real estate agents Money

Feds probe real estate agents - Apr. 22, 2005 Web CNN/Money Buying & Selling Investment Property Home Improvement Million $ Life Financing Best Places SAVE | EMAIL | PRINT | SUBSCRIBE TO MONEY | Feds probe real estate agents Money magazine investigation shows Justice Dept. looking into anticompetitive practices. April 22, 2005: 5:27 PM EDT By Jon Birger, Money Magazine NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Did you pay your real estate broker too much? The U.S. Department of Justice may be set to turn Tulsa, Okla. into a test-case for ending the stranglehold 6 percent commissions have over the real estate brokerage business. MONEY has learned that Justice's Antitrust Division is gathering information on the bully tactics that full-commission brokers in Tulsa allegedly use against their discount rivals to discourage commission-cutting. The probe follows other recent efforts to spur competition in the real estate industry. According to a copy of a Justice Department subpoena obtained by MONEY, federal investigators are seeking information on "possible anticompetitive conduct in the provision of real estate services in the Tulsa area" as well as "documents related to refusal to cooperate on real estate transactions." An Antitrust Division spokeswoman confirmed the existence of the investigation but declined to provide additional details. Al Unser, executive director of the Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors said: "We received a CID [civil investigative demand] from the Justice Dept. and we have responded." Economists who study real estate, such as the University of Cincinnati's Norm Miller, believe anti-competitive behavior is the primary explanation for the persistence of the 6 percent commission. J.D. Smith and Bob Meyer are two Tulsa discount real estate agents who say they were interviewed by federal investigators. They say the investigators wanted information on full-commission agents' alleged refusal to show home-buying clients properties listed by discount brokers -- a tactic known as boycotting. Boycotting exploits the one major weakness of the multiple listing service. The MLS's upside is that it centralizes all homes for sale in a single electronic marketplace that can be accessed by all agents -- and these days by Web-savvy consumers as well. The downside is that brokers must depend on one another to help sell their homes, and that discourages them from undercutting each other's commissions. While boycotting the listings of discounters is generally considered an antitrust violation -- if undisclosed, it's also a breach of fiduciary duty to clients -- industry insiders are well aware that boycotting goes on, even if they claim not to condone it. For Smith, the Feds' investigation comes a year or so too late. His realty business on the brink of ruin, Smith recently abandoned discount brokerage and went back to charging 6 percent. "In one week," Smith said, "I've had more showings and more offers from other realtors than I had in the previous two months." The Tulsa investigation is part of an ongoing Antitrust Division foray into the sharp-elbowed realty world. In March, the Antitrust Division sued the Kentucky Real Estate Commission over a state law that prohibits real estate brokers from offering commission rebates to consumers. More recently, Assistant Attorney General R. Hewitt Pate sent letters to lawmakers and regulators in Oklahoma and Texas, urging them to reject proposals that would effectively prohibit brokers from engaging in limited-service or fee-for-service realty -- such as listing a home for sale on the multiple listing service for a flat fee of $500. Bruce Hahn, chairman of the American Homeowners Grassroots Alliance, argues that state prohibitions on rebates and fee-for-service discourage competition and inflate commissions paid by consumers. "We've talked to Justice, and we think what they're doing is tremendous," he said. E-mail Jon Birger at jbirger@moneymail.com. The Hot List Most profitable renovations How risky is your 401(k)? Big new tax credits for hybrid cars More Real Estate How to buy and build on rural land Most overvalued housing markets When booms go bust... contact us | magazine customer service | site map | glossary | RSS | press room OTHER NEWS: CNN | SI | Fortune | Business2.0 = Money subscribers = Premium content -- * - Time reflects local markets trading time. † - Intraday data is at least 15-minutes delayed. Disclaimer © 2005 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Terms under which this service is provided to you. privacy policy Reprints of site stories are available. Top Stories Most overvalued housing markets Risks to the economy in 2006 Which was the worst ad of all in 2005? After the ride, a rest Hilton brands reunite after 40 years YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Real Estate Antitrust Division Corporate Governance Oklahoma or Create your own Manage alerts | What is this?

