Avoiding web parasites!

When you are searching the web for real estate, it may be wise to "think before you click" and give your name, phone number or search criteria out.

Today many website owners are strongly implying that they are a local Florence Oregon real estate broker or expert (or any other combination of search words) when in fact they have little no intimate or expert knowledge of the Florence Oregon area. In most cases their goal is to insert themselves as into the transaction as a referring agent for a hefty referral fee.

So what is the problem? In a tight economy the Principal Broker may not be as willing to negotiate the brokerage fee in a tight transaction if they are obligated to pay a huge 3rd party refferal fee. This can affect your broker's attitude and your bottom line, whether you are buyer or seller. In my view, many referring websites create a parasitic relationship and you are the host!

If you are looking for a Florence real estate expert, it may be helpfull to do the following basic things. Make sure the published phone numbers on the web site have an area code of 541 and a prefix of 997, 902, 991 or 999 before contacting. Take time to read the web bio of several agents in the area and then interview them on the phone to make sure they are local and you are comfortable with their level of skill.

Also, if you are currently in a transaction and you are pleased with your broker, you can ask them to refer you. They should be willing to do the above research to assure you are getting hooked up with the best possible representation!

How do you want to spend your time?

As of today, the Florence area market,including Mapleton, has 448 active residential listings with an average asking price of $284,000. In the last 30 days, there have been 10 residential sales with an average sold price of $234,000 with an average time on market of 370 days. The 10 properties that actually sold had been reduced to an average price of $257,000.

If we exclude condo sales from the above data, the average active asking price is $319,000 with an average sold price in the last 30 days of $210,000.

The story here is that when listing prices are within 10% of the actual value, they sell. If you are tired of non activity as a seller you may want to request a thorough CMA to check your market position. At this time it appears that the market is dropping at a rate of about 1% per month. When you as a seller, add insurance , taxes and other carrying costs, you may find a price reduction to be beneficial to your financial and personal goals!

I you are a buyer, there are many excellent buying opportunities to choose from! Call me today for a no obligation market analysis or a market overview from a buyer's perspective. I can save you time!

Don't Take The Bait!

While some firms are boasting the largest market share, the largest staff and the largest ads, to obtain your listing, you may want reconsider before committing.

As of today, we have 445 residential homes on the market with 12 home sales in the last month for an average sale price of $217,000 and an average Time of Market of 389 days. Added to that is an additional 225 vacant land properties with an average days on market of 376.

So why are the days on market so extraordinary as compared to other areas of the state? The most common answer is "We are in a bad market". Unfortunately, there is more at work here than a bad market. The "list at any price" brokerage firm may not be telling you that you are the one for paying for the lack of proper pricing using a CMA and professional counseling.

For instance, one listing that had been on the market @ $375,000.00 and finally sold 891 days later at $235,000. If only the agent had the strength to convince the seller what the property was really worth in the beginning, the property would have sold for more and spared the seller years of carrying costs.

Thankfully, there are some great real estate practitioners in this town that I am willing to recommend, even though they are my competitors. Also, we are seeing some excellent buying opportunities!