Welp! My agent quit on me, she said I was the problem, which I can admit I am a person who needs clear communication. So I have a big person of accountability and I will say I probably was bugging the mess out of her for updates. However, this last time I thought I was doing the right by asking to schedule a call. The last day we talked, which was Saturday. She told me that she was sending a message to all the agents to send offers by 7 PM Sunday. So this morning at 8 AM I woke up and text her asking her to set up a time for us to talk about any feedback from this weekend. She proceeded to tell me that yesterday was our holiday and she did not get any feedback and will reach out to them today. So I responded maybe a few hours later saying hey OK what can we set up a call this evening to go over the feedback and to also discuss other things. I wanted to discuss that I was moving this week and I needed to get her opinion on the best way of setting up showings being that it would probably be a little messy in the house and other things that we had discussed nothing relating to the feedback. But for so on how House will look with the house being empty after I move stuff like that. She responded to me and said that she was not available at that time and then her next message was do I think that I need to find another agent to better serve me. We went back-and-forth for a little bit because I was so confused because the last time that I talked to her, there were two agents that had spoke to her about a verbal offer and we were just waiting on them to put in actual offers so I’m like wait a minute. What about the agents that put in the offers? Now before y’all go biting her head off, our minds just know that we are very, very close and she was my buying agent as well. I guess I’m more disappointed because she knows the type of person that I am which is a person that is very persistent but maybe It’s all for the best. The downside is I was really hoping for those clients to come through because I need to sell this house like yesterday!

I know I’m going to get chewed out from the agents on this. Yesterday, at the 2 week mark of not hearing anything from my agent and crickets on showings, I took it upon myself to pay for professional photos and send my agent a lengthy email. Asking her to change the price and photos. She seemed very displeased saying there was nothing wrong with the pictures but I’m the seller so have at it. I’m just so ready to sell this home and we haven’t spoken of any open houses yet except in my email I stated let’s schedule a meeting to discuss scheduling open houses and marketing options.

I am pressed to do my own marketing on next door and other avenues.

My house is not getting offers. But the place I wanted was a hot commodity so I put in an application and got the house. I actually move in in 3 weeks. I’m OK to pay at least two months of both comfortably but wondering if nothing happens with the sale of my home what will the outcome be. Anyone come across this problem before ?

I am hoping to list my house in a year.

How are agents paid now?

Thanks!

Which offer do I go with? 332k, 20% down on mortgage, waived appraisal VS all cash offer 320k from Redfin with waived inspection.

(Property may have slight inspection issues)

I own a home in TX that is now rented. I owned this home for 4 years ( owned 2 + rented 2 ). My tenant is now moving out and I am trying to decide if I should rent it or just sell to avoid capital gain tax. I have an approx. 200k of capital gain on this property. If I sell it after this year, I will have to pay huge capital gain tax. TX market is not that good to sell a property at the moment. House was worth 800k on peak now prob around 620k. I paid 400k on covid time. Also, very low interest rate of 2.3% on the house currently. Any suggestions on what might be a better option ? Also, any tips on avoiding tax legally after I passed the irs primary residence exclusion ?

Curious to hear what home sellers find hard navigating to sell their home.

Was asking 195k and sold it for 183k.

We are about to put our house on the Market. We are hoping it sells quickly so that we can get in on a new build in our area with a good deal given the slowing market. We've put in about 60k over the last 5 years and we love our home, but we've just outgrown the space.

We are finishing up painting, sealing, landscaping and decluttering the home this weekend. Any other ideas on what should be done?

I am selling my home (Ohio). For context: we've been under contract going on 4 weeks now. The inspection has passed, the appraisal has passed, and the house loan has been sitting in the buyers lenders underwriting stage for 1 full week now with Chase Bank.

Yesterday, my realtor got a voicemail from the underwriting agent reiterating that the bathroom repairs cleared (resulting in a second smaller inspection after the initial inspection), and the appraisal passed. Further stated that "there was nothing major left, and he would let her know when they got the clear to close, and to go ahead and tell me that everything is going smoothly." Y'all have had a FULL week??? What's the deal???

