Infotube.net: Homes for Sale - For Sale By Owner (FSBO) - Real Estate Listings

Zillow, a real estate website famous for creating media fanfare and buzz, just made a big announcement about its real estate application for iPhone user’s.   From what we hear on the street, home shoppers shouldn’t buy into the hype.  User’s in even tech laden San Francisco report that the application is buggy, frustrating, and is so slow, it would test the patience of Job, (or should we say Jobs) himself.

What we’ve Heard on the Street about Using the Zillow App for Real Estate.

• Hours of tinkering with your smart phone are required to get the application to work at all.
• Even in area’s with full cell phone reception, 3G networks are unreliable.  After data is finally loaded, users find themselves staring at blank screens, forcing them to start all over.
• Loading a basic map takes over a minute.  So, user’s must have a lot of time to waste while househunting.
• No matter what area the user was in, the prices for homes appeared and disappeared at random.  Sometimes they would reappear after a while, sometimes they never did.
• A lot of the Property information is outdated or does not display at all.
• Zillow estimates of home value, which they call “zestimates” are unreliable, outdated and data is unavailable for a lot of regions in the country, making this feature nearly worthless for determining sales data.
• There is no feature that allows “bookmarking” of the homes you look up or see.  So, tech users will have to write down addresses on a piece of paper or pull an information sheet from an InfoTube or InfoBox, anyway.
• Only properties listed on the MLS by real estate agents appear in searches of Zillow home listings.   iPhone user’s won’t see thousands of great properties that are listed for sale by owner, builder or investor, or lender.

While the new Zillow iPhone app maybe a great concept, it is far from being a killer software application for real estate.   Unreliable and missing data, coupled with the lack of 3G reception, make using an iPhone to access real estate data a frustrating, hair pulling experience, even for the most diehard tech fan.  

Our Conclusion:  If you are seriously in the real estate market, forget about using an iPhone or any phone to learn about homes for sale.   For true, instant wireless communication, jump out of the car and pull an information sheet from an InfoTube or InfoBox.   If you are serious about real estate, sometimes, Low Tech is the Best Tech. 

In yesterday’s InfoTube blog post, we discussed surprises that can arise from a problematic inspection report and ways to negotiate with the buyer to keep the deal alive.   Today, we look at pre-home inspections from an offensive position, in hopes seller’s can avoid a “repair request” crisis, after the home is finally under contract.  

Reasons to have a Home Inspection before the Sale.

1. 1.  Pre-Inspections are a Great Selling Point.   Providing a Pre-inspection report puts the buyer at ease and gives them confidence that the seller has nothing to hide about the home or its condition.  By being upfront, sellers put the Buyer at ease so they can better vizualize themselves living in the home, versus searching for problems at every turn.  
2. Pre-Inspections Give the Seller a Head’s Up.   A home inspection gives sellers the opportunity to fix any necessary repairs and put the house in better condition before the sale.   By pre-inspecting, the seller can also address unknown problems with the property that might have resulted in a canceled sale, if a timid or scared buyer discovered them first. 
3. An Good Offense Beats a Good Defense.   When the buyer sends in their inspection team, they may be looking to save money.   Often, a bargain shopper will use the inspection report to get a better deal on the house by inflating the costs of repairs or threatening to cancel the contract, if they don’t get their way.   By providing a licensed inspection report upfront, sellers deter ‘would be’ re-negotiator’s and increase the chances of a smooth transaction.
4. Show and Tell.   Ask your home inspector for several copies of your inspection report.   Hand the reports out to prospective buyer’s, when they tour the home.   The report reflects pride of ownership and handing the report to the buyer keeps your home in the buyer’s mind for a much longer period of time.   (The inspector shouldn’t mind the request because it is good for the inspector, too.  His name and contact number on is on the report.  Even if the buyer doesn’t buy your house, they might call him for their own inspection.)
5. Beat the Competition.   Buyer’s have heard horror stories about victims who have purchased a money pit and found themselves living in a nightmare of endless bills, contractor’s and life interupting problems.  Set your home apart from the foreclosures, short sales and poorly maintained homes on the market and reassure the buyer that your home is a hassel-free home they can be proud to call their own.

