Michael Delp- Pennsylvania Mortgage Broker

Sometimes it all seems worthwhile

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:10:15 -0500

The mortgage business has taken its toll on me lately. The guidelines, rules and regulations keep changing. It seems like they are changing as frequently as interest rates. Everything is changing so rapidly that it can be difficult to keep up.

Recently, I had a customer that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get them qualified to buy a home. basically, what it all came down to is I couldn't get them to qualify until several months went past. One of the hardest things for me to do is to deny someone the dream of owning a home. I was pleasantly surprised when my customers contacted my boss to tell him what a fine job I had done. Fine job? I couldn't get them a loan! It wasn't my fault, but I couldn't get them the home they had wanted.

I thought I would cut and paste the email that the sent to my Broker.

Dear Scott,

I am writing you to commend Michael Delp on assistance he recently provided regarding our mortgage needs. Michael was highly professional throughout our dealings, extremely efficient, highly responsive, tenacious with lenders and creative when it came to handling my wife & I's relatively unique financial circumstances as we sought financing. Although for reasons outside of his control we were not able to pursue a mortgage with Michael on this occasion, I would have no hesitation recommending his services to friends or colleagues in future. I hope Michael receives the recognition he deserves as he is an asset to your company.

Regards
Adam

Nothing like a great note like this from a customer to put a little wind in my sails! it does my heart some good to know that I worked hard and got paid in compliments! I want to Keep the great customers coming!

Great new loan program

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:44:24 -0500

There is a great new loan program available for purchasing REO properties owned by Fannie Mae. A borrower needs a 660 credit score to qualify. It will allow your buyers to borrow up to 95% with no mortgage insurance. That's right, NO MORTGAGE INSURANCE! There is no need for an appraisal!

This is a fantastic program that can save home buyers thousands of dollars! There are very few Lenders who can offer this new program, but I am glad to say that we are one of the few! I was so excited about this program that I had to share it on here. Contact me for more details!

Give yourself a raise!

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:32:27 -0500

Today as I had luch with my broker he brought up a great point. He said that in order to help the economy, we should be refinancing as many people as we can. Some banks came out with some great programs for mortgage refinancing. Some of them don't need an appraisal and don't even take your job into consideration. It is a new form of a streamlined loan.

Getting back to helping the economy. If everybody who can refinance does just that, it will give homeowners hundreds of dollars a month extra that they can use for other things. The more everyone spends their money, the faster the economy picks up. the faster the economy picks up, the more jobs we create. The more jobs we create, the more money there is to spend. the more we spend.... well you understand. Let's hop on the merry-go-round!

Everybody likes Pie..... In the Sky!

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:18:35 -0500

I had a conversation this weekend with a young gentleman when our conversation turned to real estate. Knowing that my profession dealt with real estate he asked me how he could buy a house for $100. I wasn't sure where he was going with this but I bit. "Homes for $100??" He went on to tell me he saw ads on TV saying you could buy foreclosure homes for as little as $100., and he wanted to know where to find them.

I am not sure about most of you, but I am pretty sure I have never heard of homes selling for a hundred bucks unless it was family passing on property to relatives. There are sheriff sales for liens owed on a property. Some for tax liens, foreclosed mortgages and mechanics liens. As far as I know, most liens are more than $100. So where are these bargains?

The media and our current economic environment is misleading a whole lot of new investors into the marketplace. I see it all the time. People looking for foreclosures and short sales. Everybody wants a bargain. In a lot of cases, a bargain isn't a bargain at all. I want to urge consumers to educate themselves before blindly trying to become an investor.

This is, however, a good time to buy a home. Interest rates are low, inventory is high, and prices have been lowered. To top it off there is aan $8000. tax credit for first time home buyers who qualify. ( 10% of purchase price up to $8000.)

Don't waste your time looking for $100. houses, find a trusted mortgage person and a good real estate agent and see what you can do!

P. S.- The reason I wrote this post in the first place was to see if anyone had any good bargain stories. How many $100. homeowners do we have out there?

Brainstorms, Ideas and alternate thinking!

