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FSBO: Should You Sell Your Home Without a Realtor?
And there are other potential challenges you may encounter when trying to sell the home yourself. “Our team has inherited listings from people who initially tried to sell with a limited service broker or on their own and the result is almost always the same. Most don’t sell,” according to Matt Miner, co-principal and real estate broker at the Get Happy at Home team of Coldwell Banker Bain in Seattle, WA.
For one reason, Miner says realtors are leery of homes being sold by the owner. “They are often very challenging transitions with a much higher probability of failure,” he says. “When we inherit these sorts of listings, we end up selling the home for much more than they were unable to sell.”
The Big Differences Between a One-Bedroom Apartment and a Studio Apartment
“There is a trend in more recent years to call a studio an 'open one-bedroom,' where the difference would be a sleeping alcove that wouldn't qualify as a bedroom, due to lack of door or ingress/egress space,” says Ian Gordon, a real estate broker and principal at Get Happy at Home in Seattle.
16 Home Improvement and Decor Trends for 2019
Another big color, according to Realtor Matt Miner: blue. “Navy and indigo blue for cabinets — especially as an accent island, or lower cabinets with white primary or uppers — are really gaining traction.”
17 Things to Look for When Hunting for a Home Online
Understandably, the size of a home is one of the first things people want to know when they're browsing online; it may even be one of their major search criteria. But be wary if the photos don't seem to show all the space that the square footage might indicate. "A lot of listing agents include the entire square footage of the home when in reality not all square footage is livable or even finishable for that matter," warns Amber Ketchum of Seattle's Get Happy at Home Team of Coldwell Banker Bain. "Sometimes they also include the garage square footage in the home's square footage, which is not correct."
Q13 Fox
Matt Miner of Get Happy At Home joins us in studio with some real estate tips for buying and selling your home.
Summer Chores for a Happier Home
Ah, sweet summertime. As the season of sun and fun gets underway, it’s also a great time to tackle summer projects to keep your home in ship-shape all year long. The Seattle-based real estate team, Get Happy at Home of Coldwell Banker Bain, has provided a handy list below of “Summer Chores for a Happier Home.”
7 questions to ask your real estate agent before it's too late
If you think the only costs you have to worry about are your utilities and mortgage payment, think again.
Depending on the age of your home, you should also consider maintenance costs. Matt Miner, a Seattle-based broker with Get Happy at Home, said that "buyers should talk with their agents about what it costs to properly maintain a home so they can budget accordingly for different types of homes."
That's especially true if you're considering an older home where heating and cooling costs can be much higher than a new build.
The Next Door Neighbor Problem
You've prepped your home carefully and priced it right and are ready to put it on market. But before you list it, there's another box to check off:
6 Winter Home Maintenance Projects You Should Do in the Middle of Summer (Yes, Really)
“Staining your decks and fences should be done during the summer, because it takes several days of warm weather to dry out the wood completely,” says associate broker Amber Ketchum of Coldwell Banker Bain in Seattle. “Exterior painting is the same as staining decks—you do not want rain. You also don't want overly hot weather, so this can be a delicate balance, but warm weather is best so that you can give the paint time to dry.”
28 House-Flipping Rules You Should Never Break
It’s easy to watch all of the house-flipping and home renovation programs on television and get inspired to do the same. Enter the field on a small scale, advised Matt Miner, co-principal and real estate broker for the Seattle-based Get Happy at Home team of Coldwell Banker Bain.
“If you aren’t a professional flipper and you don’t have the knowledge, expertise or contacts, you should definitely start smaller,” he said. “The likelihood you will run into issues grows as the project becomes larger.”
20 Things to Never Say While House Hunting
“Any realtor that you have not entered into a client relationship with should be treated as opposing counsel,” said Ian Gordon, co-principal and real estate broker at Coldwell Banker Bain. “Anything you say to an agent at an open house, for example, may be used for the benefit of the seller as the agent has a client relationship with the seller and not you.”
Late September brings good market for Seattle home buyers
Economists say an abundance of inventory mixed with sellers who are willing to cut prices all equal benefits for buyers.
Matt, Amber, Ian and Trang are the DREAM TEAM! My husband and I are new-ish to Seattle. The market is crazy here, and we knew if we didn't try to get in quick, we may never afford it. Before we knew it our lender had referred us to these guys, and we were in their office getting to work! We are so pleased with the easygoing, determined, detail-oriented attitude of this team. This team is great for LGBTQ+ buyers, as well as first timers. They went the extra mile to explain the ins and outs of the buying process. We enjoyed several outings to see properties with them before finding our little spot in Cap Hill. We felt supported and heard throughout the process. If you're looking for a cold, sterile buying experience, you might want to look elsewhere. If you want a personalized experience with a fun, lively group, then the Get Happy at Home team is for you!
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