Buy House

Buying a house with credit problems Click Here to Take Charge of Your Credit Buying a House with Credit Problems It happens to many of us. Obligations. Debts. Monthly bills. They allcan combine to get the best of you and as a result, credit problems arise. In the not too distant past, this oftenmeant having to wait 5 years, 10 years or more before attempting to purchase a home. Now, however, there are sourcesthat can help those who are doing their best to re-establish a solid credit rating. Overcoming Credit Problems Determine precisely what the problems are. You will need to have a clear picture of your current credit status so that you know whatto concentrate on. The quickest and easiest way to accomplish this is to run a credit check and begin to analyzeit. We have made arrangements with FreeCreditReport to offer a free copy of your credit report as well as a trial offer of their CreditCheckmonitoring service. Click here to get your free report . Or, you can see a number of options for obtaining a copy of your creditreport at ConsumerInfo's Credit Center . If your credit needs repair, begin the process at once. There are "credit repair counselors" who will, for a fee that is usuallyin the range of several hundred dollars, help you with the process. Or, with the right information at your disposal,you can handle the process yourself. Fresh Start: The Authoritative Guide to Consumer Credit Repair is a complete, 250 page manual that is reasonably priced and gives you a step-by-stepprogram for handling the credit repair process quickly and legally. More information . Start by getting the problems under control now. Do not incur any new debt. Do your best to begin to live within your means. This will be an advantagenow, when you are applying for a loan, as well as later, when you will need to meet your monthly mortgage obligation. Make a a commitment to a program of saving. Even if you have had credit problems, there are options available for mortgages if youhave downpayment money available. There is little or no hope if you have both credit problems and no cash. Concentrate on your needs in housing before your wants . Re-establishing your financialfooting is not as difficult as it used to be, but it is impossible if you attempt to buy more house than makessense. Be conservative! Concentrate on those lenders who specialize in working with thosewho have had credit problems. Spending time (and money) applyingto lenders who do not work with credit blemishes will accomplish nothing. If you have a local source that you knowwill consider such loans, take advantage of them. Other sources, available online, such as LendingTree , which has a large networkof lenders nationwide, including those who have experience in dealing with credit problems. HOME | YourChecklist | To-DoLists | Agents | Mortgages | Questions | Finda Home | Inspections | Research | More Links | Bookstore

Selling Home & Garden

10 Steps to Take Before You Sell Your House - Home Selling  You are here: About > Home & Garden > Home Buying / Selling > How To Sell a House > 10 Steps to Take Before You Sell Your House - Home Selling Home & Garden Home Buying / Selling Essentials 10 Things Home Buyers Shouldn't Do Best Tips for First Time Home Buyers "Must-Do" Tasks Before You Sell How to Buy a Home, Step by Step For Sale by Owner Advice Articles & Resources How To Buy a Home How To Sell a House Celebrity & Historic Credit Reports & Scores Design & Remodel Home Maintenance Inspections & Appraisals Investing & Foreclosures Modular & Manufactured Mold, Radon, Lead, etc. Mortgage Advice Moving & Relocation Real Estate Careers Real Estate For Sale Vacation Homes Buyer's Guide Before You Buy Top Picks Home Buying Books Foreclosure Books Mortgage Books Product Reviews Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Home Buying / Selling newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Home Buying / Selling Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page More Home Selling Articles Understanding Material Facts and Property Disclosures Get Ready for Your Home Inspection Should You Buy a Home Warranty? More Home Selling Resources How to Read the HUD-1 Settlement Statement Getting the House Ready to Sell How To Measure Your Square Footage Recent Discussions Excellent credit, no savings- help!! Buying an out of state home ? Re-financing... Related Blogs Mortgage Fraud Blog The Real Estate Blog The Money Pit Most Popular Modular and Manufactured Homes Finding Your Best Place to ... Home Buying Don'ts First Time Home Buyer Tips Before You Sell Your Home What's Hot Coping with Unethical People How To Buy Land Real Estate Appraisal Before You Buy a Log Home Package Home Buying / Selling - GuideReviews Related Topics Home Repair Architecture Credit / Debt Management Housekeeping Landscaping 10 Important Steps to Take Before You Sell Your House From Janet Wickell , Your Guide to Home Buying / Selling . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Essential Home Selling Preparations The home selling process differs from state to state, but there are some important steps that most home sellers should take before listing a house with an agent or selling it for sale by owner. Every bit of prep work you do helps you get the most return from your investment. 1. Get Pre-Approved for a Home Loan I've known sellers who signed a contract to sell their house before they knew if they were qualified to buy another. Either their financial circumstances had changed since their last purchase, and they could no longer qualify for a loan, or they weren't able to sell at a price that allowed them to buy the type of replacement house they wanted. They ended up renting or buying something that was far from ideal. Before you decide to sell the house, get pre-approved by a lender you trust and research the housing market in the area where you wish to live so that you have a good idea how much it will take to buy a replacement. Start looking for two types of real estate: houses that seem to match the one you'd like to buy and houses that are similar to your current home. How do the two categories compare in price? Can you handle the difference if you're planning a step up? Mortgage Helpers: Are You Pre-Approved for a Mortgage? And to compare for-sale homes to your own, learn how to Measure Residential Square Footage . 2. Check Your Mortgage Payoff Call your lender to check the payoff for your current home mortgage. You'll need the figure to complete Step 6. 3. Determine How Much Your House Is Worth Determine your home's fair market value. Real estate agents will usually help you determine value as a courtesy, but you might take it a step further and order an appraisal . 4. Estimate Your Costs to Sell Real estate commission if you use an agency to sell. Advertising costs, signs, other fees if you plan to sell by owner. Attorney, closing agent and other professional fees. Excise tax for the sale. Prorated costs for your share of annual expenses, such as property taxes, home owner association fees, and fuel tank rentals. Any other fees typically paid by the seller in your area (surveys, inspections, etc.). Real estate agents deal with transactions every day and can give you a very close estimate of seller closing costs. 5. Estimate Costs to Buy a New Home Calculate moving expenses, loan costs, downpayment, home inspections, title work and title policy, paying for a new hazard insurance policy--all expenses related to buying a home. Your lender should give you a disclosure of estimated costs when you apply for loan pre-approval. 6. Calculate Your Estimated Proceeds Deduct your mortgage payoff from your home's fair market value. Deduct your costs to sell from the remainder to get an estimate of the proceeds you will be paid at closing. Will your closing proceeds cover your costs to buy a new home? If not, do you have cash or other funding to make up the difference? 7. Make Necessary Repairs Make all needed repairs unless you want the house to be regarded as a fixer-upper. I'm not referring to cosmetic updates--just items in need of repair. Anything that's obviously broken gives potential buyers a reason to offer you a lower price, especially if it's one of several repair hot spots that worry buyers the most. 8. Get the House Ready to Show Most houses need at least a little spiffing up before they are shown to potential buyers. Great curb appeal , fresh paint indoors (and sometimes out), organized closets and cabinets, sparkling clean windows and appliances and a clutter-free look are essential if you want the house to appeal to buyers. Be sure to avoid the things buyers hate most about houses. 9. Get Psyched Up to Let People In If you're listing with a real estate agent, she'll ask you to leave when the house is shown. Why? Because lurking sellers make buyers nervous--they don't feel comfortable inspecting the house when they feel they are intruding in your personal space. Unless there's a valid reason for it, don't ask your agent to be present for all showings, because that requirement can be the kiss of death for showing activity. Other agents want privacy with their buyers and they don't usually have time to work around your agent's schedule. Make the house accessible. That means it should always be ready to show. Many agents won't bother showing a house that takes 24 hours to get into. 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foreclosure property will be

