. The estimate is supposed to be based on an examination of similar properties that were actually sold recently. (The combined valuations for each township, city, or county are the source of the Land Values--in contrast to the Farmland Sales--data on the MLE Web site.) Because every county has its own assessor who uses largely independent valuation procedures, there are inevitably discontinuities across county lines--even for adjacent properties. Farmer Brown wonders why Farmer Olson's land, just across the fence line in the next county, carries an assessed value that is lower by $200 per acre. The state has created an equalization procedure that is supposed to smooth over such discontinuities. Assuming that nearby properties really would sell for similar prices, any observed difference in assessed values for otherwise similar properties is presumed to be evidence that one or both of the assessors is either undervaluing (that is, assigning an EMV that is too low) or overvaluing properties. To test this, the state calculates a sales ratio (the EMV divided by sales price) for every property sold in a particular area. If an assessor systematically undervalues properties (shown by sales ratios that are consistently lower than some threshold), the state might demand the EMVs in that jurisdiction be uniformly raised, to better accord with what is thought to be "true" market conditions. How Accurate Are the EMVs? We can see for ourselves how close the final assessor estimates are by comparing actual sales prices against the previous year's estimated market values for the same property (figure 2). Each point in the figure represents one sale. For example, the rightmost point is for a property that was estimated to have a value of $4,900 per acre, but actually sold for only $2,900 per acre. While some of the estimates are obviously way off (like this example), the bulk are pretty close. In most cases, the EMV was lower than the sale price, but in a neatly predictable manner. A simple one-variable regression model, shown as the straight line in the figure, accounts for nearly 75 percent of the observed variation in farm real estate sales prices. Parting Thoughts What accounts for the ever-onward-and-upward movement of average farm real estate prices in Minnesota? We need only to round up the usual suspects, most of which I have discussed at length in previous issues of MAE . These include 1) perennial farmer optimism about future crop and livestock prices, 2) expected extensions of federal farm subsidy programs, 3) continued favorable local property tax treatment for farmland, 4) the desire of some farmers to increase the size of their current operation by buying adjacent farmland, 5) the desire of some non-farm buyers to use land as a hedge against inflation, and 6) inflation itself. An additional suspect that we need to add is the increasing prominence of location even in rural land markets. We simply can't explain current price levels on the basis of income potential (including subsidies) and speculation potential alone. Clearly, where the land sits with respect to job centers and what it looks like is influencing the price buyers are willing to pay for a particular parcel of land. As always, I caution potential land buyers and sellers about reading too much into the average land prices reported here and elsewhere. If you've got land to sell or if you have a hankering to buy land--look before you leap. The financial stakes are too high for casual empiricism. Hire an appraiser. Talk with your spouse. Check your finances. Think about the children. Be careful out there! Steven J. Taff is an associate professor and extension economist with the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. Return to Minnesota Ag Economist Newsletter Index Page University of Minnesota Extension Service HomePage

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Buy or Sell a Home - For Sale By Owner Canada (FSBO) - Private Sale Real Estate Listing Service Home Search -- Featured New -- Articles FAQ's News About Directory Testimonials Contact -- -- City: Select City Barrhead Barrie Brampton Caledon Cambridge Campbellford Courtice East York Georgian Bay Georgina Hamilton King Kitchener Lambton Shores London London Magog Markham Meldrum Bay Milton Minden Mississauga Newmarket North York Oakville Orillia Oshawa Pickering Port Dover Port Perry Richmond Hill Rockwood Rosseau Scarborough Severn Stouffville Thornhill Toronto Vaughan Wassaga Beach Waterloo Woodbridge Property Type: Select Type Commercial Building Business Farm Industrial Investment Office Plaza Power Centres Retail Store w/ Apt, Office Vacant Land Condominium Co-Op Apartment Co-ownership Apartment Condo Apartment Condo Townhouse Detached Condo Semi-Detached Condo Time Share Freehold/House Attached/Row Townhouse Commercial/Residential Cottage Detached Duplex Farm Link Mobile/Trailer Multiplex Rural Residential Semi-Detached Triplex I Want to: Please Select buy rent Price Range: Price Range under 1 000 1 000 - 5 000 5 000 - 10 000 10 000 - 25 000 25 000 - 50 000 50 000 - 100 000 100 000 - 250 000 250 000 - 500 000 more than 500 000 $ 0 $1,950,000 4 bedroom(s) Lambton Shores $380,000 4 bedroom(s) Magog Please Select Your Province Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Newfoundland Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Ontario Prince Edward Island Quebec Saskatchewan Yukon -- What is "For Sale By Owner" Real Estate? For Sale By Owner (FSBO) is a term that is used to refer to real estate , usually homes, which are being sold by the owner without the help of a real estate agent or broker. The For Sale By Owner method of selling a home enables the home seller to save thousands of dollars by not having to pay a large commission to a real estate agent upon the sale of their property. Sell Your Own Home , Save Thousands! Savings from an FSBO real estate sale can either be kept by the home seller as increased profit or passed on to the FSBO real estate buyer by offering the home for sale at a lower price. Typically, owners will list their home, land, condo or other property for sale using FSBO websites like PropertySold , local newspaper classified ads, word of mouth or other inexpensive advertising methods such as the placement of a For Sale By Owner Yard Sign in their front yard. Sell Property Buy Property Rent Property Sell Canadian Real Estate By Owner Sell a Home, Sell a Condo, Sell Land... Even Sell Commercial Real Estate! Do you have real estate for sale in