In conclusion, while it’s sometimes tempting to cut corners to save money, a home inspection is a worthwhile investment.  A pre-inspection lessens the chance of buyer’s remorse, reduces the chance of a surprise or scare, and frequently keeps a deal from falling apart altogether.   In today’s buyer’s market, the best defense is a great offense. 

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale or rent website.  Seller’s can place Free Property Listings and Buyer’s can Search for great deals on Real Estate.   If you are a seller, ask us about an MLS listing with uploads to Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, Yahoo, MSN, Google and More for $399.

You thought your home was in good condition, but surprise… the home inspector says otherwise.   You have already reduced the house to a rock bottom price to get a sale.  This is the first offer you’ve had in months or ever.   What can you do to save the deal or should you???

Stay Calm.  Don’t Freak Out.

In slow markets, seller’s have every reason to panic when they learn about inspection problems.  First, they have no idea how the buyer will react to the report.  If the report is really bad, they know it is likely that the buyer will back out of the deal.   In the best case scenario, they know that more rounds of negotiations and repair requests lists are back in play.   Uncertainity, helplessness and frustration make it easy to freak out, but it is crucial that seller’s stay focused and remain calm.

The first thing the seller must do when they hear about a problem is to keep quiet.  They should resist the natural urge to curse the inspector and they should say absolutely nothing, until the buyer presents a request for repairs.   Some buyer’s aren’t surprised at all that a home might need some repairs.  Also, they may not view the repairs as negatively as the seller does.  Best advise is to not borrow trouble.  Wait for the report, before jumping to conclusions.

Keep Your Head.  Negotiate.

The good news is that if you receive a repair request list, the buyer didn’t walk and they are still interested in the purchase.   Plan to review and discuss the list with an open mind.  Chat with your Realtor, if you are using one.  Talk the situation over with a repair professional.  Get bids on big ticket items, before you go back to the buyer, or you agree/disagree to anything on the list.

Many times, seller’s find that they can get repairs done for less than they think.  Or, sometimes, the seller can make the repair themselves.   If cash flow is a problem, many contractors will agree to wait until the closing to be paid.  The goal is to create a win-win atmosphere and don’t hate the messenger, no matter how bad the news is initially.

Reassure the Buyer.  Stay Focused on Closing the Deal.

Reassure the buyer that you want to fix any major issues with the house.  Get multiple bids from legitimate contractor’s for major repairs.  Multiple bids are powerful because many times the buyer (especially the first time buyer) is scared about the costs of future problems, so they increase the numbers a bit.    Sometimes, after the see that the repair isn’t urgent or may not be as expensive as they thought, the buyer will relax a bit, setting the stage for better negotiations.

Remember that everything about repair requests is negotiable and the options are endless.   The seller can fix all the items on the list, they can agree to fix any real problems and ignore cosmetic issues, they can offer the buyer a cash credit at closing, reduce the sales price, or do absolutely nothing at all, depending on the value of the contract and what they can afford to do.  

In Conclusion.

If you receive a bad home inspection, please remain calm and cool headed.  Focus on a win-win compromise with the buyer.  And, gather all the facts and figures before commenting, if you want to keep the deal alive.  In the long run, honest communication is always key and addressing the problems eliminates the likelihood of lawsuits later.  

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net.   The website where Seller’s can place a Free for Sale or Rent Property Listing and post their property on the MLS and Realtor.com.  And, buyer’s can search for thousands of great properties with ease and privacy.  

The real estate market is currently in a downward state of flux.   In 2007, the bottom dropped out, the free fall began and we started rethinking everything we thought we knew about real estate.