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:06:57 -0600

Covering most of Eastern Pennsylvania, I travel quite a bit. Driving from office , to appointments, to the office, to more appointments, to home. (well you get the idea) All of this driving time gives me time tothink. Time to think about what I need to do for my customers, time to think about great marketing ideas, and time to think about subjects to blog about. My problem is that once I am at my computer, I forget all of the great ideas I had while I was driving.

I can't tell you how many great ideas have come and gone, all because I was driving and couldn't write things down. I am typically not a forgetful person, but or some reason, ideas for blogs just seem to remain un-retained . I have thought about mini tape recorders to help me remember the great ideas, but having one handy remains to be seen.

Does anyone have any suggestions for content retention? I know I have a great post or two in my head if I can just pull it out! It is actually kind of comical. I am so glad that I can laugh at myself!

Happy New Year! Keep looking forward!

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:43:13 -0600

I want to wish all of my Active Rain friends a Safe, Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year. This past year has been a struggle for a lot of us. Home sales being down and the economy in general giving everyone a bad case of heartburn. I am hoping that we can keep positive and make next year a great year.

I am finding that many of my colleagues are no longer in the business. It is sad to have contacts and friendships that I have made over the years fall by the wayside. I am trying hard to look forward to next year, working even harder to make it a good one. I am not a man that makes new Years resolutions, but if I would, I should resolve to work harder and smarter, not only making my life better, but the lives of those around me.

My advise to you is to keep looking for ways to improve your life so you can improve others. Put a smile on your face and keep looking forward!

Wondering who is surviving.

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:23:53 -0600

I noticed that the member count here at Active Rain is over 118,000. That is very impressive. I have been here reading since the beginning. I think there were only 300 or so members when I joined this great group of people. I have spent many hours reading, writing comments and sometimes even a blog or two. I don't write for points alone, however it is great having a point system. My question is, "where did everyone go"?

I wonder just how many Active rain members fell by the wayside, either because they were too busy to participate or are no longer in the Real Estate Business. How many Active rain Members are actually participating members. I am sure some people made accounts and never came back. Others hung their licences in escrow because of the poor business climate.

I guess the reason for my post is to find out how we can tell if a member is current, or gone. Is there any way to tell? Do the active rain Gods just care about the numbers or are they concerned about their true members? Is there a way of tracking each persons accounts for activity. I know that some people who's blogs I subscribed to no longer write. Does that mean they no longer read? Or sign in at all?

They say that "curiosity killed the cat". Maybe I should sit down, shut up and leave the writing to some of the talented people here.

Playing games with new strategies

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 10:06:15 -0500

I enjoy playing Chess occasionally and it occurred to me that maybe I should utilize some of the principles of Chess in my career. I said that I enjoyed playing chess, however, I am not that good at the game. Average at best. The reason I don't get much better is my impatient character. I want to win yesterday. Chess is a game of strategy, moving only after thorough contemplation of the moves ahead. Too often I see what I want to do without taking into consideration of what my opponent might do. I have to remember to keep my options open. If I look towards one strategy, my opponent will take charge and defeat me.

How does chess fit with mortgages you may ask. In this day and age, we must keep our minds open to new and better strategies. The real estate market is getting more and more competitive. If we see only one way of doing things, we will surely be defeated. We must continually see "outside the box" for new and innovative ways of doing things. Patience and timing is everything in the real estate world.

Are you looking for new strategies to improve your "game"? Or are you using the same losing game plan? The world is constantly changing. Are you changing with it?

Colorizing my blog

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 09:30:17 -0500

I thought I would try to kill two birds with one stone. As you may know, I never insert pictures or graphics in my blog. Mostly because I am not the most computer savvy person you will meet. I wanted to share some Autumn colors with everyone and at the same time play with the tool bar.

Please forgive me for making the Active rain readers my Guinea pigs, but I have to learn somehow. The Active rain Gods have made it somewhat easier to insert pictures and graphics. I am amazed that I figured it out. (maybe I should wait to see how it turns out before I say something)

If I encouraged you to go out and enjoy the fall weather, I have succeeded!

