Quick Answer: “It Depends ” But Usually Less Than Buyers Think” “At the closing table, the Seller will walk away with a check ” and whether the money comes from the Buyer or the lender doesn’t matter.” —”Do Home Buyers Who Pay Cash Get a Discount?”; The Wall Street Journal. The answer to the question,...Read More
Seller Psychology vs. Market Reality Quick! Which of the following are relevant for determining a home’s current value? A. What the owner/seller paid for it. B. What their neighbor sold their home for a year ago. C. What the another neighbor currently is listing their home for. D. How much money the owner spent on improvements. Answer: none of...Read More
Test your knowledge of modern residential real estate practice, and answer the following multiple choice question: Q: Who should the listing agent (representing the Seller) meet at the home? A. The appraiser working for the Buyer’s lender; B. The home inspector doing the city Truth-in-Sale-of-Housing (“TISH”) inspection; C. The photographer; D. The Buyer’s home inspector. Correct...Read More
When Appraisals Don’t Matter (and When They Do) [Editor’s Note: The views expressed here are solely those of Ross Kaplan, and do not represent Edina Realty, Berkshire Hathaway (“Berkshire”), or any other entity referenced. Edina Realty is a subsidiary of Berkshire.] “Federal regulators have proposed loosening real-estate appraisal rules so a majority of homes can...Read More
Home Buyers (and Sellers) can be excused for thinking that the purpose of an appraisal — typically, done at the behest of the Buyer’s lender — is to determine the home’s fair market value. Not exactly. Rather, the purpose of the appraisal — at least one done in the context of a home sale —...Read More
“What’s Sauce for the Goose is Sauce for the Gander” I know of other agents — even some whom I consider excellent** — who use price opinions at least occasionally to inform the guidance they offer Sellers. Personally, I’m not a fan, for two reasons. Reason #1. Something like 90% of the time, price opinions...Read More