Home prices are 40 percent or more off peak in some area’s of the country, so “Real Estate doesn’t always go up.”  Selling by Agent or Owner??  Actually, the Banks sold more property last year than either.   Dinner conversations now focus on “How can we get rid of this house??” Instead of “Flip this House”.  Our worries aren’t about capital gains.  Now, we worry that we owe so much, that we can’t afford to sell the house or live in it.

In today’s market, one thing is certain.   There is little money to make and every dollar counts.   So, if you need to sell, you have 3 options.  By Agent; By Owner; By Auction.  Should you Pick Door 1, 2, or 3????  

By Agent Pro’s and Con’s

Pro’s:

• Real estate agents provide a comparative market analysis to justify price strategies and make recommendations about staging, showing and the condition of the property.
• Agents develop a comprehensive marketing program for your property that includes the MLS, photographs, virtual tours, internet website distribution and Open Houses.
• Agents handle the showings, contract negotiations, they offer legal-type advise and they are objective about the property and its condition.
• In a slow market with a lot of inventory, agents may possibly do a better job than a do-it-yourselfer.  Many seller’s feel that penny pinching in this market may not be a smart move.

Con’s:

•  Costs for brokerage services are extremely high.  The typical fee is 6 percent of the sales price of the property.   Many seller’s find that after they pay 6 percent of the gross price to the agent, then pay off the mortgage, they have no money left from their sale or worst case, they actually lose money on the home.
•  The agent may have little experience.  They may be difficult to reach or contact.  They may not market your home as you want.  
• Agent’s work for their own benefit and may have a conflict of interest with their seller’s.  They may advise the seller to price their home for a quick sale, not the best price they can get.  And, agents make double the money if they sell their own listing.  This means if they have a buyer that is interested in their own listing, they work for the buyer, too, not just the seller paying their fee.
• Agents often give short notice or no notice of showings, which is a problem for busy seller’s.   In addition, your listing agent is not the person who will typically show your home.  This means that the best features and benefits of your property may not be pointed out.

For Sale By Owner Pro’s and Con’s

Pro’s

• The biggest reason to sell your own home is the money.  Agent’s fee’s are steep (6-7 percent off the top of the sale) wiping out thousands of dollars in profit from the bottom line.   For the average homeowner, real estate commissions erase a huge chunk, if not all, of their entire equity in the home.
• By Owners control their sale.  Many seller’s have bought and sold a lot of property in their lives.  They know how to price their home, show their home and negotiate the sale better than a stranger could.  
• Today, ‘For Sale by Owners’ have the marketing power that agent’s do.  Gone are the days that “By Owner” marketing options were limited to throwing up a yard sign, hoping that a buyer stumbles upon it.  Sellers now have access to all the tools that agents use to buy and sell property.  Homeowners can purchase access to the MLS, Realtor.com, and other major real estate portals for a few hundred dollars, they can have an attorney draft the contract, leaving many to ask “Why pay 6 percent?”.
• FSBO’s have a Price Advantage.  They don’t have a 6 percent tarriff to pay on their sale, which gives them an advantage when working with buyer’s or pricing their home below their “listed” competition.
• Many seller’s don’t trust real estate agents.  They don’t want to place  their most valuable asset in the hands of a commission sales person, who may or may not, be operating in their best interests. 

Con’s:

• The biggest problem for ‘by owner’ seller’s is that people love their homes and it is hard to be objective.   Emotional attachments make pricing, negotiating and showing the home difficult for a lot of people.
• Seller’s aren’t realistic about the need for a marketing program that will attract enough attention to draw buyers.  Agent’s don’t spend money placing property on the MLS, Realtor.com and major websites because they enjoy it.  They do it because those are the only methods that work to efficiently reach buyers and sell property.   Throwing a sign in the yard or running a classified ad won’t work in this market.  If you aren’t willing to use all the marketing tools that the agent’s use, your chances of succeeding are small.
• Showing the Property.   If you live out of town, travel for your job or are unable to show the property with little notice, then selling by owner is not a viable option.  
• The Work and the Time.   When you list with an agent, all the work is done.  The marketing, advertising, showing, negotiating, inspections and closing are handled by the agent.  When you sell property yourself, you have to be prepared for the work and the time it takes.

