I recently saw an ad of a house for sale. I am interested in calling the REALTOR® to see if the seller would be interested in a rent-to-own agreement, but I am hesitant to contact the Realtor because I fear that they would just tell me that the seller will not agree to it. My question is: what is in it for the realtor? Would they still make a profit off of the house or not?

-Jeff

Most sellers are not willing to do a lease-to-own in the current market. It does not hurt to ask, for sure. The Realtor may earn a part of the first month’s rent and then a commission at closing of the property. It is best to find a property you like to lease, then have the first right of refusal to purchase the property. That means that at the end of the lease, if the owner wants to sale, you would have the first right to make a purchase of the home.

Amy Downs is a REALTOR®  with Keller Williams Realty in Dallas, TX.

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Amy Downs gives us an insightful look at how the numbers have changed as we’ve rolled with the trends throughout the first decade of the millenium.

“In 1999, the top 3 real estate marketing methods were yard signs, newspaper ads and open houses; and, nine out of ten home buyers financed their home on a 30-year fixed mortgage loan.

Only 37 percent of people used the internet to search for a home. Today, 90 percent of home buyers and sellers use the internet to search for a home according to a buyer and seller profile from NAR.”

Everyone likes to make predictions as the new year begins, trying to decipher how the tides will roll in 2010. But as the old saying goes, we can’t know where we’re going until we know where we’ve been.

So with that in mind, click through now to read Amy Downs’ blog.

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Going green is not just about sustainability. Much of what it means to be green revolves around living healthier lives now, so that we can grow old in better health. Living a healthier life starts at home, and paying attention to the pollutants that we live with everyday is an essential part of making our lives cleaner and greener. A growing trend in new construction is building homes that improve our quality of life by providing a cleaner living environment.

Amy Downs blogs about healthy living in your home:

“Consumers are more conscientious about healthy living than ever before, and this awareness is making its way to the homebuilding industry, particularly in the custom home market. The new emphasis toward healthy living focuses around four main categories – air, water, odor/fumes and lighting.

According to the U.S. Green Building Council, pollutants are often two to five times higher indoors than outdoors, and this can significantly affect air in the home by causing breathing problems and respiratory diseases. There are several products available on the market that homeowners should incorporate into their home.”

Amy continues her post with a list of several products that are being incorporated into new homes to create a healthier living space.  Most of these products were designed to filter out the pollutants from outside the home that can multiply once they are in an enclosed space.

Click through to read Amy Downs’ full post.

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How can i go about finding a reputable renter for my home?

-Kate

If you have a Realtor represent you with the marketing of your rental property, then they will secure an application along with items such as rental history, credit report, financials, work history and income. The person that handles the application will check  the accuracy of these items, and they will work on your behalf to make sure you are satisfied with the applicant before securing a lease for your property.

The Realtor can also prepare the lease and any other necessary documents pertaining to the lease. The lease will have all terms set forth by owner and tenant, and it will be binding during the term of the lease.

Amy Downs is a REALTOR®  with Keller Williams Realty in Dallas, TX.

Are you interested in having a qualified REALTOR® answer your questions? Click through to Ask a REALTOR® now.

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How do I go about finding a reputable renter for my home?

-Kate

If you have a REALTOR® represent you with the marketing of your rental property, then they will secure an application along with items such as rental history, credit report, financials, work history and income.

The person that handles the application will check for the accuracy of these items and work on your behalf to make sure you are satisfied with the applicant before securing a lease for your property. The Realtor can also prepare the lease and any other necessary documents pertaining to the lease. The lease will have all terms set forth by owner and tenant and will be binding during the term of the lease.

Amy Downs is a REALTOR®  with Keller Williams Realty in Dallas, TX.

Are you interested in having a qualified REALTOR® answer your questions? Click through to Ask a REALTOR® now.

Are you a REALTOR® who would like who like to answer consumer questions? Click through to become an Ask a REALTOR® participant.

Possible first-time home buyer here. I’m looking at a house and the REALTOR® doesn’t want to go as low on the offer as I do. The house was purchased in 2006 for $91,000 It was put on the market a year ago at $75,000. The current asking price is $54,900. I would like to offer $30,000 just as a first offer. My real estate agent tells me he spoke to the agent selling the house and that he doesn’t see us getting it for less than $50,000.

Is it too much for me to want to at least offer $30,000? I understand that there is a 99.9% chance they’ll turn it down, I just don’t want to start too high in my first offer. Family, friends and co-workers are telling me I should be able to offer what I want, but my Realtor is telling me “to avoid wasting everybody’s time,” we should just offer $45,000. He tells me he’s confident I won’t find a better deal than this house.

-Geoffrey

Your Realtor should make the offer that you want to offer. However, if your Realtor has received a notification that the seller will not accept less than $45K, then that should mean that they know something that is a fact.

There are a few reasons why your Realtor would tell you this, for example:

1) If the property is a foreclosure or short sale, the bank may not be willing to take less than $45K, and the listing agent may have that knowledge and has given that information to your Realtor. Otherwise, I would find another Realtor to make the offer on your behalf if your Realtor is unwilling to do so.
2) They could have higher offers on the table.
3) They could have already submitted offers at this level without acceptance.

You could also contact the listing agent and tell them what is going on to see if they have heard from your Realtor regarding the offer you want to make.

Amy Downs is a REALTOR®  with Keller Williams Realty in Dallas, TX.

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Let’s say a real estate agent is licensed in Texas. He has a client who lives in Michign, but is moving to Florida. He wants to help the client find a home in Florda but is not licensed in that state. If he refers his client to a licensed agent in Florida, can he split any commission with that agent or is there any type of referral fee? -Eric

The Texas-licensed REALTOR® can receive a referral fee from the Florida-licensed Realtor. That agreement would be between the two agents.

Amy Downs is a REALTOR®  with Keller WIlliams Realty in Dallas, TX.

Are you interested in having a qualified REALTOR® answer your questions? Click through to Ask a REALTOR® now.

Are you a REALTOR® who would like to answer buyer and seller questions? Click through to become an Ask a REALTOR® participant.