Q: Why won't my house sell?
A: There may be several reasons why, but let's consider what has to happen for a house to sell. Selling a house is like putting the pieces of a puzzle in place. All pieces have to fit correctly.
First of all, the house has to be attractive and appealing to buyers. If it's not, forget it.
The biggest mistake many sellers make is pricing their house too high. A buyer who might be interested in the house may skip making an offer on it or may make a low offer. Maybe buyer and seller can meet in the middle. After negotiating back and forth, if there's still no deal, nothing is accomplished.
Even when buyer and seller agree on price, if the buyer is getting a mortgage loan the lender will order an appraisal. If the appraisal comes in lower than the agreed upon price, the seller may have to lower the price to make the deal work.
The mortgage lender will determine the buyer's ability to repay the loan, or whether it's too great a risk to let that buyer have the money. In most cases the loan application must receive final approval by an underwriter, or there's no deal.
So, the seller, the buyer, the appraiser, the loan originator and the underwriter must agree before the seller is able to sell the house. A Realtor tries to get everyone on the same page and make it happen.
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Does it matter who you list your house with?
Q: Does it matter who you
list your house with?
A: It can make a difference to the Seller at the time of sale. (The buyer doesn’t care who it’s listed with.) In the following examples, assume that the house sells for the full price of $150,000.
A: It can make a difference to the Seller at the time of sale. (The buyer doesn’t care who it’s listed with.) In the following examples, assume that the house sells for the full price of $150,000.
1.
Seller lists house with Company ABC at a price of $150,000 with a sales
commission of 6% of the selling price. Seller
sells house. Pays a commission of
$9,000. Seller saves $00.00.
2. Seller lists house with Michael
Dixon Realty, same price, same commission. Seller sells house. Buyer comes through Michael Dixon Realty, not
a second company. Commission reduced to
4%. Seller saves $3,000.
3. Seller is a member of the Chamber
of Commerce. Lists house with Michael
Dixon Realty, same price, same commission. Buyer comes through Michael Dixon Realty. Commission reduced to 3%. Seller saves $4,500.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Would you, the seller, split the commission with me?
If you list your house for sale with me, when it sells would you split the commission with me?
No, that's not a trick question. Let's say you list your house with me, and you offer to pay a 6 percent commission. But, let's say, I come up with the buyer myself, and don't need to split the commission 50-50 with another company. What if I split it with you instead? I'll take 3 percent of the selling price, and let you keep the other 3 percent.
You would get full service. No corners cut. I would bring 18 years of experience in the local real estate market to you as my client. Would you be interested in saving half of the commission?
Here are some other advantages you'll get from Michael Dixon Realty:
Your house will get its own unique page on the Internet. It will stand alone with no competition from other properties on that page.
Your house will be covered by a home warranty* for your buyer's first year of ownership -- a buyer's incentive, free from me.
Your house will have a virtual tour on one of my real estate websites and photos on all of my websites as well as the Multiple Listing Service.
Your house will be featured on all 4 of my websites and syndicated to 40 Internet search sites such as Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com.
These are everyday advantages of a Michael Dixon Realty listing in addition to the possibility of paying a lower commission. My low operating costs make it possible for me to share the savings with my clients.
What about that asterisk (*) above? I provide a one-year home warranty for a property that sells for $85,000 or more. If a buyer prefers a Lowe's gift card valued at $400, I will happily give the buyer that choice. It's my way of saying, "Thank you for doing business with me."
There's a reason why my company's slogan is: "This Is Real Estate Today."
No, that's not a trick question. Let's say you list your house with me, and you offer to pay a 6 percent commission. But, let's say, I come up with the buyer myself, and don't need to split the commission 50-50 with another company. What if I split it with you instead? I'll take 3 percent of the selling price, and let you keep the other 3 percent.
You would get full service. No corners cut. I would bring 18 years of experience in the local real estate market to you as my client. Would you be interested in saving half of the commission?
Here are some other advantages you'll get from Michael Dixon Realty:
Your house will get its own unique page on the Internet. It will stand alone with no competition from other properties on that page.
Your house will be covered by a home warranty* for your buyer's first year of ownership -- a buyer's incentive, free from me.
Your house will have a virtual tour on one of my real estate websites and photos on all of my websites as well as the Multiple Listing Service.
