Highlights
Selling a house, condo or other real estate ¿ the largest and most complex transaction most Americans will ever make -- remains a huge part of the economy. In 2007, a dismal time for the business, about 6.3 million housing transactions occurred in the United States, according to the Realtor's trade group. But the market has taken a serious body blow in recent years. The National Association of Realtors predicted the sales of existing homes in 2007 would be 10.8 percent below 2006. Sales of new homes were expected to be at the lowest level in a decade. The Internet has made it much easier for a layperson to advertise their property and locate potential buyers. As a result, while about 90 per...
Selling a house, condo or other real estate ¿ the largest and most complex transaction most Americans will ever make -- remains a huge part of the economy. In 2007, a dismal time for the business, about 6.3 million housing transactions occurred in the United States, according to the Realtor's trade group. But the market has taken a serious body blow in recent years. The National Association of Realtors predicted the sales of existing homes in 2007 would be 10.8 percent below 2006. Sales of new homes were expected to be at the lowest level in a decade. The Internet has made it much easier for a layperson to advertise their property and locate potential buyers. As a result, while about 90 percent of transactions involve a real estate agent, the rest were simply buyers and sellers hooking up independently. By-owner sales are popular among many people, in part because it saves on commissions.
But even more people favor using a real estate agent who has the expertise and time to negotiate the complex processes. It may be obvious that no sale in your life will ever be as crucial, but the good news is that it does not have to be as intimidating as you think. The single best piece of advice is not to let the big numbers and the jargon unnerve you. Simple, easy-to-understand step-by-step advice and instructions are available in literally hundreds of books in the library, on-line articles and websites (enter the words "real estate tips" and "selling" or "buying" in any search engine). Most give the exact same information although each may have a bit of a bias such as favoring by-owner or using a Realtor. Other significant advice: have patience; this can often be a long process and time usually is on your side. Trust your instincts; if a deal seems too good to be true, there's often a reason. Believe in options; just like buying a used car, there is always another buyer out there, although you may have to wait for them to appear. Selling a home is essentially a lengthy parade of complex decisions, starting with whether this is the right time to be making a transaction. But the websites and books lay out the specific criteria you can use to make an informed judgment call rather than just making a blind guess. For sellers, the process has several basic steps: finding a real estate agent, setting the price by investigating the market around you, repairing and primping the home to make it more attractive to buyers, effectively advertising your house, negotiating the sale, and closing the sale.
But even more people favor using a real estate agent who has the expertise and time to negotiate the complex processes. It may be obvious that no sale in your life will ever be as crucial, but the good news is that it does not have to be as intimidating as you think. The single best piece of advice is not to let the big numbers and the jargon unnerve you. Simple, easy-to-understand step-by-step advice and instructions are available in literally hundreds of books in the library, on-line articles and websites (enter the words "real estate tips" and "selling" or "buying" in any search engine). Most give the exact same information although each may have a bit of a bias such as favoring by-owner or using a Realtor. Other significant advice: have patience; this can often be a long process and time usually is on your side. Trust your instincts; if a deal seems too good to be true, there's often a reason. Believe in options; just like buying a used car, there is always another buyer out there, although you may have to wait for them to appear. Selling a home is essentially a lengthy parade of complex decisions, starting with whether this is the right time to be making a transaction. But the websites and books lay out the specific criteria you can use to make an informed judgment call rather than just making a blind guess. For sellers, the process has several basic steps: finding a real estate agent, setting the price by investigating the market around you, repairing and primping the home to make it more attractive to buyers, effectively advertising your house, negotiating the sale, and closing the sale.
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Six charged in real estate fraud scheme
Six people, including a Laguna Beach woman and men from Huntington Beach and Irvine, have been charged by federal prosecutors with participating in a fraudulent real estate scheme. The defendants are accused of selling bank-owned properties for as much...Tags: Rentals, Defendants, Justice System, Crime, Law and Justice, Court Preliminary
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Senat, 81, founded nonprofit society
Martin Senat, the president of the Preservation Society of Huntington Dog Beach, has died. He was 81.
