retaining an agent: Selling Property Yourself: Some Examples - 01/06/12 09:01 AM
It’s now possible to get property listed in the MLS for a low flat fee or perhaps even sell it on your own through Craig’s List. But, without the help of a full-service agent, you would, in essence, be hiring yourself as your own agent. Here are some stories of people who did sell property for themselves:
     I.        An owner in Roscoe Village listed on his own for 40K less than we would have. (The moral of the story: not surprisingly, given his fire-sale price, he sold it immediately).
    II.        There is an attorney who dabbles in development and … (0 comments)

retaining an agent: Selling Property Yourself – Ten Necessary Skills - 12/27/11 12:48 PM
It’s now possible to get property listed in the MLS for a low flat fee or perhaps even sell it on your own through Craig’s List. But, without the help of a full-service agent, you would, in essence, be hiring yourself as your own agent. And, for you to do that job well, we think you must be able to succeed at ten things:
1.  You must be able to properly price your property—and that can be hard to do without access to the CLOSED sale records of the MLS.
2.  You must be able to prepare professional listing materials. You … (2 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Selling Myths: Myth #7 - 11/14/11 08:41 AM
Myth #7:  When you receive an offer, you should make the buyer wait.          This gives you a better negotiating position.
Truth:  You should reply immediately to an offer! 
When a buyer makes an offer, that buyer is, at that moment in time, ready to buy your home.  Moods can change, and you don't want to lose the sale because you have stalled in replying.
 
And this is just the start of what you’ll find at www.Chicagoland2to4Flats.info!!!
… (0 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Selling Myths: Myth #6 - 11/11/11 08:18 AM
Myth #6:  Quick offers can be turned down—they’re a sign a better offer is coming.
Truth: The first buyer in could be your best buyer. 
If the first week of a listing produced lots of showing requests and multiple offers, of course there’s a reason to hold firm on price—but, unless a market is red hot, few sellers ever benefit by turning down a good offer on the hope of a better one. In fact, quite often the first offer a seller gets is the best offer they will ever get!
 
And this is just the start of … (2 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Selling Myths: Myth #5 - 11/01/11 12:39 PM
Myth #5:  Minor repairs can wait until later. There are more important things to be done.
Truth:  If your property needs repair, it WILL affect its value. 
Most buyers are looking for homes that are ready for them to move into.  If your home happens to attract a buyer who is willing to make repairs, he/she will want a price reduction that comes out of your asking price.
 
And this is just the start of what you’ll find at www.Chicagoland2to4Flats.info!!!
… (2 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Selling Myths: Myth #4 - 10/27/11 11:58 AM
Myth #4:  Buyers will be able to see past a ‘lived-in’ look.
Truth:  You have only one chance to make a 1st impression—         and 1st impressions, in any market, matter heavily. 
If it’s a home or town home, the exterior should make a good buyers feel compelled to stop and come inside.  And, for any type of property, the interior must sparkle—it must appear, not as the home YOU live in, but rather as the home your BUYERS can picture themselves living in.
 
And this is just the start of what you’ll find at www.Chicagoland2to4Flats.info!!!
… (3 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Selling Myths: Myth #3 - 10/20/11 09:01 AM
Myth #3: Overpriced property can sell—if it’s heavily advertised.
Truth: There is huge power to the MLS and online advertising,          but print advertising has diminished in importance,          and advertising alone doesn’t sell anything.
Properties priced over their fair market value will not attract as many buyers as they should, take longer to sell, make competing properties look good, become “shopworn,” cause buyers to bring ‘low-ball’ offers, cause sellers to lose valuable time buying their dream home, or even end up causing the home to sell below market value in order to make up for all of the above.
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retaining an agent: Seven Selling Myths: Myth #2 - 10/18/11 10:22 AM
Myth #2: There are many guides to an asking price.
Truth: Similar, nearby, recent, closed sales are the only truthful guide to follow.
Your buyer won’t accept:
A.  What your Neighbor SaysB.  What Another Agent SaysC.  What you Spent On UpgradesD.  What it Costs To Build TodayE.  What you Spent on RepairsF.  What you Spent on RemodelingG. What you Spent on New CarpetH.  What you PaidI.  What you NeedJ.  What you Want
 
And this is just the start of what you’ll find at www.Chicagoland2to4Flats.info!!!
… (2 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Selling Myths: Myth #1 - 10/17/11 11:15 AM
Myth #1:  You should always price your home high and negotiate down.
Truth: Starting out too high rarely is the best way for a seller to go.
If you list too high, you'll miss out on buyers looking in the price range where your home should be.  Offers may not even come, because they are scared off by the price.  By the time you correct the price and list your home at its fair market value, you will have lost that new listing window of opportunity when your home draws the most attention from the public and real estate … (0 comments)

retaining an agent: Ten Reasons It’s Time to Move On - 10/10/11 06:41 AM
1.     The kids have all graduated from college.  You and your husband finally have time to yourselves…then they move back home!
2.     You have three spare rooms in a four bedroom house.
3.     You have to shuffle your cars each morning to leave for work.
4.     You spend more time driving to work than you do with your family.
5.     You spend more money each month for storage than you do for your mortgage.
6.     Your neighbor found a loophole in the homeowner's association rules and is raising donkeys.
7.     You keep hearing faint voices telling you to "get out" and … (0 comments)

