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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Breaking World News: CBSNews.com CBSNews.com The Web Home | U.S. | World | Politics | SciTech | Health | Entertainment | Business | Opinion | NEW --Strange News | Sports | Public Eye | Interactives | FREE CBS News Video The Early Show | CBS Evening News | 48 Hours | 60 Minutes The Saturday Early Show -- | CBS Sunday Morning | Face The Nation | Up To The Minute | Build Your Own Newscast SPECIAL REPORT ----- Year-End Section Photo Galleries Video Archive MP3 Features Timeline Of Events Passings The Year Ahead Quiz: How's Your Nose For News? Quiz: So You Want To Be A Star ... ONLY ON THE WEB -- COURTWATCH Legal Winners & Losers CBS legal analyst Andrew Cohen says who came out on top -- or not -- in the coutroom this year. THE EARLY SHOW One Tough Mother Hattie Kauffman reports on Gert Boyle, the 81-year-old Columbia Sportwear CEO whose motto is "born to nag." 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U.S. | VIDEO | SECTION PAGE Thief Turned In By Sons Sentenced • 9/11 Loans Went To Unqualified • Friends Feud Over Lottery Claim • Americans Split On Domestic Spying • More Stories World | VIDEO | SECTION PAGE Al Qaeda Threatens Sudan Hostages • Envoys Haggle For Yemen Captives • China Says 300M Drink Unsafe Water • Israeli Checkpoint Stops Bomber • More Stories Health | VIDEO | SECTION PAGE Health Customs Migrate To U.S. • Vitamin D As Cancer Crusher • Newer Cancer Drugs Beat Tamoxifen • Playing The Pain Away • More Stories SciTech | VIDEO | SECTION PAGE Greens Also Feed At Public Trough • Technology Blossoms In 2005 • A Sneak Peek At Consumer Labs • Vitamin D As Cancer Crusher • More Stories Entertainment | VIDEO | SECTION PAGE New: Marsalis New Year's Guest Of Honor • No Charge In Lohan Crash • Jail For Will Smith Identity Thief • Dunkin' Donuts Ad Actor Dies • More Stories Opinion | SECTION PAGE Jive And Thrive In '05 • New: Turning Point In Military Strategy • Good Gifts • Rough Year For Bush In Polls • More Stories Politics | VIDEO | SECTION PAGE DeLay Gets Hearing On Speedy Trial • Dems Charge Homeland Failures • Rough Year For Bush In Polls • More Early Alito Memos Released • More Stories Business | VIDEO | SECTION PAGE 2006 Economy Looks Solid • Hilton Reunites, 40 Years Later • Existing Home Sales Decline • Weekly Jobless Claims Rise • More Stories STRANGE NEWS | SECTION PAGE Doggie Insurance Now Required in Vienna • Austrian Artists Pull Offending Billboards • Pay Up: Billions Sought in Bill Mixup • Jamaican Police Officer Becomes Rap Artist • More Stories SPORTS | VIDEO | SECTION PAGE Secondary concerns • Last year's applicants have good shot at Cooperstown • Don't look now, but Ravens' Boller has 'found himself' • More Stories CBS NEWS BROADCASTS The Early Show Start The Year With An Open House Watch One approach would be a Mediterranean-style New Year's Day bash, and cooking teacher and cookbook author Tori Ritchie has some ideas and recipes sure to earn you raves. She shares them on The Early Show . More... The Early Show CEO Is 'One Tough Mother' Watch Columbia Sportswear is a billion-dollar company with a CEO whose motto is "Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise." At 81, Gert Boyle is young at heart. More... CBS Evening News The Art Of Verbal Judo Watch Former police officer George Thompson teaches other cops how to avoid conflict and gain compliance from suspects with a technique he calls verbal judo, Richard Schlesinger reports. More... The Early Show A Sneak Peek At Consumer Labs Watch When Consumer Reports magazine publishes test results, the world listens. But how do they evaluate all those products? WCBS-TV technology editor Brett Larson got a look inside the lab and filed a report for The Early Show . More... The Early Show Amputee An Inspiration To Others Watch A horrific train accident cost Cameron Clapp both legs and one arm. But as Dave Price reports, the young man is determined to make the most of his situation and serves as an inspiration to others. More... The Early Show Nervous Flyers Catch Security Eye Watch The next time you fly, security personnel may spend more time looking at you than at your bags. Behavior observation programs are being tested at some U.S. airports. The Early Show 's Tracy Smith reports. More... Back To Top Advertisement Fullscreen | Help All Videos Iraqi Election Turmoil | E-Mail West: Rain, Snow & Mudslides | E-Mail Crawling While Intoxicated? | E-Mail Teen Amputee's New Life | E-Mail Take the CRIMINAL MINDS profiler quiz Fantasy Football: Roster Trends Play along with CSI Interactive. Take our CRIMINAL MINDS quiz to find out if you're FBI agent material. | Thu. 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BUY PROPERTY IN TURKEY