Your house will be featured on all 4 of my websites and syndicated to 40 Internet search sites such as Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com.
These are everyday advantages of a Michael Dixon Realty listing in addition to the possibility of paying a lower commission. My low operating costs make it possible for me to share the savings with my clients.
What about that asterisk (*) above? I provide a one-year home warranty for a property that sells for $85,000 or more. If a buyer prefers a Lowe's gift card valued at $400, I will happily give the buyer that choice. It's my way of saying, "Thank you for doing business with me."
There's a reason why my company's slogan is: "This Is Real Estate Today."
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Which is the biggest real estate company in Americus, Ga.?
Which is the largest real estate company in Americus, Ga.? Well, it's not Michael Dixon Realty -- unless you consider this:
While my company is not the largest in terms of the number of agents, secretaries, franchise fees, mortgage or rent payments, insurance, property taxes, building and grounds maintenance, equipment and supplies, or any of those operating costs, mine is the largest in one very important way: Internet exposure.
When you list your property with Michael Dixon Realty, it is posted out there on the world wide web in more places than other companies provide, thus giving it maximum exposure in the very place that the majority of people look first to find real estate -- the Internet.
A listing with Michael Dixon Realty is placed on his three real estate websites, and is syndicated to more than 40 real estate search sites on the Internet. Anyone, anywhere in the world with a computer, looking for real estate in Americus, Ellaville, Sumter or Schley or surrounding counties is able to find your listing quickly and easily.
Like the other companies, Michael Dixon Realty puts your listing in our Americus Area Multiple Listing Service (MLS). From there it is automatically picked up by Realtor.com, the huge search site of the National Association of Realtors. Eventually, it may show up on Yahoo, Zillow, Trulia, and other major search sites. When Michael lists your property he immediately syndicates it to 40+ real estate search sites on the Internet.
No, I don't have the largest company, the highest operating costs, or the highest commissions in town, but I offer the same full service.
Not only that, but as a way of saying "thank you" to buyers who work with me, I give them a home warranty on their house that costs $85,000 or more. Or, if they prefer, a Lowe's gift card valued at $400. I appreciate my customers.
Are you thinking of buying or selling real estate? Before you sign anything, give Michael a call. 229-924-3089
While my company is not the largest in terms of the number of agents, secretaries, franchise fees, mortgage or rent payments, insurance, property taxes, building and grounds maintenance, equipment and supplies, or any of those operating costs, mine is the largest in one very important way: Internet exposure.
When you list your property with Michael Dixon Realty, it is posted out there on the world wide web in more places than other companies provide, thus giving it maximum exposure in the very place that the majority of people look first to find real estate -- the Internet.
A listing with Michael Dixon Realty is placed on his three real estate websites, and is syndicated to more than 40 real estate search sites on the Internet. Anyone, anywhere in the world with a computer, looking for real estate in Americus, Ellaville, Sumter or Schley or surrounding counties is able to find your listing quickly and easily.
Like the other companies, Michael Dixon Realty puts your listing in our Americus Area Multiple Listing Service (MLS). From there it is automatically picked up by Realtor.com, the huge search site of the National Association of Realtors. Eventually, it may show up on Yahoo, Zillow, Trulia, and other major search sites. When Michael lists your property he immediately syndicates it to 40+ real estate search sites on the Internet.
No, I don't have the largest company, the highest operating costs, or the highest commissions in town, but I offer the same full service.
Not only that, but as a way of saying "thank you" to buyers who work with me, I give them a home warranty on their house that costs $85,000 or more. Or, if they prefer, a Lowe's gift card valued at $400. I appreciate my customers.
Are you thinking of buying or selling real estate? Before you sign anything, give Michael a call. 229-924-3089
Friday, November 11, 2011
Is your home For Sale by Owner?
Actually, every house (land or commercial property) is for sale by the owner. Only the owner can sell the property and transfer ownership to someone else. Real estate agents market property, but only the owner can sell it.
As the seller of the property, are you getting as much exposure to the real estate market as you can get? Merely planting a "For Sale by Owner" sign in the yard, or running an ad in the newspaper, won't put your property in front of potentially millions of people. The only way to do that is internet advertisng. And the beauty of internet advertising is that it's free. You can pay for advertising if you want to, but you can get worldwide advertisng for free.
