Real Estate Talks

How many websites are there where someone can post houses for sale for free. I have found quite a few so far they are :
http://www.usedkootenays.com
http://www.olx.ca
http://www.bcsuperads.com
http://www.bcforsalebyowner.com
http://www.thekootenys.com
http://www.ourfernie.com
http://www.kijiji.ca
http://www.gyos.com
http://www.craigslist.com

a lot of Facebook groups.
are there a bunch more places a person can advertise a house for sale by owner ? For sale by owner saves the commission that is paid to a overpriced realtor . A savings that is passed on to the buyer of a house . In my case that works out to be around 8 mortgage payments.

FSBO might work well sometimes but, as much as I might like to save the buyer a few bucks, I still prefer to use a good realtor. I understand using comparatives to assess a fair asking price but if I had gone the FSBO route on my last sale (several years ago) I would have mispriced the property and lost out quite badly.

Not only did my realtor do all the work and provide my property with excellent market exposure, he also introduced numerous well-qualified serious buyers and he sold it for a price which provided me with $50K more than if I had sold at what I had determined to be the probable market value. And that extra $50K was after his full commission! In my mind he earned every nickel ... and then some!

Also, keep in mind that many good realtors will negotiate a lower commission rate if pushed. Even if you agree to the full regular commission, you can always negotiate it down if he/she brings you an offer below asking price. It could well be in their interest to slash their commission in order to reduce the difference between your asking price and a lowball offer.

Smart realtors will often do whatever it takes to get the deal done, even if it means picking up a lower commission, it gives them guaranteed cash now instead of "a chance" of more cash later, and they can move on to the next deal.

A really good realtor can be a very valuable partner in the transaction and well worth the money, but a lazy or inept one can be an expensive problem, so choose your realtor carefully!

Good luck.

FSBO might work well sometimes but, as much as I might like to save the buyer a few bucks, I still prefer to use a good realtor. I understand using comparatives to assess a fair asking price but if I had gone the FSBO route on my last sale (several years ago) I would have mispriced the property and lost out quite badly.

Not only did my realtor do all the work and provide my property with excellent market exposure, he also introduced numerous well-qualified serious buyers and he sold it for a price which provided me with $50K more than if I had sold at what I had determined to be the probable market value. And that extra $50K was after his full commission! In my mind he earned every nickel ... and then some!

Also, keep in mind that many good realtors will negotiate a lower commission rate if pushed. Even if you agree to the full regular commission, you can always negotiate it down if he/she brings you an offer below asking price. It could well be in their interest to slash their commission in order to reduce the difference between your asking price and a lowball offer.

Smart realtors will often do whatever it takes to get the deal done, even if it means picking up a lower commission, it gives them guaranteed cash now instead of "a chance" of more cash later, and they can move on to the next deal.

A really good realtor can be a very valuable partner in the transaction and well worth the money, but a lazy or inept one can be an expensive problem, so choose your realtor carefully!

Good luck.

I second this.

A realtor provides a service like any other business, some services are poor, some are great and provide significant value.

Second to this is the consideration of the amount of time it may take to sell your own place. Viewings, open houses, signing, advertising, it all takes money and more importantly time.

I rather not put my business aside to rush home and show my place to a couple tire kickers.

Already tried the Realtor route and got ZERO showings while listed . I then tried a sign in the window and got two showings. I then started to put ads on Kijiji and facebook got more showings . I then tried a Realtor again and got NO showings. If i list with a Realtor again it will cost much more than i made in the entire year working. I now have almost 50 website ads and had another couple of showings with the price well below the assessment value. If a Realtor wants to sell my house they can go ahead and add their commission onto the price. And it will still be below the assessment.
http://www.realtytoronto.ca/Listing/Vie ... eview=true

Is the property on sewer and municipal water?
Also, what type of heating and water does it have?
I noticed it has a shop...is there a garage too?
Any details on the shop? heating, foundation, etc.

Also, how old is your house?
Does it have a cement foundation or is it on a cement slab?
A Vendor Take Back Mortgage would be not really a selling feature unless you are willing to carry a big one.

