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Home staging can turn a white elephant house into a hot property, but you have to recognize a few key concepts. One important mistake many home sellers make is forgetting that staging is not the same as interior decorating. When you stage to sell, you think of prospective buyers, not your own individual taste.

The challenge can be especially great when it comes to putting art on walls. Choosing art that you love to live with will be quite different from choosing art to sell a home.

Many home sellers just leave their own art work on the walls. If you have been living with the house awhile, you could be making a major mistake. Art that works for you personally probably won’t help sell the house.

Inappropriate or offensive – One stager who walked into a house and was confronted by a gigantic painting of the seller’s naked little boy, in ALL his glory. That’s a little extreme but prospective buyers can be sensitive.

Individualistic – Religious icons, Asian art or an African mask collection…Buyers have strong feelings either way. You may get lucky and find a buyer who loves your collection. But buyers often have trouble erasing these images from their subconscious minds.

Bland and Ho Hum – Beige on beige? Art that could be viewed in a local motel? Even a new frame might make a picture stand out a little.

Walking a fine line on art can be tricky. I spend a lot of time with my clients going over these items. They’re often surprised how much difference the art work makes.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Even if the real estate market is low, it’s not easy to look for the best deal. But that does not mean that you should stop looking for the best deals. Many established companies purchase houses to ensure that the owners make purchases at the right price. Apart from this, they can make the entire process of selling the house a lot simpler. In this article, we are going to look at a few tips that can help you look for cheap houses for sale. Read on to find out more.

1. Find Out How Long a House has been Listed

It is important to keep in mind that the house may have been listed once again after the expiry of the first MLS contract. What this means is that the protected property may have been on the market for quite some time. If a property has been on the market for several months, chances are there that the seller may accept a lower price.

2. Ask Around

You may ask around to find out if any neighbors are looking to sell their house. If you come to know that a neighbor is going to put their house on the market, you may contact them to work out a deal without involving any agent. So, it is better that you ask around as it will make it easier for you to get the right house.

3. Knock

You need to build your courage for this approach. All you need to do is knock on the door of the house that needs a lot of repairs. You may ask the owner of the house if they are interested in selling their property.

4. Look at Less Expensive Options

If you have a limited budget, and you want to live out of town, we suggest that you consider a mobile home. The good thing is that this type of home can be as good as your regular home. Plus, they can prove a great investment as they can offer as much rent money as a regular home.

5. Consider Fixer-Uppers

Generally, homes that are in need of repairs come with lower price tags. Therefore, if you are not afraid of dealing with contractors or DIY work, we suggest that you consider a fixer-upper. Therefore, you may want to overcome your fear and check out these options as well.

6. Check out Properties in Surrounding Cities

You can save thousands of dollars if you choose to buy a house that is located just 30 minutes outside the main city. Apart from this, you may consider areas where the prices of properties dropped due to the housing crash 12 years ago. You can get great bargains in some of these cities.

7. Look at Foreclosures

Some homeowners trash properties before leaving but not all of them tend to do so. Often, banks have a lot of foreclosed properties that they want to sell as soon as possible. The good thing is that you can buy these properties at a much lower price.

Long story short, these are just some of the tips that can help you find cheap houses for sale. Your search will become a lot easier if you follow these steps.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Most real estate agents are not marketing experts. They did not get into real estate on their way to a lucrative marketing career. In fact many agents don’t know anything about marketing and so they just do things as they have always been done. And the way it has always been done in real estate is with image advertising. This is not news. It is an obvious fact that can be found by simply looking around your own neighborhood and in your own mailbox.

One of the major aspects of image advertising employed by real estate agents is the large color photo of themselves. When I see these kinds of ads and signs, with the agent’s picture being the most prominent thing in them, I wonder why I should care what they look like. I know this will sound harsh to many of you that are currently using this kind of advertising, but I am not sure how my real estate agent being photogenic will help them sell my home. I consider myself to be an average consumer. And as such, for me to pick up the phone and call the phone number off of any advertising, I need to see the benefit to me. I don’t see any benefit to me in these ads.

So if image advertising is not the way to go, what is? Direct response advertising. With a direct response ad you give people a reason to pick up the phone and call you. You can compel people to dial into a call capture hotline with any number of benefits to them. The key is that you offer them something of value such as a coupon, a free report, or a free home evaluation. People are much more likely to call an agent that is offering them a free report on „10 Tips To Selling Your Home Fast“ than they are an agent that is only offering them a nice smile.

