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Category: Home Selling

  • Snowbirds’ Tax Break: Keep or Lose?

    Dear Monty: My wife and I own two homes, one in Florida with that house in her name and my house in Ohio in my name. We are residents of Florida. We live in Florida for six months and a couple of weeks each year and live in my Ohio house at other times. I…

  • Sell at a $70K Loss or Become a Landlord?

    Dear Monty: We need to move to Minnesota, and we live in Texas. It’s a new build; we’ve lived in it for 2 years, got all the upgrades, and it backs up to a hiking trail and gated community outside of Austin. In theory, it should have been appreciated, but it has not. There are…

  • How to Conduct a FSBO Open House

    How to Conduct a FSBO Open House Dear Monty: How do we conduct a FSBO open house? We are first-time home sellers. A friend just sold their home FSBO and told us it was not complicated. We want to start the process with an open house, but we want to avoid mistakes. Can you give…

  • Dear Monty Research

    FORWARD Below is a short string of experiments inspired by curiosity. In 1966, at 21 years of age, with a new license to sell real estate and having a broker with integrity, drive, and a trusting personality, it was a super-exciting launch to what I now look back on and reflect was a long and…

  • Recruiting New Agents is Critical for Real Estate Companies

    Dear Monty: I have bought and sold several homes as a relocating employee. I have always been curious about how real estate companies establish commissions for their agents. My experiences have been from poor to good. I wonder if how they are paid has an effect on their production. Can you explain the system?  Monty’s…

  • Search by Home Type for Comparable Sales

    Dear Monty: I am preparing to buy my first home. Depending on whom I speak with or even when I read an article or datasheet, I need clarification about two common words in the real estate vocabulary. They appear to be interchangeable.  The words are “style” and “type.” Monty’s Answer: These two words have different…

  • Seven Reasons to be wary of MLS

    Seven Reasons to be wary of MLS

    Be wary when using the MLS.

  • Nine reasons selling a home is easy

    Nine reasons selling a home is easy

    Dear Monty: We are selling our home in 2024. We know of your involvement in PropBox. You state that selling a home with PropBox is easy. A real estate agent has argued that selling our home on our own is complicated and risky without a real estate agent. Having control and saving money sounds good,…

  • Ten ways to stay safe when selling your home

    Dear Monty: I recently listed my home for sale. There have been several showings. Yesterday I had a showing that made me worry about safety. A couple came through with their agent. I thought it was unusual the way they looked at the house. While the agent asked me questions, they took it upon themselves…

  • Will iBuyers survive after Zillow?

    Dear Monty: Zillow has announced they will no longer participate as an iBuyer due to heavy losses. What affect do you think Zillow’s departure will have on the overall iBuyer concept? Monty’s Answer: Will iBuyers survive after Zillow is unknown. According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Zillow lost $328 million in the 3rd…

  • Eight reasons technology will replace real estate agents

    A debate rages today in real estate’s inner circles. Agents are wondering if they can withstand the competitive pressures to take market share away from them. Will they be able to make a living with all the for-sale-by-owners and cut-rate companies. Will the industry survive? This writer opins that the answer is no, and the…

  • Why do real estate companies want to buy our house?

    Dear Monty: Why do real estate companies want to buy our house? We are not planning on selling our home just yet. One of the curious observations we have is that real estate companies have started to promote buying our home within the last year. The idea is that by selling directly to a real…

  • Does for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) work?

      Dear Monty: Does for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) work? I recently read an article that lambasted homeowners for even thinking about selling on their own. We recently sold our home without an agent. The article did not depict how the marketplace works today, based on my recent experience. I saw it as a hit-piece written by a…

  • Eight topics to consider when buying an Airbnb investment?

    Reader Question: We are a four-person group wanting your opinion on topics to consider when buying an Airbnb investment. We have invested in other commercial property types, but this would be our first bed and breakfast. The six units generate an eight-percent cap rate. 2019 was the first year in service. There are numerous significant…

  • Why do so many states not regulate home inspectors? 

      Reader Question: Why do so many states not regulate home inspectors?  Monty’s Answer: Your question about why do so many states not regulate home inspectors is an excellent question. To answer this question accurately requires academic research that is beyond the scope of this column. I will reach out to the James A. Graaskamp…