The property price dilemma

As a homeowner selling your home you are faced with a dilemma when setting the asking price for your property. Ask too much and you risk your property sitting on the market for months without attracting any offers. Ask too little and you lose out financially. Faced with this choice many homeowners set their asking price too high believing that they can always lower the price if the property doesn’t sell. However this can have disastrous consequences for the value of your home.

Setting the correct price is the most important part of selling your home. Whether selling your home FSBO or through a real estate agent it is vital to get the asking price right first time. Your aim is to sell your property in a reasonable amount of time and to get on with living your life, in order to do this you must set a realistic price.

Buyers know the real estate market

Buyers are often well researched when it comes to the current real estate market. Therefore if a property is overpriced, it simply won’t sell. As a homeowner you may well feel that a prospective buyer can always make you an offer but in many cases buyers will simply walk away. It is said that a reasonably priced property will attract reasonable offers but an excessively over priced property will attract no offers.

If a property is over priced and doesn’t sell it will sit on the market and will quickly become stale. Buyers will recognize the property as having been on the market for some time and assume that there must be something wrong with it; the property will have gained the reputation of being a lemon. If you overprice the house to test the market and then reduce the price later, it signals to buyers that the property was and may still be overpriced. Homes that are listed through real estate agents are particularly vulnerable as many agents give homeowners inflated valuations on their property to try and secure the listing. The owner is later conditioned by the agent to accept a lower offer that is often less than the true value of the property.

Factors affecting the price of your property

The amount of time that you have to sell your home will affect its sale price. Any property will sell if the price is low enough. If the real estate market is slow and you need to sell quickly you may have to accept a lower price to sell you property. By offering a property for sale at a lower price the pool of potential buyers is expanded as the property becomes attractive to real estate investors who either want to rent the property to tenants or renovate and sell at a profit. If you are not in a hurry to sell your property you can concentrate on appealing to homeowners rather than investors. Homeowners are less likely to be concerned about rental yield and profit margins and will pay more for a home that they fall in love with.

Some factors other than time that affect the price of a property are:

Location: You can’t get away from this one; the cliché location, location, location is well known because it is true. If your property is located in a desirable area that is in demand, you will be able to get a higher price than you can for the same house in a less desirable area.

Condition: A house that has been well maintained and can be moved into without the new owners having to undertake any major renovations will always sell for more than one that has been neglected and needs work.

Desirable amenities: If your house has popular amenities such as parks, schools and shops close by, it will sell for a higher price.

FSBO and property prices

As a FSBO homeowner you are in a fantastic position in that you can under cut your competition (properties listed with real estate agents) and still keep more of the equity in your pocket as you have no real estate agent’s fees to pay. However a significant number of FSBO owners erode their competitive advantage by asking the same or more than properties listed through an agent.

Opinion is divided as to whether buyers would rather buy direct from the owner or through an agent. Some people feel that buyers prefer to negotiate through an agent, as they can be more honest in their feedback, therefore if these buyers are to be enticed to consider FSBO properties they need a reduced price to attract them. Others feel that buyers would rather deal direct with owner rather than have to put up with the deceit and games played by some agents. Having dealt with many agents and FSBO owners I would rather deal direct any day.

Whether the prospective buyer prefers to deal direct or would rather be negotiating through an agent one thing is for certain. The buyer knows that the homeowner is saving a considerable amount through not having to pay commission and will expect the homeowner to share some of this saving with them.

Any sensible FSBO vendor will share the saved commission with the buyer by accepting a slightly lower price. The homeowner is still ahead in terms of the equity they have in their pocket and can move on and get on with their life in their new home. It is important to focus on selling your home not how much you can save.

How to determine the price of your property

In order to determine the price of your property it is necessary to compare your property to other homes that have sold in your neighborhood. There are three ways that this can be done:

1. Online valuation service
These services compile reports based on historic sales data for a particular suburb or street. They are a useful overview and provide information quickly and easily but provide fairly high level information e.g. you may be able to find out the average house price in a street but may not know how many bedrooms the average house has.