The other important thing that you can do in a direct response ad is set yourself apart from the competition. This kind of marketing is perfect for yellow pages ads. If you look at the ads that are usually running in the phone book, they all look the same. What is going to compel someone to choose you over all the other agents in there? If you use the standard image advertising approach, there is nothing there to get the consumer to pick up the phone and call you. However, if you have a direct response ad that immediately grabs their attention and tells the consumer what you are going to offer them (a FREE report for example) and how to get it (by calling your 24/7 toll free call capture hotline) you set yourself apart from all the other agents in the book.

Direct response advertising also has one more major advantage over image advertising. You can’t track image advertising. Image advertising has its place and that is in businesses that have the time and resources that are necessary to have people recognize their name or logo on sight. Real estate agents usually do not fall into that category. They are working with tighter budgets and shorter timelines. They need to know if the ads they are using are working now, what their return on investment is, and what ads need to be scrapped. This can all be accomplished with direct response advertising. Direct response advertising, when done correctly, has a call to action built in that when acted on, can be tracked using call capture technology. This allows real estate agents to really see what is working for them and what is not.

Most real estate agents are not marketing gurus. When they got their real estate license it did not come with a degree in marketing. So it is understandable that most agents just do things the way they have always been done when it comes to advertising. Unfortunately, that is image advertising. If you want to compel people to call you, stand out from your competition and be able to track your results from your advertising efforts, direct response marketing is the way to go.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Delaware, and the rest of the original British Colonies, has some land that is leased rather than owned by the residents of that land. Much of it is not evident to the casual observer.

The land on Lewes Beach is leased, not owned by the home owners. The land of Lewes Beach is owned by the Town of Lewes. The lands of Rehoboth by the Sea and Dewey Beach include leased land too. Most of the leases on that land will NOT be renewed but will return to the owners and the homes on top of that land will be removed by the home owners at their expense. Much of the land in Riverdale, on Indian River Bay, adjacent to Oak Orchard is leased as well. In Riverdale the leased land is owned by Chief Clark of the Nanticoke Indians.

We have about half the inhabitants of Sussex County living on leased land; most of that leased land is found in what people call mobile home parks or communities. However, in those communities there are seldom any homes that are truly mobile and there are even two story stick built homes on some of the leased lands in those communities. Condominiums and town houses are sometimes found on leased land as well. Some folks find all this rather difficult to understand.

We Realtors and Attorneys use the term fee simple to describe land that is being sold as real property; that is real estate. We used the term leased land or leasehold interest to describe land that is not transferring as real estate.

This rather lengthy text is regarding Leased Land, Real Estate, Private Property, Chattels, Mobile Homes, Homes on Leased Land and a legal dissertation to define, describe and determine the differences.

Terminology is important when discussing Real Estate, i.e. real property.

Black’s Law Dictionary is the recognized, definitive source for legal definitions under our American Law; which is derived from English Law

PROPERTY: In the strict legal sense, an aggregate of rights which are guaranteed and protected by government. BL6, p. 1216.

PERSONALTY: Personal property; movable property; chattels; property that is not attached to real estate. BL6, p. 1144

PROPERTY: (personal property) – In broad and general sense, everything that is the subject of ownership, not coming under the denomination of real estate. A right or interest less than a freehold in realty, or any right or interest which one has in things movable. BL6, p. 1217

Therefore personal property, is that which can be easily removed from the real estate, and is not real estate. Personal property includes crops, trees, shrubs, trailers, sheds, cars, mobile homes, manufactured homes that have a Department of Motor Vehicle title instead of a deed, and the contents of a home or building. In a home or business the personal property includes drapes, lighting fixtures, rugs (not installed carpeting) free-standing cabinets and cupboards, furniture, and all the contents of closets, drawers and buildings. Buildings without a foundation, that is sheds that are just supported by blocks are chattel property, that is personal property, and not part of the real estate. Such chattel includes dog houses and particularly the little storage buildings that are so common outside of homes today.

LANDS: In the most general sense, comprehends any ground, soil or earth whatsoever… Black’s Law dictionary 6th Ed. (BL6), p.877

PRIVATE PROPERTY: As protected from being taken for public uses, is such property as belongs absolutely to an individual, and of which he has the exclusive right of disposition. Property of a specific, fixed and tangible nature, capable of being in possession and transmitted to another, such as houses, lands, and chattels. BL6, p. 1217. Private property is land, houses, and chattels. Private property is protected from being taken for public uses. Private property is owned absolutely.