For Sale at Auction Pro’s and Con’s

Pro’s: 

• It’s Fast and Easy.  Property auctions are quick and simple.  The entire process only takes about 28-30 days from start to finish.
• Avoid Random Buyer Tours of your Property.  When you sell by auction, there are usually one or two days for all buyer’s to tour the property at a set time and date.  Seller’s do not have to endure months of random strangers calling to walk thru their home with little to no notice.  Other than the posted showing times, seller’s can live normally in their home without having buyers constantly disrupt their lives.
• No Negotiations.  Once the gavel falls, the price is set and the deal is over.  The frustration of and time wasted on lowball offers, counter offers, repair negotiations are eliminated.
• More Money.  The true definition of market value is defined by what a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to sell for.   This is the beauty of the auction process.  In good markets and good locations, buyer compete for their dream home in real time.  Sometimes, the nature and urgency that is created in an auction environment will yield a higher sales price than a listing agent would recommended.

Cons:

• The biggest con is that your home might not sell.   Although we picture auctions as busy places, with huge crowds frantically bidding and waving their paddles in the air, that isn’t always the case.  In slow markets with a lot of inventory, there are times when few people show up and the auction day is a bust.
• The Final Sales Price:   If your opening bid is low and only a few buyer’s show up, you might sell the home for a lot less than you hoped or thought.   If you are considering an auction, you may want to set a Reserve Price, which dictates that no sale will occur below X amount of dollars.
• The Buyer may not Meet the Terms.   Although auction buyers should be pre-approved, and will forfeit their deposit if they don’t close the deal, deals do fall through, just like in conventional sales.   For people who chose auctions for a quick sale, it could be a big issue, if the buyer is unable to meet their closing date.
• The Cost:  The cost of an auction is often as expensive as listing with an agent.  Sometimes, the seller will owe fee’s to the auctioneer, even if the sale fails to happen or the reserve is not met.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net and for looking with us behind doors one, two and three.   If you need to sell, the method is your choice.  Just consider the pro’s and con’s of all three, considering your lifestyle, budget, time and expertise before you make a final decision.  

Foreclosures and loan delinquency’s wreck havoc on the budgets of Homeowner’s Associations (HOA’s) across the country. 

Many condominium communities are glutted with nonpaying units that swamp their operating budgets, force cutbacks on promised services and increase monthly dues for owners who are paying their mortgage and association dues.

Crisis In Florida:

In Florida, the land of the condo dweller, things are spinning out of control for HOA’s and property owners.  As a result, Florida constituents are turning to legislators for an help they can provide.

Under the current system in Florida and other states, lenders can avoid paying homeowner’s fee’s until they foreclose and become the owner of the unit.   Lenders face a continuing avalanche of foreclosures and loan defaults, which means that up to 2 or more years can pass before the property transfer gets through the court system.  

During the lengthy legal process, homeowners often continue living in the units, using the ammenities and facilities for free.  Some even rent the units for income, after they have stopped making payments on the property.  Many associations are forced to cover the costs of water, cable, laundry, lawn and pool maintenance and garbage collection for paying and non-paying owner’s alike.  To make up for the added expenses, paying unit owner’s have to foot the bill or the entire association goes down.   

And, things get even more complicated.  Some banks stall on taking title to units because they have a cap that limits the amount of past-due fee’s they have to repay to 6 months or 1 percent of the original loan amount.   Some luxury condo associations report that some units have as much as $50,000 in unpaid fee’s by the time the bank takes ownership.

Downward Spiral:

Lenders are also denying financing for financially unstable buildings, which essentially means the property can not be sold, even if a buyer is found.  In January, mortgage giant Fannie Mae said it would no longer fund loans in buildings if more than 15 percent of the units were 30 or more days past due with their association fee’s.  

