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1). How to Sell Your Home in a Slow Market
The real estate market has slowed down in many areas that were booming over the last few years. Sellers in those areas got spoiled. It was only necessary to put a sign out front, and buyers came. Homes sold in a matter of days. This is no longer happening. If you want to sell your home in a slow area, what do you do?

Go Back to Marketing Basics

Whether you are selling your home yourself or working with a realtor, the answer is the same.

2). Taking Title When You Buy
Taking title to a home can seem like a boilerplate event during escrow, but it is very important. The prime question is how you take title.

Taking Title When You Buy

If you are a first time buyer, you are probably wondering what taking title refers to. It is not the act of accepting a piece of paper from the seller. Taking title refers to who is listed on the title and HOW they are listed.

3). What Is a Final Walk-Through?
The notion of a “final walk-through” seems to confuse both buyers and sellers of homes. Here is an explanation of a walk-through.

Walk-Throughs

What is a walk-through? What is its purpose? Is it important or just a formality? Can it be used to re-negotiate the terms of the contract at the last minute? Let’s look.

Typically the buyer just before settlement conducts a final walk-through.

4). New Hampshire Real Estate – Switzerland of America
With soaring mountain ranges, New Hampshire is often called the Switzerland of America. Fortunately, New Hampshire real estate prices compare favorably to Switzerland.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire is a state with beautiful scenery that takes on the full effect of each season of the year. Spring and summer are tailor made for fishing, hiking and water sports along the state coastline.

5). Three Party Closings In Real Estate
One of the ways to make money in real estate is to move property as quickly as possible. Jumping from one home to another often leads to a double closing situation.

Three Party Closings In Real Estate

Traditional home sales involve two parties, a buyer and seller. You may, however, run into a situation where there are actually three parties involved.

6). Wisconsin Real Estate – Making The Dairy Land Look Good
Wisconsin Real Estate – Making The Dairy Land Look Good

It might surprise you, but Wisconsin is home to one of the highest rated and most in demand towns in the United States. More and more people are starting to realize the Dairy Land is a good place to live.

Wisconsin Real Estate – Making The Dairy Land Look Good

Wisconsin likes to promote itself as America's Dairy Land and it isn't far off.

7). Preparing for an Appraisal - Plan For It
A critical part of selling a home is the appraisal. Here’s how to plan for it.

You have a contract to sell your home and now the appraiser is coming. The appraisal needs to come in at a good price in order for your buyer to get his loan. What should you do?

The Appraiser Says

Appraisers typically tell people not to do anything special before they come.

8). Improving Bathrooms – The Specifics
One of the best ways to increase the value of your home is to improve the bathrooms. Here’s a primer on things to consider.

Sinks

Villeroy and Boch makes a sink that mimics a boulder worn into a bowl by water flowing into it. It can be quite handsome in a minimalist home or a rustic one. You can see it and others at villeroy-boch.com.

Concrete Jungle makes some dramatically simple concrete sinks and vanities that surprisingly look very modern, or very farm-house.

9). Texas Real Estate – Property in the Big State
Everything in Texas is big, including real estate options. If you’re considering a move to Texas, here is a primer on the state.

Dallas

Dallas is a big city with a definite oil influence. There is a certain over the top feeling about Dallas, but people are pleasant and the city has first-rate services. Make no mistake, living in Dallas is living in a big city.

10). Understanding Title Insurance
Title to a property is a record detailing the owners of the property and rights associated with the ownership. Title typically shows a progression of ownership from the first owner to the current one. Title is a fairly simple concept, but when it goes wrong it is a nightmare. That is where title insurance comes in.

Title Insurance

Title insurance guarantees that the title on a property is marketable when you purchase the home, condo, land, etc.

11). Sell My House Quick
Life can throw surprises at you that require you to sell your house quickly. If you're thinking, "I have to sell my house quick," here are a few tips.

Sell My House Quick

As we all know, life can take stressful turns that require quick action on your part. This may even require the quick sale of your house. Such situations can include a sudden job transfer or divorce to mention only a few.

12). Home Style Words in Real Estate Ads – More Explanations
Whether you’re buying or selling, reading real estate ads can be confusing. Here are explanations of more style terms used in real estate ads.

“Split Foyer” style

A home entered by a foyer with a half flight of stairs up to the upper level (where the living spaces and one or more bedrooms are usually located) and a half flight of stairs to the lower level (typically housing the family room and additional bedrooms).

13). Specific Performance Demands In Real Estate Transactions
Every so often, real estate transactions can go bad. This often results in one party demanding the other specifically perform pursuant to the real estate contract.

Specific Performance Demands In Real Estate Transactions

Once a seller and buyer agree on a price for a property, a real estate contract is signed. The contract contains provisions each must comply with, provisions that are legally binding.