REAL ESTATE synonymous with real property“ and p.1218 REAL PROPERTY … A general term for lands, tenements, hereditaments (those things which are hereditary); which on the death of the owner intestate, passes to his heir.“ BL6, p1263

ESTATE: The degree, quantity, nature and extent of interest which a person has in REAL and PERSONAL property. An ESTATE in lands, tenements, and hereditaments signifies such interest as the tenant has therein. BL6, p.547 The definitions here all refer to: real estate = real property = estate = lands, tenements, and hereditaments. At first, one might think that ‘real property‘ is the proper term for ‚all lands‘. But it doesn’t state the manner of ownership as clearly as the definition of estate. We just had a huge instance of this when the thousands of leased land lots under the homes of several thousand people, in Angola, Pots Nets, and Long Neck areas owned by the Robert Tunnel family was inherited by the children.

IN OUR AREA THERE ARE NUMEROUS LEASED LAND PROPERTIES AND THOSE PROPERTIES ARE THE REAL ESTATE OF THE OWNER OF THE LAND – NOT THE OWNER OF THE HOME WHICH IS UPON THAT LAND. If you examine the definition for ESTATE it refers to an interest in the same articles defined in real property and real estate.

What is this LAND and WHO owns it and HOW is it owned? Land can be private property OR estate, i.e. real estate. Estate is an interest in “real property“ by a person or a tenant. Private property is owned absolutely by an individual.

INTEREST: More particularly it means a right to have the advantage of accruing from anything; any right in the nature of property, but less than title. – BL6, p.812. By this definition it’s clear that INTEREST cannot be TITLE, since it is less than title. Interest may be a property right to land, but it’s not a right to absolute ownership of land. Those who live on leased land, thus, have only an interest in the land; and that interest is a lease-hold interest. Is there a definition of property that says it’s land held in absolute ownership, as does private property’s definition? We can delve into this more.

ABSOLUTE TITLE – As applied to title to land, an exclusive title, or at least a title which excludes all others not compatible with it. An absolute title to land cannot exist at the same time in different persons or in different governments. BL6, p.1485

PRIVATE PROPERTY – … is such property as belongs absolutely to an individual, and of which he has the exclusive right of disposition. BL6, p.1217

OWN – To have a good legal title; to hold as property; to have a legal or rightful title to; to have; to possess. BL6, p. 1105. To „own“ is to have title. An interest is LESS THAN TITLE.

ESTATE: The degree, quantity, nature and extent of interest which a person has in real and personal property. An estate in lands, tenements, and hereditaments signifies such interest as the tenant has therein. – – BL6, p.547 From these definitions, it’s plain that we can’t absolutely „own“ real estate. We can only have a qualified ownership of qualified and described ownership of Real Estate. Thus, we need that Deed Description to describe it and qualify it. That ownership is also qualified by various government rights, decrees and laws, from antiquity, such as rights against trespass. That ownership is qualified by taxation, zoning, rights of way, and a myriad of other entailments. We need, therefore, a title search to determine those entailments, some of which are invisible.

Therefore there is NOT as much difference in the rights and privileges of ownership and interest as one is led to believe. I have no problem with those who live on leased land instead of owning the land. Usually they are paying far less than it would cost them to own the same property. However, they don’t often get any appreciation of the land; the landlord gets the appreciation in real value, while the resident can appreciate the lifestyle for less cost per month or year.

However, since an interest in leased land is not automatically transferable and is NOT Real Estate and since the chattel property upon it, the mobile home is personal property, without a deed but instead has a title – Realtors are not by law supposed to be involved in the sale of such – but we are. We are supposed to only be selling real property. It gets all cloudy and foggy doesn’t it. That is why there are people and companies who sell mobile homes on leased land who are not realtors and don’t need to be. In fact, although no one will discuss it, Realtors are not supposed to sell mobile homes on leased land. We don’t need to engage in that battle any more than I just did by describing it.

OWNERSHIP: The complete dominion, title, or proprietary, including right in a thing or claim… Ownership of property is either absolute or qualified. The ownership of property is absolute when a single person has dominion over it, and may use it or dispose of it according to his pleasure, subject only to general laws. The ownership is qualified when it is shared with one or more persons, when the time of enjoyment is deferred or limited, or when the use is restricted. – BL6, p. 1106 Such sharing is common with husband and wife, partners, families and corporations, etc.