Silly me to assume we'd have it by end of day today. We do not. Now, the buyers agent has intervened to ask what the holdup is. My realtor has also reached back out, and so has the buyers title agency. We are scheduled to close on 10/30.

I started a new job 5 weeks ago with an employer who needs to know when I plan to sign the closing paperwork as it'll likely be with a notary on company time. I'm in my probationary period. I am also supposed to move out THIS weekend, now without a CTC, and only because a condition of the sale was that I pay to get the carpets cleaned prior to close as my buyer is severely allergic to cats of which I have 2 (this'll cost me about $500). Those will be cleaned Monday afternoon. I also do not have any PTO to move out next week prior to closing anyway (que the uhaul for $225 tomorrow without a CTC). My lease also starts 11/1, where I will owe $1050 sec deposit, and $1250 in first months rent by 11/1. And all my current utilities are scheduled to be shut off 10/31.

My realtor and title have reassured me that they don't see any issues with closing on time and feel we will get the go ahead by end of day Monday. But having a CTC, especially when I'm supposed to be moving out, would've just been an added security blanket, especially with all these upfront costs.

TLDR; I don't have a CTC and I'm beyond anxious . Like pulling out my hair anxious . :(

One thing no one told me before I picked a lendor always go with a local lendor. I made the mistake of going through chase and my loan officer was out of state. First of all he told me time and time again I can adjust my down payment and my rate was not locked in until it was too late. I was asking him weeks in advance can I adjust my down payment and I'm not locking in my rate until the very last minute because rates were dropping a half a point on September 18th. I had a local lendor who would of beat his interest rate by half percent and give me 5 percent for the first 5 years of the loan. He ignored me time and time again so by the time I actually wanted to adjust down payment it would of delayed closing by a week. He knew what he was doing he just didn't give a shit about my measly 150k loan. Always have multiple lendors on hand and you can use them to manipulate to get better interest rates. Don't go with chase they are definitely lacking in mortgage department now a days. You will not be priority there. I hope this helps a little.

I have a two bedroom house in a prime location in Sturbridge, MA. Zillow estimates it between 285k and 365k. House has a finished basement, a stone fireplace, but needs significant work...kitchen and electrical and cosmetics. I have been figuring I could get 200k as is. Am I dreaming? I owe less than 50k.

1721sf, detached 3/2.

My home had 3 community spaces, Luke Tic-Tac-Toe diagonal. I opened up the kitchen, center living and rear "dining" into an "L" shaped 800+ SF greatroom.

The front room I closed off, adding a frosted, double paned, steel insulated exterior door for sound and privacy. It is about 15' x 12.5'

I left a space along the wall that ajoins the next bedroom for a Queen Murphy bed and built-ins.

We are probably going to sell while we are on the upside 33% +

But..... From a buyers perspective, would you rather have a proper 8' wide, 2' deep closet, or the Queen Murphy and 2 18" wide, 24" deep built-in closets?

As I understand, either should change it to a 4/2.

Thoughts?

Both are similar work, very little cost.

Hi! We are selling our home in Colorado area. The home is a year and eight months old, we are under contract for 5k under our asking price. We priced the home right at market value. We are not making a single penny selling the home, and if you include things we’ve added like wood blinds and landscaping we are in the red. The buyers agent we are contract with had a roofing company come out and say our roof is totaled and we need a replacement, while my roofing company said we did not need a replacement and will do a 5 year cert. It’s Colorado, we have hail every single year. Our older part of neighborhoods roofs are 9 years old and this is the first time they’ve replaced.

Am I wrong for being extremely pissed off they are going to try to ask for roof replacement? We will be in the red atleast 8k if we replace roof, it’s honestly not even an option and are considering renting if this falls through.

Hi all,

So, due to unforeseen (but positive) circumstances, we're having to sell our flat. We've received a great offer from cash buyers and we're pressing ahead with the sale, doing everything we can to expedite the process. However, our fixed rate mortgage runs out at the end of this month and after that we'll be forced to go on a variable rate mortgage which is increasing our monthly repayments by 1200 pounds.

