Price as a Function of Market Time Assuming a “For Sale” home is well-prepped, priced and marketed, is there a way to know how much it sold for prior to closing, when the number will become public? That is, without finding out from the Buyer, the Seller, or their agents (who shouldn’t be sharing that...Read More
Contending With Old Lockboxes, Unlabeled Keys, and Security Systems It’s just good, common sense, but you’d be surprised how many listing agents (representing Sellers) violate the following “Do’s” and “Don’ts” for making their clients’ homes easy to access. “Do”: use a new(er), easy-to-open lockbox that’s in good repair, and — if not on the front...Read More
Strong Lender = Strong Deal Normally, when Realtors think about financially qualifying a home Buyer, they think about what the listing agent — representing the Seller — does. Stuff like vetting the Buyer’s Pre-approval Letter (and making sure there is one!); interviewing the Buyer’s lender once an offer comes in; making sure the Buyer’s earnest...Read More
Realtor Broken Record I’m not sure why, but many listing agents (representing Sellers) right now seem to be fielding lots of verbal overtures from Buyers’ agents. Whatever the question, the appropriate response is always the same. See if you detect a pattern in the following exchanges: Buyer’s agent: “Would your client entertain a really low...Read More
Playing Down the Price “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” –Samuel Johnson The real estate equivalent of Johnson’s line is, “when you’ve got nothing else (left?) to sell, sell price.” That’s not to say value is irrelevant. With ever-more discriminating consumers, online information, and high tech tools and savvy generally, value has never been more important....Read More
Not Just Superstition Any More I’ve long suspected that at least a few home sellers were eavesdropping on prospective Buyers with listening devices. But I just, umm . . . heard (through the grapevine, as they say) of a substantiated case in Minnesota. Apparently, the Seller overheard the Buyer say how much they would pay for...Read More
