Short Sales and Foreclosure Searches

Debbie Fleming (Prudential Douglas Elliman) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:54:25 -0700

You can now go to MLS and search for short sales and foreclosures. Using the search options that you have used in the past and now the short sale/foreclosure/REO chose will make it easier to find these listing now. This was a great addition to MLS and will make it easier for consumers to find these properties.

Friends and Real Estate

Debbie Fleming (Prudential Douglas Elliman) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 13:06:26 -0700

We all have friends who have for years have known that we sell Real Estate for a living. Then one day they give you a call about their house.. they just have a few questions about the market and things to that nature.

Well you talk to them about everything there is to know about real estate because they are your friend and if they ever were to buy or sell a house they would use you as their Realtor. Yeah right. So the end of the conversation comes and you say to your friend I would be happy to list the house for you so we can get you to that bigger house you guys want. Well your friend then says no, I think I am going to put a sign out trying to sell it myself for a while and then if that doesn't work I will give you a call to list it. Thanks for all the info you gave me but I think you are off a bit because I think we can get about $20,000 more than you say to list it for and that is without having to pay you such a big chunk of change for a commission. I think the houses you are comparing my home to are worth less so let me try to sell it and we will see what happens.

You hang up the phone, feel like you were just used and abused. This is your friend you have known him since grade school. Then the back goes up and you get mad because he used you.

The next time you run in to him the conversation is cold, you ask (because you are just dieing to know) how is the house sale going? He says in a very cranky tone I get calls on my signs and some show up but everyone thinks the price is too high and that the houses down the road sold for less, you know the same thing you said to me but I explain to them my house is bigger and nicer and in better condition. When will someone see this and bring me the offer I want? So you, the hurt friend says well friend the comps in the market have dropped a bit and the price I gave you a few months ago is now even lower because of the lower sales that have sold in the area. Again he gets his back up and keeps his FSBO sign out.

You get invited to the friends house for a birthday party of one of his kids and you have a heart attack in the driveway because your friend is now listed with another Realtor not his friend the Realtor. So you get to the door and the first thing he says to you is look I finally found someone who thinks my house is worth what I think it is worth so I listed with them for 3 months and he is going to do an open house every weekend and put ads in the papers and he says I will sell it in no time. I the hurt friend says best of luck with it and by the way what price did he list it at because I haven't seen it on MLS at all that is why I was so shocked to see the sign when I pulled in the driveway. The friend says he doesn't believe in that MLS stuff I want to work with him because now he will be the only one showing the house and we won't have to worry about other brokers and commission splits. What I say? Stop the music I don't get it.

His new broker told him it would be in his best interest to have an independent broker working for him this way it is easier and the commission doesn't get split 3 ways to everywhere????? So I say whatever let me now how it works out for you because I would still be more than happy to list it for you when it expires at a price that will sell it not let it sit on the market. You have had it listed FSBO for 4 months and with this guy for 3 months. Do me a favor when the 3 months is over let me know and I will run comps again and we will see what is what.

So 3 months later after no open houses, no ads, no showings my friend with the tail between the legs says lets list it for whatever you think it will sell for I am finally ready to sell. What do you mean finally ready to sell you had it on the market for 7 months now. I know but I wasted all that time I should have listened to you and I would be in the new house (which sold already because he listed to high to be able to buy it) and I wouldn't have ulcers.

So we list his house for the correct price and we get an offer within the first 2 weeks and it is accepted the 3rd week of the listing.

And we are good friends again!!!!

Changing market

Debbie Fleming (Prudential Douglas Elliman) — Wed, 23 May 2007 21:04:19 -0700

We have all read and heard that the market has been changing. What can we do to sell our home in this changing market? You need to listen to the Realtor and price your home at the price the market will bear. You need to listen to any and all offers, you have to remember that even though you receive a low offer on your home a low offer is better than no offer at all.

In this buyers market time is a sellers worst enemy, the longer your home is on the market the harder it will be to sell it. Todays buyers are very educated and with all of the tools available to them mostly the internet they will see a home sitting on the market and wonder why it has not sold. Sometimes this will scare them from looking at your home because it has been at the market for awhile. So price your home according to what the market will bear.

Off the market

Debbie Fleming (Prudential Douglas Elliman) — Wed, 23 May 2007 20:45:19 -0700

Great 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch. Walk to public bay beaches and boating. Attached 2 car garage, full basement and CAC.

Debbie Fleming's Blog

Short Sales and Foreclosure Searches

Friends and Real Estate

Changing market

Off the market