What information is a seller’s agent allowed to disclose?

Question: “When we bought our house, the seller’s agent told our agent the seller would come down $25,000. And sure enough, we offered a little low and they came down the 25K. Now that we plan to sell and the shoe is on the other foot, I don’t want our agent saying things like that.
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Should I reduce the asking price of my home?

Question: “My wife and I have had our home on the market since October, at $825,000 and it hasn’t sold. Our agent told us to reduce the price. But we don’t want to lose money. What should we do?” Answer: I hear that often and am sympathetic to your plight.  But it sounds like you’ve
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Are home valuation websites accurate?

Question: “A Realtor just told me my home is worth $850,000, but Zillow says $975,000 and…” Answer: Hold on…you must be a new subscriber to this newsletter! Otherwise, you’d have seen my regular rants (my son says too regular!) about how laughably inaccurate EVERY home valuation website is. Now, I’m not going to be like
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Anticipate delays in closing when planning your move out date

Question: “Last time I sold my home, I moved out the day we were supposed to close and got burned. The buyer had loan problems and the closing was delayed for 3 weeks. I got stuck making payments on an empty condo. Now I’m planning to sell my house and want to protect myself so
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How do I know if I should change my carpets?

Question: “Should I change my carpets before we sell our house?” Answer: Good question. It depends on what I call the “Eww, Oh, Ooo Test.” “Eww!” If your carpets are so torn, worn, stained, smelly, or of such an ugly color that a homebuyer would say “EWW!”, it could make your home hard to sell
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How much should I list my home for relative to its value?

Question: “How much should a person list their home for relative to the value?” Answer: Great question. To get the most activity and leave a bit of negotiating room, the optimal amount is about 2% over value, except for higher price ranges. If your home is valued over $1,500,000, I recommend you list about 3%
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How can I find an agent to accurately price my home?

Question: “I know my home is worth at least 1.1 million, but the first two agents I talked to said it’s in the 900s. Where can I find an agent who knows how to accurately price a home?” Answer: Let me first say that you could be right. Your home may well be worth 1.1
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Not every power of attorney allows you to sell property

Question: “My mother owns her home in her trust. She’s not well, so I’m handling the sale for her. I have power of attorney and…” Answer: Before we go on, we need to determine if that power of attorney is actually valid to sell the house. Now, you may be thinking, “Of course it is.
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What is the reinvestment requirement when I sell my home?

Question: “I just sold my house. How long do I have to reinvest and buy another home?” Answer: There’s no reinvestment requirement when you sell your home. The law that applies is IRS Section 121, known as the Principal Residence Exclusion. Under that law, you don’t pay tax on the first 250K of gain (singles)
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Do real estate agents have to present all offers?

Question: “I had my house in escrow and found out that I got a HIGHER offer before the house closed. But my agent never told me about it. I’ve heard that agents are supposed to ‘present all offers,’ aren’t they?” Answer: You’re 100% right! The seller’s agent is required to inform the seller of ALL
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