DOMINION – Generally accepted definition of „dominion“ is perfect control in right of ownership. The word implies both title and possession and appears to require a complete retention of control over disposition. – – -BL6, p. 486 I think you’d agree that zoning, building codes, home owners association covenants, condominium documents of use and business licensing is a restriction on the use of land (if it’s Real Estate). And there is obviously the fact that failure to pay property taxes on real estate will result in loss of said property. That’s definitely not absolute ownership. But private property is defined as ABSOLUTE OWNERSHIP, not qualified (interest).

PROPERTY (tangible) – All property that is touchable and has real existence (physical) whether it is real or personal. – – BL6, p. 1218 In summation, it takes a good attorney, and one well versed and experienced in real estate to understand the complex definitions, rights, liabilities, and privileges of real estate ownership. I have been buying and selling real estate for myself and assisting others in the buying and selling of real estate for thirty years. I have taught courses on real estate and real estate law. And, I would NOT consider purchasing a property, or purchasing property on leased land without the professional and paid assistance of an attorney who is a real estate specialist in the exact county in which the property is located. Other attorneys from other areas are not valid choices at all.

Copyright © 2001 – 2005 by www.JodyHudson.com>

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

How to Make Money Online With Short Reports

Writing short reports and selling them for a low price is one of the most powerful ways of making money online fast. In this post we will see how to write a short report and set it on autopilot so that it makes money 24×7.

What to Write About?

Look around you. What inspires you the most? What are your passions, how do you spend most of your time, is it reading? fishing? cooking?

Are you an expert in anything? Do people ask you for suggestions about something? There are literally thousands of ways to find inspiration, if you want to!

A great way to write a report that sells is by concentrating on something that focuses on relieving pain or solving a problem, that kind of stuff.

But before you get all excited and start creating a report, just make sure that the topic you are going to write about is in demand. One way to do that is by using a keyword tool. There is a free keyword tool out there which is more than enough for this purpose. The tool is Google Keyword Planner. Using this tool you can easily estimate the number of people searching for a particular topic and keyword each month. If you want more professional insight and want to find highly profitable keyword ideas go for paid tools like LongTailPro or Market Samurai. LongTailPro is a professional keyword tool which gives you keyword ideas and its profitability scores. You can also use this tool for getting blog post ideas, research a profitable niche for your next site and much more.

How to Write the Report

You can easily create a report using free tools like OpenOffice suite or a paid one like Microsoft Office. Create a document in word format and then export it in PDF format when saving the document. That’s it. Your report is ready. Don’t forget to add pictures and media where necessary in your report.

How Many Pages?

When you are just beginning try to keep it short. Anything between 20-30 pages should do. Remember it’s about the quality, not quantity.

How to Price Your Report

For a 25-30 page report you can price anything between $5-10, considering you are an amateur and nobody in the industry knows your name. Once you become popular you can even charge $100 for a short report provided it is a high voltage content.

How to Sell Your Short Report

You can opt for a cheap web hosting account and register a domain name. Once you are done with that you can hire a designer to create a sales page for you (which is going to cost you heavily) or buy Optimizepress ($97 for 3 domains).

Optimizepress gives you flexibility and you can create as many landing pages and squeeze pages as you want. It is easy to design. Another option is Leadpages which costs $37/month.

Once your landing page is ready subscribe for e-junkie which costs you only $5/month for one item. It is a digital product delivery system which delivers your report to the customer’s email once the payment has been processed. Remember, e-junkie doesn’t process payments. For accepting payments use the PayPal business account which can be easily connected to e-junkie and which is free to get started. This is only a one time setup. Set it up and it will earn you money on autopilot. PayPal does take a commission for each transaction carried out, but it is definitely worth it.

Once you start making enough money with your first report you can make several similar type of reports in different niches. By this way you have got a decent online business for you which earns on autopilot and supplies you with a continuous stream of passive income.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Home staging is basically preparing a home in such a manner that it appeals to a maximum number of prospective buyers. It helps a seller in selling a home quickly. It also enables the seller to get a good price for his property. Therefore, it is an important aspect of sale which should not be taken lightly.

Tips for Home staging

1. De-clutter:

Most of us tend to keep on adding furniture and other items to our home over a period of time. More items in a home give it a cluttered appearance. De-cluttering improves the look of the house. A de-cluttered home gives a spacious appearance as well.

2. Grouping the furniture:

Sofas and chairs should be repositioned and other furniture pieces should be placed so that flow of traffic is not hindered. This helps in making the room user-friendly and give it a spacious look.

3. Lighting:

A well-lit home is warm and welcoming. So, ensure that your home has good lighting.

