Welcome to For Sale By Owner News and Views. We bring the latest news, tips, articles, and more on selling and buying your home by owner so YOU can save thousands of dollars in commissions!

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Wed Jan 03, 2007

Realtors take over HOA; outlaw FSBO signs

A reader of ours from West Palm Beach recently sent in this question:

I have had my house on market since January 2005 and have a For Sale By Owner Sign in my backyard. I live in West Palm Beach. The HOA had 2 new board members who are realtors who came on board in November 2005. The HOA rules have never been changed since it was begun in 1987 and now the realtors have banned FSBO signs on property. I bought off a For Sale Sign in 1997 and now I cannot sell off a For Sale Sign since realtors are banning FSBO's. I am being sued because I refuse to remove my FSBO signs on my property. Are you interested in hearing more on this? Can you help me get the word out that when realtors get on HOA boards, they change the FSBO sign laws for their personal finacial benefit. The HOA wants a lot of money from me because I have refused to take down my FSBO sign in my backyard. I just want to move away from here. 95% of my buyers call off that FSBO sign. If I don't have a sign up , I won't have anyone call me to see house. I am stuck here. Please advise. Thank you. Click to read more... (Read 1802 times - 0 comments)

Wed Jun 07, 2006

Economists warnings finally hit home

Economists have long warned Florida homeowners that the ride couldn’t last. Like Busch Gardens newest thrill, Sheikra, the adventure through the market was filled with thrills, rolls, some turns, and seemingly ended all too fast. While slowing considerably over the past several months, it appears the next group will get their turn.
Click to read more... (Read 1968 times - 0 comments)

The Big Glut

IT WOULD SEEM TO HAVE IT ALL: four bedrooms, a guest house, a pool and a rock waterfall. But the vacation home in Naples, Fla., hasn't been drawing much interest from buyers, so the seller recently threw in that most modern of amenities: the $1 million price cut. That's brought the asking price down a full 25%. "If you want to sell, you've got to go back to '04 prices," says Chip Harris of Coldwell Banker Previews International, which is handling the property. Click to read more... (Read 2635 times - 0 comments)

Biloxi-Gulfport Cashing In On Florida's Coastal Land Drain

Move over Utah.

You aren't the only housing market to get a cozy warm feeling from a neighboring state's hot housing market.
Click to read more... (Read 1764 times - 0 comments)

Future of Miami Real Estate Market

South Florida used to be a realtor’s dream with an explosive real estate market, land rush and skyrocketing real estate prices at the start of the year 2000. In North Bay Village alone, real estate prices were up by as much as 250 percent and in Sully Isle Beach by as much as 200 percent. Click to read more... (Read 2176 times - 0 comments)

The housing bubble has popped

Reports of falling sales and investors stuck with properties they can't sell are just the beginning. Property owners should worry; so should their lenders.


A recent story in the Wall Street Journal, "Hot Homes Get Cold" (subscription required) offered lots of its useful vignettes that serve as a microcosm of manic markets -- starting with the bravado-cum-denial displayed by a medical-equipment salesman in Stuart, Fla. Click to read more... (Read 14433 times - 0 comments)

Tue Dec 27, 2005

Pitfalls of being approached by agents

By Mark McLeod, FLAFSBO.com Expert:

A potential customer called and echoed what two of our former customers have told us in recent months... Some agents are scheduling a walk through to see the property and as the homeowner(s) are finishing showing the home he/she pulls out their business card and tells the homeowner that they have people who would be interested in their property. What's next, you
ask? Click to read more... (Read 3828 times - 0 comments)

Tue Dec 20, 2005

Watch out for agents who claim to have buyers for your home!

