FSBO Recommendation: Use A Realtor To List Or Buy A Home

I had the opportunity recently to list and sell a house and the sellers in turn bought another house. This is nothing new in the Charlotte, NC. real estate market or any other market out there. That is after all what we as Realtors do. Help clients sell homes and purchase homes. However; after getting done with all the negotiations and closing on both homes (not an easy task to do some mortgage issues from the buyer) my clients sent me a handwritten personal thank you note. I was touched and moved by it. They mention how grateful they were for the hard work and all the service I provided them.... I called and thanked them for the kind words and they mentioned that they had a confession to make. Here it comes I thought. What did I do or not do? Both transactions are now running through my mind. They said they were reluctant to list their home with a Realtor and were actually going to try and sell their home on their own as a For Sale By Owner (or FSBO) and look online and buy a house on their own either through a FSBO or the listing agent. But instead they hired me to list their home and help them locate and buy their new home... So, naturally my question to them was why? And what made you decide to use me? They had looked extensively online at comparable through the various websites out there but could not tell how accurate the information was. So, they decided to interview a few Realtors and see what they came up with for a price and use that as their price point and save the commission. I was one of the Realtors they chose. When I explained in detail my extensive marketing plan and the services I offered them at no additional charge and with no long term commitment they said they were impressed. So, they hired me. Now, because they agreed to let me list the home for them. I structured together a very specific marketing plan for them and executed it. In the manner of two weeks we had 10 showings and multiple offers. We ended up getting over asking price for the house and $10,000 more than they would have accepted if they sold it on their own. In the heat of negotiations I pointed out things on each offer that could be negative for them and they made a decision based on that information as to which offer they accepted. On the buy side, we looked at a few homes and got into negotiations on one house. After finally agreeing to a price we went through the inspections and I negotiated out the repairs for them on both ends of the deal. This they said saved them money that they would have just agreed to do the repairs and accepted the house on the other end if the sellers said no... When it came to price I was able to point out things about the house that brought the value down and needed addressing in terms of updates and how homes comparable to that one had sat longer and sold for less money...Both instances saved them money. We got closer to closing and the buyer needed more time because of the mortgage lender issue...I was able to negotiate an extension with the house they were buying on their end and save them from losing their earnest money and due diligence fee...Another win for them. In the end he told me on the phone when they went back and did the math; they figured I saved them anywhere from $15,000 to $18,000 between both transactions. This form someone who apparently bought his last house as a FSBO and sold his that way as well...But he said going through this transaction and seeing all that you do made me better appreciate you and your profession for what you do. I would never again consider buying or selling a house without a Realtor. It takes to much time and is more complicated than I thought it would be..... From a former FSBO his parting words were. If you are thinking of buying or selling a home on your own. Do not do it. A Realtor is worth their commission tenfold for the expert advice and guidance you will receive.. Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Coldwell banker United Cell:704-519-7895 ddicecco@cbunited.com www.davedicecco.com

New Listing: 4824 Farm Pond Lane Charlotte, NC. 28212

Looking for a ranch home in a nice quiet community? Open floor plan and roomy with low maintenance? Look no further than 4824 Farm Pond Lane Charlotte, NC. 28212. This 3 bedroom one and half bath brick ranch home is conveniently located off Albemarle road in the Four Seasons subdivision. The home features over 1300 feet of living space on a nice almost quarter acre flat lot. The owner had laminate flooring installed throughout the whole main level of the house last year. It has helped open the house up and give it a nice updated warm feeling. When you pull up to this beautiful home the professional landscaping stands out immediately. With various flowers and trees that bloom and offer color as well as shade.... Walk in to the front door of this large home and you are instantly greeted by a very large open living room that has a nice neutral paint color on it as well as chair rail molding. The openness of the room leaves the possibilities endless for you to decorate as you see fit with man possibilities. Going through the living room you enter what is considered the den. It is a very large room that opens up to the kitchen and offers possibilities as a den or a dining area or a combination of both. Professionally painted and with large windows against the back of the house a lot of natural light coming in. That rooms opens up to the very spacious kitchen. A nice counter with an overhang for barstools divides the room form the den. But plenty of cabinet space and all the appliances convey with the house. Off of there is a large laundry room that she uses as a pantry as well... Down the hall you have three good sized bedrooms with ample closet space and a nice full bathroom with custom tile work. The master also has a separate half bath attached to it as well... Go outside and enjoy the spacious backyard that has additional flowers and trees to provide color and shade. But I like best of the back yard is that there is no neighbor behind you. The end of the property backs up to a nice wooded area and a walking trail ...It gives you the added privacy. This great ranch home is listed for only $129,000. With many updates inside and low maintenance with the brick outside this home is a great value for someone looking to be close to everything yet the feeling of being in the country..... Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Coldwell Banker United Cell:704-519-7895 ddicecco@cbunited.com www.davedicecco.com

Do You Read Before You Sign Those Documetns From A Realtor

The question I always wondered is; do clients read the papers the listing or buyer’s agent send them to sign or just sign them without any question because they trust them? I trust my doctor and the surgeon who operated on me a few years ago....However; I still read the papers they put in front of me before they treated me or did the surgery. These were people I put my life in their hands. So why would I trust my Realtor and not read the papers or have them at least explain them to me? I try to make it a policy to review each and every page of paperwork I ask a seller or buyer to sign. I will not let them sign if I feel there is any question that they do not understand or if there is something wrong with the paperwork. In some cases (time permitting) I will provide them with sample copies of what they are going to sign to read over. This way before they list the home or put an offer in they can know what it is they are signing minus the fill in the blanks. In all my transactions I have never had anyone sign one that was wrong. I have made errors on them before though....However; before I ask my client to sign I made the corrections first. This past week I ran into not one but two instances where agents rushed to have things signed or ran a stack of papers in front of a client and told them to sign and briefly and vaguely covered the topics and the clients signed. One instance almost cost a client their earnest money that she could not afford to lose that I caught for her and helped get fixed. The other happened at the closing for one of my listings. The buyer was unaware of a fee charged by the realtor who initially tried to pawn it off on the seller (which I caught reviewing the HUD) and then changed tune and billed it to the buyer. The buyer was unaware of the fee and we almost were not sure it was going to close. It put the seller in an awkward position because they needed that to close in order to get the proceeds to close on the house they were buying...In essence it was a domino effect. After THREE hours the attorney calmed the buyers down and they rectified it and paid the fee...But should they have paid it? The attorney told them that they signed an agreement stating they would pay it if the seller did not and that they would lose in court....But is that good business practice? Why not fully disclose to your clients your intentions and actions? Why did the buyers not read over the papers before signing them? All valid questions for which I do not know the answers to but for those reasons ALWAYS have clients read over the paperwork before to sign..... Dave diCecco Realtor/Broker Coldwell Banker United Cell:704-519-7895 ddicecco@cbunited.com www.davedicecco.com