Selling home on your

Alaska Journal of Commerce: Selling home on your own can prove costly 04/22/02 [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] Home Focus In this Issue Calendar Bulletin Board Movers & Shakers Business History Archive Around the World Legals Viewpoint Profile Cartoons Contact Us Advertise with us Subscribe About Us Classified ADs Oil & Gas Special Sections Wealthbuilders Fish Factor Travel Insight Property Wise Tech Watch Law Page Philanthropy Health Book of Lists -5° 17° 9° 8° 27° 33° 35° 41° 44° 39° 35° Choose City Anchorage Barrow Bethel Cordova Deadhorse Denali Park Dillingham Dutch Harbor Fairbanks Galena Haines Homer Juneau Kenai Ketchikan Kodiak Kotzebue McGrath Nenana Paxson Petersburg Pribilof Islands Sitka Skagway Soldotna Talkeetna Valdez Wrangell Yakutat Email Newsletter Palm Pilot Delivery Letter to the editor Comments Locate a copy [an error occurred while processing this directive] [an error occurred while processing this directive] 042202 prop_wise 2 Alaska Journal of Commerce Late night television and local radio programming is rife with infomercials and advertisements touting how easy it is to buy and sell your houses, buildings and businesses all by yourself and save staggering amounts of money to boot. -- Web posted Monday, April 22, 2002 Selling home on your own can prove costly By Ken Jelinek For the Journal Late night television and local radio programming is rife with infomercials and advertisements touting how easy it is to buy and sell your houses, buildings and businesses all by yourself and save staggering amounts of money to boot. They can be rather insulting to those of us in the real estate industry because they attempt to make us sound unnecessary, unethical and expensive. But the fact is, you really can do it yourself successfully. Cynically speaking, however, you can also fix your own car, generate your own electricity, defend yourself in court, trade your own stocks and never visit a doctor. You could probably do your neighbor's job too. One day, when everything is perfectly computerized and digital, you probably won't need a real estate agent. But for now, for the rest of us, we need the help, and that help is going to cost us. So, before you go spiraling off in your declaration of independence, ask yourself, "If it's really so easy, then why aren't all real estate transactions conducted without an agent?" You might also ask yourself if you would want to eliminate the real estate agent and take on all of his or her responsibilities when you are already bogged down with your own life in general, and especially if you haven't done it enough to do it right or do it well? Then, listen closely to your answers because we professionals in the industry are often patching up real estate transactions gone sour behind the well-meaning do-it-yourselfers. Keep in mind that I'm referring to all professionals in the industry including agents, attorneys, loan originators, title officers, processors, surveyors, tax assessors, appraisers and inspectors. But I'm referring specifically to the agent because he or she is the center in this wheel. Nationally, only three to five of every 100 home sales consists of successful "For Sale by Owner" transactions. The vast majority of those that attempt it end up hiring an agent within the first 30 days after they have realized the true cost, time and demands required for marketing and showing a home. Locally, the statistics indicate 15-17 percent of FSBOs are successful. While there are a lot of reasons for this, one of the main ones is that we have a robust seller's market with relatively low inventory. This can be quite tempting for sellers to strike out on their own because it looks easier than it is. But even the owners that sell their own homes usually sell to a buyer who has an agent paid for by the seller. The truth is that the vast majority of all real estate transactions are completed with agents involved on at least one side of the sale, and for this reason, most transactions go very smoothly. But sometimes they don't. One recent seller took the advice of a local FSBO program on pricing his home. Several programs will give you limited service for a set fee. He put an ad in the paper and sold it within three days. When the appraisal report came back he learned that he priced his home too low but was still committed to that price. Sure, he might have saved 6 or 7 percent in brokerage fees but he lost a lot more than that to the happy buyer because his FSBO consultant didn't know the market well enough. In a similar incident, a very excited couple heard of a perfect home on the market For Sale By Owner in their neighborhood. The sellers told them that they didn't want to pay any brokerage fees and proceeded to negotiate down the asking price by $9,000, which made the buyers feel special. A market analysis revealed that the starting price was already about $10,000 too high. And yet, it's going to be sold at the same market price to the buyers whether or not they have an agent paid by the seller. Recently a buyer made an offer on a duplex that was accepted with a counteroffer to increase the earnest money. Both buyer and seller agreed verbally and the only thing lacking was the buyer's signature on that change. In the meantime, the seller sold the duplex to a second buyer to get a higher price and quicker closing. He now has two accepted offers on the same property at the same time. Which party in this potential lawsuit would you like to be? Not all sellers innocently try to save money on real estate commissions. Some choose to "overlook" disclosing pertinent and sometimes legally required information to buyers because doing so might lower the final sales price or prohibit a sale indefinitely because they can't afford to fix a deficiency. How would you protect yourself without the watchful eye of an expert? Agents usually take on quite a bit of risk in marketing your house for sale or driving you around looking at homes to buy. They pay for everything up front and often don't get paid until the day it is recorded, which makes him or her, actually, quite a bargain. On the other hand, you could do it yourself. Ken Jelinek is an associate broker with RE/MAX Properties in Anchorage. He can be reached at 907-257-0196. [an error occurred while processing this directive] © 2004 The Alaska Journal of Commerce and Morris Communications Corp.