Loan Officer Licensing

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:33:21 -0500

I recently was notified by my office that Mortgage Originators like myself will need to be licensed. Applications will be taken beginning in November of this year. This includes Loan Officers in Banks as well as Mortgage Consultants working under a Mortgage Broker.

You will need to fill out Form MU4,which is the application for a "Uniform Individual Mortgage License". There is a questionnaire to fill out, as well as a requirement for continuing education. There is also Fingerprinting and background checks involved.

This will help the banking Industry keep track of who is doing the bad loans and make it easier to prosecute flagrant offenders. It's about time we got rid of the bad apples in the bunch!

Super Meme'd - More info than you might want to know!

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 10:10:58 -0500

Well it looks like I've been tagged for a Meme by Karen Rice, my favorite Pike County Real Estate Agent. I don't know that I can write about myself as eloquently as she did, but I will try!

1. Who is your favorite musical artist? It is so hard to limit this question to one person. I love all kinds of music. It depends on what kind of mood I am in. I think Neil Young would top my list along with Bob Dylan, John Prine and Jewel. I Have satellite radio in my car that lets me listen to music from Sinatra to Fergie.

2. Who is your favorite artist? I like Andrew Wyeth (because he is a Pennsylvanian) but I also love Norman Rockwell and the stories he tells in his prints.

3. Who is your favorite blogger? Just one again?? I would say Sarah Cooper, Jennifer Allen and Jessica Horton would be among my favorites to read.

4. What did you want to be when you grew up? I always wanted to be a Photographer. A Photographer for National Geographic to be exact. I even went to school and got my associates degree in Photography. (Now I can't even figure out how to add photos to this blog!)

5. If you could meet anyone (alive or dead) who would it be and what is the most interesting thing about them? Benjamin Franklin. He was such an idea man. He had an inquisitive mind. It would be pretty cool to pick his brain and see what made him tick.

6. What is the most interesting piece of trivia you know? I am full of useless trivia! I am a big jeopardy fan and love crossword puzzles as well. I don't know how interesting it is, but if you have the hiccups, eat a teaspoon full of peanut butter and the stop instantly.

7. If you could live in any point in history what would it be and why? I would say the 1800's. I love a simpler life. With all of the progress we have made, we took a few steps backwards in other ways.

8. What is the most interesting job you have ever held? Paying or non -paying? I come from a long line of Country Butchers and Market men, who took their meat, vegetables, butter and eggs into the city to sell. With business as slow as it has been, it may be me who is cutting up that chicken for you at the Farmers Market!

There you have it Karen! Thanks for tagging me. It forced me to write! Now who needs to be tagged? How about......

Christina Clark

Erica Ramus

Monday morning Quarterback

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:48:38 -0500

Have you ever looked back and said " I should have..." (Insert your own ending) I seem to do that all the time. I think we all do it to a certain extent. I should have bought that stock or I should have bought that house. We all look back and wish we would have done things differently. There is always a feeling of regret when we make a bad decision.

What life lessons can we learn from the Monday morning quarterback? We should all try to take what we learned and use it to make better decisions in the future. Hopefully, we will make better decisions in the future. As time goes on, we become wiser, and perhaps we will have less bad decisions to look back on.

Just some Monday morning ramblings of an Older (hopefully wiser) Man. Have a wonderful week everyone!

Who has time to write?

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:42:59 -0500

I just noticed that I haven't written a post in months! I have been here at Active Rain since there were less than a thousand members, and now there are over 77,000! I still check in faithfully to read a ton of posts, but I really haven't had much t o say. I always said I was a numbers guy, not a words guy.

It got me to thinking about why I haven't felt like writing. I am a very upbeat, positive and optimistic person. With the market the way it is, can really bring you down. I realized that if I couldn't say anything positive, I wouldn't write anything at all. I did however find something positive. The people here at Active Rain. When I feel a little bit defeated, I can come here and read some upbeat and positive posts.

I just wanted to take this time to thank all of the people on my Blogroll. It keeps expanding, and I know there are more of you out there that I haven't found yet. With all of you great inspirational and informational writers out there for me to read, WHO HAS TIME TO WRITE?