Once your property for sale goes on the internet, it can be seen by anyone anywhere in the world with a computer. It may sound farfetched, but it's true that if someone in China planned to come to Americus, Georgia, and looked for homes for sale on the internet, that person could find your home.
Let's say you do not wish to list your home with a real estate agent, but you want to advertise it far and wide, free of charge, with no obligation, no contract, no strings attached. Is there a way to do that?
Michael Dixon Realty has three real estate websites where local properties for sale can be advertised free of charge. Over a month's time, the three websites are visited by hundreds of people looking at real estate on the internet. The exposure of the properties on Michael's websites is multiplied many times over by the process of syndication. That means that properties on Michael's websites are picked up by numerous real estate search sites that receive thousands of visits. To mention just two: Yahoo and Trulia.
What's the catch? There isn't one. I like to add properties to my websites to make them more interesting to people who are looking. Since the websites are paid for, merely having more properties on them costs me nothing; therefore, I don't need to charge anything. I invest some time to put your property for sale on my websites, but in return your property makes my sites more appealing to people.
This is but one of four distinct benefits Michael Dixon offers buyers and sellers of real estate that no other broker offers. To learn more, call me at 229-924-3089.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
What you don't know could cost you money.
For example, commissions, or broker's fees. I don't tell you what I charge, you tell me what you'll pay. Let's see if we can get together, and what you'll get for your money. You can pay either a percentage of the selling price, or a flat fee. The point is, commissions are negotiable just like anything else.
You may want full service; that is, you turn the selling of your property entirely over to your agent, who takes care of everything the law allows, and you basically just get a check for your proceeds at closing. On the other hand, you as seller may wish to be more engaged in the process, and may prefer to share duties with the agent. In that case, you and the agent might agree on a reduced fee.
Michael Dixon Realty has always offered choices to sellers, choices that other companies may not even mention.
Did you know that if Michael Dixon lists your property and is successful in bringing the buyer to the table, you will get a break on the commission? In other words, if the buyer comes through Michael and not another company, then Michael does not have to split the commission 50-50 with the other broker. In that case, Michael can afford to work for a 4 percent commission, for example, instead of 6 percent. You get a one-third discount. Michael is the only broker in the Americus area, or probably anywhere around, who voluntarily gives you a break on your cost to sell. You walk away with a little more money in your pocket, and Michael is happy with what he got as well.
To put it another way, the last time you sold real estate and paid the typical 6 percent commission, even when your broker did not have to split it with another company, your commission with Michael would have been 4 percent if no other company was involved.
On a different but related subject: Who sells your house, or your land, or your commercial property? Is it the real estate broker or agent? No. They market your property, but only you can sell it. The broker and agent advertise the property, promote it to prospective buyers, and try to get offers on it, but only you can sell it. That's your decision. The broker and agent try to help you find a buyer, but only you can say yes to an offer. You can decide not to sell your property by never accepting an offer. It's your choice.
A word to buyers: I try to work with buyers who have been preapproved for a mortgage loan. Preapproval is based on meeting certain conditions of the lender; it's a positive step in the right direction. If you're interested in buying a house, you should talk to a mortgage lender before you talk to a real estate agent. Give your lender the information needed to be preapproved up to an amount for a loan. Get a preapproval letter from your lender, and share this with your real estate agent. Your preapproval letter tells a seller that if you are financially able to buy his or her property. Many sellers won't accept an offer from you if you're not preapproved. They don't want to tie up their property in a contract with someone who may not be able to get financing. It just makes sense.
If you are a buyer working through me as your agent, and you buy a property for $85,000 or more, I will give you a home warranty. This warranty will cover the repair or replacement of major parts of your house if they break down during your first year of ownership. You will have to pay a service charge, but the cost of the repair or replacement will be paid by the warranty company. If you prefer, I'll give you a Lowe's gift card valued at $400.00. Your choice. It's my way of saying thanks for your business. I'm the only broker anywhere around who does this, by the way.
All real estate companies are not the same. Shop around when you're ready to list your property or to buy.
You may want full service; that is, you turn the selling of your property entirely over to your agent, who takes care of everything the law allows, and you basically just get a check for your proceeds at closing. On the other hand, you as seller may wish to be more engaged in the process, and may prefer to share duties with the agent. In that case, you and the agent might agree on a reduced fee.
Michael Dixon Realty has always offered choices to sellers, choices that other companies may not even mention.
