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In Texas recently, major real estate companies have begun to play hardball. The Federal Trade Commission charged a local realtors board with not playing fair with their competition, so clearly, major real estate companies see these cheaper alternatives as a threat. Not to be outdone, there are similar realtor boards in other states, such as Utah, Michigan and Colorado that have done the same thing. They are expecting a review by the FTC sooner rather than later.

The big difference between the way that things have always been done (through a realtor) and the way things are done now is all about availability of information. Many online sites that offer discount house or property listings don’t assist you outright in trying to figure out what points are or try to figure how much your closing costs are going to be, but they do provide the groundwork for how to figure all that out for yourself. They have primers detailing dirty tricks the bank might pull. They have FAQs about the basics of dealing in real estate. Essentially, they have all the information that a real estate agent is going to tell you on their sites so they don’t have to charge you extra.

The ongoing battle between online and “legitimate” full-service realtors is something that is going to be around for a long time. As long as there are self-motivated people who believe that they can do it themselves, online realtors will continue to thrive. The big question to ask yourself is how much do you know about the real estate business and how much responsibility are you willing to take on.

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Let me illustrate some of the several things sellers actually do to keep their homes from selling or better yet, keep buyers from wanting to see their home.

1. First they pay no attention to the market, statistics, trends and reality in a seller’s Market.
2. They insist on a set price and remain 90 to 180 days behind the market by refusing to reduce the price to a marketable level.
3. They provide a telephone number that nobody answers or has been disconnected.
4. Never leave the house when buyers want to see it. They stay so they can watch them closely.
5. Let the weeds grow high enough to hide the trash in the front yard. If buyers can’t see the trash they won’t know its there. Who cares about first impression?
6. Keep lots of clutter by the front door. If there is a lot of junk there the buyer will have to slow down and see the house.
7. Leave lots of dirt and dust on ledges and corners. It hides the deteriorated paint underneath.
8. Leave furniture facing in different directions and make sure that love seat is covering the hole in the wall. Trash is good, holes are bad.
9. Challenge the buyer. Let them guess what the room is for. Just because it has a closet doesn’t mean it’s a bedroom.
10. If it’s broken, they leave it. Let the buyer fix it if they want it fixed.
11. Leave the old appliances. They add character to the house. Especially if they don’t work. Save your money for the next house.
12. Leave store boxes in the hallway. The buyer does know they are moving, why hide it?
13. Tell their friends to keep their opinions to themselves. They are the sellers; they know better than everyone else what to do to sell their home.

Considering the tough market we are in, it is not always the reason why your home is not selling.

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You will want to include the following information in your ad: Date and time of the sale, your address, and special items you have for sale that will draw customers. Be sure to mention items that are in demand (Like toys; collectibles; furniture). Make sure that you have signs strategically place in your community. Place them in high-traffic intersections within a few miles of your home. Use bright Yellow or Lime green paper colors with big lettering, they work well.

Price your Items

Mark every one of your items. You will avoid a lot of questions and haggling this way. Groups of similar items such as books or Cds are an exemption; it might be easier to just mark them $1 each rather each one of them. You might be able to get more in some items and less on others. Obviously new items will bring more (especially if the price tag is still on it!). When pricing, use quarter-dollar increments. Making change will be a lot easier.

A Note on Clothing

I have found that people are willing to spend good money on quality kids’ clothing at garage sales, but not adult clothing. If you have a lot of adult clothing that is in good condition and still in style, consider taking it to a consignment store instead.

Create the Atmosphere

Have a pleasant easy-listening music playing in the background; shoppers will linger longer. If your sale is in a hot day, you may want to have a large tub filled with ice and pop for sale. Have proper lightning; be sure it is not too dark in your garage.

Finishing Up

Be sure you remove your signs promptly. You do not want people knocking on your door after the sale is over. Then enjoy the best part…. Counting the money!

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Home appraisals can be used for other peoples homes as well and is not limited to getting a value on your home. For example, if you were to sell your own home by owner you may end up asking for too high of a price or too low of a price, though usually people tend to ask for more than what their house is worth. This could turn possible home buyers away from your house. A home appraisal could easily solve this problem and accurately tell you what your property is really worth.

There are many other cases that apply where you will need a home appraisal. For example when dividing property after a divorce, a home appraisal could verify how much the house is worth and give you an idea of how much to divide. This is very useful when one is planning to buy the house from his or her past partner.

In conclusion, there are many important situations that a home appraisal could easily solve or help. Though it is possible you will never need a home appraisal, it is still highly probably that one will come in handy.

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The third and last Realtor provides a figure that is above or very similar to yours. You immediately agree with this Realtor and start making plans on the next steps.

In most cases you would pick Realtor Three. This agent most likely seems compatible with your plans and is willing to work with you. This agent seems determined to meet the same goals that you have set, which is making the most money possible off your house. And should the house not sell, you can just easily drop the price a bit later. Is it too good to be true?

The reality is that this Realtor might be doing a sales practice called buying a listing. He or she bought you by suggesting a high price that is higher that the other agents and is one that you would immediately agree with. It is highly probable that he has no faith that your house will sell at its current price and his or her goal in the beginning was to convince you into lowering the price.

For many Realtors this is a often practiced strategy to get clients, though for others it might just be that they feel for the home sellers and are only trying to help. In either case, it is not necessarily bad because it will get you to sell your house!

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