14). Descriptive Terms in Real Estate Ads – What Do They Mean?
If you are buying or selling a home, the chances are good you struggle with the meaning of descriptive real estate terms. Here’s the first in a series of articles explaining them.

The Wise Seller

Be very truthful if you are a seller advertising your home. Mention your home’s best features, but do not exaggerate. If someone comes to look at your home and feels disappointed, they are not apt to buy.

15). Georgia Real Estate – Southern Hospitality
Known as the Peach State, Georgia is the state of southern hospitality. If you prefer the traditional southern culture, Georgia real estate is certainly worth a look.

Georgia

The largest state east of the Mississippi, Georgia has a long and glorious history. Civil war monuments are rife throughout the state as are small towns with turn of the century homes.

16). Coinciding Settlements Clauses - Moving Issues
People who are selling their home in order to buy another frequently put a "coinciding settlements" clause into their contract offer on the new home. One reason for doing this is so they can move from one home to the other at the same time.

Coinciding Moving Day?

One reason people want coinciding settlements is so they can move out of one house and into the other the same day.

17). Reasons Not To Sell Your Home Yourself
Selling your home yourself can save you thousands of dollars in commissions. However, that doesn’t mean you should necessarily do it for the following reasons:

Just Suffered A Major Trauma

People who have just gone through an event which changed their lives in a negative way are also apt to benefit from working with an agent instead of selling their homes as FSBOs.

18). Condominiums – Advantages of Ownership
Condominiums tend to be a love it or hate it subject with property owners. Here are the advantages of owning a condominium.

Condominium – Advantages

Condominiums provide a unique living opportunity in the United States, one that many people have jumped on in this hot real estate market. Although not for everyone, condominium ownership does have some distinct advantages over stand alone homes.

19). Home Buying Checklist – Paint and Stucco
Buying a home is a big investment. You should use a checklist when sizing up potential homes. In this article, we cover a home buying checklist for paint and stucco.

Paint and Stucco

The exterior of a home typically makes the biggest impression when you first view a potential buying opportunity. Many homebuyers, however, often make the mistake of looking at color schemes as the principal issue.

20). Evaluating A Home – Water Pipes
When evaluating a home you are considering buying, it is easy to get caught up in the visual aspects of the home. Water pipes are just one unseen area you remember to inspect.

Water Pipes – Drip, Drip, Drip

Alright, I’ll admit right away water pipes are not exactly the most glamorous aspect of a home. In fact, water piping in most homes is more than adequate to keep you in hot showers while you live there and take care of all your water needs.

21). Market Changes Favor FSBOs
Drastic paradigm shifts in how the residential real estate market works have been on the way for several years now. The change has really become apparent over the last year. It is easier for people to sell their homes themselves as FSBOs (for sale by owner) as a result. Let’s look at how things used to work and how they work now in regard to the traditional method of using a real estate brokerage firm, and I think you’ll see why.

22). Buying A House – Checking Exterior Wood
You need to be very careful before committing to the purchase of a house. If the house has wood and brick on the exterior, you need to consider the following issues.

Wood Issues

Wood is a beautiful material, particularly when it is used on the exterior of a home. Compared to stucco and other materials, it is a wonder wood isn’t used more often. The reason, of course, is wood simply doesn’t hold up as well as man made materials.

23). Buying a Home – Dealing With Lender Letters
Most people who set out to buy a home, be it house, townhouse, condo, apartment, or mansion on a hill, know they need to have a lender letter in hand saying they are qualified for a loan. What most “civilians” (people not in the real estate business) don’t realize is how much the value of a lender letter varies.

Let’s look at some of the general ways a lender letter varies, which sort you want, and how to present it to a seller to put you in the best possible position to buy that seller’s property.

24). Real Estate Terms – From Condominiums to Deeds of Trust
When buying or selling a property, it always helps to have a basic understanding of real estate terms. In this on going series of articles, we take a look at definitions starting with “condominium.”

1) Condominium - A type of ownership in real property where all of the owners in a collection of properties jointly own everything except the interior of each property.

25). How To Sell A Residence Without An Agent
With a robust real estate market, selling a residence isn't particularly difficult. Here's a primer on how to sell your own house.

How To Sell A Residence Without An Agent

First and foremost, you need to educate yourself on how real estate transactions happen. There are online guides and plenty of books on the subject at your local bookstore. When you decided to sell your own house, you are considered a FSBO seller [for sale by owner].

26). Avoid Home Buying Blues at Closing
Buying a home is a stressful and emotional affair. You can avoid the home buying blues by keeping your cool at closing.