British Embassy, Turkey Settle, Work or Buying Property in Turkey Short cut.. Contact Us Doing Business with the UK Events Foreign & Commomwealth Office HM Ambassador Passports Services for UK Companies Travel Advice Visas What the consul can and cannot do for you Using mobile phones Consular Registration Form Online Consular Registration Britons applying for residence in Turkey Consular Fees Notarial Acts Marrying in Turkey Settle, Work or Buying Property in Turkey Birth Registration English speaking lawyers Hospitals in Turkey Complaints Overseas voter registration REQUIREMENTS FOR BRITISH NATIONALS WISHING TO SETTLE, WORK OR BUY PROPERTY IN TURKEY UK Nationals who wish to visit Turkey for less then 90 days may obtain a tourist visa by presenting a valid UK passport at any of Turkey's ports of entry. A £10 visa fee, payable in cash only, is the only requirement. All other UK nationals who plan to stay in Turkey for more than 90 days must first obtain the appropriate visa from a Turkish Embassy or Consulate prior to arrival. Please access the Turkish Embassy website: www.turkconsulate-london.com for more information. RESIDENCE IN TURKEY (a) Residency Permits are obtained AFTER arrival in Turkey. Formal application must be made to the police authorities of the province in which you reside, or to the Aliens department of the Police in Ankara, if no fixed abode in Turkey is intended. HOWEVER, well BEFORE your departure from the UK, you should contact the Turkish Embassy in London for information on requirements for residency and for information about importation of your household goods or car. Please access the website www.turkey.org/consularservices/forms/. for further details. (b) A RESIDENCE PERMIT IS AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY BEFORE YOU CAN CLEAR ANY PERSONAL GOODS/CAR FROM TURKISH CUSTOMS. THEREFORE AN APPLICATION FOR A RESIDENCE PERMIT MUST BE MADE in Turkey within one month from the date of your arrival to Turkey. (c) On first application, residence permits may be issued for a two-year period, thereafter for a maximum of five years at any one time. (d) Please note that recent changes in Turkish legislation relating to the calculation of residence permit fees for foreigners living in Turkey, has resulted in huge increases, based on 50 million TL for the first month and 30 million for each subsequent month. For example, a 2 year, permit currently costs 740.000.000 TL plus a booklet fee of 65.000.000 TL, and a five year permit 1.820.000.000 TL, roughly equivalent to £335 and £785 respectively. The Embassy has written to the Turkish authorities asking for a review, with a view to reducing these fees. EMPLOYMENT IN TURKEY A Work Permit is required for employment in Turkey. These permits are issued by the Ministry of the Interior in Ankara. We again strongly advise those wishing to take up employment in Turkey to contact, before travelling, the Turkish Embassy in London and/or their prospective employer in Turkey about the procedures for obtaining a Work Permit or access the Turkish work permit website www.csgb.gov.tr REQUIREMENTS FOR TURKISH WORK VISAS Companies seeking to employ UK nationals in Turkey must first obtain approval from the Turkish Ministry of Labour and Social Security to hire foreign citizen employees. Prospective employers may obtain application forms for work permits at www.csgb.gov.tr. Completed applications should be returned to the Ministry of Labour and Social Security at Inonu Boulevard No 42, Eskisehir Yolu, Emek, Ankara, Tel: (0312) 296 60 00. Upon approval from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, the UK national, employment candidate must next apply for a Turkish work visa. Work visa requirements, instructions and application forms are available through the Embassy of the Republic of Turkey website at: www.turkishconsulate.org.uk PURCHASE OF PROPERTY IN TURKEY "FLASH MESSAGE" Current legislation applicable for foreigners, who wish to purchase land or property in Turkey, has been ruled to be unconstitutional by the Turkish Constitutional Court. The amended law, which was presented before the court, has unfortunately been rejected. Therefore, until the law is ratified and approved by the Parliament any applications made by the