The problem has reached a crisis point for many HOA’s that are struggling to cover basic utilites such as water and electricity.   If they raise fee’s on paying owners for the shortfalls, they risk pushing even more residents into delinquency.  Most owners are already upside down on the property and they simply can not afford a higher payment.

Renting out units could offset loses, but rentals are usually prohibited or they are limited to a very small percentage of the number of units in the complex.  Furthermore, lenders such as Fannie Mae also deny funding for buildings that are less than 51 percent owner occupied.   So, raising money with rent income does not appear to be a viable solution, nor does it maintain the quality of life for the paying residents.

The housing crisis has uncovered many problems that we have never encountered before, but the number of failing HOA’s is an imminent crisis.   Unfortunately, it isn’t simple and if solving it isn’t done correctly, more permanent damage may occur.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.   Search our database for thousands of great deals on property across the USA.

In spite of low interest rates, tax rebates and rock bottom real estate prices, buyer’s feel no great sense of urgency to buy now.  Home sales activity has picked up with the onset of spring, but buyer’s are looking primarily for bargains and great deals.

In a slow housing market dominated by bargain shoppers, correct pricing determines which house sells and which one sits on the market.  Pricing too high is the kiss of death.  Or, price the home too low and risk leaving thousands of dollars on the table.  

Home Pricing Strategies for Today’s Market

1. 3 Factors that Sell Houses:  The condition and price of your home are critical factors in its saleablility.  They are also factors that the seller can control.  The homes that sell have 3 things in common.  They are in good locations, they are in good condition and they are priced right for their market.
2. Get the Highest Price by Listing for Less than Market Value:  Some sellers believe that they can sell their home faster and for more money by listing low to sell higher.   They bank on creating multiple offers and giving buyer’s a sense of urgency that the deal is too good to pass up.  This strategy does work in hot markets, with limited inventory in ideal locations.   It will not work if there isn’t much sales activity in your area or price range.  The best strategy for most seller’s is to price the home competitively, but do not set a price below what you will accept, if you don’t receive multiple offers.
3. How to Price Your Home Right:   In order to sell a home in an unmotivated market, it has to be the best house at the best price.  To determine the ideal price, seller’s need to do their homework.  Look at new home prices in your area and price below them.  If everything is equal, buyer’s will always chose a new home over a used one.  Attend Open Houses every weekend to objectively look at your competition and scrutinize the home through the buyer’s eye’s.   Access the data for recently sold homes through a real estate agent, online tax databases or your local courthouse.   Home Sales data can also be found on websites such as Zillow.  Know how much your home is priced per square foot.  Price per square foot is the valuation method appraisers use.  To determine the average asking price per square foot in your area, divide the asking prices by the amount of air conditioned square footage the home has.  Take the average price per foot in your area and multiple it by the square footage in your home to see if you are priced “in the market”.  Note: This formula only works in a simplistic way, if lot costs and sizes for comparable homes are similar.
4. Marketing is Key in Making the Most Money:  There is only one key to selling a home for the most money possible.  Comprehensive marketing exposure.  Must Do’s: Multiple Listing Service (MLS), Internet advertising with multiple photo’s and Open Houses for the public and real estate agents.  The MLS is THE DATABASE of homes for sale.  If your home isn’t on the MLS, you are missing millions of buyers, period.   An MLS listing is also the only way to expose your home on dozens of high traffic websites.   According to Hitwise, the traffic to MLS affiliated websites is around 12 million shoppers every month.   Remember it doesn’t matter how great your house is or how low it is priced, if no one can find out that your home is For Sale.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.  Start increasing your marketing exposure by taking advantage of a FREE home listing on our heavily trafficked website.   You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Developer and Real estate trust ProLogis looks upward to ’electricify’ its cash flow and reduce its overhead. 

