It seems that recently all initial offers are considerably below listing price. Maybe it is because buyers assume everyone is desperately selling, or because competition is higher for certain price levels. It does present challenges when presenting these lower initial offers to your seller. Many sellers become almost offended by these offers at 15- 20% below list. If the selling agent has done their homework the pricing should be relatively close. It does seem that when you begin negotiating from these lower starting points you will inevitably end up with a lower sales price. The best a listing agent can do is get lots of comps from the area, which is becoming more difficult with less sales to utilize in marketing analysis. Agents should also inform sellers of possible potentially low o... 03/12/2009

  In today's competitive real estate market, the more tools available to the seller, the greater the advantage you bring to your listing. For instance, have you ever looked on the Internet for properties and found a brief description and 1 picture of the house? So you call to see the property, because its the price and area you are looking for, only to find out that the home hasn't been updated and needs extra work. After a couple of showings like this its no wonder you start to give up!   As a seller the advantages of having detailed information and photos on the internet via a high traffic site are exposure, exposure, and yes exposure. On the Brinkoetter.com website the statistics are the proof, from Jan 19,2009-Jan 25,2009, the site received 6995 visits, 150336 page views, and avera... 01/29/2009

 The importance of pre-inspecting a property has relevance in that all the possible problems that may come up before closing are clearly defined and can be addressed before an offer is accepted. This allows the owner to correct problems ahead of the closing time constraints. It also provides a higher comfort level to prospective buyers. Granted the expense of inspection usually falls on the buyers plate, but the benefits outweigh the expense.   01/23/2009