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Denver Real Estate - Find Homes in Denver at REALTOR.com Denver Real Estate Find Homes For Sale In Greater Denver, Colorado 5432 Listings in this area Select an area of Denver Select from the list below to search for homes and real estate in Greater Denver BOM-Boulder Mountain BOP-Boulder Plains BOU-Boulder BRM-Broomfield JFC-Jefferson County Central JFN-Jefferson County North JFW-Jefferson County West (Golden) JNC-Jefferson County North Central LAF-Lafayette LBE-Loveland/Berthoud LNG-Longmont LSV-Louisville MCP-Mountain Conifer Pine MGC-Gilpin County Mtn MJN-North Jefferson County Mtn NNW-North Northwest Suburban NSW-North Suburban West Other Areas To select two or more, hold down control key (command key on a Macintosh) while clicking mouse. or... Enter the MLS # Search in popular metros: Atlanta | Austin | Boston | Chicago | Dallas | Denver | Houston | Las Vegas | Long Island | Los Angeles | Memphis | Miami | New York City | Orange County | Palm Beach | Phoenix | Sacramento | San Diego | Seattle Site Map | Corporate News & Info | Contact Us | Advertise With Us | Join our staff Terms of Use and PrivacyPolicy . 1995- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS and Homestore, Inc. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity REALTOR.com is the official site of the National Association of REALTORS and is operated by Homestore, Inc. REALTOR -- A Registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. Inquiries regarding the Code of Ethics should be directed to the board in which a REALTOR holds membership.

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VA Loans (Veteran's Affair Loan) contact us home Useful VA Loan Information More than 29 million veterans and service personnel are eligible to receive VA loans. The federal government recently improved the VA loan program, which makes the program even more attractive to our nation's veterans. The changes enacted in Dec. 2004 have increased the loan limit to $359,650, tied the future loan limit to a fluctuating index, and reinstated VA adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs). The VA ARMs will feature interest rate adjustments on an annual basis, which will be limited to a maximum increase or decrease of 1 percentage point. In addition, the interest rate increases are limited to a maximum of 5 percentage points over the life of the loan. The increase in the VA loan guaranty amount comes at an appropriate time for the nation's veterans. While national home prices have appreciated nearly 75 percent since 1995, the VA guaranty amount has only experienced one increase of approximately 18 percent since that time. The U.S. national average purchase price for a single-family home reached $264,540 in October 2004, according to figures released by the Federal Housing Finance Board. This figure is more than 10% over the maximum that lenders were previously willing to provide for a VA loan. With the new VA loan guaranty increase, most lenders will be willing to loan a maximum of $359,650, which indicates that more veterans will now be able to afford a home at the national average purchase price. Veteran's Affair Loan Advice If you are looking to get additional advice regarding a VA Loan, or if you want to speak with someone about prequalifying or even refinancing your home with a VA Loan, you can visit the VA Mortgage Center . They specialize in Veteran's Loans and can assist you through the entire process. They can even prequalify you online. The VA mortgage Center is not associated with the Government's Veteran's program, but they do specialize in VA Loans and can help you get the best rates and advice on your loan. You can also visit the Veteran's Affair Home Page which is the official site for Veteran's Affair Programs. This site will give you additional information regarding the loan, but will not be able to actually help you obtain or get pre-approved for a loan. However, you can find some financial forms at the Veterans Affairs Administration site. Other VA sites: Veterans can more advice on VA Loans and VA Refinances from bankrate . The site can help answer any questions you may have including interest rate questions as well as advice you on whether or not a refinance is your best option. Other sites such as Military Connections.com have some information regarding various benefits and you can find a VA Benefit List that gives Veteran's a list of benefits including information about VA Loans. The VA site also has information about the GI Bill or you can get information about Canada's Veterans Programs . Mortgages VA Loans Home Loans Debt Consolidation Refinancing Apply Now!