I've just come from a settlement table at which a friend bought a new condo. It's beautiful, convenient and just what she wanted. However, at the settlement table she and a relative whom she clearly loves got into a tiff with each other.

27). Curb Appeal – First Impressions Count When Selling Your Home
People selling their homes via real estate brokers get lots of coaching. People selling their own homes as FSBOs need the same. One of the most important topics on which FSBOs can benefit from coaching is “curb appeal.” How does your home look when a potential buyer drives up to the curb and takes that all important first look?

Be Sure It Looks Great

Single family residences require the most work.

28). Mississippi Real Estate – The Magnolia State
Mississippi is a state known for having a classic southern style. Mississippi real estate is some of the cheapest in the land.

Mississippi

Named after the Mississippi River, Mississippi is a state holding on to its history. Much of the state is farmland and even the towns and cities seem to have eschewed modern development for a more familiar past.

29). Wyoming Real Estate - Wide Open Spaces
If you're tired of living in close quarters, Wyoming may be the answer for you. Wyoming real estate is also appreciating at a nice pace.

Wyoming

Wyoming is the least populated state in the United States, but also one of the most beautiful if getting back to nature is your thing. While the cattle industry dominates the state, you also find bears, moose and a variety of large beasts roaming freely in the state.

30). Dealing With Unpleasant Negotiators
Selling your house yourself can be intimidating if you're doing it the first time. Here's how to deal with unpleasant negotiators.

Unpleasant Negotiators

Sometimes you encounter someone who is not going to be happy unless he maneuvers you into accepting less than your home is worth or doing things for his benefit that are unreasonable. Then what? Well, first let's discuss the most common forms these nasty types take and then we'll talk about what to do with them.

31). Escalation Clauses – A Home Buyer's Secret Weapon
Today we discuss escalation clauses because much of the country is experiencing an extreme “sellers’ market.” By that, I mean there are more buyers than there are sellers, and that results in sellers’ getting more than one offer to buy their property. The seller can be picky about the terms under which he is willing to sell. A potential buyer is apt to make one or more offers which are rejected before making a successful offer.

32). Condominiums – Disadvantages of Ownership
Purchasing a new residence involves many issues and condos may be on your radar. Before you buy, keep in mind there are disadvantages to condominium ownership.

Condominiums – Disadvantages

Condominiums are simply a collection of units in a structure or structures. All property on the interior of the unit is yours with few limitations. Everything outside of the unit, however, is considered to be in the common areas and subject to administration by the homeowners association for condominium communities.

33). Is An Old Home for You? – The Pros
If you prefer a home that is unique and has character, you probably are giving some thought to buying an older home. Before buying, it’s a good idea to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of owning the home. In this article, we cover the positive benefits I have realized by owning a home built in 1825.

The Pros of An Old Home

In 1972, my husband and I bought a house built in 1825.

34). Sell My House Without A Realtor
If you’re thinking, "I should sell my house without a realtor," the current real estate market and explosion of the Internet will make your job easier.

Sell My House Without A Realtor

If you are looking to sell a house without a realtor, you are known as a "FSBO" seller. FSBO stands for the phrase “for sale by owner.” Although FSBO sellers have always existed, they have become much more prevalent in the last few years due to two primary factors.

35). The Real Estate Market in Jacksonville, Florida
Whether there is a real estate bubble and, if so, will it pop is a popular topic across the country. The real estate marketing in Jacksonville, Florida, however, is a major exception.

The Real Estate Market in Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville is located in the northeastern part of Florida and is just below the border with Georgia. Real estate in Jacksonville is a steal, particularly given appreciation rates.

36). Sell Old Home or Buy New Home First?
Buyers who are “moving up” or “downsizing” often have a dilemma. They can’t decide whether to put their home on the market first, or contract to buy their new home first.

If they put their home on the market, it might sell and then they might find it impossible to find what they want. Alternatively, if they find a home they’d love to buy, they realize they could lose out because their old home won’t sell quickly enough or the sellers won’t wait.

37). Nevada Real Estate – A Very Good Gamble!
When you think of Nevada, Las Vegas and gambling are the first things to come to mind. In truth, Nevada real estate is a far better bet than anything you’ll find in a casino.

Nevada

Nevada is dominated by Las Vegas and no bolder statement could exist for American ingenuity. Where else in the world can you find a huge tourist attraction in the middle of an absolutely sun scorched state? I would be willing to gamble a pretty penny there is no other such place.

38). Home Improvements – Planning
Home decorating is one of the keys to making the most out of a home. Do it right and you can turn a pedestrian home into a castle.

Really good interior designers interview family members prior to making a plan and recommendations for changes in a home’s interior design and decoration. You and your family can benefit if you take the same approach when you’re in a do it yourself mode.