2. A professional valuer
A professional valuation is the most accurate way to find out how much your property is worth. A valuation from a professional valuer is not the same as a valuation that you might get from a real estate agent. A professional valuer has no financial interest in your property and is legally responsible for their valuation. Banks will require a valuation from a professional valuer in order to issue a mortgage. Banks will not accept a valuation from a real estate agent, as they know that these are not reliable.
In order to value your home the valuer will visit the property to make measurements and assess the condition. They will then consider how your property compares to other properties that have sold in the local area.

3. Comparative market analysis
It is possible to conduct your own market analysis by comparing your home to others that have sold in the area. The key here is to compare to the selling price of other properties and not the asking price.
Find 4-5 houses similar to yours that sold in your area over the last 6 months. Ask agents or owners or use property records to find out what the properties listed and sold for. Keep an eye on newspaper property pages for examples of recent sales.
As no two homes are exactly the same it will be necessary to make adjustments for differences between your home and those in the comparison e.g. if the home in the comparison has a renovated bathroom and your property does not you will need to reduce the comparison price.

Setting the asking price for your property

It is difficult trying to subjectively value your home because of the emotional attachment that you have. This can lead you to over emphasize the property’s good points and to overlook any shortcomings. In order to get the most accurate valuation we would recommend investing in a professional valuation.

When setting the asking price it is important to remember that the only thing that is relevant is how much a buyer is prepared to pay for your home today. It does not matter how much you paid for your home five years ago, nor does it matter how much your new home is costing or how much you still owe on your mortgage. It is only your property’s value as determined by the current real estate market that is relevant.

You may however wish to include a small buffer to allow for some negotiating room. 5% more on the asking price will give enough room to negotiate but will not overprice the property so much that buyers are scared away.

How to maximize your equity

In order to maximize the amount of money that you end up with in your pocket we recommend using a professional valuer to determine the property value.

Once you have decided how much to sell your property for listing with a good FSBO website (also known as private sale) means you avoid paying commission to a real estate agent and can maximize the amount of equity you are left with.

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In the US, your credit rating is extremely important. Having a good score opens doors for you and an unsatisfactory score will slam them in your face. Your credit score actually represents the risk that the lender assumes in order to loan you money and determines how big your loan can be. So what are the factors that help calculate credit scores?

1. Payment history. The record of payments you have made to all of your creditors is the biggest factor (35% of your score) that’s taken into consideration when figuring out your credit rating. It doesn’t take much to lower your rating. Even late payments take their toll. Of course, missed payments and defaults on debts will make a bigger mark. Any bad marks on your credit report will stay there for seven years, with generally no exception. Even if you’ve paid off the debt, it will most likely not be erased from your report until the 7-year period is up.

2. credit card usage ratio. Your credit card usage ratio (30% of your score) compares the amount of credit you have available to you to the amount you are using. Your score is better (higher) if you are not using all of your credit. If you think that paying off an account and closing it is a good idea, think again. That could actually drop your score in this department. The best solution is to have several accounts open and not use all of them. This is viewed upon as an advantage by potential lenders.

3. credit history length. How long you have been using credit is another issue when it comes to how to calculate credit scores–it accounts for about 15% of the total. Again, if you remember that your credit score is what lenders are looking at to determine your loan eligibility, you can understand why this is important. They tend to view someone who has long credit history and a few marks against him/her as more favorable than someone with a short, perfect credit history. This is a good reason to have your kids start making credit history early (and in a responsible way with your guidance).

4. credit variety. This makes up about 10% of your score. Believe it or not, it helps your score if you have many types of debt (credit cards, mortgage, car loans, etc).

5. Your stability. This includes how long you’ve been at your job, how solid the job is and how long you’ve been living at your current address. If you’ve been at your address for less than three years, this is viewed as less than stable.