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Las Vegas Nevada Real Estate Agents - Summerlin Real Estate - Sun City Real Estate - Las Vegas MLS Home Page Your Home's Value View Our Listings Las Vegas High Rise Info Lake Las Vegas Exchange Links Real Estate Resources Contact Us Property Request Vegas Has Changed!!! Resources - US East Resources - US Middle East Resources - US Middle West Resources - US West Resources - Other Resources - Canada Resources - Real Estate Related Resources - International 702.871.3400 Description: Incredible 4 bed 3 bath home on one acre! Pool, Spa, Tennis Court, Outdoor BBQ Pit, and so much more!!! $1,499,990 Looking for a new home in Las Vegas? ALWAYS TAKE YOUR OWN AGENT !! You've decided that you want to look at new homes around Las Vegas. So you grab the Sunday paper with its handy reference map, jump into your car and start driving around the city looking at the new home tracts, right? WRONG!!! This is a common mistake that could cost you thousands of dollars and a lot of peace of mind! Unless you are a contractor in Las Vegas, it is unlikely that you will know the builders as we do. New home or resale, you should always have your own agent - it costs you NOTHING! But you must take your own agent with you on your first visit into the new homes sales office. • We know each builder's quality . Not only do we see those beautiful professionally decorated models, we know whose workmanship lasts through time. • We know which builders are the most cooperative when it comes to making changes on your new home. • We know who has the best customer service if there is a problem. Even new construction can have minor defects which will remain undiscovered until you've lived in the home a while. A builder who comes in and makes these corrections promptly is priceless! • If there are any special buyer incentives we will know about them first ! The Las Vegas new homes builders actually advertise to real estate agents because they want us to show you their homes. But if you come into the development by yourself, they have no need to offer you an incentive. And the tract agents work for the builder. They won't mention any special promotions if they don't have to. • We will look over all contracts before you sign them and make sure there are no "red flags" in them. • We will help you obtain the best financing . Quite often the new home builders will offer an incentive of $500 to $5,000 if you use "their" lender. Depending on the interest rate charged and other "garbage fees" put into the loan, this may or may not be lower than what you may find elsewhere. • We will assist you with lot selection . Location is crucial and we know how to pick the best lots. • We will recommend professional home inspectors to check out the structure before we close escrow, and we will be there to do your final walk-through with the builder. We know what is acceptable workmanship and what is not. • We will also save you lots of time . We have a complete database of all the new homes in the Las Vegas and their floor plans! We can eliminate unwanted features without driving all over the valley! And you get all this help for free! The builder, by law , cannot sell the home any cheaper to you if you come in without your own agent. But if you do, the tract may refuse to allow you to bring back your own agent later. So resist the impulse to "shop" without us, we're there to help you and we can save you money when you are buying a new home in Las Vegas! Home • Resale Home • New Homes • Our Listings • High Rise Info • Meet the Team • Turnberry Towers • Trump Towers • Newport Lofts • Sandhurst • MGM Grand Residences • Turnberry Place • SoHo Lofts • Streamline Towers • Las Ramblas • Mortgage Marketing / Mortgage Web Design By

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Scottsdale Real Estate, Arizona Golf Properties, Phoenix and Carefree Real Estate Listings Arizona Real Estate by Judy Brickman With 18 years of experience in real estate, Judy Brickman specializes in golf course properties , Arizona luxury homes , vacation home rental and sale, second homes and residential lots in northeast Scottsdale and Carefree. With her expertise in real estate in Scottsdale, Arizona and the surrounding area, she is an excellent resource when buying or selling your home! With special emphasis on such areas as The Boulders , Desert Mountain, Estancia, Mirabel, Desert Highlands, Whisper Rock, Troon, DC Ranch, Terravita, Grayhawk and Legend Trail, Carefree and Pinnacle Peak you will be able to view the broad spectrum of real estate available ranging from luxury Arizona golf properties to regular Phoenix, Carefree, and Scottsdale real estate. Combining extensive knowledge of the Arizona real estate marketplace with a dedicated commitment to service, Judy Brickman welcomes the opportunity to work with you in locating your dream home or lot, or in marketing your property. When searching for Real Estate in Scottsdale, Arizona , Phoenix homes for sale, or other Arizona real estate - Judy Brickman is truly your number one option! Welcome to Arizona Real Estate | About Judy Brickman | Contact Judy Arizona Real Estate Listings | Golf Properties | The Boulders Resort | Arizona State Information Buyers Questionnaire | Sellers Questionnaire | Real Estate Links | Site Map Internet Marketing by VKI Studios