Low inventory levels are bringing a faster turnaround for today’s sellers. From 1987 through 2011, analysis of the NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers series showed the typical time on market was 6.9 weeks, while the existing-home sales series showed an average supply of 7.0 months, just above the high end for a balanced market. Today’s median time for a home to remain on the market is 69 days (July 2012). This is down nearly 30...

Research shows that approximately 90% of home buyers use the internet in their search for a home. While 91% of those same people eventually use the services of a Realtor, many use the internet to narrow down their search. It’s fair to say that if you have a listing for sale and it’s not on the internet, you’re going nowhere fast. It all begins with placing your property in your local Multiple Listing Service(s). Most brokers utilize a service...

Too many clothes, not enough closet space? Where to put your heaps (upon heaps) of clothes can be a problem, especially if you’re planning to buy an older home or a smaller home. In those types of listings, closet space is at a premium. What can you do? A. Buy a bigger home, with a bigger closet B. Call a reality TV show for help with a closet makeover C. Store your extra stuff in an off-site storage building D. Throw away or donate stuff you...

As the spring season begins, buyers across the country are beginning to look around and swimming pools can be attractive. You may be tempted to buy a home with a swimming pool, but before you go off the deep end (pun absolutely intended), there are a few things to consider. Swimming pools are both beautiful and lots of fun, but you should be ready for the amount of expenses and work it takes to maintain, as well as the increase to your...

In a perfect world, all sellers would finance the sale of their business and realize the additional financial gain associated with the loan interest. It seems like a great opportunity until the buyer decides not to pay the seller. So what are seller financing pros and cons today? First, most small business owners have an immediate need for the cash or capital generated by the transfer of the business. The seller may be planning to purchase...