King County Treasury Operations - King County Property Tax Foreclosure List Disclaimer Treasury Operations King County Property Tax Foreclosure List Disclaimer The foreclosure list will be updated as time allows. Any parcel may be redeemed (paid) up to the day before the date of sale. Information regarding the foreclosure process, sale date, sale location, method of payment, etc., may be obtained by clicking on the following link, King County Property Tax Foreclosure Information. It is important for potential bidders to understand that Treasury Operations is not a real estate office. The sale of property tax foreclosure properties should not, in any way, be equated to real estate sales by licensed salesmen, brokers and realtors. The King County Treasury Operations cannot guarantee the condition of the property nor assume any responsibility for conformance to codes, permits or zoning ordinances. You should inspect the property before purchasing. The burden is on the purchaser to thoroughly research, before the sale, any matters relevant to his or her decision to purchase, rather than on the county, whose sole interest is the recovery of unpaid taxes. Tax foreclosure property will be sold on an "as is" basis. The King County Treasury Operations does not warrant the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of any information in this system, and shall not be held liable for losses caused by using this information. Any person or entity who relies on any information obtained from this system, does so at their own risk. I understand that Washington State law, RCW 42.17.260.(9) prohibits the use of lists of individuals for "commercial purposes". I understand that the use for "commercial purposes" of said records may also violate the rights of the individual(s) named therein and may subject me to liability for such commercial use. I understand that "commercial purposes" means that the person requesting the record intends that the list will be used for general business purposes, including but not limited to communicating with the individual(s) named in the record for the purpose of facilitating profit expecting activity. I acknowledge and agree to the prohibitions listed in RCW 42.17.260(9) against releasing and/or using lists of individuals for commercial purposes when I click on the "I Accept" box to access these records. King County | News | Services | Comments | Search Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by King County. By visiting this and other King County web pages, you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site. The details.

