Posts made by author 'Jay Mattlin'

A real estate transaction can be an exciting thing to experience, but it can also be nerve-wracking and stressful. Your experience will largely depend on the circumstances surrounding your transaction and, perhaps more importantly, the agent you're working with.

A great agent will not only get you over the finish line to the best of their ability, but they can also change your life for the better. Here are eight ways:

1. They'll show you they care

In today's fast-paced world, it seems like everyone's attention is in short supply. A great real estate agent will show you that's not always the case, by listening and caring about you and your needs. Not only will being a good listener help an agent do their job, but it'll also show you that even in business, there are still people out there who care.

2. They can save you a lot of money

There's an old expression, "If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job...

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When you go to sell your house, there's a good chance you're not going to agree with what a real estate agent suggests for a list price.

It's one of the most common issues real estate agents deal with, and help homeowners understand.

Problem is… many homeowners don't necessarily see it as agents trying to help them, so much as convince them to do something they don't want to do.

Naturally, you want as much as you can get for your home. And, you'll certainly have your own opinion on the value of your home. You're totally entitled to your opinion. And it's totally your call to ignore the agent's advice, and list your house for as much as you like… if the agent is still willing to work with you.

But if the agent is not wil...

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Happy Flag Day!

Most of us know that once an American flag is worn, torn, or otherwise in need of being retired, we're supposed to burn it.

But most of us probably aren't in any position to burn one properly.

Going in and out of so many homes each year, I see people with flags that need to be retired, just sitting in the garage, or basement. Most likely because nobody ever motivates to figure out where to bring a flag to be properly retired.

So, with today being Flag Day, I thought it would be a good idea to send along where you can bring any flags you have that need to be retired.

In our area, you can bring your flags to your local American Legion, VFW, or Amvets. If you know a Boy Scout, you could contact their troop and ask if they will be accepting flags for retirement any time soon. Typically around Flag Day, there are several flag retirement ceremonies.

Hope that comes in handy for you now or in the future!

You want to hire the best agent when you sell your house.

You see real estate agent "John Listalots" all over town. His signs are everywhere. So, you figure he must be a great agent.

It seems like he sells almost everything in town, and you figure that he probably "has all the buyers".

From an outsider's point of view, this makes sense…

What better way to gauge and choose the best agent to list and sell your home?

You have the evidence in front of your eyes. So many other people have chosen him to sell their home, how could it not be true?

Something you should know…

Before we get into the three reasons why you shouldn't just hire the agent with all the signs around town, there's something you should know.

Very few real estate agents do tons of business. In any given area, there's always an agent or two who seem to do all of the business.

But that doesn't mean that the few agents who do most of the business...

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According to a recent study by Zillow, owning a home is more affordable than renting in most metro markets across the United States.

According to the study, renters pay an average of 29.1% of their household income towards rent, while homeowners only pay an average of 15.4% towards their mortgages. This means renting eats up nearly twice as much of your income as owning a home.

Data Source: Zillow

Thanks to rising rents, homeownership is becoming a more sen...

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