foreigners to the land registry office will NOT be processed. (as announced by the General Directorate of Land Registry Office on or about 26 July 2005) Unfortunately, we have not been given a time scale when the matter may be resolved. If you have any further enquires the time scale, please contact the local land registry office for updated information. PREVIOUS RULES FOR PURCHASE OF PROPERTY FOR GUIDANCE: DO NOT PURCHASE PROPERTY WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING AN ENGLISH SPEAKING TURKISH LAWYER FOR BEST ADVICE. The Embassy website: www.britishembassy.org.tr has details or access the Turkish Attorney's Paralegal online www.tapo.co.uk. British citizens may purchase property in Turkey, subject to the following conditions: (a) The property can be paid for in either Turkish lira or foreign currency. There are also no restrictions about the transfer of foreign currency or Turkish Lira from a Turkish or foreign bank. (b) Applications should be made to the District Land Registry office (Tapu ve Kadastro Mudurlugu), when a suitable property for purchase is found. A recent change in Turkish legislation (i.e. on 19 July 2003) now permits foreigners to buy a property outside the boundaries of a municipality, i.e. council district (Belediye) and within a village or rural area. However, it is still necessary to obtain permission from the Military, prior to purchase. Note: Turkey and the UK have a bilateral agreement to avoid double taxation. Tax of the property in Turkey is payable to the Turkish tax authorities as the relevant law requires. INVESTMENT IN TURKEY 5. Prospective Investors, requiring information about the Manufacturing and Service Sectors may contact British Trade International, Turkey Trade Unit, Kingsgate House, 66-74 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6SW, Tel: +44 (0) 207 215 5000, email: mick.essex@dti.gsi.gov.uk or www.tradepartners.gov.uk. You may also contact The Turkish Authority responsible for foreign investment in Turkey, the General Directorate of Foreign Investment (GDFI): Hazine Mustesarligi, Yabanci Sermaye Genel Mudurlugu, Inonu Bulvari, 06510 Emek - Ankara, Tel: +90 (312) 204 60 00, Fax: 90 (312) 212 8916 email: ybsweb@pm.treasury.gov.tr or www.hazine.gov.tr/english/ybsweb/index.htm. Other web sites you may find useful; - The British Embassy, Ankara, Turkey www.britishembassy.org.tr - Prime Ministry, Undersecretariat of Foreign Trade www.foreigntrade.gov.tr - Prime Ministry, State Planning Organisation www.dpt.gov.tr - Foreign Economic Relations Board www.deik.org.tr - Association for Foreign Capital Coordination www.yased.org.tr - Privatisation Administration www.oib.gov.tr - Turkish Attorneys Paralegals Online www.tapo.co.uk/real estate law/default.asp Those wishing to establish a business in Turkey should consult a Turkish lawyer. Details of English speaking lawyers for Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir are available at the Embassy web site. THIS LEAFLET HAS BEEN PREPARED BY HM CONSUL IN ANKARA FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF ENQUIRERS. ALTHOUGH ALL CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN ITS PRODUCTION, NEITHER HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT NOR ANY CONSULAR OFFICIAL IN THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN ANKARA TAKE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS PRECISE ACCURACY OR FOR THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANY ACTION TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS CONTENTS. Consular Section British Embassy Ankara – August 2005
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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 4487 Listings in this area Select an area of Denver Select from the list below to search for homes and real estate in Greater Denver DCW-Douglas County West JFS-Jefferson County South JFW-Jefferson County West (Golden) JSC-Jefferson County South Central MCC-Clear Creek County MCP-Mountain Conifer Pine MEN-Mountain Evergreen North MES-Mountain Evergreen South MJC-Central Jefferson County Mtn MJS-South Jefferson County Mtn MPC-Mountain Park County MPE-Mountain Evergreen East 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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San Francisco Chronicle: Real Estate Thursday, December 29, 2005 Search By : County | City | Address Filter By : Chronicle Ads Open Homes County Select County ****Any County Alameda Contra Costa Marin Napa San Francisco San Mateo Santa