retaining an agent: Why ‘Hire’ A Buyer’s Agent? - 08/31/11 07:45 AM
When a client agrees to work exclusively through me in their next purchase of real estate, they are, in essence, ‘hiring’ me. But that doesn’t mean it costs them anything. If the property they buy is in the MLS or is a “FSBO” (For Sale By Owner) that pays a Buyer’s Agent commission, I only get paid if the client buys—and then 100% of what I get paid comes from the seller. And what I offer in exchange is, I think, important. Here is the first reason:
1. Total support
A National Association of Realtors® “Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers” … (2 comments)

retaining an agent: Various Kinds of Buyer-Agent Working Agreements - 08/26/11 12:52 PM
These are the kinds of agreements (formally called an Expressed Buyer Agency Agreement) on how ‘you’ as the buyer and an agent will work together in the purchase of the property you desire. There are four options, and the choice you make will affect (1) how much freedom you as buyer will have in your property search, (2) how the agent will be compensated, and (3) the level of service you are entitled to.
·         Open Buyer Agreement. This is the least restrictive agreement that you can have with a Real Estate agent. You have the right to work with as … (1 comments)

retaining an agent: My 10+ Customer Service Commitment - 07/19/11 04:02 PM
My 10+ Customer Service Commitment  
When clients choose me as the REALTOR® to exclusively represent them in the purchase of their new home, I take that responsibility seriously. In fact, here is the promise I make:
•1.     Provide you with 10+ customer service during the entire buying process.
•2.     Organize and schedule your home search process.
•3.     Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each home in relation to your specific needs.
•4.     Provide you with on-going updates on available homes.
•5.     Help you to compare homes and make a decision.
•6.     Advise you on the terms and issues of the … (0 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Reasons to work with a Specialist: Special Hot Property Identification - 07/12/11 06:07 AM
In this market it only makes sense to work with a specialist, if you are looking for investment real estate.  Our mission is to cut the through the clutter of too many bad listings-and make you smarter and the process easier
We see SEVEN reasons to work with a specialist in income real estate.
7.   We can help you with special Hot Property identification. Did you know that the hottest multiunit properties often start getting offers within HOURS of a listing coming out? We can show you how to effectively compete in that market.
 
To see the full write-up on … (0 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Reasons to work with a Specialist: Special Internet Access to MLS - 07/08/11 01:02 PM
In this market it only makes sense to work with a specialist, if you are looking for investment real estate.  Our mission is to cut the through the clutter of too many bad listings-and make you smarter and the process easier
We see SEVEN reasons to work with a specialist in income real estate.
6.   Are you busy-too busy to go out on ‘wild goose chases?' The search we can set up together will give you the control and make it easier: Special Internet Access to all listings that fit your spec's (including type, size, price, and neighborhood) and Automatic Email … (2 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Reasons to work with a Specialist: We Focus On Multi-Units - 07/06/11 12:31 PM
In this market it only makes sense to work with a specialist, if you are looking for investment real estate.  Our mission is to cut the through the clutter of too many bad listings-and make you smarter and the process easier
We see SEVEN reasons to work with a specialist in income real estate.
5.   At Chicagoland2to4flats.info, we focus on multi-unit properties, and we are proud to have built tools and systems that are unparalleled in the real estate industry. None of the rules are the same in buying 2-flat, 3-flat, or 4-flat compared to a condo, and we can help … (1 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Reasons to work with a Specialist: Have A Starbucks On Us - 07/05/11 12:31 PM
In this market it only makes sense to work with a specialist, if you are looking for investment real estate.  Our mission is to cut the through the clutter of too many bad listings-and make you smarter and the process easier
We see SEVEN reasons to work with a specialist in income real estate.
4.   You can have a Starbucks on us! Our laptops are equipped with the Hotspot Technology that lets us operate from Starbucks, Borders, or any other Hotspot place. Where once customers had to go to the agent's office to fully access online records and systems, now we … (0 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Reasons to work with a Specialist: Property Analysis Worksheet - 07/01/11 01:09 AM
In this market it only makes sense to work with a specialist, if you are looking for investment real estate.  Our mission is to cut the through the clutter of too many bad listings-and make you smarter and the process easier
We see SEVEN reasons to work with a specialist in income real estate.
3.   We can get you set up with a unique Property Analysis Worksheet that lets you analyze multiunit properties instantly and compare all the properties that are available to see which offer the best cash flow.
 
To see the full write-up on all seven reasons, click … (0 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Reasons to work with a Specialist: Help from the Very Beginning - 06/28/11 02:51 PM
In this market it only makes sense to work with a specialist, if you are looking for investment real estate.  Our mission is to cut the through the clutter of too many bad listings-and make you smarter and the process easier
We see SEVEN reasons to work with a specialist in income real estate.
2.   We can help you from the very beginning. We have a seminar that shows you how all the rules in buying a multiunit investment property are different than buying a condo. We don't think it makes any sense to guess where to focus or what to … (1 comments)

retaining an agent: Seven Reasons to work with a Specialist: Unique, Computerized Support - 06/27/11 12:14 PM
In this market it only makes sense to work with a specialist, if you are looking for investment real estate.  Our mission is to cut the through the clutter of too many bad listings-and make you smarter and the process easier
We see SEVEN reasons to work with a specialist in income real estate.
1.   We can provide you with unique, computerized support that makes everything simpler and easier. You have control of the process, and you take charge of the pace. We can help you cut through the clutter of all the bad listings out there!!
 
To see the … (2 comments)