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RE/MAX – a well-known name in real estate

When it comes to buying and selling property, one of the most recognizable names in the real estate industry is RE/MAX .Its red, white and blue RE/MAX hot air balloon logo is instantly recognized by people everywhere, a testament to RE/MAX’s reputation and marketing power. Who are RE/MAX? REMAX - The Real Estate Leaders Founded in Denver, Colorado  in 1973, RE/MAX  was the brainchild of two young real estate agents, Gail and Dave Liniger. Creating an acronym out of the words “

WHY USING THE WEB TO FIND YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT MAKES SENSE!

The Internet may be good for buying books or ordering pizza, but is it really the right tool to use when looking for a real estate agent?The answer to that question is an unequivocal yes! Even though many people still rely upon referrals from friends and family, more and more  are turning to the World Wide Web when seeking their ideal real estate agent. Why look for a real estate agent online? · It’s easy · It’s convenient · Allows you to explore a wide range of options Finding an

The Difference Between REALTORS®, Brokers and Real Estate Agents!

In the “Ghostbusters” song , Ray Parker Jr. sings, “If there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who ya gonna call?” and everyone immediately shouts: “GHOSTBUSTERS!” But when it comes to real estate, that same question becomes a whole lot harder to answer. Do you call a REALTOR® or a real estate agent? What about a broker? Aren’t they all the same anyway?They aren’t the same and a part of the problem is that most people don’t know the difference between the three and tend use the terms interchangeably. So what

The Truth Behind FOR-SALE-BY-OWNER

If you had any questions about going it alone then here's a reason to go with the professionalsColby Sambrotto’s story is an all too familiar one. Mr. Sambrotto decided to sell his two-bedroom New York condo but wanted to avoid paying a 6% commission fee to a REALTOR®. So he opted to go the for-sale-by-owner route, commonly known as FSBO (pronounced “fizz-bo”), and do it himself. However 6 months later, when his condo still hadn’t sold, Mr. Sambrotto did what 90% of all FSBO sellers  end up doing: he turned to a real estate professional

5 Things to look for when buying a house

There's plenty to consider when making the decision to buy!Ah…buying a house…it’s something almost all of us dream about doing one day. Something to call my own, my little bit of land – cue the cheesy music please and make way for the deer and the antelope too. But what’s this? The music has ground to a halt and Bambi’s been replaced by a large bald man waving a piece of paper at me that reads: CAVEAT EMPTOR or, for those of you whose Latin stops with Ave Maria, BUYER BEWARE. Because buying a house isn’t exactly easy and when looking at properties, there are a few things you should look out

Will I Pay HST When I Buy Real Estate?

What an absolutely TERRIFYING thought! Imagine you find that perfect house and better still you can actually afford it! At $300,000, it’s exactly the right price. But wait a minute – now there’s the HST, which means an additional 13%! So now your dream home suddenly costs $339,000 instead of $300,000! Can it be true? No, thank God! Although the HST does affect real estate to a certain extent, re-sale homes are exempt from it.Is All Real Estate Exempt From The HST?New construction homes however, are not. But once again, the Government is willing to give home buyers a break here

5 Reasons Why Home Sellers Choose Agents Over FSBO

Good reasons to use a real estate agentIt’s amazing how many people gush about FSBO or For Sale By Owner when it comes to talking about selling a home. Oh you’ll save so much money or why do you want to throw away 6% to an agent when you can do it yourself! These are the kinds of comments you hear but how many people have actually sold a home successfully using FSBO is what you should be asking yourself. The truth is, not many. While DIY may be a great way to fix that pesky screen door or repair a broken kitchen cabinet, it’s not the smartest way to go when selling a home. In fact, over 82%