home for sale, historic

Historic Homes for Sale, Historic Real Estate & Property for Sale in the United States @ PreservationDirectory.com Historic preservation homes for sale, historic home for sale, historic house for sale, historic property for sale, historic real estate for sale, and preservation home for sale. Last Updated: December 23, 2005 View wonderful historic homes and property for sale and rent throughout the United States by clicking on the map below. Each historic property for is listed on its own page, complete with multiple photos, full description and history of the property, complete contact information for seller/rental organization, and much more. For information on listing your historic home(s) for sale, please click here . NEW - Historic rental properties are now being listed. Now you can view historic apartments and homes for rent, historic event rentals (for weddings, business meetings, and other functions), and office space for lease. To view the historic rental properties, please click the link next to the map below. The listings for historic homes & real estate for sale and rent in the United States & Canada are currently divided by region - to view listings, please click the geographic region header or appropriate area on the map below: * New Listings Click above to view new listings added in the last 2 months! 1. Northeast : CT, MA, ME, NH, NY, RI, VT 2. Mid-Atlantic: DC, DE, MD, NJ, PA, VA, WV 3. Southeast : AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC 4. Mid-Central: KY, OH, IL, IN, MI, TN 5, Upper Midwest : IA, MN, ND, NE, SD, WI 6. Lower Midwest: AR, KS, MO, OK, TX 7. West : AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY 8. CANADA : View listings for Provinces in Canada * Historic Rentals Click here to view historic rental properties. Click link below for information on listing your historic property for sale or rent CLICK HERE FOR CANADA LISTINGS Featured Historic Home for Sale: The Allen-Beville House Douglaston, NY (click link to view) Historical Holiday Gala...See the Beville House dressed for the holidays...Candle light tour with cocktail reception culiminating at a second historical landmark...This fundraising event to raise preservation awareness is planned at the Estate on December 11, 2005 from 5:30-8:30pm EST. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Douglaston Little Neck Historical Society. To read the full event details, please click here . Interested in receiving regular email updates of new additions to the "Historic Real Estate for Sale & Rent" directory? Receive an electronic newsletter each 6 weeks that will display the new historic homes and buildings for sale that have been recently added to PreservationDirectory.com. CLICK HERE to be added to the "Historic Real Estate for Sale & Rent " Email Update List. Feedback from those listing their Historic Property on PreservationDirectory.com: "I think your site is unique among what I was able to find on the Web, and a great service. Not everyone wants a historic house with the accompanying challenges. Your site helps house owners seeking to sell or rent their property a means to directly target the audience that will recognize the unique charms of a historic property." - Mary Traeger Pascale, Waterview Historic Gem, Keyport, NJ " PreservationDirectory.com provides a unique venue for owners to build visibility and identify qualified, willing and able buyers in this specialty segment of the market that few real estate organizations can match." - Andrew Bulla , The Stone House in Pine Valley, McKnightstown, PA Thanks for all your help. Please put a sold sign on the ad so we will stop getting calls. They're still coming in. Your site has been a huge help to us. We really appreciate what the site did for us. Thanks again. - Debbie Ward, Prudential Carolinas Realty "Thanks for your quality editing and presentation. My listing with you has yielded much more interesting and serious prospects than my more expensive listing with [other prominent online services]. I am recommending PreservationDirectory.com to others I know. It is an excellent website and all of the seriously interested responses came from this connection, and some traveled long distances to see the house." - Nancy Stillians, The Stillians House, Villisca, IA " Thanks for your help. The website is a good one and I have advised several people to use it. I think it offers a quality alternative to other online services. I really appreciate the professionalism represented in the website and I especially enjoy the "depth" of listings and the history they represent. " - Frank Brough, Hale's Riverfront Homestead, Mosheim, TN "It was definitely a positive experience dealing with your organization. I have had numerous hits from your site. I sold it through a local realtor, but feel your website was very successful in getting responses. Thanks again!" - Robbie Blake, Blake Real Estate, Bronson, FL What qualifies a home, lodge, warehouse, mill, lookout tower, etc. as being a historic property? The only universally agreed-upon criteria appears to be the property being 50 years old or older, which is what we are using for this directory. The degree of further "historical significance" then depends on a multitude of factors, including if the structure is representative of an architectural style, its association with a locally or nationally famous event or person, or being located within the boundaries of a local or national historic district, to name a few. Using various methods of research, information can be gathered that will help to piece together the story of your home. For more information on your home and researching its history, contact your local historical non-profit organization or the Local, State or Federal government department that is charged with historic preservation and/or cultural resource management. These preservation groups and programs may be listed in our "Preservation Organizations" directory Please note: As more historic real estate is added to the directory, the categories will become more specific (ie. by State, rather than a large geographic region). Also, we will soon institute a more comprehensive search capability, allowing you to search by such elements as architectural style, sell price, date built, house dimensions, etc. Please note: All information provided on each listing has been provider by the seller. We cannot verify the information provided - please contact the seller/agent with all questions you may have about the historic home or property for sale. Map courtesy of Collectics Antiques & Collectibles Email: preservationdirectory@comcast.net Best Viewed at 800x600 pixels in Internet Explorer 2000-2005 PreservationDirectory.com, All Rights Reserved.