The Tampa Housing Bubble 2.0 Thread (Clearwater, Palm Harbor: days on market, short sales, 2015)

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by Garson

I have purchased TEN homes in the last Ten years so I am pretty sure I know how it works.

As a seller FSBO takes a lot more work than most are willing to do. You have to be present whenever the home is shown. Any unavailability in showing a home just means it will be on the market that much longer.

How about having a choice? As it set up now you have to have a realtor unless you can find FSBO listing. Heck, I would take 3% discount on house price if there is only sellers realtor involved and I am buying without one. But now, the way system set up now 5-6% fees are going out of sale price no matter what...

[jacktheknife]

Originally Posted by EngGirl

Oh pleeeeaaaase!!!
Their only interest is to close the deal so they can get paid. This is their main and only interest. If you not agree, we will have to disagree on this one

Exactly right, their ONLY job is to make a sale at the highest possible price...

Realtors are about the most unethical people out there, just look at all the shysters out there 2005-2008

[GulfCoastGuy]

Well, most houses are MLS listed so regardless of realtor fees
you will need to have an agent to get into a house to look at it.

In my short time living here, bentlebee has really impressed me
with her sharing of real estate pitfalls and other issues. I hope
she keeps posting and I think the newcomers to Tampa would be
well served by her representation.

[dothetwist]

In some markets (AZ for example) a homeowner can contract with a broker for a flat fee JUST to get the listing in the MLS (the broker performs no other services). I had a friend who used it successfully and her fee for the service was around $650....a savings of nearly $16,000 on her 275K sale price.

I have also read about Redfin www.redfin.com which supposedly offers far less commission percentage (as low as 1.5%, depending on the area). I don't know if they operate in the TB area...anyone know?

I think this is the wave of the future.

[The Villages Guy]

Our neighbor put a "For Sale by Owner" sign in their front yard and sold the house the next day. Good thing I convinced her to ask $25,000 more than she was going to.

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by GulfCoastGuy

Well, most houses are MLS listed so regardless of realtor fees
you will need to have an agent to get into a house to look at it.

In my short time living here, bentlebee has really impressed me
with her sharing of real estate pitfalls and other issues. I hope
she keeps posting and I think the newcomers to Tampa would be
well served by her representation.

You can always contact listing agent and see the house with him/her.

Bentlebee is not her, it's him.

[TampaKaren]

Originally Posted by GulfCoastGuy

The snowbirds are heading back north and coincidentally I am seeing 10k-25k price reduction email alerts from zillow. I hope the market gets a little more rational again and drops down the Nov 2014 prices.

I, too noticed it this week when doing a neighborhood analysis. We need balance for everyone who wants to buy and sell. I just wonder where all those people are going to come from for the new construction. Lennar had the whole back page of the local Realtor news full of ready now inventory.

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by dothetwist

In some markets (AZ for example) a homeowner can contract with a broker for a flat fee JUST to get the listing in the MLS (the broker performs no other services). I had a friend who used it successfully and her fee for the service was around $650....a savings of nearly $16,000 on her 275K sale price.

I have also read about Redfin www.redfin.com which supposedly offers far less commission percentage (as low as 1.5%, depending on the area). I don't know if they operate in the TB area...anyone know?

I think this is the wave of the future.

I came across one listing that was "flat fee" ($250 I learned later). Basically people contacted listing agent and he was giving owner's phone number and it was going FSBO from that point. I wish I could remember the listing's agent company name, but it's local.

Redfin is not very popular in our area yet, but there are few agents who work in Tampa and refunding a part of their commissions (1-1.5%). The way to find these agents is to search for the house on Redfin (you can insert specific address if you have something in mind) and on the right hand side you will see local agent and amount of money he/she will be giving you back based on listed price.

[EngGirl]

Originally Posted by TampaKaren

I, too noticed it this week when doing a neighborhood analysis. We need balance for everyone who wants to buy and sell. I just wonder where all those people are going to come from for the new construction. Lennar had the whole back page of the local Realtor news full of ready now inventory.

I smell good deals and price cuts on "ready to own inventory homes" in the air.

[LandsharkJB]

Originally Posted by EngGirl

Redfin is not very popular in our area yet, but there are few agents who work in Tampa and refunding a part of their commissions (1-1.5%). The way to find these agents is to search for the house on Redfin (you can insert specific address if you have something in mind) and on the right hand side you will see local agent and amount of money he/she will be giving you back based on listed price.

We're trying the Redfin route with a buyers agent in Pinellas and so far are happy. We are doing all the legwork (by choice) searching the MLS, and she schedules the appointments, all while not under any sort of contract.