Positive Real Estate Professionals

Living for tomorrow loses today. There really is no other way to say it any clearer. Whether it is being unsure, procrastination, or cold feet, it all leads to the same thing; putting off ’til tomorrow what can be done today. Whether it is purchasing a jacket that you have had your eye on, joining a real estate network, buying a new car, or buying a dream home, each of these can be a major decision. However, putting the decision off for another day can also be what causes you to lose out on the deal of a lifetime. Read More

Many people who are buying homes today are young, first time buyers. Because of the enormous financial responsibility that buyers are taking on, it is important to do a bit of research into the different options that may be available. With the soft sellers’ market that many areas of the country have been experiencing over the past few years many Realtors®, builders, and sellers are offering more incentives to buyers. Keep in mind that there is no one single, monolithic market when it comes to real estate but thousands of local and hyperlocal markets that are as unique as snowflakes. With that said, one of the most common incentives offered to buyers is the home warranty. Read More

I have seen the video below several times and it has always spoken to me the same way. Regardless what is happening on Main Street or Wall Street, if you are in the position to buy, then you are in a position of strength. This is true whether it is the housing market, the auto industry, the boating industry, or maybe the furniture market. However, the real question is how strong is your buyers strength? That is the question that I will try to help you answer in this article. Read More

I read numerous economic and real estate related articles from the blogosphere everyday. I try to get a sampling of various articles so that I do not simply get homogeneous articles that are parrots of one another. I believe the best way to get information is from diverse sources. Networks such as Positive Real Estate Professionals provide many different viewpoints from real estate industry professionals. Read More

Today’s difficult economic reality has many people being vigilant on their spending habits. The following article from Danny Thornton is a great example of smart economizing and potentially costly economizing. I hope that it provides some good food for thought, especially if you are considering buying or selling your home. Read More

With this being undeniably a buyer’s market there are a lot of properties for buyers to choose from; this also means that there are a lot of properties for Realtors to wade through to try to match buyer’s wants. This being the case there has been a conundrum in the past two years: why lenders who had agreed in principle to the terms of a short sale would diminish the likelihood of that sale occurring? What I am referring to is the unabashed insistence by many lenders that Realtors on both sides of the transaction take reduced commissions. Now many of you may wonder what the issue with this is; don’t all Realtors drive Mercedes and eat at swanky restaurants? This idea is not only wrong but it presumes that Realtors are heartless as they dine on caviar while their clients can barely afford hamburger helper. Keep in mind as you read the following article from Sandy Noll that the general commission on a sale is 6%. This 6% is then split 3% to the seller’s agent and 3% to the buyer’s agent. Sounds good right? Wait, both agents then have to split their 3% with the Broker/Owner of the real estate office they work for. This split can range from 70%-30% to 50%- 50%. So on that $100,000 dollar sale the total commission is $6,000. Split among the agents makes it $3,000 each and then taking a 70%-30% split (which is very generous on the part of the Broker/Owner) you get the agent making $2,100. While this may seem like a lot, both agents will have to pay out of pocket for all of the marketing of their listed properties and all the taxes. So my point with this big lead in is cutting the commissions of the Realtors not only may be counterproductive in the selling of short sales, it also directly affects the families of Realtors who work hard to provide for them. Read More

This is by far one of the best articles I have come across in a long time that really spells out the need for buyers to get a pre-qualification letter as a first step in finding the home that fits perfectly for their situation. In today’s market, when gas is expensive, realtor safety is always a concern, and setting realistic expectations for buyers is more important than ever,  it only makes sense to help buyers maximize their home search. Debbie goes into many of the reasons why this is important. Her article is not meant to discourage any qualified buyer. It is I believe meant to help both buyer and realtor to know what type of house they should be looking for. I am sure you will enjoy this article from one of the most successful realtors in Virginia. Read More

It is true that there is a lot of volatility in the market and has been for some time. Along with this volatility comes a lot of completely baseless assumptions. One of the biggest misconceptions is that prospective buyers cannot get financed. This myth keeps a lot of qualified buyers from even applying. What is worse is that this is the best time for home buyers looking for a primary residence to actively pursue responsible home ownership. It is a buyer’s market with lots of available inventory and near historically low interest rates. The following post is from a respected Realtor in Washington state. I hope you find it as informative and as relevant as I did. Read More