Did you know that if Michael Dixon lists your property and is successful in bringing the buyer to the table, you will get a break on the commission? In other words, if the buyer comes through Michael and not another company, then Michael does not have to split the commission 50-50 with the other broker. In that case, Michael can afford to work for a 4 percent commission, for example, instead of 6 percent. You get a one-third discount. Michael is the only broker in the Americus area, or probably anywhere around, who voluntarily gives you a break on your cost to sell. You walk away with a little more money in your pocket, and Michael is happy with what he got as well.
To put it another way, the last time you sold real estate and paid the typical 6 percent commission, even when your broker did not have to split it with another company, your commission with Michael would have been 4 percent if no other company was involved.
On a different but related subject: Who sells your house, or your land, or your commercial property? Is it the real estate broker or agent? No. They market your property, but only you can sell it. The broker and agent advertise the property, promote it to prospective buyers, and try to get offers on it, but only you can sell it. That's your decision. The broker and agent try to help you find a buyer, but only you can say yes to an offer. You can decide not to sell your property by never accepting an offer. It's your choice.
A word to buyers: I try to work with buyers who have been preapproved for a mortgage loan. Preapproval is based on meeting certain conditions of the lender; it's a positive step in the right direction. If you're interested in buying a house, you should talk to a mortgage lender before you talk to a real estate agent. Give your lender the information needed to be preapproved up to an amount for a loan. Get a preapproval letter from your lender, and share this with your real estate agent. Your preapproval letter tells a seller that if you are financially able to buy his or her property. Many sellers won't accept an offer from you if you're not preapproved. They don't want to tie up their property in a contract with someone who may not be able to get financing. It just makes sense.
If you are a buyer working through me as your agent, and you buy a property for $85,000 or more, I will give you a home warranty. This warranty will cover the repair or replacement of major parts of your house if they break down during your first year of ownership. You will have to pay a service charge, but the cost of the repair or replacement will be paid by the warranty company. If you prefer, I'll give you a Lowe's gift card valued at $400.00. Your choice. It's my way of saying thanks for your business. I'm the only broker anywhere around who does this, by the way.
All real estate companies are not the same. Shop around when you're ready to list your property or to buy.
Monday, August 22, 2011
How much would you pay me to have an office?
Would you pay me as much as you pay other real estate brokers if I had an office?
If I rented an office, would you help pay the rent? If I owned the office, would you help me pay the mortgage? The utilities? The property tax? The insurance? The maintenance? The yard work? The secretary? Would you pay to sit in my chairs, or my sofa? Would you help pay for my conference table?
What if, on the other hand, I had none of the above expenses, but could provide you with the level of service you want at practically no cost to myself? What if we sat at my dining table, or yours, to go over documents? What if my low operating costs enabled me to adjust my fees accordingly?
What if I put your listed property on my three real estate search sites on the Internet? What if I created a web page just for your listing on the Internet with links to it on my websites -- websites that get hundreds of visits every month?
What if I syndicated your listed property to more than 40 real estate search sites on the Internet -- many more than other brokers provide?
If I provided all of the above amenities and services without the expense of an office, would you still want me to have one? What if I could do it all at a lower cost -- to me and to you? Would you be interested?
Call me at 229-924-3089, or email me at michael@michaeldixonrealty.com. Thank you.
If I rented an office, would you help pay the rent? If I owned the office, would you help me pay the mortgage? The utilities? The property tax? The insurance? The maintenance? The yard work? The secretary? Would you pay to sit in my chairs, or my sofa? Would you help pay for my conference table?
What if, on the other hand, I had none of the above expenses, but could provide you with the level of service you want at practically no cost to myself? What if we sat at my dining table, or yours, to go over documents? What if my low operating costs enabled me to adjust my fees accordingly?
What if I put your listed property on my three real estate search sites on the Internet? What if I created a web page just for your listing on the Internet with links to it on my websites -- websites that get hundreds of visits every month?
What if I syndicated your listed property to more than 40 real estate search sites on the Internet -- many more than other brokers provide?
If I provided all of the above amenities and services without the expense of an office, would you still want me to have one? What if I could do it all at a lower cost -- to me and to you? Would you be interested?
Call me at 229-924-3089, or email me at michael@michaeldixonrealty.com. Thank you.
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