ProLogis, who owns more rooftops than anyone in the world, announced  plans to develop the rooftops (equal to 10,000 football fields) of their existing buildings, and lease the space to power companies to install solar panels.

From the press release:

Headquartered in Denver, Colo., as a manager and developer of real estate, ProLogis is actively seeking out electric utilities to lease out its rooftops as a way to earn extra income with no capital investment, while meeting the company’s goal of contributing to global sustainability.

As a real estate investment trust, ProLogis isn’t interested in owning the solar installations, but rather in engaging utilities as a renter of its space. Utilities make solid tenants that will enter long-term leases, as most power-purchase agreements for solar power generation are for 15 to 20 years.

ProLogis manages more than five hundred million square feet of industrial space and they are putting all of it to good use on three continents. Actually, ProLogis owns more rooftops than anyone in the world – they have available space in twenty-four countries across the globe. The amount of space is equivalent to approximately 10,000 football fields.

 Although Prologis continues to develop new buildings on virgin land, their plan to put solar panels on their rooftops is a win-win for ProLogis, power companies and the environment.  It makes good use of existing, undeveloped real estate, feeds the electrical grid and generates cash flowAdded Bonus:  In addition to increasing cash flow for ProLogis, adding the solar roof panels also insulates their buildings, reducing their operating costs and their carbon footprint, simultaneously.

Kudo’ to Prologis for thinking “out of the box” and on the grid.  Maybe it will encourage other developers to do the same.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net.   The purpose of our products and our job is to connect home buyers and sellers.  Please search our website for thousands of properties for sale or rent.  Or, place a Free Property Listing on our Website, with our compliments.

A city councilman in Utah , Mark Easton, had a beautiful view of the east mountains, Until a new neighbor purchased the lot below his house and built a new home.

The new home was 18 inches higher than the ordinances would allow, so Mark Easton, mad about his lost view, went to the city to make sure they enforced the lower roof line ordinance.

The new neighbor had to drop the roof line, at great expense.

Recently, Mark Easton called the city, and informed them that his new neighbor had installed some vents on the side of his home.

When the city went to Mark’s

to see what the vents

looked like,this is what they

found…

Sorry, but we had to chuckle and thought our readers might enjoy this, especially on tax day.  We’ve heard about neighbors who use spite fences to communicate their feelings about their neighbors, but this was a new one for us.   

As bargain hunters everywhere turn their attention to foreclosures, many buyers discover that for all the hype, the homes can not be purchased.   Banks are so overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of REO (Real Estate Owned) properties, that they hold up sales and leave buyers stuck with thousands of dollars in extra costs.

Distressed properties now make up 25 percent of all homes for sale.   Many foreclosed homes have been vandalized, neglected and cause a blight on otherwise good neighborhoods.  Selling these properties would help stabilize house prices and remove inventory from the market, but the banks simply can’t keep up with the paperwork.

Take the case of the Collins family, who in January, rushed to buy a foreclosure on a picuresque, tree lined street in southern California.   They immediately obtained their financing, paid for inspections, appraisals and completed other paperwork the lender required from them.  It is now mid-April and the Collins family finds themselves still sitting in limbo.  They have yet to receive confirmation of a closing date or signed paperwork.

While common sense tells us that the housing market can not recover until the foreclosures are sold, the reality is that the banks can not keep up with the paperwork required to transfer the property.   There are a lot of layers and people, with varying degree’s of work ethic, that are involved with the sale of any bank owned property.  Further frustrating to “would be” buyers, is that they can’t just call the bank and ask what is going on.  There is no one to ask for help, as there is when buying from a real owner.

As the nation’s banks anticipate owning another 1.5 million foreclosed homes in 2009, things will likely get worse in terms of getting rid of them quickly.   Maybe outraged buyers, and the neighbors who tolerate these blights on our communities, should all cry out to their congressmen for help.  Perhaps, they can force the banks to step up their management of foreclosed homes, and force the agents and servicers to do their jobs.

