I Think I'll Wait Until The Market Is Better For Sellers

Homeowners are finally starting to realize that we are in a Buyer's Market right now. I've heard more than one owner say, "Let me know when it's a Seller's Market again. Then I'll put my house on the market." If your plans are to sell and then put the proceeds into the bank or stock market, waiting for the market to shift back in favor of Sellers is a good strategy. But if you are looking at Selling in order to Buy a different home (upsizing or downsizing) then you may want to rethink your strategy. Remember, if the market is better for you as a Seller, then it is also better for the Seller of the home you want to purchase. Being realistic about your home's value now and taking advantage of the equity in that home to get into this Buyer's Market may be just the ticket to purchasing the home of your dreams. The best way to find out is to consult with a competent agent who has a good deal of market experience, preferably an agent who has been practicing real estate for at least seven years and understands the current market conditions. For information on what to expect from a Buyer's agent, visit my website at www.janicespencer.com and use the corresponding link on the right column.

I THINK I'LL JUST WAIT AND SEE!

These are the frequently heard comments of many prospective Buyers right now. With all the media hype about the market down turn, slow down, and bubble bursting, many Buyers feel uneasy about making a home purchase right now. Perhaps you are one of those who are saying to yourself, "I think I'll just wait to see what the market is going to do." I can't say I blame you. After all, the news is always right and to be trusted.....right? Or could there be another side to the story, or perhaps additional information that might change your opinion about this being a bad time to plunge into the real estate market? What would you think if I told you that this is probably the best time in the last dozen years to buy a home? When you finally stop laughing or scratching your head, check back in to see why I truly believe that now I a GREAT TIME TO BUY! Watch for more in a few days...

Searching For Property Online

There are so many places to search for property information online these days. Many of these sites have only limited information or are not very user friendly. Many company and agent websites require consumers to register in order to search, and many company and agent sites allow you to only see their listings. Some of these sites do allow you to search via an MLS feed, but most have feeds only from the MLS that that agent/company is a member of. The most popular real estate search site is Realtor.com because it does provide information from every MLS and it does not require users to register. The problem with Realtor.com is that it provides very limited information on properties unless the listing agent pays a fee to have more of their listing information included. This means that you, the consumer, can only access limited information and usually only one photo per listing for the majority of properties shown on Realtor.com. One real estate company based out of Seattle does provide MLS information on its website from areas all over the Northwestern United States and Hawaii. That company is Windermere, and it's website employs a state of the art map based search called PropertyPoint. Many local Windermere offices and agents have this search tool available, and you are never asked to register in order to get the information you want. The search shows you highly detailed information on every listing as well as every photo for each listing that is posted to MLS. PropertyPoint provides an unparalleled search experience that you simply must try. To test this power search tool, visit my website at http://www.janicespencer.com or visit the company's main site at http://www.windermere.com.