5 Things Homebuyers Should Know About A Mortgage

You may think you know a lot about getting a mortgage but the truth is that you probably don’tI don’t mean to be insulting, but the fact of the matter is most of us don’t really understand how a mortgage works, which puts you in some very good company! And that’s why we’ve put together a list of 5 things we feel homebuyers should know when shopping around for a mortgage.1. Mortgage rates change dailyIt’s true – bet you didn’t know that and neither did 55% of prospective homebuyers! Mortgage rates are determined by a number of factors and may sometimes even change a number of times in a

Houses For Sale

Are FBSO (For Sale By Owner)  Companies As Good As They Say?Houses for SaleTORONTO, ON.,  I just read a fantastic article about a couple who had a house for sale and sold it via a FSBO (for sale by owner) service. Congratulations!For the rest of you, who might not have bought and sold 6 times in the past, it makes you ask the question: would you do your own heart surgery because you saw it on TV? Would you represent yourselves in a court of law when being sued over a bum contract? I’m thinking you will say no, and that’s exactly why it’s important to have a licensed professional help

Making The Most Out Of Houses For Sale

I want to sell my house and because I’m not brain-dead, I want to save as much money as possible. Makes sense, right? Of course it does, which is why I decided to look into the FSBO or For Sale By Owner model.05.23.2011 – Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, doesn’t it? However, what they don’t tell you is that it’s not as easy as they make it sound. For example, how up-to-date are you on the finer legal points regarding a property sale? If you’re going the For Sale By Owner route, you’d better bone up on those, because it’s you that’s responsible! Another thing they don’t mention is that in

Thinking For Sale By Owner: Think again!

05.03.2011– TORONTO, ON., May 03, 2011 – How many For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties are actually sold without real estate agents? Unfortunately the FSBO companies offering à la carte services, commission free models and flat rates don’t share this information.By creating the illusion that it’s much more cost effective to use For Sale By Owner models, are these companies really being truthful with consumers about what happens in the real estate industry? They offer cheaper rates to get your home listed on the MLS, provide you with “for sale” signs and offer some real estate related

Sundaybell: What Makes A Great Real Estate Agent?

The first answer I got to this question was: Communication!Many real estate agents don’t take the time to call back or listen properly to what their clients want. As for those real estate agents who are great communicators, who do return calls and stay in regular contact, their efforts inevitable pay off. The result is not only a signed contract but also gushing referrals to friends, family and colleagues! At the opposite end of the spectrum are the agents who never seem to be reachable or bother to get back to clients. I don’t need to tell you what the result there is! I Told My Real

Cost versus Value Report Could Help When Selling A Home

There’s a lot of advice out there concerning what you should do if you’re selling a home, from painting the exterior to rearranging furniture and God knows what else! But how do you really know if it’ll help you sell your house? Especially when it’s renovations we’re talking about, which aren’t exactly cheap.Well, you’re in luck! Remodeling Magazine publishes an annual report titled “Cost vs Value Report” that can help point you in the right direction. And the right direction for 2011 seems to be outside. 1) Concentrate On The Exterior If You’re Selling A Home! According to the report,

Why Should I Sign A Real Estate Buyer's Representation Agreement?

All it does is protect the interests of the real estate broker, right? After all, a buyer representation agreement will bind me to that brokerage firm and I’ll be stuck!Many of us have been seeing the recent ads recommending that consumers sign a buyer representation agreement with their real estate broker. It may look like a slick advertising campaign for real estate brokers but in actual fact, it’s protecting the consumer. Working With A Real Estate Broker Is A Two-Way Street Although it’s true that by signing the agreement you, as the consumer, must abide by its terms and work only

Negotiate Anonymously with Agents online at Sundaybell Before You Buy and Sell!

Finding the right real estate agent services, at the right price, may just have become a lot easier thanks to Sundaybell Inc., an innovative new company that introduces consumers to agents online using a profile based matching system.Why Sundaybell? Rather than having the pressure of face-to-face meetings and intimidating contracts to review, buyers and sellers can evaluate the services and commission structures local agents are willing to offer, correspond with them anonymously and decide what is right for them. “An educated customer can make better decisions. After all, it’s their money”,

What Makes A Great Real Estate Agent?

