Category: Home Selling
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Relocation brings a pay raise, and challenges.
Reader Question: My relocation brings a pay raise and more opportunities, but because it involves a cross-country move, I am expecting this news will be unsettling to my family. Any insights on how to proceed are appreciated? James W. Monty’s Answer: It is normal that your family may be unsettled by this news. They are all…
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Home bidding war is homeseller’s dream
Reader Question: I am going to list my home. I am hoping to start a home bidding war to maximize the number of offers I receive. I want my broker to stipulate that we will start accepting bids five days after the house goes on the market, in order to get multiple bids on my…
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Home seller questions agent ethics
Reader Question: This is an agent ethics question. An agent of a real estate firm gave us an estimated price they can get for our home, and we signed on with them on that basis. Now, another agent of the same firm brought a prospect through and told them our house is priced too high. Is…
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Nine downsizing tips for seniors
Reader Question: We are considering downsizing our home. We are in our mid-sixties and in good health, but something smaller and in a more moderate climate keeps making more sense. We have different ideas about the best methods to sort this all out. Do you have any advice that may simplify the process? John and…
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Is a home trade-in a good idea?
Reader Question: We are thinking of downsizing and found a home at an open house. The agent offered a home “ trade-in ” on our current house. They compared it to trading in the old car. What do you think of trade-in’s for houses? Andy and Marcia P. Monty’s Answer: “Trade-in,” “guaranteed home sale,” “home…
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Sell our home now? Or wait until summer?
Reader Question: We’ve decided to sell our home and buy in a different school district. I’d like to sell in March so I can pre-register my kids for school. Should we wait until summer, since more people will be looking? I’d hate to sell too early and not get as much for the house as…
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Can a rookie real estate agent be a good choice?
Reader Question: We are selling our home with an experienced agent. Several occurrences have us questioning the agent’s value; missed or late for appointments, pricing advice refuted by a professional appraiser and more. Our question is this, we have read and been told only to deal with an experienced agent; that we shouldn’t let rookie…
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Ten helpful listing contract tips
Reader Question: We are interviewing agents to sell our home but have not decided on one. We know real estate is more complicated than forty years ago. Do you have any advice regarding the listing contract itself? Tony W. Monty’s Answer: The listing agreement is a legal contract that lays out a roadmap of both…
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8 tips to find a good real estate attorney
Reader Question: How do we find a good real estate attorney? Rob and Mary P. Monty’s Answer: Here are 8 tips to find a good real estate attorney or other service provider through due diligence. Skill levels, personalities, specialty focus, workload, energy, expectations and more, impact personal service delivery models. Then, add in the human condition’s…
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Rent-back clause prevents financial disaster
Reader Question: The buyer backed out just days before closing which left me in a financial disaster. I made my income out of my home renting rooms. I had to give them notice to move prior to the closing date. Is there anything I can do? Meredith P. Monty’s Answer: Hello Meredith, and thanks for…
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7 prepping tips for home showings
Reader Question: We recently put our home on the market and our first showing is scheduled for tomorrow. We asked our agent what we should do to get ready and the response was, “Just make sure to tidy up a bit.” It seemed to us that there must be more to home showings. Is that…
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Home seller seeks move-out advice
Reader Question: We are expecting an offer on our home this week. It is our first time selling a home, but over the years we have heard a few horror stories about move-out day. Do you have any advice about how to prevent move-out day problems? Rick and Angie B. Monty’s Answer: This is the…
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Police calls are interfering with our home sale
Reader Question: We need some advice for our son who has been trying to sell his home in an older neighborhood for almost a year. The biggest problem is the neighbors. Since he has left, there seems to be a feud between them. On several occasions, the real estate agent has had a prospective buyer…
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How to pick a real estate agent to sell your home
Reader Question: We are going to sell our home. We know a number of real estate agents. 20 years ago we sold a home, and it was not a good experience. Do you have any tips about how to pick a good agent? Roger and Mary Ann D. Monty’s Answer: The right real estate…