The sky is falling!

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:58:28 -0600

As many of you have noticed, the Real Estate industry is in a slowdown. I saw figures last night that indicate that the price of houses dropped 4.5% last quarter. Any time that prices drop like that cannot be a good thing. What is the cause of the decline? In my opinion, it is media that has created this whole 'crisis'. I use the word crisis loosely.

For the past few years we have experienced tremendous growth in the market. Homes were appreciating at a very rapid pace. Values were increasing at 12% a year or more! This was unheard of years ago. We all knew that someday, there would have to be some kind of correction or people would no longer be able to afford homes. Unfortunately, home prices rose much quicker than peoples salaries.

The reason I blame the media for the panic is their one sided view of Real Estate. They keep saying prices are dropping and the people who were going to buy are now waiting until the bottom drops out. Everyone wants a bargain. My question is, if you are investing in a house that you will make your home for the next few years, are you really worried about paying too much for a home you can afford but are stopped because you want a better price?

Nobody has seemed to noticed, but mortgage rates have dropped significantly in the past few months. That $10,000. you are trying to save on price may actually be saved by buying now! That's right, buying now!

For example:

If you purchase a home today at $250,000. at 6% you would pay less for your home over 30 years than if you would buy a home for $225,000. next year at 7%. About $25,000. in savings! The home you buy THIS year just may be less expensive than a home you buy NEXT year.

Keep this in mind when you hear from the media that the sky is falling. Everything has a different perspective.

It's a wonderful life

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 10:09:08 -0500

As some of you may know, I love the movie "It's a wonderful life". I watch it every year around Christmas time. Usually several times. What intrigues me so much about this movie is how they show what life would be like without someone. I think it is important that we all are conscious about how our actions affect everyone around us. Even the simple things can turn out to be major things down the road.

" The Butterfly Effect" is another movie with the same concept. Something so innocent can turn future events into different circumstances. We all get angry when our hurried lives are invaded by inconveniences, but who here was late for an appointment only to find out there was a fatal car crash where you were going and at about the same time and place you would have been? You weren't happy when you were inconvenienced by being late, but the end result could have been worse.

We all need to not let the little things in our lives turn into bad circumstances. Revel in each moment even when we miss that green light. We need to think about how what we say and do affects others. Sometimes in a positive and sometimes in a negative way.

This post wasn't meant to be a sermon, just a life lesson I have learned to appreciate. The way we interact with others can leave a lasting effect.

Healthy Competition

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:45:30 -0500

Working with a Mortgage Broker has it's advantages. I have a customer who came to me for a mortgage. He was concerned that the interest rate was higher than he expected. I find that most customers remember interest rates when they were at their low point. Now they are over a percent higher. Right away they want to shop around for a better rate. I may be giving my age away here but I remember taking my 14% mortgage and refinancing it for 9.75% and I was happy!

My customer came back to me to see how I compared to another lender. I gave him my Good Faith Estimate to look over. This always makes me nervous because I have seen other lenders estimates and they always seem to conveniently leave out some fees. My customer called me back and said the other guy had a little higher interest rate, but his fees were $4,000. less! How could this be! I am VERY accurate when making out a Good Faith Estimate.

After questioning him on the "other guys" fees, I learned that the difference was in the tax escrows. I had shown him escrowing about $4,000. for his taxes,as did the "other guy", but he had an agregate adjustment of $4,000.! Now I don't know how he came up with that, but my customer thought he was saving money going to the "other guy".

Well my customer questioned him on it and he couldn't give him a straight answer. Needless to say, my customer came back to me because I was honest with him. Sometimes it's hard to keep your customers happy, but it pays to be honest!

Nothing says Summer like a County Fair

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:54:18 -0500

Summertime is full of activities for families. There is swimming, camping,going to the beach, picnics.... the list goes on and on. One of my favorite summertime activities with the family is to go to a County Fair.

Next week is the start of the Schuylkill County Fair. You can find more information at www.schuylkillfair.com. It's an old fashioned fair complete with rides, music food and livestock. Yes I said Livestock. There are competitions for who has the best cow, pig and goat in the county. There is even a livestock auction if you are inclined to buy a prize farm animal.

