House in hand

A house is a complicated organism. Although you may have owned a home before, bear in mind that every house is different. Every house is unique and every house has its “quirks”. For first-time home buyers especially, there is a lot to know about your new home. That’s why we recommend that all our buyers attend their home inspection (using a WI registered home inspector) as an opportunity to learn as much as they can about their new-home-to-be. In addition to attending your inspection, it’s vital you study your inspection report and understand any recommendations your inspector makes regarding needed maintenance of your new home. You’ll want to make sure you also get answers to the following questions before you move into your new home:

  1. How many…

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house and moneyAlthough some people are very successful at selling their own home, the process can be a literal minefield. Not only can it be very time-consuming, there are many mistakes unrepresented sellers (FSBO’s) can make, some of which can cost more than the commission FSBO’s may think they’re saving by not listing with a Realtor. A recent study by Collateral Analytics (CA) shows that unrepresented sellers not only do not save money on commissions, in some cases they may actually net substantially less than what they would have had they listed with a full service, licensed real estate agent.

In the study, CA analyzed home sales statistics in a variety of U.S. real estate markets in both 2016 and in the first half of 2017. The data revealed several key…

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Last night I read an interview with a luxury home sales agent in Southern California.

The part of the piece that really jumped out at me was when the agent told the interviewer about how she marketed a particular luxury home by placing an ad in an in-flight magazine, “. . . which I paid for myself . . .”

Now, why would that line in particular catch my attention?

Because I was appalled.

Who else did she expect to pay for it? She was hired to market a home and, especially since it’s a luxury home, she’ll be paid a hefty sum for doing so.

Unfortunately, this is how some real estate agents think.

If they even have a marketing budget, they’ll cut corners in it wherever and whenever they can. They may even expect you, the homeowner, to…

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