Now you know what factors are used to calculate credit scores. Understanding them is important because it allows you to take action on certain aspects that you have the power to change. Hopefully you can use these guidelines to establish good credit or bring your current credit score up a notch or two.

foreclosure auctions always have two sides. They can either blow your budget or make you rich beyond your farthest dreams or even something in between. People might seem like innocent spectators at an auction. The hard truth is that they have all come for the same thing: to buy a piece of art, to buy a cool car, to buy a home or something else. When you buy something, it has to be good for you. You also need to know whether you are there with business purposes, or if you just enjoy buying special objects. In either case, you need to succeed.

Let’s say you’re representing a company. You need to buy that something at the best possible rate. As a company, how would you think optimally? Are you willing to use your company’s entire budget, just to buy what you need? Or will you try to buy something which will make you earn more money, and can you do that by spending as less as you can? Hopefully, you think about the last question, to buy a lot, and spend the minimal.

You have to think good and fast. You know what your budget is. You just calculate: if you’d buy a home or a building, you could spend maximally half of your budget. By acknowledging this, your success is almost guaranteed. Just one more thing you need to do is to be even smarter. If you know, that you have 3 very good homes, that you’d buy, don’t buy the first if it isn’t the best. Maybe, if you wait for the 3rd, and negotiate like a pro, you will get that estate at a very low price, so you’ll be happy for waiting just a a while longer.

If you have bought an estate, or maybe more (depending on your budget, the auction and the possibilities), and those are valuable ones, you are already on the road to success. The next, and last thing you’ll need, is to learn, how to make a good profit out of them.

On the other hand, you could be just a simple person. You have no employees and you’re on your own. When talking about someone, it could be an amateur or an investor. Amateurs just buy estates to suit the needs of themselves or their families. There are even those people, who, for instance, collect old cars. You could buy something, only because it’s your hobby.

What if you want to invest? Do you need to have a company? No, not really. Simple people can also make investments. Even more, if you’re smart, you can exceed a small company’s budget and/or profit.

A successful buyer only buys what he/she needs. Also, you need to ensure not to exceed the available budget. Furthermore, buyers look for the best quality at the best rates available.

Successful investors are successful buyers also. It’s just that they have an extra plan, and know how to invest. Investors need think in advance. They have to foresee every side of their own business plan, and make it work, so they will earn money (instead of loosing money). Buyers only lose money. Investors lose some money, but can earn it back hundred fold.

In order to succeed, you have to pay attention, to think economically, and to think fast. Ask yourself: Do I need that? Do I want to earn money? Do I have that kind of money available?

Analyze all the pros and cons and then make a wise decision. Success will surely follow you.

In the United States, most properties are sold through professional real estate agents. However, many list their homes or properties for sale by owner. Most do this because they have complete freedom over the sale. They can choose how much they want to sell the property for, to who, and when. With the current state of the real estate market, many selling their homes are doing so to avoid foreclosure. They simply cannot afford the property anymore. A sale prevents foreclosure.

If you are looking to buy your first home for cheap or make a profit through renting or reselling, you should target these types of homes. Unfortunately, it isn’t always easy. Most home sellers will not Advertise upfront that they are selling their home to avoid foreclosure. First, you need to schedule a meeting. Ask to for a showing of the property. Start a conversation. Be friendly. In no time at all, you may have the full story behind the sale. It may be due to relocation, but it may also be due to foreclosure. If this is mentioned, ask out of curiosity for the mortgage lender’s name. Be discrete about it. “Who is your mortgage lender? They really aren’t willing to work with you?”

If you like the property in question, inquire more about the selling price. Is it inline with the home’s appraised value? It should be. In fact, it should be less. A homeowner who is selling their home to avoid foreclosure should be willing to take just about anything. Their main goal should be to pay off their mortgage. This mean you should get a good deal. If not, try bargaining first. If the outstanding mortgage is a relatively low or affordable figure, offer that as your asking price. As a good deed, offer to throw in an extra thousand or so for the cost of relocation or first and last months rent. If you are met with a refusal, you may just move on. But, you do have another option.