Sometimes it's nice to forget about the fast city pace that some of us are accustomed to, and get a taste for the country. If you can, visit an old fashioned County fair in your area. You will be glad you did!

Managing your customers expectations

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 14:58:34 -0500

One of the pieces of advice my Broker gave me years ago was to manage your customers expectations. What he meant by this is to keep them informed so they know what to expect. If you think there is going to be a problem with an appraisal,income, or assets, tell your customer there may be a problem.

There is nothing worse than a Loan Officer, or any salesman for that matter, who strings along a customer hoping his deal will go through. When talking to a customer, I give them a Good Faith Estimate of the costs involved in buying a home. I explain each line to the customer and how that can vary. Most of the time you can only give them a close estimate of costs. Many things can pop up unexpectedly if you don't keep your customer filled in.

A prequalification for a certain loan amount never makes the same payment from home to home. For example:

You are buying a home for $250,000. You are putting 20% down. Your loan amount is $200,000.You have 3 homes in mind. Will the money you need at the table be the same? Will your payment be the same? The answer is no. Taxes will be different, homeowners insurance will be different. One may have a homeowners association fee the other may not. It depends on what day of the month you settle, what lender you get your loan through, along with other variables.

I think it works best if you are up front with your customers and let them know how it all works. It helps me to "manage my customers expectations"

How do YOU manage YOUR customers expectations?

Tip of the day- Return phone calls

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 09:55:01 -0500

I have been originating loans for over 6 years now. I had some sales backround, but not a sales job that was 100% commission. If I didn't sell, I didn't eat so to speak. One of the first thing my broker taught me was to return phone calls. Every call, as quickly as possible. In this business, in some cases, if you aren't there, the customer will move on to number 2.

Through the years I have made it a practice to return all calls, even the ones I dread making. It shows my colleagues and customers that their needs are important to me. In this day and age of cell phones there is no excuse to NOT return calls.

When I deal with someone who doesn't return MY phone calls I get irritated and frustrated. Isn't my call important to them? How do you feel if someone doesn't return YOUR phone calls? Do you want to move on to number 2?

Buyers market or Sellers Market?

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 13:23:14 -0500

There has been a lot of talk lately about the market turning to a buyers market. I never paid a whole lot of attention to where the market for homes is going. There will always be people buying and selling, it just affects the numbers of homes sold and how quickly they sell.

Not too long ago, when homes sold quickly, my buyers would put an offer in and find out the next day that the home they wanted had 10 other offers, some for more than the asking price. After losing home after home, they would finally get an offer accepted. This was a hectic market, for Real Estate agents as well as mortgage professionals. It required acting quickly on your customers needs.

Now it seems, homes sit on the MLS for a while before there are even offers made. The customers feel like they don't need to rush into a home purchase. They search more homes looking for the perfect home for the perfect price. This also tends to be more of a different kind of work for agents. Now agents show their customers many different homes before a decision is made, using more gas, time and resources.

I can understand how different markets need different sales tactics. We need to adapt to each market as it comes. The professionals who can adapt are the ones who last.

Clear to close

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Thu, 10 May 2007 07:28:42 -0500

Words that Mortgage Professionals like myself love to hear. "Clear to close". In this current market with Sub-Prime lenders going out of business and Loans going into foreclosure, those words are music to my ears.

Most of us have had a bad experience or two of going into a home purchase and expecting the buyer to have their mortgage in place. The fact is, all loan approvals are subject to conditions. Most are simple conditions like having homeowners insurance, evidence of an appraisal showing the proper value and proof that the buyer has enough money to approve for the loan.

Loan guidelines and underwriting guidelines have been tightened considerably lately due to all of the media hype about foreclosure rates. Hearing the words " clear to close" is sounding better all the time. If you have a good Loan Officer and a buyer willing to meet all of the conditions, the purchase goes through without a problem. Be aware that problems can occur even with the best scenarios. This is one of the reasons I attend all of my Closings. If there is a problem, I am there to take care of it.