4. Make your home appear bigger:

In order to do this, some useful tips are, paint adjacent rooms in identical colours; if the dining room and kitchen are small, a seamless look will give it a spacious appearance. The illusion of large space can also be created by having drapes in the same colour as the room. This also gives an elegant and sophisticated look.

5. Neutral colours are more popular:

Painting a living room in neutral hues helps in enhancing the appeal of the house.

6. Using dark colour paints effectively:

Dark paints in bedrooms/ powder rooms or dining room give it a more cozy and intimate aura.

7. Present your art creatively:

Forget the cliché styles of displaying your art. Use your creativity to effectively display your curios and wall hangings. This will also go a long way in increasing the appeal of your home.

8. Add fresh foliage:

Decorating your home with fresh blooms and foliage adds to its appearance. You don’t have to pick the most expensive flowers or plants. Just fresh seasonal plants will do the trick. They add freshness to your home.

9.The bedroom should look serene:

For decorating, the bedroom luxurious linens and soft colours will help. These are known to have a positive effect in the minds of the buyer.

10. Improve the look of your bathrooms:

A simple step like polishing the tiles and replacing damaged fittings will suffice.

Though the list is not exhaustive, following these tips will definitely help you in presenting your home in such a condition that it is hard to resist. A well staged home fetches a better price for its owner.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

In fact, many people do not foresee the problems that may occur during the process, so if you are not an expert in Southern California Real Estate, then it is wise to seek professional help. But when it comes down to it, without accurate buyer feedback and full disclosure of all buyer activity, a seller cannot make the right decision and all this helps both parties agreeing on a closing date.

It is very important that you choose a qualified real estate agent that knows the market inside out, who has plenty of experience with residential homes in your area and one who will advertise your property in all the right places. There are many different ways in which to advertise the selling of your home and opting for a professional, who can greatly increase your home’s exposure to more buyers is worth checking out, not only that, but a good honest Southern California Real Estate brokerage firm can literally save you thousands of dollars by steering you in the right direction so you avoid the common pitfalls when purchasing a home.

A complete due-diligence on the property is not only needed to stop any deal-stoppers, but according to empireteam.com who are a team of certified professionals in selling and buying Southern California Real Estate, these problems can be avoided by taking a proactive approach to your real estate purchase or sale as it will satisfy any concerns you may have about the property before you make any offers. Many potential sellers and buyers have wished they sought the services of an expert before they found themselves dumped, conned, misled, ill advised, uninformed and often unprepared. They realize, often too late, that selling or buying a home should be properly advertised, investigated, evaluated and negotiated.

Many people, when purchasing or selling Southern California Real Estate, are unfamiliar with the laws and practices. Simply by using a team of certified professionals such as certified public accountants, real estate attorneys, mortgage bankers, escrow services, home and pest control inspectors and many other service providers as business partners who have the all important knowledge about the community and like the Empire Team, they too have a hands on feel for the history of the area.

There is more to marketing a property efficiently than meets the eye, while the Internet is a good tool to assist in the purchasing or the selling of a property, it’s not enough just watching virtual tours, one must go and see the real thing too. Having a potential buyer actually standing in your home is more appealing because they can experience an emotional connection and will normally make up their mind to buy there and then.

When preparing to sell a home, the first thing many homebuyers do is look at „homes for sale“ in the area and in the location they wish to move into. However, before you approach a real estate professional, think of the all-important first impression and the first item seen by every potential buyer that arrives at your home, is your front door. Spending some extra time on the front of the property, like tidying up the garden can really make a huge difference in how long it takes a house to sell.

Try to look at your house through the purchasers‘ eyes, you’ll be amazed at how many poorly shown homes that could benefit just by sprucing up the front and the backyard, get sold more quickly than those that are left as they are. Fortunately, it doesn’t cost much money to clean up a home and make it look good and enticing as it can make a huge difference in the curb appeal of your house … minus the cobwebs of course!

Also, you have to work to make your property as attractive as possible, so making sure its entrance and the rest is sparkling plus allowing, as much light into the rooms as possible and fixing any broken windows is definitely a bonus. Getting rid of any extra clutter is another useful tip, your rooms look so much better to a prospective buyer and it is widely known that buyers react most strongly to kitchens, bathrooms and closets, so it pays to concentrate your efforts in these places and doing away with the „detrimental clutter look“ and therefore it will be easy to show and sell.