Thank for you for visiting InfoTube.net.  If you need an InfoTube or InfoBox for your “for sale sign”, we are the manufacturer and we do it all in the USA.   Please feel free to shop on our site, place a Free Property Listing or Search our database for thousands of great homes for sale or rent. We also provide MLS listings for “by owners” for a one-time fee of $399.

Results from a study just released by HomeGain revealed an ongoing ’tug of war’ between home sellers and real estate agents.  According to the survey,  50 percent of homeowners said their houses should be priced 10-20 percent higher than agents have  recommended.  Conversely, 60 percent of real estate agents reported that prospective buyers are telling them that home asking prices are still too high.

One thing we can learn from this study is that one of these groups is certainly wrong.  Either home owners are unrealistic about what their houses are worth or agents are too pessimistic about what the home will sell for.  

On one hand, agent’s have more knowledge about the market than the average home seller does and they do talk with buyer’s every day.   Yet, real estate agents have an incentive to push prices lower.  The lower the price, the faster the sale, the quicker they can ring the cash register and move on to the next deal.   So, what should a home seller do???

1. Ask 3 real estate agents what they would list your home for.  Ask questions and understand the reasoning behind their different price recommendations.
2. Know your competition.  Check out every house that is for sale in your area, price and size range.  Visit Open Houses to verify the condition and ammenities being offered by the competition.  Use InfoTubes and InfoBoxes on for sale signs to gain helpful insight about homes for sale in your neighborhood.   Explore property MLS listings on Realtor.com.
3. Visit New Home Subdivisions.  All things being equal, most buyers would chose a new home over a pre-owned home, if everything was equal.   Find out how builders are pricing new homes that are similar to yours.   Keep in mind that builders also offer thousands of dollars in incentives or special financing, and they include these things in their asking prices.   Try to learn everything you can from the builder and deduct the incentives and specials that you can’t match from their asking price to get a realistic look.
4. Visit your county property tax database.  Most counties provide sales and comparable home information online.  Your local taxing department is the final authority about what homes actually sold for.

Remember that homes are selling every day, if they are priced right.  While seller’s want to hold out for the best offer, agents want to make quick sales.  The real truth about asking versus selling prices lies somewhere in between, so home seller’s need to check their facts, first.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net.  Please search our site to learn about thousands of great deals on real estate or if you are selling or renting a home, place a Free Home Listing with our compliments.

Creative real estate or housing anyone???  A friend sent me an email with pictures of a very sweet little pad.  I love this and wanted to share it.

Entry Way and Stair Case

Kitchen and Living Room

Master Bedroom

Master Bath with Walk in Shower

Doesn’t this home seem very modern?  Perhaps, something you would see in a swanky highrise condo in a big city????

SURPRISE:  HERE’S THE INCREDIBLE PART I LOVE

The one bedroom, one bath loft apartment was built inside a 1940’s grain silo.

The old grain silo was recycled into this upscale apartment, after it was purchased and relocated to the grounds of the Homestead Inn, located in New Braunfels, TX in 2007.

If this isn’t an example of creative craftmanship, I don’t know what is.  Love those Texan’s!!!

Thank you, Pat for forwarding this wonderful property information to me.  Hopefully, it will encourage others to think “out of the box” when it comes to creating affordable housing and perserving our resources.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website.  Feel free to place a free property listing, or search our database for thousands of great deals on real estate from coast-to-coast.  

If you know of a unique or smart piece of property, please send us the details and pictures.  Our readers love real estate and we love sharing the resourceful and creative spirit of the American people with our readers.

This short video clip offers a very interesting look at changes in world demographics and the progress of information technology.  Do yourself a favor and watch this one.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale website. Place a free property listing on the site or search our database for thousand’s of property listings.

Calling all Frank Sinatra fans.   You now have a chance to own a piece of Rat Pack History for only $4.8 million. 

