When you are a seller in a buyer’s market, it’s easy to start believing that your REALTOR has lost interest in you. After all, he or she seemed excited when you first asked them to list your property for sale, but now the excitement has waned, and you rarely hear from them anymore. What went… Read More

Many seniors today face retirement with less savings and lower home equity value than they expected. Their dreams of selling their home and moving to a more suitable climate or lifestyle may now seem difficult to obtain if not impossible given decreasing home values and challenging economic conditions. For seniors short of funds for an… Read More

If you live in northeast Georgia and want to appeal your recent real property tax assessment, you only have 45 days from the notice date to make your opinion known to your County Assessor’s office. Many of the values have been assessed lower this year than previous years, which is consistent with the decreasing market… Read More

Are foreclosure sales relevant when appraising non-distressed properties? Since our company is also in the appraisal business, not a week passes by without someone challenging the notion that the sales price of foreclosed homes (REOs, bank-owned, etc.) should not be relevant for setting the value of non-distressed sales. The average consumer is unaware of what… Read More

In a recent post Buyer Representation or Buyer Beware: Your Choice, I explained Buyer Representation (a.k.a. Buyer Agency, Buyer Brokerage) and the advantages of using a buyer’s agent in your home search. So why aren’t more home buyers using buyer’s agents for every purchase? Let’s look at five misconceptions about buyer representation that  keep Buyers… Read More

Buyers frequently go directly to listing agents to make offers on homes rather than using buyer’s agents to help them with the purchase.  Despite the advantages of having a knowledgeable buyer’s agent working for you,  most buyers don’t really understand buyer representation and the difference it can make in a real estate transaction. What is… Read More

Most of you have heard about the recent tax-relief legislation signed by President Obama this past week, but you may not be aware of how it could affect you as a real estate owner and investor.   The NAR  (National Association of REALTORS) recently came out with a great four-page summary highlighting the real estate-related… Read More