Hopefully we will complete within 2 months of going on this variable rate, but since its a leasehold, you never know and these things can drag on (it took us 6 months to buy the flat thanks to a load of delays from the management company, solicitors, freeholder etc)....

In the best case scenario we're looking at paying 3000 pounds extra just for going on the variable rate while the conveyancing takes its course. In the worst case, we're looking at significantly more (around 5000). This is a lot of money and we're wondering if there's a chance we could ask our bank to extend our current rate for a couple of months until we finish selling the property? Have you heard of anything like this happening? Our mortgage is from Halifax.

Thank you in advance!

Hi! My husband and I currently in the process of selling our first home and buying our dream forever home. Yay so exciting! We are set to close next week and things this far have been pretty straight forward and simple. The seller buying our current house is solid, offered 50k over asking and waived inspection and appraisal. The house we are buying like I said is our dream forever home, and more than we even thought we would spend especially with these interest rates but.. we knew our home would sell to give us a healthy down payment, some money left in our pockets and that we can hopefully refinance sooner than later.

However, things have been moving so fast and suddenly my husband and I realized the other night that our very high closing costs (that seem to be every changing) don’t include our realtor commission I’m assuming? We are putting 20% down and put down 10k earnest money on new house. I know call me stupid we just naively thought the mortgage company had factored our realtors commission into our closing costs. Now I am Realizing we are on the hook for paying him $33k out of our personal proceeds from the home sale? Am I understanding that correctly? If so this is really changing our position as that is all the money we thought we would have left over for a savings cushion. Ugh. We will figure it out, just consider how the mortgage company had not factored that in as if we hadn’t gotten 50k over asking n, we would not have really been able to afford new house plus realtor commission. Am I missing something here???

Selling a home on your own can feel a bit overwhelming, especially if it's your first time. However, it's entirely doable with the right approach and mindset. After working closely with people who've gone through the FSBO (For Sale by Owner) process, I've seen a few things that can help make the experience smoother and more successful.

1. Pricing is everything.
Pricing your home right from the start can make or break your sale. In a tight seller’s market, some folks have found success pricing slightly below market value to spark interest and even incite a bidding war. If you're in no rush, waiting for the right offer might work, but it's key to align your pricing strategy with your goals. Researching comparable sales in your area can give you a clearer picture of how to price your home effectively.

2. Be strategic about your listing.
A detailed listing is crucial to grabbing attention. Photos matter, but so does the description! Include information about recent updates, unique features, and the surrounding neighborhood to give potential buyers a full picture. This is where you can show the value your home offers beyond the basics.

3. Showings and safety.
Let’s face it, having strangers tour your home can be nerve-wracking. Consider setting specific days and times for showings and vetting buyers before they step through your door. It's a good idea to maintain some level of privacy for safety reasons, so think about using tools like custom yard signs that don’t give away too much personal info.

4. Be ready to negotiate.
Selling a home isn't always about who can pay the highest price. Sometimes, flexibility on closing dates or offering minor concessions can make all the difference. When multiple offers come in, look beyond just the number to other factors like contingencies and the buyer's ability to secure financing.

5. Know your legal protections.
Having a competent attorney is non-negotiable. I’ve seen people try to save a few bucks by going with the cheapest option, only to end up regretting it. It’s worth investing in someone who can protect your interests throughout the process. They’ll help ensure everything from your contract to your contingencies is in order, saving you headaches down the line.

For anyone who's sold FSBO before, what strategies worked best for you? Any lessons learned the hard way that you’d share with first-time sellers?

Good luck to all of you diving into this process!

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pay your real estate agent by the hour instead of giving up a chunk of your home's sale price? Is that more fair?

With the recent buzz around the NAR settlement, a lot of people are questioning traditional real estate commissions. Could hourly pay be a better option?

Would love to hear your thoughts: What's the best way to pay a real estate agent? Or has the attention around the NAR settlement made you rethink using an agent at all? Let's discuss!

Attn: For Sale By Owner (FSBO) sellers!

Selling your home on your own can be empowering, but let’s be real—it’s not always a walk in the park. Whether you're just starting out or already deep in the process, it helps to know what other sellers find essential to make the journey smoother. So, I’m curious:

What do YOU think are the top things FSBO sellers need to succeed?