Canada? Would you like to save thousands of dollars on the sale of your house or property? With real estate agent commissions averaging 5% of the total sale price of your property you owe it to yourself to try the " for sale by owner " method. According to the National Association of Realtors, over 70% of real estate buyers are turning to the internet to start their search for a property so it is essential to include an online listing of your property in any plans you may have to sell your home. A private Real Estate listing with PropertySold gives you, the real estate seller , the ability to expose your home, condo, land, commercial real estate or other property to qualified real estate buyers for as little as $14 . If you compare the cost of an mls listing with PropertySold with traditional MLS listing services or to the commissions you would have to pay to an agent upon the sale of your property it is easy to see why thousands of Canadians have already chosen the " For Sale By Owner " method to sell their own homes and save thousands in the process. PropertySold FSBO Listing Features Detailed online real estate listing of your property - comprehensive description + up to 12 images Affordable listing packages - sell your home for as little as $14! Flat fee listings - one time payment keeps your property listed on our website until it is sold - No commissions, ever! 24/7 online access to edit and manage your property listing Submission of your FSBO listing to internet search engines Open House scheduling and exposure Text Link or Text Link + Image "Featured" Listing on our Home Page Free Access to our extensive set of FSBO home seller tools Mortgage Calculator Mortgage Application FSBO Home Sellers Guide Ad Writing Tips Professionally designed "For Sale By Owner" Yard Sign (optional) Professional photography service (optional) Knowledgeable customer service available by telephone or email More Information Package Options Advantages of the "For Sale By Owner" Private Sale Method Inexpensive - With mls listings starting at $14 , PropertySold offers you a virtually "risk-free" way to test the real estate market Sell Your Property Faster - Since there is no commission to pay for the sale of your home you can list your property at a more competitive price allowing you to sell it faster than if you had to factor a real estate agent's commission into your home selling price Exposure - Propertysold is regularly spidered and indexed by the major search engines. PropertySold averages over 15, 000 qualified Canadian real estate buyers visiting our website a month from internet search engines so you can be assured your listing will receive massive exposure to people who are already looking to purchase real estate in Canada Total Control - Schedule appointments or open houses when it is convenient for you, manage your fsbo listing from the comfort of your own home 24/7. With a PropertySold FSBO listing you are in control! It's Easy - If you can sell your own car then you can sell your own home, it's that simple! We will give you all the tools, training and resources you need to sell your property quickly and easily. It's really not as hard as you think. Who knows your home better than you? The obvious answer is no one. So why pay a stranger thousands of dollars to sell your property when the most knowledgeable, motivated salesperson is you? PropertySold gives you all the tools you need to sell your home yourself at a very affordable price. More Information Package Options Buy Canadian Real Estate By Owner Typically, property for sale through a traditional real estate agent is priced to accomodate the commission the property seller would need to pay the real estate agent upon the sale of the home. Since these commission charges are often added onto the actual value of the home and are included in the asking price you, the real estate buyer, is forced to pay up to 7% more for the property than it is actually worth. Buying " For Sale By Owner " private sale homes and property can help you avoid these commission charges and get you the real estate you want at a better price. PropertySold features nationwide FSBO listings of Canadian single family homes, vacant lots, commercial property, recreational property, farms and ranches, mobile homes and condos. Most of these FSBO properties can not be found in any other MLS listing service. Advantages of Buying "For Sale By Owner" Real Estate No Agents, No Commissions - Save thousands of dollars by purchasing real estate directly from the owner without the need for a middle man. Since there is no agent commissions involved in the sale of the property the seller is able to pass these savings on to you, the FSBO real estate buyer Knowledgeable Salesperson - Who knows a property better than the owner? 24/7 Online Access to View Property Listings - Our website is available to the real estate shopper 24/7/365. Convenience - Browse through hundreds of Canadian property listings from the comfort of your own home. All FSBO listings on this website can be printed or emailed with ease. Contact information is included with the listings making scheduling appointments a breeze. Search For Canadian Real Estate "For Sale By Owner" Magazine Locator » -- Detached $229,900 5 bedroom(s) Hamilton Rural Residential $229,995 2 bedroom(s) Barrhead Detached $369,900 4 bedroom(s) Oakville Username Password -- Mortgage Calculator Mortgage Application Mortgage Guide Equifax Credit Report -- Ad writing tips Seller's Guide Buyer's Guide -- Real Estate Lawyers Mortgage Brokers Home Inspector Other Services -- 4 bedroom, Oakville See more details 4 bedroom, Lambton Shores See more details View All Featured 5 bedroom(s), Hamilton See more details 2 bedroom(s), Barrhead See more details 4 bedroom(s), Oakville See more details View All New Listings -- -- Home | Buy Home | Sell Home | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Affiliates | Links | Contact Us | Site Map | Advertisers Home Buy Sell Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Affiliates Links Contact Us Site Map Advertisers -- " Sell Your Own Home " - PropertySold.ca Inc. is the largest For Sale By Owner Private Sale MLS listing service in Canada. Buy a home by owner, sell a home by owner. Find real estate for sale in: Ontario - Quebec - British Columbia - Alberta - Manitoba - Saskatchewan - Newfoundland - New Brunswick - Nova Scotia - Prince Edward Island © 2004 PropertySOLD.ca Website Design - BDNwebdesign.com fsbo property listings -- 0.349967956543--