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sellers: Zillow to Realtors: Pay Up or We'll Put Any Price We Want on Your Listing - 01/28/10 12:32 PM
About a month ago or so (it was recent but I can't remember exactly when), Zillow sent me a nice e-mail telling me that I can continue to manually update my listings on Zillow for a nominal fee (about $10, as I recall) and it would be good for six months.  Well, I was none to pleased about this and mentioned it on a couple of blogs and Twitter.  Zillow, of course, came back with the response that this was really not such a big deal and, besides, the listing data will still be syndicated by MLS and other syndicators and … (18 comments)

sellers: Do Virtual Tours Make The Difference? - 04/05/09 07:23 PM
I generally believe that Virtual Tours are a good thing.  They are an especially good thing if the house is in great shape or has been staged to look great.  In fact, I've heard from lots of buyer clients and people who never turned into buyer clients that if there aren't interior photos or a Virtual Tour they can look at, the house is crossed off the list.
This seems a bit extreme and it got me to wondering how widespread this type of mindset is.  In fact, I have a listing that's been on the market awhile and I had … (9 comments)

sellers: Working in a Micro-Niche -- Sellers with Equity and Buyers that can Document Credit Worthiness - 03/09/09 07:26 AM
This whole short sale thing has taken on a life of it's own.  Entire industries have popped up around them.  Designations, workshops, gurus of every stripe.  Everyone is getting into the act!  All hail the short seller. 
Of course, there are some who teach that working a niche can be just as rewarding.  The Condo King/Queen, waterfront properties, horse farms. You name it, there's a niche for it.  Don't forget the geographic niches. Subdivision A, Town B, On The Street Where You Live.
For me, I'm working the Sellers with Equity and Buyers that can document creditworthiness niche.  Shhhh.  Don't tell … (3 comments)

sellers: Good Credit? Current on mortgage? No Equity? - 01/07/09 08:34 PM
Recently, I've been running into folks who are not "in trouble" or "underwater" with their home.  The payments are current.  Income is good enough to keep the payments current.  Yet, they can't sell their home!  Or, at least, they can't sell it and make enough money to buy something else.
Why not?
Well, it seems that some folks saw the huge run up in home prices and decided to refinance and/or take some home equity lines out  so they could have some cash.  Lots of reasons for cash:
vacations remodeling toys (of the adult and child variety) tuition for the kids … (6 comments)

sellers: Negotiating with my own past clients - 12/28/08 10:14 AM
In my previous post, "An Early Christmas present I could have done WITHOUT", I talked about getting caught unawares in a negotiation with one of my past clients over money.
I say was unaware because, truly, I didn't expect to be having a conversation two days before Christmas about a frenzied home search if I decided to rebate some of my commission and pay for a property management company to market my clients' home for a tenant and then screen them for the folks.
It seems that my past client had run across an agent from a company that does rebates … (39 comments)

sellers: Is it Time for Seller Financing? - 10/18/08 12:23 PM
We all know that the market in inundated with short sales and foreclosures.  That makes it hard on everyone, most importantly, Sellers who have equity in their home and have maintained it in good condition over the years.  Prices of homes in short sale or foreclosure situations are pushing prices down all over the place.
Add to this the fact that it is now harder to get a mortgage than anytime in recent memory.  Sure, that's probably a good thing because a lot of people got into homes they couldn't afford.  But what about those Buyers out in the world that … (6 comments)

sellers: Open House Theft - 04/09/08 07:10 AM
I'm not a real big fan of Open Houses.  One of two things usually occur:
Nobody shows up regardless of the advertising or,The neighbors show up to see how your house compares to their home and to get decorating tips.There are other things as well:
Monitoring an Open House alone can be dangerous for the Realtor, especially if they're aloneYour things can get STOLEN! Here is an article in today's Washington Post about a woman in Loudoun County, VA who went around to Open Houses and took prescription drugs, credit cards, electronics and anything else she could get her hands on.  She also … (13 comments)