Next time you are approaching a settlement. Ask your mortgage professional if they have a "clear to close"!

Why am I here?

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Wed, 02 May 2007 10:49:04 -0500

When I started here at Active Rain I was a little naive as to what I expected from this network. I expected to make business contacts and to improve on my business. When I got here I found something much more valuable. Friends. Not only friends, but friends that had knowledge that I needed, support that I needed, and a whole network of busy professionals like myself thankful to have a forum to discuss business.

I want to thank the members of Active Rain who share their knowledge and support with me. I hope in some way I can give back the knowledge and support that has been shown to me. I enjoy reading blogs and putting my two cents in every once in a while. Writing isn't my gift, numbers seem to be better suited to me, but I will continue to try to bring something of value to the many friends I have made here.

I guess what I am really trying to do is say Thank You! Thank you to all my friends here at Active Rain. I hope you all have a great Month!

Staging our neighborhoods

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 09:37:14 -0500

Since I have been here at the Active Rain Network, I have learned a little bit about staging. Being on the finance side of Real Estate I wasn't aware of all the work involved in selling a home. Especially in a buyers market, which seems to be happening in my area.

Staging homes isn't why I am writing this blog, but staging neighborhoods is what I want to talk about. I wonder if anyone remembers the TV add of the indian crying when he saw all of the trash on our roadsides. Maybe I am showing my age.... the point is, it was a anti- litter campaign. In the seventies it was a problem. It seemed to get better in the eighties and nineties, but I am starting to see a downward trend.

I do a lot of traveling in my business and I am seeing morre and more trash along the roadways. It amazes me that people can just throw their garbage along the road and expect people to pick it up. I think this has a negative impact on our property values. Not a lot, but some. Who wants to take their buyer to a see a home on a trash filled street?

What is the solution? I was hoping my fellow Rainers could help me out. Education? Activism? I guess we all have to do what we can. My walks around my home lately have been with a garbage bag. Irritating yes, but I'm trying!

What sets us apart from the rest?

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 12:48:24 -0500

I have been thinking.... What sets us apart from the rest? I joined Active Rain to trade Ideas and learn from other professionals. I am licensed to do mortgages in Pennsylvania only, so I am not here to network to a broad audience but to embrace what others in my profession are going through all around the world.

This brings me back to my original question. What sets us apart from the rest? Why would a buyer in Pennsylvania want ME to do their mortgage? I would hope it's because I am hard working, honest and will go to great lengths for my customers. How do I get people to notice this? There are many Loan Officers out there. Some are good at what they do and some aren't. Why would a customer pick ME? I get lots of referrals from past customers who know me, but how do I get someone who hasn't met me to give me a call?

Blogging helps people get a glimpse of who I am, and getting out there and meeting people helps people get to know me on a personal level. Most people would prefer coming to someone they know and trust. I guess my question is.... Does anyone have any great ideas on how to market yourself in a more personal way? My customers are much more to me than a loan number and a paycheck. I am sure there are many good agents out there who feel the same as I do. Did you ever ask yourself.... What sets us apart from the rest?

For Sale by Owner or Licenced Professional

Michael Delp (Mortgage Pro) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:39:18 -0500

As a loan Officer I have seen many people try to sell their home by themselves. They hire an attorney to do the paperwork and put an ad in the paper and hope it sells. They think that they will "save" money by not paying a Real Estate Agent. In most cases I have seen, the attorney isn't familiar with the business and doesn't know about property values and things like sellers assist. He isn't properly representing his client.

I recently worked with a buyer who bought a home from a "for sale by owner" who had the property appraised for $18,000. MORE than the sale price. Did this seller save money by not contacting a Realtor?

In most cases the seller puts an ad in the local paper and hopes he finds a buyer. He doesn't have access to the MLS or other targeted markets. This usually results in the home being on the market longer. This means the seller is paying interest, taxes and insurance longer while trying to sell their home by themselves. Did this seller save money?

I am sure there are many Agents here who could add to my list. Would you rather try your luck selling your home yourself? I think I would hire a Professional!