For more information or to get in touch with The Empire Team please phone or visit The Empire Team website:

Contact: Robert Huntsinger

Phone: 1- 909 579 6611

Fax: 1-909 579 6610

Email: info@empireteam.com

URL: http://www.empireteam.com

Address: 2274 N. Albright Ave, Upland, CA 91784

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

In the investment world, not many know about the penny stock markets. Those who are using it now and understand the system know that there is a lot of opportunity in the penny market. The people that know a lot about it, also except the risks involved. In the penny stock market you can buy large sums of stocks, and many cost a fraction of a penny! With the right move, you can come out making hundreds, and thousands of dollars in profit.

The MARL system lets you know what penny stocks are going to rise in price. It will give you all the information you need in order to sell it. There are investors out there who believe that MARL stock trading robot is a great piece of technology, and there are others who think its just a down right scam, and waste of time and money.

The MARL robot is a good program, and averages its stock choices at a return of 125%. The robot is a „must have“ in a market that is very elastic. What I mean by elastic is many of the stocks can all sudden be at a steady pace, and then all the sudden boost itself to 20x what it was, then return back to normal in a short amount of time.

Now if you knew when these things were going to have their moments of flight, you could end up making a lot of money from these profits. The main thing that makes these things so changeable are the promotions of the stock. There are a few programs out there that actually work, and have great reputation for there follow through in the penny stock market.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

Financing equipment in all markets is always a slightly moving target. Hard credit rules are constantly changing because underwriters and credit teams are pressured to make the right decision; their jobs depend on it. The squeeze on one end for lenders is to minimize bad debt by avoiding financing clients which end up in default. On the other end, lenders and investors need to make a profit and federal regulations require they approve a certain number of loans. The scenario is frustrating for both the customer and finance agent but we can confirm that investors are still lending and approvals are much higher than last year.

What are some common approval guidelines?

Complete financial disclosure is best for getting a quick decision. Knowing what your credit, assets, liabilities look like and how your company is performing will provide the underwriter a complete picture thus allowing them to offer the best terms possible. Hiding bad debt almost always comes out and simply delays or terminates the evaluation process so put all your cards on the table. Explain specific losses or why certain bills went unpaid.

Check your own credit score or Dun & Bradstreet report; if something negative pops up then work to correct or repair it before you fill out an application; there are many agencies which help correct or fix credit quickly. Rectify the issue and have proof that it has been cleared; this step will show the underwriter that your credit is being managed properly.

If you’re a smaller business, be prepared to PG (personally guarantee) your finance. It’s a blanket guarantee with your assets as a pledge that you will make your payments. If you don’t, then like any creditor, they will leverage or take your assets to repay the debt. Years ago, small businesses were not regularly asked to PG but now, they are. Lenders feel if you don’t „believe“ in your business and prepared to stand behind it, then why should they. Side note; often high net worth individuals with poor cash flow feel they should get approved based on how much they are worth. This is often not the case, lenders are not in the business of filing lawsuits and chasing after assets for repayment which often results in a loss to them anyways. They want to lend to businesses which have a high probably of paying them back through their normal business operations.

Finally, write a brief summary of yourself, your business and why the finance request will benefit your company. Whether you are the vendor or the borrower, putting a human touch to the finance application goes a lot further than many people realize. Describe length of time in business, who the owners are with brief background, what products you sell and areas or markets you serve and describe the opportunities. It’s how you would describe the business in a two minute introduction to a stranger.

This market requires awareness and flexibility on both sides of the transaction; it’s not what lending was five years ago but in the long run it will be much better for all of us. Remember, you’re asking to borrow money from a stranger who has to be comfortable with your ability and willingness to pay them back.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg

If you do NOT read this report you will almost certainly lose thousands of dollars when you sell your home…

Home sellers don’t know how to spot a good real estate agent

This is understandable when you consider that you will only buy and sell one or two properties in your lifetime. Your home is probably your biggest asset. So, be careful whom you choose to sell it; one slip-up from an agent will wipe thousands off your selling price.

Ask the right questions

Many home sellers ask the WRONG questions when they interview an agent. They ask questions such as „How much do you charge?“ or „What’s my house worth?“. While these questions are important, they should only be asked after the agent has told you what they’ll do for you and how they’ll get you the best price.

This report is your guide to hiring a real estate agent. I’m going to show you how to spot and select the best agent to sell your home. After all, I believe there’s no one better to sell your home than a highly skilled agent. The problem is that highly skilled agents are hard to find.

WARNING! Don’t settle for second best. Too many sellers make the mistake of picking the ‚best of a bad bunch‘. You could be better off without an agent

Check out your agent

It’s a sad fact, but many people don’t check-out their agent until after they have signed with them – by then it’s too late. After you sign you’re stuck; you could be locked into a ‚minimum 90 day‘ contract.