Villa Maggio, Frank’s desert hideaway, located 30 minutes from beautiful Palm Desert, CA is up for sale.  Mr Sinatra named the gorgeous estate after the role he played as Private Angelo Maggio in the movie “From Here to Eternity”.

Some more interesting facts about Sinatra’s Villa Maggio include:

• Old Blue Eye’s built his desert hideout in the 1970’s.  He used it as a getaway for his family and friends.
• The property sits on 7+ acres and is perched over the valley at an elevation of around 4300 feet.
• The estate includes a main house, two guest houses, swimming pool, heliport and lighted tennis courts. 
• The Rat Pack traveled on the Pines to Palm Highway to reach the mountain top hideaway, or they they flew to Palm Springs, then Sinatra helicoptered them to the property.
• Sinatra owned the property for 12 years, then donated it to Loyola Marymount University, which sold it for $1.4 million in 1989.
• The property is presently owned by a celebrity.
• Sinatra designed the kitchen in the home himself.  He loved to cook, especially pasta dishes.  His kitchen has remained unchanged through the years.
• Photographs of the famous hideaway are fantastic.  Click Here to check out the wonderful slideshow of Villa Maggio.  (One picture features the original telephones with 50 lines).

Thank you visiting InfoTube.net.  We hope you enjoyed taking a wonderful walk down memory lane with us.   Please accept our invitation to place a Free Property Listing on our website, or search our database for thousands of great deals on homes for sale or rent.

As the spring home selling season approaches, many homeowner’s rush to put their houses on the market.   Interest rates are low, tax rebates and sales incentives abound, and home prices are more affordable than they have been in a decade. 

But, before you throw the ‘for sale’ sign in the yard, please educate yourself about the common mistakes you should avoid, if you want to sell your home.  Decades of real estate experience have proven again and again, that making these mistakes, even once, will stop any sale in its tracks.

1. Pricing:  Setting an unrealistic price is the biggest mistake home seller’s make.  The home MUST be initially priced at or under its competition, or you are simply wasting time and money.  Some seller’s toy with the notion of “low balling” their asking price, hoping for bidding wars and a quick sale.  While this strategy sometimes works on lower priced property, it doesn’t work in higher price ranges.   Buyer’s in a higher price range simply think that the seller is desperate, which always results in even lower offers, not bidding wars.   We won’t address overpricing, because there is nothing to say.  The truth is no one will overpay for your home, it won’t appraise anyway, so please keep it off the market, until you are ready to be realistic. 
2. Property Condition:  Know as much as you can about the condition of your property, fix everything that will stop a sale, and disclose everything you know about the property condition to the buyer.   If you don’t, when the problematic inspection report is revealed, the buyer will cancel the contract and walk.   Afterward, the seller will find themselves in a much worse position because they lost momentum, valuable time on the market, and the cancelation signals that something was wrong with the house.  The seller will also be required by law to disclose everything found on the prior inspection report, so there is nothing to gain and a lot to lose by hiding the facts.  
3. Working with Today’s Buyer’s:  It is a mistake to not entertain any offer, no matter how low the inital offer is.  Buyer’s in this market make low ball offer’s first, to test the desperation of the seller.  You will never know what price a buyer may be willing to pay for your home, if you don’t negotiate with them.
4. Potentially Unqualified Buyer’s:  NEVER get into a contract with a buyer who isn’t financially qualified for a loan.  A letter of prequalification is not enough to take a home off the market.  First, know who the lender is and require full underwriting approval within days of the acceptance of the offer.  Be sure to write this loan approval (not prequalification) provision into your contract.  Maintain your Active Listing Status and DO NOT indicate that your home is Contract Pending until the buyer has verifiable loan approval.

Thank you for visiting InfoTube.net homes for sale or rent website.  Feel free to post a Free Listing.  Or, Upgrade to a Featured Home Ad which provides buyer’s all the information, video’s and pictures they are looking for.  A Featured Home listing costs only $19.95 and the listing stays active until you sell or cancel.