By Raymond Hines III, FLAFSBO.com Expert:

A For Sale By Owner customer of ours recently sold their home successfully through us in just one week. As we do with our customers, we ask them how their experience went and this one had a horror tale to tell, which is starting to become all too common these days. No, this isn't one of those oft maligned "FSBO sale gone awry!" tales trotted out by agents... It's actually the opposite! Click to read more... (Read 2996 times - 0 comments)

Wed Aug 31, 2005

Agent Scare Tactics Still Reign Supreme

By Raymond Hines - FLAFSBO.com

Just today I stopped at the local Home Depot to get some reflective phone number stickers for a customer's FSBO sign. While browsing in the real estate sign aisle for the right numbers, I noticed someone kept glancing over at me and watching what I was doing. I just ignored the fellow, grabbed the numbers I needed, and went to the cashier to pay for them. Click to read more... (Read 3058 times - 0 comments)

Sat Jun 04, 2005

Updates to resume shortly...

We'll be updating the blog again soon when we get back from a much needed short vacation... Thanks and stay tuned! Click to read more... (Read 3948 times - 0 comments)

Sun May 29, 2005

On the move? Make sure you're covered

If you're moving this summer, get enough insurance in case the truck hits a pothole along the way.

There's a pretty good chance it might. One in five consumers moving across state borders files a loss or damage claim with the mover, according to the American Moving and Storage Association. Click to read more... (Read 5045 times - 0 comments)

Sat May 28, 2005

Is it time to buy or sell in real estate?

When Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan used the word "froth" in connection with the current real-estate market last week, he was rather late to the party. Economists, pundits and journalists have been saying for months that the real-estate market is overheated. About the only people who aren't fretting about soaring real-estate prices are the ever-upbeat real-estate brokers (and even they will say, off the record, that the market is crazy) and, of course, investors making their deposits on unbuilt Florida condos. Click to read more... (Read 3976 times - 0 comments)

Fri May 27, 2005

The scoop about agent disclosures

Most states require real estate agents to disclose up-front who he or she is representing in a transaction. If they don't, the consumer needs to ask.

If you aren't sure, don't be afraid to ask Click to read more... (Read 2679 times - 0 comments)

Sun May 22, 2005

First offer on your home not always the best one

If you've ever sold your home, chances are you're familiar with the real estate phrase: "The first offer is usually the best one."

Can't you just hear the agent saying, "Don't get greedy." "A bird in the hand." The message is clear: Accept the darn offer! Click to read more... (Read 4119 times - 0 comments)

Sat May 21, 2005

Home Buyers Get Personal

Acacia and Ludovic Brisbois found their dream home after a year of searching around Sebastopol and submitted a full-price offer -- along with a personalized letter with photos -- to the sellers the day it hit the market. Click to read more... (Read 3778 times - 0 comments)

Fri May 20, 2005

How to avoid buying a 'bad house'

If you, a friend or a relative ever bought a "bad house," it is an event that is never forgotten and is often shared with others in hopes they won't make the same mistake. Another name for a bad house is a "money pit."

Personally, although I've bought and sold dozens of rental houses and condos, I recall only two truly "bad houses" with lots of undisclosed defects. More about them later. Click to read more... (Read 2911 times - 0 comments)

Thu May 19, 2005

Should I recruit a mortgage broker or lender to find a real estate loan?

"How do I know whether I am better off going to a mortgage broker or a lender?"

This question has no answer. The better question is whether you should shop the retail market yourself or retain a broker as your agent to shop the wholesale market for you. Click to read more... (Read 9363 times - 0 comments)

Sun May 15, 2005

New-home buyers opt for amenities, not size

Given the choice between more space or higher-quality features, new-home buyers are overwhelmingly opting for the latter, according to the latest survey data from the National Association of Home Builders. Click to read more... (Read 3040 times - 0 comments)

Sat May 14, 2005

How to avoid buying a 'bad house'

f you, a friend or a relative ever bought a "bad house," it is an event that is never forgotten and is often shared with others in hopes they won't make the same mistake. Another name for a bad house is a "money pit." Click to read more... (Read 5344 times - 0 comments)

Thu May 12, 2005

Realtor Commissions Face New Pressure

A threatened lawsuit by the Justice Department is likely to boost the slowly developing business of selling homes at discounted commissions. Click to read more... (Read 4048 times - 0 comments)

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