Judith Abbott's (judithabbott) Blog

So, if you are the buyer or the buyer's agent,  what do you do with a multiple offer?  How do you proceed?  1.  Figure out how much the house is worth TO YOU.  That number is something that you need to know before you make an offer on a house initially.  That number is something that I like to wo...

I think it is a conflict of interest for an agent to serve on their HOA Board if they list or sell in that neighborhood or condo complex.  Even if no improprity were to occur, the appearance of the possibility is clearly present.  Let's just talk about the ways that being on an HOA Board could ca...

When buyer clients hear that there are multiple offers, it is common for them to think that is nothing more than a ploy to get them to raise their offer.  Sometimes the client will give voice to that thought and actually share that thought with me.   That happened yesterday.  My Buyer-client is i...

"But I'm a Cash Buyer!!!"  Just because a buyer can write a check at closing doesn't mean that the seller is going to automatically drop the asking price to a wholesale price.  Some other factor has to come into play for a property to go on the market at a wholesale price.  The form of payment al...

  Rule One.  Do NOT get involved in any HOA governance issues.   Rule Two.  See rule one, above.     Rule Three. Warn people who move into the community that, as The New Kid, there is an almost automatic HOA Board Nomination coming their way.  50% of the people you warn won't take your advice and...

  There isn't any reason for me to try and say it better than Greg Nino has said it, below.  I got phone calls from 3 people yesterday, all of whom fell into one of these categories.  One of them wanted me to show him property...but, didn't want to give me his name.  I'm serious.  He didn't trust...

Replacement Windows reduce the amount of noise in your home.  Life in an urban environment gets noisy.  Part of the reason replacement windows are such a good investment is that they can substantially reduce the noise in your home.  The following video demonstrates how much noise good windows can...

If I am talking with someone about listing a house and they mention Death, Divorce or Bankruptcy, the tilt meter goes off.  Each one of those events can have unexpected impacts on real estate titles.  All of them can be dealt with, but the more time we have to deal with them, the better. Any one ...

I just hate it when the listing agent tried to use Fear to motivate me, the buyers agent, into moving forward.  Fear may be a great motivator, but it is a lousy sales tool. I showed 11 houses yesterday to a buyer who just happens to be my little sister.  This is a buyer whom I have been protectin...

  The general public just doesn't understand real estate commissions.  Most people think that we get paid to unlock doors and drive people around to look at houses.  That is absolutely the smallest part of what it is that we do. I have a level of expertise that comes from a lifetime of experience...