You are planning to sell your home and interviewing a few potential real estate agents to help you with the process. Each agent describes their services and offers up a pricing recommendation based on their knowledge of the local market. Often agents with the highest recommended prices ooze with confidence and say “I can get [...]

Selecting a Listing Agent Based on Highest Recommended Price is a Mistake
by Kevin Lisota on 17. Jul, 2010 in Selling a Home

Tips for the Accidental First-Time Landlord
by Kevin Lisota on 07. Jul, 2010 in Selling a Home
Your house has not sold, and now you find yourself in a situation where you have to find a renter. In a tough real estate market, many sellers are facing this same scenario. Some sellers are underwater and owe more than they can sell their home for, or sometimes the housing inventory is just too [...]
A ridiculous promotion by Coldwell Banker to try to extend the tax credit
by Kevin Lisota on 01. May, 2010 in Selling a Home
The government tax credit for first-time and repeat home buyers officially expired yesterday. Coldwell Banker brokerages across the country are now promoting a 3-month national sales promotion called the “Buyer Bonus Event.” Their website claims that the Buyer Bonus Event “will allow participating Coldwell Banker home sellers to ‘essentially’ extend the tax credit for participating [...]
The Importance of FHA Approval for Condominiums
by Kevin Lisota on 30. Apr, 2010 in Selling a Home
There are two main forms of mortgages that are used to purchase condos today. One type of loan is known as a Conventional Loan. Conventional Loans are issued by banks and conform to Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FHLMC) lending guidelines. The second type of loan is an FHA loan. FHA loans are also [...]
Choosing an agent to sell your home
by Kevin Lisota on 22. Feb, 2010 in Selling a Home
We meet with home owners almost everyday who are looking to sell their home. These prospective sellers want to learn about our services, our fees, and ultimately what we will do to help them sell their home quickly, while getting as much as possible from the sale. There are a number of factors that we [...]
Selling your home as a short sale? – You cannot receive incentives from your agent
by Kevin Lisota on 21. Jan, 2010 in Selling a Home
Many homeowners owe more than their home is worth and are in financial distress and need to sell their home. One method to get out of the mess is to sell your home as a short sale, where the mortgage holders agree to release the property for less than they are owed. This gets the [...]
Have home sellers lost their pride of ownership?
by Kevin Lisota on 26. Oct, 2009 in Selling a Home
Maybe I am a little old-fashioned, or maybe it is because I own a business, but I fundamentally believe that consumers want to be delighted by the products and services that they buy. If you are shelling out your hard-earned money, you want a product that performs as advertised, is reliable, and is affordable to [...]
The Office Your Listing Agent Works For Does Not Help to Sell Your Home
by Kevin Lisota on 16. Aug, 2009 in Selling a Home
When we are trying to get a new listing with sellers, one of the common sales pitches that our competitors use is that they will “expose your listing to all of the agents at their office, resulting in a better chance of a sale.” In a large city like Seattle, I was suspicious of this [...]

A poor listing agent can make you lose thousands instantly
by Kevin Lisota on 22. Jul, 2009 in Selling a Home
When listing your home for sale, it is important that you choose a listing agent who you can trust. Their job is to market the property and attract as many potential buyers to your home. It is also their job to help you negotiate with buyers to maximize your sales price and sell the home [...]
Some friendly pieces of advice for FSBO sellers
by Kevin Lisota on 14. Jul, 2009 in Selling a Home
I have recently come across some For Sale By Owner (FSBO) properties on property searches for my buyers. Fundamentally I have no problem with sellers trying to sell on their own, and for some people this setup works. However, after looking at some FSBO listings and touring some FSBO homes, there are some basic [...]