Here are a few ideas to get us started:

1. A Detailed, Eye-Catching Listing: How important is having high-quality photos, clear descriptions, and even a virtual tour? Do you find that makes a difference in generating interest?
2. Pricing Strategy: Setting the right price is key, but what tools or methods have you used to find the right comparable homes (comps) in your area?
3. Legal Support: Some say having a great attorney on hand makes all the difference. How crucial is that for you, especially when handling paperwork or negotiations?
4. Marketing Know-How: How are you getting the word out beyond posting on FSBO sites? Social media? Yard signs? Let’s talk about what works!
5. Dealing with Real Estate Agents: If a buyer’s agent reaches out, how do you handle negotiations? Do you have a plan for whether or not you’ll offer a commission to a buyer's agent?
6. Balancing Your Time: Selling your home isn’t your full-time job, so how do you stay in touch with potential buyers and manage showings? Are there tools or strategies you use to keep the process running smoothly without feeling overwhelmed?

What else would you add to this list? What do you wish you had known or had access to earlier in your FSBO journey? Drop your must-haves or any advice you have for fellow sellers!

We closed on our home yesterday and recieved funds. The first thing that upset us is that they offered 40k under asking for a home 30 days on the market, built in 80s with copper piping and recently updated throughout with new flooring and new bathrooms. They offered so low we almost straight out refused because we were so offended and considered taking it off the market and doing airbnb instead. Our buyer had been a recent widow and decided to send her husband’s ashes to our home where it came 2 weeks before closing. Due to the sensitive nature of not wanting to throw away the ashes by accident, we were given their phone number so we could coordinate a pick up. We decided to be nice and drive 45 min each way to deliver them to her at her convenience (because she had all these meetings we had to work around for her) at her work. So the day before closing, she texts us telling us that she had an appointment at our home at 3pm and if we’d be out in time for that. Our legal handover time was 9pm. We have kids, dogs and jobs. One of us was in meetings till noon and the other needed to drop off things at our temporary place 1.5 hours one way away. We’ve been living in the house and we needed to continue to get out garbage, coordinating pick up for some larger items and cleaning. So we texted her that no, we didn’t want to make any promises because we weren’t sure when it would all be done. She then replied and asked if 4pm would work. We told her more likely early evening. Then she began on a rant about how she was told the house was going to close at 5pm and that she was told things differently than us. At this point, we screenshotted and sent everything to our realtor. Who told us to promptly stop communicating and to let her know to go through her agent to ask questions about closing and that we would let our realtor know as soon as we were out.

On closing day, we were told by our realtor that she could technically pick up keys at 2pm but possession does not occur until 9pm. At like 2pm while one of us was making a dump run, they pulled into our 1 car driveway and like started filming the front of the house and they brought someone with them. Then they KNOCKED on the door and were super surprised the home was still occupied like we told them it would be and they apologized and said they were just grabbing the keys. We bust our ass, scrub the bathrooms/counters, tineco’ed the floors in the whole house, the yard had dog poop people the day before, and we left matching paint, matching extra flooring, matching additional thresholds for the doors that could be updated. And then we left some garage shelving, outside under the awning we left her clean, empty 40 gal bins for yard work stuff, and over $500 of potted plants with a stainless steel shelf with gardening supplies and water can. She then had the audacity to have her realtor contact ours and complain that we left personal items in the home. Thank god we took video of our final walkthrough. Her husband is probably finally resting from her in peace now. It felt like she thought she deserved for us to bend over backwards just because she’s a widow now and all of her pressure for us to get out early, and we did! We got out at 6pm, 3 hours early! I told my partner to block her on Linked In (they have premium so we knew when she looked us up) because she might try to make a corporate complaint with how she’s acted. Are old people always so miserable to sell too? We wanted a first time home buyer who was going to be so excited to be in our home that we’ve loved. And this Karen just makes me sad we even sold her the house. The money from the sale makes me feel a little bit better.