Clara Solano Sonoma City Please select a county Min. Bedrooms Studio 1 Bedroom 2 Bedrooms 3 Bedrooms 4 Bedrooms 5+ Bedrooms Max. Price No Limit 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000 500,000 550,000 600,000 650,000 700,000 750,000 800,000 850,000 900,000 950,000 1 Million 1.5 Million 2 Million 2.5 million 3 Million Advanced Search E-mail Alerts Saved Listings -- New Home Developments New Home Videos -- Out of Bay Area Open Homes Recent Home Sales Search By : County | City | Address Enter City or Neighborhood Advanced Search Search By : County | City | Address Enter Address You may enter a full or partial address. Advanced Search Click on the map for Bay Area home sales listings. How To Guide Information to help you select and buy goods and services. - Advertorial Find a contractor and get tips from great professionals with ImproveNet.com, America's Home Improvement Resource. Bay Area school scores and profiles at Great Schools.net . SF Gate's SF and East Bay neighborhood guides. Bay Area Maps Real Estate and Rental display ads from the Chronicle. See the Chronicle's New Homes Section. Save Searches, Listings, & Activate E-mail Alerts! View All Featured Properties Today's Rates Product Avg. Rate 30-yr Fixed 6.020 15-yr Fixed 5.394 30-yr Fixed Jumbo 6.146 5/1 ARM 5.525 Current Mortgage Rates Mortgage calculators Apply to online lenders Rates current as of 12/29/2005 powered by MortgageTrak Surreal Estate An overwrought home for the holidays Carol Lloyd Best of a bunch Real estate authors were prolific in 2005 Robert J. Bruss At the end of each year, it is my custom to select the 10 best real estate books out of the hundreds of published that year. This article takes 52 weeks to prepare because I read at least one real est... Clarification on home-sale tax exemption Robert Bruss Q: I am confused about your answer to a home seller who wants to add her mother to the title. You said the mother would be eligible for an Internal Revenue Code 121 principal residence sale tax exempt... Normal wear and tear covers reasonable use of unit Robert Griswold Answers are provided by Robert Griswold, a property manager certified by the Institute of Real Estate Management and author of "Property Management for Dummies"; and lawyers Steven R. Kellman, directo... Transbay planners see new landmark Dan Levy Transbay Terminal planners are viewing their controversial idea for a new San Francisco high-rise as nothing less than the signature building of our time -- much like the Transamerica Pyramid defined ... Holidays evoke true meaning of home Carol Lloyd "I just want to bake a Christmas ham," says my friend, a slight note of desperation rising in her voice. "Is that so much to ask?" She has just confided that because of her husband's 8-year-long, self... HOME SALES FOR 5 BUSINESS DAYS Alameda County Total sales as of Dec. 7 484 Median price $590,000 . Contra Costa County Total sales as of Dec. 7 489 Median price $576,500 . Marin County Total sales as of Nov. 22 81 Median price $808... Perry turns pretty profit on compound Actor buys condo after selling his Beverly Hills home Ruth Ryon Former "Friends" cast member Matthew Perry has racked up his second big deal of the year. The actor, 36, sold his Beverly Hills-area home for $6.1 million. He purchased it in 1999 for $3.2 million. Wh... Real reading -- best of a big bunch Robert J. Bruss "Reverse Mortgages for Dummies" By Sarah Glendon Lyons and John E. Lucas Wiley, $16.99, 249 pages This is the best of several excellent 2005 books about the pros and cons of tax-free reverse mortgage ... ARM indexes CHART: BC: . Last Previous Year Index week week ago 6-month CD 4.62 4.61 2.67 6-month T-bill 4.22 4.18 2.46 1-year TCMS(Y) 4.34 4.35 2.66 3-year TCMS(Y) 4.39 4.42 3.18 1-month LIBOR 4.38 4.37 2.41 6-m... Ignorance no excuse in avoiding foreclosure Kenneth Harney What would happen if you got sick or suffered a drastic loss of household income in 2006, and then fell seriously behind on your mortgage payments? Think about that, even for just a moment, because no... Solar power for the home a hot deal in 2006 Tax incentives can help cut energy bills Jennie L. Phipps If the thought of rising energy bills has you rushing out to buy insulation, hold off a week until after New Year's Day, when the recently enacted Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005 kicks in. The act i... Real Estate: Neighborhood Homes Sold . Sunday, December 25, 2005 Back to... Help | Contact us | Privacy ™ ©2005 Hearst Communications Inc. --