A seller can expect to pay approximately 1.4% for home sales $500,000 or under and 1.825% for home sales over $500,000. From here a seller needs to add realtor commission and loan payoffs. It is a safe bet to additionally add $1500 for misc. legal and title fees.

Always choose a reputable real estate attorney for what may be the biggest sale of your life! Contact us for some great attorney referrals or for more information for selling your home. Or stop by our comprehensive home seller's guide.

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Crime is a strong concern among buyers. It is human nature to want to know how safe an area is. A real estate agent is under no circumstances allowed to give his/her opinion or advice on crime. It is common practice for a professional real estate agent to refer a potential buyer to the local precinct for advice on the safety of certain areas. I can tell you as a native Staten Islander and retired New York City Police Sgt. that Staten Island is a nice place to live!

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An Open House is an old school tool to lure potential buyers into a listed home for sale. Personally I feel open houses are most as effective as they once were although on occasion they do work.

Face it. In a buyers' market, which we are in now, the buyer is somewhat in control. With that they want to be convenienced somewhat schedule wise. A buyer will request a private appointment that works for them rather than show on a set day between set hours. In a sellers' market, if you recall, 7 to 10 years ago buyers were just racing from one open house to another open house to be the first to bid on the house. Prices were climbing and home inventory was scarce. Today's market is the opposite. In a buyers market there is a larger inventory of homes and…

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Buyers should work with one agent. Many buyers feel that they should jump around from agent to agent or just deal with the listing agent.

In my personal opinion a buyer should work with one agent and only one agent. Yes they should be certain they are comfortable with the agent. The agent should be competent, accessible and knowledgeable. A buyer should actually interview the agent of their choice. Ask agent to verify his/her experience. Ask for stats. Make sure the agent is savy and knowledgeable in the market or area of interest. Inquire about their accessibility. Is the agent full time or part time? Some of the best agents are part time.

Once you have a working relationship with one agent and have established a bond, be loyal to that agent. If…

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Buying a home can be a long drawn out and stressful process. It is so important to surround yourself with true professionals. Among these professionals are a real estate broker, an attorney, a home inspector and a mortgage broker.

Your first stop aside from maybe sitting with a real estate broker to make sure you feel comfortable and “hit it off” is to contact a mortgage broker to learn or verify your true buying power. Many naïve buyers look at homes first and then worry about buying power. Wrong! Aside from not wasting your time, seller’s time and real estate agents time, a buyer needs a pre qual from a reputable banking institution for various reasons:

• You need to know true buying power
• You need to know the monthly cost or expected budget
• If…

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