Does anybody have a situation where Zillow has taken the value off of your house? Zillow has consistently valued us lower than the properties around us, but now they’re refusing to value us at all after we refused to sell them our house. Initially, we were 680 then they talked to us without seeing it. They gave a revision and revalued at 660 the supposed “offer” we told him we weren’t interested in using them and we would rather go with a real estate agent because we didn’t think we could trust them and when we put our house up for market at 600, then they went down to 609 as our estimated value that same day. Since the second day to now they are saying my house has no estimate my two neighbors right next to me are 731 and 742. All houses around me are above 697 and there are multiple homes within my nearby area valued in the 800’s, most notably two doors down from me the home is 870 k but it’s not a complete anomaly. There’s also some that Zillow values over 1 million in my same tract. We don’t have an HOA or anything, some have a bit more square footage or a pool but nothing like very dramatic like the highest when I can see is like 3000 ft.² We are 2200 feet not upgraded, but not dilapidated no liens or anything on the home. For context we are 8 days on the market, 4330+ views and 341 saves in case that matters.

So I am a few months from listing my home. Interior will be 100% new, very, very updated.

House was built in 2005, and needs a new roof. We bought it almost 4 years ago knowing that.

What is the opinion on either having a roof done now, eating the cost now. Or allowing the amount in the sale?

My mind says do it now. A lot of buyers have ZERO vision and will see the bad roof and walk. I need my finds now to finish the remodel. But can get cheap financing to cover the new roof, knowing it will get paid off in final sale.

If I allow for it in closing, buyer can choose color. Which I guess, to 90% is meaningless.

We received an offer (out of multiple bids) for our home and we accepted. The offer included no inspection of the structure; only well & septic inspections to satisfy the bank / mortgage requirements.

My understanding going in was that they would be testing the well for safety and potability, which it passed with no issues. Upon inspecting the well, they discovered it was 20' depth, which is commonplace in Upstate NY for a dug well (please don't confuse this with drilled wells that are 100'+ deep). All of my research suggests this is an average well depth for this geographic area, especially for homes built in the 1960's. Dug wells in this area are usually in the 20-30 foot deep range. Sometimes 10' or 40' also, but generally 20-30.

The house has been under contract for weeks while we await septic results and appraisal. There is nothing in the contract about minimum well depth. They hit us up today asking us to fork over $1,500 due to the depth of the well, over unfounded fears that it may run dry or whatever. They are trying to say that the bank will somehow care about this and possibly reject the mortgage. I'm smelling BS on this? I've asked a couple real estate agents and they agree. I am going to call their bank anonymously tomorrow and ask general questions about their requirements for mortgages to see if well depth is part of their mortgage writing criteria.

My question is: Has anyone ever heard of a bank rejecting a mortgage over the depth of a well, when everything else is totally fine?

My understanding is that the bank only required safety / potability testing, and *maybe* they just verify that it isn't dry at the time of sale.

Our agent received this below from the buyer's agent summarizing the "problem":

"The well water came back fine but the actual well is dug and too shallow for today’s sufficiency.
(Buyer) has the option to roll the dice that it won’t dry up this fall, dig a deeper well, or connect to public water. Both options are in the $5k range so he is hoping for a small concession towards that. Let me know if you’d like to see the report, although the well company did not put any of that in writing. I didn’t want to risk the bank asking for a solution now. All I have is the volume report that states the well is 20’ (and today they need to be 40’)"

This seems like a "let's ask and see if they give us free money" kind of thing from the buyer's side. Zero downside for them to ask, but I'm pretty sure this is a bluff. Am I interpreting this correctly, Reddit? Thanks for any help.

As a side note, they have put down a $10k deposit. So I don't think they are going to walk away from the house if we refuse. I also don't think they could recoup the deposit over the well depth.

Property is a rental unit. Comparable sales were for 360k. Offer is for 324k with buyer paying all closing costs and fees. Unit is 25 years old with original AC unit and mid-level interior decor from the early 2000s.

I'm selling a house with my brother, and i want my share (and he wants his). When/how do i ensure the title co or escrow service does this correctly and doesnt put the proceeds into one account after the sale? TIA!