As previously stated, you want to get the name of the mortgage lender. Although a little deceitful, it can result in a low-cost home or property for you. What you do is approach the lender. Speak to a loan officer. State you tried to buy the home, but the sellers were asking too much. Emphasize your interest in the home, but state your unwillingness to pay an unfair value. See what the mortgage lender can do for you. In fact, suggest a short sale. Only do this if the borrow and current home seller outright stated that their home will be foreclosed on.

A foreclosure short sale is an agreement between the mortgage lender and the homeowner. They agree to sell the home for less than the outstanding mortgage on the home. Borrowers accept this to avoid foreclosure. The home sells and they don’t have a foreclosure listed on their credit report and bankruptcy is avoided. Mortgage lenders agree to short sales because they want their money, even if less than what is owed. It also saves them from long and costly foreclosure proceedings, where many borrowers and occupants become difficult and unruly.

If you approach a financial lender acquiring about a short sale, it will not happening right away. Remember, the borrower is still trying to sell their home independently. With the poor state of the real estate market, many homebuyers are unable to secure needed financing. This means that many homes sit on the real estate market for months. It may take a month or more or threats from a mortgage lender about foreclosure before the borrower agrees to a short sale. But, if you approached the mortgage lender and already made an offer, you should be the first person they contact!

Convincing a mortgage lender to agree to a short sale on a property you do not own is risky. You risk insulting the mortgage lender and the homeowner, but if you want to profit from soon-to-be foreclosed properties, you must take risks.

Even if they split commission from the sales of your property, you can place a good bet that brokering real estate is what you most need when putting up your home for sale and finding that best buyer in town. Sure, the broker and the agent will get what they worked for, but at the end of the day, it will be a win-win solution to all of you.

The real estate broker gets paid and his agent. And why do you need them? Simple. They make everything easier and simpler for you. You tell them you want to find a buyer for your property and they will do the rest of the works until it is sold to another individual and you get the payment minus the commission for your agent and broker. Even so, you might want to know and understand where all these commissions are going.

Here is what the commission is for:

The commission the broker and agent receive is based on the total amount of property sale. You have to understand that a real estate agent is working under a real estate broker. The agent gets paid by the broker after a real estate commission is earned from closed real estate deal. Once an agent lists a customer’s property and acquires a buyer for it, the customer will provide commission fees to the broker, from which a percentage will proceed to the agent. The client then signs an agreement with their enlisted broker.

A minimum of 30% of the total earned commission from brokering real estate is given to the agent. As an example:

If the total home sale price amounts to US$100,000, the real estate broker splits 10% commission from it, which amounts to US$10,000. If the broker is giving out 50% to the agent, the latter will then receives US$5,000.

However, in other cases, the agents can receive the 100% of the commission and just pay their broker a desk fee. This is typically applicable to top selling real estate agents.

In conclusion, how much commission an agent can earn depends on three things:

1. total home sale price 2. the broker’s sale percentage fee 3. agreed commission fee from broker’s fee between the broker and the agent.

Others receive commissions via sliding percentage scale. real estate agencies that do this augment the amount of commissions they receive by having more sales. Also, commercial properties tend to have higher commission percentage than residential properties. However, with the laborious negotiations involved when brokering real estate properties, real estate agents do not always aim for a highest commission possible.

To other people, the commissions spent when enlisting a real estate agent or broker may look over the top, but when they see at the general value, it is well worth it. After all, performing a large number of tasks such as listing and arranging the property, arranging for advertising like open house showing and others, getting help from contracts, inspections, negotiations, and the closing deals are going to take a huge chunk of time as well as effort and money.

Added to that is the effort, money, and time spent when acquiring pertinent information about and around the property, like the home, its community, and even the neighborhood. The agent will also have to learn of the values of the surrounding amenities and nearby homes. These things are tedious enough that the seller himself might not be able to sustain without a help gotten from brokering real estate.