The questions and information in this report will give you the knowledge you need to keep the power when you’re selling a house. After you sign you lose your power.

Agents love to say they are all different but basic research will prove most are the same. It’s the ‚cookie cutter‘ approach when it comes to selling your home – every property is sold the same way.

What to look for when choosing an agent

In 2006 Neil Jenman (my Dad) was asked to provide a list of questions, comments, and hints to help home sellers choose an agent for a TV show he was hosting. He called his list of questions and comments, GUIDE TO GRILLING AGENTS. Over the last few years I have given the guide to many home sellers. This report contains many of the questions and comments in his original guide.

What does a good agent look like?

Most agents will be well dressed, on time, and prepared. But the best real estate agents will be the ones who put your interests first. They will offer solutions that suit you first, not them.

Agents who ask for money to advertise your home should rarely be hired. After all, if advertising was the only reason your home sold why do you need a real estate agent?

Questions are the answer

Sometimes the answer to one good question will give you the confidence you need to hire the best agent to sell your home. Good questions do the hard work for you. Before you jump in and start grilling real estate agents, take a step back.

Put your home buyer shoes on. And start with a mystery shop…

MYSTERY SHOP

Department stores do it, so why shouldn’t you? Use the ‚process of elimination‘ to weed out the poor agents. Why bother interviewing a real estate agent who doesn’t bother to return buyer’s calls? Start with an email. Approximately half of all buyer enquiry arrives via email.

If you send out 10 emails to 10 local real estate agents, I can almost guarantee that you will not receive 10 replies. If only 5 reply, then you have just saved yourself having to interview 5 agents. Include your phone number in your email. Do they call you back? Or do they just email a standard response? An agent who follows up with a call has a much better chance of ‚closing a sale‘ than an agent who sends a standard reply.

QUESTIONS ARE YOUR BEST WEAPON

If you don’t ‚test‘ your real estate agent before you hire them – one thing is for sure – the buyers for your home will do it for you.

What follows are questions that have proven to be a huge help to sellers.

REMEMBER: You are the owner of the property. You are considering employing an agent to sell your property. You are the boss. You have the power BEFORE you sign up. Make sure you keep that power at all times. Control the agents, do not let the agents control you.

Your home’s selling price is determined by your agent’s ability to negotiate

• HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE BEST PRICE FOR MY HOME?

When you ask this question many agents will start throwing around the word negotiation. You want to be certain that they are capable of negotiating a high price for your house, ask them to teach you something about negotiation.

Question their ability to negotiate.

Ask them what they know about negotiation. It’s a big point that most home sellers miss because they focus on what the agent says rather than on what they do.

Here’s one of my favorite questions to ask a real estate agent:

• WHEN/IF YOU BRING ME AN OFFER, HOW CAN I BE CERTAIN THAT IT’S THE ABSOLUTE BEST PRICE THAT THE BUYER CAN PAY?

Many real estate agents will have difficulty answering this question. It’s a question that’s rarely asked of agents. Ask it. The answer will tell you a lot about an agent.

Some more questions you can ask are:

• Are you a good negotiator?

• Can you tell me some of the main points you know about negotiation?

• Can you give me some examples of the results of your negotiating ability?

The Biggest Liar Gets the Job

When hiring a real estate agent, the biggest liar (the agent who quotes you the highest price) often gets the job. It’s an old (and very true) real estate saying.

Unfortunately many home sellers hire liars. This happens because people who hear what they want to hear don’t perceive the information as being a lie.

One of the best questions you can ask is:

• WHAT WILL YOU DO TO GET THE BEST PRICE FOR MY HOME?

Once you are satisfied with the answer then ask:

• WHAT PRICE DO YOU THINK YOU CAN SELL MY PROPERTY FOR?

Most agents will try hard to hedge around this question. They may be vague and say such things as „It depends on the market,“ or they may use the common ploy of answering a question with a question, such as, „How much do you want?“

Sellers should stand firm and press the agent on this point by making such comments as:

You are the agent, you sell lots of properties in this area, surely you know how much you can sell my property for – even if you have to give me a range. After all, you are the expert, aren’t you?

Once the agent has given a [verbal] quote, ask the following:

1. Will you give me that quote in writing?

2. Do you usually sell properties for the price that you quote the sellers?

Regardless of the answers, don’t dwell too long on any point at this stage. Just keep the questions rolling…

It’s not what you pay an agent, but what they cost you, that counts.