39). Kansas Real Estate – The Middle of the Country
Located in the exact middle of the country, Kansas is an agricultural state where you can escape the rat race. Kansas real estate is inexpensive and plentiful.

Kansas

Kansas is about as Midwestern as it gets when you think of stereotypes. Agriculture dominates the state with wheat fields flowing throughout the state. While you will not find oceans or rivers, the state provides plenty of opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing and a variety of outdoor activities.

40). California Real Estate – Appreciation on Steroids
For the last five years, owners of California real estate have been hitting the ball out of the appreciation ballpark. Yes, a real estate market on steroids.

California

California is heavily populated from north to south along the coastline, but they state offers significantly different ecologies. In Northern California, one is much more likely to see signs of the four seasons, get cold temperatures and more historic feel in locations such as San Francisco.

41). Colorado Real Estate – The Rocky Mountains
Colorado is the land of the Rocky Mountains and all that comes with it. Located in the foothills, Denver is the central location for Colorado real estate.

Colorado

A state dominated by mountains, Colorado is a popular relocation spot for outdoors enthusiasts. The state offers skiing, hiking, rock climbing, fishing, camping and other activities in the mountains in combination with big city sophistication in Denver.

42). Montana Real Estate – Big Sky Country
Montana is known as Big Sky Country for the wide-open spaces you can find there. Fortunately, Montana real estate is inexpensive enough to make it a good relocation spot.

Montana

Montana has some of the most beautiful scenery in the United States. With towering mountain ranges, wide-open prairies and absolutely stunning national parks, the state truly fits the “big sky” moniker.

43). Idaho Real Estate – A Better Quality of Life
A mountainous state, Idaho has become a popular destination for families and outdoor enthusiast. If you’re considering Idaho, here’s a primer on the state and Idaho real estate.

Idaho

For backpackers, river enthusiasts and rock climbers, Idaho is frequent destination. With a mountainous profile, the state is a haven for river rafting, fishing, rock climbing and pretty much any outdoor activity.

44). Nebraska Real Estate – The Cornhusker State
When the state nickname is based on the beloved University of Nebraska college football team, you know all you need to. With inexpensive prices, you’ll have your pick of Nebraska real estate to watch the games.

Nebraska

To the surprise of many, Nebraska is a state with a history of significant personalities and events. Figures such as Crazy Horse and Walter Reed were prominent during the expansion of the country to the west.

45). Iowa Real Estate – Farmland, Corn and Family Living
Iowa is definitely a farming state and corn is the dominant crop. Fortunately, Iowa real estate won’t take a large bite out of your bank account.

Iowa

Iowa is known for predominantly being a farming state and some people might view this as a bit boring. Such an assumption would be incorrect as Iowa has a lot to offer in other areas including museums, historic sites, river sports and a good bit of fun on large casino gambling boats.

46). Descriptive Terms in Real Estate Ads – Even More Definitions
If you are buying or selling a home, the chances are good you struggle with the meaning of descriptive real estate terms. Here are explanations and definitions for more terms.

“Living Room” & “Family Room”

When a home has both a living room and a family room, we know which is which. It used to be that when an ad mentioned a family room, we could assume it also had a living room.

47). Final Walk-Through – The Value of Your Contract
A walk-through is an important step in a real estate transaction. To get the most out of it, make sure you understand the terms of the purchase contract.

Check Things the Contract Specifies

When you signed the contact to purchase your new home, certain elements and characteristics were specified. If the home does not match those elements on the walk-through, the contract will give you leveraging position.

48). Delaware Real Estate – Living on the Water
A classic Atlantic state, Delaware is known for beaches and towns on the Atlantic Ocean. Delaware real estate prices aren’t bad and appreciation is excellent.

Delaware

Delaware is a state with a lot of coastline. When you think of wind swept beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, you’re thinking of Delaware. The beach areas come in a variety of forms with sleepy little villages, laid back resorts and energized tourist areas.

49). Maine Real Estate – The Pine Tree State
While a vast majority of Maine is forested, the beautiful shoreline dominates the state. Maine real estate prices, however, are surprisingly reasonable.

Maine

Maine is one of the more beautiful states in the country. Travel inland and you will find pine tree forests everywhere. In fact, nearly 80 percent of the inland areas are covered by forest.

50). Selling Your Home Yourself – Pricing It Appropriately
When you’re selling your own property, whether it’s a house, townhouse, condo, apartment, a finished lot, raw land, a farm, a ranch, or whatever, the first thing to get right is the price you ask for it. If you work with a broker, the legwork is done for you. When you work as a FSBO (for sale by owner), you need to figure it out yourself. Let’s look at how to do just that.

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