House on concrete foundation built around 1972,well water, natural gas heat,septic system.
Garage/shop 24 x 36 feet on concrete slab no heat or power.
also old house trailer for more storage.

My earlier comments were based on my own experiences in urban areas and may not apply to your situation. I just looked at your property which is in quite a remote location, the nearest "big population centre" appears to be Fernie, BC, which is a 45 minute drive away. It does seem to be a property which would appeal to a very limited market.

I do wonder why you were listed with an Ontario Realtor but I confess I have no clue how to market such a property. It does occur to me that you are probably limited to Fernie's few realtors and even they might be reluctant to provide an adequate level of service when showing the property involves a 45 minute drive each way.

Is it possible that the assessment value is unrealistically high? I have often heard it said that any property will sell if the price is right. I wish I could offer some bright ideas but I'm stumped, perhaps somebody else on the forum has experience selling this type of property.

Good luck.

You actually have the following statement in your advertising...

"Ask price $275,000 Realtors can add their overpriced $12,000.00 commission to the ask price
which works out to be 8 mortgage payments."

LOL! That is an excellent attitude you have there.

Good luck with that unless you lose the 'ego' marketing.

In my opinion, since you are willing to accept a lower price, you should add a realtor bonus. Now THAT will get the deal done in any market.

...yes, there are some challenges with your write up as have been pointed out.
Have you considered the possiblility that maybe your property isn't worth $275 K?
Honestly, the pictures are not that....enticing. Maybe a coat of paint and some "sprucing" up may be in order.

So i have been real busy fixing up the house and got a camera to take pictures since all the other pictures were old.http://cranbrook.en.craigslist.ca/reo/4555742273.html

Hi Kootenay. The paint job makes the house look a hundred times better. Is this house a mobile home or a modular home?
Also, that front door looks like it was placed there as an afterthought. There are two windows and one has plastic on it. It is not in the same style as the window on the right. What happened there?

Also, advertising as "100% financing" if they can borrow 5% is not really here nor there.
Why don't you just advertise "95% financing available".

One of the problems with renting out properties in places where the prices are so low is that anybody with a good job and good credit will just buy their own home, leaving you with a crappy tenant or a real shaky Buyer.

I can understand your frustration as realtors in the sticks don't tend to be as competitive as some of the city agents. But there must be someone out there who knows what they are doing.

Honestly, it's going to be a tough sale for you I think. There isn't a lot you can do to make the house more attractive so the only thing you can really do is l.o.w.e.r. the p.r.i.c.e.

What's with the following statement?

"Try your offer after all it is a buyers market".

The fact that you actually have the exact above statement in your advertisements is a bad call (not to mention the poor grammar throughout your advertising).

Here, let me fix it for you. "PLEASE LOWBALL ME!"

Also,

"Could be a money making investment"

Here, let me fix that for you..

".. But chances are it isn't."


You might think that statements like this attract offers but they don't. If anything, they scream lack of confidence in the product, and since it's coming directly from the homeowner it's even worse. Also, why are you telling buyers it's a buyers market? Even if it is a buyers market, confidence is what drives markets and this statement is not helping your situation in any way. Let the buyers decide if the time is right for that particular deal to happen.

List with the best Realtor in your area and offer a bonus and stick to your price. THIS will get your home sold and you'll NET the same amount of money.... unless you continually allow your ego to get in the way. If the market REALLY is that tough in your area, you're gonna' have a hell of a time selling privately.

Agree with Tom about the language.
Sets the wrong tone.
Yes, the comments are crying for help.

Also, this could be very misleading....

Property taxes are $1508.00 before BC home owners grant . $738.00 After.

Firstly, you are probably claiming the "Seniors" grant.
Secondly, you are advertising the property to investors who will rent out the property. They wouldn't be entitled to any grant.
Therefore, best just quote the gross tax number. That kind of misleading advertising makes you look "shady".

Kootenay, I suggest that you look really hard at the price too. I don't mean to be overly critical but
if I am looking for a quiet place to live, I can find much more appealing properties for that price.

REALTORS ARE SCAMMERS RIGHT CHOW MEIN