• How much commission do you charge?

Most agents will talk about ’standard rates‘ or they will say that the rate is recommended by the Real Estate Institute – this is to soften the shock. Sellers should make comments such as:

Is your fee negotiable?

Have you ever reduced your fee for anyone?

If you should ask me to accept a lower price than the price you have quoted me, will you also accept a lower fee?

NOTE: Be wary of agents who cut their commission to get your business.

These agents are often poor performers who rely on discounts to get you to sign with them.

• What is it about you and your agency that makes you better than other agents?

This is a great question. The agents all want to say that they are „the best“ but they will struggle to define what is meant by „best“. Of course, „best“ to a seller means the highest price with the lowest risk and the lowest cost.

The Issue of Advertising

With almost every agent, advertising will be a big point. Be careful, this is the most common way in which thousands of home-owners lose thousands of dollars without selling their homes!

The Golden Rule when selling a home: Never pay any money for any reason to any agent until your home is sold and you are satisfied.

The Silver Rule is this: Don’t sign anything that requires you to pay any money [in the future] for any reason if your home is NOT sold.

Some agents will say „you don’t have to pay for advertising until your house has sold“ but what they fail to mention (or make clear) is that if your home fails to sell you will still have to pay.

Here are some comments and questions that can be made to an agent which show the absurdity of the advertising policies in most real estate offices.

• Why do you expect me to pay for the advertising to find a buyer? Surely the commission should include advertising?

• Why should I pay twice – once for advertising and once for commission?

• If you put ads in the newspapers [and charge sellers for those ads] and the buyers are going to come via you, what are you doing that sellers can’t do for themselves?

• If you advertise my home and I pay for the ads and you get calls from buyers and those buyers buy a home other than mine, do you give me any money back? If not, why not?

• If I pay you [thousands of] dollars for advertising and you do not sell my property, what happens to the money I paid?

• I notice that your advertising has your name and the name of the agency prominently featured. Surely I don’t have to pay the cost of advertising you and your agency?

• Based on the length of time you have been in business and the number of people who contact your office, don’t you already have a list of buyers on your books?

• I am not going to be paying any money to any agent for any reason until my home is sold. Once my home is sold within the price range that you quoted me, I will be delighted to pay you a GENEROUS commission as a reward.

This is my firm policy as a seller. Do you accept my policy?

Random comments and questions… [or other ways to make the same major points] might include…

• I want an agent who will get me the highest price at the lowest cost with the lowest hassle and, of course, without any risk of loss if there is no sale. Are you comfortable with being able to meet these simple requests of mine?

• How many properties do you sell? (Let them ask you if you mean weekly, monthly or annually, to which you reply that the time frame doesn’t matter. You just want to know that they are capable of getting results).

• What provisions do you take to ensure the security and safety of my home when it is being shown to prospective buyers?

• If I find a buyer – such as a close friend or relative – will you want me to pay you any commission?

• Have you ever had any unhappy clients?

• What were they unhappy about?

• If I employ you and I am not happy with your performance, I want to be able to dismiss you without any penalty to me. Is this okay by you?

• The agent I choose will be given an initial time period of 30 days on the selling agreement between us. If my property is not sold in 30 days and if I’m happy with the performance of the agent, I will be happy to extend the term of the agent’s appointment. Is this okay by you?

SELLERS‘ TERMS & CONDITIONS

Get the agent to agree to your terms BEFORE you agree to the agent’s terms.

Finally, the biggest and most important point of all for home sellers – DO NOT SIGN the document that the real estate agent asks you to sign – at least NOT on the agent’s first visit.

Ask the agent the following questions:

• If I decide to employ your agency to handle the sale of my home, what document will you be asking me to sign?

• Can I have a copy of that document so that I can get some independent advice about it?

• The following is the start of your final words to the agent at the end of the agent’s first visit…

As I am the owner of the home and as I will be employing an agent, I will be preparing a list of my own terms and conditions under which I employ an agent. I will be asking the agent to sign my terms and conditions before I sign any terms and conditions prepared by the agent. Further, if any of my terms conflict with the agent’s terms, then, of course, my terms will take precedence.

• Are you okay with me, as the owner of the home, telling you, the agent, what I require you to do?

Thank the agent for coming and tell the agent that you will be in touch should you require the services of his/her agency. Stand up, shake hands, walk towards the exit or front gate. Wave goodbye.

Smile, you have done well. You are in control.

Immobilienmakler Heidelberg

Makler Heidelberg