1. The five-year rule risk for first time homebuyers

    Monty’s Answer: I’m sorry to hear this story, and I will publish your account. The five-year rule in real estate states that first-time homebuyers should generally live in a home for at least five years before selling the property. If they sell earlier, they risk losing all or part of their initial down payment. Your story […]

  2. An agent wants to show my FSBO home. Should I do this?

    Dear Monty: My house is for-sale-by-owner. I want to avoid the commission. I got a call from an agent who wants to show the house but wants to know if I will pay the buyer’s commission. For all I know, the customer may be someone I have already shown the place to. I have had […]

  3. What can I do to feel safe in my home?

    Dear Monty: I recently listed my home for sale. There have been several showings. Yesterday I had a showing that made me worry about safety. A couple came through with their agent. I thought it was unusual the way they looked at the house. While the agent asked me questions, they took it upon themselves […]

  4. Is a do-it-yourself major remodel a good idea?

    Reader Question: Is a do-it-yourself major remodel a good idea? We have outgrown our home as our children are growing up and need more room. We want to add about a twelve-hundred square foot addition and a full bath, plus update the kitchen and bathrooms with cabinets, plumber, and flooring. My husband worked construction in […]

  5. Do open houses help find a buyer?

    Reader Question: Do open houses help find a buyer? We recently put our home up for sale. The presentation was very professional, and we both liked the agent. The emphasis was on how much the real estate business has changed. She mentioned the difficulty of keeping up with technology. She explained how their company was […]

  6. We are curious about what motivates agents. A recent article you authored inspired us ask the question. What motivates real estate agents?

      Reader Question: A recent article you authored titled “What’s wrong with real estate” was insightful. The overview described conditions that contribute to the real estate sales environment. We will be selling our home soon and feel that expanding on the agents would help us understand real estate agent motives. Can you drill down to […]

  7. ‌We‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌know‌ ‌about‌ different‌ home ‌pricing‌ ‌strategies‌ ‌when‌ ‌selling‌ a home

    Reader‌ ‌Question:‌ ‌We‌ ‌want‌ ‌to‌ ‌know‌ ‌ ‌the different‌ home ‌pricing‌ ‌strategies‌ ‌when‌ ‌selling a home‌.‌ ‌We‌ ‌will‌ ‌be‌ ‌selling‌ ‌our‌ ‌home‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌spring.‌ ‌We‌ ‌have‌ ‌had‌ ‌an‌ ‌appraisal,‌ ‌two‌ ‌agent‌ ‌opinions,‌ ‌and‌ ‌done‌ ‌research ourselves.‌ ‌There‌ ‌is‌ ‌a‌ ‌range‌ ‌between‌ ‌the‌ ‌highest‌ ‌and‌ ‌the‌ ‌lowest‌ ‌estimate‌ ‌of‌ ‌40K.‌ We‌ ‌do‌ ‌not‌ ‌have‌ ‌a‌ […]

  8. Can Real Estate Agents Legally Go Door-to-Door?

      Reader Question: Can Real Estate Agents Legally Go Door-to-Door? Last night, about 7:30, a local real estate agent rang our doorbell to ask if we wanted to sell our house or knew anyone who wanted to sell. I was always under the impression that this sort of solicitation was considered inappropriate by real estate […]