Senat, who had been in declining health, died Sunday of unspecified causes, according to Amy Tucker, the chief financial officer for the preservation...Tags: Huntington Beach, Dog (animal), Real Estate Buyers
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Home tweet home
Your real estate agent wants to be your friend. Not your bowling or bridge partner, or a confidante to phone after a particularly tough day, but your social media buddy, a person who will keep you up-to-speed with newsy updates and insider information...Tags: Email, Services and Shopping, LinkedIn Corp., Starbucks Corp., Media Industry
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Sears refashions some stores in push to connect with customers, bolster sagging sales
It took a trio of famous sisters — Kim, Khloe, and Kourtney Kardashian — and their namesake jeans to draw Sajde Kerimi back into Sears.
The 29-year-old mother of two usually heads to Nordstrom Rack and H&M to shop, but on a recent weekend...Tags: Economy, Business and Finance, Marketing, Companies and Corporations, Chicago Tribune, Media Industry
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Robert Blagojevich: Prosecutors were 'playing chicken with my life'
Tribune reporterAs U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald retires to accolades and well wishes, Robert Blagojevich said today that he’s still fighting to regain his reputation since federal prosecutors dropped charges against him in their sweeping corruption case...Tags: Lawyers, Justice System, Government, Crime, Law and Justice, Patrick Fitzgerald
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Negative equity remains a drag on housing market
Even as a tentative housing recovery in the Southland appears underway, a big stumbling block remains: the vast number of underwater homeowners.
Nearly 1 in 3 homeowners with a mortgage in Los Angeles County owes more on the loan than the property is...Tags: Mortgages, Services and Shopping, Homes, Consumer Confidence, Real Estate
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Oprah puts one of her Chicago condos on market for $2.8M
Special to the TribuneMedia giant and former talk-show host Oprah Winfrey placed her eight-room, 4,607-square-foot Streeterville co-op unit on the market on Tuesday for $2.8 million, half of what she paid for the unit in 2006. The three-bedroom unit never was Winfrey's...Tags: Rentals, Talk Shows (genre), Streeterville, Condos, Oprah Winfrey
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Dania axes airport runway settlement
City commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday to ax the airport runway settlement with Broward County, renewing the city's nearly 20-year fight over airport expansion. Last year's unique settlement went down the drain when the Federal Aviation...
Tags: Dania Beach, Broward County, Federal Aviation Administration, Homes, Air Transportation Industry
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Burbank home sales still falling
The number of single-family houses on the market in Burbank remained sparse last month, but the number of condominiums for sale held steady, according to the latest real estate figures. There were 128 single family homes on the market last month, down...Tags: Services and Shopping, Auto Trends, Condos, Homes, Realty
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April home prices increase in Broward, Palm Beach counties
Sun SentinelSouth Florida home prices rose in April as the recovering market continues to strengthen. Broward's median price for existing homes in April was $205,000, up 15 percent from $178,000 a year ago, according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors. Sales of...Tags: Palm Beach County, Services and Shopping, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach (Palm Beach, Florida), Homes
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Mishawaka council votes to add land
South Bend Tribune ReportMISHAWAKA -- The Mishawaka Common Council voted 8-0 Monday to approve the annexation of 250 acres northeast of Fir and Douglas roads. That area, bissected by Juday Creek and close to the Juday Creek Golf Course, is farmland that owners Larry and Becky...Tags: Services and Shopping, Homes, Real Estate
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Business People - May 20
Hub Scrap Metals LLC Gregory A. Dahbura, president of Hub Scrap Metals LLC, has been honored as a “20 In Their Twenties” winner for 2012, it was announced April 13 by The Daily Record in Baltimore. The 20 in Their Twenties award honors 20 of...Tags: Economy, Business and Finance, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Science and Technology, Companies and Corporations, University of Maryland, College Park
Apr 25, 2012
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Jul 28, 2010
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May 25, 2012
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May 25, 2012
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May 24, 2012
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May 23, 2012
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May 23, 2012
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May 22, 2012
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May 22, 2012
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May 21, 2012
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May 20, 2012
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