The first answer I got to this question was: communication! Many real estate agents don’t take the time to call back or listen properly to what their clients want. As for those real estate agents who are great communicators, who do return calls and stay in regular contact, their efforts inevitable pay off. The result is not only a signed contract but also gushing referrals to friends, family and colleagues! At the opposite end of the spectrum are the agents who never seem to be reachable or bother to get back to clients. I don’t need to tell you what the result there is!I Told My Real

Have The Rules Changed For Selling Your House?

The newly ratified agreement between the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and the Canadian Competition Bureau (CCB) has already started making waves in the real estate world! Only recently ratified by CREA members on October 24, the agreement allows consumers to choose which services they want when engaging a real estate agent, instead of being forced pay for a full service / full commission deal. If you’re considering selling your house, this could be very interesting indeed!The newly ratified agreement between the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and the Canadian Competition

Tips On How To Negotiate With Your Real Estate Agent

It may seem a daunting task but one well worth exploring: negotiate how much you’re willing to pay your real estate agent for services rendered.***Pause for ominous musical interlude*** Okay, here’s the scoop – it’s true: you can really do this! However, as we all know, there’s an art to negotiation and let’s face it, most of us aren’t Picasso. So, what do you do? You could potentially save thousands by negotiating down your real estate agent’s fees and saving money is always good, right? Well, as they say, where there’s a will there’s way, so let’s get down to brass tacks then. 1.

Real Estate: Do Open Houses Actually Work?

First of all, regarding the issue of holding open houses when selling a home, it’s important to understand that there are actually 2 types of open houses: one for real estate agents and brokers and another for the general public.Open Houses For Real Estate Agents A broker’s open house is when the listing real estate agent or broker introduces the property to other local agents and real estate brokers in the area. It’s like the ripple effect you get when you throw a stone into a pond – it’s about getting the word out to the local real estate community to come and take a look at a house,

Be Clear On What You Want When Selling Your Home

Everyone talks about common mistakes made by home buyers – especially first time home buyers – when buying property, but what if you’re selling a home? Are there any common mistakes that people make in this area? Indeed there are and they are more obvious than you might think!Lets take a look on what the industry says not to do. 1. Wrong Pricing When Selling A Home It sounds crazy but it’s true – many home sellers get their pricing completely wrong. Some price their property too high, while others go the opposite way and price their homes too low. It’s always advisable to do a

Selling A Home? Know What A Comparative Market Analysis Is?

The real estate business is littered with big and sometimes incomprehensible terms! For example, when selling a home, chances are that you’ll be advised to do CMA.A CM-what you say? In the world of real estate, a CMA is not a certified management accountant but a Comparative Market Analysis. A CMA is an analysis of your home in order to establish its market value. Or, in layman’s terms, it’ll tell you the approximate value of your property if you're thinking of selling. A comparative market analysis can range from a short document made up of a couple of pages listing comparable home

When Is The Best Time To Sell Your House?

What a great question! You see a lot of homes for sale but you have to wonder sometimes if the sellers have actually thought about when the best time to sell is. The problem is, there doesn’t seem to be an easy answer to this question – a lot of opinions, yes, but answers? Hmm…Look At Homes For Sale In Winter? Are You Kidding! A lot people seem to think that the two worst seasons to sell are spring and winter. Why? Well, when it comes to homes for sale, you’ll agree that one the main selling points is appearance, right? In winter, your house is simply not going to look as good as it does

Why Stage Your Home?

That’s a really valid question with a pretty simple answer. Let’s put it this way: you dress for success, don’t you? Well, shouldn’t you do the same for your home when you’re selling it? Because that’s essentially what home staging is: dressing up your home so that it goes from house for sale to house sold as quickly and profitably as possible.Staged Houses For Sale Sell Faster! Statistics show that houses for sale that are staged, sell faster and for more money than those that aren’t. Why is that, you ask? Because by staging a house, you’re transforming it into an object of desire! That’

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